Homeschool Support Program

Raven Rangers Homeschool Support Program- Ages 6 to 13- Class limit 10 children
Outdoor and child led learning tailored according to each child and family’s needs

Raven Rangers

Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays

Enroll

$75 per day with educational activities, 8 AM-5 PM

$60 per day with educational activities, 9 AM-3 PM

Program Description

Parents will be responsible for submitting letters of "intent to homeschool" to the state/superintendent before September 1st and then submitting progress or assessment before September 1st of the next school year. Maine requires a record of 175 days of attendance. Ready Set Go Outside will provide at least 2 hours of lessons per day of attendance and will work with families to tailor each child’s experience. . Ready Set Go Outside will provide documentation of learning activities in the form of paperwork and photo evidence. Parents can use this information to submit proof of progress to a certified teacher or may opt to submit an assessment test. The Maine state learning results for each child's grade can be found at the state of Maine Department of Education website.

Ready Set Go will be offering a variety of lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays along with learning provocations and plenty of free time. Tuesdays will be Science themes, Wednesdays will focus on physical activities and art, and Thursday's focus will be outdoor math, language arts and socials studies. A list of planned activities is available upon request. Field trips will include Southworth Planetarium, Mr. Drew's, local hikes, Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum, local libraries, etc. Learning provocations may include educational board/card games, building projects, identifying bird nests, microscope explorations, etc.

Children are welcome to bring in their own school work but must be able to work independently. Teachers can help if needed, but may not always have availability depending on the activities planned for that day.

This group will be mixed ages from 5 to 14 years old. Each child will be allowed to progress at their own pace. Some children will need more structure than others. The goal will be to promote the joy of learning and guide each person to become a self-motivated learner. If learning can be done outside, then that is where it will happen whenever possible. We will use whatever tools we can to help inspire each learner. Some children love worksheets and quizzes. Some love board games. Some learn well from videos. Some learn best from hands-on activities. The greatest thing that will be learned from this year of home schooling is how each person learns best. While we can't have a strict schedule laid out ahead of time if we are going to follow the children's lead, we can know that there will be a lot of reading, outside time, educational games, music, art, building, creating, fun and learning every day!

Marisa Tobey will be the lead teacher for this program. Please see the about page for information about Marisa's qualifications.

Field trips will be a big part of our program. Examples include the Maine Maritime Museum, Norlands Living History Center, Maine Audubon, Mount Apatite, Mr. Drew and His Animals Too, Maine Wildlife Park, Gray’s Equestrian, and local conservation lands.

Electronics: Ready Set Go Outside has a few devices available to use for learning. Children are welcome to bring devices from home to use for learning and writing. Use of devices will be monitored and may be limited. We do occasionally allow children to "play" on devices toward the end of the day or at nap/rest time. This would only happen if going outside was not an option, a child is the last one to be picked up/has no one to play with, and/or they had completed their learning activities for the day. Children will be asked to opt for learning games unless the teacher feels the child needs a mental break or some time to center him/herself. Speaking of breaks: yoga mats and yoga cards are always available, and teachers often encourage children to take breathing breaks. A list of choices to self-regulate will be designed by each learner.

This program is available weekly except for holidays, school vacations, and the days from Christmas Eve Day to New Year's Day. Please see our Google calendar for specifics. Our school year usually begins the last week of August and ends the first week of June. This schedule includes extra “make up” days for attendance. Families can always record attendance on their own if it better fits their schedule or flow which means that your child can choose to get some schoolwork done on a Saturday or holiday if they wish.

We provide snacks and homemade lunches. Parents sign up to bring in bulk foods through a weekly SignUp Genius. In the winter we cook together over an outdoor fire. Meals may include chili, hot dogs, or Mexican quinoa. During warmer months we offer sandwiches and homemade lunchables. Cooking sessions will be part of our homeschool lessons. Students are welcome to prepare their own snack boxes when they arrive in the morning. We discourage outside food as we work with a lot of different behaviors and it can be difficult to encourage children to eat healthy foods when they are seen as optional. However, we work with families and special dietary needs. We have experience planning meals around dairy, gluten, and nut allergies. It's a great learning experience for all children to experience these meals with their friends.

Everyone will need appropriate clothing for the weather whatever it may be. This will probably mean a variety of layers. Children will need full waterproof outfits for rainy days- rain coat, rain pants, (or rain suit) and waterproof boots. It is a good idea to find rain wear that also fits over snow wear for colder months. Warm layers and waterproofing will be important for the winter months. We will be outside for hours and children will need some flexibility in their clothing depending on the activity. Layers provide flexibility for children to remove or add layers as needed throughout the program. Waterproof gloves/mittens make the most sense for the types of activities we will be doing. Knitted gloves/mittens are not appropriate. They often get wet within minutes of being outside or are not warm enough.

Please read our program description and policies here for more information. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Download an Enrollment Form

“I love this school because you don’t have to wear a mask and you don’t have to sit down all day and you get fresh air and you get to skate and in the summer, you can go swimming in a pond and you have fun and we have a big cabin. Will you please come.”
Wyatt Jackson (6)

“My children love this program. Marisa is so inclusive and so good with creating fun and memorable experiences for the kids. I would highly recommend this for kids who love to be outdoors learning!”
Kate Sansom

“Ready Set Go has been amazing for our outdoorsy, adventurous and dirt loving kiddo. The owner Marisa and her wonderful staff are caring, energetic and passionate people who create wonderful experiences and memories every day. We couldn’t think of a better place for our son and we would recommend Ready, Set, Go! to anyone who has an outdoor, adventure loving kiddo!“
Shay Murphy

“Fantastic opportunity for experiential, outdoor education for students! If you have a child who loves the outdoors, this is a great opportunity for them to learn and be active in nature.”
Anonymous

“Our son loved outdoor learning and all the amazing hands-on experience Marisa created for the group. The kids weren’t rushed through lesson after lesson. They had time to figure things out and truly understand… This year our son went back to public school and to my surprise he was at or above where he needed to be starting Middle school… I am so happy for him and could not be happier with his experience at RSG….I know our son is better off today.”
Jennifer Elgaaen

“Highly recommend Ready, Set, Go! My kids have been attending for a little over a year now and love it! Marisa and staff allow the kids to learn and experiment on their own and with some guidance. The kids come home with smiles on their faces from experiences that are not only fun, but educational. 10/10 in my book!”
Autumn Hawkes

“My daughter attended Ready, Set Go Learning Center to compliment her half day Pre-k experience for school. Her love for the outdoors has blossomed along with her confidence, creativity and inquisitive nature. The programming, staff and opportunities afforded by this program are beyond our wildest dreams.”
Jillian Merrill

“This was absolutely the greatest experience ever. The teachers and the owner are amazing, informative and loving. They always communicate and are transparent about everything. This childcare is a MUST try. ❤️”
Majlinda Mulla

“Both my kids went to Ready, Set, Go Learning Center for their preschool years. The environment is great for learning, creativity, and positive social experiences. The staff were so kind, loving, and fun. I really appreciated the connection to the natural environment, field trips, and many opportunities for play. I would highly recommend sending your children here!”
Elizabeth Cyr

“My children attended Ready, Set, Go! and LOVED it! My kids knew that they were loved and in a nurturing environment where they were encouraged to be kids. Their days were filled with play that was developmentally appropriate and that sparked their interest and creativity.”
Kari Crosman