Enrichment Program
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
John Dewey
Nurturing a community of happy, lifelong learners
Cloud Nine Enrichment is an organization of dedicated homeschooling families who gather to give our children opportunities to engage in academic and social learning together in a safe and nurturing environment. We meet on Tuesdays in Homer, NY, at The Center for the Arts. We offer classes for pre-k through high school with a winter option of an apprenticeship for 9th-12th grade. If a parent can’t volunteer for a Tuesday on-site support role (classroom aide, hall monitor, clean up), we allow drop-off for an additional fee. Some classes are parent taught, while some are hired educators. We are a group who not only supports, but encourages parental choice across the board. We are committed to cultivating a safe, hands-on learning environment where young minds can practice how to think, instead of what to think. Open, upfront communication and transparency are crucial to the success of this venture and we encourage ongoing dialogue and feedback as our program evolves so that we can craft the best offering for our children.
Explore our past class offerings to get a feel for the Cloud 9
3-5 Exploring Engineering - This is a hands-on class where students will learn about the Engineering Design Process. Students will have the opportunity to use their imagination and critical thinking skills to solve fun challenges or create projects that solve real world problems. Students will gain a better understanding of the history of technology, how inventions were made, and the way we innovate. Get ready for creativity, brainstorming, and collaboration!
3-5 Into the Forest - This class will help foster the unique joy that children have when they discover the wonders of nature. Exploration of various components of the natural world including: plants, fungi, insects, animals, ecosystems, weather/clouds, the moon, trees, birds, rocks & minerals, the forest floor, and more! Time for student-led inquiry and discussion, as well, as we stoke interest in and maintain a lifelong relationship with our environment.
3-5 Elements of Art - Students will work with a variety of art medias while mastering different methods, mediums, techniques, art forms, color concepts, etc. The class will cover art elements and principles with unique projects selected to spark individual creativity.
3-5 Art: Study the Masters - Each week, students will be introduced to a famous artist and 1-2 techniques or concepts that make them memorable. As students becomes acquainted with and practices a technique or characteristic of the artist's work, they will actually create a work of art similar to all or part of the master's to bring home. This course offers a FUN, hands-on way to connect with the old masters and some of their most famous works. By becoming involved in the same processes these artists used, the elements and principles of art will come alive and students' confidence in their artistic abilities grows!
3-5 PenPals: Writing 101 - Having a pen pal is an incredible and very memorable experience and a great way to learn about other cultures while practicing writing skills and penmanship. In this class, each student will be paired with another child of similar age at a school in Africa. We will learn about African culture, geography, write weekly letters, practice letter and envelope composition (and decoration!), spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It is interesting and exciting to learn how people in foreign countries live and we believe that international correspondence has a part to play in creating global friendship and understanding.
K-2 Upcycled Art -This class will foster creative thinking and problem solving through students reimagining the re-use of materials that are typically discarded in homes across America. We are going to transform recycled or discarded materials along with common office supplies into works of art!
K-2 Into the Garden - As children learn and grow, experiencing nature with all their senses is a vital part of their development and their attachment to the environment. Students will experience hands-on lessons and weekly activities as they explore types of plants; plant life cycles; what roots, stems, leaves, seeds and flowers are and what they do; photosynthesis and phototropism; soil and composting and much more. Students will create their own dish garden to take home and nurture.
K-2 Little Passports Geography - Our little explorers will learn about the continents, oceans, and landforms, before moving on to sharpening their map reading skills. From there, they will be ready to begin their continent-by-continent tour where we will learn about cultures, animals, climates, plants, languages, try new foods, crafts, and more, all through hands-on activities. Students will each have a custom passport and will collect stamps as they travel the globe.
K-2 Art: Study the Masters - Each week, students will be introduced to a famous artist and 1-2 techniques or concepts that make them memorable. As students becomes acquainted with and practices a technique or characteristic of the artist's work, they will actually create a work of art similar to all or part of the master's to bring home. This course offers a FUN, hands-on way to connect with the old masters and some of their most famous works. By becoming involved in the same processes these artists used, the elements and principles of art will come alive and students' confidence in their artistic abilities grows!
K-2 Spanish: Play to Learn - In this course, students will be introduced to basic Spanish vocabulary by way of cleverly written stories using One Thirds Stories books. Following each story, students will participate in some hands-on activities to practice the new vocabulary introduced in the story. Integrated throughout each class, will be fun, easy and short movement activities specifically designed to help integrate primitive reflexes and enhance learning, attention and memory.
6-8 Creative Writing - This class will focus on an introduction to different writing styles. Different literature works will be introduced, followed by a writing prompt. The students will create their very own works of art. Students will be asked to share their work with the class. The idea is to allow imagination to flow through our words. Writing prompts will vary weekly and will have connections to holidays, seasons, nature etc.
6-8 Nourishing Traditions Cooking - A back-to-basics cooking and nutrition class structured around Nourishing Traditions. Students will learn why food choices make a difference in our lives, what helps a body perform better, and discover ancestral culinary customs that have since been overshadowed by modern processed food and convenience. This class will help students think of food as medicine, a guide to wise food choices and proper preparation techniques. Cooking is more fun when you are making nutrient dense food that will serve your body and mind!
6-8 Innovation & Design - This is a creative hands-on class where students are going to dive deeper into the Engineering Design process. We will take a quick look at the different ages of technology and how different innovations have had an impact on society. Compared to the Exploring Engineering class (3rd-5th), this class will focus on more complex planning skills to create projects and solve problems through fun STEM design challenges. There will be an emphasis on quality craftsmanship and attention to detail when designing projects. A huge piece of planning in the Engineering Design Process is to create plans in the form of technical drawings. Students will learn the basics of orthographic drawing.
6-8 Book Club: Parts of Speech - In this dynamic course, each student will receive their own copy of George Orwell's 1984. As we discuss the assigned weekly text, students will also practice the analyzation of language by studying the different parts of speech. Mastering the parts of speech will help students understand how words come together to form sentences and how sentences are strung together to create speech. With assigned reading each week, students will discover important symbolism and themes while understanding the role sentence structure plays in the entire design.
K-2, 3-5, 6-8 Cultural Connections (A program created and led by Access to Arts Cortland - course content scaled for each grade level group)
In this comprehensive enrichment program, students will dive into every aspect of the arts including dance and choreography, voice and instrumental music theory, visual art, poetry and creative writing. Built on a holistic model where students gain confidence and key skills, the learning goals from global studies, math, physics ad ELA are seamlessly incorporated into this fun and engaging course. Below is a outline of the 10 week program. While the themes will remain consistent, the activities will vary based on age-level abilities and attention spans.
Week 1: Meet your teachers, introduce the program. Lascaux Cave session - history of storytelling. Possible activities to be included: create a cave wall mural, create a stone necklace from clay, drumming circle introducing basic rhythm concepts and ensemble music.
Week 2: Music theory and practice. Possible activities to be included: moving to music, exploring rhythm and pitch, beginnings of note reading, confidence-building, and group cooperation exercises using improvisation games.
Week 3: Greek Theater Part I. Possible activities to be included: Storyboards and mazes, performing parts from famous plays such as Oedipus and Theseus.
Week 4: Theater skills. Basic theater terms and how to find your way around a stage. Possible activities to be included: design a costume, write a monologue (such as the fairytale from the "bad guy's" point of view) and share it with a partner.
Week 5: Greek Theater Part I. Greek gods and mythology.
Week 6: Physics of music. Learn how different instruments make sound, and how we classify them. Try out a variety of instruments and make your own.
Week 7: Medieval Mystery plays. Learn about the origin and purpose of these plays and make a medieval play mask.
Week 8: Short plays. Write and perform a short play that both introduces and solves a problem. K-2 Peter & The Wolf study.
Week 9: Shakespeare Part I. Learn all about the who, where and why of theater from this period and make a coat of arms and crown.
Week 10: Shakespeare Part II. Design a model of the globe theater. Choreograph a scene from Shakespeare and explore music from the period.