What kind of experience will my child have at Bloom?
At Bloom Learning Community, our mantra is “Space to grow, freedom to flourish, body + heart + mind.” This means that our attentive staff will support each child’s unique learning path by putting their interests, learning style, and values at the forefront to ensure a truly “learner-centered” experience.
Each child will have have “space to grow” by setting their own pace in a compassionate, multi-age learning environment; they’ll have “freedom to flourish” by consciously engaging in learning that is meaningful for them; and they’ll do this “body + heart + mind” through holistic learning approaches set forth by Rainbow Institute’s Seven Domains of Learning.
Bloom also utilizes Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as a matter of policy to not only help children solve conflicts, but to foster a compassionate learning atmosphere and create the following additional benefits for children:
Increased empathy
Deeper self-awareness and understanding
Expanded self-confidence
Greater self-direction
Lower anxiety
Increased self-responsibility
Greater ability to work cooperatively
Unconditional acceptance of self and others
“I’ve always thought children should be first educated in the basics of common decency and kindness. Something our world is sorely lacking. Reading, writing, math and science mean nothing without a whole being to bring them to life.”
-A Bloom Parent
Who is Bloom for?
Bloom is for homeschooling families looking for a progressive educational option that thoughtfully prepares children for the 21st century. The Bloom Experience is ideal for:
Passionate, curious learners
Those looking for a positive and peaceful learning environment
Creative thinkers and dreamers
Those that value childhood, play, experimentation, and fun
Kids who enjoy exploring their strengths and interests at their own pace
Children looking to socialize while participating in a culture of kindness that builds lasting friendships
Families who feel time in nature is essential
Compassionate problem-solvers and change-makers
Open-minded and flexible thinkers
Those looking to create more hope in the world
Those with the desire to make unique and new choices and be on the forefront of change
If this sounds like you and you’re looking for new alternatives and freedom from traditional school models, then Bloom may be just the right fit for your family.
“Bloom is exactly what we were looking for.”
-A Bloom Parent
Are kids assigned homework or grades?
Is Bloom all my kids need as homeschoolers?
No, we do not assign compulsory homework nor do we use grades to gauge student progress. Whether or not additional learning is completed at home will be at the discretion of the student and any collaborators on group projects.
Instead of homework, we encourage families to spend time together reading, being outdoors, following interests, playing and sharing other memorable experiences together in an effort to build deeper connections with each other and the world.
Younger learners (ages 5-7) may be able to meet all structured educational needs by attending 3 days at Bloom each week, depending on their participation level. This is in addition to the natural education and everyday learning that takes place at home. As students grow, beginning around age 7-8, they will have increased needs for intentional and individualized learning activities at home to deepen and expand upon what is offered at Bloom.
How is student progress measured?
Learners will practice constructing, demonstrating, and communicating learning in meaningful ways, and progress will be measured individually through ongoing observation and self-reflection. Individual strengths and challenges, as well as step-by-step plans on how we’ll address them at Bloom, are observed and shared with parents.
Learners may also build a personal portfolio that contains work samples (video of a completed project, a written interview, a book review mind map, photos of artwork, pages showcasing new math skills), items of self-reflection (written, recorded audio or video, narrated, drawn), as well as staff feedback based on thoughtful observation and personal interactions, shared with parents during meetings.
Where are you located?
Our beautiful space is located at 23855 Detroit Road in Westlake - on the beautiful and welcoming Unity Spiritual Center campus. We have multiple appealing areas both indoors and outside where children can create, learn, play, and collaborate with friends.
This location is centrally located to many cities in the Cleveland area, and is readily accessible from I-90.
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Can you accommodate students with special needs?
While Bloom makes every effort to accommodate many unique student needs, as a microschool, Bloom currently does not have the resources to support students who have emotional, physical, or behavioral challenges or intensive learning difficulties.
Bloom also has more freedom for self-direction than most traditional school environments, which is ideal for many children, but for others it can make things more challenging.
Learners with impaired behavioral or emotional control may not be best served in this type of setting.
We ask that you keep in mind our program’s structure when applying, and invite you to contact us if you’d like help determining if your child’s specific needs would be best met at Bloom. We will determine our ability to serve students on an individual basis.
What is a typical day like?
The following schedule describes the typical flow of a Tuesday or Thursday at Bloom:
9:30 - 10:00 Nature & Centering: We begin the day with free play, movement, and centering outside whenever possible. Centering is intentionally coming together on common ground as they do at Rainbow Community School to “awaken the spiritual center, opening the pathways to learning.” The activities will vary, but can include movement, yoga, meditation, mindful breathing, inner reflection, brain warm-ups, and social emotional components.
10:00 - 10:20 NVC: Bloom uses the Classroom Connections Grok Nonviolent Communication curriculum which includes stories, games, and role-plays.
10:20 - 10:30 Snack: Students have a break to socialize and eat a morning snack from home if desired.
10:30 - 12:00 Learning Activities: Each morning children cycle through center-based small group activities in math and language arts. Each center includes a variety of choices, including Wild Math nature curriculum, academic games, manipulatives, flashcards, and written work, to suit individual preferences and abilities. Large and small group instruction introduces learners to develop and build on formative skills in math, reading, and writing.
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch & Free Time: Lunch is a fun and social experience at Bloom. We eat outside as much as the weather allows. Unstructured outdoor time with friends in nature is an invaluable type of holistic learning.
1:30 - 2:30 Art/Science/PBL: On a rotating basis, afternoons at Bloom are spent observing and exploring topics in natural science with lots of hands-on activities, creative exploration in a variety of art projects, or research and writing about social/cultural studies and history during Project Based Learning.
2:30 - 2:45 Clean Up: All students and staff work together to complete all cleaning tasks and take care of our shared learning space.
2:45 - 3:00 Closing Circle: Brings us together as a large group again. We will retell the “story” of our day together as we re-center and focus within during a brief guided reflection meditation. Children may each have an opportunity to share feelings, appreciations, ideas, reflections, questions, new insights, and suggestions for tomorrow.
3:00 - 3:30 Nature & Free Time: We end the day together with free play outside.
3:30 Departure
The following schedule describes the typical flow of a Wednesday at Bloom:
9:30 - 9:45 Arrival & Free Time
9:45 - 10:45 Class Block A: Class Blocks on Wednesdays are led by Bloom Staff, Outside Instructors, or Parent and Community Volunteers and offer choices that focus on a variety of topics (music, STEM, writing, nature, arts & crafts, math labs, history, chess, cooking, sewing, etc.) based on who is offering the class and what the students are interested in.
10:45 - 11:00 Snack: Students have a break to socialize and eat a morning snack from home if desired.
11:00 - 12:00 Class Block B
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch & Free Time: Lunch is a fun and social experience at Bloom. We eat outside as much as the weather allows. Unstructured outdoor time with friends in nature is an invaluable type of holistic learning.
1:30 - 2:30 Class Block C
2:30 - 3:30 Class Block D
3:30 Departure
“I like EVERYTHING about Bloom! I feel the happiest all day!”
-Bloom Member, age 8
How will students stay on task in a self-directed environment?
At the heart of Bloom is the learner.
Because we are a learner-centered microschool, we trust learners with their own learning journey. The responsibility for learning is gifted back to the child. When children are free to choose their own path, passion and interest keep them intrinsically motivated and moving forward at their chosen pace.
Children at Bloom will increasingly practice:
setting personalized and meaningful learning goals
participating in interesting learning activities and projects to actively construct their own knowledge and new skills
finding their personal pace and rhythm
overcoming obstacles and learning from mistakes
regularly self-monitoring progress
partaking in reflection and revision processes
celebrating each success!
We expect natural cycles and rhythms of activity and learning to evolve within each individual. The steps above are an essential aspect of life, and we believe it is liberating to invite children into this process for themselves.
If learners decide to step away from their learning path from time to time, we support their needs to regulate themselves. Studies find that taking regular breaks enhances meaningful learning. Unlike some traditional school settings, staff at Bloom do not use coercion to keep students working at a specific pace or on a particular activity.
Bloom learning guides are always available to troubleshoot challenges and obstacles, and will assist learners to keep going when they want to, and support them to find ways to rebalance by stepping away to partake in restorative practices (movement, fresh air, a rest, music) when they need to.
“There are nice people at Bloom. Nice teachers. I like seeing the teachers and my friends.”
-Bloom Member, age 7
What is a learning community? How can families participate?
A learning community is a group that shares a lifelong love of learning. At Bloom, parents and caregivers are an essential part of our daily community! Our community is strengthened and enriched by the combination of unique differences and shared communal values. Our intent is for all members of our community to feel welcomed, appreciated, and supported, and to offer this energy back to the community.
Here are some of the many ways families can participate in our learning community:
volunteering with both special and day-to-day activities at Bloom
share interests and knowledge (speakers and guests will be arranged on a regular basis)
join in special events and celebrations
help with organizing and planning events and field trips
participating in parent meetings and conferences with Bloom staff
assist Bloom’s fundraising efforts
expand our learning community by sharing info about Bloom online and with word-of-mouth endorsements to family and friends