The Education Fair will be held Monday, April 5th, 2010 from 7-8 pm in the fellowship hall at First Baptist Church in Siloam Springs. The fair is for Pre-K-12^th grade. It is an open house so set the date & plan to come. Please invite family & friends. We want lots of guests coming through to quiz the students on their booths!

Each student will have at least a 3 x 2 foot table space for their display. Some tables are larger but this is the smallest we’ll have to work with. Each student is responsible for setting up, standing by their booth during the open house & cleaning up their area after the fair. For younger children, parents will want to be there to help. Please use display boards, we cannot attach things to walls or put tape, ect on the floors or tables.

Set up will be from 6:30 to 7 pm. The doors will open to guests at 7 pm so students need to be ready at their booths. At the end we’ll pass out certificates & have refreshments & fellowship time.

If your child plans to participate please RSVP to Jenny Young (contact information is located in the Member Directory on the Yahoo Group). The deadline for sign-up is April 1st. When you RSVP please include the following:

1. – send each student's full name (as you want it written on their certificate) & grade or age.
2. – reserve an outlet if you need one.
3. – let me know if you plan to use live animals in your display (I’ll send a short list of specific rules.)

CHESS kindergarten graduation will be held May 8, 2010 at Community Christian Fellowship in Siloam Springs. A group order for graduation caps & gowns will be placed March 1, 2010. After that date you may still choose to participate in the ceremony, but will be responsible for securing your own cap and gown. Please contact Angel Backes (contact information is in the Member Directory on the Yahoo group) with further questions or to sign your child up to participate in kindergarten graduation.

All parents or guardians who wish to homeschool in Arkansas must complete a set of forms, which must be turned in to the superintendent of the local public school district. These forms can be printed from the Arkansas Dept. of Education website. Forms must be turned in EVERY YEAR that the family plans to homeschool. For parents who plan to teach at home beginning in the fall, the deadline is August 15th. Those who plan to homeschool for the second semester must submit completed forms by December 15th.

MISSED THE DEADLINE? Parents may begin homeschooling at any time during the school year, subject to a 14-calendar-day waiting period. The local superintendent may waive the waiting period at his/her discretion.

Please contact CHESS with any questions.

Please remember to cut out and save Box Tops for Education, found on grocery items. We collect the Box Tops to earn cash for CHESS activities. Look for the collection box at CHESS events, or any board member will be happy to take them. Parents can also earn money for CHESS by registering with Box Tops for Education online. Contact CHESS with any questions.

Please channel homeschool-related announcements (field trips, social events, etc.) through the appropriate coordinator: Elementary (Suzanne Griffin), Middle School (Cathy Flack), High School (Tina Coon), or Athletics (Jennifer Creekkiller). For announcements of a general nature, please submit items directly to CHESS.