Field Trip Update:

Here are a couple of things regarding the field trip:

 

1)  If you paid for a 5 year old and under, you can receive a refund for that $5, as those under 5 enter for free to the Fort Snelling part of our trip.

 

2)  You can bring strollers.  They will be stored in the under storage area of the coach.

 

3)  We have 8 seats to be filled on the bus.  If you have immediate family/extended family members who would like to pay and come along, you are welcome to put their name on the waiting list.  If there are still not enough to fill the spots, then you may put names of friends who homeschool that may want to come along on the waiting list.  All of these names will be on a first come, first served basis. 

 

ITS SO HOT OUTSIDE!! What can we do inside to pass the time?

 

My Favorite Homemade Playdough, I'll never buy playdough again!!  This is smooth, it smells good and in an airtight container it lasts a long time!!!!

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup salt
1 tsp alum (buy this in the canning aisle or at Runnings, its way cheaper than in the seasoning aisle)
2 pkg's unsweetened Kool Aid whatever color you want
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tbs oil
Glitter - optional
Food coloring - to match your kool aid color - optional

• Heat the water in the microwave 1 minute or so. 
• Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 
• Add the oil (and a few drops of food coloring if you want it more vibrant) to the hot water. 
• Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients.  
• Mix that together the best you can with a large spoon. 
• Dump it out onto the counter and knead it, let it cool some more and knead it more until its smooth and silky, dust with more flour if its too sticky.  It should not stick to your hands.
• Its very therapeutic kneading playdough. 
• Let the kids use your cookie cutters, plastic ones are nice.  Rolling pins, plastic knives, pizza cutters, ice cube trays, etc.  They wash - don't be afraid to let them use your utensils. 
• Store in a zip to bag or in an old sour cream container (recycle/reuse) will last for 2 months at least. 

From Sarah B -

Hello! So nice to meet so many of you at the Mom's meeting last night.  To those of you who are new to the co-op, welcome, and if you are new to the adventure of homeschooling, congratulations!  (Or, in my more cynical homeschooling moments I would think....I'm so sorry, call me when you have your first mental breakdown...:) 

You are all invited to our farm for a potluck and bonfire the evening of Saturday, September 14, starting at 6 pm. The farm is a fun place for families, so I encourage you to take the time to prepare a dish and come with your whole family, or whomever in your family can make it that night.  We'll provide the plates, cups, and plasticware, as well as drinks, if you'll bring the food.

My daughters will have some games and activities to give your children a chance to explore the farm.  We have a lot of critters lurking around, both free-range and in cages, as well as a sack swing, play fort, and trampoline.  The perennial gardens are large, and gorgeous, and you will feast your eyes and wonder how I manage it all, until I tell you I inherited it all from my mother-in-law last year, and she manages it for me:) The shop is large and comfortable and will protect us from heat or cold or wind.  Nursing moms are welcome to come in and out of the house as needed. 

For Address and Directions  - please refer to the email sent to you on 8/26

If you plan to come, please let me know so I have a rough idea how many chairs and tables to set up, but feel free to show up at the last minute if you can't plan that far ahead. 

Money saving tip -

Those packages of pre-sliced apples you can buy at store are great for a healthy snack on the go but the price can add up. Make your own by slicing apples, soak in cold water for 3-5 minutes, then soak in a lemon-lime carbonated soda (such as 7-up or sprite) for 3-5 minutes. Divide into snack size portions and store in Ziploc bags in the fridge. The lemon-lime soda will keep the apples from browning and make them last longer. LOVE THIS IDEA!

GRACE facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/GRACE-Co-op/107768852639952

Hello!! G.R.A.C.E Homeschoolers!!

Hi everyone!  Well, here we are on the doorstep of an exciting year full of God's blessings...yet to be revealed.  There has already been a tremendous amount of planning and preparation in getting ready for the GRACE year, with a few remaining details yet to fall into place.

 

 

“G.R.A.C.E.” Homeschool Co-op

Growing Relationships And Cultivating Enrichment

Information Guide…2013-2014

 

G.R.A.C.E. Co-op Goals and Mission Statement

Our goal as a Christian faith based co-op is to provide education, physical activity and opportunities for parents and children alike to build relationships with one another.  We believe God created all that we have, and in all we do He is to be glorified.  We desire to encourage and challenge the children in their learning and physical skills and to have a shared learning experience with other children.  We see our time spent as a wonderful opportunity to enrich the lives of our children with like-minded families who share a similar Christian faith and values.

 

Commitment and Involvement

To ensure that our co-op runs smoothly, we ask each family to commit to attending the co-op for the entire school year.  Families that have their children participating in the activities must have at least one parent actively involved in the co-op meetings/activities.  G.R.A.C.E. is intended for parents and children to experience together.  If a parent or family seems to have irregular attendance without explanation, someone on the leadership team will visit with them about their involvement in the co-op.   Obviously, illness related absences, as well as family matters and adverse weather conditions are considered to be excused.  We feel that without the commitment to attend and help out it would be unfair to the other families involved with G.R.A.C.E..  When you receive the weekly reminder, please RSVP to indicate if you will NOT be attending and who will be covering your “helping responsibility” if you are signed up to help.  Often guest speakers and teachers ask for the number of students in order to plan for and provide adequate resources for their lessons.

 

Mothers will be asked to help supervise/facilitate a group of kids 10 different dates throughout the year (1/2 by Dec 19^th and ½ after Jan 1^st) in which you will be involved in the activities of co-op that day.  On all other days, you may choose to “sign-out” from 12:15-2:45, as long as you have a cell phone with you and leave an emergency contact number.  If your child is under 1 yr old, you will be asked to bring him/her with you.  IF you cannot make it on your assigned day, you need to find a substitute for yourself.  We are committed to providing adequate adult help for each assigned area…if that requires us to hire someone to fill your place, that financial responsibility will become yours.  Perhaps it would be helpful to form a 2-3 person “team” that you can call on to trade places with each other as needed.

 

Age Group Options/Expectations:

Red   -        0-18 months…may nap/nurse, crawl, toddle, calmer-quiet room

Orange  -     18mo-4 yrs…plays with toys, listens to stories, simple projects, play outside

Yellow     -   4-6 yrs (preK,-1^st gr)…potty trained, follows directions, colors, cuts, listens to leader, 10-15 min attention span

Green   -      6-8 yrs (1^st-3^rd gr)…reads with help, writes/copies independently with little help,                        15-20 min attention span, colors, cuts, paints, learns skills easily

Blue     -      8-10 yrs (3^rd-4^th gr)…reads and writes completely independently, longer attention span

Purple    -    10-12 yrs (5^th-6^th gr)…reads and writes completely independently, longer attention span

Teen Scene - ages 12 and up,…able to work/volunteer off site, can speak and interact with adults, able to do some study and group discussion, independent group activities and interaction

*** In the case of each color (age) group, the child must be the minimum age by Sept 12^th (our first GRACE gathering)

 

Annual Fee:

We will collect $20 ($1.25 per week)for each child that participates in G.R.A.C.E that is 12 month or older as of 9/12/13.  This covers our usage fee to the church, snacks, materials needed for activities on site, postage, photo copying and other week to week costs.  Each year we try to purchase additional phy ed equipment and musical instruments that are needed for our activities, as well as classroom supplies.  This does not cover any outside activity fees such as bowling, swimming, Prairie Woods, etc.  You may pay all of your family’s fees in August or ½ at the mom’s mtg in August and ½ in January.  We will also be collecting an optional $3 per family at the beginning of the year if you would like the annual photo directory that will be available on Oct 10^th.

 

Weather and Other cancellations

Weather may be a factor in the happenings of G.R.A.C.E.  If the Willmar schools are closed, we will not meet.  Also, because we are guests using the Church facility, if they have need of the facility, then we will need to postpone our meeting.  You will receive an email no later than 10 am the day of G.R.A.C.E. if we are cancelling due to weather or a church related event.  Please check your email (or call someone in the co-op or on the leadership team if you are away from your home phone) for a change in day and/or time.  In some cases, a rescheduled date may be possible.

 

Leadership Team:  consists of 8 moms, eager to help us in any way. 

Please contact the leadership team if you have any questions regarding any aspect of G.R.A.C.E.  Again, we desire our group to be Christ centered, fun, interactive and a great opportunity for the children to learn and build relationships.

*New families who agree with the mission statement and have read the information guide may join at any time throughout the year based on openings in each age group.  Suggestions for new families should be given to Paula for contacting.

 

Importance of Email:

Please remember to check your email each Monday/Tuesday before we meet on Thursday and read it carefully so you are aware of all communications!  This is our main form of communication and it can be very effective if everyone is committed to checking it!  Sometimes the kids will be asked to bring something special from home for a lesson or activity.   This information is then included in the weekly email that comes to your email box the Monday prior to our Thursday co-op. 

 

Monthly Mom’s Night Out:

In response to moms who are looking for a time of connecting, encouraging, and just being in the presence of other homeschooling moms (without kids present), we will have a monthly mom’s night out.  The dates, time and location will be communicated via email in September.

 

Time/Schedule

Thursday afternoons

Check in and registration will start at 11:40.  Please be punctual, as we will be starting on time.  A detailed, year long schedule of topics, activities, etc. will be distributed to each family. Our daily schedule will be as follows:

          Discovery Zone            Music                                  Exploration                    Physical Ed     

 

12-12:40                           8-10 yrs                             6-8 yrs                            4-6 yrs                         10-12 yrs & Teens

                                                (Blue)                                 (Green)                        (Yellow)                            (Purple)

 

12:45-1:25*                    *6-8 yrs                              4-6 yrs                                   *10-12 yrs & Teens    8-10 yrs

                                                (Green)                              (Yellow)                            (Purple)                            (Blue)

 

*1:30-2:10                       *4-6 yrs                              10-12 yrs                          *8-10 yrs                           6-8 yrs

                                                (Yellow)                            (Purple)                            (Blue)                                 (Green)

 

2:15-2:55                          10-12 yrs                          8-10 yrs                             6-8 yrs                                   4-6 yrs

                                                (Purple)                            (Blue)                                 (Green)                              (Yellow)

 

2:55                      Take Down/Put Back  (everyone…all rooms)

 

*denotes snack time during the end/start of the rotation

 

“Extra Thursday” afternoons

These dates are set aside for additional opportunities for families to take part in.  Some of them require additional fees, others do not.  Your involvement in these activities is completely optional, although we encourage you to take part in as many as you can.  These provide great opportunities for the kids to interact in informal settings, as well as mothers!  You will be asked to sign up and pay for them in advance (usually 2 wks), as many other them require reservation or advance registration.

 

Red and Orange “Play” Groups

When helping in these groups, parents will be actively involved with the children in the group on a flexible schedule that may include free play, directed games, simple singing and music activities, or reading stories. 

 

Rotations for Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple groups:

Discovery Zone   

When moms who have signed up to help with these age groups are at the Discovery Zone rotation, they are responsible for helping set up and clean up as needed.  The moms will be in the room to help out if needed during the teaching period and please keep kids focused and respectful at all times.  We desire to make this a fun and valued learning experience for the children and a positive experience for the teacher, by having assistance with classroom behavior.  Plan to sit with and among the kids.

 

Teaching time can cover many topics.  This year our focus is on exposing our kids to many different jobs/careers and people roles in the community.  It will include guest speakers from outside of our group.  Any parent may volunteer to share with the group if they would like to. Contact a leadership member if you are interested or have a contact of someone outside of the group for the future.

Physical Education

The focus of the Phy Ed time is to learn games, sports, teamwork, skills, build endurance and to have fun.   This year we will include football (boys)/cheerleading (girls), volleyball, soccer, softball and kickball/dodgeball.  We also include the parachute and playground games for the younger kids.  We will go bowling and swimming as additional (optional) events.  We also try to implement stretching and warm up running.  When moms are at this rotation with their group, they should help keep kids focused, quiet, paying attention and participating, allowing the instructor to teach rather than focus their attention on “crowd control”.

 

Music

The fall and early winter weeks will be focused primarily on the history of music and it’s development around the world. Children preK-6^th grade will be working on basic aspects of music and music theory (at age appropriate levels)that will be a part of our annual  Spring Celebration in May.

 

Exploration

This rotation provides an in-depth study (3 weeks) on 3 different topics throughout the year.  This rotation will also include some art projects and group activities. 

 

Teen Scene

This “12 years and up” group is intended to give this age group an opportunity to extend the friendships and time together beyond their elementary/middle school years.  Their afternoons together include joining the Purple group for the Phy Ed rotation and an additional rotation.  We are also planning to included some exposure to various careers through guest visits.  The rest of the time they will meet independently.  There will also be off-site occasions for a service project and a couple of fun group activities.  This group has 2 adult leaders and may require additional adult helpers as needed. 

 

Miscellaneous Information:

 

·        All children in color groups Orange-Purple and Teen Scene will get a daily snack. Each family will be asked to provide snacks 2 times throughout the year.  You may choose to pay $5 for each of those assigned weeks if you would rather have GRACE provide them on your behalf.

·        ALL kids in all color groups and teen group will be asked to wear a sticky name tag for the entire afternoon.

·        All helping parents must have a head count of the group before they leave a rotation and again once they enter the next rotation. EVERY TIME

·        No child, any age, may leave the group alone.  An adult must go along.

·        Great resources to take note of:

 

GRACE Newsletter

MACHE.org  (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators)

HSLDF

WASH  www.washlines.org

YMCA – Homeschool Phy Ed program meets once a month

Science and Art Enrichment classes – are also available, see a leadership member.