Below are some of the notes, updates, and reminders for next season:

• Priority Enrollment Deadline: May 31 June 7
• Family Enrollment Fee: $50 until May 31 June 7
• Base Tuition $500 OR $70/m
• Tuition (or initial payment) & material fees are not due until Family Orientation in September; however, classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Homeschool Day: Wonder Generations: 8:30am – 5:00pm
• Homeschool Day: Wonder Honor Society: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
• View Schedule [LINK]
• View Enrollment & FAQs (including Tuition Guide) [LINK]
• Official calendar will be updated after we receive final date confirmation from facilities
• New classes are detailed under the main homeschool menu of the website.
• You are able to make changes to class pre-registration selections until Thursday, August 28, 2025 by replying to your Family Enrollment receipt email.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

• Music Foundations: Music Foundations (music theory) should be taken every year for instrument and vocal students; music theory evaluations will be completed every year to record progress. You can take a music theory class outside of Wonder, if preferred.
• Repetition and Mastery: Most classes are intended to be taken multiple times to encourage mastery, similar to an instrument, language, gym/movement, and arts require consistent, focused practice to strengthen technique and skills. Necessary modifications are made for different levels within the same class, similar to a one-room schoolhouse model. 
• Summer Placement Auditions for Midpoint/Concert Ensembles: If your child would like to audition for an upper level ensemble, they must FIRST receive a placement recommendation from a Wonder Coach. Then they can complete a summer placement audition. [LINK]. If they are not ready to audition, simply register for band/orchestra BLOCK 3.
• Helping Hands Background Check: All parent volunteers will be required to complete a background check every three years. Upon acceptance, you will receive instructions on how to complete and submit the background check results. Background checks cost an estimated $40.

NEW CLASSES

• Wonder Honor Society: We are opening WHS enrollment to students 7Y to high school seniors. We’ll be beta testing the elementary and middle-school-aged students and continuing to develop the high school groups. Families may join a local chapter (currently only 1 CO chapter exists) or the national online chapter if distance is an issue. For online and younger students, the online portion will be geared towards parents leading at home. 
• Beginner Piano: This will now be a full year class
• Textile: Needle-punching 
• Lab: Chemistry
• Computer Science: Fundamentals of Embedded Programming. You can read the description in the enrichment overview. 

• Theater Monologue: Although we’ve received very positive feedback from our theater attendees (specifically the small vignettes, costuming, and props), the challenges we’ve faced due to facility limitations (mainly storage and size) have prevented our original vision for theater from becoming fully realized. As we wait to find a suitable facility to develop our full vision for a living theater experience, next year we are restructuring our theater program to focus on bringing speech and creativity together. This class will be suitable for younger and older students, with students having several opportunities to recite original works or select from a number of historically fitting pieces to learn and recite in costume. Quality literature, quotes, poems, or scripture may be used. This will also eliminate the need for spring tech days. You can read the description in the theater overview. 

NEW NOTES

• Attendance Policy: We are updating the attendance policy to include a more specific tardy policy. If you have recommendations for successful policies, please submit them in the end-of year survey in the final memo in May. 
• Behavior Policy: We regularly look for ways to improve the behavior policy to provide a solution to a consistently disruptive but not defiant child. Defiance is not tolerable. If you have recommendations for successful policies, please submit them in the end-of-year survey in the final memo in May.
• [POSSIBLE NEW CLASS] We may be able to offer an Ameritowne class, joining with other homeschool programs for 7Y+. If you have a preference for what time to offer this class , please submit it in the end-of year survey in the final memo in May. 

Guidance for this year’s Cycles, Music Makers 1, and Music Makers 2 members:

• Background
  • Over the last several years, we’ve noticed many 7Y’s hands are too small to comfortably play the recorder. Therefore last year, we redesigned our musictime classes (infant-7Y) to extend until 8 and will include more instrumentation for our Music Makers 1 & 2 students. Therefore, students who are in this year’s Cycles, Music Makers 1 and Music Makers 2 will register for the same class (unless your student has already taken Music Makers 1 and 2 twice). The material will be different each year (essentially an Even and Odd Year class). Please let us know if you have any questions. 
• If this is your child’s first year taking Cycles, Music Makers 1, or Music Makers 2
  • Register for the same class
• If this is your child’s second year taking Cycles Music Makers 1 or Music Makers 2, follow the following progression:
  • Cycles > Music Makers 1
  • Music Makers 1 > Music Makers 2
  • Music Makers 2 > Recorder 1

Guidance for this year’s recorders members:

• SAME Instrument Next Year
  • Students who were members of Recorder 1 ensemble are
  • Automatically moved to Recorders 2 (unless a recommendation to repeat the level is given)
  • When completing class preregistration during enrollment, please select the correct class level
  • If 9 years+, students can also enroll in a beginner instrument class

Guidance for this year’s prelude ensemble members:

• SAME Instrument Next Year
  • Students who were members of Prelude Band or Orchestra ensembles are
  • Automatically moved to the next ensemble level for next season (unless a recommendation to repeat the level is given)
  • Do NOT need to complete a placement audition this summer if they plan to play the SAME instrument next season.
  • When completing class preregistration during enrollment, please select the current instrument.
• CHANGE Instrument Next Year
  • Students who would like to learn a new instrument next year will need to:
  • Complete an online Preliminary Music Evaluation
  • When completing class preregistration during enrollment, please select the unknown option for your current instrument if you have not received an instrument confirmation before enrolling.

Guidance for this year’s youth ensemble members:

• Register for BLOCK 3
  • Training and Midpoint ensembles are scheduled during the same time on Tuesdays. Students who are in either ensemble should register for BLOCK 3 Band or Orchestra and will be placed in the appropriate ensemble.
• Remain in SAME Ensemble Next Year
  • Students who were members of Training Band or Orchestra will remain in the same level ensemble (unless a placement recommendation is given to audition for an upper level ensemble).
  • When completing class preregistration during enrollment, please select the current instrument.
• Audition for Another Ensemble Next Year
  • Students who would like to audition for an upper level ensemble must FIRST receive a placement recommendation from a Wonder Coach. Then they can complete a summer placement audition. [LINK] If they are not ready to audition, simply register for band/orchestra BLOCK 3.
  • Students who would like to schedule a placement audition to join an upper level ensemble will need to complete an online Preliminary Music Evaluation.
  • Placement auditions are usually scheduled during the summer Open House events or through a video submission.
  • Please keep in mind, students can expect to remain in the same ensemble for 1-3 years. Private lessons may help in individual progress and ensemble advancement.
  • When completing class preregistration during enrollment, please select the current instrument.
  • Review Instrument Guide & Placement Audition Requirements [LINK]

Keep in Mind

Placement in an ensemble is at the sole discretion of Wonder instructors. Students do not audition for a specific ensemble. Each student is evaluated on their own skill level and is placed in an ensemble that best fits their musical, social, and emotional needs. We all learn at a different pace, and how long it takes for a student to be ready for a particular ensemble is determined on a case-by-case basis.

To join a beginning instrument class, please

1. Register for a summer Open House event [LINK]
2. Complete the Preliminary Music Evaluation
3. Attend the Instrument Fair at the Open House
4. Review Instrument Guide [LINK]

You will be informed if an in-person audition/ music evaluation is required. 

You will be contacted to schedule your in-person music evaluation/audition, if required. 

Keep In Mind

Band and orchestra are team concepts and just like a soccer team with a few players at each position, the ensemble needs a certain number of players on each instrument. Everyone has a different part to play and the ensemble cannot be whole unless every part is represented. The interest of the child is most important when choosing an instrument but the ensemble would not work if everyone made the same choice!

To schedule a placement audition for a band or orchestral ensemble for experience players, please complete the Preliminary Music Evaluation [LINK] and register for a summer Open House event.

You will be contacted to schedule your in-person music evaluation/audition, if required. 

Review Instrument Guide & Placement Audition Requirements [LINK]