Children who are homeschooled in the Windham area will soon have a chance to join the fun of going to a dance.
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| Homeschooled sixth grader Malachi Russell of Windham displays a flyer that he is distributing in the community promoting a dance for kids in grade 5 through 8 to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 at Fire and Ice in Windham. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
“With homecoming season approaching, I started thinking about how I didn’t want homeschoolers to miss out on experiences like dances and other social events,” Russell explained. “My goal with this dance is to bring new families together, give our kids an opportunity to meet others their age, and help build a supportive homeschool community as we navigate this new journey.”
Russell began homeschooling her 11-year-old son, Malachi, this year, and doesn’t want him to miss out on social opportunities available to his peers.
“I think that just because kids are homeschooled doesn't mean they should miss out on having fun, letting loose with kids their own age, making new friends, and having experiences that feel like they're just for them,” she said. “These are the kinds of memories they'll look back on when they're older. Homeschooling may look different from traditional school, but I don't want our kids to feel like they're missing out on the fun parts of growing up.”
The dance will also help families who homeschool their children build connections and find new friends.
“Once I started talking with a few other moms, we realized there were other families who wanted the same thing, and the idea just kind of grew from there,” Russell said. “I also wanted him to have the chance to get to know more families within the homeschool community.”
With the venue now finalized, some local businesses have stepped forward to provide donations for both the event and a raffle will be held to raise funds.
Fire & Ice Maine generously donated the space for the event. Pat’s Pizza and Domino’s will be providing food and Root’s Café in Westbook will be donating chocolate chip cookies, in addition to homemade baked good prepared by some of the homeschool parents. Studio Flora Designs and Farmhouse Flowers have also offered flowers for the dance.
“The response has honestly been incredible,” Russell said. “I had high hopes that our community would come through, and they absolutely have.”
Russell is also organizing a raffle of 14 different prizes, donated from local businesses, including a gift card to Mow’s Munchies, a deep clean by Kimmie’s Cleaning & Organization, admission to the Pride’s Corner Drive In, services at Studio Aerie and Spruce Salon, and baked goods from Hailey’s Kitchen, Kneedful Things, and Four Chickens Farm Stand. The Maine Dance Center is also offering a free month of lessons. The prizes could expand as more businesses come forward and become involved.
Tickets for the raffle are $5 each or five tickets for $20 and may be purchased through Russell’s Venmo account. The winner of the raffle for each item will be pulled on Sunday, Nov. 15. The funds raised will be used to help offset costs for the event, and any remaining money will be spent on future events.
“The money raised will help cover things like the venue and DJ, if needed, drinks, paper products, and hopefully a photo booth or some type of photo setup where the kids can take pictures and have them sent to their phones,” Russell detailed. “If we have money left over after the dance, we'll put it toward our next homeschool event, which will probably happen toward the end of the school year. We're really hoping this can become an annual tradition for the kids.”
“As the entries come in, I keep track of each person's name and the item they entered for,” she added. “So far, we've already had $75 worth of raffle entries, which is really exciting.”
Parents are welcome to attend the event with their children, and Russell invites any parents who are open to volunteering to help the dance run smoothly.
“Parents are welcome to stay for the dance or drop their kids off, whatever they are most comfortable with,” she said. “We have a great group of moms who have been involved from the beginning, tossing around ideas, helping with planning, and sharing their opinions. I think we are in a really good place when it comes to volunteers for setup and chaperoning, but we are always grateful for anyone who wants to help make the night special for the kids.”
The excitement for the event is growing, as the kids are looking forward to the chance to have fun with their peers.
“My son lit up when I mentioned wanting to put together a dance,” Russell said. “I also had a few moms reach out to let me know that their kids are already excited about the dance, which has been really fun to hear.”
Russell lives in Windham with her husband Joe, who volunteers to coach Malachi’s football team, and has four children.
For more details about the dance or raffle, Russell recommends searching the Windham Maine Community Board Facebook page for her updated posts, or by calling 207-754-0011. <
The dance will also help families who homeschool their children build connections and find new friends.
“Once I started talking with a few other moms, we realized there were other families who wanted the same thing, and the idea just kind of grew from there,” Russell said. “I also wanted him to have the chance to get to know more families within the homeschool community.”
With the venue now finalized, some local businesses have stepped forward to provide donations for both the event and a raffle will be held to raise funds.
“The response has honestly been incredible,” Russell said. “I had high hopes that our community would come through, and they absolutely have.”
Russell is also organizing a raffle of 14 different prizes, donated from local businesses, including a gift card to Mow’s Munchies, a deep clean by Kimmie’s Cleaning & Organization, admission to the Pride’s Corner Drive In, services at Studio Aerie and Spruce Salon, and baked goods from Hailey’s Kitchen, Kneedful Things, and Four Chickens Farm Stand. The Maine Dance Center is also offering a free month of lessons. The prizes could expand as more businesses come forward and become involved.
Tickets for the raffle are $5 each or five tickets for $20 and may be purchased through Russell’s Venmo account. The winner of the raffle for each item will be pulled on Sunday, Nov. 15. The funds raised will be used to help offset costs for the event, and any remaining money will be spent on future events.
“The money raised will help cover things like the venue and DJ, if needed, drinks, paper products, and hopefully a photo booth or some type of photo setup where the kids can take pictures and have them sent to their phones,” Russell detailed. “If we have money left over after the dance, we'll put it toward our next homeschool event, which will probably happen toward the end of the school year. We're really hoping this can become an annual tradition for the kids.”
“As the entries come in, I keep track of each person's name and the item they entered for,” she added. “So far, we've already had $75 worth of raffle entries, which is really exciting.”
Parents are welcome to attend the event with their children, and Russell invites any parents who are open to volunteering to help the dance run smoothly.
“Parents are welcome to stay for the dance or drop their kids off, whatever they are most comfortable with,” she said. “We have a great group of moms who have been involved from the beginning, tossing around ideas, helping with planning, and sharing their opinions. I think we are in a really good place when it comes to volunteers for setup and chaperoning, but we are always grateful for anyone who wants to help make the night special for the kids.”
The excitement for the event is growing, as the kids are looking forward to the chance to have fun with their peers.
“My son lit up when I mentioned wanting to put together a dance,” Russell said. “I also had a few moms reach out to let me know that their kids are already excited about the dance, which has been really fun to hear.”
Russell lives in Windham with her husband Joe, who volunteers to coach Malachi’s football team, and has four children.
For more details about the dance or raffle, Russell recommends searching the Windham Maine Community Board Facebook page for her updated posts, or by calling 207-754-0011. <
