Florida Catholic | Parents As Teachers

Parents as teachers

Catholics vouch for home schooling at south Florida convention.

ANNE DIBERNARDO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 04.25.08

DAVIE | Elsie Hanley, a mother of six and parishioner at St. Mark in Southwest Ranches, could be the billboard for the home—school mom.

Is she frazzled? No.

Is she on fire? Absolutely — for her children’s sake.

“It’s hot, it connects, it’s a viable alternative,” she said, speaking with heartfelt conviction.

Hanley was among nearly 1,000 people who attended the first South Florida Home School Convention April 12 at the Signature Grand in Davie. Although the convention was not exclusively for Catholics, south Florida’s Catholic home schooling community was well-represented.

These home-schoolers have taken to heart the words of Pope John Paul II in his “Letter to Families”: “Parents are the first and the most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents.”

According to the Florida Department of Education, close to 10,000 students in south Florida were home-schooled in 2007.

“The perception is, ‘What do you guys do all day?’ as though it is boring, but there are so many activities I have to pick and choose,” said Hanley, who recently hosted a barbecue at her home for the Home Educators Athletic Team.

“Everyone had a great time,” she said. “There were babies, elementary schoolchildren, middle school … and high school … (students), all families coming together.”

Hanley alluded to the perception that home-schooled children don’t do well socially.

“They actually do better socially,” she said, noting that families “don’t want their kids exposed to bullying, impurity and vulgarity.”

As a result of learning at home, her children “are not on the defense or on guard,” Hanley said. “They have the luxury of enjoying peace, and I can nurture a devotion to the Blessed Mother by praying the Angelus at noon.”

One family’s perspective: The Rouchards

ANNE DIBERNARDO | FC
Paul Rouchard, far right, and his wife, Ruth, third from the right, pose for a photograph at the home school convention recently with their children, from left, Mikaylah, Rebecca, Rachel and Paul.

Rachel Rouchard could easily be mistaken for a model. She carries herself with poise and seems genuinely confident. She also has been home-schooled for as long as she can remember.

Is she missing out on something by deviating from a conventional high school setting?

“Not on your life,” she said. “I have no stress, time to relax and study without pressure. I’m also more self-directed.”

Rachel, 13, is involved in church, loves to play guitar and violin, but says studying language arts is her favorite part of the day.

Mikaylah Rouchard is Rachel’s 11-year-old sister. She said she likes being home-schooled because it lacks the drama of real school.

“There are no cliques. It’s very low key and you can sleep in if you have a late night with the family,” Mikaylah said.

“I’m the principal,” said their father, Phil Rouchard, adding that the cost of child care and commuting can make both parents working outside the home counterproductive.

“The Lord has given you kids for you to raise,” Rouchard said.

The conference kicked off with keynote speaker Steve Demme, a father of four boys who could be considered a pioneer in the home-schooling arena, as he lobbied for legislation to support home schooling after getting married more than 20 years ago.

He said he was won over by the fact that he could not only teach his children, but also tailor their education. He recalled going to the high school graduation of a home-schooled child and noticing that the teen still liked his dad.

“He was happy, content and had a relationship. I thought, ‘This fruit is really good!’”

“There is something about high school kids who are home-schooled. There is a connection. They can engage in discussions and they have a high level of self esteem,” said Demme.

His presentation, titled “The family who prays together, stays together,” underscored the biblical foundations of relationships.

“Do you know how much the New Testament emphasizes relationship?” he said. “We have to fight for the family and be jealous with what God designed.”

Convention attendees Michael and Carol Cassano said they are contemplating home schooling their children.

“I felt a calmness about the family being together and an overwhelming conviction that it can actually work. It seems like a peaceful, loving, better way of life,” said Carol Cassano.

“The fact that it coincides with the Christian beliefs is also a significant aspect,” said Michael Cassano.

Mary Sturn, a member of St. Gregory Parish in Plantation, helped coordinate the conference. She said Catholics can join a Catholic home-school group called ARCH Angels (ARCH stands for Association of Roman Catholic Home-schoolers).

Currently, ARCH Angels numbers about 70 families, 50 from Miami and 20 from Broward County. Fidelity to the teachings of the Catholic Church and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary are the two foundational pillars of the group.

“God’s will will be accomplished no matter what, but through the vehicle of home schooling, there is opportunity for a more abundant life,” Hanley said. “Kids are happy, content, peaceful and fulfilled.”

Return to the Archdiocese of Miami Front Page

Parents as teachers

One family’s perspective: The Rouchards

Other Stories