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Church Homeschool Support Group |
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FAQFrequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions.
What's available in homeschool support resources at our church? There are two basic and separate homeschool support ministries which have been organized and implemented by homeschooling parents of our church to minister to fellow homeschoolers: The Homeschool Support Group and the Homeschool PE Co-Op. Please see the questions below for more information. If you are interested in either of these support ministries, and do not see your question answered below, please click on the email icon above, and we will respond to your inquiry with more information or assistance. What is the Homeschool Support Group and what are its functions? The Homeschool Support Group is a resource ministry of CMBC (click on the little church icon at the top of our home page to go to the church's website). The Support Group is directed by four elder approved Homeschool Support Group leaders (2 husband-wife teams) who are fellow homeschoolers and church members. These Support Group leaders act as directors, administrators, guides, liasons, and facilitators between the church and the Support Group's participants for the Support Group's official functions and events. The body of the Support Group itself is made up of any and all actively homeschooling parents in our church community who desire to come together for the purpose of warmly supporting, encouraging and edifying fellow homeschooling parents as we train up our children to be godly men and women. At all times the Support Group will strive to glorify Jesus Christ and uphold the principles in the Holy Bible as God's Word. The Homeschool Support Group officially sponsors monthly support meetings, various and varying Support Group member coordinated projects and events, an online Yahoo E-list, and a Homeschool Box communication system. Our Support Group's focus is to be a cooperative-type resource and support network for our church's homeschooling families and provide an organization for some larger-group type homeschool social events and extracurricular activities; however, it is not able to provide homeschooling educational services such as testing or academic classes. It is the generous talents of the dedicated homeschoolers in our church who willingly donate their time and efforts which enables the Support Group to provide the functions, events and projects that we have. While all our official Support Group meetings, events, and sponsored projects are open to any and all active homeschoolers within our church community, we do encourage those who would like to host a meeting or coordinate a Suport Group sponsored event or project to sign a one-sheet mission statement. If you are interested in becoming a Support Group member (to host a meeting or coordinate a project or event), please contact one of the Support Group co-leaders during a support meeting, and we will help you. Please read below for more descriptions of our Support Group's official functions. What are the Support Group Meetings? Our meetings are open to anyone who considers our church their home and who is actively homeschooling or has a sincere interest in learning about homeschooling for their family. These meetings act as a support and resource system to encourage and edify each other in Christ in our homeschooling endeavors. Our meetings are a time to share knowledge and curriculum information, funny stories, offer positive suggestions to tricky problems posed, pray with one another,love one another in Christ, and to help each other be the best parent and teacher to our children. Sometimes there are special speakers who will speak on a given topic (such as "How to Teach Writing to Children"). There is also time for refreshments and, of course, time for just chatting! The Support Group meetings are generally held the 2nd or 3rd Monday of every month from 7 to 9pm, except for December and summer months. The meetings are generally hosted by a Homeschool Support Group member through sign up but sometimes are held at the church. Please see the Meetings and Events Calendar on this website for dates and topics scheduled. What kinds of projects and events does the Support Group sponsor? It has, in our history, sponsored the following: An end of the year Presentation/Promotion night wherein homeschooled children can present a special project or talent they have accomplished that year. Also families (if they like) can present a graduation/promotion certificate (forms provided if needed) to their child(ren) commenting on their homeschooling achievements of the year. There are, of course, refreshments and a great time of social gathering rejoicing in our children and all their hardwork for the year. We have Christmas and Valentine's parties open to all homeschooled children in the church where the children also have the option to do presentations of talents they have been working on in their homeschool (music, recitation, readers theater, etc.). There is also an annual Yearbook which is generally handed out at the end-of-the-year Presentation/Promotion Night social. We have used the format where each family does a "scrap book"type 8 x 11 1/2 page and submits it to the Yearbook coordinator (whoever that may be each year), who then heads a team that scans, re-formats, and takes the proof to the printers. The format of the yearbook may change year to year as coordinators, services and prices change. Other events have included a summer family picnic, a Mother's Tea, a Science Fair, and an end of the year used curriculum sale and free clothing exchange. When there is a coordinator, field trips to museums, children's concerts and plays have been available. All current and future projects (and the group itself!) are dependent upon the gracious efforts and volunteered time of Homeschool Support Group members who step forward to coordinate a particular project or event. We so appreciate those who do so! It is our shared efforts blessed by His Spirit that make this group the wonderful blessing it is! Also these listed projects and events are only those that so far have been officially sponsored by our official Support Group. There are many informal, private, small groups that will form between a number of families within the general homeschooling community of our group in order to do a specific club activity or fulfill a specific educational interest. These privately held small groups are outside our Support Group's official parameters. Our Support Group is not able to form or administrate an official group for every educational interest or extracurricular activity desired within our homeschooling community, especially regarding those areas which are best done within a very small group setting due to their specialized focus or limited adaptability to larger numbers. However, our Support Group acts as a great connecting tool, resource center, and well of encouragement for our homeschooling families to find others who desire to share similar specific activities or focused interests and form their own extracurricular small group. Please see our Extracurricular Small Group site on this website for information and some ideas on how to start your own small group (ie. 4H clubs, LegoRobotic Clubs, Readers Theater groups, Speech groups, Shakespeare clubs, Science clubs, etc.). What is the E-List group and how do I join? The Church Homeschool Support List is an E-List hosted by Yahoo Groups and is sponsored by the Support Group. It is a private list meaning that you have to sign up with the E-List Moderator in order to view, post or receive messages on this list. Once signed up, anything you post on this list is automatically sent to all list members. Members can post questions regarding homeschooling and offer encouragement and a positive word--a great way to communicate with each other during our busy lives! In order to sign up, click on the Request for E-List icon above, and follow the directions. What is the Homeschool Box and how do I get a folder? The Homeschool Box is a simple plastic file box with lid that is kept in one of the Children's Department rooms in the basement of the church. Members can access it during Sundays, and it acts as a mailing system for our homeschool community in the church (especially those without computer/internet access). Each person receives a file folder in a hanging folder which acts as their "in box" for various communications within our homeschool community such as party announcements, meeting announcements, Scholastic Book orders, etc. If you would like to be included in this mailing system, click on the email icon above, and we will contact you regarding getting a folder set up in your name. Is there a library section to borrow homeschool books? Yes, there is a small homeschool resource section in the church library. Please feel free to drop in and peruse the selection. The more we use, the more room they give a particular interest area as books are only kept on a frequency checked out basis. What is the Homescool PE Co-Op? The Homeschool PE Co-Op is a physical education co-op for homeschoolers of our church that meets every Wednesday (except school holidays and summer) from 1:30 to 3:30 pm in the church gym. The Homeschool PE Co-Op acts separately from the Homeschool Support Group although both are under the umbrella of resource ministries at our church. The PE Co-Op is also led by two elder-board approved co-leaders (fellow homeschoolers and PE Co-Op members) and supported by various coordinator positions such as secretary, treasurer, President's Challenge Coordinator, etc. These coordinator positions are held through sign ups of PE members or by PE Leader appointment. Each PE day one-half of the PE time is devoted to the President's Challenge Fitness program and the other half devoted to a fitness activity or sport of the month. The President's Challenge Fitness program is a national program wherein the children practice 5 stations all year long (curlups, running the mile/half mile, pushups, V-sit...a measured stretch, and the Shuttle Run) and then test in the last part of the year in order to achieve the set standards of the program. Those making the top standard get the blue President's Award badge, those making the middle standard get the red National Award badge, and those finishing the year without making the first 2 standards get a white Participant's Award badge. All award badges are sent from Washington DC together with a certificate signed by the President and handed out at our year-end PE Co-Op awards picnic. Every child (or family of children) must have an adult (a parent or guardian) who attends PE with them. This adult member is required to take an annual coordinator position, run a President's Challenge station, participate on an activity team during PE, AND sign up to coordinate a sport/fitness activity of their suggestion (usually a one-time, 2-week block, although an additional block may be needed if membership numbers require such.) Because each participating adult member must take a leadership role within the PE Co-Op Group regarding the children, church membership and CSSP certification are required. (Your family may attend PE if you are currently in membership and CSSP procedures.) The age range for children attending is school age (k-4 through highschool), but younger siblings are allowed to attend the PE Co-Op if an older, school- age brother or sister is a member. Further inquires should be made to Gail Larabee, the PE Co-Op Chair. (You can find her phone number in the Church Directory). The Homeschool Band is an extracurricular activity offered to our CMBC homeschool community by Jill Gambill. It is a music-teacher lead, instructional band, drop-off program for children approximately 10 years old and up. (Any child younger than 10 years of age will be at the discretion of the teacher only.) We have a reciprocal hospitality policy with SW Hills Baptist's Homeschool Support Group which hosts Jill Gambill's Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Bands at their church in Beaverton. If your child is interested in a Homeschool Band, please contact Jill directly at ima.flautist@verizon.net for the times of the current bands offered. All Bands will teach music theory, the basics of band instruments, and will require committed out-of-class practice and courteous in-class participation. Jill Gambill, has a university degree for and experience as a professional band instructor, and is also a private flute/piano teacher. Jill has been CMBC CSSP approved, elder approved, has been a member of CMBC church and a homeschooler. All Jill Gambill Homeschool Bands are a love-ministry by her and require only a small weekly fee per child of $3 or $5 per family (if more than one child is in band) to help cover some of Jill's costs. Instructional books are required to be purchased by the child, and the child must provide his own instrument and music stand. Some outside, private instruction is required for all beginning brass instruments and recommended for all instruments as the focus of the band is upon ensemble playing rather than mastering the individual instrument. Please see the music cleft icon to download the band commitment form (which is required to be signed by a parent of the band member). Who are the We behind this website? We are Kristin and Dwain Fagerberg, your servants in co-leadership of the CMBC Homeschool Support Group. Our Communications Coordinator is Tammy Arp who moderates our eList and supports our website (so take any technical problems or questions to her!) We are very happy you are interested in our Homeschool Support Group, the PE Co-Op and the other homeschool resources available at our church, and we would like the opportunity to encourage you in your homeschooling endeavors! We would love to meet you and talk with you between services on Sundays or at our next Homeschool Support Group meeting! You can click on the email icon above to contact us with any comments or questions you may have, or you can find our home phone numbers in the Church Directory which you can obtain at the foyer information booth. (Sorry we didn't want to post personal numbers on the Web!) |
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