Christian Home Educator Support Services

Boxtops

2011-12-17T20:19:00.001-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TASKER FAMILY FOR WINNING OUR SUMMER BOXTOPS CHALLENGE. THEY COLLECTED 194 BOXTOPS.

CHESS collects boxtops. Below is a link to boxtops where you can create an account that is connected to our group.

http://www.boxtops4education.com/default.aspx

I want to suggest before you shop online, sign into your boxtops account and go to market place on their site. There are many stores that if you shop online there, you earn boxtops for CHESS. I was shooked at the store that are listed including Walmart.

http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/marketplace/BrowseStores.aspx?WT.ac=Mktplce_HC_SeeAllStores

For every Boxtop that you hand in will now place 5 cents into your PPA account. The other 5 cents will go toward CHESS needs.

Kelly Sanders

Gift Card

2011-12-09T22:03:00.001-05:00

We will be placing a gift card order that will be in in time for Christmas. All orders will be due on Thursday, December 15.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Patti

Enchanted Learning membership

2011-11-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

Right now, we have 17 families who have expressed an interest in the Enchanted Learning membership. That will bring the cost to $7.50 per family. The dues for this membership will be due on Friday, Dec 2, 2011.
Once I have all the dues, I will be able to go forward with the membership.

Dues may be sent to:
Patti Hunt
375 Geen Ridge Rd
New Oxford, Pa 17350

Also, if you have not contacted me to tell me you are interested, you are still welcome to do so. That would make each family's membership a little less and I can refund other members who have already paid.

Here are the families who have expressed an interest. Please contact me if you are no longer interested so I may adjust pricing accordingly.

Coghill
Anderson
Yourshin
Sanders
Donaldson
Sauers
Yelton
Hartley
Abell
Myers, S
Smelser
Nunn
Woerner
Moores
Stremmel

Christmas Party

2011-11-30T22:55:00.001-05:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services is holding their annual Christmas Party.

Date: Thursday, Dec 8, 2011
Time : 1-3pm
Location: First Baptist Church of Hanover, 217 Fulton Street

There will be music, crafts, games, door prizes.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, December 6 so we are sure to have enough supplies on hand for everyone.

Theme: Christmas market - All over Europe, they have Christmas markets that are like street fairs with vendors of handicrafts, food and entertainment. If you would like to learn a little more about Christmas markets, go to Youtube.com and do a quick search for European Christmas Markets. You will find videos of markets from all over Europe and can find some of the history behind them. The tradition is over 500 years old!

This is a family event for CHESS members. Siblings and friends are also invited.

If you would like to bring a snack to share, that would be great, but it is not required. There is also a wish list of supplies needed for the party.

Wish list for supplies:
Card stock paper (8.5 X 11 cut in half to make Christmas cards)
Markers
Glue
Sequins or other little embelishments for cards

Gingerbread man cookies (not decorated)
Icing to decorate cookies
"sprinkles" or other small candies for cookie decoration

This promises to be a very nice Christmas party for our group and I look forward to seeing it all come together.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

Blessings,
Patti

Turkey Hill Moo Money Fundraiser

2011-11-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

Collect those plastic milk caps!

Chess participates in this fundraiser. We earned $75.00 with our last mailing of caps

Save your milk caps and hand them into Kelly Sanders.

For each cap you collect, 5 cents will be deposited into Chess members PPA account.
We have a special coupon again. Normally each cap would put 2 cents into your account.

Eligible Products
Turkey Hill Dairy offers a tasty selection of healthy milk
products. And for Moo Money, you can choose any of these in any size.

Whole milk
Chocolate milk
2% reduced fat milk
Strawberry milk
1% lowfat milk
Orange cream milk
Fat free milk
Only Turkey Hill Dairy products sold at Turkey Hill Minit Markets apply.
The lids must be specially marked with a Turkey Hill Moo Money sticker.

Turkey Hill Moo Money program participants will receive 5¢ for each milk lid they redeem from specially marked milk purchased from any Turkey Hill Minit Market. We will be receiving 10 cents per cap with our coupon.

Only specially marked milk lids that feature the Moo Money symbol will be accepted and eligible for redemption.

Thanks,

Kelly Sanders

Living History Event

2011-11-02T15:18:00.002-04:00

Hello all,
If you are planning to come to the Living History Event slated for November 11 in Hanover, please let me know. We need CHESS members to bring breakfast items such as muffins, fruit, etc.

Even if you can't bring something, I want to get a general head count of who may be coming. I would really hate to set this up and have our Veteran talking to an empty auditorium.

It may not seem like a "big deal" event, but it will be a big deal if you can come and bring your family. This is such an awesome opportunity for our kids to learn what Veteran's Day is about and to learn history first-hand from a living, breathing person who was there. All homeschoolers are welcome as well as the general public. So invite extended family.

The church will be charging us for facility usage (this was a shock to me. I am a member there and they have never charged us in the past.) So I will be collecting a free-will offering to help offset those costs.

I hope to see many of you there.
Blessings,
Patti

Here is the information I posted on HSBulletinBoard:

Veteran's Day Living History Event
sponsored by Christian Home Educator Support Services

Friday, November 11, 2011 (Veteran’s Day)
9:30am
First Baptist Church of Hanover
217 Fulton St, Hanover, Pa
Cost: Free (A free-will offering will be collected to offset costs of facility usage)

Join us for donuts and coffee (or milk) as we gather round and listen to the stories of a veteran of the US Navy. He will share stories with us about his experiences while in the military as well as stories from his growing up before the internet.
This promises to be a delightful and educational event for the whole family.

A card will also be circulated for those who wish to sign. The card will be given to Mr. Willard at the end of the event. Any other notes/pictures children may wish to bring to thank Mr. Willard for his service to our country would also be welcome.

Scrip gift cards

2011-10-22T00:13:00.000-04:00

Target, Olive Garden and Little Caesars are new to the Hanover area and we have gift cards for them! You may order your gift card through our Scrip fundraiser. This is a very easy fundraiser for our group and when you purchase gift cards, you automatically get 1% back in your PPA.

Specials this month:
If you order any of the following gift cards, you will get 5% (instead of the usual 1%) back to your PPA
Jiffy Lube ($30)
Red Robin ($25)
Panera ($10 or $25)
Regal Entertainment Group - regal Cinemas, United Artist Theaters ($25)
Bath & Body Works ($10 or $25)

If you order any of the following gift cards, you will get 2% (instead of the usual 1%) back to your PPA
Hallmark ($25)
Little Caesar's ($20)

The next Scrip order will be due on October 31.

If you have any questions regarding this fundraiser, feel free to contact me.
Blessings,
Patti

Scrip fundraiser

2011-10-08T23:16:00.000-04:00

I have a couple of orders for Scrip and will be placing an order on Monday Oct
10th. The cards should be in by the end of the week. If you would like to place an order, please let me know ASAP.

This is a great way to feed your PPA. 1% of your purchase goes to your PPA. If our order is large enough, you will get 2%.

You can get gift cards for CVS, Rite Aid, Wal Mart, Giant, Olive Garden, Home Depot, Amazon.com, Exxon, Shell, and many, many more. I have attached a complete list of gift cards to this email.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.
Patti

October Planning Meeting

2011-10-08T13:07:00.001-04:00

Monday October 10th 7pm at Nichole's house. Everyone is welcome.

2011-10-08T00:36:00.000-04:00

Gift card fundraiser

The Scrip Card Fundraiser is an ongoing fundraiser. We place orders once a month for gift cards that you purchase.

If you are interested in ordering, just make a list of cards you'd like and give that to me, along with your payment. Checks can be made payable to CHESS.

This is an extremely easy fundraiser for our group. If you are new to CHESS, please see the following information that was sent out previously regarding our gift card fundraiser.

Thanks!
Patti

Gift cards can be bought through two of our ongoing fundraisers, Giant's "Cash for Causes" and Scrip. Giant cards are available in amounts ranging from $2.50 to $100.00 and can be used in Pennsylvania or Maryland Giant. Scrip cards are available for numerous grocery stores, department stores, and other retailers, in a variety of amounts (see www.glscrip.com).

Orders will be made once a month. If there is enough interest, we may place a second order in December about mid-month.

How this fundraiser works
CHESS members purchase gift cards at full face value. CHESS purchases gift cards from Giant and The Great Lakes Scrip Center at a discount of two to fifteen percent. The discount is retained by CHESS as revenue (one or two percent goes into your PPA, depending on the size of the order, and the remainder goes to the group).

These gift cards are for businesses where many of us already shop, making this an extremely easy fundraiser. They also make great gifts for friends and family.

If you have any questions about this fundraiser, please let me know.
Thanks,
Patti

2011-10-08T00:26:00.001-04:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services
2011-12 Co-op

To register, contact Patti Hunt.
Meeting Place ~ Bethel Assembly of God, Littlestown, Pa

High school students will meet every week for 7 weeks
Middle school and under will meet every other week for a total of 4 meetings.

Dates:
Fall Session ~ Begins Oct 7
Winter Session ~ Begins January 13
Spring Session ~ Begins March 16

Fees:
$10 registration fee (This is a once a year fee that will cover our facility costs for the year. At a recent planning meeting, we voted to scholarship this amount to all co-op families from our scholarship fund.)

Fees are per child:
CHESS members ~ $10 per session ($30 cap per family)
Director; Teachers; Lead Nursery ~ Free
Lead Clean up crew ~ $2.50 per session
Assistants/ Mom's Chat Room Hostess/ Clean up crew ~ $5 per session
Guest fee ~ $5 per class (no "per session" discounts will apply)

High School fees per child:
CHESS Members ~ $17.50 per session ($40 cap per family - if you have even on high school student that you are registering, this cap applies to you)
Director; Teachers; Lead Nursery ~ Free
Lead Clean up crew ~ $4.50
Assistants/Mom's Chat Room Hostess/ Clean up crew ~ $8.75
Guest fee ~ $5 per class (no "per session" discounts will apply)

Here is the schedule.

12:30-12:45 Opening exercises
12:45 - 1:05 Picture Study
1:05- 2:05 Class time (*see class/club choices below)
2:05-2:30 Snack/gym time
2:30-3:15 Literature (**see note below)

High School (Note: "High School" is to be defined by the parent. If you have a child in 6th grade who could keep up with a high school class, you are welcome to enroll them in the class. If you have any questions, please see Patti Hunt)
12:30-12:45 Opening exercises
12:45-1:05 Picture Study
1:05 - 2:05 Forensic Science
2:05 - 2:30 Snack / gym time
2:30 - 3:15 IEW ~ Composition writing

All classes need assistants. When you sign up, please let us know where you would like to assist. If you are teaching, you are not expected to assist. Also when you sign up to assist, you get a discount on your co-op fees.

We will have a mom's chat room - a place for mom's who are not assisting to go and chat during the co-op. We need a hostess for the chat room. The Hostess will bring a small snack (for example: a plate of cookies, fruit, or snack mix. We are keeping it simple) and be sure there is coffee, tea and bottled water for the moms. If you sign up for this position, you will get a discount on your co-op fees. See fees above.

All families will be asked to lead opening exercises this year. Opening exercises include an opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and possibly a song. After sign ups are complete, we will let you know when your week is to lead opening exercises. Remember, this is a great opportunity for your children to start on their leadership skills.

*Class/Club offerings
Nature Club (all ages) - Kelly Sanders
American Girl Club (all ages) - Nichole Bortner
Art class - Jackie Valko
If a parent would like to offer another class or club, please contact Patti Hunt or Linda Myers.

"High School" is to be defined by the parent. If you have a child in 6th grade who could keep up with a high school class, you are welcome to enroll them in the class. If you have any questions, please see Patti Hunt.
IEW (High school - approx. ages 13 and up )
Forensic Science (High School - approx. ages 13 and up)

Picture Study (all ages, including high school) - Patti Hunt
Literature (Middle school and under) - Patti Hunt (Fall session - we will look for other moms to sign up to lead this activity for the winter and spring sessions).

These classes will be offered all year. You may sign your child up for just one session or the whole year. (For example, your child may wish to just do American Girl Club this year - OR - your child may want to do American Girl Club in the fall, Nature club in the winter and art in the spring)
For now, we are only signing up for the fall session.
High school classes are for the year.

**Literature time:
A classic book will be chosen for an adult to read to the students after gym time. All children will be given a notebook page on which they may draw a picture and write about the part of the story read that day. Children will also have permission to work on a quiet handicraft (such as knitting) during the reading. At the end, there will be a narration activity.

If you have any questions or need clarification, feel free to contact me.
Blessings,
Patti

Staples Fundraiser

2011-10-08T00:18:00.002-04:00

I set up a teacher's account for CHESS at Staples for recycling ink
cartridges; they will let us recycle up to 10 a month. You can either
take them to Staples yourself, and give them my home phone number,
717-528-4031, since that's the number I used on the account, or you
can give them to me, and I'll take them in.

-Sara

August meeting minutes

2011-10-08T00:12:00.004-04:00

In attendance: Nichole Bortner, Patti Hunt*, Lisa Koontz, Linda Myers, Sara Owens*, Kelly Sanders**Denotes Board of Directors Patti opened the meeting in prayer.

Vision Statement - Patti Hunt

Patti presented the Vision Statement and suggested that we take a look at it every meeting as a guide in decision making for the group.

Treasury Report ~ The treasury report was presented by Patti Hunt. She reported that funds have come in over the summer from Giant A+Rewards program (Pennsylvania), Giant A+Bonus Bucks program (Maryland), and Kennies Partners in Learning and the total added to our treasury was $341.29. This money has been divided amongst the funds we have set up in accordance to need.
Bus trip ~ $163.60
Co-op ~ $176.61
Geography Club ~ $45.29
History Fair ~ $104.68
Parties ~ $76.42
Scholarship Fund ~ $572.01
Spring Formal ~ $176.89
T Shirts ~ $159.27
Yearbook ~ $43.80
General Fund ~ $335.79

Back to School Social ~ Linda MyersFriendlyâ€™s in Gettysburg, September 7, 2011; 5-8pmLinda reported that this will be a social event for homeschoolers and at the same time serve as a fundraiser for our group. Anyone who comes into Friendlyâ€™s that evening will count toward our total. We have many door prizes for the evening and one will be drawn every 20 minutes. Linda chose this evening because you can get two kids meals for $1.99 each when you purchase one adult meal. Members could also come and just get ice cream. There is no requirement for our fundraiser to get a meal.
Other fundraisers ~
Patti HuntScrip fundraisers will start back up at the end of this month. Orders will be due to Patti Hunt on August 31.We need member families to register their Food Lion cards. If you have two Food Lion cards in your household, you may register both of them. We only have 3 cards registered and we need 25 to be eligible to get a check monthly. Sara Owens is coordinating the grocery store card fundraisers. Members should contact her to give her their loyalty card numbers.

Brochure for CHESS â€“ Patti HuntPatti presented a brochure that she put together for CHESS. Attendees at the meeting made some recommendations on wording for clarification. Patti hopes to have the brochure ready to be passed out on September 7 for the Friendlyâ€™s social.

Co-op ~ Patti Hunt/ Linda Myers
First class is October 7 Instituting a $10 registration fee that will cover facility costsLinda Myers suggested giving all families who sign up a scholarship from our scholarship fund for the $10 registration fee. Lisa Koontz agreed that it would be better to use the money in the scholarship fund rather than let it sit. All other attendees at the meeting were in agreement.
Field Trips ~ Linda Myers (field trip coordinator)
The August field trip to swim at Littlestown Pool was canceled due to lack of interest.
September â€“ Field Day at S&G Stables in Littlestown
October â€“ Planetarium
November â€“ Show at the Majestic â€“ Lincoln Douglas debate

Open Floor:Next meeting is a general planning meeting to be held on September 16 at noon at Littlestown Community Park. October meeting will be at Nichole Bortners house on October 10 at 7pm.We are looking for those who are willing to host a planning meeting at their home. For more details, see Patti.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Patti Hunt

Field Trips

2011-10-08T00:05:00.006-04:00

Please pay attention to the registration dates. They are all FREE. There are a number of “Explore Our Community” fieldtrips planned for the Fridays only high school co-op meet for the younger student. These are designed for the parents who do have high school students as well as those who do not to participate. If you do have a HS student you will be able to drop the HS off, participate with their younger children in the field trip and be back to pick up the HS student. Lets fill up that field trip section of the portfolio-lol!!

October
Field Trip: Adams County Rescue Mission
Subject: Civics
Location: ARM is located on rt 30 in Gettysburg
Date/Time: October 19th @ 2pm
Description: The Adams Rescue Mission is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the homeless and needy. The ARM was established in 1972 with the sole goal of sheltering, feeding, and clothing those in need. The Mission serves anyone in need, regardless of race, religion, age, disability, etc. The ARM has diligently served our community for the past 38 years!
Cost: FREE
Registration: lindamay79@... subject: ARM
Please place “ARM” in the subject line so that I can catch any e-mails before being trashed. Also helps me with my record keeping. Thank you!!

Exploring Our Community
Location: Gettysburg Library
Subject: English/ civics
Date/Time: Friday, October 14th @ 1:30 (during High school Co-op)
Cost: FREE
Registration: lindamay79@... subject: Library
Please place “Library” in the subject line so that I can catch any e-mails before being trashed. Also helps me with my record keeping. Thank you!!

Exploring Our Community
Location: Kehr Family Farm: Pumpkin Patch
Subject: Science
Date/Time: Friday, October 28th @ 1:30 (during High school Co-op)
Cost: FREE unless you wish to purchase a pumpkin
Registration: Due October 21st subject: Pumpkin
Please place “Pumpkin” in the subject line so that I can catch any e-mails before being trashed. Also helps me with my record keeping. Thank you!!
THIS TRIP HAS BEEN CANCELLED DO TO PUMPKIN SHORTAGE

Linda Myers

Field Trip

2011-10-07T23:58:00.001-04:00

Next Friday, October 14 is our Field Trip to the Adams County Library Gettysburg Branch. This will be the first of our explore Our Community series and is open to ALL CHESS members. It will be geared towards elementary-middle school students as we are meeting while the High School Coop is being held. If you or your children would like to learn how to take full advantage of our library system to supplement your curriculum or just for enjoyment please attend. It is free. I have the following families registered:
Myers, L
Owens
Martinez
Valco
Royston

Wednesday, October 19 is our Field trip the Adams Rescue Mission. I am asking that anyone attending bring a paper product donation of Tissues, paper towels or toilet paper if your budget allows. Also If anyone would like to attend but has not signed up please let me know ASAP. This would be a great addition to your children’s portfolio in service/civics.
I currently have the following families signed up:
Myers, L
Abel,C
Martinez
Sanders
Royston

Linda May Myers

Fundraiser

2011-10-07T23:57:00.001-04:00

The Giant A+ rewards program starts soon! This has been a great
fundraiser for CHESS in the past. Please send me your bonus card
numbers. Even if you have sent them in the past, please send them to
me again, to make sure we have updated cards. This fundraiser works
for both Pennsylvania and Maryland cards. It is also okay to ask
family and friends for their card numbers.

Also, if you have a Food Lion bonus card, please send me that number
as well. Unlike with Giant (where we can sign up with any number of
cards), Food Lion requires that we have 25 cards to register. Even if
you don't shop there often or at all, if you have a bonus card number,
please send it so that we can get the rewards from our members who do
shop there.

While I'm on the subject of rewards, I also collect ink cartridges to
return to Staples for a reward, so please pass those along as well.

Thank you for helping CHESS!

-Sara

2011-10-07T23:36:00.001-04:00

Panera Bread for our group will no longer be available. Thanks to everyone who has helped in this area.

Panera Bread schedule

2011-07-13T19:59:00.003-04:00

Hello all,
Here is the Panera Bread Schedule. Please let me know if any of these dates are a problem and we will adjust. If you have lots of bread left at your house, Kelly Sanders is willing to take it to the food bank at her church. So please contact her to make arrangements to get it to her.
Members of CHESS will be able to pick up Panera Bread day end leftovers at approximately 9:30pm. Bring bags with you to carry your bread home in.
Check weekly posts [CHESS-PA] to be sure schedule has not changed for the week.

July 20 ~ Linda Myers
July 27 ~ Sanders
Aug 3 ~ Good
Aug 10 ~ Blizard
Aug 17 ~ Hunt
Aug 24 ~ Brillhart
Aug 31 ~ Mayberry
Sept 7 ~Keller
Sept 14 ~ L. Myers
Sept 21 ~ Sanders
Sept 28 ~ Good
Oct 5 ~ Blizard
Oct 12 ~ Hunt
Oct 19 ~ Brillhart
Oct 26 ~ Mayberry

Boxtops

2011-07-11T10:12:00.001-04:00

Hooray for Summer! A time for grilling, family reunions, gardening, swimming and sun! :)

As you may know, CHESS collects Boxtops for Education as an easy fundraiser to provide funds for our group activities. Each boxtop is worth 10 cents. That doesn't sound like much but when I submit our collection, we usually have about $50-$70! Our goal this school year is to raise $500!

During the summer we have a special boxtops challenge that started the first playdate in June. It runs through the final summer playdate in August. For each boxtops your family submits during these months, you will be given 50% of the profit (5 cents each boxtop) in your PPA. This is a substantial increase from the 20% given during the other months of the year.

Reminders:
1. Check expiration dates. Expired boxtops are not submitted or credited.
2. Cut the entire boxtop - all information must be present for the boxtop to be submitted. Torn boxtops can be taped.
3. Label a bag or envelope with your family name to receive credit.\
4. Give boxtops to Kelly Sanders- either at playdates or mail them to her by the final playground date in August to count towards the summer challenge.

All submissions will be tallied and a prize will be awarded to the family that submits the most boxtops. (Usually we award a prize to the top several families. Depends on the donation of prizes.)

Best wishes. For more information, check out the website www.boxtops4education.com Sign up under CHESS to receive information and updates.

Sincerely,
Kelly Sanders
Boxtops for Education Coordinator

Geography Club 2011-2012

2011-07-06T13:38:00.005-04:00

Children age 8 and up, come and explore your world in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The Geography Club will meet once a month and explore the 5 themes of geography through various activities taken from curriculum published by Geography Matters.

Notes:
If your child will turn 8 sometime during the 2011/12 school year and you would like them to participate, please talk to Patti.
All topics are subject to change, but will not change one month before the meeting.
Children must be CHESS members in order to participate in this group.

Children are encouraged to bring a snack along. We will break about half way through the meeting for about 10 minutes.

To participate in the Geography Club, contact Patti Hunt at homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com or (717)465-9838.

Fee per child per meeting:
CHESS Members $2.00 per meeting or $10.00 for the year.
A $2.00 nonrefundable deposit is requested to hold your spot for the Geography Club.

Meeting location will be at First Baptist Church of Hanover.

Meeting time is 1-3pm Thursdays

Dates are as follow:
Sept 8 Africa
Oct 13 Asia
Nov 10 Australia
Dec 8 Possible International Christmas Party
Jan 12 Europe
Feb 9 North America
March 8 South America
April 12 Geography Fair or field trip?
Dates are tentative and may change as the calender for next year is being put together.

Summer Book Discussion

2011-07-06T13:25:00.001-04:00

Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson
Mondays ~ July 11- August 22, 2011 ( no meeting July 25); 1pm-3pm
At Patti Hunt’s home near Cross Keys

From the back of the book…
“Your house is a disaster, your kids seem out of control, and you wonder how you’ll make it through another day of school. Your ‘get up and go’ has ‘gotten up and went’. You use to think homeschooling was the best thing since sliced bread, but now you’re feeling like burnt toast. Take heart – you’re not alone.”

We’ll be getting together on Monday afternoons to discuss Todd Wilson’s book and discussing some key points in the book. If you are interested in joining us for one meeting or all of the meetings, contact Patti Hunt to RSVP at homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com or (717)465-9838.

Membership 2011-2012

2011-06-29T23:14:00.000-04:00

If you have not yet renewed your membership and would still like to, please let me know ASAP. All memberships expire on July 1 at 12:01am. That is this Friday (eek!). When your membership expires, any money in your PPA will automatically default back to CHESS' general fund.

Here are the families who have already renewed.
Abel
Bortner
Crone
Good
Hunt
Kehm
Kehr
Koontz
Lemmer
Mayberry
McKinney
Myers, L
Owens
Sanders
Stremmel
Valko
Woerner

If I have made an error and your name should be on this list, please contact me right away.

Summer Playground Days

2011-06-27T20:09:00.001-04:00

Summer Playground Days &

Book Exchange

July 8, August 12

10am - Noon

Littlestown Community Park

All are welcome.
Come and see some old friends and make some new. Those who are new to homeschooling or just thinking about it are encouraged to attend. Bottled water will be provided by Christian Home Educator Support Services.

Bring a Book / Take a Book

Everyone is welcome to bring books that you are finished with and leave them on the free table. While there, see if there is something you would like to pick up.

What we will be collecting:

Boxtops for Education, Turkey Hill Milk Caps, Loose change to help offset cost of bottled water

In the event of inclement weather, the playground day will be rescheduled for one week later. Cancellations will be posted to the HSBulletinBoard Yahoo! Loop.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Patti Hunt at homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com or (717)465-9838.

Membership dues

2011-06-27T20:05:00.001-04:00

Within the last week, we have received a check from Boxtops for $225.70. After speaking with Heather (becuase she has put in endless hours organizing Boxtops for us) and Emily (because she is the treasurer and in the know of our money stuff), and a brief email discussion with the Board of Directors, we are going to use this check to pay for the liability insurance for next year.

What does that mean for membership dues?
We will be able to keep everyone's membership dues at $3 for the 2011-12 school year. Through upcoming Board meetings, the Board will be in discussion for the 2112-13 school year insurance bill and how to cover it.

Anyone who has already paid their membership dues of $10 will receive a refund of the difference.

Blessings,
Patti

Membership Renewals Due June 30

Notes: All memberships expire June 30. To avoid any interruption in your membership, please renew by the end of the month. For more info on memberships or renewals, contact Patti Hunt.

meeting minutes June 2011

2011-06-27T20:04:00.000-04:00

Members Present: Jackie Valko, Linda Myers, Deanna Mayberry, Kelly Sanders, Sara Owens, Emily Reisig, Patti Hunt, Robin Hoke, Lisa Koontz and Heather Anne Kehr

Patti opened in prayer.

Treasurer Report: -- submitted by Emily Reisig

Bus trip: 73.60

Co-op: 0

General fund: 84.21

Geo. club: 21.54

History Fair: 95.93

Keepers: 57.11

Parties: 37.29

Poetry breakfast: 37.89

Scholarship: 486.05

Spring Formal: 229.75 (still need receipts for paper products)

t-shirt: 135.52

Yearbook: 20.05

PPA: 495.90

Total: 1774.84

Membership Dues:

CHESS memberships dues are raised to $10 per family for 2011-2012 year. This will help to cover the insurance premium and any extra amount will go into the general fund to help cover any gaps. If any family has difficulty paying this fee, please contact Patti Hunt or another Board member. No family will be turned away due to inability to pay this fee. All money in personal profit accounts (PPA) will be available to current members until June 30th. After that time, if membership is not renewed, the money goes into CHESS general fund. With renewed membership, this PPA amount will remain in your account.

Field Trips:

Linda Myers is organizing these for the younger group of co-op students. She is planning on monthly trips (excluding December and June). She's planning on half of the trips being free and some with low fees. Tentative schedule:

July - Breakfast with the Bluebirds at Codorus

August - ?

September - Gettysburg Planetarium or State Museum

October - Pumkpin Patch and Horse Stables

November (8) - Rivalry presentation at Majestic Theatre

January - Clock & Watch Museum

February - Presidents Museum

March - AC Moore field trip/craft stations

April - Lancaster Symphony Orchestra

May - Catoctin Zoo or Family Cow

Boxtops Coordinator:

If anyone is interested in volunteering as the Boxtops Coordinator, please contact Patti Hunt.

Co-op for upcoming year:

CHESS is seeking a Director for the co-op. This person would be responsible for opening the facility weekly, making sure that things run smoothly and to close up the building after use. This position does have a stipend. Patti is seeking to have this position filled before all details of the co-op are finalized. If you are interested, please contact Patti for more information.

Meeting Adjourned

Minutes respectfully submitted by Heather Anne Kehr

July Field Trip

2011-06-27T20:02:00.000-04:00

**July starts the “New School Year”. This can be your first field trip in your portfolio for science!**

Breakfast With the Bluebirds

Date: Friday, July 15th

Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Location: Codorus Park Office / Visitor Center

Cost: FREE

Description: Bring a brown bag breakfast to the park visitor center for a 30 minute program followed by a 15 minute walk to monitor bluebird nest boxes.

RSVP: lindamay79@hotmail.com RE: Bluebird by July 8th!

Please place “Bluebird” in the subject line so that I can catch any e-mails before being trashed. Also helps me with my record keeping. Thank you!!

Bluebird sightings likely….fun and learning guaranteed! See you there!!!

Co-op for the 2011-12 school year

2011-06-27T19:57:00.001-04:00

It is that time of year when we are looking ahead and making plans for the following year. The purpose of this email is to inform members of CHESS of the plans for the Co-op for the 2011-12 school year.

Please note: High school students will meet every week for 7 weeks while all others will meet every other week for 4 weeks.

Meeting time will be Noon to 3pm in the afternoon.

Meeting place: Possibly St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Littlestown (where we met the past two years) Or Bethel Assembly of God in Littlestown (waiting for approval)

Teacher sign ups will begin immediately. If you are interested in teaching, let me know and I can email details to you.
You must renew your CHESS membership before signing up to teach.

Fall Session: 4 week session (meet every other week beginning Oct 7)

Winter: 4 week session begins January 13

Spring Session: 4 week session begins March 16

Each meeting will begin with opening exercises and picture study.

Noon -12:15 ~ Opening Exercises

12:15- 12:35 ~ Picture Study (art appreciation)

12:35 – 1:30 ~ Club meetings

1:30-2pm ~ Snack/Organized games (PE)

2pm- 3pm ~ Classics (Literature study/book discussion and activities)

Club possibilities:

Nature, American Girl, Drama, Art classes

High school students will have the opportunity to participate in Literature and Science classes. These classes will meet once a week within the parameters of the Co-op schedule.

High School Schedule:

Noon – 12:15 ~Opening Exercises

12:15 – 12:35 ~ Picture Study (art appreciation)

12:35 – 1:30 ~ Composition Writing (Institute for Excellence in Writing)

1:30-2pm ~ Snack/ Organized games

2pm – 3pm ~ Forensic Science

Picture Study

Fall ~ Winslow Homer Winter ~ Caravaggio Spring ~ Raphael Sanzio

Co-op Fees
A separate email will be sent with costs and fees.

Here are the positions we need to fill in order for the co-op to work.
If you are interested in filling any of the positions that are not already filled, please contact Patti Hunt as soon as possible.
You may sign up to teach just one 4-week session or you may teach a class all year.
After we have all teachers signed up, we will look for others to assist. As always, if you have any questions or need clarification about any of the positions, feel free to ask.
Patti

Director: Linda Myers

Class / Clubs Teachers: Plan/implement activities and lessons to go with topic chosen; at the end of class, escort children to the fellowship hall for organized games; Be sure the classroom is cleaned and straightened before departure; In the case of absence for any reason, it is the teacher’s responsibility to line up a substitute for that class.

Currently, we have the following who are willing to teach "clubs"

Art ~ Jackie Valko (ages to be determined)

American Girl club ~ Nichole Bortner (for boys or girls ages 8 and up)

I have nature club resources that can be used for this slot.

High School Compostion (IEW) ~ Candice Abel

High School Forensic Science ~ Dovera Owens

Literature Teachers: Plan/implement activities and lessons to go with book chosen; at the end of class, escort children to the fellowship hall to meet parents for dismissal; Be sure the classroom is cleaned and straightened before departure; In the case of absence for any reason, it is the teacher’s responsibility to line up a substitute for that class.

Picture Study Coordinator: Patti Hunt

Game organizer: Plans and coordinates/teaches games for all ages. If weather permits, games should be played outside; in the event of absence for any reason, the game organizer is responsible to line up a substitute for games; This position could be filled by a responsible teen.

* I have a book called "Games for Everyone" by Aaron Hershberger and other resources saved to my computer that can be used.

Mom’s Chat Room Hostess: Moms who are not teaching or assisting will go to the chat room to limit distractions to the classes. The Chat Room hostess will arrange refreshments and be sure the room is clean before departure; Each meeting a basket will be set out for free-will donations for the refreshments; Having a topic ready for discussion will be optional for the hostess; the chat room will not be available when only the high school classes meet (see schedule in previous email).

Co-op Fees

There will be a $10 per family registration fee. This will be used to pay for use of the facility. The co-op fees listed below cover the costs of materials and/or stipends to the teachers.

CHESS members ~ $10 per child per session; $15 per child participating in weekly high school classes. ($40 cap per family)

· Everyone who attends co-op will pay the fee

· Teachers will receive a stipend at the end of each 4-week (7-week for high school) session based on the number of students in class.

· Everyone who has children attending will be required to assist in at least one of the two periods (Classics or Clubs/Classes) or for the Clean Up crew

· Since parents are required to stay on the premises, a room will be set up for those without teaching or assisting responsibilities to keep distractions in classes to a minimum.

· Fundraisers will be put in place to help keep costs down.

Guest fee ~ $5 per day (no "per session" discounts will apply)

To help keep fees in perspective ~

Most private tutoring costs $40 per half hour per child.

Homeschool PE at the Y is $3 per hour

Homeschool swimming lessons at the Y are $6.25 for a 45 minute class

The co-op fee works out to $2.50 per day and includes a picture study, literature, short PE time and another club/class. This works out to 91 cents per hour.

Fundraisers will be key in keeping costs down.

Summer Playground Days

2011-06-09T23:30:00.000-04:00

Summer Playground Days &

Book Exchange

June 10, July 8, August 12

10am - Noon

Littlestown Community Park

All are welcome.
Come and see some old friends and make some new. Those who are new to homeschooling or just thinking about it are encouraged to attend. Bottled water will be provided by Christian Home Educator Support Services.

Bring a Book / Take a Book

Everyone is welcome to bring books that you are finished with and leave them on the free table. While there, see if there is something you would like to pick up.

What we will be collecting:

Boxtops for Education, Turkey Hill Milk Caps, Loose change to help offset cost of bottled water

In the event of inclement weather, the playground day will be rescheduled for one week later. Cancellations will be posted to the HSBulletinBoard Yahoo! Loop.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Patti Hunt at homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com or (717)465-9838.

Co-op 2011-2012

2011-06-07T23:24:00.001-04:00

Although the schedule for next year's co-op is not yet finalized, I wanted to put out there that along with the regular teaching spots, we will also be seeking a director for the co-op.

The co-op director's responsibilities will include:
Organizing and overseeing co-op meetings; appoint families for opening exercises; set up phone tree for cancellations due to weather or facility closure; arrive early to unlock doors, depart last to lock door and assure facility looks as good or better than when the group arrived. The director should be someone who has participated in co-op for at least one year.

The director will recieve a very small stipend at the conclusion of each co-op session (fall, winter and spring).

Once we have a director, we will be able to move forward with planning next year's co-op.

If you are feeling called to this position, please pray about it. If not, please pray that God leads the right person to step forward soon.

If you have any questions about this position, feel free to contact me. By asking questions, you will not be obligated to take the position.

Patricia Ann Hunt
Pennsylvania Homeschool Advisor and Evaluator
(717) 465-9838
http://cminamerica.blogspot.com/

May 2011 Meeting Minutes

2011-06-07T23:04:00.001-04:00

Note from Patti: I apologize for taking so long to get the minutes out to the group. Heather did have them to me within a day or two of the meeting, but there were some things that I felt the board needed to discuss further and wanted to wait before publishing the minutes. The main issue is the membership dues for next year. Although voted on, it is still under discussion because of the way the voting happened. We are working to get the issues resolved as quickly as possible. Thank you all for your understanding and patience in this matter.

Sincerely, Patti

May 16, 2011

Board Members present: Kelly Sanders, Patti Hunt, Deanna Mayberry, Becky Cooke, Emily Reisig, Audra Blizzard, Sara Owens, Heather Anne Kehr (This meeting was only for the Board of Directors.)

Patti opened the meeting in prayer.

Treasury Report submitted by Emily Reisig:

Bus trip: $73.60

co-op: $0

General fund: $84.21

Geo. club: $0

History Fair: $95.93

Keepers: $97.11

Parties: $37.29

Poetry breakfast: $37.89

Scholarship fund: $486.05

Spring formal: $281.21

T-shirt: $135.52

Yearbook: $20.05

PPA: $495.90

Total: $1,844.76

* Geography Club & Co-op funds were intentionally depleted from fees collected by those who attended those classes/clubs to benefit those students.

* Keepers fund will carry over to clubs for next year if not used by July 1st to benefit the students involved in the Keepers club this year. Amount of $40 will need to be paid out of current balance for use of the church facility.

Group Vision: Patti reminded the Board of the vision statement she sent via email. This statement was unanimously adopted by the Board for CHESS.

"Knowing that children have an innate desire to learn, this organization's vision involves nurturing lifelong learners while supporting and encouraging one another in our homeschooling journey through classes, activities and parent-support events based on a Charlotte Mason model."

Bus Trip: This was a great trip despite the weather. There were 33 cancellations due to sickness and weather. However, the situation was handled well and the trip enjoyed by those who attended. It was suggested that we consider the next bus trip to be for Washington, DC in the fall of 2012. More details will be discussed as the time approaches.

Civil War Ball (Spring Formal 2011): May 27th 7-9PM at Gettysburg Ag Center

The dancing instructors and decorator/photographer are excited about this upcoming event. Deanna & Becky discussed several details about the event. A clean up crew is needed. Please contact Deanna Mayberry to volunteer. Deadline for ticket sales are May 20th. (If someone is interested after this date, please contact Patti Hunt to see if spaces are available.)

End of Year Potluck: June 4th 4PM set up/5:30 dinner at Bethel Assembly of God church

Peole are signing up. Contact Kelly Sanders to RSVP for this event as soon as possible. Heather Anne Kehr is accepting donations for door prizes. (You can bring them to the event if you are unable to get them before then.)

2011-2012 Co-op Structure: Surveys from fall and spring as well as online polls were considered in the proposal that Patti presented to the Board. There was much discussion about the details. The Board will be voting on the proposal via email and a decision will be reached by June 1st. More details will be presented when CHESS memberships are accepted for next year.

Membership dues for 2011-2012: CHESS will begin taking new memberships after June 1st. Membership fees are meant to cover the cost of liability insurance, MACHE memberships, and general CHESS expenses (like ink/paper). Family memberships will be increased to cover the insurance premium instead of relying upon fundraisers (as we have done in the past). Therefore fundraising can be used to cover events, classes, and other CHESS activities and CHESS members who are covered by the insurance will cover the cost with their yearly fee. The Board shared much discussion with the desire to be good stewards. The Board voted for the 2011-2012 membership fees to be $7 per family. (That means $2 general expense, $1 MACHE membership, $4 insurance premium.)

CHAP: Patti attended the leaders meeting with Todd Wilson. She shared that he inspired her and renewed her vision and desire for CHESS group. She specifically mentioned recognizing homeschooling as a relay and not a marathon. We are to be there cheering on our friends who are also on this journey. Specifically for those who have completed their portion (graduated homeschool children) that they are vital to helping those who are still on the homeschooling journey. She also desires more focus on the support/fellowship of parents.

With these ideas fresh, Patti will be offering a summer book club based on the book Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson. For more information, please contact Patti.

Next meeting is a general planning meeting. All CHESS members are encouraged to attend. It will be held on June 10th at Littlestown Recreation Park around noon. (This is the same date as our first summer playground date. Watch for more details.)

Becky Cooke closed the meeting in prayer.

Respectfully Submitted,

Heather Anne Kehr

Secretary

2011-06-01T23:31:00.000-04:00

Hi Everybody,

I hope the end of the year is going well for you.

A few folks have asked me to resend this announcement about our PEMG History Through the Arts Summer Camp here in Aspers on June 20-24.

I need to add that, due to a generous contribution to our hosting non-profit (PEMG) by my sister, we are able to offer a limited number of $50 scholarships on a first-come-first-served basis. Also, all your kids could attend this fun and educational camp for a few dollars more than the cost of two campers.

One more thing: if you have signed up for swim lessons that week with Nancy Hendrickson, she tells me that she will probably be able to offer evening lessons for those in camp.

Hope you can come!

Edy Sarnoff

Pommerian Early Music Guild presents:

The Second Annual History Through the Arts Summer Camp
Celebrating the 330th anniversary of PA's Charter!

June 20-24, 2011 from 9:00-4:00 at the Menallen Friends Meetinghouse in Aspers, PA

Entitled Celebrating Pennsylvania's Beginnings, our non-profit summer camp for children ages 6-16 features:

Hands-on arts activities to help campers experience our region's early history through Historic Dance, Music, Fine Arts, Literary Arts, and Drama.

Two fieldtrips - to Fort Hunter (Native American program) and Pine Grove Furnace State Park (early iron industry and swimming!)

Six professional artist/educators sharing fun facts and helping campers discover their own artistry while learning local and state history

Teachers: Nancy Walker (dance) holds a MA from Ohio State, Ann Griffith (drama) holds a BA from Gettysburg College, Kathleen Anderson (literary arts and history) holds a MS from Hood College, Edythe Sarnoff (music) holds a MM from Catholic University, Christy Weller (art)holds an Associates degree from Frederick Community College, Jef Savage (historic re-enacting) holds an MBA from Middlesex University, England.

Cost for the five-day camp, including two fieldtrips is $95 per camper with a maximum of $195 per family. Campers will enjoy lights snacks and should

pack their lunch each day. Friday will include a special opportunity for campers to share what they're learning in a camp showcase.

This program has been supported in part by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, the Federal-State Partner of the National Endowment for the

Humanities.

Please email PEMG at: PEMGmusic@hotmail.com or call (717) 677-7072 for more information or to register by Sunday, June 12, 2011. Pictures of the

camp are available at our wedsite: www.pommerianearlymusicguild.org

Civil War Ball

2011-05-19T08:12:00.000-04:00

Hear ye, Hear ye! Come one, come all to our Civil War Ball!
When: Friday, May 27, 2011 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Where: Lower level of the Ag. Center - 670 Old Harrisburg Rd. Suite 204, Gettysburg, PA (across from HACC)

There will be period dancing taught by our awesome professional dance couple, Nancy Walker and Jef Savage - check out what they can do at www.DanzaAntiqua.com !

The dancing in the earlier part of the evening will be actual dances that were performed during the time of the Civil War! Our professional dancers will teach us how to do them!

There will be real antiques for decorations!

We'll have re-enactors to mingle with and share stories of their experiences!

Nancy will do a short demonstration on how to make Bobbin lace!

Decorations are by Marcie at www.celebratingmomentsbymarcie.blogspot.com Which will be awesome!

The Food! - Provided by the loving hands of our CHESS ladies! Sure to delight!

TICKETS - CHESS* members - $7.00 for the 1st ticket and $2.00 for each additional person in the same family

Non-members - $10.00 for the 1st ticket and $5.00 for each additional person in the same family

CHILDREN AGED 3 AND YOUNGER - FREE!!

*CHESS members receive a discount due to their hard work participating in fundraisers and preparing delectable refreshments for your dining pleasure!

SEE PATTI HUNT TO GET YOUR TICKETS!
homeschoolmarm@...

DRESS CODE:

Civil War period dress is encouraged, but not required.

This is a semi-formal family event - When choosing what to wear, guests are asked to keep in mind that there will be small children at this event

GIRLS/WOMEN: Dresses, skirts or dress slacks
NO spaghetti straps
NO CLEAVAGE!!
Skirt length - below the knee
Skirt slits - NOT above the knee
Appropriate shoes - NO sneakers, or flip flops - it does not matter how fancy they are!

BOYS/MEN: Dress slacks, button down shirt with tie or tuxedo
Appropriate shoes - NO sneakers or flip flops

Anyone not in accordance with the dress code will not be allowed to enter and cannot be refunded money for tickets.

Civil War Ball

2011-05-19T08:10:00.000-04:00

This year's spring formal (Civil War Ball) will be held on May 27, 2011; 7pm-9pm on the lower level of the Agriculture Center in Gettysburg.

This is a family event. Everyone age 18 and younger should be accompanied by his or her own parent(s)/legal guardian(s).

Ticket prices are as follows:
CHESS members ~ $7 for the first ticket per family; $2 for each additional ticket per family
Non CHESS members ~ $10 for the first ticket per family; $5 for each additional ticket per family.

Please RSVP for this event before May 20 and send payment for tickets to Patti Hunt.

About ticket prices ~ Ticket prices are lower for CHESS members since they have had opportunity to contribute to fundraisers throughout the year to support this event. Also, CHESS member families are each asked to bring something for the refreshment table for the evening.

Refreshments ~ All CHESS members attending are asked to bring refreshments. Since the cost of catering would make this event out of many families' price range, this helps us to keep overall costs down. We will try to keep it simple by asking for finger foods that do not require silverware. Please see this sign-up sheet for what is needed.
http://www.helpersignup.com/viewsheet.php?type=1&sheet=5c4bf300031491de6c4947c3faaaa177

Dress Code
Civil War Period Dress is encouraged, but not required.
This is a formal family event. When choosing what to wear, guests are asked to keep in mind that there will be small children at this event.

Girls/Women: Dresses, skirts or dress slacks

No spaghetti straps. No cleavage. Skirt length should be below the knee. Skirt slits should not come above the knee. Appropriate shoes should also be worn (no sneakers or flip flops – doesn’t matter how fancy they are!)

Boys/Men: Dress slacks, button down shirt with tie or tuxedo with appropriate shoes (no flip flops or sneakers)

**Anyone not in accordance with the dress code will not be allowed to enter and cannot be refunded money for tickets.**

It's a family event. So please come dressed appropriately.

Photography~
You are welcome to bring cameras and take pictures to your heart's delight at this event. We also have a professional photographer who will be taking formal and candid pictures throughout the evening. Every family will recieve a picture CD of this event in a few weeks.

Bringing a Date?
This is a family event. If your teen would like to bring a date, you are responsible for that date and Christian Home Educator Support Services will not be held liable. The children's only chaperones are their own parents/legal guardians.

Patricia Ann Hunt
Pennsylvania Homeschool Advisor and Evaluator

CHESS Planning Minutes from April 18, 2011

2011-05-06T21:48:00.000-04:00

CHESS Planning Minutes from April 18, 2011

Members in Attendance: Patti Hunt, Becky Cooke, Emily Reisig, Deanna Mayberry, Linda May-Myers, Kim Keller, Rikki Martinez, Kelly Sanders, Sara Owens, Heather Anne Kehr

Patti opened the meeting in prayer.

Treasury Report by Emily Reisig: Bus trip: 128.60

Co-op: 406.07

General fund: 94.51

Geo. club: 79.50

History Fair: 130.93

Keepers: 97.11

Parties: 17.29

Poetry Luncheon: 57.89

Scholarship: 591.05

Spring Formal: 281.21

T-shirts: 135.52

Yearbook: 20.05

PPA: 798.75

Total: $2,838.48

1. Both buses have been paid for and the remaining funds will be used to pay tips for the bus drivers (usually about $50 per driver)

2. For the History Fair - A receipt of $15 has yet to be reimbursed. The remaining funds will roll over for next year's fair.

3. Patti submitted a proposal for using the remaining co-op funds as thank you gifts for the teachers and leaders as well as paying the church for use of the facility. The total amount requested for this proposal is $300 which leaves $106.07 to be paid to the church. The following amounts were requested per session (fall/spring). Nursery & Cleanup Crew - $15

Pre-K, Primary, Intermediate, Secondary - $30. "This allotment for teachers is greater considering they spend time outside of co-op preparing for the classes by making plans and gathering materials. The teachers and the leaders are crucial to the function of our co-op. They sacrifice time and other resources to help make our co-op happen. Thank you gifts will be given since we are unable to give them a paycheck or stipend at this time." This was voted on by those in attendance who did not teach or function in a leadership role during the co-op this year. The proposal passed unanimously.

4. Since there was no poetry luncheon this year, the funds in this category will be used (if necessary) for the end of year potluck dinner. No funds were raised specifically for poetry luncheon -- all funds in this category were a portion of general fund raising.

5. $40 will be given to Bethel Assembly of God for use of their building for the History Fair and the End of year potluck dinner.

End of Year Potluck Dinner: June 4

Kelly Sanders is organizing this event. She has secured Bethel Assembly of God for this event. She will be sending more details as the time approaches.

Next Scrip order will benefit the Party Fund (which includes events like the End of Year Potluck dinner).

CHESS vision and purpose -

CHESS's official purpose can be found in the by-laws. Patti reviewed comments from the minutes of September 2010 to share what the group felt our needs were and the things that were very helpful from CHESS. We would like to develop a vision statement which would help direct our group decisions. Several ideas were discussed as important to include in this vision statement: innate desire to learn, life-long learning, support/encouragement/relationship aspect of the group as opposed to a purely academic group. Patti is going to prepare a vision statement for review at next month's Board planning meeting.

Co-op

1. Reviewed proposal that was given at the last co-op meeting. It is more academic but holding to the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Patti gave an anonymous review of emails and surveys for the group to consider. One mother said she is interested in leading an American Girl club for next year. Other comments included

· a concern for heading towards more academic co-op and would like more social activities

· appreciation for heading towards a more academic co-op

· appreciation for the topics of the sessions this year

· need for activities for the younger children before & after co-op

· need for closing ceremony

· reviewing co-op structure concerning the requirement to teach or paying a stipend to the teachers to make this more of a true cooperative.

All discussion and comments are being taken into consideration as we plan for next year.

2. Clubs – Part of the Co-op proposal included the opportunity for children attend a literature class and to choose 1 club per session (fall/winter/spring), so children will end up being able to participate in three literature classes and three different clubs.

3. More discussion brought about the need for a field trip organizer (especially for younger children on the days the high school students meet for their classes). Linda May-Myers offered to organize these ideas. She would like group members to share ideas that would be beneficial to the group as a whole.

4. Deanna requested it to be noted that this year's co-op schedule reflected the expressed desires of the members of CHESS last spring. This coming year's schedule will reflect the desires of the members of CHESS this spring.

5. There is a need to focus on the needs of the older children and the core credit requirements for the high school students. There was clarification between a class and a club. Class = more instruction & Club = more activity based

6. Additional comments:

- Winter session did not happen this past year (for various reasons) should we focus more on gatherings rather than an additional winter session for co-op

- Families could choose both teaching opportunities (class and club) for each co-op or just one (class OR club) or for older children (one class)

- Afternoon schedule is a positive (compared to AM schedule)

- Would love to see more field trips especially for younger children

- Plan more fall field trips and activities (this spring has gotten really full with a formal, bus trip, fair and co-op)

- Need for more structure for high school students and more casual for younger students

The Board of Directors will vote on the Co-op dates and structure for next year at the May Board of Directors meeting.

Support aspect of CHESS

Deanna is open to organizing Mom's Nights Out for mothers to gain encouragement and support from other moms in a setting that is relaxing and fun.

History Fair

Positive feedback from all those who attended. Well attended (although seemed like less people than prior years). There was an expressed interest in a science fair in the future. Possibly to alternate years with the history fair.

Spring Formal on May 27th from 7-9PM

1. Tickets for CHESS members will cost $7 for the first ticket of a family (this price includes the cost for a CD containing all the photographs from the event taken by our photographer - both formal and causal shots), additional tickets will be $2 per person within a nuclear famliy (no cap per family). Children 3 and under are free.

2. Tickets for non-CHESS members will cost $10 for the first ticket of a family (this price includes the cost for a CD containing all the photographs from the event take by our photographer both formal and casual shots), additional tickets will be $4 per person (no cap per family). Children 3 and under are free.

3. Norma Dowling is open to helping those interested in sewing a civil gown. She has some civil war costumes that members can borrow. They are on loan from a generous church in Gettysburg.

4. This event is a family event. Everyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied & supervised by their parent(s). There is a dress code which will be enforced. Civil war costume is optional. Sunday best is required. Modest dress code will be enforced.

5. Music will be 1800's music until the last 1/2 hour which will include Christian contemporary and fun favorites (like Chicken Dance and Hokey Pokey).

6. Dance instructors will be Nancy Walker & Jeff Savage from Dance Antiqua. They will be instructing those in attendance to learn authentic civil war period dances.

7. Deanna will be sending additional information via email.

Next meeting will be held on May 16th at First Baptist Church in Hanover. Portfolio Share will begin at 5:30 PM (Please bring your portfolio to share and come to get great ideas from other families. This event is open to all homeschooling families.) The next meeting is a Board planning meeting which is limited to CHESS Board members. Any concerns or requests can be presented to a Board member to be discussed at the meeting.

Patti motioned to adjourn the meeting and Emily second that motion.

Respectfully Submitted,

Heather Anne Kehr

Secretary

Reviewed and edited
Patricia Hunt
President

Civil War Ball

2011-05-06T21:38:00.000-04:00

"Tickets here! - Step up folks and get your tickets!"

FOR THE
CHESS CIVIL WAR BALL!

MAY 27, 2011
7:00PM - 9:00PM
AG. CENTER
GETTYSBURG, PA

Prices:
CHESS Members* - $7.00 for the first ticket and $2.00 for each additional person in the same family

Non-members - $10.00 for the first ticket and $5.00 for each additional person in the same family

children aged 3 and younger - free!

contact patti hunt

*chess members receive a discount due to their hard work participating in fundraisers and preparing delectable refreshments for your dining pleasure!

Portfolio share

2011-05-05T09:42:00.000-04:00

May 16, 2011
5:30-7pm
First Baptist Church of Hanover
217 Fulton Street
Hanover, Pa

Portfolio Share

Calling Veteran Homeschoolers!

We are looking for those who have portfolios to bring to the portfolio share so that new homeschoolers can have an idea of what a completed portfolio looks like.

Calling Rookie Homeschoolers!

Are you curious about what a completed portfolio looks like? Plan to attend the Portfolio

Share.

This event is free and open to all homeschooling families.

Light refreshments will be served.

Hope to see you all there!

CHESS End-of-Year Potluck Dinner

2011-04-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

This year we will be having our annual "CHESS End-of-Year Potluck Dinner" on Saturday, June 4th.
It will be held at:
Bethel Assembly of God
1125 Frederick Pike
Littlestown, PA 17340
This is where the history fair was held in April.

Time: set up will begin at 4pm.
Supper will begin at 5:30pm.

Again this year you will have the OPTION to have displays, presentations, and/or performances. There will be a wall to hang artwork, just bring long pins to hang your artwork with. It is a great time to have other people admire your children's portfolios and /or give your child performance or public speaking experience to a very friendly audience.
Please note: A simple Yamaha keyboard will be available.

Please sign up to bring food!
A main dish and one or two of the following: side dish/dessert/ drink.

BRING YOUR FAMILIES ALONG!
If you are coming please respond back to me by May14th with the following information:
Number of people coming
What food you will bring (we don't want to end up with the same dishes)
If your child will have a display (there will be half a table per child unless you tell me you will need more)
If your child will be giving a performance (let me know what type of performance)
I am looking for someone to run the kitchen duties for the evening and someone else to find door prizes.

If you have any questions or would like to help set up, feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Kelly Sanders
kellys24@comcast. net
717-637-5033

The Second Annual History Through the Arts Summer Camp

2011-04-15T06:40:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share the following information with homeschoolers before we "go public" next week. I've been teaching in and directing these summer experiences (The Creative Kids Workshop and The History Through the Arts Camp) for seven years now.

It's a wonderful chance for kids to have fun while learning PA history, art, music, dance and language skills. Because of a grant from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, we are able to offer this camp at a special rate so that everybody can come enjoy great teaching in a beautiful setting, all while celebrating the 330th anniversary of our PA charter. Hope you can join us!

Pommerian Early Music Guild proudly announces:

The Second Annual History Through the Arts Summer Camp

Celebrating the 330th anniversary of PA's Charter!

June 20-24, 2011 from 9:00-4:00 at the Menallen Friends Meetinghouse in Aspers, PA

Entitled Celebrating Pennsylvania's Beginnings, our non-profit summer camp for children ages 6-16 features:

· Hands-on arts activities to help campers experience our region's early history through Historic Dance, Music, Fine Arts, Literary Arts, and Drama

· Two fieldtrips-to Fort Hunter (Native American program) and Pine Grove Furnace State Park (early iron industry and swimming!)

· Six professional artist/educators sharing fun facts and helping campers discover their own artistry while learning local and state history

Teachers: Nancy Walker holds a MA from Ohio State, Ann Griffith holds a BA from Gettysburg College, Kathleen Anderson holds a MS from Hood College, Edythe Sarnoff holds a MM from Catholic University, Christy Weller holds an Associates degree from Frederick Community College, Jef Savage holds an MBA from Middlesex University, England.

Cost for the five-day camp, including two fieldtrips is $95 per camper with a maximum of $195 per family. Campers are provided lights snacks and should pack their own lunch each day. Friday will include a special opportunity for campers to share what they're learning in a camp showcase.

Please email or call PEMG at: earlymusik@embarqmail.com / (717)677-7072 for more information or to register by Sunday, June 5, 2011.

Here’s what families’ are saying:
History Through the Arts Camp was a unique opportunity for my children to personally experience history. They are still talking about entering the time machine and finding a soldier under the tree. They participated in a wide variety of leisure activities that enthralled all three of my children and made the past very real and understandable. Cady A

History Through the Arts camp was fun for my daughter and a purpose for me. She had a terrific time while learning history and experiencing the arts through talented and caring camp leaders. Thanks so much for continuing to offer this camp! Shirley M.

Pommerian Early Music Guild is a non-profit cultural organization seeking to promote a love for music written before 1863 by presenting concerts, hosting educational events and maintaining a website at: www.pommerianearlymusicguild.org

Bowling

2011-04-15T06:38:00.001-04:00

CHESS will be going to South Hanover Lanes on Friday, April 22, 2011; 1-3pm. Lanes are $15 for up to 6 bowlers for two hours and that includes shoe rental. If we use more than 8 lanes, the price goes to $12 a lane.
We will set up a lane for teens.

Children may not be dropped off. Children must be accompanied by at least one parent/guardian.

If you plan to go, please let me know so I can give the bowling alley an idea of how many to expect.

This event is open to all homeschoolers.
Patti

Planning Meeting minutes March 21, 2011

2011-04-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

CHESS Planning Meeting minutes for March 21, 2011

Members present: Patti Hunt, Deanna Mayberry, Sara Owens, Becky Cooke, Emily Reisig, Kelly Sanders and Heather Anne Kehr

Patti opened in prayer.

Emily presented the Treasury Report. She reminded us that receipts for expenses related to CHESS activities may be submitted for reimbursement.

Bus Trip: 1,747.60

Co-op: 504.69

General fund: 84.29

Geography Club: 99.50

History Fair: 96.85

Keepers: 86.11

Parties: 17.29

Poetry Luncheon: 57.89

Scholarship: 661.05

Spring Formal: 214.21

T-shirts: 135.52

Yearbook: 20.05

PPA: 1035.45

---------------------

Total: $4,760.50

Giant A+ Rewards program - We have $164.73 as of February 28 with 16 designations.

Panera Bread - This program through CHESS will be discontinued as soon as possible. Patti will talk with Panera to work out the details.

History Fair (April 9) - Kelly Sanders and Becky Cooke will be in charge that day. Patti will send reminder email to homeschooling families. This event is open to all homeschoolers. To register your children, please contact Patti Hunt with the topic that will be presented. Deanna's Colonial class will display their villages at the Fair.

Bus trip (April 28th) - Almost all seats are accounted for on both buses. Cost is $2.50 per seat for those who participated in the fund raising for this event. Payment was due March 25th to hold seats. If seats remain, they will be offered to other homeschooling families at a different rate.

Spring Formal (May 27 at Ag Center in Gettysburg from 7-9PM) -

1. Discussion about learning the dances of the 1800's and those available to provide that service. Pricing for Nancy Walker is $100 to teach the dancing and provide some music. Unanimous decision by those present to pursue her services.

2. Deanna will contact Norma Dowling about the date for the field trip to Abraham's Lady to get ideas and materials to sew civil war dresses for the formal.

3. Those present unanimously voted to hire Celebrating Moments by Marcie as our decorator, event planner and photographer for the evening at the cost of $200. Each family will receive a CD with photographs from the evening. (Cost will be included in admission.)

4. Deanna will email CHESS members for loans of items to use in decorating the Ag Center for that evening's event.

5. Reminder that this is a family event. Students must be accompanied and supervised by parent(s).

6. Becky is willing to organize a Shultz's fundraiser to benefit the Spring Formal. More details to come.

7. Vote passed to move unspecified funds to Spring Formal Fund.

Open Floor:

1. Lending Library policy was presented by Sara Owens. This policy will help to keep track of items that are checked out to families and provide incentive for materials to be returned by deposit.

2. Pine Wood Derby will be considered for next year's events.

3. End of year potluck dinner (on CHESS calendar for June 4) - A request has been submitted to Bethel Assembly of God Church for use of facility.

Next Planning Meeting: We invite all members of CHESS to attend meetings to share their opinions, ideas and information concerning CHESS event including special events, ongoing fundraisers, services, co-op, and more. The next meeting will be held on April 11th at First Baptist Church in Hanover at 7PM. For directions or more information, feel free to contact Patti Hunt, Becky Cooke or any of the other Board members.

Respectfully Submitted,

Heather Anne Kehr

Secretary

History Fair update

2011-04-04T22:17:00.001-04:00

The History Fair sponsored by Christian Home Educator Support Services will be Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 11am to 1pm at Bethel Assembly of God in Littlestown.

Please check the list below to see if you are signed up. If your child's name is not on the list and he/she would still like to make a project to be entered, please contact me ASAP.

This event is open to the public and all participants are encouraged to invite family, friends and neighbors. Even if you didn't make a project, you are welcome to come and see what others are studying.

Any homeschooler may make a project and participate in this event.

Refreshments will be available for purchase.

We have 22 projects signed up so far. Please see names and topics below.

Name Topic

B. Reisig.............................................Amelia Earhart
A. Cooke ............................................Dwight D Eisenhower
E. Cooke ............................................Dominique Moceanu
D. Cooke ............................................ Vietnam War
R. Hunt ............................................... Civil War
L. Hunt ................................................ 1950's
J. Sanders ........................................... War with Mexico
L. Sanders ........................................... WWII
K. Sanders ........................................... Mayflower
M. Sanders ........................................... Trojan War
Kehr ..................................................... WWII
H. McKinney ......................................... History of Gettysburg
E. McKinney ......................................... Milton Hershey
L. McKinney .......................................... History of Video Game Systems
A. Myers ............................................... Presidents
B. Myers ............................................... ??
J. Hottenstein ........................................ The History of Star War Legos
A. Koontz ............................................. George Washington
K. Koontz ............................................. Daniel Boone
H. Abel ................................................. Great Depression
J. Abel .................................................. Alexander Graham Bell
J. Redding ............................................. Ancient Greece

2011-04-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

Magic Elm Skateland
625 W. Elm Ave
Hanover, PA 17331

Used Book/
Curriculum Sale
Thursday, April 7, 2011

9:00am-12noon

Admission fee is $6.00 for skaters

Tables will be available for folks to sell their used curriculum materials. To reserve a table contact Gary at gary@magicelmskateland.com The tables are free.

End-of-the-Year Potluck Dinner

2011-04-01T08:28:00.000-04:00

June 4, 2011
Bethel Assembly of God
1125 Frederick Pike
Littlestown, PA
Time: set up will begin at 4pm.
Supper will begin at 5:30pm.
Again this year you will have the OPTION to have displays, presentations, and/or performances. There will be a wall to hang artwork, just bring long pins to hang your artwork with. It is a great time to have other people admire your children's portfolios and /or give your child performance or public speaking experience to a very friendly audience.

Watch for details

summer art camps

2011-03-23T22:55:00.000-04:00

Adams County Arts Council invites your students to participate in an art filled summer!

Express yourself and enrich your mind this summer at art camps taught at ACAC's Imagination Station
Please ask your students and parents to visit www.adamsarts.org for complete information and to register on line.

For more information, or if you have any questions please contact aa@adamsarts.org or call 334-5006. The mission of Adams County Arts Council is to cultivate an arts-rich community.

Thank you!

Alexis Zimmerman, Intern
acacintern@yahoo.com
717-334-5006
www.adamsarts.org
Cultivating an arts-rich community

Unless otherwise stated, classes are held in our Imagination Station learning center at 18 Carlisle Street,
Suite 201, in Gettysburg, across from the Majestic. Parking is available in the Race Horse Alley parking garage behind
the theater.

The Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators State Home Education Curriculum Fair

2011-03-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Maryland State Home School Curriculum Fair

Held April 15 and 16, 2011
at the Frederick County Fairgrounds.
Patrick Street, Frederick, Maryland.

Friday 4-9pm Saturday 9-4pm

There will be over 200 boths of homeschool curriculum and materials filling 4 large exhibit halls. Most all of the major national publishers along with local area ministries that serve homeschool families with have representatives on hand to talk with. The event is FREE for all MACHE members. (CHESS is affiliated with MACHE, so we are considered members. Need MACHE membership card to get in, see Patti for this)

YHSA Annual Curriculum Fair

2011-03-23T09:07:00.000-04:00

Hello all,
I copy and pasted the information below from the YHSA website.
This is a great place to begin your search for materials for next year.

I plan to go. If anyone would be interested in carpooling, I have room in my car and plan to leave my house near Cross Keys around 9:30 or 10.
Blessings,
Patti

Curriculum Fair
YHSA Annual Curriculum Fair
When: Saturday, March 26, 2011
Where: Grace Fellowship, 1405 Seven Valleys Road, York, PA 17408

Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm Open to the public
Admission: $1 per family
The Child, a documentary by Parental Rights, will be showing Friday from 7pm to 9pm.
On Saturday, The Child will be showing throughout the day.

Workshops Scheduled: NEW!! -

10:30 am -- A Brief Overview of the Ins & Outs of Homeschooling During the High School Years - Donna Botterbusch, speaker

1:30 pm -- A Brief Overview of the PA Home School Law and How to Comply - Susan Kallstrom, speaker

Vendors.
To be part of our 2011 Fair, Contact Julie Tate, at tate500@comcast.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Vendors currently committed: updated 3/18/11
Teaching Textbooks
Usborne Books
Classical Conversations
College Plus
Holly Metzger – Physical Education
Nolt’s Used Office Furniture
Ray Eicher – Guitar and other strings instruction
Menchey Music
PA Curriculum Exchange
Julie Inch – Notary Public
River Valley Ranch
Twirly Girls Art Studio
MacCloskey and Myers - Drama
The Bible Made Simple
Toni King Photography Classes
The Prancing Pig Paint – Pottery art
Light of Life Family Resources
One – Teen Abstinence program
Busy Hands Happy Hands – Toddler/Preschool/Beginner Learner
Beth Reinke – local children’s books author
Book Surplus Co.
BJU Press
Phyllis Graham – reading tutor
Kindermusik
UK Soccer Camps
Exam Hero

What will I see at the curriculum display fair and used book sale?
Curriculum being used by others, with the opportunity to ask how it is working in their family
New curriculum and books being sold by distributors/representatives
Used curriculum items being sold
Food at reasonable prices like: hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, chili, nachos & cheese, baked goods, candy, coffee, tea, juice, and soda
Mom’s Support Group displays
Small group activities displays
YHSA Information Table and membership sign up
YHSA traveling library
Catalogs from curriculum companies and distributors
Child Care will be provided for those shopping by the YHSA 4H Sunbeams for a donation.
From York, take Rte. 30 west. Turn left at Route 616 (at Christmas Tree Hill beyond West York); continue for 2.9 miles. Church is on the left; look for signs where to enter. From the south, take 83 to Glen Rock Exit (Exit 8); turn left onto 216; turn right onto Susq. Trail (still 216); turn left onto Glen Rock Road and then right onto Yellow Church Road. Continue to Seven Valleys where 616 joins. Continue straight on 616 and church will be on your right just after the Rutter’s and across from Twin Pine Farm Store.

2011-03-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Youth Field day

June 4th, 2011

McSherrystown Fish & Game Association.

Enjoy a day of archery, fishing, target shooting, and much more!!!

http://adamscountysoy.org/Home_Page.html

2011-03-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

History Fair

Saturday, April 9, 2011
11-1pm
Bethel Assembly of God
2075 Fish & Game Road, Littlestown, Pa

Set up before 11am.

If you are interested in participating, contact Patti Hunt at (717)465-9838 or homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com before April 4, 2010 with child's name and topic.

We also need CHESS members to bring baked goods and other items for the concession sale at the History Fair. To find out what is needed, please contact Candice Abel at candicea6@yahoo.com

Participants that are signed up:
Bethany Reisig... Amelia Earhart
Anna Cooke ... Dwight D Eisenhower
Drew Cooke ... Vietnam War
Elly Cooke ... History of Snoopy
Raymond Hunt .... Civil War Soldiers
Lucy Hunt ..... Everyday life during the Civil War
Jesse Sanders ... War with Mexico
Luke Sanders ... WWII
Keziah Sanders ... Mayflower
Michael Sanders ... Trojan War
Kehr Family ... WWII (with focus on victory gardens)

This is an activity in which students will have the opportunity to display what they have learned in the area of history. This event is sponsored by Christian Home Educator Support Services and is open to all homeschoolers.
The event itself is open to the public with free admission
Refreshments (lunch items) will be available for purchase.

Display topics may include, but are not limited to:
Historical Events (Civil War, Fall of the Roman Empire, The Lewis and Clark Expedition, etc.)
People (Alexander the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Tubman, etc.)
Periods of Time (Medieval times, Ancient Egypt, Industrial Revolution, etc.)
The History of an Item ( The history of the automobile, chocolate, computers, etc.)
Participants may make a display board, speech, skit, etc. Each participant should be available for questions from those attending.
Displays should be completed by the participant and may include, pictures, coloring pages, writing assignments, period clothing, etc. This is only limited to the participants imagination.

If a participant wishes to give a speech about his/her display, please be sure they practice their speech at home before hand and that they are not simply pointing to and reading the items on their display. If they wish to speak about their project, they should give more detail about it with some interesting facts.

If you are interested in participating, contact Patti Hunt at (717)465-9838 or homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com before April 4, 2010 with child's name and topic.

2011-03-22T09:21:00.000-04:00

History Fair

Saturday, April 9, 2011
11-1pm
open to come early to set up your display
Bethel Assembly of God
2075 Fish & Game Road, Littlestown, Pa

This is an activity in which students will have the opportunity to display what they have learned in the area of history. This event is sponsored by Christian Home Educator Support Services and is open to all homeschoolers.
The event itself is open to the public with free admission
Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Display topics may include, but are not limited to:
Historical Events (Civil War, Fall of the Roman Empire, The Lewis and Clark Expedition, etc.)
People (Alexander the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Tubman, etc.)
Periods of Time (Medieval times, Ancient Egypt, Industrial Revolution, etc.)
The History of an Item ( The history of the automobile, chocolate, computers, etc.)
Participants may make a display board, speech, skit, etc. Each participant should be available for questions from those attending.
Displays should be completed by the participant and may include, pictures, coloring pages, writing assignments, period clothing, etc. This is only limited to the participants imagination.

If a participant wishes to give a speech about his/her display, please be sure they practice their speech at home before hand and that they are not simply pointing to and reading the items on their display. If they wish to speak about their project, they should give more detail about it with some interesting facts.

If you are interested in participating, contact Patti Hunt at (717)465-9838 or homeschoolmarm@... before April 4, 2010 with child's name and topic

2011-03-15T07:30:00.001-04:00

Hello all,
I wanted to make you all aware that there are probably going to be two Classical Conversations campuses opening up next year in our area ~ one in Gettysburg and one in Hanover.
The Gettysburg campus has a director for the Prek to 6th graders and one tutor (teacher) for the PreK to 3rd grade. They are looking for tutors for the 4th to 6th graders and tutor/directors for each grade level 7th grade and up.

Ali Cole is spearheading the Hanover campus. (She is on this email loop). If you would like to find out more about the Hanover campus, I encourage you to contact her.

Both campuses are seeking a facility where they can meet.

If anyone is interested in hearing more about Classical Conversations, let me know. If there is enough interest, I will see about getting another information session scheduled soon.
Here is a website for CC:
http://www.classicalconversations.com/

If you look at the tuition, it may surprise you. However, the teachers have to go to trianing and are paid to teach. My personal belief is that it is worth every penny. There are so many things I like about this program and would love to talk with you about what is drawing me to it.

Blessings,
Patti

Geography Club 2010-2011

2011-03-07T10:59:00.001-05:00

May meeting will be held at First Baptist Church in Hanover from 1-3PM. This will be a geography fair that students can display projects. Participation is limited to those in geography club, however families and other homeschool students are welcome to attend.

CHESS Planning Meeting Minutes for February 28, 2011

2011-03-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

Members in attendance: Audra Blizzard, Deanna Mayberry, Sara Owens, Tammy Crone, Patti Hunt, Becky Cooke, Emily Resig, Kelly Sanders, Heather Anne Kehr

Patti opened the meeting in prayer.

Treasury Report by Emily Resig.

Bus trip 1680.10
co-op 537.08
general fund 81.19
geography club 99.50
History fair 96.85
Keepers 60.11
Parties 17.29
poetry lunch 57.89
scholarship 661.05
spring formal 197.20
t-shirts 135.52
yearbook 20.05
ppa 1043.72
Total: $4687.55

Patti made note to express sincere appreciation for all that Emily has done in the role of treasurer. She recognizes the amount of time and organization it takes to do the job well. She expressed trust in the way Emily handles the groups finances and wanted the group to be aware of this.

Concern was expressed for how low the general fund is at this point. This fund covers the group insurance policy (which is due in the fall) as well as office type incidentals like paper and ink. There was discussion about raising the membership fee per family from $3 to $5. This will be voted on at the the May meeting.

Lending Library

Sara Owens is managing these resources for CHESS. Currently we are on the "good faith system", trusting members will bring back the borrowed items when they are finished. However, she noted that several items have not been returned to the library. She will be writing out a lending policy for use of the lending library by members which will include the requirement of replacement of the item or equivalent fee by the member who checked out the item. This was voted upon and unanimously passed. Sara will also be bringing select items to CHESS events.

Panera Bread

This has been a great blessing to our group. However, there are many leftovers ending up at Patti's home. Can we figure out how this can continue to benefit our group without the issue of all the leftovers being left for Patti's family to manage? Several options were discussed including splitting the responsibility with another non-profit organization. Watch for an email from Patti about this topic to share your thoughts.

History Fair - April 9th 11AM - 1PM

This event will be held at Bethel Assembly of God. Candice Abel is willing to organize the concessions for the group to sell. CHESS will buy hot dogs, buns and hamburger. Families will be asked to donate items through a sign up sheet. Students will have an opportunity to share a project concerning any topic in history - a biography, history of a particular item/topic, time period, etc. They can choose to present a display or speech. This event will be open to all homeschoolers.

Bus trip - April 28th at 6:30AM (departure time)

Another interest survey will be sent to the group including the pricing based on the levels of participation. Feedback from this poll will determine if two buses are needed. There will be a $20 per seat (written in two checks - one check will be actual cost of seat and one check to make up the remaining balance (dated 4/28). The second check will not be cashed unless the members do not show up for their seat that day. The two check policy was passed unanimously. All payment will be required at least 30 days prior to the trip.

Geography Club

May meeting will be held at First Baptist Church in Hanover from 1-4PM. This will be a geography fair that students can display projects. Participation is limited to those in geography club, however families and other homeschool students are welcome to attend.

Spring Formal -

1. Original musicians are not available for the new date. Several options are still pending.

2. Photographer & Decorator - Initial amount $150-200 She will be including a CD of photographs from the event for each family. This cost will be figured into a family ticket price. She would like to know what props we may have to incorporate into the design. Becky & Deanna will be in contact to discuss details.

3. Deanna Mayberry will contact Norma Dowling about sewing time period skirts for this event.

4. Deanna has emailed Jeannie Zumbrum about her family coming as re-enactors. She is still awaiting a response.

5. Civil war dance lessons - Deanna has contacted someone and details are pending.

6. Music - 1800's music the majority of the time.

Voting will take place on the majority of these topics at the March planning meeting.

Open Floor

1. Sara Owens brought up the possibility of a pine wood derby. She will be emailing the group to find if there is interest in hosting this event.

2. Sara needs Food Lion club numbers for the fund-raising opportunity through the company. A minimum number is required for participation.

3. Classical Conversation informational meeting will be held on March 5th from 9-11AM in Gettysburg. Patti is open to anyone attending with her.

Next meeting will be held on March 21st at 7PM at First Baptist Church. This meeting is open to any CHESS member that would like to share their input on the topics at hand. If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to share your thoughts, please contact Patti Hunt or any of the Board members (Becky Cooke, Emily Resig, Sara Owens, Kelly Sanders, Audra Blizzard, Deanna Mayberry or Heather Anne Kehr).

Respectfully Submitted,

Heather Anne Kehr

Secretary

Personal Profit Accounts

2011-03-07T09:06:00.000-05:00

Personal Profit Accounts

When families participate in selected fundraisers, they will receive a predetermined amount of money based on the dollar amount sold into a Personal Profit Account (PPA). Money in these accounts must be used for education purposes. It can be used for school supplies, curriculum books, books relating to curriculum, or field trips. To acquire the funds, members may do one of the following:

Present a receipt dated within the past 30 days for the purchase of education materials.
Notify CHESS at least one week in advance of an upcoming class with who to make the check payable to.

All requests must be accompanied by a dated note signed by the person making the request. We will no longer be able to accept email requests.

Requested funds cannot exceed the available balance.

Not all fundraisers are able to feed PPA’s. CHESS members will be notified in each of the fundraiser announcements if it is a fundraiser that will help feed PPA accounts.

Families can check their PPA balances at any time with our treasurer.

Examples:
The Jones family purchased $300 in Scrip cards. 1% of this total goes to their PPA (which is $30). At least one week before art class, they request a check to pay the art teacher for their two children. CHESS writes a check for $18 to the teacher of the art class.

The Smith family sold the same amount of discount cards. They just bought a language arts book from A Beka. The receipt is presented to CHESS and they are reimbursed for the book up to $30.

This following scenario is an exception to the above guidelines. Attendance at a convention or curriculum fair will be the only instance in which cash may be requested. Some proof of convention attendance may also be requested.
The Morgan family has $50 in their PPA. They are planning to go to the CHAP convention. They may put a request in writing to CHESS for their available funds.

If you have any questions about this benefit of being a CHESS member, please contact Patti Hunt email homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com .

Geography Club schedule

2011-03-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

There have been some concerns about the change in topics for the Geography Club. After some thought and consideration, I feel it is in the best interest of our children for us to go back to the original plans.

So basically - disregard my previous message about the changes.

The end of the year project will be announced at the February meeting.

Our schedule looks very similar to the original schedule with a slight modification.

Jan - Microstates
Feb - Historical Maps
Mar - Technology Activities
April - Washington DC teaching
May - End of the Year Project Displays (aka Geography Fair)

We will continue to work on identifying the 50 states and their capitals at each meeting. Students who name all 50 states by April will receive a special recognition at the Geography Fair. All Geography Club participants will be recognized at the End of the Year Potluck scheduled for June 4, 2011.

Again, I apologize for any inconvenience.

Family Spring Formal ~Civil War Bll

2011-03-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

Friday, May 27, 2011
7-9pm
Ag Center in Gettysburg, 670 Old Harrisburg Rd
Family Spring Formal ~ Civil War Ball
This is a family event. Anyone under that age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent.
This event will be open to all homeschool families.
We have a dress making workshop and field trip being planned.
Details for this entire event are in the making and will come to you via email as soon as they are available.

Charter Bus trip to Philadelphia

2011-03-07T08:37:00.000-05:00

Charter Bus trip to Philadelphia (Yes, this is one of those buses with a bathroom!)
Thursday April 28, 2011
Depart from Big Lots parking lot in Hanover at 6:30AM
Leave Philadelphia at 3:30PM

Right now, I am taking an interest survey to see how many seats we will need to go to Philadelphia. For pricing, see the "Levels" below. Babes in arms do not need to pay for a seat.

Please let me know if your family would like to go and how many seats your family needs by Monday, March 14. Once we determine how many people are interested in going, we will be able to set final plans and deadlines for payments.

We will be dropped off in the Historic District of Philadelphia. Families are on their own for this trip and are encouraged to find what will best enhance their homeschool curriculum.

Seating for trip to Philadelphia is limited so priority will be given to *Level I CHESS members. Then Level II, etc.

a. Level I– Seats will cost $7 each
b. Level II - Seats will cost $14 each
c. Level III – Seats will cost $20 each
(see explanations of Levels below)

Level I - CHESS member who has helped with at least one fundraiser designated for the Philadelphia trip. Level I families are:
Abel
Blizard
Cooke
Crone
Donaldson
Hoke
Hunt
Kehr
Koontz
Mayberry
McKinney
Myers, Becky
Myers, Linda
Owens
Redding
Reisig
Royston
Sanders
Stremmel

Tasker

Level II - CHESS member who has not helped with fundraisers for the Philadelphia trip
Level III - Non CHESS members

With no fundraising, the seats are $30 each. So our fundraisers have made a tremendous impact on the cost per seat.

Here is the list of fundraisers that were designated for the bus trip. Participation in these fundraisers puts a family at Level I.
Car wash
Avon
Creative Memories
Oct. Dec. Feb. Scrip orders
Magazines
Joe Corbi's Pizza

Planning Meeting 2011

2011-02-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Here is the schedule for upcoming planning meetings. Some of the dates have changed from our original calendar that was available in September.

April 11 (date changed from 18th)
May 16 (Board of Directors meeting right after Portfolio Share)

All meetings begin at 7pm and are held at the First Baptist Church of Hanover. All meetings (except those specifically designated as Board of Directors meetings) are open to all CHESS members.

Although attendance is not required to be a member of CHESS, CHESS members are encouraged to attend a meeting or two each year.

Valentine Party

2011-02-08T12:51:00.001-05:00

The Valentine Party is this Friday. It is for those who participate in Co-op and/or Keepers. If you are planning to come, please sign up to bring something by clicking the link below this message.

Valentine exchange will take place in the classes. See the list of children in the Yahoo CHESS group of the individual classes. According to the information I have, these are the children who are coming to the party. If I am in error, please let me know right away.

spring co-op

2011-02-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

Registration for the Spring Co-op is now under way.
Dates: Feb 25, March 11, March 25, April 8
Time: 1-3pm
Location: St Paul's Lutheran Church, 53 W King St, Littlestown, Pa

Here is how things look so far:

Nursery
Lead Nursery: Sara Owens
Assistant: Kelly Sanders
We NEED one or two more assistants for this group.
5 Children

PreK (ages 4-6 years)
Teacher: Rikki Martinez
Topic: Ponds
Assistants: Kim Keller
9 Children

Primary (ages 7-10 years)
Teacher: Heather Kehr
Topic: TBA
Assistants: Liza Koontz, Emily Reisig
12 Children:

Intermediate (ages 10-12 years)
Teacher: Deanna Mayberry
Topic: Colonial America
Assistants: Beth Fisher, Michelle McKinney
13 Children:

Secondary (ages 13 and up)
Teacher: Audra Blizard
Topic: The Fallacy Detective (Thinking and Logic) ~ We will be using the book The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn. During our classes we will learn to spot common errors in reasoning. To get a better idea, you may want to check out this website: http://www.fallacydetective.com/products/item/the-fallacy-detective/
Although activities will be taken from the book, you do not need to purchase the book for this class.
Assistants: ??
9 Children:

Clean Up
Leader: Becky Cooke
Assistants: Judi Royston

Payments for co-op are due BEFORE the first class to secure your spot. If you have not paid, your spot may be filled by someone else.

Spring Formal

2011-02-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

Civil War Ball theme to be held on May 7th, 2011. We plan to secure the Ag Center in Gettysburg. Deanna Mayberry is willing to work on a committee to organize the details for this event. Becky Cooke will make inquiries into finding a photographer and a decorator. Norma Dowling is willing to teach sewing classes to make hoop skirts. A homeschool graduate is willing to teach families civil war time dances. The committee will work on details such as music, tickets, RSVP's, food, etc. If anyone is interested in volunteering to help on this committee, please contact Deanna Mayberry.

Valentine Party

2011-02-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

For those who are participating in the co-op or Keepers group this spring, our Valentine party is scheduled for Friday, February 11 at 1pm.

If you plan to come, please sign up to bring something for the party. Our sign up sheet includes snacks and craft/game supplies. This is keeping our costs down and should help to make a very enjoyable time for our kids.

Please Note: A couple of parents have requested we keep sweets to a minimum. We do have sweets on the sign up sheet. If it's avoidable, please do not include additional sweets/candies on the valentines.

Please click on the link below to sign up for the party and what you will bring.
http://www.helpersignup.com/viewsheet.php?type=1&sheet=0485094f1197823f442ebe62f6bf771e

Spring Formal 2010

2011-01-30T00:21:00.000-05:00

Baugher's

2011-01-30T00:14:00.000-05:00

Baugher's Orchard

2011-01-30T00:09:00.000-05:00

Biology Classes

2011-01-29T07:01:00.000-05:00

Registration Closed
A high school Biology class has been up and running since the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. A group of high schoolers have been meeting every Thursday from 1-3pm at Patti's home using the text Exploring Creation with Biology by Jay Wile. This class counts as a science credit for high school.

Geography Club 2010-2011

2011-01-29T06:38:00.000-05:00

CLUB IS FULL AND HAS A WAITING LIST

The geography club meets once a month and studies various activities taken from the National Council of Geography Education. Students age 8 and up meet at Patti's home the third Friday of each month from 1-4pm.

Planning Meeting 2011

2011-01-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

The next meeting is a general planning meeting to be held on February 21. All future meetings will be held at First Baptist Church of Hanover. Upcoming dates also include March 21st and April 11th.

Lending Library

2011-01-28T15:30:00.000-05:00

There are over 175 items in the lending library. Sara will organize a time during the last co-op session for parents to review some of the items. She will also be forming a policy for overdue/non-returned items. *If you have any items or questions concerning the lending library, please contact Sara Owens.*

January 2011 meeting minutes

2011-01-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

Members present: Patti Hunt, Becky Cooke, Emily Reisig, Sara Owens, Kelly Sanders, Deanna Mayberry, Audra Blizzard and Heather Anne Kehr

Patti opened the meeting in prayer.
Giant A+ Rewards program - $97.54 as of December 31

Boxtops for Education - December Boxtops Baking Blitz brought in 964 boxtops. So far 726 have been submitted for January 2011. We received a check in December of $197 to go towards the bus trip.

Bus trip - The Board of Directors discussed approximate price per seat and the funds needed/available to put towards the cost. More details are to come about departure times and cost. Additional fundraisers will be coming. Watch for details, including Joe Corbi's fundraiser organized by Audra Blizzard. Dates will be coordinated around the Spring Co-op session.

Poetry Luncheon - May be rescheduled

Spring Co-op - February 25, March 11, March 25 & April 8 -- 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Still in need of a high school teacher. Discussion for reinstating stipend for teachers and 1/2 stipend for lead nursery caregiver and lead clean-up. Stipend would be based upon several factors, including co-op funds, class size, etc. This would be retroactive to this past fall co-op session.

History Fair - Will be held April 9th. Kelly Sanders will be looking into using Bethel Assembly of God church again.

Spring Formal - Civil War Ball theme to be held on May 7th. We plan to secure the Ag Center in Gettysburg. Facility cost is $100 for the evening. Deanna Mayberry is willing to work on a committee to organize the details for this event. Becky Cooke will make inquiries into finding a photographer and a decorator. Norma Dowling is willing to teach sewing classes to make hoop skirts. A homeschool graduate is willing to teach families civil war time dances. The committee will work on details such as music, tickets, RSVP's, food, etc. If anyone is interested in volunteering to help on this committee, please contact Deanna Mayberry.

Valentine Party - February 11th (Bowling originally scheduled for this time is rescheduled for 4/22)
The schedule for the party will be similar to the Christmas Party. Teachers for the fall co-op will be leading the individual classes for the Valentine Party - with the exception of the 7-10 year old class. (Heather Anne Kehr, spring co-op teacher will be leading this age group.)

Kennies Partners in Learning Fundraiser has started. If you have a Kennie's card number or more details about this program, please submit it to Patti Hunt.

Lending Library - There are over 175 items in the lending library. Sara will organize a time during the last co-op session for parents to review some of the items. She will also be forming a policy for overdue/non-returned items. *If you have any items or questions concerning the lending library, please contact Sara Owens.*

The next meeting is a general planning meeting to be held on February 21. All future meetings will be held at First Baptist Church of Hanover. Upcoming dates also include March 21st and April 11th. May 16th will be the next Board of Directors meeting after the portfolio share.

Respectfully Submitted,

Heather Anne Kehr
Secretary

History Fair

2011-01-28T15:22:00.000-05:00

CHESS Homeschool History Fair
Date: Saturday, April 9th 2011
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Bethel Assembly of God, Littlestown, Pa
1125 Frederick Pike, Littlestown, Pa
Set up begins at 9am
Food available at a cost.
CHESS will buy hot dogs, buns and hamburger. Families will be asked to donate items through a sign up sheet. Students will have an opportunity to share a project concerning any topic in history - a biography, history of a particular item/topic, time period, etc. They can choose to present a display or speech. This event will be open to all homeschoolers.

Note:
Please make a donation for the History Fair fundraiser/concession stand on April 9th. This is a fun family day that benefits our children and our group.

If you are willing to help, just send me an email and let me know what you will bring.

Items should be individually wrapped servings that could sell for 50 cents each.

DRINKS - water, soda, or juice - chilled cans or bottles

CHIPS - individual bags

BAKED GOODS/SWEETS -brownies, cupcakes etc. - individually wrapped

Thank you for your help.
Candice

Spring Co-op

2011-01-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

The spring session of our Mini Co-op is quickly approaching.
Dates: February 25, March 11, March 25, & April 8
Time: 1pm - 3:15pm
Location: St Paul's Lutheran Church, 53 West King Street, Littlestown, Pa

Please look at the listing of classes below.
When you email to register your kids, please state the following:
1. Your child(ren)'s names and which group you would like them in (nursery, primary, intermediate, etc)
2. In which class you would like to assist (NOTE: We still need a teacher for the 13+ group)

Note: All co-op parents are required to teach or assist either in the fall or the spring. If you did not teach or assist in the fall, you are obligated to do so this session.

Something to keep in mind ~ If you assist, volunteer for opening excercises or clean up crew, you get a significant discount on your co-op fees. You are allowed to assist in the fall AND spring if you wish.

Opening Exercises family needed (a family to lead the Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and a song) ~ If you would like more information about what will be expected, feel free to contact Patti Hunt.

Picture Study
Teacher: Patti Hunt
Artist: Claude Monet

Nursery (birth to 3 years)
Teacher: Sara Owens
Assistant: Kelly Sanders

PreK: (4 to 6 years)
Teacher: Rikki Martinez
Assistant: Audra Blizard

Primary (7 to 10 years)
Teacher: Heather Kehr
Assistants: Lisa Koontz, Emily Reisig

Intermediate (10 to 12 years)
Teacher: Deanna Mayberry - Colonial history
Assistant: Michelle McKinney

Secondary (13 and up)
Teacher: needed
Assistant: needed

Clean up crew:
Leader: Becky Cooke
Assistant: Audra Blizard

Fees (per child for the session; 1 session = 4 meetings)
Teachers: Free
Opening exercises family; Lead Clean up Crew: $2.50 per child for the fall ($7.50 cap per family)
Assistants, clean-up crew: $5 per child for the fall ($15 cap per family)
CHESS members: $10 per child for the fall session ($30 cap per family)

Guest fee: $5 per child per class (No "per session" discounts will apply)

Your children will be penciled in until payment is recieved. Sending in payment secures your children's spots in the co-op.

Payments can be sent to:
Emily Reisig
135 N. Gorsuch Rd
Westminster, Md 21157

All payments are due before the first class.

One last reminder - CHESS is set up to serve families in Pennsylvania who homeschool under Act 169 or the Private Tutoring Provision of the Pennsylvania School Code. This means that Pennsylvania families who have parent-led, parent-funded homeschools will have first priority if there is a space limitation. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

2011-01-28T15:10:00.000-05:00

Treasury Report - submitted by Emily Reisig, Treasurer
Bus Trip - $1134.68
Co-op - $437.08
General Fund - $99.31
Geography Club - $99.50
History Fair - $96.85
Keepers Club - $74.00
Parties - $18.47
Poetry Luncheon - $57.89
Scholarship Fund - $685.05
Spring Formal - $165.95
T-shirts - $135.52
Yearbook - $20.05
PPA - $753.26
--------------------------
Total- $3778.61

Spring Co-op

2010-12-31T10:33:00.000-05:00

If your family is planning to participate in the spring co-op, please check the list below and prayerfully consider teaching or assisting. (NOTE: If you did not teach or assist in the fall, CHESS' requirement is that all families must teach or assist either in the fall or spring.)

Here is the rundown for the spring co-op.

Nursery (Birth to 3 years)

Lead Nursery - Sara Owens

Assistant - Kelly Sanders

PreK (4-6 years)

Teacher Needed

Assistant Needed

Primary (7-10 years)

Teacher - Heather Kehr

Assistants - Lisa Koontz, Emily Reisig

Intermediate (10-12 years)

Teacher - Deanna Mayberry

Topic - Colonial America

Assistant - Michelle McKinney

Secondary (13 years and up)

Teacher needed

Assistant needed

Clean up

Lead Clean Up - Becky Cooke

Assistants needed

Co-op Survey

2010-10-22T21:48:00.000-04:00

If you participated in the fall 2010 session of the mini co-op, we would love to hear from you. We are looking for input about the co-op and what we can do to meet your needs (and wants) for the co-op. You do not have to share your name on the survey and your survey may be presented to the Board of Directors as we continue to assess and plan for our group.

To get a survey form, contact Patti Hunt at homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com

Annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-06T08:45:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Patch at the Kehr Family Farm, Littlestown, Pa

Friday, October 15, 2010; 10am to ??
Rain Date - October 29

This is the fifth year in a row that we have done this and it is always so much fun. There is no pressure to make a purchase. Just come, eat and have a good time ......oh and let your kids socialize with their friends (wink, wink).

All are asked to bring a food item to share.
We are trying to keep it simple with foods that don't require silverware.

I am using HelperSignUp.com to organize this event.

If your family would like to come, please click on the following link to sign up for what you would like to bring: Pumpkin Patch Food Sign Up

Bus Trip Update 9/22/2010

2010-09-22T17:19:00.000-04:00

The bus trip to Philadelphia on April 28 was discussed at the planning meeting on Monday evening.

Here is the latest on this trip:

We need 80 seats (which means 2 buses) - This number comes from the interest survey taken a couple of weeks back.

We currently have $990 in the bus fund.

Without fundraisers, the seats are about $30 each. With the amount we currently have, the seats are about $13 each.

In order for this cost to go down, we need participation in fundraising.

Emily just sent out a message about the Scrip fundraiser that benefits the bus trip this month.

The Scrip fundraiser is one of our easiest fundraisers. You purchase gift cards for shopping you already do. You can purchase cards for Giant (Pa or Md), CVS, Rite Aid, Kohl's, Sears, Bon Ton, Burger King, Bath & Body Works, KFC, Wendy's, Red Lobster, and so on. Check out the list on their website to see what's currently available.

http://www.glscrip.com/index.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Click on the link to the left to see the list of gift cards.

If you have any other creative ways to raise funds or would like to head up a fundraiser for this trip, let me know.

Thanks,

Patti

Notes about the upcoming co-op

2010-09-06T04:14:00.000-04:00

As we make final preparations and the first mini co-op meeting nears, we are looking forward to seeing everyone, what the teachers have planned and how our group is coming together this year.

As a reminder, all children who participate in Co-op should bring a school box with the following items:

Sharpened pencils

Scissors

Glue

Crayons (or markers or colored pencils)

Please have school boxes and all items inside labeled with the child's name in permanent marker. Having all these items will help your child get the most out of co-op and having them marked will help us to return items when they are found.

Also, if you would like to stay for some fellowship afterward, feel free to bring a snack for your family and stick around a little.

August 2010 Meeting Minutes

2010-09-01T10:16:00.000-04:00

The August Board meeting for CHESS was held on August 13, 2010 at the final summer playground date at Littlestown Recreation Park.

Members in attendance: Patti Redding, Melissa Brillhart, Patti Hunt, Becky Cooke, Emily Resig, Lisa Koontz, Michelle McKinney, Deanna Mayberry, Robin Hoke, Barb Sommers, Sara Owens, Susie Jenkins, Jackie Valko, Heather Anne Kehr

Finances:

General overview of budget was verbally shared with the group. For questions concerning this information, please contact Emily Resig.

Business:

Bus Trip to Philadelphia - April 28, 2010

We had a discussion concerning the departure time from Philadelphia. Originally our bus was scheduled to leave at 4PM. However, it was suggested that we leave at 6PM to afford more time to families to explore Philadelphia. Cost for the additional two hours is minimal (approximately $70 additional). Patti said she was advised that rush hours last until about 6:30PM. More information will be needed for travel time, museum hours and group needs before a decision is made. To share your thoughts/concerns, please contact Patti Hunt.

***Important Note -- Only CHESS members who participate in fundraisers (specifically for bus trip) will get full benefits for the cost reduction. They will also get priority for the seating on the bus. This includes the recent car wash. ***

Mini Co-op Fall Session - September/October 2010

Parents are able to sign up their children for the upcoming fall mini co-op sessions. (Registration started August 13 at the playground date. Payment is expected at time of sign up.) Dates for the mini co-op include 9/10, 9/24, 10/8 and 10/22 from 1:00PM - 3:15PM. Teachers are to arrive early to set up and be ready for students at 1PM. The schedule will include opening exercises, picture study, class time, snack time. All members are expected to help clean up the facility.

***4-6 year old class needs LEGO donations****

Professional Photographs

Roger Brackney will be coming to take professional photographs for homeschool families at the co-op session on 9/24. Fliers with more information will be handed out on 9/10 at co-op meeting. Portraits are flexible and may include inviduals, families or sibling groups. Prices from past years ranged from $19-$36. Becky Cooke is organizing this and will inform families of the background color for the portraits.

T-shirt

This is still an open discussion. Several t-shirt ideas have been displayed. A decision is yet to be made on screen printing or embroidered shirts. All price information needs to be shared so a decision can be made about the t-shirts. Patti would like a professional looking shirt for the group to make a good impression. So we need to consider this when making a decision about which company and style we choose.

Littlestown Good Old Days - August 21st(Saturday)

CHESS will be hosting a dime toss/bake sale/lemonade stand at Littlestown Good Old Days on August 21st. Volunteers are needed to help set up on Friday, August 20th at 7PM as well as throughout the day at the booh on Saturday, August 21st from 7AM - 5PM.

*****All CHESS members are encouraged to stop by the booth as well as consider helping out running the booth for a shift. Contact Patti with times you are available to help as well as if you can donate baked goods, lemonade, unique glasses (for the dime toss), finger snacks for volunteers and an awning. ********Deanna Mayberry will be getting a banner together with some help from the older students to advertise CHESS.

Fundraisers

Giant A+ Rewards: Sara Owens will oversee this fundraiser. Bonus card numbers need to be submitted each year for credit towards CHESS.

Boxtops for Educaiton: The summer boxtops challenge is almost finished. For all boxtops submitted before August 20th, each family will receive 5 cents for each boxtop. Top submitting family will receive a prize. All boxtops must be submitted to Heather Anne Kehr. All boxtops submitted/received after August 20th will be credited at the usual 2 cent per boxtop rate.

Lending Library

Sara Owens has organized the CHESS lending library. She has the list posted on the yahoo group as a file. For more information about the lending library, please contact Sara.

Keepers/Contenders of the Faith

Kelly Sanders is the Director of the Keepers/Contenders of the Faith club offered through CHESS. This club will meet the first Friday of each month (starting in October) from 1-3PM at First Baptist Church in Hanover. For more information about the club, please contact Kelly.

Indian Echo Caverns field trip

Lisa Koontz is organizing a field trip to Indian Echo Caverns for homeschooling families to take advantage of their group rate. Lisa will share more information including prices and possible date for this outing. Quite a few families expressed interest in this event.

Baking Club

Deanna Mayberry expressed her desire to start a baking club for the students at her home or the co-op location. She shared that she would like to teach a few of the more difficult but basic skills like making gravy, biscuits and pie crusts. Her suggestion was well received by the group.

Upcoming Dates to reserve on your calendar

9/3 - Geography Club

9/10 - Mini Co-op

9/17 - Geography Club

9/24 - Mini Co-op

10/1 - Keepers/Contenders Club

10/8 - Mini Co-op

10/15 - AM - Field trip to Kehr Family Farms Pumpkin patch

10/15 - PM - Geography Club

10/22 - Mini Co-op

10/29 - Rain date for field trip to the pumpkin patch

11/5 - Keepers/Contenders Club

11/12 - Bowling at South Hanover Lanes

11/19 - Geography Club

Respectfully Submitted,

Heather Anne Kehr

Secretary

Keepers of the Faith

2010-07-28T07:42:00.000-04:00

Keepers of the Faith

We will be having a planning meeting on August 3rd

starting at 6:30 pm at First Baptist Church of Hanover

located at 217 Fulton St in Hanover.

From the replies of interested people, I have broken the classes into age groups but still need teachers and assistants to fill spots.

I will have a list at the meeting for anyone to sign up to fill these spots.

If we do not have these spots filled, we will combine classes.

Nursery (birth-3) - Sara Owens

Little Keepers (Girls 4-6) -

Keepers at Home (Girls 7-10) -

Keepers at Home (Girls 11 and up) - Patti Hunt

Little Contenders (Boys 4-6) -

Contenders of the Faith (Boys 7 and up) -

Assistants- Sarah Davis

Anyone interested in joining Keepers this coming year is welcome to join the planning meeting.

Summer Playground Days

2010-06-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

Summer Playground Days & Book Exchange

June 11, July 16, August 13 10am - Noon
Littlestown Community Park

All are welcome.
Come and see some old friends and make some new. Those who are new to homeschooling or just thinking about it are encouraged to attend. Bottled water will be provided by our group.

Bring a Book / Take a Book
Everyone is welcome to bring books that you are finished with and leave them on the free table. While there, see if there is something you would like to pick up.

What we will be collecting:

Loose Change (to help offset the cost of bottled water)

Boxtops foe Education

Turkey Hill Milk Caps

Campbell's Soup Labels

Planning Meetings

For those who wish to bring bag lunches and stay, we will have a planning meeting starting at noon. (There is no planning meeting in July.)

In the event of inclement weather, the playground day will be rescheduled for one week later.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Patti Hunt at homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com or (717)465-9838.

Plans for next year

2010-04-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

The Board of Directors will be meeting on May 6 to discuss our group for the 2010-11 school year. This meeting is intended for the Board of Directors only.

We will be making final decisions on co-op, the bus trip, and other events sponsored by CHESS (such as the poetry breakfast, history fair, etc).

We would like to have decisions final by the time membership renewals start.

If you would like to have any input on anything for next year, please contact one of the Board of Directors to give them your input. They will then bring your thoughts to the meeting.

The current Board of Directors:

Patti Hunt ~ President

Becky Cooke ~ Vice President

Pam Chaddon ~ Secretary

Emily Reisig ~ Treasurer

Audra Blizard

Melissa Brillhart

Heather Anne Kehr

Deanna Mayberry

Kelly Sanders

Michelle Tasker

As we learn from previous years and look forward to opportunities that lie ahead, we are doing our best to run CHESS as smoothly as possible. If you have any ideas, you are strongly encouraged to speak with one of the Board.

2010-04-13T10:54:00.000-04:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services (CHESS)

Monthly Planning Meeting

April 6, 2010, 7:00pm, 29 Trenton Court, Littlestown, PA

Attendees: Patti Hunt, President, Becky Cooke, Vice-President, Emily Reisig, Treasurer, Pam Chaddon, secretary, Becky Myers, Jessica Anderson
1. Patti Hunt opened the meeting in prayer
2. The treasury report was submitted by Emily Resig. Emily discussed reimbursements from both the Christmas and Valentines parties. She also indicated that there is a need to increase the funds for the End of the Year Potluck which Kelly Sanders is organizing. Patti mentioned that there are left over paper products from other parties which can be utilized at the End of the Year Potluck and that this will help reduce some of the costs.
3. There was no meeting in March due to sickness within the group which began at the Valentine social. Sanitizer will be made available for the use at future social events, especially when they involve food. Patti made a note to remind all members to use due diligence when deciding whether or not to bring a child who has been recently sick to a co-op event.
4. Patti brought up the need within the group for someone to volunteer to organize volunteers from the annual applications. Specifically, she is looking for someone to go through the applications, organize volunteers and contact them about helping within the group, particularly with regards to administrative help.
5. Patti discussed CHESS t-shirts which were designed several years ago (logo and color). Money was set aside for printing, and several people volunteered to complete the project but no one ever followed through. This is still an open item
6. Becky will be offering end of the year Yearbooks again this year through Creative Memories. Members who ordered yearbooks last year, will get a rebate (the amount in the yearbook fund divided by the number of people who ordered). This will bring the yearbook fund to 0.00 for the new year.
7. History Fair was a huge success and will be offered again next year. Many thanks to Candice Abel for a wonderful job with concessions. A profit was made from this event and will go towards next year’s History Fair. Participating children received a certificate and free lunch. Food that is left over from the History Fair (chips, soda, water, ketchup, mustard, relish) will be utilized for a BYO cookout at the first playground date on June 11th.
8. Bethel AOG will be paid a total of $75.00 for the use of the church for the History Fair and the End of the Year Potluck.
9. Kelly has begun organizing the End of the Year Potluck and has a guest from LCA speaking and is organizing a “Hall of Graduates”. Please read and reply to Kelly’s emails for more information in the coming weeks.
10. The Spring Formal has been cancelled this year for various reasons including the closing of the location that we utilized last year. Money in the budget will be put towards next year’s Spring Formal which will be a “Civil War Ball” theme. Lori Hottenstein is currently looking for a location in Gettysburg and is open to suggestions. Date TBD.
11. Kelly Sanders is collecting orders for Keepers pins. Orders due by April 16th. Pins are optional. Patti is looking into certificates or a certificate template for parents to complete for their own children.
12. Patti will be setting up an online poll for next year’s bus trip. Ideas suggested were the Crayola Factory, Philadelphia, Washington DC.
13. There are no current fundraisers except script cards, Amazon, Boxtops, and Turkey Hill. If you are interested in organizing a fund raiser for the group, contact Patti. Emily mentioned one member asked about a raffle but Patti clarified that CHESS cannot hold a raffle due to how the non-profit was set up. Items can be donated to the group as door prizes for various events. Cash contributions are also welcome and are tax deductible.
14. Patti began a brief discussion on next year’s co-op. Much of this will be handled at the next planning meeting, which will probably begin via email over the next few weeks to save time. Membership renewal will be directly after CHAP. Meetings will be on Friday afternoons at either St. Paul’s or First Baptist in Hanover. Patti is looking for someone to teach high school science and literature. The co-op will most likely be organized in three sessions – fall, winter, spring that will be 4 or 5 classes each.
15. Upcoming - Portfolio share - April 27, 2010; 6pm - 8pm at First Baptist Church. Veteran homeschoolers will bring their portfolios so rookie homeschool moms can take a look at them and get an idea of what should go in them. CHESS has done this for the last two years and there has been lots positive feedback. (especially from the new moms). Refreshments will be provided.
Next planning meeting is for the Board of Directors only. It is scheduled for May 6th at Patti’s house beginning at 11am.
The meeting ended at approximately 9:00pm
Minutes submitted respectfully by Pam Chaddon on 4/12/2010

End of the Year Potluck

2010-03-26T20:11:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

This year we will be having our annual "CHESS End-of-Year Potluck Dinner" on Friday May 21st. It will be held at:

Bethel Assembly of God

1125 Frederick Pike

Littlestown, PA 17331
This is where the history fair was held in March.

Time: set up will begin at 4pm.

Supper will begin at 5:30pm.

Again this year you will have the OPTION to have displays, presentations, and/or performances. There will be a wall to hang artwork, just bring long pins to hang your artwork with. It is a great time to have other people admire your children's portfolios and /or give your child performance or public speaking experience to a very friendly audience. Please note: A piano or keyboard will not be available unless someone is willing to loan one to the group for the night. Sorry! I am working on getting a microphone.

Something new this year..... We will have a section just for those graduating this year.

The Hall of Graduates

Parents of those graduating this year. Please feel free to bring things in to decorate a table of your son/daughter.

Pictures of their life, past school assignments, future endeavors, award or trophies, and/or "anything to show them off". Okay not to be to boastful but they do deserve to be noticed once in their life.

Now to the food!

Please bring food!

A main dish and one or two of the following: side dish/dessert/ drink.

BRING YOUR FAMILY ALONG!

If you are coming please respond back to me by May14th with the following information:

Number of people coming
If your child will have a display (there will be half a table per child unless you tell me you will need more)
If your child will be giving a performance (let me know what type of performance and about how much time it will take.)
The main dish and whatever other food or drink you would like to bring. (As people sign up for food items I might need to ask for certain types of items to round out the meal.)

If you have any questions or would like to help set up, feel free to contact me.

I am also looking for a person to find door prizes. This is not my thing.

Thanks,

Kelly Sanders

kellys24@comcast. net

717-637-5033

History Fair

2010-03-17T12:04:00.000-04:00

CHESS Homeschool History Fair
Date: Saturday March 20, 2010
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Bethel Assembly of God, Littlestown, Pa
1125 Frederick Pike, Littlestown, Pa

Things seem to be coming along smoothly for the History Fair this coming Saturday.
This is an update of who has signed up and for what. Please check the list to be sure I have the correct topic (I know a few have changed their topics) and the correct spelling of your children's names.

1. Kayla Hunt - History of the Horse
2. Lucille G Hunt & Hannah Hottenstein - Fashion
3. Raymond Hunt - Dinosaurs
4. Emma Jarvis - Orphan Train
5. Dylan Anderson - Medieval Times
6. Emily Anderson - Medieval Times
7. Clare Chaddon - American Southwest 1800’s
8. Mary Chaddon - Early American Dolls
9. Bethany Reisig - Helen Keller
10. Benjamin Jenkins - Titanic
11. Hannah McKinney - Pioneers (1850’s)
12. Emily McKinney - WWII home front
13. Logan McKinney - Dinosaurs
14. Joshua Kehr - Colonial America
15. Ellie Kehr - Colonial America
16. Maggie Kehr - Colonial America
17. Anastasia Sigmon & Jamie Redding - Fashion
18. Rachael Abrams - History of the Guitar
19. Nathanael DuBose - Norwegian Vikings
20. Rebekah DuBose - Eiffel Tower
21. Caleb DuBose - African Tribe
21. Analisia Koontz - Eskimos
22. Jake Redding - WWII
23. Elly Cooke - Baltimore Ravens
24. Drew Cooke - WWII Lieutenant Dick Winters
25. Anna Cooke - Balto, Dog who save Nome
26. Keziah, Luke and Jesse Sanders - Civil War
27. Michaela Tasker - Princesses
28. Nathan Tasker -
29. Drew Casale - Red Baron (WWI)
30. Jonathan Hottenstein - Air Conflict of WWII
31. Nate Brown - Boats
32. Hannah Able - Sewing
33. Jacob Able - Vikings’ kitchen

Speechs/ Oral presentations/ skits
1. Nathanael DuBose Norwegian Vikings (Skit)
2. Clare Chaddon American Southwest 1800’s ( Speech & song?)
3. Benjamin Jenkins Titanic (speech)
4. Emma Jarvis Orphan Train (speech)

Calendar Changes

2010-02-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

We have made some adjustments to our planning calendar for the rest of the year.
Please mark your calendars accordingly.

Please note that the Spring Formal, Easter Social, a game day and a planned bowling day have all been taken off the calendar.

If you are still interested in a bowling day, please contact Patti Hunt and let her know if a Thursday or Friday afternoon would suit your family best.

Upcoming events

Feb 26 - Chocolate Class #4
March 2 - General planning meeting (Pam Chaddon's house)
March 5 - Chocolate Class #5
March 12 - Co-op
March 20 - History Fair; Bethel Assembly of God (Free to the public to attend; any homeschooler in the area may submit a project)
March 26 - Geography Club
April 6 - General planning meeting (location TBA)
April 9 - Co-op
April 16 - Geography Club (End of year projects due)
April 16-17 - MACHE Curriculum Fair
April 27 - Portfolio Share (location TBA)
May 6 - Board of Directors meeting
May 7-8 - CHAP convention
May 14 - Co-op
May 21 - Little Contenders Co-op Group - Field trip to Perrydell Farm
May 21 - End of the Year Potluck; Bethel Assembly of God in Littlestown - Kelly Sanders is organizing this event.
June 11 - Park Day & General planning meeting
June 30 - All 2009-10 CHESS memberships expire

Board of Director's Meeting 2/4/2010

2010-02-06T12:41:00.000-05:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services (CHESS)

Board of Directors Monthly Planning Meeting
February 4, 2010, 1:00pm, 65 Apache Pass, Hanover, PA

Attendees: Patti Hunt, President, Becky Cooke, Vice-President, Emily Reisig, Treasurer, Pam Chaddon, secretary, Melissa Brillhart, Dan Brillhart, Heather Kehr, Kelly Sanders, Michelle Tasker, Deanna Mayberry
Absent/Excused: Audra Blizard

1. Patti Hunt opened the meeting in prayer
2. The treasury report was submitted by Emily Resig. There was discussion among the group regarding an excess amount of about $500.00 in the co-op fund. Many teachers have not submitted receipts, so they may still be forthcoming. In the future, receipts will have to be submitted within 30 days of the events to help Emily with record-keeping. This will be an ongoing discussion. Options considered were saving the amount for a future event or need or a partial reimbursement for families who purchased more than one Keeper book for their family, to help offset the cost.
3. Patti discussed the current Board of Directors. Board of Director Membership is extended to members who have been active for 18 months or more and have attended open planning meetings.
4. The History Fair will take place at Bethel Assembly of God in Littlestown this year. Thanks to Kelly Sanders for securing this location, as it is large enough to accommodate many projects. The time is 11am – 1 pm and participants will be expected to keep their displays up the entire time. About 15 kids have signed up already. Candice Abel will run the concessions and it will be set up much like last year. Children have the option of making a display, delivering a short speech or presentation (limit of 3 minutes).
5. Patti discussed the current Chocolate Class. It is going well, but children who are not signed up for the class cannot stay in the building unsupervised. This is too disruptive to Patti and the other children who have paid for the class. The nursery room upstairs is available for families to use but parents must stay with their children unless other arrangements have been made.
6. Membership renewal for 2010-2011 was on the agenda next. Patti stated that renewal will begin right after CHAP and will run to June 30th. It is important to note that if a families’ membership expires and is not renewed during this period, the memberships will be open to families on the waiting list. In addition the families with expired memberships will forfeit any funds in their PPA accounts if not requested from Emily before membership expiration.
7. There was then lengthy discussion regarding planning for the remainder of the year as well as next year. Various Board members shared feedback they had received from many families. Changes to be implemented this year in scheduling were discussed. Refunds into PPA’s will be offered for families who cannot work with the date changes. A decision was made that moving Geography Club and Co-op to separate dates needed to happen as soon as possible. Patti Hunt said that she needed 24 hours to work out exact dates and times.
Additional discussion included feedback on Keepers for next year. Location (St. Pauls, First Baptist Church, etc.) and time (morning or afternoon) were all discussed. This will be an ongoing discussion. Decisions about the structure of Co-op will be made at the May Board of Directors meeting.
8. Patti announced that Geography Club will definitely be separated from co-op next year, if not earlier. Next year, it will be modeled after last year’s Geography Club. It will start in July and will be for children age 8 (4th grade) and up only. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis. It will likely be on Thursday afternoons from 1-4 at Patti’s new home in New Oxford. It will run once a month through May with no meeting in December. The cost per meeting will be $2 per child with a $5 cap per family and will be “pay as you go“. Everyone will be asked to bring a snack to share on a rotating basis. It will follow the National Council for Geographic Education year 3 and will focus on preparing the children for the National Geographic Bee. These plans could change and will be finalized at the May Board of Directors meeting.
9. There was extensive discussion on implementing a Statement of Faith for next year. This will help set biblical guidelines for dealing with issues and conflict as well as teaching.
10. Patti briefly discussed income the group has generated from various fundraising such as Giant cards. Pam will take over the Kennies fundraising next year.
11. CHAP Homeschool Convention; May 7&8, 2010 The Board voted on funding admission and parking for Patti Hunt (President) and Becky Cooke (Vice president) to the CHAP convention so they could specifically attend leadership seminars and workshops. Both ladies left the room so the Board could vote. The vote was all in favor. Since this vote passed, Patti stated that anyone in our group needing a ride to CHAP could carpool with her. That would help them save on gas and parking fees. Patti plans to go to the CHAP convention on both days.
12. Pam Chaddon will continue to offer the Baking Book Club about every 6 weeks throughout the year.
13. Michelle Tasker will possibly be starting a Parent’s Night every other month where member can get together and share ideas of teaching a specific subject, for example, American History. Members would bring their ideas and projects for others to view and share. Other members are welcome to host one of these evenings.

Next planning meeting is scheduled for March 2nd for all members. It will take place at Pam Chaddon’s home at 7:00pm.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:00pm

Minutes submitted respectfully by Pam Chaddon on 2/6/2010

Co-op and Geography Club Date Changes - Winter/Spring 2010

2010-02-05T20:17:00.001-05:00

GEOGRAPHY CLUB DATES HAVE CHANGED!!!!! !!!!

CO-OP AND GEOGRAPHY CLUB TIMES HAVE CHANGED!!!!! !!

After lengthy discussions at the planning meeting in January and the Board of Directors meeting in February, a decision has been made to separate Co-op (Keepers) and Geography Club dates.

This was not a hasty decision and we realize the new schedule will not work for everyone.

Since the Geography Club dates have been changed, if you are unable to attend Geography Club, we will deposit money paid for the remaining dates of Geography Club into your PPA. However, a written request must be given to Patti Hunt by March 1.

Since the Keepers (co-op) dates have not changed, we will not be issuing funds into the PPA's for those meetings.

Feb 12 - Co-op
Feb 19 - 9:30-10:30 Geo Club; 11-1pm Valentine Social
March 12 Co-op
March 26 Geo Club
April 9 Co-op
Apirl 16 Geo Club
May 14 Co-op
May There will be no Geography Club in May. (See note below)

Meetings will run from 10am to 11:30am (With the exception of Feb 19.)
10am Arrival
10:15-11:30 Class time
11:30- 12:15 Lunch (You are welcome to bring bag lunches if you would like to fellowship with other families at this time.)
12:15 Clean up
12:30 Departure

Geography Club
The dates for Geography Club have changed. (see above)
Therefore, if you are unable to attend Geography Club for the rest of the year, you have the option of recieving the money you paid for Geography Club into your PPA.
Since we must cancel the last Geography Club meeting (scheduled for May), everyone will recieve the money paid for that meeting in their PPA.

End of the Year projects will be due at the April meeting.

If you have any questions about anything in this email, feel free to contact me or one of the Board of Directors for clarification.
I'm sorry to change things mid-year, but we felt it was necessary at this time and appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Monthly Planning Meeting 1/12/2010

2010-01-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services (CHESS)
Monthly Planning Meeting

January 12, 2010, 7:00pm, 3340 Smoketown Road, Hanover, PA
Attendees: Patti Hunt, President, Becky Cooke, Vice-President, Emily Reisig, Treasurer, Pam Chaddon, secretary, Becky Myers, Kelly Sanders, Michelle Tasker

1. Patti Hunt opened the meeting in prayer
2. The treasury report was submitted by Emily Resig. Emily noted that reimbursements are based on what individuals paid. Teachers and assistants need to contact Emily about reimbursement by January 22nd. Teachers and assistants are encouraged to have the monies transferred into individual PPA accounts.
3. Patti announced that Joshua Kehr won the drawing for Hershey Kisses contest and will attend the Chocolate class for free.
4. Patti provided updates on CHESS membership. Five new families have applied but membership is closed at this time. Families from Pennsylvania and are parent-led, parent-funded are given priority over Cyber school families when membership is open. Patti noted that York Homeschooler Association does not include Cyber school families at all. CHESS membership renewals for 2010-2011 will begin after CHAP and continue until June 30th for current families. After June 30th, membership will be open to families on the waiting list. Patti reminded the attendees that when a families’ membership expires, their PPA account is forfeited to CHESS. Afterwards, there was a lengthy discussion among the attendees regarding changing next year’s membership and co-op fees.
5. Patti discussed the upcoming Poetry Breakfast. Pastries and bagels will be provided from Panera Bread. The $50.00 budget will provide drinks and paper goods. Families are encouraged to bring fruit and savory dishes.
6. Becky Cooke discussed past, current and future yearbooks for CHESS. 2008-2009 books can still be ordered through Becky Cooke at a discount. Becky will organize a survey to plan for the 2009-2010 yearbooks. There was discussion regarding each family having one page, advertising to offset cost, etc.
7. Patti is looking for someone to run concessions for the history fair on March 20th. Candice Abel has expressed interest. Patti explained that she cannot run the concessions and the history fair. A location and time have not been determined. Kelly will look into Bethel AOG in Littlestown. The fair will be limited to 2 hours this year and participants must stay for the entire event.
8. Patti discussed coordinating Geography Club subject for the different age groups next year.
9. Patti announced that ordering year end pins for the Co-op Keepers groups would be optional. Kelly Sanders is in charge of the pin orders. Free certificates will be provided to each child who participated.
10. Patti provided updates on the various grocery store fundraisers: $167.00 so far from Giant, Kennies began this week, Food Lion changed program and we need to get the new information.
11. Patti reminded the group about the Good Search and Amazon fundraisers.
12. Patti is going to try and schedule a carpool trip to Hershey Chocolate World after the chocolate class for the children who attended.

Next planning meeting is scheduled for February 4th for the Board of Directors only. It will take place at Melissa Brillhart’s home at 1:00pm. The next open meeting for the entire group is March 2nd at 7:00. The meeting ended at approximately 9:30pm

Minutes submitted respectfully by Pam Chaddon on 1/22/2010

Co-op Teacher Sign up Update January 5, 2010

2010-01-05T12:09:00.000-05:00

Material Fees - In the past, CHESS was able to offer teachers stipends to cover the costs of materials needed to teach classes. Due to low funds this year, CHESS will not be able to offer this to teachers. Instead, teachers can be reimbursed up to $5 per class for submitted reciepts. If costs go over $5 per class, then a cost per child should be calculated and parents will be charged a materials fee in that amount. Materials fees should be paid at the time of sign up so the teacher can have the money to purchase materials. This fee should be paid directly to the teacher who is teaching.

For more information about Keepers of the Faith, click here.

All families who participate in this program must have a parent sign up to teach or assist a minimum of 4 times during the year.

Here are the teachers we have signed up so far:

Nursery: Birth to 3 years old
Lead Nursery - Lauren Bauer has signed up to be in the Nursery all year. She is planning activities for the 2-3 year olds.
January - Sara Owens; Deanna Mayberry
February - Sara Owens; Deanna Mayberry
March - Sara Owens; Deanna Mayberry
April - Sara Owens; Deanna Mayberry
May - Sara Owens; Deanna Mayberry

Little Keepers - girls ages 4-6
January 8 - Teacher - Pam Chaddon; Assistant - Shirl Cooke, Linda Myers
February 12 - Topic - Friends; Teacher Heather Kehr; Assistant - Audra Blizard, Robin Hoke, Carla McCormac
March 12 - Topic - Food; Teacher - Robin Hoke; Assistant Heather Kehr, Kim Keller
April 9 - Topic - Gardening; Teacher - Pam Chaddon; Assistant - Robin Hoke, Renee Woerner
May 14 - Topic - ??; Teacher - Heather Kehr; assistants - Robin Hoke, Kim Keller

Little Contenders - Boys ages 4-6
Kelly Sanders has signed up to teach the whole year, but topics have not been chosen yet.
January 8 - Assistant - Lisa Koontz, Carla McCormac, Michelle Tasker
February 12 - Assistant - Suanna Myers, Linda Myers
March 12 - Assistant - Lisa Koontz, Carla McCormac
April 9 - Assistant - Carla McCormac, Patty Redding
May 14 - Assistant - Lisa Koontz, Carla McCormac

Keepers at Home - Girls ages 7-10

January 8 - Topic - Butterflies; Teacher - Heather Kehr; Assistants - Emily Reisig, Beth Fisher, Melissa Brillhart
February 12 - Topic - ?? Teacher - Kim Keller; Assistants - Lisa Koontz, Jen Dollosso
March 12 - Topic - Baking; Teacher - Emily Reisig; Assistant - Jen Dollosso, Beth Fisher
April 9 - Teacher - Lisa Koontz; Assistants - Emily Reisig, Beth Fisher
May 14 - Topic - Genealogy - Pam Chaddon; Assistants - Melissa Brillhart, Beth Fisher

Contenders - Boys ages 7-10
January 8 - Teacher - Kim Keller; Assistants - Michelle McKinney, Susie Jenkins, Laura Dean
February 12 - This group will combine with the 11-13 year old boys to make Pinewood Derby Cars; Assistants - Michelle McKinney, Susie Jenkins, Laura Dean
March 12 - This group will combine with the 11-13 year old boys to make Pinewood Derby Cars; Assistants - Susie Jenkins, Laura Dean
April 9 - Topic - Wildlife; Teacher - Heather Kehr; Assistants - Michelle McKinney, Susie Jenkins
May 14 - Teacher - Susie Jenkins: Assistants - Michelle McKinney, Sharon Martinez

Keepers at Home - girls ages 11 to 13
January 8 - Topic - Chinese; Teacher - Sharon Martinez; Assistant - Candice Abel, Audra Blizard
February 12 - Topic - Etiquette; Teacher - Lori Hottenstein; Assistants - Audra Blizard, Patty Redding
March 12 - Teacher - Sharon Martinez; Assistant - Suanna Myers, Renee Woerner
April 9 - Teacher - Michelle Tasker; Assistant - Audra Blizard, Melissa Brillhart
May 14 - Teacher - Michelle Tasker; Assistant - Jen Dollosso, Patty Redding

Contenders - boys ages 11-13
Glen Myers has signed up to teach this group of boys all year with his son, Jared assisting. I'm very excited about this because it will create some consistency with this group and the topics are very interesting. We will still need additional assistants with this group all year.

January 8 - Small Engine Repair (Material Fee - $0): Assistants - Jared Myers, Dan Brillhart
February 12 - Pinewood Derby cars (Material Fee - $15): Assistants - Jared Myers, Dan Brillhart
March 12 - Pinewood Derby cars (Material Fee - Paid for February meeting): Assistants - Jared Myers, Dan Brillhart
April 9 - Woodworking (Material Fee - $20): Assistants - Jared Myers, Dan Brillhart
May 14 - Woodworking (Material Fee - Paid for April meeting): Assistants - Jared Myers, Dan Brillhart

Teens - ages 14 to 18.
Topic - Book Discussion
Teacher - Patti Hunt
Assistants:
January - Chris Abrams
February - Chris Abrams
March - Chris Abrams
April - Chris Abrams
May - Chris Abrams
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
All participants in this group must have a copy of the book. More information on the book can be found here: Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations
We will have discussions on each chapter and opportunity for public speaking. Chapters will need to be read at home before each meeting.

Clean Up Crew
Clean up will take place after lunch (which will happen after Geography Club meets). Only sign up for clean up if you plan to stay until after lunch. Those who sign up will get the same reimbursment as those who assist in classes.
January - Cathi Sigmon, Lisa Koontz, Lori Hottenstein
February - Cathi Sigmon, Lisa Koontz, Lori Hottenstein
March - Cathi Sigmon, Julie Dorr, Lisa Koontz
April - Cathi Sigmon, Julie Dorr, Lisa Koontz
May - Emily Reisig , Cathi Sigmon, Lisa Koontz

Guests and new members are always welcome at CHESS co-ops! Guest Fee is $4 per class per student payable at the time of the class. If you know you are bringing a guest, please call ahead so we are sure to have enough materials on hand.

Any other questions about the Keepers meetings should be directed to me on my cell 465-9838 or homeschoolmarm@yahoo.com

Poetry Breakfast

2009-12-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

Poetry Breakfast
Friday, January 22, 2010
10am to Noon
This event is open to CHESS members only and is FREE.

All children in our group are encouraged to bring a poem to share. It could be a poem they have written, or a poem written by someone else. They may read it or recite it during a sharing time. (Sharing is optional). After sharing poetry, we will have a mini poetry lesson and write some original poetry. This activity is open to all age levels. If there is a large number of students attending, we may break down into smaller groups for sharing.

RSVP's are required by January 18 to Patti Hunt with family name and ages of children attending.
Bringing a breakfast item to share is optional but it would be helpful for us to know what you are bringing ahead of time.

Chocolate Class

2009-12-29T08:49:00.001-05:00

Chocolate Class

Fridays; 10am to Noon

January 15, January 29, February 5, February 26, March 5

Reserve your spot by January 11!

Fees per student:

CHESS Members = $5 per class or $20 for all 5 classes

All Other Homeschoolers = $7.50 per class or $30 for all 5

Fees include all materials including samplings of chocolates, any necessary ccraft supplies, manipulatives and printing and photocopy expenses.

Description:

Join us for a series of 5 classes when we will take a closer look at one of our favorite treats. We will look at the history of chocolate as well as the process of taking a cacao bean and transforming it to a chocolate bar. We will also sample some various forms of chocolate during each class including a raw cacao bean! Subject areas covered in this class will be history, geography, vocabulary, poetry, creative writing and art.

Age Level:

This class will be appropriate for students who do not need assistance in writing. They will be expected to complete copywork assignments and other short written assignments where a student may have to explain something in their own words through a written assignment. In the past, I have taught this class to children as young as 7 and as old as 16. It covers all ages well.

Parents' Responsibility:

Parents do not have to stay for this class. You must bring your children inside to be signed in and you do not have to stay. An emergency contact number must be left. You must also come inside to sign them out at the pick up. Children may bring a bag lunch each day to eat at the conclusion of class.

Assistant spots:
There is a limited number of assistant spots available for parents who would like to stay and assist. There is a discount for the class if you stay and assist. If there are available spots (parents get first choice), teens (ages 16 and over) may request to assist and be paid a small stipend for their help. Although this class is open to all homeschoolers, only CHESS parents/teens may stay to assist.
Again, assistant spots are limited and not everyone who requests to assist will be guaranteed a spot.

Inclement Weather:

In the event of inclement weather, we will make every attempt to reschedule at a time convenient for all.

This class is not recommended for children with allergies related to chocolate/peanut/ milk products.

To reserve your space or if you have any questions,

contact Patti Hunt at (717)465-9838 or email at homeschoolmarm@ yahoo.com

To be sure that I have enough supplies on hand, please reserve your spots by January 11. Thank you!

Maryland Science Center Field Trip

2009-12-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

Field Trip to Maryland Science Center
Wednesday December 2th

The general admission ticket will include everything except the special Da Vinci Exhibit and the Imax. There are many exhibits included in the general admission including the planetarium.

I will leave these all of these optional add-ons up to each family:
If you want to see Da Vinci it is $6.00 extra per person.
If you want to see Imax it is $8.00 extra for "The Human Body", or $12.00 extra for "A Christmas Carol" - "Human Body" is subject to cancellation or change to day of the showing, but some educational film should be playing that day.
Plan your visit at: http://www.mdsci.org/

I would like to leave at 8:15am on Wednesday Dec 2nd, meeting at Union Mills pond parking lot near the corner of RT 97 south and Old Hanover Road in Maryland. We can carpool and follow each other to the Owings Mills metro station. At this time the metro is regular rate because our group is based in PA. If this changes and I can get the lower student rate, I will let you know. We will take the metro into Charles Center station and walk several blocks to the inner harbor. Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothes.

Please bring a packed lunch unless you want to buy food in downtown Baltimore.

Christmas Program Information 2009

2009-12-01T15:48:00.000-05:00

CHESS Christmas Pageant
Monday, December 14th, 2009
First Baptist Church, Hanover
7:00pm

Come out and enjoy a celebration of Christ's birth as the CHESS children join together to tell the story of that special night in Bethlehem through reading God's Word, singing Christmas Carols, reciting stories and poems, and using various musical gifts to give praise to Jesus, Our King.

Board of Director's Meeting 11/5/2009

2009-11-09T07:49:00.000-05:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services (CHESS)
Bi-Annual Board of Directors Meeting
November 5, 2009, 12:30pm, 29 Trenton Court, Littlestown, PA

Attendees: Patti Hunt, President, Becky Cooke, Vice-President, Emily Reisig, Treasurer, Pam Chaddon, secretary, Heather Kehr, Deanna Mayberry, Kelly Sanders, Melissa Brillhart, Michelle Tasker

1. Patti Hunt opened the meeting in prayer
2. The treasury report was submitted by Emily Resig. Patti noted that the finances are very secure at this time and suggested line items be separated for various social activities such as the End of Year Potluck, Christmas social, Valentines social, etc. In addition, Patti discussed the possibility of utilizing some of the co-op monies to help offset supply cost for the various Keepers classes
3. Patti reminded the group about various fundraisers including the upcoming Shultz’s Sub fundraiser. She also detailed how fundraisers can be set up for specific events or activities.
4. Patti initiated a lengthy discussion regarding the scholarship monies and opened the floor to suggestions, ideas and questions. At the end of the discussion, it was determined that the scholarship money could be used to pay any CHESS event or activity. A simple application form will be set up that will require minimum financial information from the family. There will be a scale from 1-10 to rate the families level of need, and a place for families to consider ways they might be able to volunteer or contribute to the organization in return for assistance. Patti also mentioned her desire to keep the scholarship fund available even after the initial funds are utilized.
5. Patti announced the current CHESS membership at 53 families; this includes 123 children of which 64 children are over the age of 8; it is important for the group to know this breakdown of ages in the group since 8 is the age for required reporting in Pennsylvania, Patti also noted that there are several children in the group under 8 beginning reported for various reasons such as withdrawal from a public or private school, etc. Membership cards are available for all families.
6. Two Bylaw Amendments were presented, voted on and approved; qualifications for director positions has been amended to reflect a required membership in the group for 18 months or longer before serving; term limits for director positions has been amended to reflect open terms until mutually agreed upon by the board, president and individual director.
7. Panera Bread offers free assistance to non-profit organizations by making leftover bread goods available for pickup at 9pm on specified evening. Patti is looking into signing up CHESS for this opportunity to benefit the families of CHESS. More details to follow regarding availability, pickup date, etc.
8. Pam presented information regard a grant submitted to Adams County Arts Council for a morning workshop “Sights and Sounds of the Pipe Organ” to be presented by international concert organist, Felix Hell, if approved, in the fall of 2010. One stipulation of the grant was that CHESS could not fund the event without full assistance from ACAC.
9. Upcoming events
a. November 6th – Bowling1:30-3:30 RSVP
b. November 13th – Keepers and Geography Club, Portrait Day
c. November 20th – 2nd Board Game Day – Thanksgiving Bingo, Guess How Many in the Jar, Decorate Cupcakes
10. The next planning meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2009 at 7pm at Becky Myers’ house near Codorus
11. The next Board of Directors’ meeting is scheduled for February 4th at Melissa Brillhart’s house
12. There was fellowship and dessert following the meeting.

The meeting ended at approximately 2:15pm
Minutes submitted respectfully by Pam Chaddon on 11/8/2009

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-06T19:49:00.000-05:00

Old Bedford Village

2009-10-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

October Co-op and Geography Club Photos

2009-10-21T08:41:00.000-04:00

Post Office Tour Photos

2009-10-21T07:55:00.001-04:00

Monthly Planning Meeting 10/6/2009

2009-10-11T07:54:00.000-04:00

Christian Home Educator Support Services (CHESS)
Monthly Planning Meeting
October 6, 2009, 7pm, 111 Barley Circle, Hanover, PA

Attendees: Patti Hunt, President, Becky Cooke, Vice-President, Emily Reisig, Treasurer, Pam Chaddon, secretary, Lori Hottenstein, Carla McCormac, Becky Myers, Linda Myers, Sue Owens, Jackie Valko

1. Patti Hunt opened the meeting in prayer
2. The treasury report was submitted by Emily Resig.
Patti noted the undesignated scholarship money from an anonymous donation. She also noted the possibility of receiving matching monies from this donation. She discussed how the scholarship money might be utilized and a possible application process to apply for the scholarship money
3. Patti announced the current CHESS membership at 52 families; this includes 121 children of which 62 children are over the age of 8; it is important for the group to know this breakdown of ages in the group since 8 is the age for required reporting in Pennsylvania, Patti also noted that there are several children in the group under 8 being reported for various reasons such as withdrawal from a public or private school, etc.
4. Patti itemized a few minor issues from the September co-op and Geography Club meetings – emptying all trash into one trash can rather than removing the bags from each can and restricting the pianos from the children unless permission is obtained for a particular CHESS purpose
5. Patti announced that co-op will always begin downstairs with prayer and announcements; the time is being pushed back to arrive at 9:00, announcements and prayer at 9:15. This should facilitate a timely start to co-op at 9:30 and allow time for the children to move from one area to another
6. Another change in the beginning of co-op will be organizing the children by class downstairs during the gathering time to make moving to classes more fluid for all
7. There will be a new assistant/volunteer position during classes – floating assistant; Becky Cooke will assume this position at the October meeting; this position will check each class and monitor the halls to help located bathrooms, parents and other general assistance
8. Families will be asked to bring a snack that does not make crumbs (carrots, string cheese, etc.) and water only for the time between co-op and Geography Club for families participating in both
9. There was lengthy discussion regarding earning pins and certificates, at the end of the discussion it was determined that:
a. It is the teacher’s responsibility to only introduce the Keeper’s subject,
b. The teacher should provide some sort of communication to the parents regarding what was covered in class, preferably via email to their group
c. The teacher has the option to make suggestions for completing the subject,
d. It is up to the parent to finish the material to complete the subject,
e. If the parent does not have a book, they can request copies of the pages from the teacher or borrow the book from the lending library (one copy each available)
f. The parent determines if the child has successfully completed the subject to earn the pin/certificate,
h. If the parent wants a pin, it is the parent’s responsibility to order and pay for the pin,
i. Certificates will be provided at year-end by CHESS, these certificates will be provided for those who participated in Keepers classes,
j. The certificate will also indicate if the child fully finished the subject material by completing material at home, these certificates can be used for portfolios, Patti is looking into finding someone who will track which children have participated in which classes and which children have completed the material at home
10.Patti’s Geography Club group will be split into two groups to assist with struggling writers (Suanna Myers to teach the second group), since there is much cross-over with ages, grades and abilities in each Geography Club group, the groups will now be named by a continents (example “the Antarctica group”, “the Asia group”, etc) instead of by age or grade, Patti’s group will be preparing for the Geography Bee
11. Pam Chaddon mentioned the possibility of applying for the Adams County Arts Council 2010 grant, deadline is November 1st, CHESS must determine what artist (music, art, dance, etc) would be brought in to teach the children
12. Michelle McKinney has organized a Shultz’s Sub fundraiser, the fundraiser begins Oct 9th , forms will be available at co-op and Geography Club, orders are due on Nov 6th at the Bowling event, pick up is on Nov 18th at Michelle’s house
13. Patti discussed the Giant and Food Lion cards, $10 coupons were available for Giant
14. Becky discussed the school portraits scheduled for the Nov co-op, forms will be available at the October co-op in individual folders
15. Patti itemized the upcoming events
a. October 9th – Keepers and Geography Club
b. October 16th – Pumpkin Patch (rain date, October 30th) – Sign up online to bring a food item
c. November 6th – Bowling – RSVP required
d. November 13th – Keepers and Geography Club, Portrait Day
e. November 20th – Board Game Day
16. The next planning meeting is scheduled for November 5, 2009 and will be a “closed” meeting for the Board of Directors only. There is no meeting in December and January's meeting will be at Becky Myers' house on January 12.
17. There was fellowship and dessert following the meeting.
The meeting ended at approximately 8:45pm
Minutes submitted respectfully by Pam Chaddon on 10/9/2009

Bowling at South Hanover Lanes

2009-10-09T15:05:00.000-04:00

Bowling at South Hanover Lanes
Friday, November 6, 2009
1pm
Cost: $3.00 per bowler (includes shoe rental)
Come join our group for an afternoon of bowling at South Hanover Lanes.
RSVP to Patti Hunt by November 4th.