Delay today due to weather.

No science or jr. high math.

See you at 10.

NO SCHOOL ON JANUARY 13.

Call it a Teacher's Day! Several of our teachers are not available to teach on January 13. Students will still have assignments and semester one ends January 14. Please be sure to get all missing/incomplete assignments turned in.


Moms, this is a great time to HOMESCHOOL your student! Read over the assignments and make sure your student understands the requirements. Help them through the material if they need the help.

November

November 13 POST ON YOUR CALENDAR!


In this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas gift-giving, you have an opportunity to participate with your children in a mission oriented activity by coming to the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party on Thursday, November 13 at 7 p.m.


We will provide shoeboxes; you bring a bulk item containing 20 items that will be split up to pack. Suggestions include wash cloths, soap bars, small cars/toys/dolls, Kleenex packages, crayons, art/craft supplies, tools, sewing kits, kid jewelry, games. You can find these at the Dollar Store, or Target has a dollar section and there are good ideas in the kids party section, watch clearance areas and watch for coupons/rebates/rewards at Walgreens and Menards. At our party, we will create a assembly line with the donated items and pack as many boxes as we can! In addition, we will collect donations of $$ for the $7 shipping cost for each box. These boxes are then shipped around the world, often to nearly inaccessible places where there are children in need. Many of these children have never received a gift in their lives! We will hear some stories of the children who have been impacted by this program.


If you can't attend the party, you can still participate! Leave donations toward the shipping cost in an envelope and mark it for Shoebox Project. Donate items to pack.


This is your time to shine! Make a difference in the world today and teach your children that they can make a difference too!


November 25: No co-op classes! Week of Thanksgiving--we have much to be thankful for!


Advance notice: Gateway Christian Fellowship will be hosting a Christmas Brunch and Drama on Sunday, December 21. More info to follow.

October

Fall Break! No classes on October 28.

Out-Of-the-Box Event: We have a special event planned for students on October 30 at 6 p.m.

                  You are invited to the Walgrave Astoria's Annual Costume Ball.

This is a murder mystery in which all attendees are participants! Please sign up on Tuesday. All attendees will be given roles. Come in costume and wear your 'thinking caps' to solve the mystery that unfolds over the evening. The cost is $6 and includes appetizer, dinner and dessert. (This will work your thinking and logic skills as well as your drama skills!)

Shedd Aquarium Learning Center Lab and field trip: This is scheduled for December 3. Sign up deadline is November 4. Middle school students will participate in a group lab dissecting a squid. High school students will participate in a fish dissection. The price includes the lab, an Aquatic Show, access to the Oceanarium and the exhibit halls of the Aquarium. Bring a sack lunch.

Biology students are required to attend. Biology has a dissection requirement.

Cost:
Students (middle and high school students attending the lab) $12
Students not attending the lab (younger siblings) FREE
Adults $15

Payment due by November 4.

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Project: With the holidays just around the corner, we want to be thinking about and preparing for our Shoebox Packing Party on November 13 at 7 p.m. Please watch for items to purchase that will pack well in shoeboxes for children around the world in need. This is an activity that families can do together and is a great way to help our children learn to think about the needs of others. Information about this project is available at Gateway.

Fieldtrip Opportunities

Please sign up for upcoming fieldtrips as soon as possible. If we do not get enough participation, they may be cancelled.


September 25: Creation Museum, Petersburg, KY


October 22: Field Museum, Chicago (Deadline to sign up is October 6. Must have payment by then.)


December 3: Shedd Aquarium (Dissection lab), Chicago  (Deadline to sign up is November 11. Must have payment by then!)


We will be collecting for and packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse. Please consider picking up items now as you see them on clearance/sale. School supplies, small toys, soap bars, washcloths, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair items, small sewing kits, jewelry, socks, etc. all make nice additions to the boxes. This will be our "Mission" for November.

Hello and Welcome to Gateway!

 

Believe it or not, it is time to start another year at Gateway. We have been doing lots of planning and we are looking forward to another great year.  There is lots of information for you here so please read all the way through it. (There is an interactive part too!)

 

Classes begin on Tuesday, August 26, at 8:30 a.m. for Biology students and 8:45 for Basic/Pre-Alg. Students. Hot lunch will be sloppy joes and sides for $4.

 

IMPORTANT: We will hold ORIENTATION for students and parents during the lunch hour and again at 7 p.m on August 26. We are trying to save everyone some time by scheduling this on the first day of school. If you will be around during the school day, please join us at 11:45 for mid-day orientation. For those of you not available during the day, we will repeat orientation at 7 p.m.  PLEASE RESPOND BY EMAIL to let us know which one you will attend.

 

We already have many activities planned for the new year with more to come! The first BIG EVENT will be on Thursday, September 4. 

Because we wanted to extend the Labor Day holiday weekend, we will  not have classes on Tuesday, September 2. However, we are inviting all students to join us on Thursday for an "Out-of-the-Box" school day from 10-2 at my house: 14373 W. 132nd Place, Cedar Lake. Our activities are intended to be team building but will cover a History class, some Bible, Logic and physical ed. We are hoping to have a moms' discussion, as well, to discuss vision for homeschooling, help needed at co-op and so on. For lunch we will roast hot dogs. In case of rain, we will meet at Gateway.  Again,PLEASE RESPOND BY EMAIL to let us know how many will attend.. Siblings are welcome but please monitor them.

 

We are planning on several field trips this year. These are always optional but very much encouraged as a way to 'experience' learning. Families are welcome to join in. Transportation is your responsibility.

 

There are sign up sheets at Gateway for two of our scheduled field trips:

 

Thursday, September 25, you are invited to join us for a field trip to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY. We have a group rate of $13.00 for adults (over 18) and $10 for students (3-18). We need to check in all together at 10 a.m. They are on Eastern Time so they are an hour ahead of us. It takes about 4 hours to drive there. Some are talking about driving to Indianapolis the day before where there are many neat field trip opportunities as well.

 

Wednesday, October 22, you are invited to join us on a trip to the Chicago Field Museum where they have an excellent exhibit on Ancient Egypt. We are to arrive by 10 a.m. Students will be free and adults cost $13.50. Payment is required by October 7. We will be creating a Student Scavenger hunt for this trip. You might consider taking the train if you don't like driving to Chicago.

 

School supply recommendations:  Some of the teachers will be sending you information directly, however, there are some general recommendations. 

 

All students will benefit from a Student Agenda or plan book. It is difficult to stay on top of assignments without it. Think of our co-op as working on a 'college' model. Students will receive information in several classes on one day and then have work to do all week. Organization is key!

 

Consider 3-ring binders, highlighters, notecards for vocabulary, post-it notes for literature, etc. NOTE: All assignments are supposed to be typed and submitted online for high school classes.

 

TUITION: 1st semester tuition is Due by September 9. Those paying monthly need to turn in their payments on the first of each month.

In addition, in an effort to keep costs down, we are asking for a contribution of ONE REAM of copy paper PER STUDENT.  As a reminder, the fees charged are used to cover the costs of running the co-op. None of the teachers or helpers are paid for their efforts. We really appreciate your cooperation since most of us are also homeschooling our own children.

 

We do need an email address for every student. If you haven't gotten that to us, please send it as soon as possible so we can get the log in/password information set up.

 

History Fair

No classes Tuesday February 18.   Stay home and be safe.

Second Semester Begins January 27

Due to the winter weather and delays getting back to classes, we are adjusting the semester dates. The start of second semester will be on January 27. All assignments must be turned in for credit by that date. It is far to challenging to grade old papers and students need to focus on new information.

Semester classes ending: Junior High Bible, Senior High Bible, Career Planning.
Second semester class changes: Senior High English will be held at 12:45. Drama class (open to ALL students) will be held at 1:45-3:45.

Any students participating in drama will have charges added to their account. Registration fee is $10 and script fee will be $7. Students will be responsible for costume cost though we do have many resources to work with to keep cost down. There will be two performances of the production, date to be decided, and ticket fees will be announced at a later date.

If you are on a semester schedule for payment of fees or you are on a monthly schedule, please remember to send in your payments.

Any one interested in helping with the yearbook?  Students and parents are welcome to join us. We need pictures and photographers, writers and designers. Let us know if you are interested.

New Friends! New Classes! New Beginnings!

Welcome to Gateway Homeschool Co-op 2013-14

Classes begin on Tuesday, September 3 at 8:30 a.m. with Junior High English and Senior High Forensic Science.

We strongly suggest that all students have an assignment journal, class planner, or calendar of some type to help manage assignments and due dates. This will also be a good place to keep all the web addresses and passwords you will need to manage. Of course folders and binders will be necessary to keep your paperwork organized. Be sure to check with each class teacher for requirements on binders, etc.

Grammar 101 classes are set up for middle school and high school.  Use the link on the right.  
Login information:
Middle school: User ID is:  gatewayjr   and the password is gateway 
High school:  User ID is:  gatewayhs   and the password is  gateway

After you click the submit button, you will be able to add your name at the top of the page. Hit submit again. Your assignment will be sent to your teacher with your grades.

Orientation today
1-3 or 7-9

See you there.

Registration Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 1-3 or 7-9 at Great Oaks Banquets in Cedar Lake.

Spring Break and Upcoming Open House

March 26: No School. This will be our Spring Break week. However, we are having play practice from 10-2. Please bring a sack lunch.

Geography Fair Open House and Fundraiser:

April 4 (6:00-8:30 p.m.)  is the date for our Open House. Join us for a dinner of mostaccoli, bread and salad for a donation. The money will go to our Seed Packing Mission on April 20. (There will be a sign up sheet available for any family interested in participating in the mission project.)

Senior High Economics class and Junior High Geography class will be presenting projects. There will also be a few science projects and our younger siblings will present some of their projects. This is a great opportunity to honor your student's  hard work and to bless them with your encouragement. Invite Grandma and Grandpa too!

We are in need of  6' or 8' tables and baked goods to sell on the dessert table. Let us know if you can help.

Pilot program

Haiku - starts this week

All physics and Economic students will be sent a code to register for Haiku through their email.  If they do not have an email it can be sent through their parent's email.  There can be only one person to an email.   Parents will also be able to have a code if they choose, but with a different email address than the student. 

ALL written assignments will be turned in through a drop box in the program.   Worksheets and projects will still be turned in at class.    Most of the tests will be taken online. 

Benefits of the program:

Eliminate alot of PAPER usage, including "lost" assignments that the students "have not kept in a file."  

Eliminate scribbled, barely readable, hand written work.  (This is high school!)

Makes it easier for graders to grade.  They will go to the drop box, grade the paper, and the grade automatically goes into a gradebook.

Students can see their progress and assignments at the same place.

We will try it through the end of the year to determine what we want to use next year.   We will continue to put grades into gradebookwizard as well.   However, Haiku or a program like it, may combine what we do on the blogs as well as gradebook, with the bonus of auto grading capability. 

Presidents' Day School Break

Yes! I am sure we are all excited for a break from our routine including school. There will be no classes on February 19. I encourage everyone to take at least one day and declare a "NO School Zone". Go have some fun!

THEN: buckle down and use the extra days to catch up on any missing work. When we come back to school, we will begin working on the school play, planning graduation, preparing for the Geography Fair, gearing up for our mission project, and looking forward to spring weather!!

Enjoy!

Fog delay for Tuesday Jan. 29.   Classes start at 10AM
Jr. High English moved to study hall time - 1st class after lunch. 

As of now, we are having classes tomorrow at Gateway.  If situations change it will be posted on the blog site.   gatewayhs.blogspot.com    Please remember that if you feel you should stay home or delay coming, do what makes you comfortable.  We are not the public school.  The assignments will be posted on the blog.   Usually our policy is to cancel classes whenever Hanover school corporation cancels theirs, or begin at 10:00 if there is a two hour delay.    However, we do not have students waiting for buses out in the cold, as they do.  Please check to make sure we have current phone numbers tomorrow.

REMINDER:  Field trip:   Let me know which Thursday and how many tickets you need for Something's Afoot.  

New semester starts this week - January 22.

All make up work in by the 29th.

Potluck Lunch December 11

It is time for a BREAK! Next week, Tuesday, December 11, we will celebrate Christmas with a potluck lunch. Lunch will begin at Noon.  Afternoon classes will be shortened to allow extra social time. ALL families are invited to join us. Classes will begin again on Tuesday, January 8.

Please sign up at school or contact Judy or Joy if you are interested in participating in the Drama class second semester. The play will be chosen based on how many students sign up for this class.

Thank you to all who helped out on Tuesday while Judy was absent. Teamwork is a wonderful thing!