School Year FAQs
FAQs |GENERAL PROGRAM LOGISTICS
NOTE ABOUT PARKING: We do share the parking lot with the ILM Tree Homeschool Co-op during the school year, so we ask that you make sure to park in a spot designated for Sienna Ranch since the ILM Tree families need to be able to come and go from their parking spot throughout the day. If you have concerns about parking, please let our Director know.
The first few minutes of each group class is reserved for student arrival. Your student’s instructor will likely check them in on their roster, introduce some sort of arrival activity option for your child to do while the others arrive, and may check in to see that your child has all their required gear for the day. If your child has health history that the instructor wants to know more detail about they might ask you a few follow up questions about relevant allergies, etc. When your child seems settled and engaged with the group you can say goodbye and depart through the front gate.
FAQs |SCHOOL YEAR REGISTRATION
For class periods with multiple sections, make sure to communicate with friends about which class you are choosing (the title of the class will say either class #1 or Class #2). Thanks for your understanding, that the office cannot guarantee there will be space to rearrange students once class rosters are set.
FAQs | ENROLLMENT LOGISTICS
- PreK-Kindergarten group classes usually have a 8:1 student to teacher ratio.
- 1st grade and up their class size increases to 10:1.
- Nature Sage program has a 11:1 ratio when it is at capacity.
WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE DAY LOOK LIKE?
NOTE: We have a 3-year curriculum for Junior Ranchers, so while there may be annual or seasonal traditions students are familiarized with year after year, projects and take home items are different between Year 1, 2, and 3.
Explorers can expect a number of seasonal traditions to repeat annually, including the fall acorn harvest, trade blanket and our winter feast. These highlights, mixed with different quarterly themes, help students learn a homesteading, survival and animal-themed skill each session.
Each week will likely also include exploration time which may be structured as group teambuilding or just a fun hike. Students should be comfortable hiking on uneven terrain 1-2 miles with a small backpack carrying their lunch and should be ready to be outside the full class period, rain or shine.
NOTE: Nature Sages has a 3-year structure intended for 7th-9th graders. Take home projects may vary year to year.