Four Seasons Secular Co-op (FSSC) is a secular (non-religious), pro-science, LGBTQIA+ inclusive, anti-racist, anti-ableism homeschool cooperative in Frederick, MD. To be a member of Four Seasons Secular Co-Op you must authentically share and respect our values and principles. FSSC is a parent-run non-profit.
Our goal is to encourage lifelong learning and cultivate curiosity, empathy, respect, leadership and communication skills in our students and member families. FSSC seeks to provide a safe and respectful family-centered community and support structure that celebrates diversity. We hope to empower families to work collectively to inspire children to become meaningful contributors to the global community. We believe in experiential learning, creativity and exploration.
Four Seasons Secular Co-Op is dedicated to fulfilling our mission by organizing cooperative classes, field trips, enrichment activities, special interest clubs, excursions, and social gatherings for both kids and care-givers.
In this group you will find families who:
Planned Co-op Structure - FSSC is an Outdoor-based co-op. Our weekly meetings will be held outside, in park pavilions, with electricity and bathroom facilities. We will make every reasonable effort to make it outside in every type of weather unless safety is a concern.
This is a hands-on co-op. Care-givers must be present and assisting with activities. Care-givers can teach or assist in co-op classes (not necessarily the classes their kids are in) and/or help make the co-op day and semester run smoothly.
In the Fall and Spring Semesters (Specific dates TBD) Co-op will
meet:
Wednesdays:
9:45 at a park in a location central to Frederick, MD. We will have
three class periods, starting at 9:45 and ending around 12:30, with
optional picnic lunch and playtime afterwards.
Our class offerings and activities change depending on member families preferences and skillsets.
Fridays (Optional):
Fun Days! A rotating schedule of hikes, field trips, and free play.
Occasionally field trips are not on Fridays. We will try to start
activities in the mornings (usually around 10) and end based on
activity. Exceptions may happen depending on activity. Fridays are
made for flexibility and fun :) Full freedom to choose which weeks you
attend.
In the Summer and Winter Semesters co-op: Our goal is to continue to meet on Wednesdays and Fridays. Attendance in these semesters is not required but is strongly encouraged when you can make it. We all understand the need for vacations and down-time, and these semesters are flexibly-scheduled to respect/encourage/accommodate that. And, we love for members to show up as often as possible, so that we can maintain a thriving, dependable community.
Summer and Winter semesters will be more flexible and will not have a structured class schedule. Field trips and learning will abound.
The older kids (aged 12 and up) also have virtual meet ups during the summer and winter.
After reading about Four Seasons Secular Co-op, if you feel like you may have found your people, fill out the Form below and we’ll get back to you with information on open houses and how to apply. We accept applicants whose oldest homeschooling child is 5 years old or older by September 1st of that year. Younger siblings are welcome to come and be part of the group as well.
NOTE ON COVID POLICY
We are a group built on mutual respect and caring. Being in a community means taking care of our community members. We follow the CDC, state and local guidelines. Currently masking is not required under any circumstances outdoors by the CDC, so masking at outdoor co-op is optional, however masks are always welcome. If CDC guidelines or local metrics change, we will institute an appropriate mask policy that recognizes that kids rarely stay 6 feet apart from each other. Our priority is keeping our members safe and ensuring that kids can play safely together.
Our form was not working properly from October 30th 2024 to January 8th 2025, please resubmit a request for information if you submitted one in that time frame.
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