As of March 2025, Sundial Classical Farmstead is open year
round to offer programs that serve public, private, and home schooling families.
Academics & Arts Microschool Program
K-8th Grade
Ages 5 to 14
Monday through Thursday
8:30-3:30
Drop Off Program
Content - English, Math, Science, History & Geography, Latin, Music, Dance, Handicrafts & Fine Arts
Audience - SCF is incorporated per Michigan’s Nonprofit Corporation Act 162 to provide “community education programs in Common Arts and Trades and supplemental instruction for homeschooling families."
Method - Sundial is a Charlotte Mason cottage school. Her ideas influence our pedagogical practices and daily schedule. We use living books (classic literature) as core components of our curriculum. We require students to self-assess through oral and written narrations. Students develop strong memorization skills by reciting poetry and mastering a wide repertoire of songs. We provide a well-rounded daily experience that includes both serious academic study and time for outdoor leisure, art, music, and dance.
Structure - Sundial is thoughtfully designed to serve the needs of students with and without special needs because applying instructional best practices is simply good for everyone. To accommodate students at all levels, we have multi-age classrooms with no more than a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Within these multi-age classes we create ability-based instructional groups (not age-based groups) to individualize instruction for each student. We focus on deep mastery of phonics, handwriting, and math facts to build the skills of discipline and focus. At the same time, our classroom setting is relaxed–kids may lay on the floor or work with a buddy–to meet sensory needs.
Applications for the 2025-2026 School Year open now - Microschool Student Application
Tuition - Rates and Discounts
Read more about this program on the Academics and Arts Microschool Program page.
Agriculture and Trade Skills Program
K-8th Grade
Ages 5 to 14
Friday
8:30-3:30
Drop Off Program
Content - Apprenticeship in Permaculture Practices and Trade Skills
Audience - SCF is incorporated per Michigan’s Nonprofit Corporation Act 162 to provide “community education programs in Common Arts and Trades and supplemental instruction for homeschooling families."
Method - Students will help establish a new permaculture farm on seven acres of untouched meadows, forests, and wetlands. Students will engage in hands-on agricultural projects, learning essential skills in farming, animal husbandry, food preservation, and sustainable land management. They also will be taught how to use a variety of tools correctly as they begin basic woodworking and construction projects.
Structure - The program integrates academic learning with practical tasks through multi-age classes, fostering peer learning and collaborative problem-solving. Each day will consist of structured lessons that alternate between theory (e.g., discussing agricultural principles) and hands-on application (e.g., planting, managing livestock, or building simple tools). Students will be encouraged to observe natural processes, engage in active experimentation (such as soil tests and plant identification), and document their findings in nature journals. Class time is flexible and designed to adapt to the weather and the seasons, ensuring that learning is dynamic and rooted in real-world conditions.
Applications for the 2025-2026 School Year open now - Microschool Student Application
Tuition - Rates and Discounts
Read more about this program on the Agriculture and Trade Skills Program page.
Field and Forest Club
K-6th Grade
Ages 5 to 12
Monday through Friday
3:45-5:30
Drop Off Program
Content - Outdoor Recreation and Nature Study
Audience - The Sundial Classical Farmstead is conveniently located within both the Haslett Public School and Bath Community School districts. Our road serves as the dividing line for these districts so students from both public school systems can enjoy convenient drop off, by bus, after school.
Method - This club is intended to fill gaps in modern education practices. It utilizes the concept of schole - deep, meditative, leisurely contemplation of just one thing for the purpose of true mastery. This club is the antidote to the rushed child syndrome caused by the frenetic pace and shallow learning methods that characterize modern education and child entertainment programs today.
Structure - Participants will begin with a complimentary snack and then head outside for about 30-45 minutes of organized recreation to get their bodies moving after a long day in school. Later we will reconvene for a seasonally-relevant nature lesson that incorporates art or literature. Students will be enticed to develop the skill of sustained focus as they experience close, unhurried observation of the living world.
Tuition - Rates and Discounts
Read more about this program on the Field & Forest Club page.
Summer Day Camps
K-10th Grade
Ages 5 to 16
Monday through Friday
8:30-3:30 with extended hours offered from 3:30-5:30
Drop Off Program with Parent Volunteering Opportunity
Content - Introductory-Level Instruction in: Forest and Wetland Management; Food Planting, Harvest and Preservation; Wildlife Observation and Farm Animal Husbandry; Outdoor Recreation Activities
Audience - The Summer Day Camps are currently open to children 5-12 seeking an authentic experience on a real, working farm. Future plans may include programming for older participants who are 13-16. At the older ages, 11-12+ the program transitions to an apprenticeship model. These participants will take on more labor-intensive tasks to develop a strong work ethic and gain valuable experience in farm operations. This unique opportunity would look great on future college or trade school applications!
Method - Ready for a summer of fun on the farm? At Sundial Farmstead kids will catch frogs by the pond, build forts in the woods, play sandlot baseball, chase grasshoppers through the meadows, and cook up some delightful mud pies! Summer camps at Sundial are just like a visit to the grandparent’s farm in the country where kids can run free and create their own fun.
Curious campers will also learn real agricultural practices around the farmstead as they feed chickens, collect eggs, start seeds, build fence, harvest from the orchard, and start new garden beds. Sundial is slowly reclaiming its mid-Michigan agricultural heritage. We are bringing back a historical farm that lay dormant for decades. When your child helps dig an irrigation trench or gather rocks for a rock wall, they’ll be playing a meaningful role in rebuilding this local family farm.
A typical day at the camp will start with a gathering time of singing and folk tales. Then, groups will divide up to rotate between farm chores, a hands-on agriculture or forestry lessons, and a handicraft. After lunch we’ll spread out for some free play and relaxation. Then, we’ll gather once more for an afternoon rotation through chores and real-life lessons. Finally, we’ll end our day with another opportunity to sing and share some tall tales.
Kids leave Sundial dirty, happy, and proud of their accomplishments! They’ll beg to return for more authentic farm fun every year!
Structure - The program consists of ten one-week sessions. Participants may sign up for any number of sessions from just one (1) to all ten (10). Each week’s content is closely tied to the weather and season for a dynamic, real-life experience.
Tuition - Rates and Discounts
Read more about this program on the Summer Camps page.