Last week, as thousands of students sat in their classrooms, many more were out at Grist Mill Park. They were tossing eggs and water balloons, laughing and playing. It was GOCHA's (Guiding Our Children Home Alliance) Not-Back-To-School-Picnic and Track & Field Day.
The brainchild of Lorraine Hitchcock, GOCHA is a way for homeschoolers to network and exchange information. The main page of their web site, users.rcm/com/designhs/GOCHA states "Our mission is to provide home schoolers an opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and support, and exhibit the best work and projects of children and families in a congenial atmosphere. The group is inclusive and strives to provide support for homeschoolers of all ages and learning styles."
At the picnic, children had a chance to participate in a raw egg toss, play dodge ball, do relay races, throw water balloons and play soccer and softball. Mothers had time to relax and compare notes on homeschooling.
"I started this [GOCHA] earlier this year because I wanted to meet other homeschoolers," said Hitchcock. "I also wanted a way to get information to new homeschoolers."
In addition to the picnic, Hitchcock has many ideas for future events. Meetings will be held the first Thursday of the month at Sherwood Hall Regional Library. As part of November's meeting, Hitchcock is planning to hold an art fair. She's already contacted Sherwood Hall about displaying children's work on the shelves. She also plans to ask Kingstowne Library if they can use some wall space there.
"It will be some place to show off all the work we do," she said.
One of the things Hitchcock is working on for the spring is a History Fair. "We want to do historically-based skits, we're working with the library who may use them for the younger children," said Hitchcock.
PEOPLE DO HOMEschooling for a variety of reasons. Hitchcock said, "I'm learning so much. I'm doing this so that my kids will learn what I didn't know at their age."
Carolyn Shalonis is homeschooling her three children, Paige, Danica and Victoria, and said, "I had a call from God and knew that was the way he wanted us to raise our children. I use the Bible as the basis for why we need to know things."
Shalonis also has a three-year-old, Briana. Another reason that Shalonis is homeschooling is because she and her husband did not want their children to get more of an influence from outside sources until they were ready for it.
Shalonis got involved in homeschooling before she even had children. Back when homeschooling was starting to get popular in the late 1970's and early 1980's, she helped members of Fairfax Covenant Church who were homeschooling their children.
"It [homeschooling] has really grown. Fairfax County schools keep getting more requests to exempt kids," she said.
Shalonis' husband is a teacher for Fairfax County. She said that he has been very supportive of her homeschooling, adding, "His colleagues have been very positive. Plus, the knowledge and experience he gains [thru teaching], he brings home and helps me."
MANY HOMESCHOOLERS find that as the children get older, some of the subjects are harder to teach. This is where her husband will be able to help, and Shalonis is not adverse to using tutors and other outside sources.
Hitchcock doesn't worry too much about teaching her children as they get older; she got an 'A' in calculus. She would, however, like to take advantage of what the public schools have to offer; something that isn't available yet.
Chris Braunlich, Fairfax County School Board member for Lee District, was a big proponent for an exchange with homeschoolers and the county schools.
"My view is, these are taxpayers," said Braunlich, who stopped by Grist Mill during the picnic. "The proposal would allow a student who wants to take, say a physics course or a course the parents didn't feel qualified to teach, assuming there's room in the class."
Virginia has already voted to partially reimburse counties for this exchange, but as of yet, Fairfax County has not approved the measure.
"Where is the logic in this?" said Braunlich. "They want you all the time or not at all?"