January 2012 Meeting

Are you stuck in a homeschool rut? 

Winter homeschool blues got you down?

  Looking for more excitement in your homeschool?

Well mark your calendars! 

January 14, 2012 LIGHT will be hosting Pam Davis, owner/director of Imagination Learning Center in Portland.  She will be speaking to us about expanding the use of games in your homeschool.  Using games you already have on hand, cards, dice and board games, learn how to adapt them to meet your homeschool needs.  There will be tips and ideas for all learning types and stages.  You don’t want to miss this one!

Who: Pam Davis

What: Expanding the Use of Games in Your Homeschool

Where: Norkenzie Christian Church

When: January 14, 2012   9:30am-11:30am

No cost for LIGHT Members; non-members $5

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!  It should be a wonderful morning of Fun, Fellowship, and Learning.

The fine print:  


LIGHT meetings are open to all homeschool families.  We offer one complementary meeting, so please come to a meeting and check it out, we're sure you'll want to be a member!  If after your first meeting*, you choose not to become a member, subsequent meetings will be $5.  If you choose to become a member in the future*, any $5 fee's you have paid will be applied to your membership fee.  We have some scholarships available, please see a board member for more information.
*During the current school year.


The majority of our meetings are geared towards mom and are, therefore rather boring for children.  Due to liability issues, LIGHT cannot provide childcare, so we encourage you to try and find it elsewhere.  If you need to bring your children, though, they are welcome.  However, they will not be allowed to leave the meeting room.  Norkenzie Christian Church has graciously allowed LIGHT to meet in it's facility and we have adopted the policy of leaving the building in better condition than we found it.  Therefore we need to contain our activities to the Fireside Room.  So, please bring a quiet activity for them to do off to one side so that they do not disrupt the meeting.

First Class Planning Meeting for Spring Term

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  It's about that time of year again, when we all start to get very busy and turn our focus towards the holidays, friends and family.  Though it seems early to be thinking of spring term already, at First Class, we want to get our planning done early so we all have the break free of that kind of thing.  That said, there will be a planning meeting held for spring term of Eugene First Class Christian Homeschool Co-op on Dec. 2 immediately after our co-op classes for the day.  This meeting will be held at Garden Way Church at 1:15pm.  Childcare will be provided.  If you're interested in joining First Class for spring term which will run Feb. 24 through May 11, please come join us for the meeting.  Everyone is welcome.  We are a Christian co-op, providing three class periods for children ages nursery through 12th grade, on Friday mornings at Garden Way Church.  

For more detailed information on the co-op, please click on the co-op link at the top (inside the crayon.)  

Hope to see you all there!

You Can Make This!!!

This Beautiful Wreath is on our agenda for the November meeting.  It's super easy, make one for yourself or as a gift!  We will also have yummy snacks and fresh made apple cider.  And, as always, fun and fellowship with other homeschool mamas!  Come take a morning to yourself and make something beautiful.


What: Wreath Making
When: November 12th 9:30am to 11am
Where: Norkenzie Christian Church


Please click HERE or see previous post for supply list.  Supplies will NOT be provided.


If you don't want to make the wreath above, please come anyway!  You can bring a project from home to work on (or not!) and just enjoy the fun and fellowship (and snacks!).


Looking forward to seeing everyone!


The fine print:  


LIGHT meetings are open to all homeschool families.  We offer one complementary meeting, so please come to a meeting and check it out, we're sure you'll want to be a member!  If after your first meeting*, you choose not to become a member, subsequent meetings will be $5.  If you choose to become a member in the future*, any $5 fee's you have paid will be applied to your membership fee.  We have some scholarships available, please see a board member for more information.
*During the current school year.


The majority of our meetings are geared towards mom and are, therefore rather boring for children.  Due to liability issues, LIGHT cannot provide childcare, so we encourage you to try and find it elsewhere.  If you need to bring your children, though, they are welcome.  However, they will not be allowed to leave the meeting room.  Norkenzie Christian Church has graciously allowed LIGHT to meet in it's facility and we have adopted the policy of leaving the building in better condition than we found it.  Therefore we need to contain our activities to the Fireside Room.  So, please bring a quiet activity for them to do off to one side so that they do not disrupt the meeting.

November Meeting - Wreath Making

LIGHT 2011 Christmas Wreath Making

November 12, 2011

Come make a beautiful & unique Christmas wreath with us.  You can keep it for yourself or give it as a gift!

Supply List:

12 in wreath foam form – Michaels, Joanns, Ben Franklin.  Check for coupons and sales and get yours early.  These places don’t carry a huge supply of them.

1 bag of 200 floral pins – Look like a large staple.  Wal-mart $1.00

At least 2 yards of 1 ½ to 2 in wide ribbon of your choice

2 packages of brown coffee filters – The basket kind.  Target has a good price on theses.

Total Cost: Around $10.00

(Click HERE for a printable supply list)

If you truly don’t feel like making a wreath, bring whatever project you are working on.  It will be a great time of Fun, Fellowship and Craftiness!  As always, meetings are at Norkenzie Christian Church (map on sidebar!) from 9:30am to 11:30am.

We should have pictures of a completed wreath up soon!

*** Our meetings are geared towards mom and are, therefore, rather boring for children.  Due to liability issues, LIGHT cannot provide childcare so we encourage you to try and find it elsewhere.  If you need to bring your children, though, they are welcome.  However, they will not be allowed to leave the meeting room.  Norkenzie Christian Church has graciously allowed LIGHT to meet in it's facility and we have adopted the policy of leaving the building in better condition than we found it.  Therefore, we need to contain our activities to the Fireside Room.  So, please bring a quiet activity for them to do off to one side so that they do not disrupt the meeting. 

*** You are welcome to come to a meeting and see if LIGHT is a good fit for your family.  However, after your first meeting we ask that you either become a member or be prepared to pay $5 per meeting.  If at any point in the future you decide to become a member, any $5 fees you have paid (during the current school year) will be applied to your membership fee.

October Meeting Tomorrow!!

Wow! Seems like time is just flying by.  Fall is here already.  And you know what that means.........Rain!  But, there is a bright side in this dreary weather, tomorrow is our October meeting!  Come in out of the rain for some hot coffee, snacks and fellowship.  We will be having a Mom's Round Table Discussion focusing on how the year has been going so far.  Have you been going strong since August?  Or have you not even cracked a book open yet?  Is this your first year homeschooling?  Or are you a seasoned veteran?  We NEED you, one and all, to come share with us!  Bring your schedules, bring a friend or just bring yourself!  Let's lift each other up, encourage each other and share ideas.  The fun begins at 9:30 am at Norkenzie Christian Church (there's a map on the sidebar if you've never been there!).  Hope to see you all there =)

Blessings,

Late Registration For First Class

Hi There!


So sorry the First Class Registration Day was posted with little notice.  There is still room in most of the classes.  For late registration, please contact Cory Alverts at 541-349-9523 or Cynthia Johnson at 541-688-9489.  You will need to first have joined the National First Class Homeschool Ministries at www.fchm.org, before you call.


Thanks,


Dani
Director Eugene First Class

First Class Registration

Hi all,

I hope your school year is going well and that you're enjoying those last few days of Indian summer weather.  Errr.... well, the weather appears to have changed now.  It's feeling a little more like school time.  LIGHT's co-op is coming together nicely and we're ready to announce the class schedule and registration information.  The fall term of classes will run from October 14 through December 9.  Registration is at Garden Way Church, 10am this Friday, September 30.  If you can not make it to registration day, it is highly recommended to send someone in your place, to walk through the process for you.  This can be anyone, your husband, grandma, neighbor, friend, stranger you meet on the street...  :-)  But seriously, this is the best way to do it if you can't do it yourself on that day.  

Registration is done on a first come, first served basis so we STRONGLY recommend arriving at the church with completed forms in hand.  There will be additional copies available onsite, but classes will fill while you are completing them.

Our main website for the Eugene First Class Christian Homeschool Co-op (EFC for short) is located at www.fchm.org     Read down the left sidebar to Co-ops, select Co-op Locations and then scroll down to find Eugene First Class under Oregon.  There is also a link on the sidebar here on the LIGHT website.  On our welcome page you will find links to become a member of First Class Homeschool Ministries, the national organization this co-op falls under.  It gives instructions to pay a $25 fee for your family, for the whole year.  This membership must be completed before you can register for classes and is best done at home before registration day.  When you have done this, we will email more specific instructions for registration day including all of the necessary forms which are also available on that same welcome page.  This includes forms for local co-op membership, class registration and background check for all parents who will be onsite during co-op hours.  NOTE:  for printing out the class registration form, page four of the document is for the parent's schedule.  Don't miss that page if you don't need pages 2 and 3 for children.  Payment for our local chapter fees ($25 per family, per year) and classes can all be paid at registration.  We don't want money to preclude anyone from participating.  If you will need a scholarship, please contact Dani Foster at lighthomeschooling@gmail.com before registration day if possible.

If this is all new to you, you can find general information about Eugene First Class Christian Homeschool Co-op by clicking on the "CO-OP" button above.

If you have any questions you can e-mail them to lighthomeschooling@gmail.com.   We greatly appreciate everyone's grace and patience while we are working out the kinks in the system.  Hope to see you there!

Dani Foster, Director   

Eugene First Class Christian Homeschool Co-op

      

                                                                                         

First Meeting!!

"I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for ICE CREAM!!!!"

It's that time of year again!  Come to our first meeting and kick of the new school year with your LIGHT family!  We will have a welcome, registration and First Class introduction followed by an Ice Cream Social!  Meeting is on September 10th at 9:30am at Norkenzie Christian Church.  There is a map on the sidebar if you need directions.  Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones! 


There is a link to the 2011-2012 registration form on the right side bar if you want to get a head start.  Membership dues this year are $20 with two concert of service commitments over the school year and one during the used sale.


We have a great calendar of events set up for this year.  Check out the calendar tab above to see what we have planned.


Can't wait to see everyone!


***We will be accepting registration forms at the Splash! event as well***

Splash Not Back To School Swim

Mark Your Calendars!!!

What: LIGHT's Annual Splash Not Back To School Swim

Where: Splash! At Lively Park

When: Tuesday September 6th from 12-1pm

Who: All Homeschoolers are welcome to attend!

Cost: $3 per swimmer

LIGHT will have the facility from 12-1. After that is an open swim till 5pm. Feel free to bring a sack lunch and stay all day! Let's make it a great day of swimming, fellowship and fun!

Hope to see you there =)

First Class Planning Meeting TOMORROW!!!

The planning meeting for the LIGHT First Class Eugene Co-op will be held on:
Day: Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Time: 7pm
Place: Garden Way Church, 231 North Garden Way - Eugene, OR 97401

Fees for this coop are as follows:
$25 per family per year to become a national member of First Class Ministries.
$25 per family per year to LIGHT to run the coop - this fee covers LIGHT membership also.
Each class has a small cost of $4 per term in addition to any material fees for classes that have them. Some classes have a required text.

If you are interested in participating in this coop, please come to the meeting with ideas of classes you'd like to see taught, and with ideas of classes you are willing to teach. Not everyone must teach but teachers do get to register their children in classes first so there is a benefit to teaching, particularly if classes fill up. We will be scheduling a teacher orientation meeting at a later date. This is when the teachers will be able to walk through the classrooms and suggest the ones they feel would work best for their class. We will not be touring the facility at the planning meeting. If you will be bringing any of your children to the meeting, please plan quiet activities to occupy them during the discussion as there will not be childcare. However, we prefer this to be a parent meeting only.

I am pleased to announce that the Director of Happy Valley First Class in Portland, Michelle Law, as well as their Field Trip Coordinator, Jennifer Keikkala will be coming down to help us run this meeting. I'm sure you'll all enjoy them, they are both very fun people with a lot of energy and enthusiasm to share with us about First Class. You will also have an opportunity to meet Norm Fox, the Education Minister at Garden Way Church. Please be sure to thank him for the church's willingness to host our co-op.

If you have not checked out the class schedule yet, please do so before the meeting (see post below for a link to the document). If you still have basic questions about First Class and how the co-op will be run, please come a little early to the meeting to get that information. So, invite your friends and come to the meeting. It would be helpful to have an idea of who is coming, so if you have a chance, please email lighthomeschooling@gmail.com with a quick, "I'll be there." If you're interested in participating but can't make it, I need to know that too. Light refreshments will be served.

Hope to see you there!!

First Class Update

Our First Class Co-op is coming right along! Now that Garden Way has agreed to partner with us in this venture, we have been busily working on a class list and schedule.

Click HERE for a tentative class list.

***If you cannot access the document at the above link, please email lighthomeschooling@gmail.com (or click the button on the right side bar!) for a PDF copy***

Several people have committed to teaching, but we still need a few more people to teach a class. Some class ideas are:

Building Class (LEGOs, Knex, etc.)

Sign Language

Book Club

Cooking

Cake Decorating

Fairy Tale Theater

Armor of God

Zoo Science

Physics

Dr. Seuss

Geography

Maps

Grossology (digestion)

Pirates

Colonial Times, World War II or any period of time

Sewing

Knitting

Wood Working (make a project but no power tools)

Board Games (ages 6+) – we’d divide into age groups within one class

These ideas are just to get you started thinking of your own ideas. Go to the library, pick a book that is interesting to you and break it down into 8 classes. Don’t forget Rainbow Resources and Homeschooling in the Woods for ideas. If you use or purchase your own materials for the class, those are yours to do with as you like. If you pass the cost of materials on to the kids as a materials fee, then the co-op would own the materials for use in a class at a later time.

You can also find additional class ideas on the First Class website: http://www.firstclasshomeschool.org/pages/uploads/LeadersFiles/Friday_School_Class_Ideas/FCHM-CLASS%20IDEAS.pdf

We also need "bargain hunters" to help us find LEGOS, Knex and other building materials. If you think you could help us out, contact lighthomeschooling@gmail.com for more information and budget details.

We will be scheduling a planning meeting in the next week, so watch your emails for the date and time. The meeting will be held at our co-op location, Garden Way Church, 231 N Garden Way, Eugene, Oregon.

We're looking forward to an exciting new year!

See you soon =)

Real Life Homeschooling ~ Summer Tour

Come join Jay and Heidi St. John, homeschool parents of 7 and author of "THE BUSY HOMESCHOOL MOM'S GUIDE TO" series for an evening of laughter and encouragement for your homeschool journey. 

Heidi will give a presentation called:

The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Daytime: How to fit your size 16 day into a size 10.

GIVEAWAYS & SPECIAL OFFERS

Thursday, July 7th

7:00 PM ~ $10.00 per family

First Baptist Church

Sponsored by:

First Class Homeschool First Class Ministries

Apologia

HSLDA

Institute for Excellence in Writing

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Multnomah University

Hosted By:

LIGHT

New Website

Hello Light Members,


We have made the switch over to a blog format for our website. Hopefully this can be a place that is more interactive. We hope to have lots of good homeschool information and support here.  This little place on the web will be updated throughout the summer.  You can also look for us on facebook where we will have more frequent posts and information.  Please have patience with us as we get settled here.  
Blessings,


LIGHT