We are looking forward to seeing everyone again in the new year!!! As we discussed with the Fall Semester families, we will be meeting on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays. This gives families the first 3 days of the week at home and the end of the week for co-op days. So the first day of the Spring Semester will be Thursday, January 10 instead of Tuesday the 8th.

Parents, remember if you need to leave while a student is in class, make sure we have a current Emergency Medical Form on file for your child(ren).

What a wonderful season! I have been enjoying listening to how different families have been celebrating Jesus' birthday. There are many similar traditions as well as some very special family, and unique customs all centering on Christ. Some of the favorites I have heard about are the mystery love baskets full of various goodies left on doorsteps, family Christmas plays written and performed by all the kids, special candle lighting ceremonies with scripture and singing and gift boxes under the tree for Jesus. What a great thought. What gift can I give to Jesus?

When our son was a toddler and preschooler we took him to the Dollar Store to pick out a gift for all the extended family members that would be at the family Christmas party. Knowing that as the youngest child he was bound to receive quite a bit, I wanted to impress on him giving over receiving. I wanted him to think about each person and what he knew about them to pick out their gift; and I wanted to have him pass out his gifts before he got all of his. This became one of the funnest things about present time and a source of many treasured memories for me. It usually took over an hour for him to choose about 20 gifts because he really thought about them. Everyone enjoyed how our son expressed his knowledge or view of a person through the gifts he chose. Many of those little dollar gifts are still around years later, not obviously because of the dollar behind it, but because of a little boys thoughts. As with many things concerning children, the adults got a lesson too. How did God express his view of us, with the gift of His son?

Whatever special memories or traditions your family has,  I pray that they pull you into a greater relationship with each other and especially with our greatest CHRISTmas gift ever.
Robin

I can't believe we only have a couple of weeks left of this semester. We have had so much fun and I have thoroughly enjoyed the students and families.

Science class is one of my favorites. My husband teases me about all the weird things I pack up to take, and our son's pet population grew by a crab and some shrimp, but I love having hands on examples for demonstrations and experiments almost every week. And my husband will admit that he has enjoyed testing a few of those experiments! The kids' favorites seem to be anything using test tubes, the glow in the dark goop we made, digging for fossils, and blowing a candle out with sound waves. Hmm...I wonder what I will be packing for next semester....

I also have the privilege of helping to teach the Kindergarteners. What fun! We have quite a diverse little group. It is so fun watching their talents and skills come out. Love, love, love that spark in their eye when they figure something out!

I wind up my teaching day with Latin class. I am so proud of these kids, and it is sooo cool to hear them. One of the activities they have enjoyed is translating the Latin parts of a story written by another classmate. I am looking forward to sharing a Roman meal with them next semester, as I already know these kids respond well to food!

Thanks again, Emily for your wonderful teaching in Art and PE, and to the moms who care for the nursery and toddler kids!

Emily and I are working on information for next semester. It will be on the website soon. Current students will be able to enroll for Spring Semester the last day of this semester (Dec 11), so you won't have to wait and then mail your form in.

We will also be posting some information for future year classes.

See you on Tuesday! I've got to go start packing my science kit....
Robin

The school year has begun! Classes started on August 21 to a great group of people. Emily and I had a terrific time meeting these families and starting to get to know each other. I can't say enough about the cooperative and excited spirit of the parents.

So many highlights for me.... I'll start with God, who makes all things possible. Thank you!  Cornerstone Community Church is a great host site. The welcome and access that they have allowed us is wonderful. Thank you again, Pastor Dave Buller, staff and church. The layout works great. The nursery set up with connected outdoor playground is such a comfortable, fun environment. The moms who were helping, and the little ones all enjoyed hanging out there. From the nursery through the kitchen, gym and classrooms, it all works wonderfully. Such a blessing!

The kids. Oh my, how cute could they be?! It was such fun meeting them all. The Kindergarteners were so precious, maybe a little nervous but excited. They all did great! In science class we donned our lab coats and dug right in doing some demonstrations and experiments. All the kids participated. No wall flowers in that group! I don't think I'll have trouble finding a special lab assistant each week! I am looking forward to seeing what everyone did in their notebook and continuing to try to peak interest in God's amazing creation. I'm very proud of the Latin students who got right down to studying. It will be great to hear you sing and pray in Latin!

So fun that everyone brought lunch and stayed for that social time break.

I'm grateful to be doing this co-op with Emily and having my child benefit from her teaching in Art and PE. I will wind this up with one last thank you to my husband. He took care of things at home so I could do this and even made me a pbj for lunch!

Looking forward to next week!
Robin

Laus Deo

Registration Now Open

REACH Homeschool Co-op is now taking registration for Fall 2012 Classes.

Be sure to check the Parents page! Here are the three basic forms you will need:

Registration Form

Parent Contract

Areas of Parent Partnership

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at reachhomeschoolcoop@gmail.com.

Art

We will be using ARTistic Pursuits, Book 3, Modern Painting and Sculpture.  Although this book is a continuation of the Art History began in Book 2 of ARTistic Pursuits, it is not necessary to have completed the projects from the previous book. Book three begins with Impressionism and moves into Modern Art, giving the learner a framework for understanding Pop Art and the diversity of abstract art.

There will be a weekly in-class project that reflects the era we are studying.  In addition to the project, we will also study artists and their art. Expressionism, Impressionism, sctulpture, cubism, modeling and more are all covered.

There is no book for this class; however, a list of supplies will be required.

History

Jump back in time:

Whatever your choice in History curriculum, this class will be a great reinforcement and enhancement to anyone studying the time frame of 1815 to the present.

Through the use of Veritas Press History Timecards we will study 32 major events chronologically from the Monroe Doctrine to present-day America. We will study inventions and talk about people whose character we’d like to emulate. The use of a memory song will be a fun way to get this timeline in our heads. We will also study a little Kansas History as it became a state in 1861, and have some hands on projects.

Students will enjoy making a lap book highlighting the things they have learned.

We also hope to make some field trips available. They will be scheduled outside of class time.

“Learning history chronologically has proven invaluable in the lives of many children. By memorizing names, dates, places and events, children gain a valuable tool for understanding how God is working today and what He has done during many past events. Furthermore, they are following classical methodology by memorizing this material which is presented in a variety of ways that makes the memory work quite enjoyable. We’ve heard countless examples of how students who used this curriculum were able to routinely contextualize more in depth study in later years--and that is exactly what needs to happen. Knowing a chronological sequence or time line of history is a crucial part of anyone’s education. This program will do just that.

 This series covers the majority of the 19th and 20th centuries. Included are the War Between the States, the two World Wars and numerous great inventions that have so dramatically affected our lives. Again, we see how God has continued to work in history to His glory.”

This class is for 1st through 6th graders.

Writer's Workshop

Writer’s Workshop is a time and place where children can come together to learn about, participate in, and get excited about writing! Here you can find children of all ages gathered together, enthusiastically sharing their stories and poetry, in an atmosphere of mutual trust and support.

Students participating in a Writer’s Workshop should expect to receive:

• Motivation 
• Encouragement
• Instruction
• Constructive Criticism
• Validation
• Attention

Writer’s Workshop is about motivating students to write while improving their writing skills along the way. In Writer's Workshop, we will focus on the process of writing, not always the end result.

Each session will include a mini-lesson, timed writing, and an opportunity for the students to share their work in the Author's Chair, followed by consultation with an adult for encouragement, ideas, and any help that is needed.

Parent participation is encouraged.

We will celebrate at the end of each semester with an Author's Tea, where the students will get to share one piece of writing, of their choice, that has completed the writing process, including binding.

 

 

Parents’ Responsibilities at Home:

1. Provide at least 15 - 20 minutes of quiet time per day for writing without telling them what to write. 
2. Ensure your children come prepared for Writer’s Workshop.
3. Provide them with encouragement and help them with the writing process, as needed. 
4. Encourage them to read their work aloud to you as practice before Author’s Chair. This will help them gain confidence in reading aloud during workshop time.

Science

Science is a great group experience! Get your lab coats on because we will be hands on doing experiments!

“Apologia’s second zoology book will take you and your family on an exploration into the wonders of the swimming creatures made on the fifth day of creation. You’ll begin with a big splash from the whales and dolphins, then spy on seals and meet manatees before swimming with the sea turtles, snakes, and salamanders. You’ll even peek in on the primeval plesiosaurus and its pals.

Following your frolic with fish and sharks, you’ll uncover the world of crabby crustaceans, sea snails, clams, and their soft bodied friends like the octopus, squid, and nautilus. You’ll consort with corals, find flowers that devour plankton, see stars and feathers that walk, leap and roll, and discover dollars that disappear in the sand and sponges that clean more than you might think.

From the microscopic to massive, no stone is left unturned in your student’s passage through the waters of the world. The creatures your student studies will come to life as your student creates replicas of them and adds them to his “Ocean Box” - a miniature hand-crafted aquarium. As always, each lesson ends with an experiment or project reinforcing the scientific method and the concepts studied. Among other experiments and projects, your student will try on blubber, investigate a shark’s ability to sense electrical currents, explore how whales can hear sounds that come from far away, and learn through experimentation which creatures make the best fossils. No matter how near or far you live from the ocean, you and your students will wonder at God’s designs in the amazing aquatic animals He formed on the fifth day.”

Curriculum: Apologia: Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day

Materials needed:
Textbook: 1 per family
Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day: Exploring Creation with Zoology 2, Jeannie Fulbright CBD Stock No: WW337012

Notebooking Journal: 1 per student, Jr. Notebook or Regular

Students will also need a cardboard box for the Ocean box described above.

Homework will consist of:

• They (or you to them) will be reading about half a chapter. Reading is something that can be done easily at home, leaving the class room experience for group discussion, review, projects and most fun of all—experiments.
• Prepare for class group discussion by having the student narrate back to you what has been read.
• Completing some notebooking pages. These will be varying. They can write in facts they have learned, draw pictures, cut out pictures and paste them etc. Once again this is to aid them in remembering what they have learned; and allow them to use their creativity.

Recommended for students 1st thru 6th Grade.

Latin

Why learn Latin? “Latin is a rich, ancient language, and is still very much alive in the languages that we speak today. It plays a vital role in a classical education, training students in grammar, how a language works, and how to think critically. Learning Latin greatly expands English vocabulary and introduces students to the original work of some of the most influential writers in history.

Approximately 50% of English is derived from Latin. About 80-90% of 2-syllable words come from Latin. Learning it will help students see the structure of language, helping them with English or any other language they may learn. It also eases transition into any of the other Romance Languages as up to 90% of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Romanian words are derived from Latin.

Knowledge of Latin will help in vocations such as law, science, music, medicine, theology and philosophy.

"Prima uses a clear and systematic format to introduce Latin to young students. It teaches important English and Latin grammar concepts, as well as vocabulary, sayings, prayers, hymns, and constellations. Some of the material covered in Prima is:

• Recognizing English and Latin Verbs
• Invisible Verbs
• Recognizing English and Latin Nouns
• Proper Nouns & Pronouns
• Prepositions
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
• To Be Verbs
• Present and Future Tenses
• First Conjugation
• First Declension
• 125 Latin Vocabulary Words
• Approximately 150 Latin Derivatives
• 25 great Latin Sayings
• 4 Latin Prayers in full
• 4 Latin Hymns on the audio CD
• 12 Constellations
• Latin Numbers one through ten
• English & Latin Alphabet, vowels and consonants

Prima Latina is an introduction to Christian Latin for young elementary students. It was written to transition directly into Latina Christiana, allowing students to complete an entire Latin sequence without missing important concepts or vocabulary."

We will enrich our study by learning something of the Roman culture and singing some songs in Latin.

Curriculum: Prima Latina from Memoria Press.

Materials needed:

Prima Latina Student book

These books will need to be brought to class each week along with a pencil and colored index cards.

Homework will consist of:

• Reviewing weekly vocabulary words (5 min daily)
• Complete worksheet activity if not done in class
• Optional free on-line games to play to increase skills

Welcome

Welcome to  REACH!  We are so glad you are considering being a part of this brand new home school co-op in Topeka, KS.  It will officially launch in Fall 2012.  It was birthed out of the vision of two home school moms to provide affordable classes to homeschooling families in subject areas that are easily adapted to and just more fun with a group. 

If you have any questions, please email us at reachhomeschoolcoop at gmail dot com.  Or you can leave a comment and we'll contact you. You can also subscribe and be automatically emailed whenever we post something new!

We want this blog  to be a place of encouragement for you as well as providing resources and opportunities for you as you educate your family.

Teach them faithfully,

Emily