Every year the Calvary Chapel Home School Group gathers together for an end of the year group event. At the beginning of the year the group picks a topic to study for that year and each family picks something or someone from that topic. This year we picked U.S. Presidents to study. Some of the kids took part in a co-op class during the school year to learn about the forty-two Presidents who served our country. This class was taught by one of our moms, Joy Bogaert.

Each family picked the President of their choice and as a family learned more interesting facts about those Presidents. Making display boards, sharing food samples, dressing in costume, and preparing a short speech presented by the kids are some of the things that were done by each family. Our Presidents Day Event was on Friday, April 11 th and the kids did an awesome job. We celebrated after the event with a potluck lunch made by all the moms.

Of course not all the Presidents were represented, but the Presidents that were picked were displayed in a big way. From George Washington to George Bush we were reminded of what great things our Presidents have done for our country. Our very first President George Washington presented by the Batts family reminded us how Washington led our country in victory during the Revolutionary War and declined a payment for his eight years of leadership as Commander in Chief.

We also learned some new and some odd facts about some of the Presidents too. The Neese family studied President Calvin Coolidge and they shared some of his bizarre behaviors, from his love for having his head rubbed with Vaseline while eating breakfast in bed to his passion for animals and the many that he kept at the White House. Another family, the Gisburnes, researched Andrew Jackson and explained how he had a very bad temper and a love for duels. One of his famous duels took place against Charles Dickinson, a renowned marksman. Even though Dickinson had 26 kills prior to this duel, future President Andrew Jackson ended Dickinson's dueling career. Before taking Dickinson's life Andrew took a bullet breaking two ribs and became lodged two inches from his heart where it stayed the rest of Andrew's life.

All the kids did a great job on their speeches all dressed in the red, white, and blues. This was truly an inspirational day that reminded us of what a special place America is. God, Himself, has formed this country into a wonderful, free land using simple men through history to do His will.