Congratulations

Class of 2007

Yesterday was our homeschool group's graduation ceremony. We have a semi-traditional graduation ceremony, with the seniors in black caps and gowns, entering the auditorium to the strains of "Pomp & Circumstance", played by the homeschool band. The ceremony begins with a prayer and then the presentation of the colors and the National Anthem. The guest speaker this year was Dr. Pete Schemm, Dean of the College at Southeastern College at Wake Forest. He is also a homeschool dad with eight kids. He spoke on living a life of integrity. The best part of the ceremony is the presentation of the diplomas, when the parents get to take 3 minutes to brag, pray, challenge, reminisce, or congratulate their son or daughter, who in turn honors his or her mother with a rose. This is such a touching and heartfelt time, and sets a homeschool graduation apart from its institutional counterpart. Next comes the PowerPoint Slide show of 6-8 pictures of each graduate, from babyhood to the present, set to contemporary Christian music selected by the seniors. Finally, the graduating class stands in front of the room filled with family and friends and turns their tassles. This is kind of like the moment when the groom gets to kiss the bride at the end of the wedding ceremony! The newly graduated students exit as the band plays, and form a receiving line in the lobby. Everyone gathers for cake and punch in the fellowship hall, and then heads home for a family celebration or dinner or open house, as volunteers from the support group handle clean up at the church.

Alex, JoJo, Bekah, Sarah

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Our monthly support group meeting was this past Tuesday night, and Mr. Hal Young was our guest speaker.  He is Education V.P. for NCHE, our state homeschool organization, and he spoke to us on Homeschooling in NC ~ Where We've Been and Where We're Going.  A few interesting tidbit from his talk ~

• North Carolina is the only state in the union where the homeschool regulatory arm does not fall under the public school bureaucracy.  DNPE ( Division of Non-Public Education ) falls under the Dept. of Administration, not Dept. of Public Instruction.
• a proposal last year to move DNPE under DPI for financial efficiency created such an uproar and so many emails/calls from homeschoolers across the state that business at the state legislature came to a standstill; we were heard
• "pioneers" in this state had to submit to "private school facility inspections", and do things like install lighted EXIT signs over exterior doors, have fire escapes from second story windows, and install drains in bathroom floors

Today, North Carolinians are fortunate to have a very good law under which to homeschool legally in this state.  The legal requirements are that we file a Notice of Intent to operate a homeschool with DNPE when we first open our homeschool, parents must have at least a high school diploma, attendance & immunization records must be kept at home, and a standardized test must be administered annually, the results of which are to be kept at the home for at least 12 months and made available to DNPE upon request.

from DNPE's website : History of Homeschooling in NC

Hal Young's article : "North Carolina's Educational Wall of Separation" www.fee.org/pdf/the-freeman/young0705.pdf

In discussing where we are headed, Hal talked about the changing face of homeschooling, especially with the increasing use of technology,, and the appearance of virtual charter schools, sometimes offered by states using the carrot of "free" education to woo homeschoolers back under the public school mantle.  While this option may work for those whose primary concern is the physical and emotional learning environment ( safety, freedom from peer pressure & bullying, health issues, etc ), it is troublesome for parents wanting freedom in choosing what is taught to their children.  States such as Alaska have already seen more and more restrictions put on their choices of curriculum, so that instruction is made to line up with what is offered in the public school. Religious content is almost always an issue, and will continue to be even more restricted in any option when public money is involved.

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Yesterday we went to Raleigh for Capital Fest 2007, a biennial event put on by NCHE to bring homeschoolers to the state capital to meet our senators and representatives.  It is a goodwill day, intended to give lawmakers a "face" to go with the "idea" of homeschooling.  This year, NCHE also planned some organized activites, such as a talk on the 3 branches of government, a mock legislative committee session, and tours of the Capital and Legislative Building.  The Legislative Building is right across the street from the NC Museum of Natural History, so after attending the Capital Fest activities , we spent an hour walking through the museum. 

Last night was my support group's annual  "Mom's Christmas Tea".  We moved from our normal meeting place to the cafeteria of a nearby Catholic school ( offered free of charge!) so we'd have more room.  A dozen ladies served as table hostesses, each providing table linens, dishes, centerpieces and decorations for a table of 6. 

The theme this year was "Christmas Carols", so each hostess chose a carol or Christmas song and decorated her table to represent that song. As our devotion for the evening, each hostess gave a short presentation on the reason they chose that particular song, its origins, symbolism, personal meaning,etc. The creativity that went into the table decorations was wonderful ~ each table was a work of art!  

A string duet ( Debbie's sons, Aaron and Simon ) played Christmas music as we entered and got seated.

Hostesses filled trays with sandwiches and cookies from the food table and brought them to their table. Hot cider, tea, coffee, and water were served from the kitchen.  Each table had an envelope containing an ice breaker game for the guests to enjoy. Three ladies led the room in a heartfelt rendition of "The 14 Days of Homeschooling" ( sung to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas ). Victorian Christmas Carolers arrived near the end of the evening to entertain us with a couple of traditional carols as well as "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"! 

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Our homeschool girls volleyball teams, the Lighthouse Eagles, won both the JV and Varsity championships at the NCHEAC Homeschool Tournament, held today, Saturday, Oct.21, in Fayetteville, NC.  There were only 3 teams in each division, but competition was fierce and each match was hard fought.  It was a long, tiring day, but oh, victory is sweet. 

Congratulations

Eagles!

Last night was our monthly support group leaders meeting at my house. I am president of our local homeschool association, which has about 250 families. I am one of the 3 moms who founded the group 10 years ago , when we started a new Christian support group in my town with 17 families.  A lot of exciting opportunities and some real challenges have come with that growth.  One of the things we were discussing last night was a dress code.  It is an issue that has cropped up from time to time, particularly in regards to our teen activities and our sports teams. We have a large number of teens and a number of social and service activities for them throughout the year. We have middle school and high school girls volleyball teams that play competitively against local private school, charter school, and homeschool teams.  We also have girls and boys basketball, and may be starting soccer soon. 

Last year a concern was raised over the spandex volleyball shorts ( they really aren't shorts; they look like bathing suit bottoms ) that a couple of girls were wearing to practices. Those girls also played club, or Jr. Olympic, volleyball, and that was part of their uniform. 

Collegiate teams also wear the spandex bottoms.  A division has arisen between those who say that clothing that short and that tight is inappropriate on a Christian young lady even in a gym, and those who say that athletes should wear whatever is customary for their sport. Other concerns have been expressed over spaghetti strap tops, low rise jeans and rolled down shorts that show the tummy, and tight tops on well-developed teen girls. 

We all know that homeschoolers don't like to be told what to do!  We also know that there are very strong opinions among Christians over what is acceptable and what is not acceptable dress. Among the 11 leaders at the meeting last night there were differences of opinion.  If we make the rules too strict, are we being legalistic? If we make them too lenient, then why bother?  Are we willing to police the rules that we do make? Do we really need a written dress code, or should we just address issues individually as they come up? But then on what basis can you make a complaint, since there are no written guidelines? Is this just a matter of personal preference, and shouldn't parents be the ones to decide what is okay for their children to wear?  And what about parents? Teens aren't the only ones guilty of wearing tight pants and low cut necklines.

I tend to think that our association needs to set expectations for dress and behavior, for adults and children.  People do watch us, and the way that members dress, speak, and act does reflect upon our group, upon homeschoolers in general, and upon the body of Christ.  I think that conservative dress standards help set a tone of respect and create an atmosphere of wholesomeness rather than licentiousness.

I'd really like to know what you think about this subject.  Does your support group have a dress code? What guidelines would you say are important, and what are too strict? What Scriptural basis would you use?

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Here is a peek at our support group yearbook. It is 200 pages, full color, with a clear plastic sheet on the front and a hard plastic back. Pages were created on the computer using Microsoft Publisher, and we had it printed and spiral bound at Kinkos. The cover was designed by my daughter Amanda, 12,  and her friend Katie, and my other daughter, Sarah, 18, did all the senior page layouts as well as most of the sports layouts. 

We had about a dozen teens and several moms work on this project all year, but the bulk of the work really happened in the spring.  We sold them for $25 each.  Hard work, but the results were worth it!

Each family had a page for their family photo, school name, favorite scripture, short paragraph about what homeschooling means to them, list of activities, etc.

Each senior had a 2-page spread for their senior picture and a couple of candids, short bio, list of activities, favorite quote or scripture.

Other sections included Sports, Music & Art, Activities, Community Service, Parent Support, Congratulatory Ads, and Autographs.

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Last night was our monthly support group meeting, with about 75 people in attendance. We had 60 chairs set up, so we had to scramble to set up some more and still a few people had to stand.  I'm afraid we might be outgrowing our space at the bookstore. In the past month we have added 50 new families to our support group, bringing us up to about 240 families.

We always start our meetings with a devotion, and Renee shared the journey that the Lord has led her on this past year or two, bringing her "all the way home".  She was involved in leadership of a weekly women's Bible study group, but felt the Lord pulling her out of that, and showing her that her family was getting the "leftovers" of her time and attention. This is a difficult area for us to discern, I think, because service is what many of us DO, and it is natural to extend that to our church and community.  Sometimes mothering and homeschooling can be "thankless" jobs, and we often get affirmation and compliments and warm fuzzies from these other activites. But are we being short-tempered with our children because we "have to get this Bible study lesson finished"?  Are we running through the drive-thru for dinner again, because we have to go to another meeting tonight?  Are we listening to our little ones or our husbands with half an ear, because we are thinking of that project we are working on or that presentation we are going to make?  Our years with our children are fleeting ~ my oldest turns 21 this spring!  Is the Lord speaking to you about priorities and where your heart lies?

We are required here in NC to administer a standardized test to our children every year, so last night we spent a few minutes talking about the different tests available.  A good handout on standardized testing can be downloaded from HomeSchoolerTests.com

Then we had a panel discussion on Homeschooling More Than One.  There were 5 moms who answered questions and offered suggestions. Each one approached their homeschooling differently and had different things they focused on, but they all agreed on several things as well. One of those was starting each day with the Bible, because discipling our children is our number one calling as Christians.  Another key thing was flexibility and cooperation among family members. Each family had different methods for assigning chores, but everyone in the family pitched in, from oldest to youngest ( okay, not the infants)  Also, each family had a method for lesson planning and assigning daily school work.  One mom writes up daily lesson plans several weeks at a time, and then dates and highlights them as they are completed. Another writes weekly lesson plans a semester at a time, and gives out a list of work to be completed by the end of the week, allowing her children to work at their own pace. Yet another writes assignments on index cards and places them on each child's placemat ( which serves as their message center) on the dining room table.  Index cards must be dated and given back to mom when the assignment is completed, and they are then filed away. 

I always enjoy hearing how other families handle the challenges of parenting and home educating.  I have to admit, though, that I came home discouraged last night.  I think the Lord was using the words of my sisters at the meeting to show me areas that I have let slide - badly.   Things have been very hectic and busy around here, and I'm afraid I have let my priorities get misplaced. Soooooo, I am praying and doing some soul-searching and trying to get back on track. 

We started our day with Bible study and talking about Godly character this morning. 

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We  have just incorporated our homeschool support group.  Our group has grown from 20 families to 200 families in 10 years, and runs a high school athletics program as well as field trips, an enrichment Co-op, monthly parent meetings, and various other activities. We had applied for and received non-profit status from the IRS several years ago, but decided that we needed to take the extra step of incorporation in order to protect our leaders from liability should someone decide to sue the group for any reason. It was a fairly simple process, since we already had written By-Laws and an elected board of officers. We consulted a local attorney, who filed the paperwork for us with the state. And one of the dads in our group, a CPA, is refiling our non-profit paperwork, and handling our tax filings.  Boy, sometimes I think I should have a business or law degree to do this job!  I am very thankful for the knowledgeable people the Lord has placed in our midst, to help with these things.  It is a wonderful thing to be part of a body, working together, with different talents and gifts being used as they are needed.

So we are now

Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Association, Inc.

Last night was our homeschool group's annual Mom's Christmas Tea.  The local homeschool book store has 2 classrooms where we normally hold our meetings, and those 2 rooms were transformed into a Christmas Gift Bazaar and a holiday Tea Room for close to 60 attendees. Several members had tables in the Gift Bazaar where they sold handmade scarves, fun print pillowcases, calligraphy, purses, clay nativity figures, scented lotions, cookie mix in a jar, jewelry, and other homemade things. 

In the "Tea Room", 4-foot plastic tables were pushed together into squares to seat 8, covered with pretty tablecloths and decorated by table hostesses, each around a different theme: candy canes, the nativity, Adornaments, Christmas cards, Jessie Tree, Carols, and Kitchen jars. Hot cider, hot tea, punch, cookies, sandwiches, and fruit were brought by various members to fill the food table.  The program for the evening included a spirited rendition of "The 14 Days of Homeschooling" ( see previous post ), several door prizes, a short talk on doing a Christmas Unit Study, and descriptions of the table themes by each of the hostesses.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the fellowship; there was a lot of laughing and talking as people got to know the people at their table.  Upon arriving, everyone pulled a piece of paper that had a letter on it from a bowl , and that was your table assignment, so folks couldn't just sit with people they already knew!

This was a very successful event.  I think the key is to give as many people as possible a part to play.  Three members who are gifted in this area ( not official leaders ) were asked to coordinate the Tea, and they in turn recruited hostesses and other helpers, and gave them very specific jobs to do.

This approach seems to be working very well for our support group, and we have seen a dramatic increase in participation this year.

I took some pictures, but I had to use my daughters SLR camera since my digital camera is broken, so it may take a week or so to actually finish the roll and get the pictures developed. Oh well.

May your days be merry and bright.

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I received a phone call this morning from a woman interested in joining our support group. She had received information from several people about the various activities going on in Lighthouse, and she and her children were excited about potentially being part of this group. She was confused by one thing though, and that was our Statement of Faith. 

   " Do I have to believe in your statement of faith to belong to your group?", she asked. " Because we are Muslims, not Christians."

When I pointed out that our name plainly stated that we are a Christian homeschool association, she said that she liked associating with Christians because we shared many of the same values. She was shocked, however, by the idea that we would exclude someone from our support group because they didn't share our faith.

     "So that's........ okay?  You can do that?" she asked politely but somewhat accusingly.

I explained as best I could that our decision to be a Christian support group was not meant to be hurtful to anyone, but to provide an environment for parents and children in which we would be free to express our faith in Jesus Christ, because expressions of our Christianity were not reserved for church alone, but were part of everything we did, including educating our children. She was very nice and accepted my explanation, but suggested that our leaders consider changing our policy, since there were many wonderful families out there who were not Christian but would like to be part of our group.

Before answering the phone, I had JUST sat down with my Bible and journal, and had written one thing:"Lord, help me to accomplish today the things YOU have for me to do." So I have no doubt that conversation was a God-appointment, but now I'm not sure I answered the woman adequately.( I always think of the right things to say AFTER the fact )  It has given me something to think about today.  Why are we a Christian support group?  Is there a good reason for requiring that our members be Christians? 

I think it is important to consider from time to time WHY we do WHAT we do the WAY we do them.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

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This past Tuesday night was our monthly homeschool parents meeting. The topic was "Homeschooling Through it All", and three ladies shared their experiences of homeschooling through difficult situations: illness, financial hardship, moving, adoption, , etc. 

Last night we had our monthly support group meeting, with about 50 moms ( and 2 dads ) in attendance.  We start our meeting with a devotion by one of the moms; Wanda talked about joy, and recommended a book called If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy: Making the Choice to Rejoice by Lindsey O'Connor.  I haven't read it, but it sounds like one I'll have to look for.

After the devotion, we broke up into groups of 6-8 and did introductions and answered the question, "What is the most distant place you have ever visited?"  ( just as a means of "getting to know you" )  The most distant place I've visited is Italy / Germany / Austria / Netherlands, when I was 10 and my family camped around Europe for 6 weeks in a Volkswagen Campmobile! ( my parents were school teachers, and took us 4 kids ~ ages 5 - 10 ~ during the summer of 1971;  brave people, they are!)

Our topic for the evening was "How Do You Do That?", so after handing out a couple of doorprizes and a few brief announcements, we heard from a few moms who shared how they made lapbooks, scrapbooks, time lines, nature journals, state notebooks, and homemade hardcover books.

The group has all of a sudden gotten "active" this year! We seem to go through phases when no one wants to do much, but this year things have picked up a lot!  Part of it is that several key people have stepped forward to coordinate certain areas, and they have generated a lot of enthusiasm.  

- Pam has taken the reins on teen activities, and had 40 teens at her house a couple of weeks ago for a game night! They have at least one thing planned a month, and she isn't doing it all herself. She got it going, but other moms are stepping up to organize specific activities. And the kids seem to be excited too.

-Faye revamped out mentor program, which kicked off mid-Sept., with all new homeschoolers paired with an experienced homeschool mentor.  The mentors are supposed to call their assigned mom once a month, or get to together, and just talk about how things are going.  Feedback is good so far.

She is also heading up Yearbook this year.  Last year one person did the whole thing herself. This year there are a dozen parents and 20 or more teens working on it!

-Blair came on board as Field Trip/ Event Coordinator, and has generated huge response.  For the past couple of years, there have been few field trips, with not a lot of participation.  But there have been at least 5 field trips already this year, with 40- 80 people going on each one ( they divide into smaller groups when they get there); and there are a bunch more coming up in the next couple of months! She's one of those "let's get things done!" kind of people.

Amazing! 

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Tonight we had our monthly support group leaders meeting here at my house.  Our group has a 7-member Leadership Council made up of a chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer, membership secretary, field trip / activities coordinator, and member-at-large. There are also several non-board members who are leaders of various activities within the group who are invited to these meetings. 

I love these ladies!

God has blessed our group with a wonderful bunch of people who not only are committed to homeschooling their own children, but also have a heart for encouraging and assisting others in their homeschooling journey.  We pray for each other, share our personal successes and struggles, and contribute our talents, abilities, and energies to building a supportive community for homeschooling families in our area.

Serving in a group our size ( 190 families ) is no small job.  Each person puts in significant time, attending planning meetings, doing paperwork, communicating by email or talking on the phone, researching, organizing activities, etc.  It can be a frustrating, thankless job at times, especially when faced with those who forget that we are not paid professionals, but homeschool moms who are volunteering our time while also trying to teach our children, care for our homes, attend to our husbands, and serve in our churches.  

On the other extreme are those moms who look at you, way up there on that pedestal, and say, "Wow, you have it soooooooo together! I could never be like you..."    

 Whoa, nellie!

Support group leaders are just people putting in a bunch of extra time & effort, usually because we feel a call to minister to other families, as we have been ministered to in the past.  I assure you that we are no more "superwoman" than you, and if you look closely, you'll see there are areas of our lives that get sacrificed to make room for leadership.

So next time you see one of your homeschool support group leaders, give her a big HUG       and say     !!