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LOCAL SUPPORT GROUPS
What is a support group? Support groups are formed so local homeschoolers can get together and meet other homeschoolers. It is a great way to meet many new friends and exchange ideas and just gab about things with sonmene who knows what you are going through. Support groups often have meetings once a month where they get together and discuss certain topics and exchange ideas. There is usualy a nominal yearly fee to belong to one of these groups which pays mostly for the mailing of newsletters. The support groups are maintained soley by local volunteerring homeschoolers. At this moment there are 2 local homeschool groups in Victoria. Some homeschoolers belong to both of these groups, just to make sure they don't miss out on any news. Both of these groups have great newsletters. Victoria Christian Homeschoolers The Victoria Christian Homeschoolers group began as an informal association between several Christian families living in the Victoria area. These families had chosen to educate their children at home and felt that contact with other "homeschool" families would be of benefit to both the parents and children involved. They soon discovered they were absolutely right! The group has since grown to involve a membership of over 80 families with over 200 children, with our numbers expected to continue to increase as more families choose to exercise their option of home education. Through newsletters, small group meetings and a growing resource library, the group seeks to provide its members with practical support and encouragement from a Christian perspective. There are currently three support groups meeting in the greater Victoria area. Each of these functions as an independent cell group, tailoring its meeting style and content to suit its participants' preferences. Members are encouraged to join the group which best suits their family's needs. Besides providing opportunities to meet with other homeschooling families from the Victoria area, these meetings facilitate the organization of group field trips, sporting events and a wide variety of other joint ventures. To assist with communication between these cell groups each area appoints and is represented by an area director. For more information email VCHSquestions@morb.ca or for membership inquiries VCHSmembership@morb.ca To be added to the VCH e-mail tree: VCHS@shaw.ca The reasons families choose to homeschool their children are many and varied. For some, the decision was rooted in a concern for their child's moral development. For others, the primary concern was the quality of their child's education. For most of us in the Victoria Christian Homeschoolers Group, the decision involved a mixture of both these concerns and a shared belief that God designed the family unit to be the ideal place for the nurture and education of our children. Those applying for membership agree to have their names and other particulars published in a directory that will be distributed to all members of Victoria Christian Homeschoolers. Membership commences from the time the group's membership coordinator receives the fees and completed application form. The fees are $20 for the year or part thereof. New members will receive in their first packet: the most current newsletter, a membership list, the current library list, a discount card and the members' directory. Benefits of full membership include: - newsletter subscription, published periodically - access to library resources - address list of all members - attendance at any of the group's activities, which may include: field trips, curriculum fairs, seminars, concerts, support group meetings, etc. - opportunities for group leadership - voting privileges - discount card for local businesses Benefits of associate membership include: - newsletter subscription, published periodically - access to library resources - address list of all members - attendance at any of the group's activities, which may include: field trips, curriculum fairs, seminars, concerts, support group meetings, etc. - discount card for local businesses Statement of Faith of the Victoria Christian Homeschoolers We believe the Bible to be the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. We believe there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return to power and glory. We believe the salvation of lost and sinful humanity is possible only through the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, received by faith apart from works, and is characterized by regeneration by the Holy Spirit. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. We believe in both the resurrection of the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Victoria Home Learning Network he Victoria Home Learning Network (VHLN) is a community-based support group for all home learning families in the Greater Victoria area. Our membership is comprised of families who follow diverse home learning paths from traditional approaches to home schooling to ³radical" unschooling to everything in between. Support is offered to members in the way of a Hotline (a members-only Yahoo group where individuals post events and activities relevant to the home learning community), a monthly SOS (Support or Socializing) gathering for the parents of home learners, large group events a few times a year, a website, an online newsletter blog (exclusive to members), access to a lending library, a discount card for several vendors in the Victoria area, and a membership directory for those who choose to be a part of it. The VHLN sponsors several home learning events over the year. In addition to the monthly SOS meetings for parents, members can attend: - The Annual VHLN Not-Back-To-School Picnic (September) - "Register or Enroll" Information Meeting (September) - The Science Celebration (a non-competitive Science & project fair) - The May Day Potluck and Celebration - Events featuring guest speakers All families with a direct interest in home learning or home schooling are welcome to join the VHLN and are invited to join in the activities they feel best fit their family¹s collective and individual interests! If you are new to home learning or Victoria, and you are looking for information, please visit our website http://www.vhln.org. You can access a list of great websites about homeschooling, helpful articles, a FAQ about the VHLN, and our membership form. If you have further questions about the VHLN, please feel free to contact us via the contact form on our website. One of our helpful community members will be happy to follow up with you. 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