GRACE Homeschool Co-op Celebrates End of Semester

Friday night the parking lot at GRACE was full as parents, grandparents, and friends crowded into the building for the homeschool group's fall program. At 6:30 p.m. the program began promptly with a song by GRACE Notes, a girls' choir directed by Ronda Rockey. Following the song, the guests were invited to partake of a meal of soup and sandwiches and browse the display tables. Each table held projects and crafts completed by the students over the past few months, such as the electric games shown in the picture. These were made by the junior high and high school electricity classes taught by Ken Crenshaw and Trish Pickering.

GRACE is a homeschool cooperative of over 20 families with a total of 60 children. These families meet on Thursday mornings and afternoons during the school year for classes. Parents teach a wide variety of classes according to their areas of expertise. This arrangement offers many benefits to homeschooled families. For parents, it offers support in areas where they might not feel as competent to teach. For the children, it offers group activities and close friendships.

Started in the mid-1990s as a support group for a few homeschooling families, GRACE originally met at the Olive Branch Baptist Church near Dugger for fellowship and fun. The group also organized events such as International Night and Talent night, as well as monthly skating parties. The co-op classes were added just a few years ago in 2007. At first co-op was held at the Linton First Christian Church, and then two years later it was moved into the building it currently occupies on State Road 59 between Switz City and Bloomfield. This long, brown building, formerly an alternative school, was purchased by a homeschooling family and is part of a non-profit group called "The Father's Children Ministries." Besides GRACE, the building also houses a local Boy Scouts troop.

At the end of each 12-week semester, the co-op holds an event for family and friends so they can see what the children have been learning. During the fall program, a long-standing tradition has been to have a joke contest. This year's winner was Josh Bolton. Second place went to Timothy Luper and third place was awarded to Allison Crenshaw.

As the evening wound down and the children began to collect their projects and take them home, I asked some of the students what co-op meant to them. "Friends" replied Rachel Quintana and Joelle Bellman at the same time, laughing. As I listened to the chatter at the table and watched my own children play and visit with their friends, I felt the same way. To me, this co-op has a special place in my heart and always will. Even though co-op is over for the year, the close friendships remain, and I am thankful for what GRACE has meant to our family.

For more information on GRACE and how to get involved, please contact Ronda Rockey at rrockey86@gmail.com.