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About Us
The Property
Surrounded by majestic oak trees, our program is nestled on 1.5 acres of vibrant, engaging land. Our lively farm is home to chickens, ducks, turkeys, quail, peacocks, pigs, goats, bunnies, barn cats, and friendly pups. The garden overflows with herbs, vegetables, and flowers—perfect for hands-on harvesting and growing lessons. At the front of the property, you'll find a zipline, slackline, basketball hoop, and plenty of space for running, playing, and joyful discovery. Behind the property, a winding trail leads into a mystical forest, inviting curious minds into daily adventures filled with wonder.
Our Philosophy
Freedom Schoolhouse and Farm in Aptos offers a unique program in a beautiful setting. Our curriculum is emergent, and we put a strong emphasis on creating a connection to the natural world. Our open sunny classroom creates a warm environment, and we encourage freedom of choice and relationship building. Set on several acres, every day is filled with the beauty of nature, the joys of friendship, and fun activities geared toward artistic expression, physical movement, and the development of a lifelong love of learning.
We Strive to Cultivate:
1. Thinking Skills: we explore learning through interests and exploring new topics. We feed our learner's curiosity by exploring our natural world and encouraging them to wonder and ask questions.
2. Social Skills: We teach and practice mindfulness skills, and respect and love for ourselves and others, through conflict resolution activities and discussion.
3. Respect and Responsibility to the Environment: Respect is something that is learned. We teach respect by giving respect and being the example for students to utilize. Using our beautiful outdoor setting, we develop our student’s appreciation for the natural world though gardening, farming, and enjoying the beautiful outdoor spaces here at school. We also teach wilderness survival skills throughout the year.
4. Imagination and Play: Music, story telling, dramatic play, art, and friendship are an important part of our program. With our groups being mixed ages, we ensure all children are playing together, finding their own friend groups, and working through emotional moments together, without judgement.
5. Physical Development: We spend ample time outdoors and learners are encouraged to test and develop their physical abilities, enjoying our large yard with space for running, apple trees for climbing, a zipline to conquer fears, basketball hoop in the bottom loop, and so much more.
6. An Understanding of our Rights: We learn our rights as Americans and compare and contrast the rights of other countries, maintaining an open conversation about "hot topics" that learners will effortlessly be able to talk about any topic, without limit and restraint.
Our Director
Teacher Katie
School Director
Katie’s first experience in teaching was in 2000 when she traveled to Romania and spent 6 months teaching art and English classes to kindergarten through 2nd grade students at the Transylvania College. After such a rewarding and inspiring experience, Katie decided that opening a farm based play-based school back home was her dream. In 2008, Katie opened a Preschool Program, teaching and directing this program until 2018, when she decided to pursue a Master’s degree in counseling. At this same time, Katie also started to home school her oldest child, then 12. He was no longer thriving in the school he had been enrolled in since kindergarten, and both Katie and her son felt that homeschool was going to work well for them. And it did! However, when our community shut down and changed drastically in 2020, many of the programs that homeschooled kids were participating in either shut down and enforced mandates that Katie’s family has chosen not to participate in. Thus, the decision to open a new program, Freedom Schoolhouse and Farm, was made. Katie’s vision has been that FS&F is a special blend of the best parts of homeschool and school away from home.
Our Teachers
Teacher Hannah
Co-Director and
Preschool - 12th Grade
(and beyond) Teacher
"Middles" Teacher
(Kinder-2nd Grade Focus)
Saphira (Sa-fear-uh)
Our Classroom Kitty!!
Hannah serves as Co-Director and Lead Teacher at Freedom Schoolhouse & Farm, guiding students from Preschool through High School and beyond. With over 15 years of experience across early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary education, she brings both range and depth to the learning community.
From early on, Hannah sensed that something in conventional education felt misaligned — not with children themselves, but with the systems surrounding them. Rather than accepting that tension, she immersed herself in research, classroom experience, training, observation, and long-term work with students across developmental stages. Her path was shaped by both study and instinct — a steady pursuit of environments where children could remain intellectually challenged while emotionally secure.
That pursuit led her to meet Katie. In 2021, together they founded Freedom Schoolhouse & Farm as a deliberate alternative to standardized, one-size-fits-all education. With the educational freedom Katie entrusted to her, Hannah began designing the academic and philosophical framework that defines the school today — a structure rooted in developmental awareness, small group learning, and individualized progression.
Hannah curates and oversees all curriculum flowing through the school. She thoughtfully selects materials, themes, and academic frameworks to ensure they align with Freedom’s values and long-term vision. She believes educational leadership requires coherence — that what happens in Preschool connects intentionally to what unfolds in Middle and High School.
Transparency with families is central to her approach. Hannah believes parents deserve clarity around what their children are learning, discussing, and building. In her view, education is strongest when school and home operate as aligned partners, grounded in trust and open communication.
Beyond academics, Hannah prioritizes inner development. She works closely with students to examine their self-talk, guiding them to recognize both empowering and limiting narratives. Confidence, resilience, and social awareness are cultivated intentionally alongside reading, writing, and mathematics.
The educational culture at Freedom Schoolhouse & Farm — its rhythm, its expectations, its academic layering, and its commitment to small, steady growth — has been shaped through Hannah’s years of study, refinement, and daily practice. The same educational freedom she was given to build this structure is now extended to the teachers she mentors, creating a culture of thoughtful autonomy within clear developmental guardrails.
At Freedom Schoolhouse & Farm, we are human first, and students second.
Teacher Ramsey
"Littles" Teacher
(Preschool Age)
Ramsey is currently a student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is pursuing a degree in Education, Democracy, and Justice, graduating in 2027. Her studies center on how learning environments shape children’s voices, agency, and sense of belonging — something she brings thoughtfully into her daily work with students.
For over a year, Ramsey has served as both a preschool and elementary teacher’s assistant, supporting children across developmental stages with patience, attentiveness, and creativity. She understands how to meet children where they are while gently guiding them toward independence and confidence.
Ramsey was homeschooled throughout her childhood and spent part of her education in a farm-based learning community similar in spirit to Freedom Schoolhouse & Farm. That experience shaped her appreciation for experiential learning, outdoor exploration, and education rooted in real-world connection rather than worksheets alone.
She also attended an art school, an influence that now lives on in her leadership of Art Club on Mondays and Wednesdays. In Art Club, Ramsey blends foundational techniques with creative freedom, encouraging children to experiment, express, and trust their artistic voice.
In addition to her visual arts background, Ramsey has training in dance and believes deeply in movement as expression. She understands that children often communicate emotions, ideas, and understanding through their bodies before they can fully articulate them in words. Whether through structured movement activities or spontaneous creative play, she integrates rhythm, coordination, and embodied learning into her work — supporting children in developing confidence, emotional awareness, and joy through physical expression.
Ramsey’s approach to teaching reflects the environments that shaped her: hands-on, relationship-centered, and grounded in curiosity. She values education as something alive — cultivated through dialogue, creativity, movement, and meaningful experience.
"The Doctor"
Doctor Finkelstein
Teacher Sara
"Bigs" Teacher
(3rd-6th)
Mac & Cheese
Both Female Ducks<3
Sara was homeschooled throughout her entire childhood and continued her education through college in a home-based learning environment. Her experience was deeply positive and formative, nurturing both her academic growth and her love of learning. It instilled in her a lasting appreciation for education that is relational, flexible, and rooted in curiosity rather than compliance.
For many years, Sara has worked with children from preschool through elementary age, supporting their developmental growth with patience, steadiness, and care. She also teaches piano to students ranging from elementary through high school, guiding them not only in musical skill but in discipline, creativity, and confidence. Music, for Sara, is both structure and expression — a balance she brings into all areas of her teaching.
Sara’s professional experience spans private education settings, one-on-one tutoring, and church-based learning environments. Across these spaces, she has worked closely with children of varying ages and learning styles, cultivating individualized instruction and meaningful relationships. These diverse experiences have strengthened her ability to meet students where they are, while fostering both academic growth and personal confidence.
When Sara found Freedom Schoolhouse & Farm, she recognized the same intentionality and relational depth that shaped her own education. The hands-on experiences, mixed-age community, and emphasis on whole-child development reflect her belief that children flourish best in environments where they are truly known and gently guided toward independence.
Sara resonates especially well with our older students and has naturally stepped into the role of our “Bigs Teacher” (3rd–6th grade). She brings thoughtful leadership, calm clarity, and high expectations balanced with encouragement — helping students navigate both academic growth and the increasing responsibility of becoming leaders within our community.
Sara brings warmth, intentionality, and a steady presence to the children she serves — nurturing both their minds and their love of learning.