I mentioned in the last post of this series, Beyond the Elementary Years that extracurricular activities were a big part of our life. These pursuits served several purposes. First, they provided an opportunity for our children to be with other kids their age, and gave them experience with people of all ages. Second, extracurriculars were a means of exploring interests and participating in group activities that we simply couldn't do at home. And third, extracurricular activities enriched our children's learning experience with skills and opportunities that helped prepare them for success in life. Some of these activities were quite expensive; others cost less. All of them were worth the sacrifice in time and money.
First of all, there was church. Our kids went to church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and, whenever possible, Wednesday evening. Here they attended Sunday School, Bible Club, and worship services. They learned to participate in worship from an early age and, as they got older, used their talents to serve the Lord -- singing in choir, running the sound system, helping with Vacation Bible School, or serving as ushers. They made friends, learned about the Bible, and had fun!
Our girls took ballet, beginning at age five. They didn't attend a recital school, where time was spent learning dances to be performed in costumes purchased by the parents. The schools they went to were serious schools of classical ballet. They started with one class on Saturday mornings, but as they got older and more advanced, they were attending class more and more frequently. They danced in a beautiful production of The Nutcracker each year (see my post The Nutcracker Years), and attended summer intensives with major ballet companies in other cities. They studied with master teachers who trained many of today's principal dancers in professional companies around the world. And they met, and danced with, some of those dancers. The girls learned grace and confidence, artistry and discipline, while developing strong bodies. Ballet may look like a delicate art, but those dancers have some serious muscles!
Our oldest son studied fencing for many years. It all started with an interest in King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. When he found out that "sword fighting" was actually a sport, his eyes lit up. Just about that time, we saw an advertisement in our local homeschool support group's newsletter for fencing classes. Naturally, we decided to investigate this activity and, after a class or two, he was hooked. He competed in a few local tournaments and did well. Then we met a former Olympic coach, who took an interest in him and agreed to teach him privately. This eventually led to us opening our own fencing academy, where our other kids learned the sport as well, with people of all ages. Our son competed in more tournaments, and participated in several national competitions. He even spent one summer in Atlanta, Georgia, studying with fencers from the U.S. Olympic team. Fencing taught our son discipline, focus, and confidence.
All three of our boys participated in Boy Scouts. The oldest didn't start until he was in 6th grade, but the two youngest ones started with Tiger Scouts and went the whole way through high school. One of the boys even attained the rank of Eagle Scout. They went camping every month, learning important skills and a love of the outdoors. Each year they participated in the Barefoot Mailman hike -- a 35-mile trek along the beach, commemorating the route of 19th-century mail carriers in South Florida. They learned to train for physical exertion, to pack only what was necessary, and to endure hardship. And they learned the sense of accomplishment that comes with achieving a goal. Boy Scouts taught them patriotism. It taught them to serve others. And it taught them leadership.
Two of our children were exceptionally talented, artistically. They enjoyed drawing and crafts from an early age and, even though I had some training in art myself, we thought they might enjoy taking art classes. After a little research, I found out about classes at our local art museum. So every Saturday morning, for eight years, we took them downtown for lessons in drawing and painting, taught by master teachers. They learned drawing and oil paining from life, rather than photographs -- still life, landscapes, and figure drawing from live nude models (yes, in high school!). And at the end of each class, the students would critique each other's work -- as they do in college and graduate school. They spent their summers working in top-notch studios, learning from expert teachers. And when our daughter went to college, she had a summer job as a teaching assistant in the school where she had learned from the best. Those teachers have, since then, established a new school, FAT Village Center for the Arts, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in serious art instruction.
For our military-minded child, we got involved in the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. Click on the link to see a promotional video, and you may catch a glimpse of our son! In Sea Cadets, our son gained military knowledge and had many adventures. He attended USNSCC Recruit Training, and traveled to other states for advanced training, such as field operations, master-at-arms training, and Petty Officer Leadership Academy. He learned fire fighting and damage control, marksmanship, land navigation, SCUBA, and survival skills. He trained with the Coast Guard, flew in a Black Hawk, and spent a weekend sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the USS Iwo Jima. And the list goes on! As he progressed in rank, he was given more responsibility until he was leading his division of over 100 cadets. In Sea Cadets, our son developed his natural gift for leadership. He learned how to more effectively interact with others. But most important, he learned the true meaning of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
Our children participated in other activities outside of "school", but these were the ones that impacted their lives the most. They truly enriched our homeschooling experience.
Stay tuned for my final post of A Homeschool Journey!
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