Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
On Thursday, March 12, a group of home school kids took advantage of the balmy spring weather and spent the late morning outside, learning about the natural world around us. Youngsters and parents from the Kindred Connections Homeschool Co-op gathered in Lee to explore the area around the pond behind Lee City Hall. The students participated in a scavenger hunt to find items such as leaves of various kinds, bird feathers, rocks, sticks and more. The students also participated in other activities designed to enhance the learning opportunities the day provided.
The Kindred Connections Homeschool Co-op is a group of homeschool parents who have banded together to help share skills and resources in order to improve the quality of the education provided to their students. According to Nikki Hunter, a Regional Representative from the Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA), and a certified teacher, the co-op consists of approximately 20-25 kids aged three through 14. The co-op meets each Thursday, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Miss Jean's Schoolhouse, located on Hwy. 53 North, in Madison. Through the co-op, parents are able to access a full curriculum of subjects including science, history, civics, American Sign Language, Spanish and art. In addition to providing access to materials, parents within the co-op help teach all the students, depending on their area of expertise.
Information about homeschooling can be found on the FPEA website at www.FPEA.com or the Home School Legal Defense Association website at www.HSLDA.org. Hunter can be reached at RegionalRep2b@fpea.com.