‘The Little Crown’ homeschooling co-op to begin at Oxford parish

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent

When Gina Hamwey asked Father James J. Boulette if she could hold a Catholic homeschooling co-op program at St. Roch Parish in Oxford, he happily agreed.

“I was immediately very excited about it,” said the St. Roch pastor. “One of my goals is to increase the number of young families and the youth in the parish, and to grow the parish in that way, and I’m seeing a lot of younger families coming to church.”

“He’s been super, super supportive of letting us do this,” Mrs. Hamwey said.

Mrs. Hamwey said the co-op will teach religion to children who are homeschooled and the program will be available to any Catholic child.

“For the kids, this is just an opportunity for them to meet some other friends,” she said, “and to socialize with other families who care about the faith and want to instill that, and care about growing in virtue. For the parents, it’s meeting other moms and getting to ask questions like, ‘What are you doing for this curriculum?’ or ‘How did you manage this?’ and to grow and support each other in our homeschooling journey.”

Mrs. Hamwey said the parents will likely learn more about their faith as well.

Mrs. Hamwey is leading the program, but she said the cooperation of the other parents will be vital to the success of the co-op.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” she said. “Just the desire to be in community with other families.”

The homeschooling co-op will take place at St. Roch from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on 12 Mondays from Sept. 15 through Dec. 15.  

Twelve families with 24 children are scheduled to participate in the co-op in the St. Roch religious education classrooms. Parents will accompany the children. Eight of the children are under a year old so they’ll be in the nursery room and the 16 children who range in age from 2-10 will be in classrooms.

The co-op costs $30 per family each semester.

Mrs. Hamwey said she prayed for a while about what to name the co-op program before choosing, “The Little Crown,” in part, due to her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The “Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary” is a chaplet recited in honor of the 12 stars in her heavenly crown.

Mrs. Hamwey also thought the word “little” fit because the co-op is geared toward little children.

The Little Crown will add a faith-based program to what the children learn from homeschooling.

“Faith is woven into all the things we’re going to be doing,” Mrs. Hamwey said.

Mrs. Hamwey said most parishes don’t offer religious education for preschoolers, but the co-op will. Preschoolers will have circle time infused with basic catechesis approved by Father Boulette. They’ll also be introduced to colors, numbers, counting and letters. They’ll learn about taking turns, raising their hands and standing in line.

The program for the older children will be more advanced, but faith-based as well.
The parents have talked about taking field trips to pick apples or to visit the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge.  

The families are encouraged to attend the 8:30 a.m. Mass on Mondays before the co-op program begins and to bring their own lunches to eat after the co-op ends. Mrs. Hamwey said elementary students may eventually be able to serve as lectors during the 8:30 a.m. Mass.

“We’re calling it a pilot semester,” Mrs. Hamwey said. “There are a lot of things of, ‘Hey, we’re going to try this, we’re going to see if it works.’”  

Enrollment for the fall semester has closed, but Mrs. Hamwey said drop-in days will be held on Oct. 20 and Dec. 1 to give families an opportunity to check out the program. Registration for the spring will be held at a date to be announced. To register for a drop-in day or for more information, contact Mrs. Hamwey at [email protected].

“There’s certainly a need and a desire for homeschooling families to get connected,” Mrs. Hamwey said.

Mrs. Hamwey and her husband Ron, both 31, haven’t begun homeschooling their children yet because Zion won’t turn three until October and Gloria won’t turn one until September. However, they plan to eventually.

They wanted to get to know other Catholic parents with young children in the meantime and Mrs. Hamwey said she felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to start a Catholic homeschool co-op.
Mrs. Hamwey said she prayed about it and then hosted interest meetings about joining such a co-op. Quite a few homeschooling parents liked the idea.

“I think it’s great,” Father Boulette said. “It’s getting the young families involved. They’ll be getting together once a week to have community time, faith time, Mass and be able to teach the kids the catechesis.”

Father Boulette said he didn’t know of a similar program being held at St. Roch before.
Mrs. Hamwey also started a Catholic Moms Group at St. Roch that offers such programs as Adoration, Confession and Pot Luck, Rosary Pray and Play, Post Bedtime-Late Night Moms Only and Summer Bible Study. In addition, Father Boulette pointed out that St. Roch has chartered troops with American Heritage Girls for girls aged 5-18 and with Trail Life for boys 5-17.

Mr. Hamwey belonged to the transition team that aided Father Boulette in the merger of St. Ann and St. Roch parishes last September.  

Father Boulette said when he first came to St. Roch three years ago as an associate pastor, Gina and Ron Hamwey donated their time to the parish. Father Boulette baptized their two children and Mrs. Hamwey approached him about starting the Catholic Mom’s Group.
“They’ve always been a very active family in the church,” he said.