ACHEV

Waltz Class
2025-01-08 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-01-15 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-01-22 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-01-29 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-02-05 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-02-12 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-02-19 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-02-26 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) and 1 more date | House of Dance, 3007 Bunsen Ave, Suite E, Ventura, CA, 93003, United States
What: Private ballroom dance classes for ACHEV at House of Dance – Lesson for 45 minutes, dance practice to music for 15 minutes.
First Class is January 8th, continuing through April 30th with a break on the Wed before Easter (April 16th). There are 4 classes each month.
We will be learning Waltz this semester. We will learn a different dance in the summer, or we could do a series of workshops to introduce new dances every week.
Who: ACHEV members, grads & guests 11 and up. Only ACHEV Members can invite guests: guests do not need to be ACHEV members, but need to be homeschooled. Please clear invited homeschooling friends through Bonnie at bonnieadair@verizon.net. Current ACHEV members are given priority on the sign up sheet, ACHEV grads next, and then guests. Do not add any guests to the sign up sheet without approval first, and do not share the sign up sheet outside of ACHEV.
We must have equal number boys and girls in order for the class to work. We can keep a waitlist in case space opens up prior to the first class in a series. Minimum of 4 boys and 4 girls in order to hold these classes. Partners rotate throughout the class.
Where: House of Dance , 3007 Bunsen Ave, Ventura 93003 https://www.pmhouseofdance.com/
When: Wednesdays 4pm – 5:00 pm
Cost: $10 per student per class payable to House of Dance in advance on the first of each month. $40 payable on Jan 8th, $40 payable on Feb 5th, $40 payable March 5th $40 payable on April 2nd. Pay in advance via Venmo or Zelle (info at https://www.pmhouseofdance.com/) Or pay with cash or check when you arrive on the first Wednesday of the month. If you pay via Venmo or Zelle, please include a note “ACHEV Homeschool class”. Do not send payment to ACHEV or to me (Bonnie) personally.
What to Bring & Wear: Bring your own water bottles. There is no drinking fountain. There is no special dress code, other than ACHEV’s general dress code for all events which is, “modest and appropriate for the occasion”. Some girls choose to wear dresses and skirts, but you can wear pants or shorts. Boys can wear pants or shorts. Be comfortable. If you do not have felt bottomed dance shoes (felt bottomed dance shoes are ideal), try to choose a shoe that is not grippy and rubbery on bottom. Leather soled dress shoes or Vans-type skateboard shoes are okay. Absolutely NO flip flops. No sandals, no Uggs. Boots/cowboy boots/work boots are not good for ballroom or swing dancing and if you step on your partner (it happens) it will hurt a lot if you are wearing a heavy boot, please don’t wear heavy boots. You want to be able to slide/glide on the floor, turn easily on your toes (sometimes on your heels) and point your toes.
To purchase good quality dance shoes (recommended but not required), go here
Payment Policy:
Payment for the month of classes is due in full at the beginning of the first class of the month. There will be no refunds or credits for missed classes. We understand that sometimes illness or unexpected circumstances come up on short notice, but in order to keep these classes affordable, House of Dance cannot issue refunds or credits. If you know before a series starts that you will need to miss a class, please check with the organizer to make sure that will be okay before signing up (it depends on a variety of factors), and the full amount of the series will still be due at the first class.
Notes on Attendance: These classes are not drop-in classes. Signing up in advance is required. After the series has begun, we cannot add new students. If you sign up for a series, your classmates are counting on you to be there for all the classes other than illness or other unavoidable/unforeseen circumstances, because these classes are most enjoyable when everyone has a partner. Additionally, learning dance is sequential and if you miss too many classes, it can be difficult to catch up and it can hold up others in the class. This class continues for 4 months, so if there is one week where you have a conflict, that is understandable, please check with the organizer first if there is a week when you will not be able to attend.
Questions? Bonnieadair@verizon.net or 805-504-6457 call or text.
We must have an even number of boys and girls. Any girls in excess of boys, or vice versa, are considered to be on the waitlist. We must have a minimum of 4 boys and 4 girls to proceed with the class.
Sign Up Here for Waltz Classes Spring 2025
Questions? Contact Bonnie Adair at bonnieadair@verizon.net.

Ventura Park Day
2025-01-16 10:00 - 12:30, 2025-02-10 10:00 - 12:30, 2025-02-24 10:00 - 12:30 | Blackburn Park Ventura, CA, 10557 Los Altos St, Ventura, CA, 93004, United States
Please join us at the park to play and get to know each other. We are looking forward to meeting new friends.
Bring a snack/picnic lunch, outdoor play equipment, blankets, etc.
RSVP appreciated but not required

Elementary PE Group
2025-01-17 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Pitts Ranch Park, 1400 Flynn Road, Camarillo, CA
What: Please join us in engaging our younger elementary children in teaching them how to work as a team and develop perseverance, good sportsmanship and friendships through physical activity. Our goal is to choose activities that will challenge the kids a bit, but something that they can be successful at. Structured PE activities will be around 45 minutes long. Afterwards we will have optional free play.
Parents will take turns organizing/planning/leading the activities and do a different activity every month. If you need equipment, reach out to the other parents or ACHEVmoms on Facebook to see if it can be obtained/borrowed for free, or come up with another idea that doesn’t require equipment you don’t have. We are not expecting anyone to spend $$ on equipment. Some examples: Relay races, duck duck goose/Simon Says/Red light-Green Light, trash can basketball, Capture the Flag, Freeze Tag/Blob tag, dodgeball, jump rope games, push up games, track and field games, etc.
Who: ACHEV members under 10 and parents. ACHEV members over 10 are welcome to come and help the younger kids with the activities, sit and watch, or go play volleyball with the ACHEV volleyball group at Pitts Ranch. Drop off is ok for ACHEV volleyball (please see calendar for details on volleyball).
Elementary PE is not a drop off event, and parents should be available and willing to help their children through the activities, giving assistance and encouragement as needed.
Elementary PE is a co-op, but will remain open for ACHEV members to join us any time. Please consider joining us regularly and helping plan activities. We need to have a core group of people that intend to prioritize this activity on their calendar. The dates for the whole school year are printed below and all dates are also on the ACHEV calendar, all are on Fridays. We will meet at Pitts Ranch Park (Camarillo). Please email or text Bonnie Adair 805-504-6457 bonnieadair@verizon.net if you are interested in joining us. We need to know how many children will be present in order to help with activity planning.

9/6/2024

10/4/2024

10/18/2024

11/1/2024

11/15/2024

12/6/2024

1/17/2025

2/14/2025

2/28/2025

3/14/2025

4/11/2025

4/25/2025

5/2/2025

5/16/2025

Volleyball
2025-01-17 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-01-24 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-07 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-14 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-21 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Pitts Ranch Park, 1400 Flynn Road, Camarillo, CA
ACHEV activities, events, and field trips are for ACHEV students unless otherwise noted.
ACHEV Dad, Kevin Adair hosts this volleyball clinic/game time for ACHEV kids 11 and up. We continue playing through the year, and if you log enough hours, you can count this for High School credit.
This is for fun, exercise, and to learn how to play the game, this is not hyper competitive. Kevin would love to do drilling and teach the kids more technique if they want to learn. So if you want to get better at serving, setting, etc. ask Mr. Adair to help you.
Who: ACHEV kids ages 11 and up. You don’t have to know how to play, Mr. Adair will teach you.
Drop off is okay for this event. If you are dropping off, please make sure we have your cell number in case we need to reach you.
We start at 2, and it’s really helpful if everyone gets there at the same time.
Please rsvp via email bonnieadair@verizon.net and make sure I have your email address and cell number in case I need to reach you.
Bonnie 805-504-6457
Kevin 805-910-0797

Field Trip: Aquarium of the Pacific
2025-01-30 11:00 - 18:00 | Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA, 90802
What: We have a fun opportunity to visit the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific on Thursday January 30th at 11am. This is a field trip you don’t want to miss! Our visit will be self-guided and you can stay as long as you’d like until they close at 6pm. If you haven’t been, you need to go! Your older children will love it too. ACHEV Grads are welcome. There is much to explore, you can be occupied for hours. Here is just some of what they have:

The Shark Lagoon features several species and sizes of sharks, some of which you can touch … and some you can’t! This expansive outdoor exhibit is home to large sharks and rays, shark touch pools.
The Tropical Reef Habitat, which can be viewed from three locations in the gallery, is the Aquarium’s largest exhibit. Holding 350,000 gallons of water, this exhibit features over a thousand colorful fish and beautiful coral, including sea turtles, zebra sharks and porcupine puffers.
The Southern California Gallery will feature over ten exhibits and more than three dozen species. Highlighted animals will include the California two-spot octopus, leopard and horn sharks, California scorpionfish, a moray eel, California spiny lobsters, Catalina goby, and California’s state marine fish—the Garibaldi. Visitors will be able to get up close to these animals as they explore a variety of new exhibits.
Sea Otter Habitat. Peer underwater and discover the busy world of sea otters as they swim and interact amongst kelp and fish.

Lunch: I have reserved a space for us to have our lunch at 12:45. Bring your lunches in with you and there will be a place to store them until our lunch break. The storage space is not refrigerated, so bring insulated bags, or something that does not need refrigeration. I think it will be really nice to explore for a while and then all meet back up for lunch.
Who: ACHEV Members, all ages, Grads
When: Thursday January 30th, our walk in time is 11am. I want all of you to meet me out front by 10:45. I have to collect money from everyone and pay in one lump sum. I will take a personal Zelle payment if you prefer that to cash or forget cash. Contact me for those details.
Cost: $9 per person ages 3+ including adults. We need a minimum of 10 students/participants and will be permitted 1 free adult chaperone per every 10 students. The cost of admission for all students, siblings 3 and over, and adults is $9.00. This is an incredible price as the admission tickets are usually $29.95 for kids 3-11, and $44.95 for everyone 12+. Parking Fees: The most convenient parking is within the Aquarium Parking Structure, located on the waterside of Shoreline Drive between Chestnut Place and Aquarium Way. The parking fee is $8.00 for the day with Aquarium validation, so don’t forget to bring your parking ticket in to get validated.
Sign Up: Please sign up HERE by Thursday December 19th, but sooner will help tremendously if you are able. I need to make sure we have enough people for the field so that I don’t get stuck with a bill. Conversely, if we have a lot more people wanting to join than the 30 I reserved spaces for, I need to know that much sooner rather than later or they may not have extra space. If I have lots of advance notice, the probability of being able to reserve additional space is much better.
Additional Info/Resources for our field trip to check out ahead of time

English Country Dance
2025-01-31 19:00 - 22:00 | Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA, 93003, United States
Pay when you arrive with cash or check, or make payment to ACHEV in advance via Zelle to achevmail@gmail.com . Zelle is the only form of electronic payment we can accept.

We need your help the evening of the dance. Thank you so much for volunteering: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JnigvJ3sCM5ORD_r9-fc538gGZXgh5qs5frVNPYxMNU/edit?usp=sharing
Questions? Contact Susan Pineda at must_sew@yahoo.com or 805-407-6851.

Valentine's Party
2025-02-03 10:00 - 13:00 | Arroyo Verde Park, Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA, 93003
This event was originally scheduled for Tuesday February 4th, but has been moved to Monday February 3rd due to forecasted rain.
Join us for our annual Valentine’s Party at the park. This will be fun for all ages. Kids pre-K through 5th grade will do a traditional Valentine Exchange, and kids in 6th – 12th grade will do a book exchange with a white elephant style game. We will have a potluck lunch, play games, do crafts, and do some ice blocking on the hill.
What to bring for Pk – 5th: Bring 20 Valentines to share with your friends. Do not write any name in the “To” section of the Valentine, and just write who it is “From”. Kids will decorate a paper bag at the park to collect all their Valentine’s in. Kids will take turns passing out their Valentines.
What to bring for 6th-12th: Bring a used book wrapped in paper. Inside of the book or package include a card saying who it is from and write down a Bible verse that is meaningful to you. Try to choose a book that you have read and enjoyed and would like to share with someone else. It can be a book from home that you are done with and are ready to pass on, or you can go to the used book store and find a book that you would like to bless someone with. Don’t spend more than $5.
Each family should sign up to bring a potluck item or sign up to plan and bring a craft to share with the group. You do not need to sign up for more than one thing, but you are welcome to if you would like.
Please RSVP here for the party and sign up to bring something

Ventura Park Day
2025-02-10 10:00 - 12:30 | Blackburn Park Ventura, CA, 10557 Los Altos St, Ventura, CA, 93004, United States
Due to rain on Thursday we have rescheduled parkday for Monday!
Please join us at the park to play and get to know each other. We are looking forward to meeting new friends.
Bring a snack/picnic lunch, outdoor play equipment, blankets, etc.
RSVP appreciated but not required

Oxnard Park Day (and optional book study)
2025-02-18 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-02-25 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-03-04 11:30 - 13:30 | Rio Lindo Park, 400 Rio Lindo St,, Oxnard, CA, 93036
Please join us for park days in Oxnard! All ages welcomed.
There is an optional book study for moms but not required to join us. The book is Seasons of a Mother’s Heart by Sally Clarkson.Come meet new friends and catch up with old ones. My children range from teens to toddlers. The park has restrooms, basketball courts, tennis courts, a track, plenty of trees and grass area, concrete for skating or scooters, and plenty of parking. Come and join us for fellowship, prayer and fun. I suggest you bring water, snacks, maybe a lunch, jackets, hats, lawn chairs and/or picnic blankets, play equipment etc. ~ Paulette
When: Tuesdays
Time: 11:30am-1:30pm
Location: Rio Lindo Park, 400 Rio Lindo St, Oxnard, CA 93036
Questions? Feel free to contact Paulette directly at (805) 204-6796.

Seal Watch Field Trip
2025-02-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary, 6145 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria, CA, 93013, United States
What: Docent-led visit to the Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary https://carpinteriasealwatch.org/ . At this time, the seals should be pupping.
Where: Meet in the parking lot off of Bailard Ave. And then we will walk together to the bluff where we will meet the volunteer docent and view the seals.
When: Meet in Parking Lot at 12:40, we are scheduled to meet the docent on the bluff at 1 PM. Arrive earlier if you want to use a restroom (or maybe eat a picnic lunch) before we start. There is a restroom at the neighboring park/softball fields.
Cost: Free
Who: ACHEV members all ages
Sign Up Here. Max 25 people
Optional After the Field Trip: Please join us for playing around on the beach right next to the seal watch area. There will be a negative tide at 1:52 pm so it will be a perfect time to explore tidepools!
Special Notes:
We ask that you talk with the kids before arriving so that they understand when viewing wildlife in their natural setting, it’s important to be calm and use calm voices. It can be pretty exciting for them. The volunteers will help with giving them a friendly, gentle reminder, if needed. Also, we are up on a high bluff, so we ask for parents to really watch the kids
Dogs are not permitted, they scare the seals.
Bring an easy lunch or snack that won’t be too burdensome to carry in a backpack. Or you might want to arrive early and eat lunch near the parking lot or at the park when you arrive – this is probably what we will do. Let me know if you want to meet up with us for a picnic lunch around 12.

Homeschooling Through High School
2025-03-05 18:30 - 21:00 | The Pineda’s, 178 Furman Avenue, Ventura, CA, 93003
This meeting is for you if:

You have a child of any age and are curious about home education in general and wonder if it is right for your family
You curious about what it takes to homeschool all the way through high school
You have a child in or approaching the high school season and wonder about the options
You want to learn more about the details, such as keeping records for high school

We will cover many aspects of homeschooling through high school, including:

Why high school is a really great time to homeschool
The wide variety of options for high school and life/education beyond high school
Practical help with records and transcripts
Resources, counsel, and additional support
Honest reflection/advice from “retired” homeschool parents
