Welcome to ECHO! This page is to help inform you of the benefits you will receive if you join the ECHO group.
ECHO was founded in the summer of 2001. We are a support group that is growing
rapidly. We are an authorized, private, non-profit association on Camp
Lejeune. ECHO is registered with the North
Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE)
Family
memberships with NCHE are $20 a year. You may contact them directly at 919.541.5145
or nche@nche.com
Family memberships with HSLDA (a "legal
insurance" organization for Homeschoolers and a wonderful source of information!)
are $85 a year (active duty military) and $100 for civilian families. Contact
them at 540.338.5600 or www.hslda.org
The following is covered in this web page:
We
have an email list, which is the primary source of information through out
the
week. You may post educational ideas and points of interest. All members
may post here to get information out to our support group; no permission is
necessary to post, except for activities on regular scheduled events. Please
make sure your email address is listed with ECHOHSERS@yahoogroups.com. If
you do not have email, please take the time to contact a member for up to date
information on our meetings. We do not have a “phone chain” 
because
they are difficult to keep up with. Always check email or make a call on Sunday
night to see if there are any immediate changes in planned activities. Make
sure that you are receiving email through your echohsers@yahoogroups.com -
check by sending in a TEST message if you are in doubt. Email president@echo-onslow.org
as soon as possible if you have any problems.
ECHO also maintains another email list, Region11HSers@yahoogroups.com for ECHO families as well as ALL homeschoolers in Region 11, (10 counties). Any homeschool family may join this list freely, just sign up! A family does not have to be a member of ECHO to be on this list. Go to www.yahoogroups.com , type Region11HSers into “find a group” field, follow the prompts OR join easily on our HOME page!. Invite homeschooling friends and neighbors.
Here are a few suggestions to help your family get the MOST out of your group:
The forms in your ECHO Handbook are important to us. Please make sure you fill them out and give them to the Secretary no later than you’re second meeting with ECHO. Read through your Handbook so you can familiarize yourself with your support group.
Each family member must sign in at every meeting and field trip for our record keeping purposes. Please arrive by 1:00 pm unless posted otherwise.
Please remember to put nametags on every family member that attends meetings at the time of signing in. Nametags
help us to place faces with names and also end any awkward moments when
we forget names. Children need to be tagged so that childcare workers and
guests can call them by their names to and prevent any confusion. This
is very important.
Make sure you pick up your Smart Start Card from the Smart Start Resource Center at 308 Western Blvd. in downtown Jacksonville. These are issued based on ECHO’s membership list. They have a new ‘bar coding’ system, and your Smart Start Card is REQUIRED in order to check out materials or use the facility! Please also be aware that, you may bring your children but they must be under your care at ALL times AND YOU CANNOT PUNISH, OR SPEAK HARSHLY TOWARDS YOUR CHILDREN WHILE THEY ARE IN THE SMART START RESOURCE CENTER!! Smart Start is a government sponsored organization and, as such, is bound by regulation to report corporal punishment to government authorities.
Take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your homeschool with exciting
learning tools and the “laminating department” where you can get
posters and other papers laminated for a fraction of what it costs out in town.
It is beneficial to call Smart Start
at 938-0336 to ensure the laminator and copier are working. Please ask the receptionist
at Smart Start for a copy of lending
terms and agreements. All ECHO members
utilizing this program must agree to participate at least once every 45 days
to ensure your name stays on the list and your card remains active.
Craft and activities are scheduled when we can, This gives mothers with talent
and creativity, a time to share their expertise with us! Children can share
things that they have learned or experiments that interest them with the group,
book reports or poems, can be read or recited as well. Please HELP where you
can, we need you!
We have been meeting in the Main Room of the Stone Street Youth Pavilion.
There are many activities for the children and we all need to keep an eye on
them while the meeting is in progress. Children under the age of 6 may not use
the pool tables unless accompanied by an adult. If a child is not playing pool
they should not have a pool cue. Most of the younger kids love the Air Hockey
table! Video games require money. Important: Please do
not allow your children to play on games and furniture.
Because SSYP employees are in the building working, it’s important that your children do not get rowdy or yell while indoors as to not disrupt others. It is beneficial to discuss appropriate behavior prior to each meeting for all to have a positive experience.
Every now and then there is a fifth Monday. Plans will be made in advance as
to what should be done on that day, whether we meet at SSYP, or go on a field
trip, or see a movie. It’s up to you! Your input is needed here.
Craft projects will be scheduled through out the year. ECHO will provide the
remaining supplies for the craft projects, however, depending on cost of materials,
there might be a nominal fee for some projects.
Homeschool CELEBRATION!
In May ECHO has its ECHO HOMESCHOOL CELEBRATION! This is a planned formal event where the support
group recognizes our children’s accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Planning for this event is done
throughout the calendar school year. Location may change from year to year as well as the itinerary.
Remember that you are a part of the group and your voice is needed. Your suggestions
are important and will always be considered. Feel free to move about and get
to know other families. Some members may be quiet and need a little help in
getting acquainted so don’t be shy! If you feel you are having a difficult
time blending in, talk to a Governing Body member
and see what can be done to better serve your family.
God bless you and have a great time with
the East Coast Homeschool Organization!