August 10, 2026
Good afternoon!
What a stormy day we have had! Last month myself and our Sapling Teacher, Ashley Strominger, traveled to a Charlotte Mason Conference. She was an educator and philosopher who died in 1923. She strongly rejected rote memorization and mechanical testing. Instead, she pioneered an approach that treats children as whole, capable persons whose minds must be nourished on "living ideas". While some consider her to be dated (understandable, she was educating over 100 years ago!) her thoughts about how children should be treated and how we can nourish their minds with really interesting learning is something that we wholeheartedly stand for at Creekside Cottage School. You can see her practices coming through in the way we teach book studies-we are invested in choosing interesting books that engage children and make them love learning.
Academic Highlight
Math- We use Math with Confidence as one of our curriculums and really love this program. The lessons are grounded in developing number sense with students. They are short lessons that are great to teach one on one or in small groups. They have plenty of games and daily practice to keep what they have been learning stick.
Staff Highlight
If you have not met Hannah Lemont, you are missing out on so much joy. I first met Hannah a year ago through a family that had enrolled at CCS. Hannah is a former public school music teacher turned homeschool mom. She joined us last year before the school year started, brave enough to join this journey when we were still in our launch phases. That first day of music class last year, the three teachers walked out of our classrooms and stood in the hallway with our mouths open. The way she engages with kids is absolutely incredible and music was the highlight of every Explorer’s week last year. Her class is called Music and Movement because she has them constantly moving while also introducing them to different types of music. Hannah will be teaching music on Tuesdays this year and we are already excited for the joy that she is going to be bringing to our returning Explorers and new Explorers.
Nature Highlight
We are called “Creekside Cottage School” for two reasons- Creekside is the heart of Gahanna and a beautiful representation of nature. (Cottage is because we want Explorers to feel cozy, like they are at home.) Although we love the name Creekside for that simple reason, we also have an incredible creek on our property! We often go there for our first field trip. Kids catch (and release!) salamanders, crawfish, and minnows. They can wade in just a little bit or sit and completely cool off if that’s what they choose. It is our own, tucked away, nature escape.
Enrichment Highlight
Our music teacher, Hannah Lemont put together a list of free and cheap music opportunities coming up around Columbus. If you are interested, check out this link!
Enrollment Update
We currently have no spots for the 2026-2027 school year. We are fine tuning our enrollment process for the 2027-2028 school year and will start sending out information about it in the fall. If you are interested in that process, please join our waitlist for those specific emails.
Community Update
Last year, CCS visited several Metroparks around Columbus. They have incredible programs, playgrounds, and space to spread out. They also have super cute passport books that you can get stamps in when you visit our park. It is our mascot Pip’s goal to get his whole passport book filled up!
