Still Innovating After 57 Years
Photo: Jen Dubie with Executive Director Sofia Gallis Jen Dubie joined Clonlara as development director in March 2023. In her role, she supports Clonlara’s mission by creating impactful connections that help us meet our fundraising goals, from securing grants to organizing events and nurturing relationships with our donors. In this article, Jen shares her unique […]
6 Tips for Getting Support as a New Homeschool Family
Whether you planned on homeschooling from the start or came to it from another route, like a traditional school, congratulations on starting your new adventure! There’s a lot to look forward to. You might already be enjoying slower mornings, trips to museums, and time spent exploring diverse topics with your child. But we know the […]
A Student’s Advice on How to Bring a Project to Life
Off-campus student Jack M. knows from experience what it takes to bring an idea from dream to reality. In this blog post, he shares some practical, hard-won advice to help his fellow students do the same! Hi, my name is Jack. I’m a 15-year-old elite-level athlete playing football (soccer) in the first division in Portugal. […]
Learning to Read as a Self-Directed Student
Clonlara School offers a personalized approach to learning. This means that Clonlara families use a wide variety of methods; some use set curricula for their students, while others follow a self-directed learning approach. These self-directed learners may have very different experiences when it comes to learning to read! In this blog post, Rosenrot Mireille Schülpke, […]
A Parent’s Perspective: Finding Community at Clonlara’s Ann Arbor Campus
What is it like to attend Clonlara’s Ann Arbor campus? The best way to find out is to hear from campus families themselves! We interviewed Bonnie, parent to Joan, age 7, to learn more about her family’s experience at Clonlara. Clonlara: Why did you choose Clonlara? Bonnie: We always had an ideal for what our […]
Finding a Balance Between Formal and Informal Learning
Learning can be formal, informal, or anywhere in between. Formal learning is planned, and it often includes set curricula and tests. Informal learning is generally spontaneous and based on real-life experiences. At Clonlara, we believe students learn best with a personalized combination of the two. In this blog post, Clonlara parent Csilla leads us through […]
Building Strong Family Relationships
Parents play a crucial role in the facilitation of learning, and, according to developmental psychologist Gordon Neufeld, can create the context in which learning occurs. At Clonlara, we believe building strong family relationships prepares students to realize their full potential, educationally and beyond. Loida Cañizares Doménech, director of Clonlara School’s Spanish Program, homeschooling mother, and blogger […]
Get to Know Our Executive Director Sofia Gallis
How do your children describe their education? Would words such as “exciting,” “engaging,” or “captivating” come to their lips? These are descriptions Clonlara School Founder Pat Montgomery and her daughter, former Executive Director Chandra Montgomery Nicol, believed should describe every child’s learning path. Under the leadership of Clonlara’s first non-Montgomery family member, Executive Director Sofia Gallis, our […]
Personalized Support for Students with Special Needs
Do you have a curious child who learns differently than their peers? Is your student a capable, neurodiverse learner with special needs such as dyslexia, autism, or ADHD who would benefit from a highly personalized learning approach? Have you considered homeschooling as a possible alternative but are unsure about where to begin? Before enrolling in […]
What Does Volunteer Service Look Like at Clonlara?
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has,” said cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead. At Clonlara School, we build this powerful sentiment into our educational approach by ensuring that volunteer service is an integral part of the learning experience. We encourage all […]