Welcome to the Fireside
Classes have now begun at Fireside, and most CORE classes are now closed. Registrations are still being considered for non-core classes as space is available. No walk in registrations are allowed; you must contact the director beforehand to discuss openings at this point. Social registrations are also still being accepted throughout the year.
We now have over 40 families and 90 children, and our first few weeks have been wonderful examples of both community AND cooperation! We are thrilled to have both new and old faces each week, and look forward to a great year ahead! Here are a few photos of our first day....be sure to check our online newsletter for more photos and news each month!
More about Fireside Academy Community Co-op
Our co-op classes will be held on Tuesdays
The Fireside Academy Community Co-op for Homeschoolers is a brand new, not-for-profit organization, offering support and encouragement to parents who are teaching their children at home through traditional and cyber-education methods . Fireside Academy will help foster a sense of community for homeschooling families. Our enrichment classes and extra-curricular activities provide opportunities for social interaction with others who understand a lifestyle focused on family and education. Our website and free on-line newsletter keep families informed of upcoming events and opportunities for families of Lehigh and Northampton Counties of Pennsylvania, as well as western New Jersey.
Full Membership
A full membership is necessary for those families wishing to take
advantage of our co-op classes. Fireside Academy Classes offer a variety of
academic and enrichment courses in a community environment for families. Our
co-op classes will meet one day a week for thirty weeks, from September to
May, with intermittent breaks.
Our weekly classes serve to create an environment that encourages children
to love learning while providing opportunities for academic excellence and
achievement. We assist families by offering weekly classes taught by
specialists in each field who are usually homeschooling parents as well. By
pooling our resources, we are able to offer a rich diversity of expertise
that helps families build upon their own knowledge and abilities by
providing broader educational experiences.
Our classes support the home education program through classroom
experiences, giving both a framework as well as outside accountability and
mentoring. Often when homeschooled children reach middle school, they will
wish to pursue subject matter that is difficult or foreign to the parent
teacher. Many high school diploma programs require courses which some
parents feel uncomfortable teaching on their own. Our classes help meet
these needs for families by bridging any gaps in the home education program,
while offering the benefits of a small-sized classroom experience for
students.
More than academics, our classes provide homeschooling families with the
opportunity to work co-operatively in an atmosphere of mutual respect,
organized structure with flexibility, and interest driven exploration. We
feel that offering opportunities for homeschooled children to participate in
musical theater and chorus programs, or to develop new hobbies by learning
to knit, paint, or sew, are vital to a rich educational experience. We will
also offer the opportunity for youth to create a yearbook and newspaper,
documenting their experiences and providing information for our co-op
families. We will offer informal small groups, such a chess and game club.
A Full Membership also includes all benefits of the social membership listed
below.
Social Membership
A social membership will include discounts on many activities such as field trips, workshops, and teen events. We will have members-only events for parents as well, that will include instructional seminars and small groups. We offer special events for homeschooled students such as educational fairs, picnics, and a high school prom. Social Membership also includes one free entry into our educational fairs per family. Each family with a social membership will receive an annual directory.