Homeschoolers visit historic school

Photo by Allyson Ransom Sheila Martin of Gravette, who homeschools her four daughters, got in the spirit of the occasion and dressed in pioneer garb for the homeschool group’s trip to Rocky Branch School. Here she plays the role of the teacher and appears to be scolding an errant pupil. Both students and parents enjoyed learning about school days a century ago.
Photo by Allyson Ransom Sheila Martin of Gravette, who homeschools her four daughters, got in the spirit of the occasion and dressed in pioneer garb for the homeschool group’s trip to Rocky Branch School. Here she plays the role of the teacher and appears to be scolding an errant pupil. Both students and parents enjoyed learning about school days a century ago.

GRAVETTE -- A group of students from the Hearts of Home homeschooling program enjoyed a field trip near the end of September to the historic Rocky Branch School. Thirty-four students, including six or seven mothers, made the trip and it was both an educational experience and a fun outing for both students and parents.

The Rocky Branch School at Larue, 12 miles from downtown Rogers, was built more than 100 years ago. A printed brochure the children received described it as "a relic from yesteryear preserved as a living memorial to the school days of old."

Spending a day at the school is an opportunity made available to more than 1,000 area students each year, thanks to the Rogers Historical Museum. The museum partners with the Rocky Branch School Preservation Association and bears the cost of teaching the programs at the school.

The Hearts of Home, a homeschool mothers' support group, was organized by Dawn Maddox, of Gravette, in 2005, and meets in her home the first Monday of each month.

"Up to that point, we all had to drive to Rogers or Siloam Springs for any kind of support group," she said. "So the moms began getting together one evening a month for continuing education, sharing ideas and moral support. We did occasional field trips and play days."

Then Sheila Martin, another Gravette mother, organized a standardized testing center in Gravette for the homeschoolers' state-mandated testing day.

This fall Sheila did the work to organize the group's first coop classes. She took ideas presented by all the homeschool mothers and put together a schedule. The mothers, including Allyson Ransom and others from the community, are volunteering their time to share their insights with the students and teach them lessons.

The homeschool group meets every Friday for at least two hours, and the children, ages 4 to 15, have lessons and participate in activities such as woodworking, bird watching, cooking, poetry and beginning French.

Since August of this year, meetings have been held at Matthew's Feast Church on Main Street in Gravette. Ten to 12 families are involved, all from Gravette or in the Gravette School District. In October they enjoyed a weekend camping trip at Camp Terra Rose, a new campground just outside Gravette.

The trip to Rocky Branch School this fall was one of the more popular outings, and the students appreciated the opportunity to visit the building from bygone days.

There is no source of funding to cover the maintenance on the school building and its furnishings, but the association does accept donations with the promise that all money collected will be used for the operation and upkeep of the historic building. Anyone wishing to make a donation to keep these trips available for future visitors can send it to Rocky Branch School Preservation Association Inc., Attn: Cathy Patterson, 21063 Low Gap Lane, Rogers, AR 72756.

More information about the school is available at www.rockybranchshool.com.

Community on 11/05/2014