Our Purpose & Organization - Plano Educators Association of Christian Homeschoolers

HomeOur Purpose & Organization

We are the Plano Educators Association of Christian Homeschoolers, an all-volunteer, non-profit, Christian organization committed to serving home school families in Plano and surrounding North Texas communities. PEACH represents almost 200+ homeschooling families in the Plano area. Before applying for membership, please read more below about our group's purpose and organization; requirements for PEACH Membership; and Member Benefits. We are currently accepting registration for new members. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us using the link below!

PEACH offers a wealth of benefits to Christian home schooling families including: Member Newsletters, Teacher ID card, access to our exclusive PEACH Club Express Group, yearly scholarship award, and discounted field trips. Children will quickly make friends with other homeschoolers at field trips, Park Day, Runner's Club, Teen Groups, our American Heritage Girls and Trail Life programs and so many other activities and clubs.

GET IN TOUCH!

Please make note that when you apply to PEACH you are acknowledging and adhering to the STATEMENT OF FAITH and PURPOSE; that your family is actively homeschooling at least one of your children; and that your family will abide by the standards of good and honorable conduct at all group activities.

Our Purpose & Organization

PEACH is a volunteer, non-profit organization committed to ministering to Christian homeschoolers in Plano and surrounding areas. PEACH provides the opportunity for fellowship, socialization, and informational exchange among home schooling families. PEACH does this by:

providing moral and practical support for member families to assist parents in academically strengthening their children and in building character in their children;
exchanging resource and curriculum ideas because we understand that all children are not alike in every aspect of education, especially in terms of teaching material and methodologies;
forming field trips, events, group activities & ministry opportunities;
establishing a network for communication of political and legal information and action in order to:

Be aware of and participate in the political process,
Protect the rights of member families and others to educate their own children at home without state regulation or control, and
Promote a greater knowledge of homeschooling in our society.

PEACH holds 3-4 general meetings beginning in August at a local Plano church. Speakers and programs are designed to encourage and educate home schooling parents. Visitors are welcome to any of our meetings, so please join us! Please be sure to check the main page of the web site or the web site calendar for the details of our next meeting.

PEACH encourages its members to join the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC). You can request the HSLDA PEACH discount number and join through their web site at www.hslda.org . PEACH members are entitled to a $15.00 discount per year from HSLDA and $20 for THSC. Information about homeschooling in Texas and membership in THSC, as well as additional resources can be found on the THSC web site at www.thsc.org .

PEACH is organized with a Board of Directors.

Officers
President	Patrick Dooley
Vice President	Carrie Dela Pena
Treasurer	Shauna Dooley
Secretary

Directors
Communications Director	Nicky Martinez
Activity/Groups/Fellowship Director	Holly Barton/Corsicana Smith

PEACH works because there are many members who volunteer to fill the needs of the group. They are organized in Committees or take on specific tasks on PEACH's behalf. Some volunteers coordinate groups, some plan field trips, while others help produce our monthly newsletter and website.

To find out more about PEACH or ask questions about homeschooling, please email your question to Info@PeachOnline.org .

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PEACH Membership Requirements

Verify that the family is actively homeschooling at least one child in your family, using a Christ-centered curriculum (oldest child at least 5 years of age)
Read and agree to the PEACH Statement of Faith
Read, understand, and agree to PEACH's definitions of homeschooling (found in our Statement of Purpose)
Read and understand the PEACH Code of Conduct for field trips/group events
Apply online; once approved you will be asked to pay your $40 membership fee

PEACH offers

Complementary

Memberships to Active

Military Families*

PEACH offers

Complementary
Membership to Full Time

Christian Missionaries & Pastors*

* Please contact the Secretary for the additional information needed to complete your application.

Find the Statement of Faith and Statement of Purpose below, as well as the membership application here.

PEACH Statement of Faith

1. We believe the Bible to be the divinely inspired and the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God. (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21)

2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Gen 1:1; Jn 10:30; Jn 10:37-38; 1 Cor 6:19; Gal 4:6)

3. We believe in the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23; Lk 1:35; Heb 4:15; Heb 7:25; Jn 2:11; Heb 9:12; Col 1:14; Jn 11:25; Acts 1:11; Rev 19:11-16)

4. We believe that man is sinful by nature and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential and an absolute necessity for his salvation. (Rom 3:19, 23; Jn 3:16-19; Eph 2:18-19; Titus 3:5-6)

5. We believe in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. (Eph 4:30, 5.18; 1 Cor 6:19-20)

6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they who are saved unto eternal life and they who are lost unto eternal damnation. (Jn 5:28-29)

7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 8, 9; 1 Cor 12:12-13; Gal 3:26-28)

8. We believe that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman (Gen 2:18 , Gen 2:21-24)

9. We believe in the creation of man by the direct act of God. (Gen 1:26-28, 5:1-2)

10. Affiliation Statement: "PEACH neither supports nor endorses the World Council of Churches, National Council of Churches, or any other world, national, or regional organization which gives Christian recognition to unbelievers or advocates multi-faith union.”

PEACH Statement of Purpose

The purpose of PEACH shall be to provide the opportunity for fellowship, socialization

and informational exchange among homeschooling families by:

1. PEACH defines homeschooling as:

Definition and Clarification of Homeschooling: Section 29.916 of the Texas Education Code states,
[A] "Home-schooled student" means a student who predominantly receives instruction in a general elementary or secondary education program that is provided by the parent, or a person standing in parental authority, in or through the child's home.

PEACH’s Guidance Regarding Texas’ Homeschool Definition: PEACH adheres to Section 29.916 Texas Education Code’s definition of homeschooling. PEACH considers enrollment in a public, charter, or private school to be mutually exclusive of homeschooling.

PEACH is a Christian Homeschool group and requires that in addition to meeting the definition of Homeschooling as noted above, the child’s instruction must be primarily parent-led and Christ-centered. It must support AND not contradict Biblical teaching consistent with the PEACH Statement of Faith.

For families where some children are homeschooled and some are not homeschooled, only the homeschooled children are eligible to participate in PEACH sponsored groups (e.g., Trail Life, American Heritage Girls, etc.). The only exception to this is for those parents who have obtained a waiver from the PEACH Board.

The following programs do not comply with the PEACH definition of Christian Homeschooling:
a. A public school / charter school
b. A secular private school
c. A Christian private school

2. PEACH provides moral and practical support for member families to assist parents in academically strengthening their children and in building character in their children.

3. PEACH provides a venue for exchanging resources and curriculum ideas because we understand that all children are not alike in every aspect of education, especially in terms of teaching material and methodologies.

4. PEACH provides opportunities to participate in field trips, clubs, troops, events and group activities.

Joining Peach

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PEACH Member Benefits

PEACH Member Benefits:

Monthly E-Newsletter

PEACH publishes a monthly e-newsletter. The PEACH Newsletter and PEACH Flash keep our members up-to-date with field trips, activities, opportunities for service and homeschooling in the news, as well as accepting articles and ads from our members.

PEACH Flashes

PEACH Flashes are sent out via email to provide information, recommendations, and items of interest to our PEACH Members. These are sent out as needed during the school year from August through May.

Club Participation

PEACH teens can participate in a bi-monthly Book Club. Teens can also participate in bi-weekly Bible Study, and in our Drama Club. We also offer several monthly activities for teens to choose from like, these events are available to members only through our members group! Don't see an event you'd like to see? Have a great idea? Contact us through email, or let us know at one of our PEACH meetings!

Email Us

Advocacy and Support

PEACH members are entitled to a discount when they join the Home School Legal Defense Association see HSLDA website for more information.

Other Resources and Benefits

PEACH makes other homeschooling resources available to its members. PEACH members receive $15 off their Texas Home School Coalition membership. THSC monitors government policies and activities in Austin, and advocate for homeschooling families.

Used Book Sale

PEACH currently uses an internal member-only forum to buy and sell curriculum within the membership. If you are interested in planning, organizing and facilitating a Used Book Sale, please contact the Activities Director.

IIiIIncentive Programs for Students

PEACH members may participate in incentive programs for students, including:

Braums "Book Buddy" Club

Pizza Hut Book It! Program

Six Flags Read to Succeed

Membership Card

PEACH members can use their PEACH ID card to save money at local retail establishments that offer educator discounts. We can't guarantee it, but many retail establishments will accept your PEACH ID as proof of educator status. Below are list of business offering discounts to homeschoolers:

Apple Store 10%
B. Dalton Books 20%
Barnes & Noble 20%
Big Lots (Special Teacher Discount Days)
Books-A-Million 10%
Container Store 10%
Fed-Ex - Kinkos 15%
Half-Price Books 10%
Hancock Fabrics 15%
Hobby Lobby 10%
Jo-Ann’s Fabric 15%
Lakeshore Learning 15%
Mardels (Special Teacher Discount Days)
Office Depot 10%
Staples 10% (rewards) Unlimited Quantities on Back to School Supplies

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PEACH Member Benefits

PEACH Member Benefits:

Monthly E-Newsletter

PEACH Flashes

Club Participation

Advocacy and Support

PEACH members are entitled to a discount when they join the Home School Legal Defense Association see HSLDA website for more information.

Other Resources and Benefits

Used Book Sale

Incentive Programs for Students

PEACH members may participate in incentive programs for students, including:

Braums "Book Buddy" Club

Pizza Hut Book It! Program

Six Flags Read to Succeed

Membership Card

Apple Store 10%
B. Dalton Books 20%
Barnes & Noble 20%
Big Lots (Special Teacher Discount Days)
Books-A-Million 10%
Container Store 10%
Fed-Ex - Kinkos 15%
Half-Price Books 10%
Hancock Fabrics 15%
Hobby Lobby 10%
Jo-Ann’s Fabric 15%
Lakeshore Learning 15%
Mardels (Special Teacher Discount Days)
Office Depot 10%
Staples 10% (rewards) Unlimited Quantities on Back to School Supplies

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Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct for PEACH Clubs, Activities & Troops

A. General Behavior
1.Participate
2.Listen carefully to directions.
3.All electronics are to be put away. No cell phone usage or texting without permission from Leadership.
4.Do not talk when anyone else is talking.
5.No public displays of affection.
6.Be respectful of all adults & student leadership.
7.All adults are to be referred to as Mr. or Mrs. (name).
8.Use your best manners at all times (i.e. please, thank you, excuse me).
9.Students are expected to complete all outside assignments –bringing necessary supplies, reading, and other preparation.
10.Students should arrive to the club, activity or troop meeting in a timely manner.
11.No gum, no Red Bull-type highly caffeinated drinks, no red drinks.
12.If you have a student with special needs, please notify the club, activity or troop leader before the club begins. Special needs can include food allergies, asthma, dyslexia or other learning issues.
13. If you will be absent or more than a few minutes late, youmust call, text, or email the club, activity or troop leader ASAP. Telling a friend does not count. Failure to inform the leader in a timely manner will result in an unexcused absence. Contact info will be given to all students at the first meeting.

B. Dress Code
1.Parents and students need to be careful to dress modestly. Modestly is defined here as:All hemlines must be long enough that when arms are fully extended at side your fingertips are touching fabric, not skin. All pants and shorts shall be pulled up and worn at the waistline. No skintight clothing, see-through clothing, spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, halters, midriffs, fish-net, plunging/gaping necklines, split-side skirts/dresses, or clothing that advertises illegal or immoral acts.
2.Student’s hair must be clean, well groomed, and out of their eyes.
3.No pajamas

C. Building and Equipment Policies
1.If you leave an item at a meeting facility, it will be placed in the lost and found box.
2.The bathrooms are to be maintained and kept orderly. Clean up after yourself! Inform Leadership if the bathroom needs special attention.
3.No roaming the facility or outside. Students are to remain in the assigned area unless given permission by Leadership.
4.Weapons of any kind are not permitted. Pocket knives are to be kept in pockets unless given permission by Leadership.
5.Leave the facility better than you found it. Take the initiative and clean up, help carefully put away tables & chairs when needed, and make sure your garbage lands in the trash can.
6.Do not sit on tables. Please sit on chairs or the floor.

D. Illness / Health
1.Please do not bring your students who have had a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea within the last 24 hours. Help protect the health of other students. Please remember to notify the club, activity or troop leader promptly.
2.If your student requires any medication, please keep it with you and administer it yourself.
3.Notify leader before the club, activity or troop meeting begins if your student has any food allergies or special health requirements. Snacks could include items that your student may be allergic to. Please advise them to bring their own snacks if needed.

E. Communication
1. Information will usually be communicated through email as well as verbally. Please check your email regularly for important updates about the club/activity.

F. Discipline Policy
1.First step: Verbal warning during or immediately following club.
2.Second step: A continuing problem will require the parent to be notified.
3.Third step: The parent will be asked to stay at the club, activity or troop meeting and monitor their child. A written discipline note will be given to the parent and a copy will go to the PEACH Board.
4.Fourth step: The PEACH Board will determine the consequences for a continuing problem that may result in a temporary suspension or the student being expelled from the club, activity or troop with no refund.
5.Any purposeful acts of vandalism or violence will result in immediate expulsion. We do not anticipate any problems, but in fairness to our host facility and the safety of others, we will adhere to this policy.

Member Signup / Information