Pensacola L.I.F.E. Homeschool

YOU WILL HAVE TO BE LOGGED IN BEFORE YOU CAN ADD GROUPS, LINKS OR ARTICLES, ETC.

How do I add my group?

LOCAL, PHYSICAL GROUPS ONLY PLEASE: To add your group please follow the directions here: How To Add Your Group, Co-op or Evaluators.

How do I add other groups, activities or events?

If you have a group that you have found to be helpful in your homeschooling or family management you can add it here: Submit A Link. Please choose the category that best fits the link you are adding.

How do I find the kind of group I am looking for?

When you click on Local Homeschool Groups you will see some text that says SEARCH. It doesn't stand out that well but it is there and it works really well. If you click on it you will be able to type in keywords that describe the type of group that you are looking for. The groups have the ability to add extra meta keywords to make this work even better.

How do I add local events that are coming up?

Soon we will have a calendar that you will be able to add events to but for the time being: If the event you would like to add has a link you can click on Add a Link to add your event. Be sure to choose Community Events as the category. If the event does NOT have a link, you will have to email the information to me and I will add the event to the Area Activities/Events-No Links section.

What does LOCAL mean exactly?

Well, if you already live in NW Florida you will realize that this area is quite spread out. We don't seem to know where our boundaries are! Many times people in Pensacola may participate in groups in SW Alabama and vise versa. Or, some in Ft. Walton Beach may travel all the way to Pensacola to participate in groups. While it's not really practical on the family time and budget you'd be surprised at what lengths homeschoolers will go to to provide the resources or socialization that their children need. Therefore, we have included information for groups from SW AL to Okaloosa County. The database has a good search engine so I hope that you will be able to find what you need. If you have trouble finding a category to place your group in please let me know so I can add a new category to the database.

I've just moved here from . . .

One of the beauties and sometimes curses of homeschooling in the Gulf Coast is that it is a military town. I say curses because we get a lot of military families that come, we love them and then they leave us. If you are moving here from somewhere else, believe me, you are not alone. Not all of our new-to-the-area homeschoolers are military though. All are welcome. You may find it very different here than where you came from. Legally it is not diffiult to homeschool here. You can find out more about the laws here: Florida Laws, Information about your county laws here: District Info. One thing that is most difficult for people to adjust to is the fact that our groups are so intermingled. We're hoping that having this central resource will help people find the groups that they need. Another difficulty is that, while we have a large homeschool community here, the lack of organization is a bit overwhelming for some. You may find that you will have to put more effort into helping the groups that you join. We are all volunteers and we are all using our time to help new homeschoolers. We need the newcomers to jump in and be ready to offer their help. If you don't know how you can help, just ask!

We're military, where are the military homeschool groups?

At the time of this writing the military in Pensacola don't really seem to be aware of homeschooling. That's probably because our Navy base caters mainly to young people just getting started. We're trying to work on that. Hopefully very soon I will have more information about this because I know it has been a concern for many military families. If you have information that can be placed her please let me know.

I'm not a homeschooler but I do EVALUATIONS for homeschoolers.

Evaluators are very welcome and encouraged to add their information. I will make a page for a listing of names and contact information but I think homeschoolers may like to know more about you. You are welcome to submit a listing in the Add Local Group section. Just list your name in the place where groups would put their name unless you have a business name, you could put it there. Please give a description of your services. Please make sure you at least include: charges, preferred location to do evaluation, time of year, do you do testing, what is your specialty, do you evaluate relaxed homeschooliers, or unschoolers, any other requirements.

Where do I find a list of evaluators?

I do not have the list of evaluators posted here yet but when I do I will post the link here or you can search for them in the groups list for more details.

What are Umbrella Schools?

Umbrella schools are considered private schools for homeschoolers. Using an umbrella school or cover school is one of the options for homeschoolers in FL. I will be placing a list of umbrella schools here soon. The cost of the umbrella school will depend on the amount of the services that they offer. If the umbrella school offers curriculum, testing and consultation the cost may be rather high. If the school offers basic record keeping services (calendar of days homeschooled and medical records basically) it is very inexpensive. You may choose to homeschool using a umbrella school but please become informed about the laws to find out how they work. Florida homeschool students are eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship but if your umbrella school is not an accredited private school your child will not be eligible. The laws may change on this so you should find out what the current requirements are before you choose this option in your child's high school years.

My child isn't old enough for school yet but I know I want to homeschool . . .

Many, many people join homeschool groups when their children are just babies. I have never been a part of a group yet that didn't welcome people with babies who wanted to learn about homeschooling from the get-go! Please feel free to find a group that fits your needs.

I've pulled my child/ren out of school because it just wasn't working. Where do I find out how to homeschool?

First, take a breath and relax. You won't be helping yourself or your child/red if you panic. Lot's of parents fell anxiety because the are afraid they won't be able to homeschool. You can! Thousands of people homeschool their children successfully and you can too! Please realize that homeschooling doesn't look anything like going to school. Your child will not be sitting at a desk for 8 hours, 5 days a week. First of all, school children do not actually spend that amount of time studying. Teachers have to spend quite a bit of time each school period getting whole classrooms settled down, answering questions for an entire classroom, etc. You only have one child or a handful of kids compared to what a teacher has to handle. You will not need nearly as much time to accomplish what needs to be done. Take some time to read about homeschooling. You will find some good suggestions for getting started homeschool here: Homeschool Helps. Read about different learning styles and homeschooling styles. Don't be afraid that your child will get behind if they miss a couple of weeks of classes. You will have plenty of time to catch up if you feel the need to do so. Joining a group and talking with other homeschool families is an essential part of the homeschool experience. Homeschool groups are run by volunteers so please don't expect them to plan your homeschool for you unless you are paying them to do so. Fortunately most homeschoolers are more than happy to give advice to new homeschoolers so please ask questions!

I want to homeschool but how are families able to live on one income?

It's not easy in many cases but we manage. Some homeschool families have one parent as primary breadwinners and the other may work a part-time job at opposite times. Some have made running a business not only the way the family earns income but also as a tool for learning real-life skills. This doesn't mean that your children will follow in your footsteps necessarily but it will give them some great experience for anything they choose to do. We have a local group that supports homeschoolers in business. You can find more information on the website, Homeschool In Biz and join the yahoo group for support and to support other homeschoolers in business.