Ironwood hub
Address: 1220 N. Ironwood Drive Apache Junction, AZ 85119Phone: (480) 555-0120Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday: Home dayKindergarten to grade 4
Get directions to the Ironwood hub office
A microschool network in Apache Junction, Arizona
Three small hubs, one of them close to home
About sixty students and eight guides share three hubs across town. Each hub is one room of mixed ages with its own days, so most families can find one a short drive away.
- Kindergarten to grade 8
- Three hubs
- Eight guides
The hubs
Pick the hub closest to home
Each hub is one room of mixed ages. The days and the grades differ from hub to hub, so look at a hub's days first.
Broadway hub
Address: 845 W. Broadway Avenue Apache Junction, AZ 85120Phone: (480) 555-0120Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Grades 1 to 6
Get directions to the Broadway hub officeTomahawk hub
Address: 3105 S. Tomahawk Road Apache Junction, AZ 85119Phone: (480) 555-0120Hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday: Home dayGrades 4 to 8
Get directions to the Tomahawk hub office
Programs
The hubs, by day
Every hub meets from 8:30 a.m.
| Ages | Class size | Monday8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.1 day | Tuesday to Thursday8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.3 days | Friday8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.1 day | After care2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.On the hub's days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironwood hubKindergarten to grade 4Friday is a home day with a short list of reading and notebook work. | 16 | Offered | Offered | Not offeredHome day | Offered |
| Broadway hubGrades 1 to 6 | 24 | Offered | Offered | OfferedEnds after lunch | Offered |
| Tomahawk hubGrades 4 to 8Monday is a home day with reading and a project to carry on. | 20 | Not offeredHome day | Offered | OfferedEnds after lunch | Waitlist |
Sample programs.
A day at a hub
From the front door to pickup
Every hub keeps the same shape of day. On Fridays at Broadway and Tomahawk it ends after lunch.
Arrival, 8:30 a.m.
Students hang up their bags and settle with a book while a guide greets each family at the door.
Morning lessons and a project
Reading, writing and math in groups by grade, then a long block at the table on one project: a water experiment, a map or a garden bed.
Lunch and a quiet read
Students eat the lunch they brought, together at one table, and then read on the cushions until the afternoon begins.
Movement
Games and walks outside when it is cool enough, and in the hall or the shade when it is not.
Pickup, 2:30 p.m.
A guide stands at the door as each student leaves, and only the adults on a family's pickup list may collect a student.
Sample content.
The year
The school year in months
Open houses, visit days, applications and breaks. Each hub follows the same year.
This school year
October and February
Open houseOpen houses at every hub
Walk the room, meet the guides and ask what the week looks like.
School days from September to April
February
Applications open
For the fall that follows.
Within two weeks of a visit day
DecisionsOffers
By phone, then by letter.
Early August
First day
Families come to the hub's door for a short meeting.
October
ClosedFall break
December
ClosedWinter break
March
ClosedSpring break
Sample dates.
Guides
The guides who lead the hubs
Eight guides teach across the three hubs. Both Spanish and English are spoken by the guides, and every hub has a lead guide.
Sixto Albarado
Founder
Sixto started Cohort with a single room and still leads the Broadway hub. He teaches math and runs the Friday project block. He speaks Spanish and English with families.
Jorgelina Puente
Lead guide, Ironwood hub
Jorgelina leads the youngest room and teaches reading. She also speaks Spanish with students at lunch and between lessons, and with families who prefer it.
Questions
Questions families ask first
How does admissions work?
You get in touch, visit the hub nearest you for a morning, apply, and hear from us within two weeks of the visit.
Can we visit before we apply?
Yes. A visit day is a morning at one hub: your student joins a lesson, and you meet the lead guide and look at the room. You can visit more than one hub.
Which hub should we choose?
Start with the hubs that are close to home and cover your student's grade, then look at the days. Some grades fit two or three hubs, and a visit helps you choose. Ask us how it works when siblings are in different grade bands.
What is a mixed-age day?
Each hub is a single room. Students of two or three grades share a table, work in groups by grade for reading and math, and come together for projects, lunch and movement.
How big is a class?
Class sizes are set by grade band, and the lead guide can tell you who is in the room this year.
How does tuition work, and how do we ask about financial aid?
Tuition depends on the hub and the days a student attends. Financial aid is available; ask the office for the aid form after you apply. Many families here use a state education savings program; ask us how it fits with our billing.
Book a visit at the hub nearest you
A visit is a morning at one hub. Your student joins a lesson, and you meet the lead guide.