Community Blog

Registration for reserved families is open from now until August 20th. Unreserved and new family registration will be taken from August 21st through September 3rd.

Families currently on the waiting list will be contacted after September 3rd.

Forms and full information are available on the registration page.

We are looking forward to another great co-op year with everyone!

Our Fall session will run for 14 weeks, starting on September 16 and ending on January 20, 2011. The required orientation session will be held on September 11 from 1 to 5 pm.

Fees have been reduced for the new session and are now as follows:

Price per child 2 and up: First child $175 per semester, second child $145 per semester, additional children $130 per semester

Price per sibling under 2: $30 per semester (children under 2 years can only attend if they have an older sibling that is attending)

Spots are limited. Contact us to inquire about availability. To reserve a spot now for the Fall 2010 Session, complete the reservation form and mail it with your non-refundable deposit of $50. Make check payable to the Community Co-op. Mail both to The Community Co-op, PO Box 1843, Oak Park, IL 60304.

Please note that groupings and classes are subject to change and will be updated before registration opens in August.

We will contact you regarding your volunteer role and to confirm your reservation or let you know if spots in your children’s groups are not available.

New to homeschooling in the Oak Park area? Wondering what groups are out there?

Westside HOUSE is the west suburban chapter of HOUSE, or Home Oriented Unique Schooling Experience, a non-sectarian group. HOUSE offers monthly parent support meetings, a Roots and Shoots Club for boys, and other classes and events scheduled as needed. Find them on the web at http://www.housewestside.org. Outside the Oak Park area? Check the Illinois House website to find a group near you.

TEACH, an Oak Park area Christian group, states that its purpose is to support the sharing of information and support between T.E.A.C.H. group members. Activities include a parent’s support meeting. Their yahoo group is here.

NUG, or Northside Unschoolers, can be found on the web at http://www.Northsideunschoolers.org.

In addition to a popular multi-age Girl Scout troop, NUG also hosts Open Gym, Mother’s Teas, and other events and classes planned as needed.

Are there more groups that I don’t know about? If you would like to share information about another group, please post a comment, thanks!

…Get up, eat breakfast, get dressed to the shoes, and you can do anything for 15 minutes.

What I mean about that 15 minutes bit is that for a non-favored subject, just break it down into 15 minute sessions to get it done.

Having your house in order sure helps for homeschooling. Though we have long been in the group that begins the day by saying, “Okay, let’s clear off some space on the dining room table,” at the moment, we’re actually using the dining room table for, well, dining. And when we need it for homeschooling, it’s already clear.

I have found Flylady’s cleaning tips and systems helpful. It’s all free. Check it out at flylady.net.

If I had to make a general rule for living and working with children, it might be this: be wary of saying or doing anything to a child that you would not do to another adult, whose good opinion and affection you valued.

John Holt in Freedom and Beyond

Basically, a webquest is a research project. You come up with a challenge and send off your little internet investigator to find the answers. At least, that’s how I understand it.

Turn on those kiddie-web filters first!

Find more details on webquests here:

http://www.homeschooldiner.com

(scroll down)

Here’s a sample webquest on the subject of art history: http://www.goshen.edu.

Update:

I’ve just found this website: Webquest.org, where it explains webquests in detail and has some actual quests, ready to go!

Here’s helpful Squidoo Lens called Audio Homeschool that helps you figure out if you are, and resources for auditory learnings. Check it out here: http://www.squidoo.com/audiohomeschool.

Really. The Toy Hall of Fame is at the Strong Museum of Play. Read the CNN story here.

A fun running around game at the Halloween party at co-op!

Making bugs!

As we gear up to opening day, and start thinking about packing lunches, I wanted to put out a quick reminder to everyone that we are a peanut free co-op. This is in the handbook also.

FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphalaxis Network has a great program for kids, the Be a P.A.L. Program.

Read about it here.