About our Chapter
What is Catholic Schoolhouse?®
Catholic Schoolhouse® is a supplemental program designed to help homeschool families enrich their educational experience through a flexible approach to learning inspired by classical elements, presented in a structured environment. Grammar students study the same topics at all ages creating family unity. The whole family has a place at Catholic Schoolhouse®. Older students in the dialectic and rhetoric stage meet for discussion and activities that are best done in a group setting–all focusing on helping them become effective Catholic adults.
Catholic Schoolhouse® is more than a day out of the house; it can help bring structure and cohesiveness to your entire homeschool experience and will bless your family!
What grade levels is this program for?
Franklin, NH Catholic Schoolhouse® currently serves preschool through middle school students:
- Pre-Grammar program (ages 3-4) — lays a foundation for our youngest members (ages 3–4). Focusing on virtue and gaining developmental skills needed to succeed.
- Grammar program (ages 5 through grade 6) — promotes family unity with all ages studying the same topic. Memorization creates the foundation for future learning. Virtue and Catholicism is woven into everything we do.
Upper Level program prepares student to enter adulthood with courage and confidence to bring others to Christ:
- Dialectic program (grades 7-9) — Moving toward analysis as students direct their newly analytical brain to process information as they discover truth.
- Rhetoric program (grades 10-12)** — Going beyond analysis to synthesis-creating and communicating their own convincing agruments and reasons.**Rhetoric program starting in 2025-2026, God willing!!
Who are we?
We are a group of homeschooling families, based in New Hampshire, with an interest in forming a vibrant Catholic community through a high-quality, classical, Catholic academic homeschooling program. All styles of homeschoolers are welcome. Above all we care about raising virtuous children in a strong community of faith. We draw encouragement from each other as we strive to do what’s best for our families.
What is Franklin, NH Catholic Schoolhouse®?
We are a parent-led, homeschooling program serving families in New Hampshire. Learning takes place during a Community Day once a week and at home four days a week. What to teach throughout the year is already planned through a carefully designed 24-week scope and sequence grounded in classical, Catholic education. How to teach is flexible, since parents choose how to implement the program for their own children, yet with plenty of instructional support.
The Community Day is held one half day a week. Students receive instruction by trained class leaders in chorus, science, art, and homeroom classes to introduce and inspire the students to learn the week’s topics. Catholic Schoolhouse® is not a drop-off program, so a parent or guardian must attend with the student and participate as a helper throughout the day.
Learning at home on the other four days of the week can be organized by the parents to best meet individual needs. Parents are empowered and supported as their children’s primary teacher. Families can use this program as the primary scope and sequence of their homeschool or as supplemental memory work alongside another homeschooling program.
Is Catholic Schoolhouse® just like a co-op?
No. Catholic Schoolhouse® is a non-profit all volunteer program with trained positions within our program. We come together weekly as we focus on the Catholic Schoolhouse® Mission: Empowering families to share Catholic Culture. At Catholic Schoolhouse we bring families together, allowing them to share and experience immersion in a loving Catholic Community-a community that strives to grow in virtue and holiness. Together we encounter the true, good and beautiful while forming tomorrow’s Catholic adults to be light in the world.
Parents work together, in various roles within the program. The roles may include Team Director & Coordinators as part of the leadership and may include Class Leader to lead our offerings of classes. These roles have required training. All do not mind dedicating the time necessary for good preparation. As we come together weekly implementing Catholic Schoolhouse®, parents remain the primary educator of their children.
Is Catholic Schoolhouse a drop-off program?
No. Catholic Schoolhouse® is parent involved at all times. Parents spend the morning observing in their student’s class, and assist when necessary. Observation is a powerful experience that unifies the families and brings everybody to the same page. As an observer you pick up great tips that can be used to reinforce the memory work at home, as well as ideas to use in other areas. The formation of a strong, Catholic community depends on all members being present.
Our parents
Parents in our program each bring a unique perspective—some have small children, some have older children, some have had kids in public school, other in private school, some have had kids do different things each year. What we all have in common is a desire to raise our children in the faith and use Catholic Schoolhouse® as a tool in that goal this year.
Parents of all participating children are expected to take an active role in their children’s education and in assisting in our classrooms so they run smoothly. Even if you are not a designated Class Leader, a parent helper rotation will be set up to ensure each class has enough adults to run smoothly. As a director it is my goal that all the adults get to use the talents God has blessed them with, to bless our chapter.
All adult parent/guardians and volunteers are required to complete the Diocese of Manchester‘s Safe Environment online training and provide a certificate of completion to our chapter director at FranklinNH@catholicschoolhouse.com. Additionally, all adult participants must complete a background check as required by the Diocese.
** Adult participation and volunteer eligibility are contingent upon the results of the background checks. **
What do parents do while their children are in class?
Parents volunteer in various roles or are assistants to the class leaders during chapter day. They always are observing when not taking on a significant role. By noting the teaching techniques, how their child interreacts with his peers, or even discovering some different resources each family is enriched within the chapter day community experience. Parents are required to be a part of the community.
Who will be the Class Leader for the students?
Parents or other interested individuals (such as a supportive family member or church member) act as the Class Leader for the program. Prior to the first day of class, Class Leaders are trained in key areas such as classroom behavior, academic preparations and expectations. Following our mission, a focus on virtues modeled by the Class Leader is a significant part of the training. They also meet regularly for planning and idea sharing.
What curriculum will be covered during the 2024-2025 school year?
For school year 2024-2025, we will cover the topics in Tour 2 (the second year of a three-year cycle) focusing on Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Middle Ages (Creation – 1500 AD) among other topics. See a sample week of all topics covered. Week by week suggested lessons and resources for use at home can be found at the publicly-accessible Catholic Schoolhouse® Tour 2 Blog and on the Catholic Schoolhouse® Basecamp platform for registered families only.
If using this program as a supplement to another homeschooling program, parents can extend learning at home as much or as little as desired using the week by week resources for inspiration and reading books related to the topics. If using this program as the primary scope and sequence for your homeschool, parents would extend learning at home for the weekly topics using the week by week resources for inspiration, reading books related to the topics, as well as implementing a separate language arts and math curriculum appropriate for the student’s level.
What is a Tour Guide?
Our Tour Guide is a week-by-week presentation of all the memory work covered in Catholic Schoolhouse®. These topics form the core of our grammar stage program. The class leaders use this guide to present the Tour Guide topics in class. The parent at home will want to have this guide to re-enforce, practice, and expand upon the topics at home.
Learn more by visiting Tour Guide Scope and Sequence (website) and Catholic Schoolhouse Core and Enhanced Programs, Tools and Resources (PDF).
Video: Overview of Catholic Schoolhouse in 15 minutes
