(Forsyth County, GA) Parents and children visited the Sawnee Mountain Preserve on Thursday, May 18 to learn more about opportunities offered by Forsyth County and other providers to local homeschooling families. Visitors met and talked with various providers to learn more about the classes and activities available while kids played outside and made art.
The county offers several classes to homeschool students. Some of the most popular include environmental education classes such as Sawnee Sprouts (for toddlers), Little Explorers (ages 3-5), Homeschool Science (ages 6-12), and Advanced Homeschool Science (ages 9-12). Held at the Sawnee Mountain Preserve Visitor Center, these classes combine outdoor experiences with classroom time. This fall there will also be classes at the Old Atlanta Recreation Center.
To help kids stay active, Forsyth County has homeschool P.E. and homeschool tennis classes available. The tennis classes include Hot Shots for ages 5-7, which teaches tennis fundamentals with games and drills, and Junior Rec Tennis for ages 8-10 and 11-15, which focuses on tennis stroke development for beginners and advanced beginners. All homeschool tennis programs take place at Matt Community Park.
The homeschool P.E. class is an 8-week program at Old Atlanta Recreation Center. Every Wednesday, kids meet from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. to work on physical education fundamentals like running, jumping, and coordination drills. The program will also include information about healthier lifestyle choices. For this fall, there are classes for kids 5-7 and 8-13.
For kids who prefer a less traditional physical education approach, the county also offers Homeschool Adventure classes. Children in these classes are trained in tree climbing, paddling, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits.
Artistic kids can also sign up for four-week Homeschool Art sessions. Held at Sawnee Mountain Preserve, these small classes teach children about famous artists, core art vocabulary, and a variety of artistic styles and mediums while observing and exploring nature.
Kids also had the chance to visit the Forsyth County Public Library’s Bookmobile. Children chatted with the librarian, checked out books, and learned about upcoming programs such as the summer reading program, All Together Now, which starts on May 25.
Though Forsyth County is known for its excellent public schools, some families choose homeschooling for other reasons. Some enjoy the flexibility and additional family time. Others find that their children do better when given more time to pursue their own interests or take part in smaller classes. Many families began homeschooling during the pandemic when the national rate hit a new high of over 11% (not including students doing virtual school). Even when kids could return to school, for some parents the rhythms of homeschooling seemed to work better. Having access to these homeschool programs helps homeschooled children and their families thrive.
However, the county provides similar programs and even more options for children who are not homeschooled. The homeschool programs typically occur during hours when other children would be in school. However, the county has plenty of afterschool and weekend options for sports, martial arts, dance, and more. There are also Therapeutic Recreation classes for children with special needs.
Interested parents can learn more by looking through the Forsyth County Parks and Recreation catalog. For those who want to learn more about homeschooling opportunities, there is a Homeschool Kickoff at Sawnee Mountain Visitor Center on August 11.
What summer activities or camps are the most exciting? Comment below or email kbondwriter@gmail.com to let us know.
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