Dear PCHEA Group,
The officers of PCHEA got together with the officers of FOSHE a few weeks ago to discuss the idea of them rejoining our group. We discussed many reasons why this should be done: Many of our members are also members of FOSHE. Each year there are two back to school fairs held in Shawnee, one by each group. There are two awards ceremonies held, two newsletters, websites and information channeled to two groups. Duplicate activities are often held for the two groups when these could easily be combined. Any activities that are not duplicates could be made available to both groups. Both groups are so similar that we felt it would not be a conflict to have FOSHE members rejoin PCHEA.
A meeting was held on April 24th by FOSHE where it was decided that they would like to rejoin our group. Let’s be sure to WELCOME them into our group! They will be invited to join us at the Awards Night Ceremony, so this would be a good time to meet some of our new members.
I’ve enjoyed being the leader for PCHEA over the last two years. My prayer for our group is that we stay focused on what God has called us to do: teach our children to be responsible Christians and walk in His ways. I look forward to meeting our new members and hope to see many of you at the Awards Night Ceremony. And don’t forget about our planning meeting which will be sometime in June.
May God bless each of our members old and new alike,
Yvonna Bourlon
Pam White is in the process of returning this year's field trip deposits to each member. She will be contacting you via mail or in person to return your money. The awareness of our responsibilities when we register for a field trip was much greater this year. Thank you all for working so hard to attend the field trips that you registered for or to contact the leaders if you were unable to attend. When PCHEA schedules a field trip, we are representing the body of Christ as well as the Home School community. You did a great job this year doing both! Thank you!
When: May 24, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: At Lakeview Church of Christ
Bring a drink (2 liter of pop or punch) and bag of chips, a cake and submarine sandwiches will be provided.
Be prepared to say a few words and present your awards to your children.
New officers will also be installed that evening.
PLEASE RSVP as soon as possible so food can be ordered and programs can be printed.
Let me know if you have a graduating Kindergartener so I can have a graduation cap for them.
RSVP to Yvonna Bourlon
bfarm(at)brightok(dot)net
Phone number in directory (Leave a message and I’ll get back with you.)
We will be installing our 2007/2008 officers at the Awards Night Ceremony on May 24th. Please join us as we welcome our new leaders at the Awards Ceremony. We had openings for our group leader and for treasurer. The vision statements that we received for those desiring to serve PCHEA are following:
Vision Statement from Kim VanBebber:
Dear PCHEA's,
My name is Kim VanBebber and I have decided to run for the office of Treasurer. I have been homeschooling for almost 5years and I have been a member of PCHEA for at least 4years. (I think!) Anyway, I would like to serve our group in this way if you will have me!
I want to continue to see PCHEA grow. I will do everything in my power to see our group only change for the better if it changes at all. I would appreciate your support.
Thank You,
Kim VanBebber
Vision Statement from Fredrick and Jeri Akin:
We would like to be considered for the leader or co-leader position.
Our Vision for Homeschooling and PCHEA
We believe in homeschooling. We especially believe that homeschooling is the choice for Christians. We have homeschooled for 18 years. Homeschooling is challenging, with ups and downs on a daily basis. Academics, character, role modeling, personal initiative, and Christian worldview are some of the topics which can best be taught in a Christian based home-school environment. We believe the church should encourage families to homeschool, especially given the cultural climate in the modern United States.
We believe that an important role of local home school groups is encouraging new as well as veteran homeschoolers. Whether or not we are part of the leadership of PCHEA we hope to play an active part in encouraging other homeschoolers. We know that local support groups have been a huge blessing to us through the years.
We are excited for this coming year as FOSHE rejoins PCHEA and we serve the Christian homeschoolers in our community as one united group.
Feel free to call or e-mail if you have any questions or would like to visit with us.
In His service,
Fredrick and Jeri Akin
End of Year Picnic
for all PCHEA AND FOSHE Members!
FOSHE is rejoining PCHEA. For our last sponsored activity and as an opportunity to get to know the PCHEA families, we have decided to have a picnic. FOSHE will be supplying fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. We will also have the drinks, ice, and paper goods. Each family will need to bring a dessert or side dish.
Please plan on coming and help us make our first combined event a great celebration. Some of our families have already been involved with PCHEA, but others don’t think they know anyone and are eager to get to know everyone as soon as possible. This will be a fun way to start our summer.
When: Friday, June 1st starting at 6:00 until everyone is ready to go
Where: Wiegant (slide) Park
Slide Park is located west of Kickapoo and MacArthur. Go west on MacArthur past the airport overpass, then turn left or south on Leo Street. The street curves to the right, and the park is on the left.
Please RSVP to Fredrick and Jeri Akin
fredrickjeri(at)akinacres(dot)net
SKATE DAY
When: Monday, May 21st
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Orbit Skate in Prague
Cost: $2.00 per child, includes skates
For more information or to RSVP, email Kim VanBebber at kimrv(at)sbcglobal(dot)net or call her (number in directory).
Our PCHEA CHILDREN SHINE!
Faith, Hope and Bradley Burnett submitted artwork for the 2007 International Art Contest that Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman sponsored. There were 2,400 entries from all over the United States and from seven foreign countries. Only 300 were chosen for exhibit and of those, some received special recognition in their age categories. Hope won 3rd place for her sculpture, Bradley won Honorable Mention for his category. Faith's sculpture was chosen for exhibit. Prizes will be awarded and all winning and exhibited artists will be honored at a reception on May 19th at the museum. We are very proud of them for their hard work! To see pictures of the Burnetts’ artwork, go to the PCHEA website: http://homeschoolblogger.com/PCHEA/320091/
Congratulations to Katrina and Joshua Snyder! Katrina, a senior, and Joshua, a sophomore, were both awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Oklahoma Heritage Foundation. Students from all 77 counties in Oklahoma are eligible to competed in the Oklahoma Heritage Scholarship Competition. Katrina and Joshua are the children of Jesse and Gina Snyder of Prague. They have been home schooled all their lives.
Homeschool Band Concert
Many of our PCHEA children are involved in the Central Oklahoma Homeschool Band Program. They will be performing in concert onTuesday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Metropolitan Baptist Church in OKC. Metropolitan Baptist Church is located on the corner of W Britton Road and Rockwell. The address is: 7201 W Britton, OKC. For more information, go to www.centralokhomeschoolbands.com .
MOM’S NIGHT OUT
The annual OCHEC Home Educators’ Convention will be held May 4th - 5th at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City . Jeff Myers, Ph.D. will be the keynote speaker for the convention.
www.passingthebaton.org. Over 30 workshops have been scheduled during the convention and will be available for purchase. The "Introduction to Home Education" is a free-to-the- public session that will be very helpful for friends or family who are curious about homeschooling. “Getting Started Homeschooling 101” workshops will teach how to lay a foundation; how to choose curriculum; and scheduling, planning and record-keeping; and so much more. Dianne Craft will be a featured speaker as well, sharing her expert strategies for working with struggling learners.
www.diannecraft.org. The exhibit hall will have over 120 exhibitors. OCHEC encourages you to attend with your teens and young adults to help pass on the torch of family values and vision to the next generation.
http://www.ochec.com/OCHEC_Convention.htm
From Fredrick and Jeri Akin: Encouragement to Attend the OCHEC Convention
We were entering our 6th year of homeschooling before I even knew there was such a thing as a homeschool convention. Only days before our state convention, I was encouraged by new homeschool friends to attend with them. What a blessing it was! Our family had come to believe that God was using homeschooling to prepare a generation to serve Him with a new fervor and turn our nation back to its godly heritage. It was exciting as for the first time we heard others, from all over the nation, voice a similar belief. I found an English Writing curriculum that vastly improved my son’s attitude about writing. Ten years later it is still a core part of our curriculum. Most importantly, at this convention we saw godly families model and speak about parenthood, marriage, courtship and family life. Spiritually we gained a new vision and our family gained a deeper understanding of biblical family life. Since then, homeschool conventions have been a valuable time for my husband and I to explore academic options, purchase curriculum and renew our vision.
You too have an opportunity to be a part of a state homeschool convention. The annual Oklahoma homeschool convention is this May 4th and 5th. I would like to encourage each of you to prayerfully consider making the effort and finding time to attend. Since this is a time of decision making and renewing vision, we urge you to come as a couple. (It doesn’t even cost any extra for husbands to come.)
May the Lord Bless you as you seek to train and educate your children for His service. As the apostle Paul often said in his letters, “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Fredrick and Jeri Akin
From Katie Smith: Do Hard Things? The Rebelution
“Do Hard Things.” When I first heard the motto of the Rebelution, a Christian ministry concerned about Christian youth, I thought it sounded harsh. Why would anyone ever want to do hard things? And why would a Christian organization be called the Rebelution? Since my initial reaction a few years ago, God has used the message of the Rebelution to challenge the apathetic outlook of my Christian walk.
‘The Rebelution’ isn’t a teenage rebellion against authority. Rather, the Rebelution is defined as “a teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture.” As I’ve digested the message and motto of the Rebelution, my attitude has shifted from constantly questioning the hard things of life with “Do I really have to do this?” to positively saying “Christ did hard things; I want to follow Christ.” The Rebelution ministry has a positive impact in my life, and I desire to see the influence of its message on the Christian youth of our nation. –-Katie Marie Smith, 17
The Rebelution, a ministry by Alex and Brett Harris, will be hosting a one-day conference near Ft. Worth Texas, July 21st. The conference will feature both Alex & Brett, along with their father, Gregg Harris. More information on registration can be found at www.therebelution.com or by emailing info@therebelution.com.
From Beverly Mosman: Oklahoma History Field Trips
I am arranging the following field trips. If anyone would like to go, please let me know since we can get group rates for most places. The OHC is free the first Monday of each month. I have listed the regular price of admission on the others since we do not yet know if we would have enough for a group rate.
May 3............................................. Harn Homestead, OKC
May 10............................................Indian City, Anadarko
June 4.............................................Oklahoma History Center, OKC
Here are some websites that you can go to for more information.
www.harnhomestead.com
www.indiancityusa.com
www.okhistorycenter.org
If you want to see hundreds of Native American dancers in all their regalia representing many different tribes, you should go to the RED EARTH Festival the first weekend in June. It's AWESOME ! This is NOT one of the field trips. www.redearth.org
Beverly Mosman
pastkeeper1891(at) yahoo (dot) com
From Marilyn Lindsey: Album Making and Personal History Events
Marilyn Lindsey will be holding 3 Album Making/Personal Life History Events this summer. Marilyn is a homeschool mom, a member of PCHEA, and has been teaching these classes for 6 years. The kids will be making their own photo albums and writing the family stories that accompany them.
The first event will be held at
Gordon Cooper in Shawnee on July 16 - 19 from 9 am to noon. The fliers will be mailed out soon to anyone on the Gordon Cooper mailing list. If you don't get one, let me know and I'll send you the information. The Gordon Cooper camp will cost approximately $50 for the 4 sessions and all supplies are included. It's Creative Memories with an emphasis on the writing part.
The second event will be at Marilyn’s home in Seminole during July 16-20 from 2-5 pm.
The third event will also in Seminole on July 23-27 from 2 - 5 pmThese events are also Creative Memories; the cost is $100 for the entire camp which includes the fees, an 8.5x11 album, and all the supplies needed to complete the album. Again the emphasis is on the writing. When you pay by May 31, you receive a free gift valued at $25. Please register and RSVP to (phone # in directory) by June 14 to ensure a seat for your child
If anyone has questions or wants to register call Marilyn Lindsey at (phone # in directory).
From the Akins: Get Milk?
We are looking for families or individuals who might be interested in providing occasional help with milking 3-4 cows (we have a machine), the goats and feeding animals. The occasions will be planned in advance and would include a small compensation. We will be happy to train you. Fredrick and Jeri Akin (number in directory) or fredrickjeri( at) akinacres (dot) net.
EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Quapaw Creek Rendezvous Education School Day
If you enjoy history and want to learn more about the center of commerce all across the northern plain and northwest mountain areas come to the
1st Annual Quapaw Creek Rendezvous Education School Day, Thursday, May 3, 8:00 -4:00. You can expect to see trappers representing the far northwest mountains, northern plains and desert southwest, as well as traders with a decided French and Spanish influence. There will be spirited competitions with bow, axe, knife, and rifles. Period music will sound throughout the camps along with the smell of campfires, with period food and drink. Participants will travel through the camps where re-enactors will be explaining differences, similarities, and conducting demonstrations. Some of the many educational stations include candle making, trapping, teepee living, archery, mapping, soap making, tracking, and food in the wild. Cost is $5.00 per car load. Reservations are suggested but not required. Contact event coordinator Lauria @ 918-866-2543 for more information.
Eastern Oklahoma County Used Book Sale – Midwest City
May 10, 2007, 11 am-2 pm; FREE admission.
Midwest City Community Center (200 N. Midwest Blvd.)
For more information call Celia Wilson at 769-6677.
Edmond Book Sale – Edmond
Friday, May 18, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon
Cathedral of the Hills (Gym)
1600 E. 15th Street, Edmond
Please call Rhonda Flint at 341-7849 or 596-5271 (cell) if you have any questions.
Homeschool Family Day at Frontier City -Deadline for tickets is April 30th-
Friday, May 18, 4 -10 p.m. Open privately to homeschool families only.
Purchase tickets online at
www.frontiercity.com (use promo code home) by April 30th. No tickets will be sold at the gate. Questions: 405-478-2140 ext. 334
Stanford Achievement Test – OKC Metro Area
May 30, 31, June 1, at Christian Heritage Academy for students completing grades 2-11. Call 405-516-5095 to request a registration form. Registration deadline is May 7, 2007.
Centennial History Bee
A fantastic event for homeschoolers to shine is the
Centennial History Bee which is open to ninth graders through adults. It will be held on Saturday afternoon, September 22 at the Shawnee Public Library. There will be lots of questions on Oklahoma History and Trivia and the Friends of the Library are offering CASH prizes: First Place = $100, Second Place = $75, and Third Place = $50. Please be sure to get info to anyone who might be interested so they can start studying. Contact Beverly Mosman for more information.
Beverly Mosman
pastkeeper1891(at) yahoo (dot) com
Win an iPod Nano: Essay Contest—deadline is May 10th
Regenerate Our Culture, is hosting an essay contest! ...And the 1st place prize is an iPod Nano! Visit
http://www.regenerateourculture.com/about/essay-contest/ for more information!
Essay Topic: In Regenerate Our Culture's mission statement, it says we are trying to “regenerate our nation's worldview away from the post-modernism holding it and back to the Christian worldview it was first built on. It can't be denied that many in our nation have turned away from God in politics, religion, and their everyday lives. Our vision is to help bring about a positive change in these three important areas...” What does this mean in real life? How can you live a regenerating life that will impact our culture for Christ?
Entrant Qualifications
Students between the ages 12-18 as of May 1st, 2007. This contest is open to home schoolers, public schoolers, and private schoolers.
Contest Dates: All essays must be emailed to essaycontest@regenerateourculture.com by 10:00 pm EST on May 10th.
