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February 2008 Newsletter
2007 - 2008 PCHEA Officers
Leaders: Fredrick and Jeri Akin
Co-leader: Teresa Burnett
Secretary: Julie Cockroft
Treasurer: Kim VanBebber
PCHEA web site: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/pchea
Skate Day  Friday, February 1st
Star-Skate in Shawnee, 10:30am to 12:00.
45th St., Just off of Hw. 177. Across the stoplight from Abuelita Rosa's (1-40 &177 area)
If you are planning to attend Skate Day on Friday, February 1st, would you please contact Ghislaine Washburn. The more we have the better!
We all pay at the door as we go in. . . . $5-$7 per skater ($5 per skater if we have 40 Skaters).
Any adult w/ a skater under 6 gets to skate for free w/ one paid admission. This includes skates. This may help some of you w/ younger ones.
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A Note from Our Leaders:
When All Is Not Well, Is It Well With My Soul?
This topic has been on my mind all month, and I have wondered if I should do something lighter. However, nothing else comes to mind so I guess this is it. I know this area of my life is always needing a little, or sometimes a lot, more strength.
We all go through bumps in life. Some are small, like a flat tire, getting locked out of the house, or a hectic schedule. Some are bigger, like a child who is struggling with his studies or
his attitude; a conflict with a friend or spouse; or an unexpected expense, a job loss or pay cut, leading to financial struggles. Others seem huge, like a serious illness or the death of someone
we love.
During these trials and temptations the sorrow, pain and trouble is very real. All is not well, but can we, like Horatio Spafford, know in our hearts that “When peace, like a river, attendeth
my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul’”?
The story behind this song is one of those HUGE bumps. Not only had the Spafford family lost much of their financial strength when recent heavy real estate investments were wiped out by the Chicago Fire, but they had experienced one of lifes deepest losses. Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters were on a ship that was wrecked and went down in 12 minutes. Only Mrs. Spafford survived. On his way to meet his wife it is thought that Mr. Spafford penned the words to this moving hymn near the sot were his children had drowned. Truly, all was not well. Grief was deep and Sorrows rolled like the waves of the sea he was observing, but he could experience “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” Phil. 4:7. As Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
We too can have this peace, but not on our own strength. We need to be walking close to
our Lord and Savior, and leaning on His ever lasting arms. Scriptures as well as hymns and praise songs, good music (which fits with Teresa’s notes last month) comfort us. I don’t want to be trite. I know it is not easy, but it is our real hope.
Remember, it is often that when it is well with our soul, when all is not well that we have our biggest Christian testimony to those whom we know.
“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Eph. 1:2
Jeri Akin
 Geography Fair - Thursday, February 21st
Lakeview Church of Christ,
We will open at 6:30 for set up and will be ready to start visiting
"other" countries at 7:00. If you would still like to participate
please contact Julie Cockroft to sign up for your country. . .
. . . It's NOT too late to be part of the fun of PCHEA's 2008 Geography Fair!!
What does "participation" in the fair offer my child? Beyond the obvious learning obtained through the study of a country, your children will exercise and develop skills pertaining to organization, visual presentation, research, communication, responsibility, etc. The fair encourages them to be outgoing and builds confidence. They also have the opportunity to travel and view all the exhibits. In addition….
1) Select a country: Then email it to Julie. Only one display is allowed per country, so please
communicate your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choice when registering by email. People have already
started to call and have made their reservations!
a. Table size: Tablecloths will not be provided. Tables are 30" x 96."
2) Food: Bring 4 to 5 dozen bite-sized samples of a food eaten in that country or
something that mimics it.
3) Rubber stamp or small stickers: After "travelers" view your country display,
you will stamp or sticker their passport.
4) Music (optional): Music is often a huge part of a country's culture. You can bring
a small CD or tape player to allow travelers to listen to music that is unique to your
country. We do have some electrical outlets but you would need a long extension
cord if your player does not use batteries.
5) Dress (optional) we highly encourage some of the children to dress in clothing that is
native to their country. It can be authentic outfits or those you have creatively put together.
Remember that your display can be as elaborate or as simplistic as you wish and your time
allows. Each exhibit is different and is produced by children of different ages and abilities.
Make yours as elaborate or simplistic as you wish. This is NOT a competition. YOU decide
what information you want to convey (see suggestions below). You can work as a family or
join forces with another. This is great fun and excitement for the kids! As "travelers" walk by
and view the displays, they encourage the children and compliment them on their hard work.
SUGGESTIONS: If you've never experienced the Geography Fair, here are a few suggestions:
(just that--"suggestions")
1) Research your country on the internet for facts and pictures. Read library books
and/or watch library videos. Identify info YOU find interesting and want to convey.
Ex: climate, history, folktales, economy, industry, language, music, money, religion,
clothing, etc.
2) "Arrange" this info on a display board. You might want to include pictures (perhaps
from the internet), drawings, maps (printed or drawn) and so on. (Our kids did a
timeline and drew pictures to illustrate each event.)
3) You might want to wear something that represents the country: costume, hat,
jewelry, etc. (example: In Iceland fishing is the largest industry and one could dress
as a fisherman in a rain slicker.)
4) Display an item…perhaps a craft item made by your child.
5) You can have a quick, little game or craft for "travelers" to make when they visit.
6) Slide show on a laptop.
7) Rocks & minerals native to that country.
The possibilities are truly too numerous to mention. Use your creativity and see what you and your children can come up with to make your display an interesting stop for other travelers. This is a wonderfully rewarding experience and is well worth the effort. There's no way to "mess this up!"
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Sleeping Beauty : OBU Children's Theatre
Tickets are still available for Feb. 18th, Monday's performance of Sleeping Beauty at the OBU Children's Theatre. Tickets are $2.00 each for ages 2 and up. Children under 2 are free if they sit on a lap; otherwise they also pay $2.00. The theatre coordinator has told me that there may be some potentially scary moments for young children and it is up to your discretion on having your young children attend. According to the coordinator, these scary moments are no worse than the play The Big Friendly Giant if you saw that a few years ago.
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CFEST CO-OP
C-FEST (Christian Families Educating & Serving Together) Shawnee homeschool co-op 2008 fall enrollment dates: For current C-FEST families enrollment begins March 31st and ends April 15th. For new families enrollment begins April 21st and ends June 1st. For more information please visit our website at http://www.cfestco-op.com.
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This mini unit study could be done the week before Valentine’s Day © www.TheHopeChest.net
Hope Chest Home School News, with Virginia Knowles, February 1, 2006
#9-1 part 2: The Heart of Home Schooling, Valentine Unit Study
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CRAFTS, GAMES AND COOKING
© Make Valentine cards for friends and family using construction paper, lace, paper doilies, stickers, glitter, sequins, and whatever else you have on hand! Try to think of someone who could really use a lift in their spirits. Pinprick valentines were popular in the earlier days of the United States. They were made by poking holes with a needle in a piece of paper to make a heart shape.
© Every February we hang our Big Red Valentine Heart, which I made several years ago out of a large piece of felt edged with white lace. It is about 26” by 23”, with ten 4 ½” by 4” felt pockets. (It’s a good thing I made so many pockets, because we now have ten children!) For labels, I used the computer to make name cards which stick up out of the pockets. The children have a lot of fun making valentines and putting in small gifts like bite sized candies. I usually put in candy or small presents, too. This is one way to add a little extra affection to our family life!
© Julie Druck recommends a few fun games in her e-mail newsletter, “A Heart for Home.” To play Blind Hearts, each person is provided with a sheet of paper and a red crayon. They are told to close their eyes and see who could make the neatest heart and write their name in the center. To playing Throwing Hearts, divide your players into teams of two. Put a bucket in the center of the room, and let the players stand (across from their partners) at even distances from the bucket. You can mark the distances on the floor with small heart stickers. Hand each of them several heart playing cards and have them try and see how many cards they can flick into the bucket. The team with the most wins! If you would like to receive “A Heart for Home”, you can send any message to: aheartforhome-subscribe@welovegod.org. To send a personal message to Julie, write to thedrucks@netzero.com.
LANGUAGE ARTS
© Read picture books with the theme of love and friendship. You can look at your Christian bookstore, or find these at your public library:
o Bub, or the Very Best Thing by Natalie Babbitt (love is the best)
o I Want to Say I Love You by Caralyn Buehner
o Love Is—by Wendy Anderson Halperin (1 Corinthians 13)
o I Love You the Purplest by Barbara Joosse
o Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse (Eskimo setting)
o If Kisses Were Colors by Janet Lawler (motherly affection)
o Because I Love You by Max Lucado (God’s love, safety limits)
o Our Nest by Reeve Lindbergh (animal homes, love)
o Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (love of mother and son)
o Friends! By Elaine Scott
© Have your children find several poems that convey love and affection. Copy them into your notebook. (This is a great idea for those who are easing into a Charlotte Mason style of education.) The Book of Virtues is a great place to start.
© Write original poems to copy on to cards, using your very best handwriting.
© Learn to say “I love you!” and “Jesus love you!” in Spanish, French, sign language or other language, such as that of your family’s cultural heritage.
© Acrostic valentines were popular a long time ago. Write a word, phrase or sentence beginning with each letter of the recipient’s name.
© Write an essay about love.
© Write letters to family members and make sure you send them on time so they will get there on or before February 14.
© Practice spelling words like: love, heart, Valentine, compassion, charity, kindness, cardiology (or any word with root “cardio”, which means heart), etc.
© How about a little educational game? Let your kids write a list of words using the letters in the phrase “Valentines Day” -- like “daily”, “live”, and so forth. You can’t use a letter twice unless it appears in the phrase twice (“a”, “e”, “n”). You can’t make a new word just by adding “s” to another word. This is obviously a spelling and vocabulary game, but here are some ideas to extend it into a GREAT math activity. Try writing the words in columns marked for one letter words (1 point each), two letter words (2 points each), three letter words (3 points each), on up to 8 letter words. Yes, there are at least four 8 letter words! To score, count the words in each column and multiply by the points for that length of word. Then add the column values together to get your total. (I dare you to beat my score of over 950! Let me know if you do.) You can even plot the incidences of word counts on a bar graph, using word length on the x axis and number of words on the y axis. You should get a bell curve showing lower counts for the outer edges (1, 2, 7 & 8 letter words) and higher count moving toward the middle (3, 5, & 6 letter words) and a sharp peak at the bar for 4 letter words. Can your child explain why this happen
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