Homeschooling Resources
http://www.louisianabelieves.com/schools/home-study
Just a reminder to register with the state for home study. You can do this online at the link above or by paper.
Families wishing to participate in a BESE-Approved Home Study program must complete and submit an application to the LDE. The LDE reviews these applications and grants BESE approval if the applications contain all of the required information and documentation.
Families must submit an initial application no later than 15 days after the beginning of the home study program. It is suggested, when possible, that families apply for home study before withdrawing from school. Families wishing to withdraw their students from a public school to pursue a BESE approved home study option may do so prior to receiving Louisiana Department of Education approval. A school cannot refuse to let a parent withdraw their child from public school, but if a child between the ages of 7 and 18 (unless the child has graduated) is not enrolled in a public or nonpublic school or is not participating in a BESE approved home study program for at least 180 days in the school year, then the parents of that child could be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law. Upon receipt of a home study approval letter, it is suggested, when possible, that families provide a copy to their prior school. In addition, all school districts are provided a copy of their district’s home study approval letters on a quarterly basis and can communicate withsue.millican@la.gov if they require additional information.
Home study program applications are valid for one year from the approval date for the grade level indicated on the application. Once initially approved, families must submit a renewal application to maintain their child in a BESE-Approved Home Study program within 12 months from the approval date or when the student is ready to advance to the next grade level. The only difference between an Initial and Renewal Application is the required documentation families must provide. Families must submit complete applications with all required information and documentation to receive approval.
Families may submit a home study application either through an online system or mail. Completing the system online allows families to receive an automatic e-mail as verification that their application has been successfully submitted. Parents will receive an official Approval Verification letter once their application is approved. Parents submitting applications via mail should receive official approval letters within 1-3 weeks. NOTE: During peak periods from July through October, it may take up to a month to receive the approval verification letters due to the volume of applications received during this time.
Annual Dues for HFH Membership are $30 and should be paid before the deadline of August 15th. After this date, a $10 late fee will be charged. Checks should be made payable to Holy Family Homeschoolers and given or mailed to our treasurer, Denise Dahlgreen, at 16467 Majestic Oak Drive, Prairieville, LA 70769.
If you would like to pay using PayPal, click on the Balance link at the top of this page to bring up your Account Statement. Under Outstanding Balances, click the check boxes next to both the Dues and the corresponding PayPal fees and then click the PayPal button. This will bring you to PayPal where you can complete the transaction.
All members are asked to (digitally) sign the waivers linked below. The first is the Adult Waiver. The second is the Youth Waiver which includes a space to include the names of all children ages 3 and up. Thank you for helping us to keep our records up to date and complete!
Middle School Game Nights are designed to provide a wholesome opportunity for 6th-8th grade (11+ years old) Holy Family members to enjoy games together and to have an opportunity for socializing with adult supervision. Middle School Game Nights are held monthly at Holy Family member homes, and parents of middle-schoolers are asked to sign-up to host a Game Night.
If you have never attended a Game Night, please be sure to attend one before you host it so you can observe how one is conducted.
Rules:
1) A great way to begin the Game Night is with a prayer together.
2) A list of games and icebreakers planned for the Game Night should be given (orally is fine) to the Game Night Coordinator.
3) Have other chaperones at the Game Night to help you supervise the students. Supervision is an important part of Game Nights.
4) A parent should lead the games.
5) Inside games are best, keeping students in the main rooms of the house (i.e. living room, kitchen). If the games require being outside, chaperones should be outside as well.
6) Besides the games, the students also enjoy the Snack Time the Game Night host provides. **If you would like participants to contribute to the refreshments, let the website admin know to include that in the MSGN signup for your month!**
7) Game Night usually occurs on Friday or Saturday evenings and last 2 hours (i.e. 7:00 –9:00 p.m.).
8) Game Night is for Holy Family members only.
If you would like to host or co-host a Game Night for an open month, please sign up using this link:
Volunteer to host or co-host MSGN
If you are not able to host MSGN at your home, you are welcome to team up with a host family and perhaps organize the game(s), assist with snacks, etc.
High School Activities are designed to provide a wholesome opportunity for Holy Family teens who are in the 9th – 12th grade (14+ years old) to enjoy activities together and to have an opportunity for socializing with adult supervision. High School Teen Activities are scheduled monthly and teen parents are asked to sign-up to schedule an activity. Examples of activities are as follows: canoeing, bicycling, putt-putt golf, bowling, hiking, pizza nights, etc. We are hoping to offer two High School activities per month this year.
In addition to recreational activities, we also try to provide our teens an opportunity to assist in various service projects in our community. The projects are coordinated and organized by volunteers in our group.
Suggestions include EBR Food Bank, St. Agnes Soup Kitchen, visit elderly, visit handicapped, Live to Serve, make lunch bags for SVDP, support Pregnancy Problem Center (car wash, baby bottle campaign, etc.)
Pilgrim Statue
Through the HFH Pilgrim Statue Apostolate, families volunteer to host the Gwen Delaune Memorial Statue of Our Lady of Fatima in their home for one month and to pray for the intentions of Holy Family Homeschoolers.
As a host family, you will receive the Memorial Statue, the statue base, Our Lady's crown, a Rosary, and the journal of prayer intentions. We ask that you write in all prayer intentions that are emailed to you, or prayer requests posted on the Message Board during the month that you host, and to pray for those intentions daily. We also ask that upcoming host families make arrangements to exchange the statue from the previous location by calling/emailing the person listed on the website.
Let us all continue to pray for our Church and for our families through this beautiful apostolate.
Whatsoever you do...
Manna Givers is one of Holy Family’s service projects. A meal to feed 45 mothers and children at the Woman’s Shelter is prepared by Holy Family members on the 4th Sunday of the month, year round. Together with one or two other families, you will prepare a hot meal consisting of salad, entrée, vegetable, bread, and dessert. You will bring the food you have prepared to the shelter around 5:45 p.m. and should be ready to serve at 6:00 p.m.
Randi Bergeron is the coordinator for Manna Givers. If you are signed up to serve and need to cancel, please promptly inform Randi (225-326-7888 or randi.bergeron@yahoo.com) so that a replacement can be found.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Share cell phone numbers with those you are serving with in case there is some unforeseeable delay in your arrival time
- The entrance to the shelter is through the gate (hit the button and wait to be buzzed in) and up the stairs. Request the elevator be turned on if you prefer.
- Service area is small, so put dessert to the side to start
- Service is cafeteria style, with mothers coming first for children’s plates, followed by all others
- If there are more servers than can work behind the island, offering to carry plates, feed or hold children, or simply visiting is always appreciated
- There are serving utensils, but not always the kind you need, so bring your own, especially if a particular type is required
- Residents are assigned clean-up duties, but you can offer to store leftovers and clean serving dishes if you like
- Plastic ware is used for eating, so difficult to cut items are not recommended. Plastic knives are not set on the table, but are available
- It’s always a good idea to bring salad dressing. Other condiments may or may not be in stock. If you need ketchup, mustard, etc., you should supply them
Bishop Ott Shelter for Women and Children
Sweet Dreams Shelter
1623 Convention St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 383-7341
www.svdpbr.org
Our group is richly blessed to have so many families praying for one another! The Prayer Partner ministry matches each of our homeschooling families in the group to another family to remember them in their daily prayers. (While in the past we matched individual children, due to the blessing of the tremendous growth of our group since this ministry started, we are now having families matched to other families.) Just find your family in the alphabetized list on the left and your partner family is listed in the right hand column.
At the beginning of each month, a listing will be sent out with the prayer partners for that month. Place the name where your family can see it and encourage your children to join you in praying for that family each day . Little ones have such innocent and pure prayers that can be a source of grace for others. Many of our children have enjoyed sending homemade cards or notes of encouragement to their prayer partners. Please feel free to continue that beautiful sentiment if you wish!
If your family is paired with one you do not know, this presents a wonderful opportunity to seek them out at park day or at one of our many HFH functions. Surely any member would love to be approached by a new friend telling them, “We've been praying for y'all this month!” You can also look at the Member Directory on the website to learn individual family member’s names. Our Prayer Partner ministry is yet another of the many blessings we receive from this wonderful group!
The clubs we offer are determined by the willingness of our members to volunteer!
The Little Flowers Girls' Club is a Catholic program that is based on learning Catholic virtues through the lives of Catholic saints, Scripture, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Club strives to bring the Catholic faith alive and inspire the girls to become authentic Catholic women.
Nine virtues are included in each of four different Wreaths or years of study.
Badges for the virtues are earned by studying the saint associated with the virtue, memorizing relevant Scripture verses and performing related tasks/activities.
The club is open to girls ages 5 through 10 years of age and meetings are held once a month during park day.
Mothers of the Little Flowers are asked to volunteer (if possible) for one meeting to assist the coordinator with set up/clean up, and to help the youngest girls with the craft as needed.
A group order will be placed at the beginning of each academic year, with a deadline listed as a calendar item signup. After this group order is made, you may still join the group but will need to order your own materials from https://beholdpublications.com
The only items required for the Little Flowers group are the craft fee and the appropriate Wreath Year Member Guide.
There are optional items available including the set of 9 virtue badges earned during the year, blue sash to attach the badges, club cross badge, and a t-shirt.
Member Packs include bundled items.
The Yearbook Club is open to HFH students in the 9th-12th grades. Under the guidance of coordinator Myriah Boudreaux, the yearbook staff produces a beautiful, high-quality book of memories that is made available for HFH members to purchase.
The Pro-Life/Teen Service Club is open to HFH students in the 9th-12th grades (ages 14 and up).