Charlotte Mason Homeschool Co-op Becomes A Reality

It seems that while the summer drifted by in intense heat waves, I never wrote a single blog post! I have little excuse aside from the typical busyness of  motherhood. My daughters and I spent the first half of summer involved in a community theater project, which we enjoyed immensely. There were additional activities and commitments as well, including our church’s annual music camp, VBS, swim lessons, and a couple of very brief getaways. I never did get around to my plan of helping my kids get ahead in math. Somehow, I truly needed the break from academic work that summertime provided. Often I think that I require breaks more than the kids do and I have truly enjoyed the summer respite. As I prepare to get back into the swing of our school schedule, I wanted to write about something I have been working on this summer. Something that I feel particularly excited about.

My previous blog entry was about my dream of a Charlotte Mason inspired homeschool co-op. I am delighted to report that such a co-op, the “Living and Learning Homeschool Co-op”, will become a reality this fall! After writing my blog entry in May, a friend and I discussed offering a small co-op to our local Charlotte Mason support group. There seemed to be sufficient interest from within the group, so we decided to forge ahead with the plan. We are starting out small; around thirty children in kindergarten through eighth grades will be participating this fall. We are offering music, art, and monthly nature field trips. Music class will consist of classical music/composer study, hymns, patriotic songs, and basic music theory concepts. During the Fall 2011 semester, the children will study Bach as well as hymns with lyrics written by Fanny Crosby. Art class will consist of artist/picture study as well as hands-on techniques. The artist for the Fall 2011 semester will be Claude Monet. My friend is teaching the art classes and I am teaching the music classes and directing the co-op as well. I am especially excited about the monthly field trips because the lady organizing them is passionate about nature and has so many wonderful ideas for our group. She is even bringing in some experts from outside our area to teach the children about nature journaling!

I really wanted to share this happy news! My children are so looking forward to making new friends and to learning more about art and music via the gentle methods of Charlotte Mason. I am covering this effort with prayer and I am hopeful that the co-op will be a blessing to all who participate. As the director, I fear that my administrative abilities may be weak. At the same time, I acknowledge that God has placed me in a leadership position so that I might depend upon Him solely as my source of strength. I prayerfully anticipate the beginning of the new school year and the start of “Living and Learning Homeschool Co-op” with hope and expectation. I pray that you are also looking forward to the year ahead and that you experience God’s blessings as you nurture your children.