Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of making memories with family and giving thanks to God for all the many blessings He has given you. Now, as we look towards Christmas, I want to encourage you to remember God’s greatest gift. Jesus came offering salvation to all who trust in Him. He gave us the precious gifts of hope and forgiveness.

Christmas is a time to experience great hope. You may be wondering, “how do I experience this hope?” In his letter to the Romans, Paul proclaimed “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may over ow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 15:13) According to Paul, hope begins when you trust in Him and grows as your trust in Him grows. As you trust Him, you are filled by the Holy Spirit with joy and peace which overflows your heart with hope. The challenge for us is to look for opportunities to trust God every day. Do you and your family look for ways to exercise your trust in Him? Do you look for ways to be a blessing to others so that God may draw others to Himself through you? If you want to increase your hope, look for opportunities to serve and bless others and share your hope with them. “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5)

Jesus has also given us the incredible gift of forgiveness. This gift can be received over and over again. John tells us that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Forgiveness is offered to us as many times as we need through confession. However, this gift comes with one caveat…it must be given as freely as it is received. Paul tells us to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph 4:32) Jesus warns us that this gift can be revoked if it is not given. (Matt 6:14-15) In fact, forgiveness is so important that it can hinder our worship. Jesus says that we should reconcile with our brother before offering worship before God. (Matt 5:24) The Christmas season is the perfect time to reconcile (if possible) with a brother or sister. Look for opportunities to share the gospel with someone and help them receive the gift of forgiveness this holiday season.

The PAACH board wants to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We pray that you experience the gifts of hope and forgiveness through Jesus Christ this year. The board also desires to help and support you throughout your homeschooling journey. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be Godly parents who lead your children towards Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do.

James Cox
PAACH President

Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope your homeschooling journey has been exciting and full of adventure so far this school year. I’m sure you have had your challenges as you endeavor to grow with your kids and show them how to live every day to glorify God. I want to share a little bit about my experiences navigating the difficulties of walking your child into adulthood. I also want to touch on the importance of finding joy during those difficulties.

One of the goals you should have for your child is to grow into a responsible adult. Teaching them how to think critically and weigh out consequences will go a long way in helping them to learn from their mistakes (which they WILL make). As parents, we tend to set unrealistic expectations on our children. When this happens, we are almost sure to overreact and be too hard on them when they mess up. This can exasperate your child and cause them to become discouraged (Col 3:21) You want to build your child up in the Lord, teach them self-discipline, and give them the tools they need to continue to learn and grow as an adult. If we are to be God’s representative, then we must learn to follow His pattern of discipline. In scripture, God often warns us of consequences while still leaving the choices up to us. I have tried to do this with my children starting around the age of 12. I will often talk with them about a problem they are facing and help them weigh out possible choices and the consequences. Then I remind them that they are the one who has to live with their choice and let them choose. This process has helped my wife and I keep a strong relationship with our children and gives an opportunity to build trust. When your child makes a decision that results in the bad consequences you warned them about, they learn to trust your wisdom.

Another conversation that my wife and I have with our kids regularly is that we are for them just like God is for us. We assure them that we are not wanting to control them, but rather teach them to control themselves. When they are younger the consequences come from you as the parents, but as they grow older the consequences come from God. Many are built into His design, and some come from His discipline directly. (Hebrews 12:5-11) We also walk them through the process of repentance, restitution, and reconciliation. God’s design in the law (throughout Leviticus) shows that God wants us to make right the damage done by our bad choices. This seems to be a lost concept in today's Christianity, but it is necessary for those in a church to maintain good relationships. The fact is that saying “I’m sorry” doesn’t magically fix our mistakes. However, it can be a good first step when accompanied by an acknowledgement of the hurt caused and an effort to replace or rebuild what has been broken. The truth is, teaching these things is in itself painful because they must be taught by example. Some time of self-reflection on how you handle fixing your mistakes might be beneficial at this point. What kind of example are you living out when you make a mistake and hurt your spouse or child?

Finally, I want to share a practice that has helped my wife and I through some pretty tough times when our children’s decisions have hurt us deeply. At times, we have felt disrespected, betrayed, attacked, discouraged, and incredibly frustrated as a result of a child’s bad decision. We have often asked ourselves these questions:

1. Did I make this mistake when I was their age?
2. Have I treated God the way I feel my child is treating me?
3. How did my parents respond when I made this mistake? Was it helpful or hurtful to me?
4. How can I love my child in this situation?

When it comes to the end of the day, we strive to restore the relationship with that child because that’s what God does. No matter what we do, God works it for our good because what is best for us is to remain in relationship with Him. He always draws us back towards Himself. No matter what your kids do, they will always be your kids. You love them because God loves you and your kids. One last tip: Enjoy the times when you are in good relationship. Remembering the joyful times can be very helpful when persevering through the hard times. I pray that you will have much joy in your family.

The PAACH Board desires to help and support you throughout your homeschooling journey. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be Godly parents who lead your children towards Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do.

James Cox
PAACH President

 

Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope this month finds you well and thriving in your homeschooling activities. As we dig into the school year, I wanted to remind you of the reasons we homeschool. We want our children to have the best education possible and nobody wants your children to succeed more than you. More than this, we want our children to grow in a biblical worldview and to know and have their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Homeschooling is how we meld these two things together as we “train our children in the way they should go.” (Prov 22:6)

First, we want our children to get the best education. It is important to keep in mind that our children are individuals with unique personalities and gifts. As homeschoolers, we can tailor each child’s education to grow them in their specific gifts and interests. Doing this gives them a head start towards excelling in those subjects of interest. For example, my second oldest daughter spent the last two years of high school studying and training along side other women 5-15 years older than her and completed her doula certification right after she graduated. Many of those women told her they wished they had started their training at her age. This same daughter started her own business career at the age of eighteen, has attended multiple births as a doula, and even had the opportunity to deliver a baby when the midwife was held up. I share all this to say that your children will have advantages and opportunities that others their age do not because you are homeschooling.

We also want our children to grow in a biblical worldview. We want them to know who God is and that He has created them for a purpose. We have the privilege of helping them discover what that purpose is, or at least help to point them in the right direction. In order to accomplish this mission, we must endeavor to know them better and grow in our relationship with each of them. We also need to show them how to relate to God and others by how we live and serve. We want our children to grow up into contributing members of the church and in the world. We must warn them about the difficulties waiting for them as they go out into the world (John 16:33) and how to turn to God in their weaknesses. (1 Cor 1:26-31 We must teach them how to stand on the rock of Christ and walk in His ways. We must point them to the simple command to love God above all else and to love others.

Homeschooling is ripe with possibilities and opportunities to grow our children up in “the fear and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4), and to teach them to use their gifts to honor Him. It is the best way to help them grow into fruitful believers who want to serve God and His people. It is also the best way to grow ourselves as we learn together. Don’t get too caught up in repetitive daily schedules where you miss the many opportunities to plant seeds and water your children’s souls. Finally, remember to leave all your worries and shortcomings in the gracious hands of our sovereign God and his providence. (1 Pet 5:7) He knows the path they must walk to find Him and trust in Him. (Ps 37:23, Job 23:10)

The PAACH board desires to help and support you throughout your homeschooling journey. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be godly parents who lead your children toward Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do.

James Cox
PAACH President

Who? Former, Current, & Future Homeschool Families

What? ICHE Family Camp

When? Thursday, September 7 - Sunday, September 10, 2023

Where? Camp Timber-lee, East Troy, WI

Why? Because, yes, we CAN take off school right after Labor

Day for fellowship, rest, encouragement, fresh air, campfires, carpetball, gagaball and volleyball.

Register online

Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope you are doing well as another school year begins. I have been challenged over the last month as I have been meditating on 1 Corinthians 13. I have been thinking about how this passage denes family relationships. I would like to share some of my thoughts and struggles with you.

I love my kids. If anyone were to ask me if I love my kids, my answer would be an immediate “yes.” However, what if I were to apply Paul’s definition of love (1 Cor 13:4) and reword the question like this: Is my relationship with my kids defined by an abundance of patience and kindness? Am I quicker to judge my child’s motives or to offer forgiveness when they make mistakes? Do I keep a scoreboard of those mistakes? Questions like this cause me to hesitate before answering that original question. Now I am forced to re-examine how WELL I love my kids. I am fully aware that there is no such thing as a perfect parent, but I must also remain vigilant in acknowledging my shortcomings as a parent. I am challenged to walk with God and before my children in a worthy manner. (Col 1:9-10) Scripture urges me to walk in humility and forgiveness, giving grace to all. Why is this so important as a parent? Because I am trying to set an example that I hope my children will follow; an example of what it looks like to live a life of repentance which bears fruit. (Matt 3:8, Gal 5:22-23)

As a parent who now has children currently ranging from adult to teens to newborn, I have been given a multitude of opportunities to prove my love for my children. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to find out that patience and kindness are not my default response. I have had plenty of opportunities recently to discipline my children. It seems that the bigger they get, the bigger the mistakes. In most of those opportunities, I have found myself needing to apologize for responding poorly and to share my past where I made many of the same mistakes that my children are making. What I am learning through all of this is that God’s grace really is sufficient in every circumstance. (2 Cor 12:9) Humility, an apology, and (age appropriate) straight-talk go a long way in building trust with your children. These same things also build their faith when they can see that God has forgiven you and blessed you after making some big mistakes. Paul knew what he was talking about when he said that God can work all things for the good of those who love Him… (Rom 8:28) He can take your past mistakes and turn them into wisdom, ministry opportunity, and even tools for relationship building with your children. What an amazing God who saves us and then uses us to bring others to salvation… maybe even our own children. Homeschooling has so many possibilities and benefits. I encourage you to take some time to reflect and learn to love your children better.

The PAACH board desires to help and support you throughout your homeschooling journey. We also desire to help you disciple your children by providing encouragement, wisdom, and resources that will enable you to be Godly parents who lead your children towards Christ. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do.

James Cox
PAACH President

Fall Soccer

Register online or in-person at the Christian Center Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cost until June 30: 1st player - $70 | 2nd player - $65 | 3rd or more player - $60

Cost after June 30: 1st player - $80 | 2nd player - $75 | 3rd or more player - $70

Homeschool Bowling

Looking for a P.E. credit for your homeschoolers? The Christian Center is again reserving Friday afternoons for Homeschooler Bowling sessions. All skill levels supported. Family-friendly facility. Reasonable fees for bowling and shoes.

4100 N Brandywine in Peoria. For more information call (309) 685-4218

Dads & Lads

Fridays 5 to 8 p.m. FREE Bowling and/or Billiards (dads must participate with sons to be eligible to play for free)

 

PCA Co-Op

Learning history at PCA is fun for the whole family! Watch a mummy being made, experience a medieval feast, follow the north star with Harriet Tubman, come to Ellis Island as an immigrant, and more! PCA has openings for the upcoming school year. Our Beginners thru Jr. High group has a history focus through a Biblical lens. All ages from birth through 8th grade are welcome. We meet on Friday afternoons from 11:45 am - 3:00 pm, September thru early May.

We also have a high school program that meets on Fridays from 10:30 am - 2:00 pm. This year highschoolers will earn a half credit each in speech, British literature, fine arts (focusing on medieval art and architecture), and Personal Finance. High School Students also have the opportunity to participate in our Fall play. For more information please contact Joan Reinhard @ joanereinhard@gmail.com or 309-363-5886.

PCA Choirs Information 2023-24

Peoria Cooperative Academy Choirs are open for enrollment for our 2023-24 school year! Our choirs are part of the Peoria Cooperative Academy Co-op, a Christian co-op that currently meets on Fridays at Calvary Baptist Bible Church in Peoria. The choirs prepare pieces to perform in two formal concerts during the academic year – a Christmas concert and a Spring concert. Rehearsals also include instruction in music education and choral singing. The directors have adopted a methodology that is consistent across the choirs to encourage musical development from the youngest ages progressing through high school.

We have three choirs:

Joyful Messengers

K thru 4th grade - directed by Larissa Steffen, this choir meets at 10 -11 a.m. Cost per year: $125

Larissa Steffen

Larissa is a lifelong resident of Morton and graduate of Morton High School. Throughout her growing up years, she had the opportunity to participate in numerous church choirs and ensembles, Madrigals, All-State choir, and orchestra, as a violinist. She attended Illinois Wesleyan University studying music education with a focus on voice, but switched majors to nursing at ICC after getting married to Justin in 2009. They now have six children. She continues to participate in various ensembles, such as Peoria Area Civic Chorale and Morton's production of Messiah. She was greatly influenced by her Junior High chorus teacher, the late Heidi White, and hopes to bring the same delight and enthusiasm for music to the Joyful Messengers!

Cantate

5th thru 8th grade - directed by Annalise Duffer, this choir meets at 10-11 a.m. Cost per year: $150

Chorale

9th thru 12th grade - directed by Annalise Duffer, this choir meets at 2 – 3 p.m. Cost per year: $200

Annalise Duffer

Annalise is a home school and PCA choir graduate herself, after which she attended Bradley University to study music. She worked at Limestone High School in Bartonville for four years as their accompanist, which afforded opportunities to lead sectionals, substitute teach for the choir director, and direct a female vocal jazz group. She has also directed musicals for the TEAM home school drama group, directed Grace Presbyterian Church's Teen Choir, and music directed Cornstock Theatre's production of Camelot. Annalise has been teaching private piano lessons for ten years and will begin her fifth year as director for PCA choirs. Annalise is passionate about choir, music education, homeschooling, and loves working with kids of all ages. She and her husband have two daughters, and are looking forward to home educating as well. We welcome Annalise back as director this year!

Chorale members participate in Bradley University’s John Davis Festival each year, and select members are invited to participate in Bradley University’s High School Honor Choir. Chorale members are also eligible to participate in ILMEA in their freshman through senior years (this is optional).

Madrigals / Jazz Ensemble

This is a smaller, audition group open only to Chorale members, sophomore through seniors. In the fall semester, the group learns and performs Madrigal music for a special Madrigal event in late fall, and traditional carols for the St. Lucia Nights in Bishop Hill in December. In the spring, participants learn jazz pieces to perform at a special concert in April as well as in our Spring Concert and other venues. Currently, there is no additional charge for this group.

If you are interested in learning more and/or enrolling your student, please contact Becky Lawles at pcachoirs@gmail.com.

PCA Science Classes 2023-24

General Science

Grades 7th & 8th - Meets Fridays 8:50 to 9:50 a.m. - Cost: $145

Biology

Grades 9th & up - Meets Fridays 8:50 to 10:20 a.m. - Cost: $200

This class currently has a waiting list

Please contact Tracy Castro - mom27blessings@gmail.com for more information

Hosanna Homeschool Choirs fall semester registration will open in July! We encourage every one to visit our website, or reach out to us on Facebook, for fall semester details. Our spring semester was a wonderful blessing! We are looking forward to another blessed semester to end 2023! 

At CIBAD, our goal is to challenge and equip ambassadors for Christ to communicate truth with integrity and grace. CIBAD has two students competing in two speech categories in the National NCFCA Tournament at University of Northwestern in St. Paul, MN with results pending at the time of this publication. Judah Springer is presenting an After Dinner Speech. Judah Springer and Elijah Doering are presenting a Duo Interpretation Speech.

Upcoming Opportunities

(all at New Castle Church in Mackinaw)

Summer

DEBATE CAMP: July 31-August 3, 2023 from 9am - 4pm, Ages 12-18, Cost $75. Students will learn the fundamentals of debate, including how to research evidence, make reasoned arguments, and write an affirmative case. Most important, debaters will learn how to persuade and inspire.

SCIENCE OF STORYTELLING WORKSHOP: August 4, 2023 from 9am - 4pm, ages 8-18, Cost $15. Join us for a fun filled day of experimenting with the basic elements of stories. Come learn the brain science behind great communication in age-appropriate break-out sessions.

FALL CLASSES begin with a parent meeting on August 29, 2023. Classes run Tuesdays September 5 - November 14, 2023.

 

Contact Us

Lonnie Ulrich 309-645-0472

RUlrich90@gmail.com

Cindy Springer 309-306-2146

TazewoodFarm@gmail.com

 

Emilee Anne Castro

Emilee is the daughter of Eduardo and Tracy Castro. She is the middle of 7 children and has been homeschooled since kindergarten. She began participating in Peoria Cooperative Academy in 8th grade. Through PCA she had the opportunity to participate in four plays and Chorale. Emilee has a heart for worship ministry and has been involved in student worship ministry at her church since she was in 8th grade. This summer she will be doing a worship ministry internship at Summit Point Church. She plans to attend ICC in the fall and transfer to Liberty University to pursue a degree in worship ministry.

 

Andrew Endress

Andrew Endress, son of Bruce and Elizabeth Endress has completed his High School home education at Pleasant View School in rural Galva. He plans to attend Black Hawk College in Moline, IL this fall and will continue living at home. His major will be music education, and he is especially interested in choral music. His career goal, Lord willing, is to teach music at the high school or college level.

 

Chris Gonzalez

My name is Chris Gonzalez, I am the oldest of five children. A big part of my time in school has been Tri-County Enrichment Co-op, which I have attended for the last six years. I have made many friends through this co-op and a lot of my memories are attached to going to Tri-County. The teachers there are pretty amazing and pushed me to be who I am today. There was Mrs. Nofsinger who stood by me and my classmates as we struggled through chemistry, and then there was Mrs. Newton who taught me not to take things in life too seriously with her constant rabbit trails and weird obsessions with narwhals. In this upcoming year, I will be attending Illinois Central College pursuing something to do with communications because I love to work with people. Lately, my favorite verses have been Matthew 10:19-20 which says, “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

 

Tim Kelly

Tim Kelly has done it! He graduated this year and is looking forward to what God has in store. At present he is working at a local radiator repair shop and loves it, bringing his particular Tim flare to everything he does. He enjoys any project with his hands and spends his free time just keeping busy… with anything! Congrats Tim, follow the Lord in everything you do!

 

Cliff Leman

Being in PCA has challenged and grown me through homework deadlines, group projects, power points, research papers, and interactions with others. I’ve been a homeschooler and a PCA ‘er’ my entire life, and am thankful for the friendships I’ve built and maintained, and the memories I’ve made through PCA. Ultimately, I am most thankful for those who’ve been instrumental in my life and have both taught me and learned alongside me as I have grown in my spiritual walk. Currently, I will continue to work and try new things until I find where God wants me to be long term. My plan is to job shadow various occupations as I continue working. Phil. 1:6 - “being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

 

Lauren Elyse Shelburne

Lauren has been homeschooled since kindergarten and has enjoyed being part of the Peoria Cooperative Academy since 2nd grade. She loved being part of the PCA Choral program and was a member of the Madrigal and Jazz Ensembles as well as portraying roles in High School in all of the PCA plays and musical theater productions. She participated in ILMEA and qualified for the District 2 Festival Choir in 2021-22 and 2022-23, All-State Choir in 2021-22, and Honors All-State Choir as well as the District 2 Jazz Festival Choir in 2022-23. Lauren enjoys her involvement in her local church and served on summer staff at Camp Assurance for several summers as well as working at the Peoria Chick-Fil-A. She plans to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale this fall, and has been accepted into the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.

 

Karsten Dewayne Tisdale

Karsten Dewayne Tisdale, the son of Steven and Rhonda Tisdale, is a high school graduate this year. He will be continuing his education in the fall at Illinois State University for a degree in Computer Science. Throughout high school he has been programming computer games in Unity and Clickteam Fusion. He has participated in figure skating for many years, with a high point of learning the axel jump. Karsten is still exploring the possibilities of what should be his future goals.