We have suspended activity on this site and for the co-op for a few reasons:

1. It was difficult to find a free, centrally located place to meet, which became more difficult because…

2. though there were many people interested in our group, they lived in different directions and at distances that made meeting on a weekly basis more difficult.

3. Sarah is swamped with school and caring for her two nephews.  I (Shelli) also determined that I had more going on than I could handle at the time.

However, we are still here, and we get together occasionally, though not on a set schedule.  We will probably plan other outings at intervals too.  If you’re a secular homeschooler and want to meet other secular homeschoolers, feel free to contact us and ask what’s going on.  (See our e-mails in the sidebar.)

Meanwhile, I hope you’ll use this site as a reference.  There’s some cool resources listed here.

If in the future we gather together enough people to do something more formal, we may activate the site again, but until then, thanks for stopping by!  Happy Homeschooling!

P.S.  If there’s anybody out there who wants to try to get this site/co-op going again, please let us know!  With some more hands, I’m sure we could make something of it!

Georgia Enrichment Program for Homeschoolers, Inc. (GA-EPH) is located in Acworth/Cobb County.  It is a non-profit organization that has been organized by home educators to offer secular programs for all homeschoolers.  The instructors are independent contractors, so the class structure, fees and other characteristics may vary on a class-by-class basis.

This is a great program for those of you who live in in northwest Atlanta!

Check it out:  http://www.ga-eph.org/

Friends and other family members are more than welcome to join.  Just let me know (a) if you will attend the field trip and (b) how many people you are bringing (and their ages). If we get 25 or more people, then we’ll qualify for a group rate. I need to know who’s going by the 11th of October.

There are a lot of different options and as a group we can decide which one sounds best for all of us. The cheapest group rate tickets are $23.50 (adult) and 17.50 (age 3-12). That is just a general admission to the aquarium. The admission that includes the 3D water show would be $26.50 for adults and $19.75 (age 3-12). The tickets that include the 3D water show AND the Planet Shark: Predator or Prey is $32.50 for adults and $25.75 (3-12). The tickets that includes the behind the scenes tour is $62 (adult) and $55.75 (3-12).

So, let me know if you do (or do not) want to go, who you will be taking (children, spouse, friend, etc), and which package you want by Oct. 11th.

Posted by Sarah:   
snsple (at) yahoo (dot) com

Two important changes:

We we will be meeting at Lifeboat Tutoring Center in Watkinsville.  (Click here for map.) This location will allow us to use the same facility every week for the same price!  There will be two classrooms and an activity room for preschoolers.

Also, we will be meeting from 11-2p.m.

Below are the schedules for the first day of each class.  They will alternate Tuesdays thereafter.  For more details and course descriptions, click here.  Please be prepared to pay fees on the first day of class.

Tuesday, Sept. 7:

11AM-11:30AM: Elementary/Middle School Spanish

11:30-12PM: High School Spanish

11AM-12PM: Latin

12PM-1PM: Lunch/Play (parents supply their child(ren)’s lunch)

1PM: Break dancing

1PM: Latin (high school)

Tuesday,  Sept. 14:

11AM-12PM: Kick boxing

12PM-1PM: Lunch/Play (parents supply their child(ren)’s lunch

1PM:  Film making

Preschoolers may stay the entire time or they may leave early.  The first day of class will be an informal meet and greet, and parents can discuss activities they wish to conduct for the children.

For questions or to find out how you can come join us, e-mail Sarah Stennett at snsple (at) yahoo (dot) com.

The following is a list of secular homeschool curriculums, offering K-12 (except where noted).  I added a few others after doing some research on the web.

Red Clay is not endorsing any of these curriculums.  We offer them as a guide to help you find a secular curriculum that is right for your family.  You can find reviews for each of these on the web.

SHOG members also had great recommendations for resources in individual subjects.  I will work on a separate post for that.  I also received enough resources on Montessori to create a separate post on that.  Please be patient.

Feel free to leave a comment with additional resources or a note about your experience with one of these curriculums.  Thank you!

Oak Meadow (Waldorf Style)

http://www.oakmeadow.com/index.php

Curriculum Services

www.curriculumservices.com

Time 4 Learning

www.time4learning.com

K12 – Below are links to the K12 website as well as the Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA), which is offered free to all Georgia residents.  GCA uses the K12 curriculum.

www.k12.com

http://www.k12.com/gca/

Laurel Springs School

http://www.laurelsprings.com/home

Calvert School  (Classical Style, Pre-K through 8^th grade)

http://www.calvertschool.org/

The Keystone School  (8^th – 12^th grade)

http://keystoneschoolonline.com/

Shelli Bond Pabis is the Red Clay website’s administrator.  You can learn more about her on our Contributor’s Page.

Once again, Sandy Creek Nature Center will offer a series of programs for homeschool students and a parent/guardian ages 5-12. This fall, we are
offering 4 programs, Fridays, September 17-Wacky Weather, October 15-Rocks Rock!, November 19-Time Traveler, December 17-Astronomica Adventures from 10am-Noon.

Students will explore interactive learning stations as they arrive. Afterwards, we will divide the group based on age (usually 4-6, 7-12 years) so one group will participate in the lesson while the others go on a hike or do another outdoor activity. After each program, we provide follow up activities that families can do at home. Families can sign up for one or all four programs. Fee is $2 ACC residents, per student, $3 Non-residents, per student. To register, call Sandy Creek Nature Center, (706) 613-3615 X0.

Click here for flier.

Click here to learn about all of Sandy Creek’s educational programs.

Please join us on Friday, September 17, 2010 from 11:00a.m. – 1:00p.m. (or whenever we’re ready to leave) for a picnic at the William Harris Homestead in Monroe, GA.

From Athens, take Hwy. 316 to Hwy. 11, turn left, and the Homestead is just three miles down on the right.  (From Atlanta, turn right on Hwy. 11.)  It’s a beautiful 19^th century Homestead with an original log house, barn, smoke house and other outbuildings.   View the website at www.harrishomestead.com

This event is free.  You just need to bring a picnic lunch for your family.  Please bring a blanket too – there are a few picnic tables, but there may not be enough seating for everyone.

Please note that this is NOT a tour of the Homestead.  It’s a picnic, and you are free to roam around and enjoy the grounds while you’re there.

Coordinator:  Shelli Pabis

Questions and for more detailed directions: shelli (at) mamaofletters (dot) com

The Red Clay Co-op welcomes any homeschooler to attend one, some or all of our activities!  We hope you can come!

Click here –> Sign Up Sheet

FEES

$50 co-op fee per family (location fee)

Additional class fees (paid to teacher):

$40 total semester fee for Latin

$40 total semester fee for Kick boxing

$40 total semester fee for Break dancing

$0 total semester fee for Film making

$0 total semester fee for preschool

$35 total semester fee for Spanish ($30 for siblings.)

CLASSES

Classes will be held on Tuesdays beginning Sept. 7, and the classes will alternate weeks as follows.  Note that the location will also alternate.  Walker Hall is located at Sandy Creek Nature Center and Ben Burton Park is located on Mitchell Bridge Road.

Note:  Time has changed to 11a.m. – 2p.m. with a lunch/play break from 12-1.  And ALL classes will now be held at Lifeboat Tutoring in Watkinsville.

Class schedule:

Sept 7- 11am-2pm: Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, preschool

Sept 14-  11am-2pm: Kick boxing,, Film making, preschool

Sept 21-  Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, preschool

Sept 28- Kickboxing, film making, preschool

Oct. 4- Latin, Spanish, Break dancing, preschool

Oct. 11- Kick boxing, Film making, preschool

Oct. 18- Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, preschool

Oct 25- Kick boxing, Film making, Preschool

Nov. 2- Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, preschool

Nov. 9- Kick boxing, Film making, preschool

Nov. 16- Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, preschool

Nov. 23- Kick boxing, Film making, preschool

Nov. 30- Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, preschool

Dec. 7- Kick boxing, preschool

Dec. 14-  Spanish, Latin, Break dancing, film making (screening)

Note that the preschool class will be a cooperative effort among parents to plan activities for the children.  Park days will give the students a chance to explore nature and do some outdoor games and activities.

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS & TEACHER BIOS

Latin: a cordial introduction, is a fairly structured class, as one of the benefits of learning Latin is the practice of orderly thinking.  Students will receive weekly lists of words to learn, along with puzzles and fun worksheets to aid in their memorization.  We will spend part of our class time reviewing the words and their various forms (conjugations and declensions) and part of our time will be spent playing Latin word games and reading from various Latin translations including selections from Dr. Seuss, Hans Orberg’s Lingua Latina, and Latin for All Occasions, which includes fun phrases such as “Paene adventimus? (Are we there yet?) and Suntne illi glires novi? (Are these dormice fresh?).

Latin will be taught by Valerye McGreevy who, according to her children, lives “in the middle of nowhere” (more exactly, that would be just east of Lexington) in a home that is, more often than not, filled with joyful noise.  She has been “officially” homeschooling since 2005 when her eldest would have started Kindergarten.  After sampling many curricula and teaching “methods,” the McGreevy family finally settled on the ‘what is working best right now’ method of teaching, which combines elements of Charlotte Mason, unschooling and very structured theme or unit studies.

Spanish: As Spanish has become the second most spoken language in the United States, this class will provide a background into “el español” by covering basic topics such as the alphabet, numbering, colors, foods, household items, family members, and beginning grammatical expression of thoughts, ideas, and everyday conversations.  An introduction to Spanish countries and cultures will also be presented through forms such as music and geography, in order to further help students gain a basic understanding of the multiplicity of peoples who speak the language.

Kickboxing: styles taught will be boxing, kickboxing, and a little bit of jeet kune do, which is the form of martial arts that Bruce Lee uses.

Breakdancing: a very demanding and fun workout

Sanquan Holland will be teaching both Kickboxing and Breakdancing.  He practices martial arts with his friends so that they can help each other improve their fighting styles.  He has been practicing breakdancing for three years.  Sanquan is attending Athens Tech in order to get his Health-care assistant certificate.  He currently works at Bell’s.

Film Making: In this intro to film making, the students will learn basic film making terminology, write and edit their screenplay and make their own storyboard.  They will cast their short films, hold a rehearsal, film their short (and act as a crew member on their peer’s short films), edit their short film, and screen the finished film.

Sarah Stennett will teach the film making class.  Sarah is the founder of Red Clay co-op, and she is new to homeschooling.  She will be homeschooling her two nephews, ages 10 and 4.  Sarah says her movie, “Zombie Outbreak,” was terrible, but it’s still listed on the IMDb (Internet Movie Database).  She says almost the whole town of Byron played as extras.