Encourage - Enhance - Engage We seek to encourage and support Christian homeschool families located in the Bolingbrook IL area.

   HEART is a Christian Home School support group located in the Bolingbrook, Illinois area. It is a member led and member actuated group intended to provide support  for local homeschool families. The goal of our group is to Encourage, Enhance, and Engage homeschool families. To accomplish this we provide resources, activities, encouragement, and personal connections that will enhance and strengthen your ability to educate your children and bring them up in the Lord Jesus Christ. We also have a blast getting to know each other and participating in activities together.

We are families who have banded together to suport each other in desire to homeshool our chldren within a Christian context. We are not a Co-op or schooling provider. We are not associated with any church or denomination. We do hold to an uncompromised belief in Jesus Christ as Creator, Lord, Savior, and coming King. We hold to the Bible as the authoritative word of God and follow its principles and teachings. We do not operate as a school but provide an array of opportunities, connections, and information for homeschooling families.

Because we are group run, the activities the groups engages in are a result of the group's intrest, participation, and willingness to lead. The following Links will provide more information on different aspects of our group:

Membership is open to any Christian homeschooling family. There is a fee to join HEART to cover resources and insurance for the group		Christian Learning And Social Skills - This is a once a month gathering that provides age appropriate learning and activities in a group setting.
Pulse provides young adult (13 - High School) activities and opportunities for youth to connect, learn, and have a good time.		HEART Special Events: Provides a variety of support events to connect homeschooling families with each other and encourage each other.
The HEART Newsletter provides information on group activities and a host of resources to enhance your Homeschooling experience. The newsletter is issued on a monthly basis by email.		HEART Coordinates Field Trips to enhance your homeschooling experience and engage your children in the world around them.
Contact Us. For more information on membership or on HEART please please click on the above link. Note to solicitors: WE DO NOT RESPOND TO SOLICITATION RECEIVED THROUGH THIS INTERNET SITE		A few useful Links to resources for Home Educators in Illinois.

We are open to any Christian Homeschooling families in the area. We are a member run group. The expectation is that the all members will be involved in running, organizing, or leading some activity within the group. By having everyone involved we attempt to minimize any burden on any individuals.

 
As a member you will have access to all HEART activities and support functions. You will receive the Monthly newsletter which provides a calendar of events and functions, community resources and events, and group news. You will receive a membership card that will allow you to get discounts at some stores and businesses. Legal and Governmental information impacting homeschool families is also distributed via e-mail. Most importantly, you will connect and engage with people who are like-minded and have the oppertunity to build relationships that are mutually encouraging. The more you are involved the more you will enjoy it, grow, and be encouraged.

We allow families new to HEART to attend two HEART events to get a flavor for the group. If the family wishes to continue to attend and participate in HEART events they are required to join HEART.

In order to be considered an active member in HEART, one must agree to the following policies, provide the required forms, and sign the Membership Commitment form:   

• Statement of Faith
• HEART Membership Policy
• Accident Release/Emergency Treatment form
• Membership Fees (to be paid upon registration)
• Active participation on a recognized committee or position.
• Conduct one's self according to biblical morals, biblical principles, Godly attitudes, and take responsibility for actions and behavior of their involved children.

For Forms and Membership information packet contact: heartofbolingbrook.org

Membership Fee
We attempt to keep the membership fee as low as possible. The fee is used for covering the cost of insurance to allow us to use various facilities as a group. Some of the fees are also used for supplies and resources used in group gatherings or events. In the past few years the fee has been in the $45 - 55 range. The year runs from August to the end of July the following year. The fee is the same no matter when you join in the year and is only applied to the year in which you join. The only exception to this are early registration periods when there is a small discount to encourage people to join so we have a base to start the next year. As a group we are often able to get discounts for field trips. By participating in a few of these field trips you can quickly recoop much of  the membership cost in savings on the field trips. There are some opportunities to engage in fund raising activities to help mitigate some of the cost.

We Respect Different Styles of Education
 HEART does not endorse any particular approach to home education.  Although there are a variety of curricula, philosophies and methods of implementation, it is necessary for us to maintain a spirit of unity, encouraging one another in our individual approaches to home education.

 We Respect Denominational Distinctions
 Apart from the Statement of Faith included on the registration form, HEART does not embrace any particular denominational position.  We ask all members to be sensitive to other members convictions on peripheral doctrines in Scripture.  

For more information on membership or about HEART please contact us at: heartofbolingbrook.org
Note to solicitors: WE DO NOT RESPOND TO SOLICITATION RECEIVED THROUGH THIS INTERNET SITE

 

Christian Learning And Social Skills is a once a month gathering of homeschooling families to connect and learn in age appropriate group setting. It provides the opportunity for your children to  develop social skills in a peer group setting with other kids not in their immediate family. Mothers also have an opportunity to interact in the various activities. Ages 4 - 18 can participate in the activities. A nursery is also provided to allow mothers or fathers to participate in leading or assisting in a class.  Themes are used as a basis for the activities of the morning. Typically each student will have the opportunity to engage in a craft, learning session, and gym time.

  The 2007-2008 themes will be "Heros of Faith", the times they lived in, and Character Qualities. 

The Class Day committee is responsible to do the main planning and teaching but we rely on you to help as needed: teacher aids, nursery workers, gym helpers, and clean up. When you register your family each Class Day, you are required to sign up to help in some aspect of that CLASS Day, the job you choose is on a first come first choice bases. While you participate you will have opportunity to get to know other homeschoolers, learn to work together, and develop new friendships.

Occasionally a fee is charged when there is a paid speaker or presenter involved in the theme.

CLASS day typically runs in the morning from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Other HEART members have organized a lunch after each CLASS Day for a very small fee. If families do not want to purchase the lunch we encourage them to bring a lunch and stick around. This provides more opportunity for mothers and children to connect and build relationships. After lunch there is a clean up time.

Here are a few pictures from various CLASS Days.

Past CLASS Day activities/themes have included:

CLASS Day provides opportunities in a setting that a single family can not. This is one of our most widely attended functions.  The feedback from the children is very positive.

 

 

Pulse - Young Adults The purpose of Pulse is to provide a safe environment for social interaction and networking of youth 7th grade through high school, who share a similar life style of home education.  The desire is for youth, under parental supervision, to develop meaningful relationships and lasting memories in a safe environment.

The Pulse social events have included activities such as:

• Christmas Party
• Bowling
• Mini Golf
• Laser Quest
• Open gym
• Board Game Night
• Yearbook Committee

The activities are determined by the Pulse committee on a year to year basis.Here are a couple pictures from some Pulse functions.
 

 

 

HEART provides a number of opportunities for Homeschooling families to  connect with other Homeschooling families in the Bolingbrook area. We seek to encourage each other, learn from each other , and develop relationships with each other. The activities change from year to year depending on the groups wants and desires and willingness to organize them.

Some of the HEART activities include:

• HEART Quarterly Business Meetings - All members invited to attend and give input into the group. Committee chairs and elected positions are expected to attend.
• Year End Celebration (Spring Celebration) - We acknowledge the accomplishments of our students,  honor our graduates at the 8th grade & High School level, review the year, eat, sing, and generally have a great time together.
• Monthly HEART prayer meetings
• HEART Group activity nights - Christmas Party, Fun Nights, Game Nights...
• Park Days 
• 3 For Dinner - 3 families meet three time for dinner and fun within three months.
• Spring Picnic 
• Mom's Night Out - A chance for homeschooling mothers to interact with each other and let the dads experience what mom's deal with all day.
• Fall Picnic - Open to anyone intrested in joining the group, food, games, and a great chance to connect.

  HEART also conducts a number of other extra curricular activities to aid homeschooling families in enhancing there children's education experience:

• CLASS Day 
• Pulse - Young Adults
• Field Trips 
  

  

 

HEART members organize and coordinate a number of Field Trips to enhance and expand your homeschool experience. We generally try to run two field trips per month. Often we are able to get school group discounts for some of the field trip venues. Some past year's Field Trips have included:

Fruit picking Miniature golf Windy Tall Ships Graue Mill Sci-Tech Museum Chicago Institute of Arts Lisle Train Museum Dominicks  Grocery Chicago Aquarium Cheese factory Postal Distribution Center

Naper Settlement Museum of Science & Industry Safari-land Radio station Zoo visit - behind the scenes Krispy Kreme Donut tour Janesville GM plant Hidden Lakes Nature area Safety Town Naperville Science Museum The Little Red School House

Some Field trips may require a fee and/or registration. Most Field Trips do not provide group transportation. Because we operate as a school group we are often able to get discount rates for a number of places. By simply attending a few of these Field Trips with discounted rates you can save a worthwhile amount of money that justifies paying the HEART Membership fee.

A monthly newsletter is provided listing a vast number of  activities and opportunities to expand, enhance, support, connect, and encourage homeschooling families. This is our main source of communication at a group level. The newsletter contains all the information for HEART supported activities as well as homeschool educational and social opportunities and programs in the community. The letter is typically distributed through E-mail - paper copies can be provided for those without E-mail.

 

 

 

The following Links provide a few useful resources for Home Schooling Families in Illinois:
ICHE Illinois Christian Home Educators
HSLDA Home School Legal Defense Association
CHEC Christian Home Educators Coalition (Illinois)

For more information or Forms and Membership information packet contact: heartofbolingbrook.org

2007 copyright © HEART Support Group

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