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ARCHERS is a group of Christian homeschooling families whose aim is to encourage and support each other as we impart to our children a love and respect for the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Because we utilize Grace CMA, we follow their Statement of Faith.  See the following link:  http://www.gracecma.org/about/what-we-believe for that statement.

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ARCHERS’ purpose is to develop relationships and support in our God-called mission to educate our children.

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ARCHERS stands for:  Accomplishing Rich Christian Home Education through Relationships and Support.

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We follow Psalm 127:4 that says:  “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of one’s youth.”

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Most of our activities occur at Grace C&MA Church in Middleburg Hts, OH

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As regulations may change, please refer to the following website:  http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Quality-School-Choice/Home-Schooling

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The right to home school in Ohio is governed by the Ohio Admin. Code § 3301-34-01(B).

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We serve approximately 80-100 member families. The number of member families varies from year to year. 

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This varies from year to year as membership does.  ARCHERS currently serves over 200 children ranging from preschool to high school.

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No.  ARCHERS is a support group, not a school.

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We have families at every different place along the homeschooling journey.  Because of that, we can counsel, support and pray for each other to make the homeschooling journey a better one. 

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Originally named Grace Church Home Education Support Group, was started in 1989 by Marlin and Flo McKinley.

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Not exclusively.  We serve Christian families from a wide variety of denominations throughout the greater Cleveland area. 

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Sure. If you still have questions after reading all the FAQ we have a list of members willing to talk with you. Feel free to email any questions to archersofgrace@gmail.com.

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There are activities that non-members are permitted to attend and they are encouraged to visit.  Upcoming events are posted on the website public calendar.

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ARCHERS serves Christian families that educate their children in a traditional homeschool manner.  Families are welcome to join if they  traditionally homeschool at least one child that is at least five years of age by September 1 of the joining year.

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Parents that traditionally home school are using curriculum that they choose, direct and teach their children without the oversight of the Ohio Department of Education.  These homeschoolers are not required to complete any of the state mandated tests, nor are accountable to the ODE for their educational methods.  

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Archers is a Christian group of home educators.  Our Christian beliefs are intertwined with the teaching of our classes and our events.  We openly have prayer time every time we meet as a group.  Government programs that are used at home to educate children are still considered Public Education by the state of Ohio.  State funded programs do not allow the teaching of religion in public education.   For further discussion, see "Why Traditional Home Education" document in the "Files, Documents & Directions" tab.

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E-schooling (also known as cyber-schooling, public-school-at-home)  is governed by the Ohio Department of Education and as such, is bound to the ODE’s rules and statutes in over 30 sections of the Ohio Revised Code.  Governance includes testing, attendance, and accountability to a teacher as approved by the ODE.  This type of schooling is regulated by some of the same state codes as traditional public schooling.  As such, this is not authorized by the homeschooling statutes, and so is not considered homeschooling in Ohio.  Because of this, public-school-at-home families may not join ARCHERS. 

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Joining ARCHERS requires:

--Agreement with the Statement of Faith as listed above (see faq:  “What do you mean by “Christian” above?”). Note: You do not need to be a member of Grace Church

--At least one child that is being traditionally homeschooled, as defined above.

--A completed application

-- Steering Committee approval

--Completion of final membership documents

-- Payment of the annual fee

--Regular internet access

--Commitment of time to serve the group (See "What is expected of me?" below)

--Agree with our group covenant to behave in a Biblical manner; to support the best interests of the group; and to most importantly pray for our group. 

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The Membership fee is a nominal flat fee for families of any size. Most of our events are a la carte, that is, they are not required.  There may be a nominal fee required for certain events.   Friday classes do require a fee to cover the cost of materials purchased for the specific class.  Concert/theater tickets, and any fees charged by a field trip provider are also separate.  Check with the Membership coordinator for the current membership fee.

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Membership fees are used to pay the janitorial fees, office supplies, equipment, overhead (room rental), background checks, website, liability insurance and other items as needed to facilitate the group.  Members must volunteer their time to the group to provide activities for which the group’s children participate. 

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As a member of ARCHERS, one must serve the group with their God-given talents.  As a large family of sorts, each of us has different gifts.  As each member gives back to the group using their gifts, all the needs of the group are satisfied with no one having an unduly large burden placed on them.  Examples of what this may look like include:  Planning a field trip for the group’s members, planning a party, helping at an event that is coordinated by another member, assisting in planning an event, administrative assistance to the group, etc. 

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That’s fine.  As long as one of your children is traditionally homeschooled, the family may join ARCHERS. 

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That’s great too.  Many of our activities are appropriate for all ages and so all are welcome.  Those that aren’t are clearly indicated.

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Each member must fulfill duties that are given a point value.  Duties are valued from 1-5 points based on the time required to fulfill them.  Each family must contribute at least 5 points a year.  Note: So that new members to ARCHERS may become acclimated to the group, they are required to earn only 2 points their first year. (See "What is expected of me?" and "How are points assigned" for more details on duties)

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As part of the membership process, an applicant selects 6 ministry choices (not all will be assigned!) from the Commitment Form.  The available options are indicated on the Commitment Form along with the descriptions and dates of various services needed by the group.  Services are then assigned by the Points Coordinator in a a manner that will best meet the needs of the group as a whole, while giving every effort to honor the member's requests.  Examples of service commitments are: planning a field trip, teaching a Class, helping with a holiday party.  Services assigned are communicated during the Annual Meeting.

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ARCHERS has a very important REQUIRED annual meeting at the beginning of each school year.  This meeting provides information of commitment assignments, the calendar of events, introduction of the Steering Committee and their responsibilities, and provides any other information as is deemed crucial for the school year. 

Beyond this REQUIRED annual meeting, members must also participate in an Emergency Preparedness Training meeting as well as refresher courses. This ensures all members are similarly trained to respond appropriately to an active threat situation. 

There may be other periodic meetings to discuss issues of concern to the various members.  OPTIONAL MEETINGS through out the school year may include:  How to organize your school day, Show and Tell Nights (what curriculum have you found helpful), How to school your children with toddlers destroying the rest of the house, How to prepare transcripts, etc.  These topics and frequencies vary widely and depend on the needs and interests of the group members for that year.

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The full group of ARCHERS parents meets in August for the REQUIRED Annual Meeting. An Emergency Preparedness Meeting and refresher courses are also part of ARCHERS regular meeting schedule. Other reasons for meeting as a group would be to conduct group business. 

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To minimize distractions and enable a large distribution of information, children are NOT allowed at the Annual meeting.  Nursing babies are the only exception.

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ARCHERS offers a large variety of fun and educational opportunities.  Examples include:  Spelling Bee, Oral Presentations, Fairs (Art, Geography, History Science),  Talent Show,  Group purchasing of tickets for theater tickets, Parties (Fall, Christmas, Valentine), Classes (extra fee required—see faq for description), Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge, Picture Day.  This is not an exhaustive list, but it is an overview of types of activities.

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Activities include:  Moms’ Night Out, Couple’s Night Out, Book Fair, Affinity group meetings (Moms of Teens, Moms of elementary age students), information-sharing (on legislation that affects our ability to homeschool in Ohio and the USA, on activities and events in our area that may be of interest to homeschooling families, discounts or deals available to homeschoolers, etc). All information is shared on our secure website.

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Activities include:  service projects, discounts on HSLDA membership, back to school picnic and an end-of-year picnic.

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Service Projects, Field Trips, The Presidential Fitness Program, Holiday Parties, History Fair, Science Fair, Talent Show, Spelling Bee, and Teen Events … just to name a few.

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Member families coordinate or assist in providing activities for which the member children may participate.  This is the way we use our God-given gifts to serve each other within the group.

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The teens have their own periodic activities.  Activities include:  parties, bowling events, Frisbee golf, service projects, etc.

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Some activities and field trips require additional fees for admission or tickets. 

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Friday classes are classes provided by group parents that are meant to supplement the core curriculum taught at home. Friday classes are an opportunity for the students and parents to interact with other group members.

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Classes are open to group member children of school age (Age 5 by September 1 of their kindergarten year).  Students sign up for classes according to their age and interests. 

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ARCHERS meet for organized classes twice monthly for two semesters. Our first semester begins in September and ends in December.  The second semester begins in January and ends in April.  Hence, there are 16 days scheduled for organized classes during a school year.

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There are 3 consecutive class periods on each of the scheduled class days after we gather for announcements of current group events.  Each class period is approximately 55 minutes.  Students and parents must be present for all three daily classes.    We depend on everyone to make them successful and the parents are an integral part of this process.  Because of this, no one is permitted to start late or leave early from these classes.

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Adult members teach the classes. The types of classes offered depend upon what the parents are willing and able to teach.  Classes may range from Arts & Crafts to High School Chemistry.  Examples of classes that have been taught in the past are: Speech, Ohio History, Black History, Back Yard Birds, Crochet, Cake Decorating, Owl Pellets, Hermit Crabs, Electricity, Reader’s Theater, and Sign Language.  Gym class or some sort of physical activity class is offered.

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Class sizes range anywhere from 5 to 15 children. Our goal at ARCHERS is to keep the class sizes small enough so that students can receive individualized instruction and yet large enough for group activities to be possible. Gym class sizes may be much larger with 20 or more students.

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Classes are designed for and grouped into age ranges: Kindergarten (age 5), Six year old class (age 6). Primary (ages 7-9), Intermediate (ages 10-13), High School (ages 14+) levels.

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Yes, child care from Nursery to preschool is provided for Friday Classes.

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Preschool classes are provided for the younger siblings of those currently enrolled in the current session of Friday classes.

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With approximately 200 students to consider, every event (including Friday Classes) has many details to contend with. The coordination of this is a monumental and time consuming task. All our coordinators are volunteers, who homeschool their own children as well.  We must be respectful of their time.

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Class fees are based on supplies deemed necessary by each teacher in each class. These fees are generally very low.  A class fee typically ranges from $1– $10 or rarely more depending on the type of class. The fee would cover an individual class for the entire quarter, and are listed in the class descriptions.  A member would know the amount of financial commitment at the time of registration. 

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Yes.  Because ARCHERS is operated completely on a voluntary basis, parents are required to contribute to the group in some way during Friday classes.  Not all parents need be teachers, but the parent or legal guardian of each student must be present the day of class. A non-teaching Parent will be assigned to assist a teacher in a class or the nursery.

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For the safety and security of the children, only members of ARCHERS are allowed to be present during Friday Classes.

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A complete website application and paid application fee (applied to first year membership dues if accepted) through Paypal will initiate the membership application process.  The application is reviewed by the Steering Committee and an interview may be requested to better know the applicant.  Once a membership decision is made, the membership coordinator will contact the applicant.  Those applicants who are not accepted into membership will have their dues refunded.  Accepted applicants will receive notification and further instruction.  Once the new school year begins in mid-June, the new member will be given full access to the website, where all group communications and group business are conducted.     

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The membership window is open for NEW members from May 1 through May 31.  No applications will be accepted after that date.  Families interested in membership are strongly encouraged to apply by May 31 to be guaranteed a spot in the fall Friday classes.   The membership acceptance process may take approximately three weeks after the application and dues are received.  In order for the membership process to be completed in time for our annual meeting, we must adhere to the May 31 cutoff. 

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The administrators and event coordinators of ARCHERS are all volunteers who also home school their own children.     Family must come first; and therefore, we have deadlines to contain our time requirements for the group.  Volunteers are assigned their commitments at the beginning of the year as events are planned so everyone can better manage their time commitments throughout the year.