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Spreading the Feast 2025 Homeschool Gathering
July 11–12, 2025
Louisville, KY
Join Sonya Shafer and other great Charlotte Mason speakers for this special gathering designed to encourage and equip you as you homeschool the Charlotte Mason way. This year’s event is focused on helping you spread the feast in the enrichment subjects—art, music, poetry, and more.
Don’t you just love Charlotte Mason methods? There’s nothing that can quite compare to seeing each child grow through this enriching and effective approach to education!
And growth is not just for children. As you know, your child’s teacher needs to keep growing too. It’s important to take some time to step away from the daily demands of the household and homeschooling, and continue to learn and grow for yourself.
We invite you to join us and other Charlotte Mason home educators for a special gathering in July. This unique, relaxed weekend is designed to encourage your personal growth, as a home educator and as a person.
Take a break. Rest. Be refreshed, so you can teach from a flowing stream rather than a stagnant pool.
Learn more about Charlotte Mason methods and continue to grow in your understanding of how to teach them with confidence and effectiveness. You’ll enjoy all of the practical, insightful, and grace-filled teaching that you’ve come to expect from Simply Charlotte Mason.
Experience the methods firsthand with an immersion session, in which you’ll take the role of the student and walk through a morning of studies in real time. No judgment; just an opportunity to experience for yourself what you are expecting your students to do.
Connect with other Charlotte Mason homeschoolers who share your passion, understand your challenges, and stand ready to cheer you on every step of the way.
I have invited several of my friends in the Charlotte Mason community to join me in spreading a feast just for you—a feast of encouragement, of simplicity, and of grace. Come as you are. Let’s grow together.
Speakers
Sonya Shafer
Sonya and her husband John have four daughters, whom they homeschooled all the way through with Charlotte Mason’s wonderful methods. Three have graduated, and now Sonya spends her time continuing to educate their youngest—who has special needs—and doing all she can to make it simple for you to use the Charlotte Mason Method.
Richele Baburina
Richele believes that education is a venture of faith and has enjoyed every step with her boys on their homeschool journey. Though graduated, they still go on nature walks together in the southern Appalachians of Tennessee, where they reside. She’s author of The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series, Mathematics: an Instrument for Living Teaching, and Brush Drawing: A Basic Course. Her musings on art and capturing beauty with a brush can be found on Instagram @rbaburina.
Amber O’Neal Johnston
Amber O’Neal Johnston lives in Georgia, nestled among pine trees, hammocks, and ziplines with her husband and their four children. Her happy place is the back porch on a rainy day, preferably with a giant mug of hot tea and a good book. She’s the author of A Place to Belong: Raising Kids to Celebrate Their Heritage, Community, and the World. When they have the chance, her family enjoys extended worldschooling trips to immerse themselves in other cultures. Amber chats about adding multicultural mirrors and windows to a traditional Charlotte Mason education at HeritageMom.com and on Instagram @heritagemomblog.
Christy Hissong
Christy discovered the work of Charlotte Mason over 20 years ago and has been actively learning, mentoring, and teaching from that wellspring ever since. She currently serves on Simply Charlotte Mason’s content creation team, and teaches high school students at Oak Cottage, a Charlotte Mason cottage school in northeast Tennessee. One of Christy’s personal passions is music, and she has led and participated in choirs and vocal ensembles all her life. She loves helping parents discover ways of implementing Charlotte Mason’s principles and methods in their own homes.
Schedule
During the event, you will hear from all of our wonderful speakers and learn how you can successfully add the enrichment subjects to your homeschool schedule. Sonya Shafer will also interview our speakers during the Q & A sessions, asking them to share their top tips for reading aloud with confidence.
(Schedule subject to change.)
Friday
9:00 AM | Doors open |
9:30 AM | Feeding the Soul: The Joy of Enrichments (Sonya Shafer) |
10:30 AM | Picture Study with Older Students—Enlarging the Gallery of Their Minds (Richele Baburina) |
11:30 AM | Q & A |
12:00 PM | Lunch break (on your own) |
1:00 PM | (optional) Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum overview |
1:30 PM | From Duty to Delight: Learning to Embrace Nature Study and Time Outdoors (Amber O’Neal Johnston) |
2:20 PM | For the Love of Music (Christy Hissong) |
3:10 PM | Break |
3:40 PM | Q & A |
4:15 PM | Handicrafts & Art Instruction—Principles and Practices (Richele Baburina) |
5:15 PM | Supper break (on your own) |
7:00 PM | (optional) Connection Time |
Saturday
9:00 AM | Doors open |
9:30 AM | A Charlotte Mason Morning of Studies immersion session (Sonya Shafer) |
12:00 PM | Lunch break |
1:00 PM | (optional) Our Preschool Life overview |
1:30 PM | Q & A |
2:00 PM | Jane Austen’s “Fine Brush” in a Charlotte Mason Education (Richele Baburina) |
3:00 PM | Break |
3:30 PM | The Promises of Poetry: Welcoming the “Glorious Heritage” of Verse Into Our Homes (Amber O’Neal Johnston) |
4:20 PM | A Homeschool Blessing (Sonya Shafer) |
Friday Connection Time
Friday evening is set aside to gather informally with other Charlotte Mason homeschoolers to hang out, chat, and connect. Meet new friends and reconnect with others as you share ideas for specific grade levels or challenges. Everyone is invited to bring along a handicraft to work on throughout the evening and to share with others who may be interested in learning that craft. The bookstore will also be open for an extended time of shopping and consulting with our friendly bookstore team.
Tickets
Seating is limited.
Register early to secure your spot!
Regular Rate
Registration open until June 10.
$179
Getting Here
The event will be held at the CityPlace Expo Center in LaGrange, KY. This modern conference center is conveniently located within a 30 minute drive from the Louisville International Airport. The LaGrange area offers several nearby hotels and dining options, making it the perfect place to get away for a weekend of inspiration!
Lodging Options
Here are some hotels that are near the CityPlace Expo Center:
- Best Western (1 mile away)
- Comfort Inn & Suites (1 mile away)
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites (0.5 mile away)
There are also many options in Louisville, about 20 minutes from CityPlace Expo Center:
- Courtyard by Marriott (17 miles away)
- Drury Inn & Suites (15 miles away)
- Hampton Inn & Suites (16 miles away)
- Hilton Garden Inn & Suites (15 miles away)
- Holiday Inn (16 miles away)
- TownePlace Suites by Marriott (17 miles away)
Additional Details
Bookstore
Simply Charlotte Mason will have a large display of Charlotte Mason curriculum and resources available for you to get your hands on, look through, and purchase at a special event discount. Our friendly bookstore staff would love to help you plan your coming homeschool year.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations before June 10 will receive a full refund of the event registration. After June 10, tickets may be transferred to another person by contacting Simply Charlotte Mason.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will childcare be provided?
This event is for homeschool parents and does not include a children’s program or childcare. So that you can focus on learning and equipping yourself to teach your children, please arrange care for your children outside the event. Nursing babies are welcome.
Are Lodging and meals provided?
Lodging and meals are on your own. The LaGrange area has plenty of good options, allowing you to customize for your needs and budget.
Can I come with my husband?
Yes! At our past events, we’ve heard from homeschool dads that they have especially enjoyed the Morning of Studies immersion session. This event is a great way for you to get on the same page and plan together for your home school.
Is there a special price for couples?
We’ve worked hard to bring you the best ticket price we can for this event. Because the individual ticket is already the best price we can offer, we don’t have a discount for couples attending together.