March 16th CHEG - Final Meeting Summary

Our LAST MEETING of the 2009-2010 School Year
"COMMON EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES AND MATERIALS FOR HOMESCHOOLING"



ANNOUNCEMENTS from March 16th CHEG meeting:
Did your child get good grades this year? The following businesses want to reward them (and you!)

Shelly Sigafoos announced that a number of businesses have "Incentive" programs for children who achieved good grades on their report card (usually A's).
They generally accept home-produced homeschool report cards (check Google search for a format you like, or ask Shelly for how she produces hers). Take your child(ren) to these stores and get your free or discounted products! To learn what each store offers, check out the website for each individual store, or talk to your local store manager. Here are some good ones in our area: Graeter's, Chuck E Cheese's, Krispy Kreme, Family Video.
If you have a favorite restaurant where your kids love to eat, it might not hurt to ask if they offer any 'Good Student' rewards!

DEVOTIONAL: Linda Thiel

At the 3/16 meeting, we heard an edifying testimony of God's faithfulness from Linda Thiel. She shared how God has blessed her in helping her to see how her attitude needs to be kept in check on good days, but even more on the 'not-so-easy' school days by remembering the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and its application to her schoolday. Linda reminded us all that when our focus is properly on the Gospel, we will recognize ourselves and our kids as sinners in need of a Savior. We must ask Christ to help us, for we are utterly dependent upon Him for the grace to love our children and nurture them as individuals. We need to remember that we truly cannnot homeschool or train-up our children successfully without God's help in everything.

Thanks so much, Linda, for your transparency and this much-needed reminder that we can only educate our kids well, or be the kinds of wives and mothers who please the Lord unless we do it by remembering the glorious Gospel, and homeschool for God's glory!

TOPIC TIME: Crystal Syring and Kathy Bloom

Our topic for this meeting was a summary of some common educational approaches and curriculum used by home educators. Included were: Traditional, Classical, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, Literature Based, and Unschooling. Handouts with an abbreviated version of this information were distributed to all CHEG attenders. Anyone desiring a more detailed information, including weblinks and some fact-lists, please contact Kathy Bloom at futureandahope84@gmail.com. The document will be sent to you in electronic form unless you specify otherwise that you need a paper-copy.

CURRICULUM DISPLAY:

Curriculum was brought in for display by a number of our Clifton home educators, representing almost all of the above educational approaches. THANKS to all who took the time to box-up materials to share with other parents. We had time to peruse the books and supplies, and to ask one another questions.

SHOUT OUTS!!!
Every meeting this year, our CHEG attenders could be seen milling around with treats and drinks provided by Denise Swicegood and her "aides"! Here's a HUGE SHOUT OUT to Denise, for making sure we had goodies at every meeting! HOO-RAY, Denise!

Thanks also go to our sweet junior high girls who cheerfully served every meeting watching the little ones in the nursery, so the moms could learn and encourage one another! WE LOVE YOU, GIRLS!

Our gratitude also to Lauren Ward (and other moms throughout the school year) for serving our littlest children during CHEG meetings - checking-in and supervising the nursery for us,and making sure it got cleaned up afterwards! Bless you, Lauren!

[I was reminded how important this ministry is childcare was when a mom recently told me, "I can only come to meetings when there's someone there to watch the kids - otherwise I'd have to stay home." THANK YOU!]

Finally, a huge word of gratitude for the ideas and motivation provided on the Steering Team this year by Shelly Sigafoos and Margaret Sexton! They have encouraged me, prayed for CHEG members and our meetings, remembered when meetings were approaching (and tactfully reminded forgetful-me!), faithfully written-up and sent off announcements to the Bulletin and Messenger, and have supported this ministry in many, many ways! May God grant you both grace and blessing for these acts of love and service, ladies!

Have a wonderful remainder of the school year, and a fun (and educational) summer!

~Kathy