October 2007
First Class Homeschool Ministries
Connecting the Christian Homeschool Community
Building a Network of Independent Homeschool Cooperatives
In This Issue
October Contest
News from FCHM and The Old Schoolhouse!
Support the FCHM Vision!
Co-op Corner:
Tips for Creating Calm at your Co-op with Name Tags
Homeschool
Q& A
Question from Coos Bay, OR
Q. What is a unit study?
A. Unit studies have become increasingly popular over the past several years. They are wonderful for multi-level teaching and can help solidify a particular subject you are studying because Unit Studies incorporate many subjects into one topic or theme!
For example, let's say you are reading about missionary William Carey.
  • Geography: Study a map of India, learn what latitude and longitude are, map William's route from England to India and label the places he visited along the way
  • Writing & Handwriting Younger students may do "copywork", which is when mom writes or copies something about William Carey and the student then copies it, OLDER
    students might re-tell the story in their own words, or write about India's "caste" system
  • Science You may decide to learn about the Indian Ocean or the animals of the jungle!
  • History Talk about what else was happening when William was a new missionary in India - slavery was part of the culture, even in the United States
I hope this gives you a good idea of the endless possibilities of Unit Studies! Our family has been creating our own for years- they are a favorite part of our homeschooling!
Heidi St. John

PS Jane Lambert's new book is great for those of you who are studying the glories of fall. Check it out!
If you have a question to submit, please send it via email to info@fchm.org with Q&A in the subject line.

fchm start a coop
Ministry Quicklinks
Attention Co-op Leaders!
fchm
You can now access the online forum for new materials and downloads!
www.fchm.org/forum


This has been an incredible month for FCHM!
Jay & Heidi St. JohnThe vision God has given us for homeschooling families is to build a network of homeschool cooperatives in partnership with evangelical Christian churches across the United States is spreading!

It is our firm belief that homeschoolers thrive when they are connected with other homeschooling families. Being part of a thriving homeschool cooperative that models Christ's example to serve and reach out can literally make the difference between a mom giving up out of fear or isolation - and going the distance in home education.

God is doing an amazing work through FCHM. Thanks to a nationally broadcast radio program through HSLDA, this past week we received over 200 requests for information on how to start a homeschool co-op with FCHM. We have heard from parents and pastors in every state now! Our website traffic has quadrupled in the past six months.

As you read this month's issue of the FCHM ezine, we hope you will catch the vision with us for what God can do as we partner with churches to reach a new generation of homeschooling families. The materials and support that FCHM offers co-ops has made it easier than ever to start a homeschooling ministry in your community. Tell your pastors and help spread the ministry of FCHM!

Following Him into the future,
Jay and Heidi St. John
Founders
hslda
Click HERE to hear the HSLDA interviews
with Jay and Heidi St. John
FCHM Partners with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
TOS

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is greatly excited about partnering with First Class Homeschool Ministries!

Many homeschoolers feel alone in their communities – and this is where First Class comes in. First Class is opening the doors for homeschoolers to network with others by simplifying the process of starting a co-op, while also encouraging churches to support homeschool families.

Our prayer is that First Class will help to bring support to families in their local area and that TOS can bring some of that support right to their mailboxes with our special subscription discount for First Class members!

Any First Class member can subscribe to TOS for $20 for one year (rather than our usual $25) and still receive the 25 free gifts. It's just our way of saying thank you for all you all are doing for your families.

Never underestimate the importance of what you are doing. Your families can truly impact the world for Christ!

May God richly bless you all,

Deborah Wuehler, Senior Editor

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com

FCHM Members: To receive your discount code, please contact your local co-op coordinator or email FCHM and we'll send it to you! You can use the code in step 2 of the checkout process.
Tell us a "First Class" story
and WIN the new E-Book from Five in a Row!
win cool stuffWhat do you like best about your local First Class co-op? The FCHM staff wants to know!

Please tell us about what God is doing at your co-op - how your found out about First Class, the classes your children are taking and even funny First Class related anecdotes that we can share with others via the FCHM website. Our desire is to use these stories and quotes to make the First Class experience come alive for others!

On October 25 we will be drawing a name from the entries and the winner will receive a free download of Jane Lambert's new E-book: Fall Nature Study Adventure! More than 50 pages of guided nature activities with journaling pages, resource recommendations and so much more! Of course if you can't wait to see if you won the book, you can purchase it, too! Simply follow this link to Five in a Row Digital and check it out! We think it's one of the best surprises for your homeschool this fall!
ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 24TH.
Please send your entry to us via e-mail.
Organizing Your Co-op: Tips You Can Use: NAME TAGSname tag
By Kelsi Pollard: Friday School Coordinator
First Class Clark County- Vancouver, WA

Ever wonder how to keep things moving calmly and quietly at your co-op? We have spent a lot of time working some "kinks" out of our co-op system over the past two years, and we're happy to be able to share them with other First Class co-ops!

Here is an idea that will help you to keep everyone where they need to be and help them get to where they are going.

Name Tags. These are important for safety as well as to help those of us that can remember faces, but need a little help remembering names. Everyone who participates in the co-op gets a name tag, including guests who get a different color name tag or lanyard so they are easily recognized as guests.

Each session we print off labels of each person that show what classes they are taking and the room number of that class. This is made very easy using the First Class database. These labels then go on the back of laminated name tags. We have used a few different methods and decided on permanent laminated tags that students clip (we tried lanyards and do not recommend them) to their clothing each week You can also just print these labels each week for the name tags, this way there is no need to keep track of the tags.

For the nursery and Toddlers we use labels too- but we put the parent's location on the back of their tag ... this way you can look on the back of the name tag or on the label name tag, and viola! --you know right where the parent is when you need to go and get them.

Something we added this year is that parents write on the bottom of their child's label a meeting place for after the last block ... this could also say "stay in classroom" This lets the teacher of the last hour class know who they can let go and who they need to keep in the class room. It also helps the parents avoid confusion at the end of the co-op day, because children know where to go to meet their family. This is especially helpful for children who are 3rd grade and lower .

For more information on how to print directly from the FCHM online database please use the Leader's section of the FCHM Message Boards. www.fchm.org/forum
 
Upcoming Events: Homeschool Marriage Workshops scheduled in four cities
EMMNovember 9 & 10 Pineville, LA
Register Online Today! Early Registration rates end soon!
www.extrememarriagemakeover.com
Support FCHMFCHM Needs Monthly Support

Have you been blessed by the ministry of FCHM? Would you like to support the growth of Christian homeschooling across our nation?

We hope you will consider partnering financially with FCHM! This ministry depends on monthly financial support to keep the infrastructure at pace with the incredible growth we are experiencing!

Monthly support also allows us to extend the reach of this ministry to those who cannot afford to support it. First Class grants charters based on need, and we have never turned anyone away because of financial constraints. Every gift to FCHM is used wisely and conservatively to help further the ministry that the Lord has entrusted to us.


If every person who receives this email gave just $20-$30 a month, we would be able to greatly expand our reach. Signing up to give monthly is very simple and easy to do - just visit our online giving page and follow the instructions. Many families are blessed by your giving.

The Board and Executive Board of FCHM ministries gives monthly to the ministry as a way to not only support FCHM but to "walk our talk" and set an example of stewardship. If you have any questions for us please do not hesitate to ask. We look forward to hearing from you!

FCHM Board of Directors:
Jay and Heidi St. John- Founders and Executive Directors
Allen and Joyce Kvalvik
Will and Kelsi Pollard
Alex and Julie Schoening
Executive Advisory Board:
Scott Croucher
Steve and Jane Lambert, Five in a Row
fchmHow blessed is the man who walks in the counsel of the righteous!

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.."
Psalm 1:3


Contact Info
First Class Homeschool Ministries
14300 NE 20th Ave D102-187
Vancouver, WA 98686-1493
360.326.8826
info@fchm.org

FCHM is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Tax Code. All gifts are tax-deductible.