Quick Facts:
Ages: 5-11
When: Tuesdays, 9:30-2:30
Where: West Madison / Middleton area
Structure: Part-time, self-directed learning community - no set curriculum
Approach: Child-led exploration, shared decision-making, consent-informed facilitation
Group Size: Up to 12 children with 2 adult facilitators
Drop-off: Yes (Parents may stay during transition if helpful)
Overview
Catfish River School is a part-time learning community for home-educated children ages 5–11, rooted in connection and informed by consent.
We do not follow a prescribed curriculum. Instead, children co-create each day — deciding what, how, and when they engage in learning, play, and rest.
We believe that when children are trusted and supported within authentic relationship, their natural curiosity and capacity for learning unfold on their own. Adults serve as facilitators — guides who listen, offer resources, and help the community stay connected, safe, and well.
This isn’t “school” in the conventional sense — it’s a return to school in the traditional sense: a living community where curiosity, creativity, and consent shape what learning looks like.
A Day at Catfish River
While every day is unique, our rhythm provides a gentle structure that helps children feel grounded and free:
9:30 – 9:45 am: Arrival and settle in
9:45 – 10:00 am: Opening meeting
10:00 – 11:30 am: Morning block – projects, games, nature time, or whatever the group plans
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Lunch
12:30 – 2:00 pm: Afternoon block – continued from the morning
2:00 – 2:15 pm: Tidy up
2:15 – 2:30 pm: Closing meeting and pickup
Our Environment
We meet in a warm, flexible space with an entry room, main room, and kitchen, and a large outdoor area for movement, play, and exploration.
Children flow between indoor and outdoor environments throughout the day, following their interests and energy.
Commitment and Community
Catfish River works best when a consistent group grows together over time. We ask families to commit for the year, helping children build trust, relationships, and shared culture.
Our current ratio is one adult for every six children, ensuring that each child is seen, heard, and supported.
The community is intentionally non-religious, though our values align with many spiritual and ethical traditions — compassion, respect, honesty, and care for the earth.
Why We’re Different
What makes Catfish River unique is our intentional culture creation — building a community grounded in consent, trust, and authentic relationship.
That means:
No fixed curriculum or required activities.
All ways of spending time and learning are valued.
Children are invited to participate in decisions that affect them.
We emphasize agency, empathy, and collaboration — the foundations of lifelong learning and healthy community.
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
— Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass