This group may be a good fit for your family if you...
1. are planning on attending regularly* and are free on Tuesday mornings
2. are looking for a community to share your journey with
3. are up to the challenge of being outside in extreme weather and rough terrain and are usually physically capable of enduring difficult hikes/weather
4. believe in the importance of free play & exploration in nature with others and want to prioritize that
5. believe there is value in risky play, independent exploration and consensual, peer to peer rough-housing
6. love the idea of being a part of a diverse community with different parenting styles, schooling philosophies and spiritual beliefs and see conflicts and differences as opportunities for learning and for practicing love and acceptance
7. are comfortable with expressing your needs/boundaries to the group and addressing issues with others directly and plan to listen with love and acknowledge others feelings when confronted
8. have at least one 4-13 year old home educated kid (older and younger siblings welcome)
9. have an interest in and respect for the natural world and wish to have a deep connection with the land and non-human lifeforms
10. are willing to assist in conflict resolution and group decision making
*What do you mean by attend regularly?
Building community and nurturing deep friendships is important to us. Strong bonds take time and consistency so we ask that all members plan to attend nearly every week and make an effort to arrive on time (there is a grace period of 10 minutes before we start to allow for late arrivals). We ask that families plan to come almost every week and try not to miss more than 1/3 of sessions. We normally plan 15/16 weeks at a time so this means attending at least 9 each semester. Missing field trips, potlucks & playdates or events during breaks that are outside of weekly Tuesday meetups wont count against attendance - however we would love to see you at those too! If you are over an hour late or spend less than 90 minutes total with the group between 10 & 1 that session will count as an absence.
*What should I do if I find that I am unable to make it to 2/3rds or more of Tuesday Forest School sessions this semester?
Please do not report the reason for every absence each week but if you are missing a lot of weeks due to an abnormal hardship or crisis and think you wont make 2/3rds of meetups this semester please let the group know. You can do this by reaching out via the group text thread or ask a trusted friend to share your issue & feelings with the group in person. If you believe that your attendance is not normal for you, you desire to attend regularly and you care about the group then you are still welcome; we don't care as much about the numbers as we do about having a group of close friends that see one another enough to feel comfortable and who all feel committed and attached to the group. If you feel that it will continue to be a struggle for you indefinitely to make it to at least 2/3rds of sessions we ask that you remove yourself from the group so that others who may attend more regularly can take your place. Previous members will take priority in the wait-list and you will be more than welcome to try again in a different season of your life.