Coming Up!
Notebooking/
Lapbooking
Workshops and
"Real Life Homeschooling"
with
Heidi St. John
Got kids? Have you ever seen a lapbook? Maybe you've seen one, and admired it but wondered how people "find the time" to fit that into their school day?
Join Heidi St. John for an evening of encouragement
and learning as she talks about Lapbooking! Heidi will show you how to
make one from start to finish and share the benefits and basics of
lapbooking as well as a few tricks for more "seasoned" lapbookers.
YOU REALLY CAN turn any subject into a fun and rewarding unit study
using lapbooks! Whether you are looking for an alternative to
workbooks, or you just need a healthy dose of homeschool encouragement,
this workshop is for you.
Heidi will teach you this wonderful skill using the "show'n tell"
approach, and she will have plenty of examples for you to look at and
resources to take home. Be sure to bring a pen or pencil, and your
camera, if you would like to take pictures of the lapbooks.
*BONUS WORKSHOP* Notebooking and Multi-Level Teaching
Grab a latte and bring a friend... Don't miss it!
Dates:
Notebooking and Lapbooking
Thursday March 12, 2009
6:30 p.m.
Mount Vernon, WA
Faith Community Church
Click here for more information
Lapbooking and
"Real Life Homeschooling"
Monday March 16, 2009
6:00 p.m.
Chilliwack, BC
Chilliwack Library
Click here for more information
on "Real Life Homeschooling"
Information on Lapbooking
The St. John's travel schedule is currently being filled for the spring and summer of 2009. Please
contact Melissa Loweryif you are interested in inviting Heidi to speak for your homeschool event.
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Announcing the newest FCHM
Co-ops:
Welcome!United States:
Stockbridge,
GA
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First Class Current Classes
These classes are classes being taught in Spring First Class Classrooms across North America!CalligraphyOur 50 StatesLet's Play ChessTechnical DrawingDoodle ArtHistory Explorers
Money Matters for Kids
Placemat Geography
Choir
Creative Writing
Bill of Rights
Noah & the Animals
Research Paper
French
Educational Board Games
Basic Web Design
Apologia's Physics
Photography
Yearbook
and many, many, more!
Now is a GREAT time to plan a homeschool co-op in your area!
Find out how!
Email FCHM
Who do I contact?
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Interested in reading previous ezines?
Click below to view our archive.
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FCHM is excited to announce a new partnership with our friends at the
Homeschool Buyers Co-op! What is Homeschool Buyers Co-op?
"An amazing resource that combines the buying power of
thousands upon thousands of individual homeschool families to obtain discounts
equivalent to those obtained by school districts. Membership is free and
completely confidential. The Co-op's signature service is a
"Group Buy" through which Co-op members get deep discounts on
curriculum items that would otherwise be extremely expensive. Through the
Co-op you can save anywhere from 20% to 80% on your curriculum purchases.
The Co-op has standing discounts of 50% for Discovery Education's
video-streaming service, 88% for Kaplan's Online SAT prep, up to
70% for Thinkwell, and the list goes on. We'd also like
to note that it's run by a homeschool family."Membership to
HSB is FREE...Sign Up Today and start saving!
Homeschool Buyer's
Co-op Deal of the Month:
Expires 2/28/2009
$14.95 CD ROM
50% off!
Coupon code HSBCFebCD
$14.95 Online Version
$10 off!
Coupon code HSBCFebOnl
 Academic SuperstoreUp to 70% off and FREE S/H Software; Hardware; Courseware; Preschool to Grad School Now,
by special arrangement with Academic Superstore, Homeschool Buyers
Co-op members can purchase hardware, software and more from hundreds of
manufacturers with the same discounts available to schools -- up to 70%
off retail pricing. Get deep discounts on products from Adobe,
Microsoft, Macromedia, Symantec, and more! Proof of Co-op membership is
required at time of purchase. Free S/H items marked accordingly at
website.
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 Home Sweet Homeschool
(Keep the "Home Fire" Burning!)
It's February! Romance is in the air... right? I can just see you all now... your beautiful children behaving perfectly... sitting quietly around your kitchen tables while you give them their daily assignments and read the classics aloud. Dinner is in the crockpot, the bills have been paid, and your children are anxiously awaiting their daily math assignments. Ahh, the bliss of a Norman Rockwell homeschool scenario. The mood is right for romance after a great day of homeschooling and housekeeping, right? No? Really?
I can't tell you how many homeschool moms I talk to each week who feel that their marriages have taken a back seat to their homeschooling. But who are we kidding? Sometimes we feel like our entire lives, not just our romantic lives have taken a backseat to the pressures and responsibilities of homeschooling. Can you relate?
This February, we want to encourage you to really think about the how much energy and love you are putting into your marriage, because it's never been more important than it is right now. Your marriage is (or should be) the center of your homeschool. It's the relational foundation upon which your family is built, and the relationship that is under the greatest strain during the homeschool years.
We have had the privilege of speaking to hundreds of homeschoolers about the importance of nurturing their marraiges during the homeschooling years. Many of the precious parents we've met are struggling in their marriages - and more often than not, the root cause is just neglect and poor communication on a basic level.
If you are struggling in your marriage, be honest about it and talk to a friend who will listen to you and give you godly counsel. The truth is, if your marriage is suffering, so is your family. As you look at your family, ask yourself if you are nurturing your marriage emotionally through communication, spiritually thorugh prayer and regular times with the Lord, and physically through making time to connect intimately with your husband or wife.
The bottom line is this: if satan can destroy your marriage, he has a much better chance of destroying your children. On the other hand, a strong marraige that is rooted in God's word and built on the kind of love that was demonstrated through the cross, can be a powerful tool for the Lord in a culture that is desperate for a picture of true love.
This Valentine's day... take the time to reflect on your marriage. Share a quiet meal together and talk about what goals you have for your family ~ reflect on what drew you together and reaffirm your commitment to the Lord and to eachother.
A happy marriage really is the best gift you can give your children ~ and it's impact ~ both in your lives and in the lives of your children can lay the building blocks for future generations of Christ-followers!
 Because He First Loved Us,
Jay and Heidi St. John have been married for 19 years and are the homeschooling parents of six children who range in age from seventeen to three. Heidi speaks to mothers with humor and grace on many subjects dealing with homeschooling. If you are interested in having the St. Johns speak at your event, please contact them through FCHM.
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 FCHM Leaders RetreatSave the date!
First annual FCHM
Leader's Retreat!March 6 & 7, 2009
Who: Anyone who is involved in a leadership position with your co-op or anyone who wants to start a co-op with First Class! Board members, co-op leaders, worship leaders, staffing coordinators, etc.
Why: Leaders need support too!
*Come get fed, get ideas and get support.
*Spend time hearing from the heart of FCHM
with the St. Johns and the Board of Directors of FCHM
*Meet others who know how to get your co-op ticking! *Experience first-hand the extent of FCHM's homeschool leadership network!
Where: The Courtyard Marriott in Tigard, Oregon
Cost: $139.00 for ONE night and two days of great ideas, encouragement,
vision and relationship building! (Feel free to team up with your
friends or spouse and share a room for an extra $45 per person.
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Why a Co-op?
By Steve Lambert
editors note: Steve was just released from the hospital after suffering from a subdural hemotoma. Please keep the Lamberts in your prayers as he recovers. You can support the Lamberts by visiting Five in a Row's website and making a purchase or clicking on the donate button at the FIAR Message Boards. Thank you!
For those of you who prefer instant oatmeal, here's the grab-it-and-run short answer: Because we are relational by nature, created in the image of a relational God.
For those who prefer their oatmeal to be of the 5-minute variety here's the slightly longer answer. The Lord Himself wants to experience fellowship with us. He is not content to have well-programmed robots but instead prefers the satisfying relationship of an adoptive family, complete with all of the messes we sometimes create in His house. Beyond that, the Lord realized after creating man that something more was needed and so he created woman so that man wouldn't be alone. The Bible tells us that God places the homeless in homes and that seeing us, dwelling together with others in peace brings Him pleasure.
If you're still with me I assume you're the old-fashioned oatmeal kind of reader who wants to savor the whole experience so here's the long-winded version. There are at least three reasons why First Class Homeschool co-ops can be an important component in building a healthy homeschool experience.
The first, as I've been saying, is because of the Lord. He wants us to live and work in community. The Bible is filled with verses which encourage us to be a part of a community. Psalm 133:1 tells us that it is good when we live together in unity. Seeing us living together in peace with others brings God pleasure. It's that simple.
 Second, it's good for our children to take part in an FCHM co-op. Apart from the too-oft-repeated argument that homeschool children need to experience "socialization" the truth is that children DO benefit from being together with others. Not only do they learn important social skills, but they benefit from the teaching and expertise of other parents within a co-op. They also can enjoy learning skills which can only take place in groups: team games, playing in a musical ensemble, working together on a theatrical presentation etc. No matter how skillful a child may become at playing the piano for instance, there can be no greater feeling of satisfaction than that which comes from playing the piano /with /20 other musicians who are all reading and counting together, playing as a part of a larger group of artists.
Finally, it's good for parents to participate in an FCHM co-op. By definition, homeschooling is a lonely undertaking. We are largely committed to the isolation of spending most days alone with our children at home. So it's good for mothers (and fathers) to have the opportunity to get out and fellowship together with other parents; encouraging one another, laughing together, sharing both our successes and our failures with like-minded parents who understand. And it's good for parents to have an outlet for their own creativity and passions. Perhaps you loved photography or sewing or sculpture in high school or in college. And perhaps you've let that gift sit unused on the shelf for 15 or 20 years because none of your children seemed to share your passion. Co-ops give you the opportunity to dust off that old passion and share it with others, imparting the gift that you were given to a new generation of students who need to be inspired by someone who is passionate about the subject.
 Co-ops provide a vital outlet for connecting our homeschool togetherwith others in our community. Children connect with other children and other inspired teachers. As parents, we have the privilege of sharing our passions with other learners, and we can touch lives with others who have made similar life choices. There's something healing in hearing someone else say the simple words, "me too." It's good to know that we're not the only homeschool parents who have experienced disappointment, misunderstanding or exhaustion. Co-ops let us enjoy the live-giving fellowship with others who are on the same journey. And co-ops bring pleasure to the Lord. He is a relational God and we were created in His image- to be relational creatures. He has paid the ultimate price so that we might enjoy fellowship with Him, and with one another.
If those three reasons aren't enough motivation to help plant, build and grow an FCHM co-op in your community then here's one more: Co-ops are fun! Just watch the delight on the faces of both students and parents alike.
Steve Lambert,
beloved speaker and author of the Five in a Row series, lives with his wife
Jane in Lees Summit, MO. The Lamberts are favorite speakers at homeschool
conferences and events across the country. We are privileged to glean
from their insight and experience, as they serve on the FCHM Executive Board of
Directors. Visit the FIAR website at www.fiarhq.com.
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Homeschooling doesn't have to mean home alone!
Join the growing community FCHM members online
and at
your local First Class!
*NEW* Firs t Class on Facebook:
we're over 200 members now! Link to FCHM on Facebook
FCHM members who are also part of facebook can join this
group and post on the wall, get to know each other, write about their
group, post pictures.
First Class "Causes" on
Facebook:
First Class "Causes" Link
You can support FCHM in our mission of planting homeschool co-ops
around the world through the local church. You can comment, and even
donate to FCHM here!
First Class Homeschool Ministries'
Message Boards:
www.firstclasshomeschool.org/forum/index.php
Now this is a really cool thing - if we can get it to
get some more traffic. Hmm. Still thinking about how to do that.
There are 246 members on the message boards now, but they are
not very busy. We'd love to hear your thoughts on how to increase
visits and really use these boards to encourage homeschoolers!
First Class Homeschool
Chat on Google:
http://groups.google.com/group/fchm-homeschoolchat?hl=en
This is the national "chat". Most co-ops also have local
chats as well. Subscribe to it, and you can share email back and forth
with the group. Members decide how they want their emails to come so
that they don't get a bunch of unwanted emails.
First Class Homepage:
www.firstclasshomeschool.org
First Class Member Downloads:
www.firstclasshomeschool.org/pages/members/member-downloads.html
Have you accessed your member
downloads at the FCHM website? All you need is your email and
password. FCHM is easy to contact if a password is lost or forgotten.
First Class is committed to growing a national network of church-sponsored homeschool cooperatives,
and we're excited to see tremendous growth in 2009!
FFFrom the website of Central Bible Church, home of First Class Cen tral Portland:
Home Schoolers!
First Class Central Portland
is open at Central Bible Church!
Is your church reaching out to homeschooling families? FCHM is providing churches with a tangible way to support homeschooling families through sponsorin g a homeschool cooperative.
FCHM co-ops are parent-directed and are designed to function as ministries of local, evangelical churches.
Contact FCHM today to see how churches can be part of the growing ministry of FCHM or see the Pastor's Track on our website.
We want to invite you to partner with us in reaching out to a new generation of parents who are making a commitment to overseeing the education of the children through homeschooling. It's never been more important.
Psalm 127: 3-5
3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
tWe
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