Enrollment is open for the Spring Semester 2014

Please visit the both the Spring Semester tab as well as the Parent tab. If you have further questions, please feel free to email. Some of the classes have limited space so get your enrollment forms in as soon as possible! We had a great time last semester and are looking forward to another great 16 weeks, ending with a party, of course! Have a blessed Christmas season and we will see you in the new year!

Christmas Party!

Our Christmas party is this Tuesday from 10-12. It is being held offsite. Alicia has emailed everyone in the school details. If you didn't receive this email or have any questions, please let us know. Thank you Alicia for heading this up and everyone else helping plan a special time for our kids!

REACHing toward Spring

We are in the process of finalizing the Sring Semester 2014. We have full year curriculums, for which you need to register each semester, that will continue.  Having attended in fall is not a prerequisite for joining in the spring and new students are welcome. 

We are excited to add Beginning Sewing into the mix. This class will take a maximum of 8 students. The Beginning Sewing and Cooking classes are each half of a semester. Sewing will be the first 8 weeks followed by Cooking. You can take them independently of each other. 

 We will end the year with an all school pot luck party. Students will have projects to display from their classes and can invite grandparents or other special guests to attend.

We will be shortening the window for registration to allow for easier planning so get your registrations in as soon as you can. Returning fall semester students only need to turn in their registration form and payment but do not need to complete another contract. You will be able to register for spring the last week of fall classes. Registration for everyone else will open after that. 

We are hoping to give a brief glimpse into school year 2014-2015 soon. (Did I really just type 2015!?)

Thanksgiving Break

REACH will not meet the week of Thanksgiving, November 26.  

Reading Rewards

Due to the Thanksgiving break the November Reading rewards will be done the last week of the semester, December 3.

Campfire Meetings!

Beginning this week we will have short "campfire meetings" with the kids at the end of lunch period, right before afternoon classes. Our goal is to create a better transition from free time after lunch to the first afternoon classes. Kids will eat and enjoy some free time with friends as they do now. (All play in the back half of the gym away from tables please.) Then a few minutes before classes we will gather together around our "fire".  We may not make smores but we will have a time of sharing and maybe some simple game/activity to help prepare their bodies and minds to resume their studies. It will also help signal to any who don't stay for afternoon classes that its time to quiet down as they prepare to leave so that their friends can go back to class.

We like having the free time available for students after eating to interact with each other out of the classroom and wish to retain that opportunity; however, going from that smack into class is a hard transition. To make this easier and help the first part of class time be more productive, we will start to gather the kids for this group time before dismissing them to class. Thank you!

I will also take this time to remind everyone that while there is a big exodus of people at 1:00, we still have a class going until 1:55. Your cooperation in not allowing your kids to run and play in the gym during this time is appreciated.

School Lunch for Nov 12:

Rene will be bringing meatless lasagna. Please email in lunch counts to the REACH email address.

News From A Couple of Classrooms:

Geography students finished their pinatas! It will be interesting to see who hangs them as decoration and who choose to break them!

We are now visiting Norway and will be making a Lapland Felt Square this week and doing  a Norwegian language game as we study their culture. Students should be working on their geography vocabulary cards as outlined in the parent email.



Science students did a great job on their homework! I love how excited they are when they share what they did. This last class they were treated to a portion of a video by Answeres in Genesis: Buddy Davis' Amazing Adventures, Extrememe Caving. They enjoyed making their own caves which they got to take home.  The clay represents the sandstone and the sugar the limestone. After their clay has dried begin introducing water to the exposed sugar. Do this in increments without totally soaking the clay. As the sugar dissolves it will leave the hollowed out space. Students are welcome to bring their resulting caves back to class to show.

If your kids would like to grow their own stalagmites:

Supplies: 2 cups of hot water, charcoal briquettes, Epsom salts, shallow dish, food coloring optional

In the shallow dish stir one-half cup of epsom salts into the hot water. Add the rest of the Epsom salts and sir the mixture for 5 minutes. Place 3 charcoal briquettes in the dish and add a few drops of food coloring to the briquettes if you wish. Place the dish on a windowsill undisturbed. Within a few days crystals will have "grown" on the briquettes.

School Lunch for Nov 5:

Cheesy potato soup with bread. Please email in lunch counts.

Reading Rewards is Tomorrow!

Students, bring in your log sheets and give them to Miss Alicia at lunch time.

School Lunch

Thank you for signing up on the group meal form last week. School lunch will be $1 per meal. Please check the administration table for future lunch menus.



Thank you to the moms who assisted with painting a classroom!

Breaking news...

Our Cooking Class has been extended to a full semester class. Contact administration if you would like to participate.

Opportunity to Show Thanks

As previously posted, we think a great way to show our thanks to Cornerstone Community Church for hosting us, is by helping with building maintenance. Our first opportunity to do that is coming up.

Saturday, October 12 at 1:00 adult volunteers are needed to help paint classroom #3 located off of the gym. Please email the administrators if you are able to assist. Thank you!

School Lunch

Thank you for signing up on the group meal form last week. School lunch will be $1 per meal. Please check the administration table for future lunch menus.

Cooking Class

Can you believe our 8th week of cooking class is already upon us? It has been a pleasure to add Florence Deeter and her cooking instruction to our offerings this half of the semester. Thank you, Mrs. Deeter!

Physical Education Class

We wish to express our thanks to Mr. McClellan for bringing his experience and fun in teaching the PE class. As he was only available to teach the first half of the semester he will be finishing his time here this Tuesday, October 1.

We welcome Mr. Marc Monocco to REACH to teach the second half of the semester of PE. Mr. Monocco will be joining Mr. McClellan this week to meet everyone and help with the transition of teachers. I encourage you to stop in and say good bye to Mr. McClellan and hello to Mr. Monocco.

Marc has been an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer since 2002. He is the owner and Head Instructor of Topeka Jiu Jitsu Academy and has been the Sport Commissioner for Jiu Jitsu at Sunflower State Games since 2011. He is a US Army Veteran and a substitute teacher for Topeka area schools.

School lunch:

Pack those lunch bags, there is no prepared group meal this week, October 1. There will be a group lunch for October 8. Please sign up for it at the administration table this week if you would like to partake.

Reading Incentives

This Tuesday, September 24 is Reading Rewards day. Any students who are participating in this program should turn in their reading logs at lunch break for a little reward. Thank you to Miranda who provided a little something extra for that this month.


Science Students Reminder:  Owl pellet dissection is this week.

School lunch:

Pack those lunch bags, there is no prepared group meal this week.

An opportunity to show thanks...

Dear REACH Parents,

Cornerstone Community Church graciously hosts REACH without charge. The church is now in the process of some building maintenance and remodeling, part of which will involve painting classrooms.  This is the perfect opportunity for us to give back, by way of service, to the wonderful people of Cornerstone Community Church for their generosity.

I would like to gather a few REACH parents to paint some of the classrooms. The church will have all the supplies and tools waiting for us. Let us know if you are interested and what your availability is. I will post more details as I find out availability of helpers and when the rooms will be ready for us to paint.

Thank you!
Robin

School Lunch for Sept 10

We have a parent who volunteered to pick up Cici's Pizza this Thursday. If you would like one please place your order to the REACH email by Tuesday morning. One pizza is  $5.45, (5 plus tax) leave your money at the admin table when you walk in.

Future school lunches: If anyone has any ideas for combined lunch or wants to volunteer to do something let us know.  I would like to start getting lunch count sheets the week before and putting them at the admin table. The counts can then be taken that day and eliminate the need for all the emails.

What a great group of people we are enjoying at REACH.  I think I speak for all of the teachers when I say we are enjoying watching all the different personalities blossom. It is nice getting to know everyone, even if it will take a couple of more weeks to get all of the family names! But then, once you are a parent you get kind of use to being called by your favorite nickname: so and so's mom!

Remember to subscribe on the right to get notices sent to your email when something has been added to the website.

School lunch for Sept 4 will be sloppy joes. Please email to the REACH address the sandwich count for your family. Thanks!

See you Tuesday,

Robin

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

REACH is changing back to meeting on Tuesdays!

Classes start August 13.

We have listened to you, our co-op families, and have heard what you said. Don't you love the flexibility of homeschooling!? We received overwhelming feedback that Tuesdays worked better than Thursdays and we are happy and blessed to say that all of our teachers and the building are able to make the switch.

Part of our goals are to build relationships, encourage and help and we figured we weren't accomplishing that mission if Thursdays was a hard day to meet. So effective this fall semester we will convene on Tuesdays and help kick start everyone's week.

The first day of class will be Tuesday, August 13.

Registration is now open.

Please submit registration forms by July 31.

Registration for the Fall Semester 2013 is open!!!  So excited about our classes this year! Some highlights are the new Cooking class, new Kindergarten Prep, and Writing class, and PE starting off with a 5th degree blackbelt to teach us various aspects of physical education!

We are happy to announce that Mr. McClellan, a fifth degree blackbelt and co-owner of ATA Martial Arts Academy, will be the PE instructor for the first 8 weeks of Fall Semester 2013.  

Not only will he incorporate a unique perspective of martial arts, his 19 years of teaching various forms of physical education will make this a challenging and informative class.

A Sneak Peak at 2013-2014 School Year

 In looking at our core group it seems that having a preschool class instead of Kindergarten class this next year will best serve the current needs. This will represent a change from the 2012-2013 year.

 Below is a sneak peak at the schedule of classes for next school year. More details will be coming but we wanted to give you some general information.

School calendar for 2013-2014:
The 2013 Fall Semester will be Thursdays, August 15 through December 5. Thanksgiving break: November 28. There are classes to choose from between the hours of 9:00am through 1:55pm.

Spring 2014 Semester will be Thursdays, January 9 through April 24.

A year-end celebration will be held, date to be determined.

Registration for the Fall Semester:

Registration will open as soon as the schedule is set and posted on its own tab, and will continue as space allows. Watch for the Fall Semester 2013 tab.

Fees:

Tuition fees are per student, per class/per semester and are non refundable after the 2nd week of the semester. There is also a minor registration fee per family each semester.

       

Fall Semester Class Schedule:

Each of the Fall classes (except Cooking and Sewing) are full year classes, continuing into Spring semester. However, you will need to register for the Spring Semester separately. 

Classes are for 1st through 6th grade unless otherwise noted.

   9:00 – 9:55am:       World Geography Through Missions, Tuition $30

                                  I am so excited about this class. We will be traveling around the World pulling from My Father's World curriculum:  Exploring Countries and Cultures. We won't just be learning geography, we will learn about the people, the food, the cultures and God's heart for people as your kids hear amazing missionary stories. They will learn about topography with our class project of a huge 3-D map. There is no text book to purchase. Each student will need a 3-ring binder with dividers and colored pencils.

 10:00 – 10:55am:     Science, Tuition $30

                                                To match up nicely with our geography class we will be doing Answers in Genesis, Properties of Ecosystems.   I will be pulling from some other sources as well, but the only text book to purchase for science is this one. Each student will need a 3-ring binder with dividers for their own personalized notebook. The text book lends itself to a choice of shorter or longer homework based on the student and the rest of your school work load. As always there will be hands on experiments! I am already looking up extra ones!

 9:00 – 11:30am:    Kindergarten Preparation, Tuition $120 (3-5 years of age)

After lunch, parents may take preschoolers to the designated playroom if they would like to stay on campus while waiting for an older sibling to finish class.

11:00 – 11:30am:    PE, Tuition $20

11:30 – 11:55am:    Lunch

                               This is an opportunity for some social time. All classrooms and nursery are closed.                       

                               You are invited to bring your lunch and eat in the gym with your friends.

12:00 – 12:55pm:   Cooking, Tuition $25 includes kitchen use and food fees. (Third graders thru 6th graders: This is an 8 week only class.  Note: Spring Semester will be Beginning Sewing

The opportunity to explore the world of food can be a lifetime adventure. Students will learn how to read and follow recipes, practice kitchen safety and read food labels for nutrition. Some of the foods cooked will coincide with new cultures the students learn about in world geography class. As new cooking terms are learned, we will be on the way to becoming junior chefs!

12:00 – 12:55pm:    Writing Class, Tuition $30

                       Emily Buller will be leading your children into story land. Their stories. She hopes to encourage both your child's love of writing and ability to do so. She is currently reviewing a couple of curriculum choices. 

For those students who want to take the cooking class, they may join in the Writing Class for the second half of the semester for a fee of $15.

1:00 – 1:55pm:    Latin, Tuition $30 (Third graders thru 6th graders, talk to the instructor if you feel a younger student would be ready)

                                       Text needed: Latina Christiana I student book, from Memoria Press

Latina Christiana was designed as a beginning course for students of all ages. If you have not started Latin before, this would be a great time to join in. 

Year End Celebration

Emily and I have so enjoyed the families of REACH and have been blessed to be a part of your educational journey. It is time to celebrate our year together!

Mark your calendars for a year end celebration to be held in the gym on Saturday, April 27! The doors will open at 5:30pm and we will start eating at 6:00pm. (Not including the taste tests as we set up!) Please bring one main dish plus one side dish (or dessert) to share. If you know anyone who would like to meet other homeschoolers, or may be interested in REACH, they are welcome to come enjoy the evening with us. Of course guests do not need to bring any food. The science class will have some items on display and would love for any grandparents or other special guests to come.