2012-13 Schedule

Momma Bear, Momma Bear, what do you see? 
September 6:     Jocelyn Oldland

I’m personally excited to have Jocelyn share with us during our first meeting of the year. Her presentation will be about finding, embracing, and supporting our family’s vision as we homeschool. Jocelyn is wife to Bill and Momma to seven little cubs.

The Fruit of our Labor 
October 4:     Panel of Graduates

We have invited a group of homeschool graduates to share with us about their own experiences. And then we hope to have a robust Q&A season together. We’ve decided to invite all females since we’re a women’s group (perhaps we can do this another time with families?), but we’ve chosen confident young women who are willing to let you “pick their brains” and ask hard questions. (If you have a question you would definitely like addressed and want to send it in advance, please email it to Kim.)

The Key to your Child’s Brain May Be in the Grocery Store
November 1:     Kelley Richman

Can home-made meals make teaching easier? We will explore the many ways food affects kids’ thinking and incremental steps for getting healthy meals on the table three times a day. Kelley is home educating kid #6, #7, #8 and #9, (first 5 have graduated) and still learning new ways to get her houseful to eat healthier. Besides being mom to nine children ;-), Kelley serves on the CHEWV board with her husband, David, who is administrative director.

Annual Christmas Tea
December 6

Come join us for food, music, and a fun gift exchange. This year we will be soothed by seasonal music including a few carols together, and then Mary will share a Christmas sentiment. But don’t get too serious about the evening, because the intent of the gift exchange is to steal! That’s right; we mean to keep you from holding on too tightly to those material possessions! Come be merry as we start the season off with a smile. (Please bring a less than $5.00 gift. Ideas: homeschooling book, homemade bookmark, Starbucks coupon, small candle, homemade apron, or the spices for your favorite casserole. No, your gift does not have to be new and doesn’t have to be store-bought.)

Some Wisdom with a Smile
January 3: Jan B.

 The B's were one of the families who fought for the original right to homeschool in WV and were founding members of the CHEWV board. Jan and her daughter Lydia shared with us last spring and their talk was so well received that we’ve asked Jan to share with us again. Here’s what she plans to discuss: As a new year dawns, let's re-evaluate ourselves, our goals and our motivations. Life is a balancing act that can quickly change for the good, or the bad. So who are we using for our example? Can prioritizing help us in organizing and scheduling our life and the life of our families? All home schooling Mommas are incredibly busy… Let's take a fresh look at ourselves and be encouraged to continue on.

Testing Prep/Titus 2 Older Mom Part 1
February 7:  Nina & Joelyn/Kim

During the first half hour or so, Nina and Joelyn will prepare us for the test center in early March. Then we will change gears as Kim shares some of her thoughts about child discipline and mothering.  What would an older mom of grown daughters want to share about raising little ones?  That's what Kim has been thinking on for over a year.  After finding out recently that Michele Scherer has been thinking along the same lines, Kim is going to share some of her heart in February and then Michele will share in April.

Totally Off Broadway
CHANGED TO MARCH 14:   Homeschoolers and Graduates

Who could best spoof homeschooling? Those who’ve been immersed in it. If you dare, come join us for skits that are sometimes a bit too close to the truth! Written, directed and performed by a group of our older homeschoolers, this is an evening that we don’t want televised!

Titus 2 Older Mom:  Part 2  
April 4:  Michele Scherer
See description for February above.  Michele has graciously agreed to come share with us about child rearing from her own experience raising two sons and a daughter.  Michele was part of the original MECHE moms several years ago and many of us fondly recall her sense of humor and down-to-earth wisdom.  Michele not only has three grown children of her own (her youngest will graduate this year), but she also works in Tuesday School at her church, the Church of Christ.

Helping Your Husband Homeschool
May 3:  Melissa Wotring

After a dozen years of struggles, failures, and successes as a homeschool wife, Melissa has learned to use homeschooling to build her marriage. Her husband, Ken, heard that she might have an opportunity to speak, and he insisted that she share a few secrets with you. (He is sure your husbands will thank him.) Come hear the secrets of a mother of nine who keeps her husband happy!

Details

WHEN: We meet from September through May, usually on the 1st Thursday of each month at 7. We recognize that your first evening responsibilities are to feed and care for your husband and little ones, so we are a bit casual in our arrival and may not officially start until 7:15 or so. Please try to arrive, eat, and be ready for the bell :-) by then!

WHERE: Again, we will meet at Paula's. Email Cynthia or Paula for directions.

SNACKS: Paula has graciously offered to provide finger foods for everyone. Please feel free to nibble as you arrive!

HOW: Just come. We have no fee and no strings. We do ask for no children to attend (other than nursing infants) so we can freely discuss all homeschooling issues.

What is MECHE?

MECHE is a moms' homeschool support group in the Morgantown area. We meet once a month and welcome any woman who is interested in home education, so feel free to invite your friends. Our gatherings are designed to sharpen you with Biblical counsel, exhortation, testimony and practical suggestions on Christ-centered home education, along with the essential home keeping alongside it. Your time away from hearth and home is precious, so we strive to offer profitable meetings that will stretch and refresh you! Please pray with us that this year’s gatherings will do just that!

Other things you might want to know:  Through CHEWV (www.chewv.org), MECHE hosts a test center in the early spring (March or April) which offers The Iowa Tests® in order to satisfy one of the WV assessment options. Otherwise, we don’t directly provide children’s activities or cooperative events, but we do like to encourage fellowship among families.  As we meet one another, often moms organize activities and invite others to join in.  Announcements are always welcome via our email group as well as at our meetings.  Through the efforts of individual moms we have previously shared such things as choir, orchestra, co-ops, field trips, recitals, and historical balls.  But these activities start/continue only through the efforts of our moms and families rather than by “MECHE” as an organization.  We are merely a fellowship of Christian homeschooling moms encouraging one another - as our name suggests. 

“Mothers Encouraging Christian Home Education.”  The home education we encourage stems from our obedience to God’s revealed will in His Word (the Bible) and thereby His message that parents are responsible for the education of their children.  For each of us and our families, we feel homeschooling is God’s plan for the education of our children at this time in our lives.  So MECHE’s focus is to support moms, who in conjunction with their husbands, set the tone for godly households and work each day, raising, nurturing, and educating their children as God directs.

We started as a casual group of 6 moms meeting at a restaurant nearly 20 years ago and now we have an email tree of over 100.  At any given meeting, you're likely to meet about 10-15 other moms - different ones depending on the month.  Our meetings are planned by Cynthia while Paula graciously provides the hospitality.  Any mom is welcome!