Get Schooled: Homeschooled Kids Get Classroom Experience

By Amber Lester Thursday, September 02, 2010

I walked into Williamsburg Christian Church on Tuesday expecting to see a small group of kids gathered to play games or share lessons. What I found was a fellowship, and an impressively structured “school” for children who are home schooled in the Williamsburg area.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on each Tuesday of the school year, home schooled children and their parents meet in classrooms at the church to fill in the gaps. While home schooling offers parents a chance to steer their children’s education, it doesn’t offer the socialization found at public or private school. And for parents, it can be challenging to teach subjects that fall far from their expertise.

With that in mind, mom and art teacher Brandy Bergenstock started the Williamsburg Classical Community Co-Op in 2008. It was a reinvention of a previous co-op, but this time leaned toward offering more chances for older students to learn and interact. “I started WCC up with a strong mission to reach older students, who I feel lack the same number of opportunities as younger home school students,” Bergenstock said.

Even so, the numbers of students of all ages have swelled in the short three years. Mother Kendall Reaves said two years ago, just a handful of students were in the co-op, but this year, she had heard close to 100 would be attending Tuesday’s open house.

Students who sign up for the Co-Op can register for as many classes as they want. The co-op offers classes that are often hard for parents to teach at home, such as art, Spanish, Chemistry labs and theater. Registration for the Co-Op is $50, and requires one class for the semester, which costs an average of $100, depending on materials. Most parents have their children take several classes, so the average cost per family is closer to $450 a semester, Bergenstock said.

Parent Lana Godoy said the Co-Op has fit her vision for her daughter’s schooling perfectly. “It’s got a school-like atmosphere, and gives her a little bit of the school experience,” she said. “I use this as an enrichment to give her exposure to things I may not be able to cover, like art.” She added that it fits her schedule.

While the parents do hand over the reins of their children’s education for one day, they still have input on the curriculum. The Co-Op does not have an official religious affiliation, but teachers do sign a pledge that they will not preach or teach against the Christian faith. For classes like biology, parents can choose their preferred textbook and their children can opt out of certain lab exercises. Last year, Bergenstock’s daughter used Holt’s Biology textbook, a common public school text, but many in her class used “Exploring Creation with Biology.”

“Everyone was able to come together no matter the main text and fulfill the required labs for high school,” Bergenstock said. “This is what home schoolers want — to be able to take necessary courses that work best in groups, but retain the freedom to choose the text that fits their family.”

I sat in on a beginning Spanish course taught by Ruth Hertzler, who was home schooled while her parents worked as missionaries in Peru. Because it was the first day, the children did a very basic refresher on simple Spanish vocabulary, such as “Buenos dias” and “gracias.” I was impressed to see a little girl, at best old enough to be in first grade, greet Miss Ruth by calling her “professoria.”

In the lobby of the church, parents set up a potluck buffet, plugging in slow cookers and setting out trays of corn cakes and cookies. It reminded me of the potlucks I so loved after church services when I was growing up, and as I watched the moms and kids interact, it occurred to me that it really does take a village to raise a child. For home schooling parents, the Co-Op offers more than additional educational options: it offers fellowship.

Click here to learn more about the Co-Op.

Let Your Opinion Be Heard!

Now’s your chance to weigh in on the search for the next superintendent of Williamsburg-James City County schools. Answer questions about your desired characteristics in the next superintendent in this online survey.

The school board will host a public forum to gather more input at 7 p.m. on Sept. 14 in the Lafayette High School auditorium.