Homeschool Support Fairbanks?

[rabrog]

Homeschooling is our last option for next year, but I would like to know what kind of get togethers there are for HSers in Fbks. DD will be in K.

Jenn

[kkeake]

Hi Jenn -

I don't know much about homeschooling, but wanted to check in with you and see how things are going. What other options for kindergarten are you looking into? we are hoping to get our kids into first grade at the watershed school next year. right now they are at ladd.

amanda

[rabrog]

Hey, Amanda!

We're in the Barnette lottery (fingers crossed), will go in the Chinook lottery and I'm attending the meeting about Watershed next week. Open Arms is also on our list of potentials if we don't get into Barnette, but that's $$$.

How do you like Ladd? We're right behind Woodriver. There are two K teachers there and the one who is really good is taking a sabaitcal to have a baby next year. There's a couple other reasons it's not an option, but that's a big one.

Bekah is very social and I want to be sure she can get to learning environments with other HSers if we decide to HS.

Jenn

[akemt]

homeschooling resources

There are "correspondance schools" like Raven and Pace that opperate throughout the state. You have to follow some of their guidelines and rules (each is very different from the other --we like Raven) but then you get $ to buy supplies and curriculum as well as lessons. You also are then open to a big support network. DD is in Raven's K program right now. Next year we plan to not use the program, but we needed financially this year.

I'm sure, much like here in Ketchikan, that there are yahoo groups and various other supports in your area. Fairbanks is HUGE! My sister homeschooled there for a while (Don't know anything about groups, though) and even did a half charter school (hands on classes like science, etc), half homeschool thing.

If you do a little searching you are bound to find more than you need,

[rabrog]

Catherine, I know all about the academics of it. I'm looking for social groups for DD to be connected to other kids, group learning things, field trips, that kind of thing. Thanks, though!

Jenn

[akemt]

Yah, I was covering both bases, sorry if that wasn't clear. Raven and Pace can let you know about local groups (chances are they know of a number of them or people who could tell you) and yahoo groups is a great place to search. I'm on a Ketchikan homeschool association yahoo group and they announce fun happenings, set up "choirs", field trips, "school" pictures, etc. Log rolling contests, christmas around the world displays, submarine base tours, birdwatching, homeschool book/supply swaps, etc.

Best of luck!

[onyxravnos]

IDEA, Raven and the other 'public school homeschools' tend to have a lot of get togethers and can provide good meet ups.

as far as fairbanks goes there is one offical homeschool group that i know of based in NP. if your google homeschool groups + fairbanks it should pop up but i know some people with younger kids (preschool / k ) have talked about starting up some sort of secular group...