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About Us
Our Vision: The mission of this group is to facilitate a strong sense
of community among homeschool families in the Denver Metro area.
What we Offer: Summer Park Days, Metro area wide Co-op,
Field Trips, organized Volunteer opportunities, Drama Club, Field Day and several parties throughout the year
On the horizon: Spelling Bee, Curriculum Discussion Nights
BOARD MEMBERS
Dawn Hollister, Membership Coordinator, Website Administrator
Angela Kemberlin, Treasurer
Rebecca Watkins, Chairperson
Aimee Berry, Secretary
Officer Duties
The board members are elected with set terms. See our Charter for more details.
Officer Biographies:
Aimee B, Secretary
My name is Aimee. I have been with my husband, Don, for 13 years and
we have 4 children. I was born in Nebraska and moved to Colorado when I was 11
years old. My husband is a Colorado native. Before homeschooling, I worked
as a switch technician for a large phone company. I loved this job, but all
of that changed after having kids. My job was fun, but I wanted to be home
more.
We decided to try homeschooling when my oldest 2 children were 1 and 2 years
old, in 2000. When we converted to Messianic Judaism and started our own
heating and air business in 2004, our choice to homeschool became that much
more important to us. Now we have 4 children and a very busy household.
We have a very eclectic style to our schooling, including many types of
curriculum, including a computer based curriculum for our oldest 2 children.
Homeschooling is an ever changing process in our house, adapting as we grow
and change.
Rebecca W, Chairperson
My name is Rebecca. I grew up in Southern California and spent several difficult, unpleasant years in public and private schools
until I was diagnosed with a learning disability called dyslexia in fourth grade. As my family learned more about dyslexia and
learning styles (both largely ignored by public schools at that time) they hired a learning disability therapist to coordinate
a homeschool curriculum for me. Over the next year of working with Ann, I discovered that I wasn't stupid and didn't hate
learning; I just wasn't a visual learner! Ann caught me up to grade level and taught me strategies that allowed me to succeed
in high school and aspire to a career in elementary education so I could help others as she'd helped me.
I graduated from college in 1996 with my degree in Elementary Education and a supplemental in Cross-Cultural
Language and Academic Development. That same year, my long-time friend and college sweetheart, Eric, and I were married.
During the following years as I worked in San Diego school districts, I experienced increasing frustration with the public
school system and began to despair of making a difference for children. My frustration prompted me to try teaching adult
English as a Second Language, a job I really enjoyed. I continued teaching ESL until 2001 when I became pregnant with
our first daughter, Alisha. Our second daughter, Samantha arrived in 2005.
As much as I enjoyed teaching adults, I was unprepared for the level of challenge and fulfillment
I've experienced teaching my own children. I love having the opportunity to customize a rich learning environment,
cater to my children's interests and learning styles and do all the enrichment classes and outings we want!
I'm passionate about creating an environment in which my children are enthusiastic about learning and will never learn
that they are stupid, regardless of their learning styles or disabilities.
With our recent move to Colorado, our "homeschooling" has been taken
to a whole new level as we've found in Angela and Dawn like-minded educators with
similarly aged children. These commonalities have facilitated fun and helpful
synergy as we exchange ideas, take turns teaching lessons for all of our children
and share educational outings. I look forward with great excitement to the
expanding possibilities for collaboration and synergy Mile High Homeschoolers
will facilitate as it grows.
Angela K, Treasurer and Co-founder
My name is Angela. I have been married to Collin since 1994 and we have one child.
I was born in Colorado, grew up in the Denver area, and went to college out of state. After
receiving a degree in Chemistry, I spent a few years working in a crime
lab doing serology and DNA analysis. (It's not as glamorous as the TV
makes it out to be!) Eventually I left that field and I ran my own business as a massage
therapist. After we had our child, my full time focus switched again, this time to mom and educator.
With each career change the perceived level of prestige decreased, while the level of satisfaction
increased exponentially!
We are at the beginning of our homeschool journey but we are in it for the
long haul. When people ask me how long I plan to homeschool I answer "for
as long as we are all learning and happy doing so!" When I first started
down this path, I had the same concerns and fears as most people, "what
about socialization?" Over the last two years I have put that fear to rest.
I have found that with the right support group "socialization" is not an issue.
As a matter of fact, sometimes we have so much socialization that the problem
becomes "when do we have time to do school?" However, since my child is only 5,
learning social skills is still just as important as reading and writing!
Dawn H, Membership Coordinator, Website Administrator and Co-founder
I'm Dawn, wife to Danny (married in 1997), and homeschooling mom to three girls.
I am also a Colorado Native and spent my school years in the Denver Public Schools. I stayed
in Colorado for college and though my major/minor is science (Biology/Chemistry), I was drawn
to the IT field in Web Development and Systems Administration. I have also been a phlebotemist, assistant health educator, medical records clerk, and committee coordinator for
the NAMES Project. Like Angela, my current job is the most fulfilling!
For me, homeschooling was a choice I made long before I had children. Though I never had any difficulties in school (no bullying and my
grades were always good), my dilemma was boredom and not "enough" education. My brothers, however, had a tough time (boredom, bullying,
schools with no accountability and too many discipline problems) and I quickly came to the realization that education was
not just about grades and conformity, but rather about individuality and passion. We are at the beginning
of "homeschooling since birth," and I'm really looking forward to collaborating with other
homeschoolers finding their own paths and passions.
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