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.

 

Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope this month finds you well. Summer has begun and I hope that means lots of time being spent outdoors having great adventures with your family and friends. Summer is a great time to grow in community. I want to offer a few ideas to stir up your creative juices and hopefully make some God-glorifying bonding moments for you with your family.

I want to encourage you to look for opportunities this summer to learn together as a family. Go on adventures, enjoy the outdoors, enjoy some water activities, and discover God’s amazing creation. My family will be enjoying lots of hiking and geo-caching. For those who don’t know, geo-caching is like going on a treasure hunt to find objects or containers that others have hidden and maybe even left clues for you to follow. You can download a geocaching app on your phone for free and use your GPS to help you find them. You may even want to hide your own geo-cache together as a family.

I also want to encourage you to get together with other families from your church or the local homeschool community. Summer is a great time to grill out or cook over a bonfire. Look for opportunities to encourage others and grow those relationships. Practice some hospitality and see how God might use you to encourage another family or even start a new friendship. God has given us all something to offer as a gift to others, so put it out there and build your community. I pray you and your family have a great summer.

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

 

Well, the convention is over, and it’s time to settle into the routine again. First, let me give a shout-out to the volunteers that made our convention happen. They put in uncounted hours of work. So if you see someone who is on the Convention Committee, or volunteered to work at the convention, let them know you appreciate their efforts. It was a great convention.

Now that the mountain top experience is over, it’s time to dive back into normal life. Sometimes we may be tempted to think that the mountain tops, since they are the big noticeable pinnacles, are where all the action is. Those are exciting experiences, and who doesn’t like exciting experiences! We’d love for them to happen all the time! The view from the mountain-top is breathtaking, and awe-inspiring. But if you notice while you’re up there, there aren’t many crops growing on mountain tops. As home-schoolers who are concerned about discipling our children, we must have a rm conviction that growing crops that produce fruit almost always happens in the vales, not on the mountains. And in case I didn’t clearly communicate the metaphor, the crop we want to grow in the lives of our kids is Biblical Faith. Godly faith is built little by little in the ordinary humdrum of life.

God’s instruction in Deuteronomy 6:6-8 is this: “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them while you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” Did you notice the description of normal, everyday, ho-hum life happening there? When do we teach God’s commands and precepts to our kids? While we’re sitting in the house relaxing. Or when you’re traveling somewhere. Or when you’re lying down getting ready for bed. Or in the morning, when you’re all getting up and ready for the day. The normal everyday experience is where faith-building happens.

Simple, every-day events like giving thanks together to God for your meals help instill a sense of gratitude to God for His provision and dependence upon Him for His supply to our need. Mundane tasks like taking out the garbage, making the bed or helping wash the dishes provide opportunity to teach and model diligence and good stewardship of the resources God has committed into our hands, not to mention the numerous needs of helping both ourselves and our children deal with the sinful attitudes and thoughts which arise in our hearts while doing them. Any parent knows that having siblings interact with one another will almost always lead to a training session on how to love and forgive.

This is not saying that those mountain top experiences are useless, or unnecessary. Far from it! We can absorb a lot of truth in those mountains. Our kids always joked with my wife and I at the end of a home-school convention by saying, “Oh great! Now what is going to change in our house?” And there were ideas for change at the end of a trip through the mountain tops. But those ideas had to be cultivated in the elds of the valley. We had to come home, get back to normal life, and plow new furrows in our daily routine in order to implement them. Its never easy, but it does bear fruit.

Don’t forget the sacred and holy nature of what happens every day in our homes. Husbands love their wives and model Christ’s love for the church. Wives follow their husband’s leadership and model the church's loving submission to her Lord. Children learn submission to their Heavenly Father by learning to obey mom and dad. This is holy activity. And it happens in the ordinary, mundane things of life.

The conventions and retreats are there to give you an awe-inspiring view from the heights, to renew your vision of the big picture, of the purpose of it all. But the bulk of the spiritual work and growth that we want to see in our families, our marriages, and our children will be cultivated and will grow in the broad at prairies of daily life. Teach the things of God diligently while you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise... in the normal, ho-hum activities of life.

Brian Kelly
PAACH Board Member

Summer Baseball & Softball

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

Homeschool Bowling

Looking for a P.E. credit for your homeschoolers? The Christian Center is again reserving Friday afternoons from Noon to 3 p.m. for homeschool bowling sessions. All skill levels supported. Family-friendly facility. $2.50 games and $2.50 shoe rentals!

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)

 

Do you know a new homeschooler or someone who is considering homeschooling? Perhaps you are new yourself, homeschooling one year or less?

Join us Thursday, March 16, 2023, for New to Homeschooling Night with speaker Nancy Bjorkman from Heppner's Legacy. Nancy has over 20 years of experience and will share fresh ideas, how tos, encouragement, and more!

Afterwards, shop our convention vendor hall, browse homeschool options and get advice from some of our local homeschool community. Register online today!

Greetings PAACH homeschooling families. I hope this month finds you well and looking forward to the PAACH convention. Much is happening in our country and around the world as times grow more challenging for Christians. Animosity toward truth and morality grows daily. Meanwhile we are called to be light in this darkness, which puts us directly in the line of fire in this spiritual battle. I want to challenge you with two questions. Are you earnestly contending for the faith? (Jude 3) Secondly, are you preparing your children to be contenders?

The spiritual battle is all around us, but the most dangerous battles are happening inside the church. Scripture is clear that the biggest threat to the gospel is a false teacher. Paul, Peter, John, and Jude all warn of the dangers of false teachers who dilute the gospel and lead people on a path to death. Jesus also tells the parable of the Sower where he warns about those who would snatch away the seed of truth. (Matthew 13) I recently watched an episode of Wretched in which Todd Friel questioned why Christians are willing to protest and fight for political issues, but not as willing to protest and fight bad doctrine. His charge was that we are not facing the bigger danger which is far more damaging than the other causes that keep our attention. He contends that eternal souls are more important than political/moral issues, and that keeping a pure gospel should be a priority in every church and every home. Are you contending for the faith?

As parents, we should also contend for our children. We need to help them have a clear understanding of the gospel and give them ample opportunities to respond to it. We need to demonstrate God’s grace in their lives as we raise them up. We also need to teach them how to study scripture so that they may “rightly divide the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) We must teach them to have discernment (Hebrews 5:14) and to “test every spirit” (1 John 4:1) so they will recognize ‘truth-twisting’ and reject false teaching. There is no greater tool for learning discernment than knowing scripture. Get in the Word with them. Have conversations to work through bad ideas and the consequences that follow them. Talk with them about what they learned from Sunday school or the sermon. Train and equip them to be contenders for the faith.

The PAACH board is excited to offer this year’s convention. We desire 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

Written by Rebecca Spooner

Many people come to me for answers. Whether that’s because I was a homeschool blogger, write curriculum, was homeschooled myself, or even because I have homeschooled my own kids for the past 10 years—they see my kids or little glimpses of my day and think to themselves, Clearly she is doing a better job than me. But the reality is that the biggest thing I have learned is I’m a hit-and-miss homeschooler. My track record is either winning or just about beginning! I am busy—juggling careers and companies and ministry and family and dropping nearly as many balls as I’m picking up.

Some days I know what I want; I know what I need to do, but life is just so incredibly inconsiderate of my plans. Doctor’s appointments, sickness, work, friendship, weather, attitudes... there are so many things that can affect our days that I can feel like I’m just along for the ride. Next week will be better, I tell myself convincingly. And then we have company show up or a cold hits the household.

But then we have these other days. Days when I check off everything on my dream list. Days when the kids are actually listening, and I am giving them my full, undivided attention. Days where I miraculously listened to my alarm (yes, the first in a series of 10) and got up early, had coffee, started dinner in the Crock-Pot, cleaned the house, had my quiet time, and worked—all before the kids cracked open their doors to the unforgiving dawn. These, my friends, are the days I live for. They make everything worth it, and I cling onto them when something unexpected comes and ruins all my plans.

If there is anything I have learned in these past nearly 11 years of homeschooling, it is that I have to be flexible. To move with the natural ebbs and flows of life and not set my expectations too unrealistically high or unattainable.

Why am I telling you this? Because I feel like someone has to. Someone has to come off the pedestal that they've been put on because no one sees what is behind their screen. Someone has to say, Wait! Don’t you dare think this is everything!” because for far too many for far too long, homeschooling has been a never-ending race, desperately searching for something that doesn’t exist... perfection.

You, with the Splinter of Failure in Your Heart

Someone out there is reading this article thinking that everyone else has it together but them. Everyone else must have something they don’t to be so patient, joyful, and successful at this. How do they do it? How well they must sleep at night without the crushing weight or anxious doubt that their kids might be struggling or falling behind because of their inconsistency! Someone out there has been quietly following all the homeschool “experts” and holding onto their co-op like a lifeline, hoping no one will find them out or say what they hope is not true (though they suspect it must be): that they can’t do this.

I am not here to tell you that you are perfect just as you are or that you should just accept your failures and settle. Homeschooling can be so much more—it can be fun and exciting and interactive and full of life and love and infused with joy. Instead, I am here to tell you that there is hope. Sure, I’m a hit-and-miss homeschooler, and my kids could probably be further ahead. Sure, I could devote everything to homeschooling and probably do a better job... but I do what I can with what I have been given. I have tasted and seen and experienced what a life-giving homeschool can look like, and I won’t settle for less nor will I condemn myself when school looks like a show and cuddles on the couch. I will continue to pray and ask God what matters that day and then accept when His ways don’t look anything like mine. I will trust Him to fill in the gaps.

Reach for More, Accept What Is

I aspire for greatness in my kids and in my homeschool journey, but sometimes my perception of greatness is the very thing that needs to change. Greatness can be listening to my 4-year-old tell me that God helped her when she was feeling scared. Greatness can be playing violin with my daughter and laughing at our mistakes. Greatness can be cleaning the house together and learning to buckle up, be more responsible, and contribute to the family. Greatness can be having a nap with my 8-year old when he is sick. Greatness can be the stuff in between too, and learning is happening all around us.

When we stop making school something we do and instead make learning a way of life—something that is infused into the very fabric of our days—that is when we start to experience breakthrough in our days.

So grab a cup of coffee, stop trying to impose what you think homeschooling should be, and find what it is. Don’t settle for your struggles—battle through them. But do it gently and have some grace for yourself. You are never going to be perfect—no one is! Instead, stop looking to everyone else to be your gauge and start seeing the beauty of what is in front of you. May we be a generation of homeschoolers who raise our kids with con dence and victory because we aim for greatness but are still willing to adjust our perception of what that is and leave room for God to direct our steps. That is the kind of hit-and-miss homeschooler that I want to be.

God, let me hit when I’m supposed to hit, and let me be okay with the miss when there’s something else you have for me instead.

Rebecca Spooner
Gather Round Homeschool

Rebecca is a homeschool mom of five kids, creator of Gather ‘Round Homeschool, owner of Homeschoolon.com, and author of More Than Words Bible curriculum. She is a second-generation homeschooler who is passionate about sharing her successes and failures... to be authentic and honest that this is not always easy, but it is possible. Join her for stories from the trenches of homeschool life that are relatable, funny, and all too true. And may you walk away with practical tools and strategies and a fresh new perspective to keep you going. Bring a cup of coffee; it’s about to get real.