Tag: homeschool parents

REACH — Classes in Skokie

We have a new sponsor here at the Chicagoland Homeschool Network and we would love for you to check out the site and spread the word about this dynamic co-op. Here is a bit about REACH!
Hello, parents of homeschooled teens!
We had a wonderful second year of classes and are looking forward to our third.  We meet on Tuesdays at Lakeside Church, 3939 West Howard Street, Skokie.  Classes meet from early afternoon to evening to allow drivers to avoid rush hour on both ends and to accommodate sleep schedules 🙂
Our starting point is great teachers, true experts in their fields who are passionate about sharing their knowledge with our students, some of whom happen also to be homeschool parents. Once again, our proximity to Northwestern University has been an asset.

We offer one class in each time slot.  Students are welcome to take one, two or all three classes.  These are drop-off classes, for which the minimum age for participation is 13.  Students not taking a class in a given block will have access to quiet space with internet access to participate in an online course or do other work.

We are excited about the upcoming year and hope to see many of you in the fall.  The students learn a lot and really enjoy being together.  Some are there for the entire 9-hour day, and still need to be pried away at the end to go home!

The schedule is as follows:
12:30-2:30 PM  
  • Art History, Theory and Criticism   – 1st semester: Modern and Post-Modern with Shane Campbell, gallery owner, adjunct assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute and homeschool dad
  • 2nd semester: Renaissance to Modern with instructor t.b.a.

2:30-4:30 PM

  • Exploring Musical Composition – 1st semester: Instrumental Masterpieces and Composition Lab
  • 2nd semester: Operatic Masterpieces and Composition Lab

Both taught by Laurann Gilley, member of the music staff at Lyric Opera of Chicago and the opera department at Northwestern, and homeschool mom

4:30-5:30 PM    Dinner break
5:30-7:30 PM   Statistics with Aaron Schechter, BS and MS in Applied Math/Statistics from Johns Hopkins and PhD candidate in Industrial Engineering and Management Science at Northwestern
The classes are followed, from 7:30-9:30, by a meeting of the Chicagoland Model United Nations Club, an award-winning independent high school MUN club (http://chicagolandmunclub.org/ …and now a 501c(3)!)  to which many of the students belong and which is open to new members.
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They will have detailed course descriptions available soon and will schedule an Open House so that families can see the facility and meet the instructors.
Greater detail is available at: http://www.homeschool-life.com/il/reach/

Speech and Debate Tournament

I LOVED speech and debate when I was in high school. I think the critical thinking skills and the necessity to respond in the moment are life skills that are difficult to learn elsewhere. If you would like this type of opportunity for your student, here is an opportunity to build their enthusiasm and get an inside look at a speech and debate tournament.

From Lisa Lueken the NCFCA Illinois State Representative:

Speech and Debate Tournament – University of St. Francis


On March 4-6, 2013 several hundred homeschool students will gather at the University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois, for a three day speech and debate tournament.  We need several hundred judges! Our students love to have homeschool parents as judges because you give excellent feedback!  It’s a 2 1/2 to 3-hour time commitment which includes a brief orientation, the speech or debate round and refreshments in our hospitality room.

To register go to www.ncfca.org and click on “Judges” in the upper right hand corner.  You should see a link for “Best of the Mid-West” after clicking on the state of Illinois. If you have any questions please contact Mary Vilim at mjvilim@gmail.com or (630) 466-0117.  Also, please feel free to invite a friend!  No experience is necessary.  We are training our students to talk to people of all walks of life.

If you are a homeschooler who is considering having your student participate in speech and debate at some time in the future, we encourage you to come judge at our tournament and see what we’re about.  Children who are old enough to sit still for 1 1/2 hours are welcome to come and observe.

Looks like a fantastic opportunity to jump right into this effective skill building experience.

St Charles library homeschool workshop

I attended this when I lived in St. Charles and found it helpful.

The librarians offer information on what the library offers, perks to being a St. Charles card holder and some of the lesser known resources at the library. In addition to the helpful info you can connect with other St. Charles homeschoolers. Contact them to register:

Greetings,

Our 2011 Homeschool Workshop is scheduled on Tuesday, August 30 from 10-11:15 am. We will be talking about our services and resources: Internet access, Live Homework Help, research strategies, literature programs, and more. Network with other homeschool parents from 11:15-11:45. You may register by contacting the ASK ME Desk at 630-584-9390. Thanks so much. See you in a couple of weeks.

~ Denise