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The Little Crown (TLC) is a parent-led Catholic homeschooling group and a ministry of St. Roch Church (334 Main St, Oxford, MA 01540). Membership is open to all practicing Catholic families from any parish.2026 Spring Semester Registration is now closed.
Fall 2026 interest form
For families interested in being connected to other Catholic homeschooling families in the greater Worcester area (whether or not you plan to do co-op), please join the TLC email list to stay informed!
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The Little Crown Homeschoolers
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MissionTo support and encourage faithful Catholic families who are homeschooling (or intend to homeschool) their children.
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Purpose
- To assist each other in educating our children to be strong in the practice and knowledge of the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium in union with the Holy Father
- To strengthen families to truly embrace being “the domestic church"
- To foster Christ-centered community where all members (students and parents alike) are encouraged to grow in holiness
- To cultivate virtuous social interactions and friendships among all members
- To integrate teachings about the Catholic faith into shared learning experiences
- To provide opportunities for homeschooling parents to share their talents and expertise
- To offer a space for families, especially those with young children, to build connections with other homeschooling families
- To assist each other in educating our children to be strong in the practice and knowledge of the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium in union with the Holy Father
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Membership Requirements
- Practicing Catholic striving to live a holy life
- See FAQs for further explanation as to why participating families are required to be practicing Catholics.
- See FAQs for further explanation as to why participating families are required to be practicing Catholics.
- One parent from each family is required to remain on site and serve in at least one capacity.
- Complete the three parish/diocesan safety requirements
- CORI background check
- Safe Environment Training
- Completed online through the Diocese Office of Healing and Prevention
- If you’ve already completed this for another reason through the Diocese, you will not need to complete it again.
- Code of Ministerial Conduct
- Read and acknowledge online through the Diocese Office of Healing and Prevention
- Complete online application during enrollment period.
- Commit to attend all scheduled co-op dates, providing excused exceptions for illness, family emergency, new baby, pre-planned vacation, and other unavoidable absences.
- Attend mandatory Parent Planning Meeting.
- Practicing Catholic striving to live a holy life
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Profession of Faith & BeliefsAll members should have a clear understanding and a firm belief and agreement with:
- The Nicene Creed
- Bishop McManus’ Diocesan Policy Regarding Sexuality and Sexual Identity. Please read the policy in one of the following formats:
- Official PDF letter
- Online version
- Background article from Bishop McManus “Particular Law on Sexual Identity”
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Participant AgesAfter much prayer and reflection of our 2025 fall semester, God has showed us that TLC is currently best serving young homeschooling families!
There will be TWO classrooms for the 2026 spring semester, plus a nursery.- Nursery: Birth – 18 months
- Mothers can babywear/hold infants if/when they are teaching or assigned to a classroom.
- Babies 15-18 months may "graduate" to toddler room mid-semester.
- Toddler Room: 15 months – 3 years
- Early Childhood (EC) Room: 3 – 6 years
*Currently the oldest returning students are 4.5 years old. The EC Room lessons/activities can be modified to engage with children up to age 6, but we want to be transparent about the current classroom.
Families with older children OR families who are unable to commit to co-op are encouraged to reach out about the wider TLC community. - Nursery: Birth – 18 months
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2026 Spring Semester
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Meeting Day & Time
Mondays 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
*Optional but encouraged attendance to Mass at 8:30am
Calendar
The 2026 spring semester will include 10 meetings from 2/23 through 5/11.
Proposed Schedule
9:15 a.m. Doors open
9:30 - 9:40 Welcome (prayer and announcements)
9:40 - 9:55 Class 1 - Circle Time (separate classes)
9:55 - 10:10 Class 2 - Music & Movement (together)
10:10 - 10:25 Snack and Stories (together)
10:30 - 10:50 Class 3 - Crafts/ Hands-on learning (separate classes)
10:55 - 11:00 Closing (prayer and goodbyes)
**Followed by optional social time and lunch. On the warmer days, we can go to playground aross the street.
Infants will remain in nursery (or worn/held by parents) the entire co-op time. Depending on the number of participants and room setups, we will determine if we will rotate teachers/parents to each classroom or rotate students to different classrooms (for Early Childhood and older).Field Trips
Depending on interest, we are willing to coordinate a few optional field trips together!- Museum of Family Prayer - Family-friendly Catholic museum with immersive, interactive, exhibits located in Easton, MA
- EcoTarium - Science and nature museum located in Worcester, MA
- Southwick Zoo - New England's Largest Zoo in Mendon, MA
- Shrines in MA, CT, or RI
- Apple picking - Various local farm options
- Open to other suggestions
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Fees$30 per family per semester (non-refundable and due upon acceptance)
*Potential for additional requests to “give what you can” for celebrations, activity materials, etc.
This can be paid online through the St. Roch website via registration page or mailed/handed in via check.
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How to Join
- Read all sections of this webpage and all associated links to ensure we are a good fit for your family.
- Complete online application during enrollment period.
- 2026 Spring Semester Registration is closed. Fall 2026 interest form can be found here. Please join the TLC email list to stay in the loop.
- Upon acceptance, pay applicable fees.
- Complete three parish/diocesan safety requirements at least 2 weeks before the start of the semester.
- Attend mandatory Parent Planning Meeting on Thursday 1/29 @ 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. at St. Roch. If needed, there is an option to join virtually.
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Contact Information
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FAQs
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"The Little Crown" is a reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By naming our co-op in honor of Mary, we hope to encourage families to place their entire educational missions under her maternal care and guidance. Mary always points to Jesus. A Marian name doesn’t distract us from Christ—it magnifies Him.
The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a lesser known prayer devotion that was popular in the 17th century. This devotion is often prayed with specific chaplet beads. It honors the 12 privileges or "crowns" of Mary, derived from her virtues and privileges as Queen of Heaven. It's also sometimes called the "Chaplet of the Immaculate Conception" or the "Crown of Twelve Stars," referencing Revelation 12:1:“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.”
The devotion was especially promoted by St. Louis de Montfort, a strong advocate of Marian devotion.
The Little Crown chaplet consists of one Our Father and four Hail Marys prayed three times, making a total of 12 Hail Marys—one for each star in her crown. These three repetitions were seen as honoring Mary’s “Three Crowns" of Excellence, Power, and Goodness.
Learn more about this devotion here.
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Our 2025 fall semester was our first pilot semester. We see the 2026 spring semester as our pilot "B" semester, meaning we are still testing and trying things out!
Families who participated in the fall communicated how impactful it was for the weekly themes and teaching points to be about our Catholic faith.
Therefore, we plan to continue making our Catholic faith the main emphasis of our lessons and activities. We plan to continue highlighting the liturgical seasons and feast days, recite common prayers, and weave Catholic truths into age-appropriate activities and lessons.
Learning to take turns, following directions from someone other than mom or dad, and raising your hand to answer a question were all skills we plan to continue helping our young children learn while at co-op.
As our co-op (and children) continue to grow, we will consider expanding what is taught during co-op.
Once families are committed and registered for a semester, participating parents will meet virtually about a month before the start of the semester to confirm who wants to/is able to teach.
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Most participating parents will serve in the role of teacher in this co-op at some point. It would be presumptuous to assume that a non-Catholic would be familiar with the teachings of the Church, and it would be unfair to expect a non-Catholic to be able to adhere to and pass on Church teachings and beliefs to students. For this reason, participating families are required to be practicing Catholics. For those seeking to become Catholic or those returning to the Catholic faith after time away from practicing, please reach out and we will connect you with our pastor to discuss next steps for involvement.
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It is recommended that children participating in the Early Childhood Room (2.5-6 years) are potty-trained, but since at least one parent will be on-site, we have some leeway! Parents can communicate at the start of the semester where their child is with potty-training!
We have a toddler potty and a steep stool in the bathroom, as well as wipes.
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We use WhatsApp to communicate quick information, take polls, and share messages of encouragement here and there throughout the semester. It is encouraged that the primary participating parent is part of this WhatsApp chat.
Longer information is communicated via email.
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