This Year At Co-op

We are part of a fun and practical homeschool co-op that I helped start 10 years ago. We are now in our eleventh year of co-op and my kids could not imagine homeschooling without being in co-op.

Here are the classes the kids are taking this year.

Suzy, age 12
Creative Crafters - fun crafts
BFF Club - learning how to host parties for your friends and creating friendships
Babysitting - the Red Cross babysitting class
Drawing Portraits - a DVD course with an art teacher to learn to draw portraits

James, age 15
Drafting - learning both pencil/paper drafting and CAD
K'Nex Bridge Building - using K'Nex to learn about the physics of bridges
Literature (Mythology) - Greek and Roman Mythology
Personal Protection - Physical fitness and self-defense

Emily, age 17 (her last year of co-op)
What's Next - preparation for adult life (careers, bills, housing, etc...)
Foundations Personal Finance  - the Dave Ramsey course for teens
Literature (Mythology) - Greek and Roman Mythology
Choir - yup, singing in a group

Since this is Emily's last year, next year I will have only two kids at co-op.

If you haven't found a suitable co-op in your area, starting one may be very rewarding!

Can't Imagine Homeschooling Without Our Co-op!

Another year at our homeschool co-op is underway. This is the eleventh year our family has done co-op and I have been on the leadership team the whole time. We really can't imagine our homeschool lives without co-op.

How is our co-op structured? Each child chooses 4 classes from several choices offered for each age group. We break for lunch partway through the day. This provides some downtime for the kids to interact (and the moms too!). We meet every other Friday 14 times between September and April and finish up with a program at the end of the year to show what we've been learning all year. You can check out our website at www.sofhomeschool.com. 

This year's class choices are:
Suzy, age 12 (7th grade)
Creative Crafters - a craft class for ages 10-15
BFF Club - a chance for girls to get to know others and to plan activities for the group to participate in. Each girl will "host" a week.
Babysitting  - Red Cross babysitters training
Drawing Portraits - learning to draw portraits (DVD-based class)

Emily, age 17 (senior)
What's Next - Life skills training
Foundations Personal Finance - Dave Ramsey for teens
Literature - Mythology
Choir - yeah, singing

James, age 14 (9th grade)
Drafting - the basics of Drafting
K'Nex Bridge Bldg - physics and engineering using K'nex to build large bridges
Literature - Mythology
Personal Protection - self defense and fitness

End-of-the-Year Co-op Program

At the end of our co-op year, our group hosts a much-anticipated program to show off what we have been learning all year. Many classes perform (drama, improv, sign language, etc.) and other classes create displays. Here is a sampling of what my kids were involved in this past year during co-op. Not all their classes are represented here.

• David, now age 18, took Build It Break It Shoot It (a "backyard ballistics" type class), Computer Careers, American Literature, and Improv Theatre. 
• Emily, now age 15, enrolled in digital photography, a relationship-building class, American Literature, and Cooking Techniques.
• James, now age 12, had the following classes: Backyard Ballistics, Hang Loose relationship building, Duct Tape, and Sports.
• Suzy, who is 10, signed up for PE - Gym class, digital photography, Upcycling, and It's Not Magic It's Science.

Emily with her digital photography display

James with his duct tape pizza project

Suzy with her digital photography display

Suzy with her Talking Pictures project

Suzy being "artistic"  LOL

Emily with her Talking Pictures project

James in front of the duct tape display table. His huge gun is behind him.

The Talking Pictures project asked students to interview someone older and photograph them, then display a written interview along with their photographs and old photographs of the subject.

Suzy with her Upcycling class performing music with found objects.

David's computer careers class created a video entitled "Peeling Out" as an end-of-the-year project. David was the cameraman and video editor. They filmed it in one day and then David needed a couple of days to edit the clips, add the title and credits and the music. Hopefully you can see the embedded video here in this post. Take a look; it's under 4 minutes long and I think you'll find it amusing.

Suzy's science class (It's Not Magic, It's Science) also created a video for the program in which pairs of students demonstrated magic tricks.

Co-op is Integral to our Homeschooling Experience

Our homeschool co-op is a huge part of our lives. I am on the leadership team and was one of the founders of the co-op seven years ago (or is it eight?). The kids adore being part of the group and the community that co-op provides for us is such a blessing.

How is our co-op structured? Each child chooses 4 classes from the several choices for each age group. We break for lunch partway through the day. This provides some downtime for the kids to interact (and the moms too!). We meet every other Friday 14 times between September and April and finish up with a program at the end of the year to show what we've been learning all year. You can check out our website at www.sofhomeschool.com.

We had our third co-op session of the year on Friday and I realized I haven't shared here about the kids' classes. Note: the teacher's name is in parentheses and after that is the age range of the class.

David (age 17, senior) is taking the following classes:

Build It Break It Shoot It - a "backyard ballistics" type class
Computer Careers  - discussing various career options
American Literature
Play! Improv Theatre

Emily (age 15, sophomore) is taking the following classes:
Shutter Bugs Photography  - digital photography
Hang Loose  - a relationship-building class
American Literature  14-18
Cooking Techniques  12-18

James (age 12, 7th grade) is taking the following classes:
Backyard Ballistics - building cool things that shoot or blow up!
Hang Loose - relationship building and fun!
Duct Tape - making things out of duct tape
Sports - running around and getting sweaty (good thing it's last hour!)

Suzy (age 10, 5th grade) is taking the following classes:
PE - Gym class
Shutter Bugs Photography - digital photography
Upcycling 101 - making crafts out of stuff people might throw away
It's Not Magic It's Science

Usually I teach at co-op, but this year I am taking a break from teaching. I am still the assistant coordinator so there's plenty to do!

American Literature

David and Emily are both taking American Literature at co-op this year, taught by someone who isn't me! LOL

This is a list of what they will be reading:

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (they are reading this now)
• The Simple Cobler of Aggawam by Nathaniel Ward
• Sinners in the hands of an angry God by Jonathan Edwards
• Letters from an American Farmer by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
• The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe
• The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
• Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant
• Homeward Bound by James Fenimore Cooper
• Civil Disobedience and other selections by Henry David Thoreau
• The Gift of the Magi and The Ransom of Red Chief by O.Henry
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Whew! That's a lot, isn't it? A number of those selections I have not read before, so I will attempt to read them along with my high schoolers.

I may also have them read The Scarlet Letter to go along with the class. In their spare time. Haha

If the teacher provides assignments to go along with the reading selections, I will require those. If she does not, then I will require writing assignments every two weeks. I am also going to require a reading journal, which is something I've attempted before but not seen to fruition.

Co-op Class Choices

Homeschool Co-op begins in less than two weeks! Here are the classes my kids are taking this year. (14 bi-weekly sessions Sept-April)

David, age 15 - Script Ninjas (learning to write Visual Basic Scripting, a computer language), American Revolution (history class, with a 'class trip' to Washington DC in the spring), Financial Peace for Teens (yes, Dave Ramsey), Dodgeball (just what it sounds like....)

Emily, age 13 - Chill Out (hanging out with other teens), Steppin' In'To Glory (worship dance), Austentatious (the Jane Austen class I am teaching - reading all the novels and watching film adaptations), Beautiful You (manners, grooming, Bible study)

James, age 10 - Art Masterpieces (an awesome art class), Chronicles of Professor Kaleidoscope (a history/science class taught by my inimitable and irrepressible friend Michele), Physical Education for ages 10+, Treasure Island Adventure (reading the book Treasure Island and doing related projects)

Suzanne, age 8 - Shout it Out (Cheerleading & PomPom), Kids Concoctions (creating cool concoctions and learning science), Suitcase Adventures (Also taught by Michele - when she's teaching, my kids are there!), Travelling Thru Time (a history class)

If you want to see the entire schedule, go HERE, and for class descriptions, click HERE.

We love co-op. And honestly? At this point, it's probably the only thing keeping me homeschooling.

Co-op is Starting Soon!

Following Michele's lead, I thought I'd post what my kids will be taking at co-op this coming year. Co-op has four hours this year, instead of five.

David - age 14
1 - World War II
2 - Physical Education
3 - Career Explorations
4 - Star Wars & Philosophy

Emily - age 12
1 - Written and Illustrated
2 - Scrapbooking
3 - Microsoft Apps
4 - Choir

James - age 9 (turning 10)
1 - Odyssey of the Mind
2 - Intro to Lego Robotics
3 - Night at the Museum
4 - Physical Education

Suzy - age 7
1 - Physical Education
2 - All About Me (Human Body)
3 - Hero Classics (famous people)
4 - Project Mania

I'm not teaching at co-op this year since my own career is up in the air at this point, but I do hope to take a Crochet class at co-op. Also, I am in charge of the absences, which is a time-consuming job in which I must make certain that every class has a teacher and enough assistants despite absences.

Co-op Class Planning

Spent the afternoon with my two co-coordinators going over the co-op class proposals and trying to make some semblance of a class schedule for next year.

This was our second meeting going over this. So we are going on about four hours of finagling it between the 3 of us. I've typed it up into a spreadsheet as well. We're going to make sure we don't have any big errors in the schedule (already found one!) and also make sure we have all the teachers lined up to fit the age group needs.

We hope to have this finalized soon!

If you are interested in our co-op procedures, check out the e-book I've self-published. The link is on the left sidebar. The book covers everything you need to know!

Glitter Shoes

Here is a craft we did in the Glass Slipper class I am teaching at our homeschool co-op.

My creative friend Michele saw these shoes at co-op being given away free and suggested I nab them for my class. I thought, "Excellent idea!" So, I went to Walmart looking for something to embellish the shoes. Found some spray-on glitter and doused the shoes with it, making them very very sparkly. I bought some stick-on gems and let the girls go to town! It seemed like all the girls enjoyed this craft and afterwards they tried walking in the heels, which was a challenge! lol
































Here's Suzy (green shirt) with her shoe.

Co-op Classes are Cool!

Homeschool co-op was Friday. We've belonged to our co-op for 4-1/2 years now; I started it back then along with a few other families. (If you want to know how to do co-op, check out my e-book. Link to the left.)

This year I am teaching a class called Glass Slipper, which focuses on multicultural Cinderella stories. This week we read The Golden Slipper, a Vietnamese version of the story. Then we did watercolor pictures of a rooster, mimicking one in the story. I had the students trace a black-and-white outline of a rooster with a grey crayon, to imitate the style of art in the story (see cover illustration). Then they were given real watercolor paints (from tubes) and encouraged to fill in their crayoned outline.

I am also teaching a class in which the students are writing and illustrating their own books. This week was taken up with summarizing what should be completed already and working on book jackets .

The Cards class teacher was absent and I volunteered to take her place and taught the students how to play Minorca. This is a crazy addictive game that my friend Vicki taught us several years ago. She is apparently the only person in the world who calls it that since googling that word comes up with nothing. Some people call it Speed or Spit and play with slightly different rules. Anyway, Maryann and I SHOWED the kids how to play - let the masters demonstrate, children! LOL

My kids enjoy co-op and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!

A Newt Lives

James has a newt for his Creatures class at co-op. He had to choose an animal from a list.

Our requirements were that he would choose a quiet pet and also one that is not stinky.

This is a fire-bellied newt, I guess. It hails from China or Japan, or something like that. It is an amphibian, kind of like a salamander.

It probably has a name, but I am not sure what it is. My interaction with the newt is pretty much to walk by and notice it's habitat needs cleaning.

Doesn't James look absolutely ECSTATIC to own the newt?? He really enjoys it!

Day 1 of co-op

Today was the first session of our homeschool co-op. This year we are meeting for 14 sessions, every other Friday, September through April (no meetings in December).

I am teaching 2 classes:
Glass Slipper - We will travel around the world by exploring different versions of the Cinderella tale (and other fairy tales) through picture books and activities. The class will compose an original Cinderella tale and publish it. We will finish our class with a Ball!

Written & Illustrated By - Students will create publishing companies, then each will write and illustrate an original book. The class series will end with a book-binding session or two.

My kids each have five classes. I posted their class choices before - HERE. The only change is that David has Open Gym first hour. They much enjoyed their first day!

Upcoming Co-op Classes

Today is co-op registration for our homeschool co-op. This is our 5th year participating and the first time I am not in charge. Here are the classes my children plan on taking.

Our co-op will go through the entire year with one "semester" of 14 meetings, rather than the past method of two "semesters" of 8 meetings each. This means we will just choose classes in the fall instead of again in January.

David, age 13
1 - help somewhere (toddler class?)
2 - Cards Anyone (learning card games)
3 - Chill Out (hanging out with other teens)
4 - Lego Robotics Sensor Maze
5 - Election Connection/Current Events

Emily, age 11
1 - Stretch and Devotion
2 - Cooking Time
3 - Choir
4 - Drama
5 - Written & Illustrated By (I am teaching this)

James, age 8
1 - Amazing Rainforest
2 - PE ages 6-9
3 - Odyssey of the Mind
4 - Road to Freedom (History)
5 - Creatures Creatures 2 (Animal study)

Suzanne, age 6
1 - Amazing Rainforest
2 - PE ages 6-9
3 - Glass Slipper (I am teaching this - multicultural Cinderella stories)
4 - History Alive
5 - 10 Commandments and Me

So, there you have it! Are your kids in a co-op?

Sneak Peek

I got a sneak peek at the schedule-in-process for our homeschool co-op for 2008-09. Wow! Exciting! Another great group of homeschooling moms have banded together to provide bunches of interesting and hands-on classes for our kids!

By the way, I am not "in charge" this year. I'm taking a year long sabbatical from group leadership and have handed over the reins to a very competent and wonderful woman. She'll be heading it up this coming year.

It looks like I'll be teaching two classes this year. (I love to teach!)

Glass Slipper (ages 7-9) - We'll be looking at different versions of the Cinderella story and other folk tales to learn about world cultures.

Written & Illustrated By (ages 9+) - Each child will write, illustrate, and bind his or her own book.

Co-op Starts Friday

Homeschool co-op starts on Friday. I am on the leadership team, but I have been less involved this semester than ever before. I did handle the class enrollment and some of the scheduling. Next year, I will be even less involved if I am still working full time.

So these are my children's classes. We meet every other week through the end of April, for a total of 8 sessions. It's the highlight of the kids' lives, I think!

David

1 – Open Gym

2 – Build it Better Lego (David is teaching and I am assisting.)

Bring your uncompleted Lego sets to class and have a Lego master help you build. After you've completed the model, David will show you ways to modify and improve your models to make new and better models. We may order pieces online to add to your set to create exciting ships, vehicles, sculptures, and other cool stuff. You bring your own Legos and pay for any extra pieces (.07-.35 per piece). No supply fee.

3 – Lego Robotics 4

Students will build a racing robotic devise and then program it to race on a variety of racing courses.

4 – PE 10+

This gym class will continue with a 15-20 minute warm-up, followed by a team sport.

5 – More Flight and Space

Each week 1 or 2 "milestones" in Aerospace will be discussed (and reviewed at the end of the 8 weeks)

Emily

1 – Cricket in Times Square

This literature class is from Beyond Five in a Row unit-study! It's for ages 8-12. Each week your student will get a rock solid hour of rich information and hand's on lessons that will enhance his/her homeschool journey....from science to reading a classic book, to history, art and music to Newspaper and Dictionary Treasure Hunts and even eating Chinese food or at least cooking it!

2 – Grooming for Girls

I hope to make the girls aware of the need to care for their hair skin nails and feet. Their bodies are changing now and some families have a hard time with young girls paying attention to hygiene. I plan to have fun with this class as grooming can be fun (Skin care, french braids, hair wraps)

3 – Choir

If you love to sing and enjoy learning new music, then this is the place to be. Learn songs, basic music theory and proper breathing techniques in a class that definitely hits a high note!

4 – Drama

We will practice reading with expression, reciting scripture & poetry, practicing presentation (enunciating, facial expression, voice) the class will choose their own readings and contribute short dramas for the class to learn. A performance is possible but not mandatory.

5 – PE for Girls

This is a physical education class for girls only in which we do weekly warm-ups, running, and a variety of games and sports.

James

1 – Karate

Style of karate: Tang Soo Do. Students will learn: basic actions (kicks, punches, blocks), one-steps (practice against an opponent), self-defense, 1st basic form, and also respect for others and obedience of parents/teachers.

2 – Build It Better

Bring your uncompleted Lego sets to class and have a Lego master help you build. After you've completed the model, David will show you ways to modify and improve your models to make new and better models. We may order pieces online to add to your set to create exciting ships, vehicles, sculptures, and other cool stuff. You bring your own Legos and pay for any extra pieces (.07-.35 per piece).

3 – PE ages 6-9

Kids have lots of energy. This class attempts to burn off some of that energy in a fun way. Calisthenics, old favorites as well as new games will be introduced. Sportsmanship and cooperation emphasized.

4 – Making Wooden Toys

Students will assemble and paint wooden toys, such as boats, planes, cars, etc...

5 – Creatures Creatures

Using Leo Lionni books, this class of 6-8 year olds will explore the life of fish, snails, worms, and frogs. We will learn using art, science, and literature. Creatures will share our time together at co-op and become your pet by going home with you.

Suzy

1 – Open Gym

2 – Puppet Theatre

Through familiar fairy tales, students will learn sequencing and story retelling, using stick puppets.

3 – PE for ages 4-5

In general, we are starting off with warm ups, doing an organized games (duck, duck, goose, or hot potato, ect) and then letting the kids have some free play. If Ann can find the music tapes, we will work with music and movement. No Fee.

4 – Kiddie Krafts

Each week, we’ll do a craft related to a holiday theme. We’ll also be reading a book or two related to that theme as well!

5 – Phonemic Fun

Children who are not aware of phonemes are at serious risk of struggling to learn to read. Some kids pick this up automatically, but roughly 25% of first graders need direct instruction and many reading programs do not include enough. The great news is that phonemic awareness can be built using games, poems, songs, and fun books!! We'll have a lot of fun being silly and learning at the same time!

Co-op Started Yesterday

Our new co-op session began yesterday. We meet every other Friday for 8 sessions. Our day is from 9:30-2:30 at a local church. 146 other children from 62 other families join us in this endeavor. And, oh yeah, I am the coordinator! lol

I am teaching a class called Make Your Own Toys, based on Steven Caney's Toy Book. It's going to be a fun creative class and I have 14 students enrolled.

These are the things my kids are taking this time around. A 25 minute lunch period intervenes between 2nd and 3rd hours.

David - age 12

1 – Lego Robotics 2 (Part 2 of the class he took last time.)

2 – Dodgeball (All Dodgeball all the time!)

3 – Open Gym (Free Play in the gym with sports equipment)

4 – Leathercrafting (His goal is to make a wallet.)

5 – Business & Money for Kids (Equipping kids to start and run their own businesses. David is a little apprehensive about this class still.)

Emily - age 9

1 – Open Gym

2 – Drawing (A talented teen teaches this class.)

3 – Fun with Fabric (Making things from fabric without sewing machines.)

4 – Choir (There are 2 BOYS in the class this time around, shocking all the girls! lol)

5 – Physical Education Girls (Yesterday they did 5 laps around the gym and played clothespin tag.)

James - age 7

1 – Ancient Civilizations (Doing a History Pockets book on, what else, Ancient Civilizations! lol Pockets books are cutting, pasting, coloring)

2 – Ink*redible (learning about rubber stamping)

3 – How to Draw Racecars, Dinos and More (Just what it says!)

4 – PE ages 6-9 (Organized games for the lower el kids)

5 – Caldecott Lit Pockets (Another Pockets book, this time on Caldecott-winning picture books.)

Suzy - age 4

1 – Open Gym

2 – Heroes of the Bible (Bible stories and a craft)

3 – Kings Kids (Learning about character - "My teacher, Shiloh's mom, said, "NO LYING!!!" in my class!"

4 – Crafts for all Seasons (Making crafts)

5 – Playdough (Playing with playdough)

They all love co-op and look forward to it immensely. I love it too. It's great to see so many homeschool families all in one place, to see the moms connecting, to see the kids making friends, to see such creative learning opportunities!

Co-op

Today was the second day of our fall homeschool co-op session. We meet twice a month. I thought I'd post our schedules.

David
Lego Robotics, Physical Education, Digging into Ancient Egypt, Dynamic Discoveries (a research/report class), Basic Life Support (CPR)

Emily

Dynamic Discoveries, Laura Ingalls Wilder: Her Early Years, Choir, Recorder, Physical Education

James

Open Gym, What's Under My Skin?, PE, Chess, Let's Draw

Suzy

Five Senses, Learning With Crafts, Move it - Be It! (A creative movement class), Open Gym, I've Got Rhythm

They love all their classes! We have worked very hard to make this semester successful. (I am the coordinator of the co-op) and I am so pleased at the results!

Co-op

I thought it would be fun to post the classes my children will be taking at our homeschool co-op this fall. (I am the co-op coordinator.)

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David - age 10-1/2
Computer Hardware Isn't So Hard
Physical Education
Karate
Chess Club
Drawing

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Emily - age 8-1/2
Kids' Concoctions
Physical Education
Cardmaking
Art Concepts
Choir

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James - age 5-1/2
Pet Friends
Little Signers (American Sign Language)
Karate
Show & Tell Storytime OR Open Gym
AEIOU100

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Suzy - age 3
Active Adventures
Baby Ballet - 25 min
Open Gym - 25 min
Playroom
Fun with Playdough
Playroom

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We are very much looking forward to co-op! We meet 8 times in the fall and 8 times in the spring. Some of the classes will change in the spring.