Co-Op: September 2011

It's that time of year again...getting together for some fun and learning...our Support/Co-Op Group started last month. We started this Co-Op about a 1 1/2 years ago in our small little military post.

I didn't start out in it, but I was new to homeschooling altogether and then of course with PCS moves -it kinda fell on my lap. I don't mind it because I feel that homeschooling is so important that I don't mind helping others out in their journey and being an advocate for homeschooling.

Well, we attend once per month in our homeschool Co-Op and because it's a small group we only have a couple of classes and then we sometimes have lunch afterwards and let the kids have some quality time with friends.

We just had our first Co-Op in September and it went rather well- I might add.
Thank the Lord that we were able to keep our location and time the same. There was a major overhaul within the DoDDs school here at our post.

High School kids used to travel about 30-45 mins to get to the only high school available in this area. Now, what was once the middle school is NOW the high school and the Elementary school now houses K-8th grades.

In doing so, the school has to use the School age facility for gym as well as the gym in the school. As a homeschool group -- and with only attending the facility once per month..of course we are a low priority (not saying our group doesn't matter) but the DoDDs has priority use over the time/slots available.

Anyway, the schools' gym time breaks RIGHT SMACK with the time we would use the gym. So, I call that a big BLESSING for us. Otherwise, we would have had to change venues...and I really didn't want to do that.


For September we did:

a. Art Appreciation: A wonderful lady, Heather, has joined the group this year and has an extensive amount of knowledge on Language Arts/Literature/Art --she used to lead a huge Co-Op in Texas --so she will bring a great deal of knowledge to the group. The children did a study on Michelangelo paintings and the Sistine Chapel located in Rome (techinically the Vactican).

She did Art Appreciation and taught Geography last month and then we will alternate Art with Science every other month and we will have another parent teaching Science for the month of October's Co-Op, plus Geography.

b. I do the Gym class and we did stations between jump rope, sit ups, push ups, and other various activities.

c. Another two ladies, Leneigh and Bianca, who are also new to the group have taken the task to teaching our younger group. They did a story time and a nature walk/activity and gym for tthe younger ones was bean bags and different fine/gross motor skills. Both teachers were fantastic! Everyone had a blast.


The kids always have fun learning and participating and we all are looking forward to this month's Co-Op and field trip to a local farm.


Happy HOMEschooling,