Katie
Hi! I’m Katie, a Christian wife and mom of four. My kids are 10, 9, 8, and 5. We’ve been having so much fun homeschooling for the past 6 years.
I graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN, with a BS in Elementary Education. Before kids I was a teacher at Shepherd of the Hills in Greeley, CO for 5 years and then at Shepherd of the Valley in Westminster, CO for 5 ½ years.
In Greeley, I taught K-2nd grade in a multi-grade setting. I also taught K-8 music, which involved directing the school musical each year and teaching the kids songs for church. Other fond memories from Shepherd of the Hills are playing piano and singing duets for church, playing trumpet for festival services, and putting on Mad Scientist shows.
In Westminster, I taught grades 2-3 in a multi-grade setting for a year. Then I became the PreK director and taught PreK and Kindergarten for 4 ½ years. During that time, I planned and started a 3-year-old preschool program, taught 4th – 8th grade tone chimes, planned and directed class plays, and taught piano lessons. I was also a judge at the yearly science and fine arts fair. I resigned in 2015 when God blessed us with our first baby through adoption.
We decided to move to Cape Coral, Florida in January of 2016 when my husband’s job allowed him to work remotely. Our second boy came along a month later, and then our little girl arrived at the end of 2017. I thoroughly enjoyed my days at home with my three littles. That was really the start of homeschooling, even though I didn’t realize it then.
In 2019-2020, I had the opportunity to be a lead preschool teacher at our church’s school, Abiding Love, here in Cape Coral. My two oldest were in preschool and VPK that year, so it worked out perfectly. Then covid hit and we were all at home for the rest of the year.
I started homeschooling my 5, 4, and 2 year old. We also ended up taking in a 4-year-old foster girl that year. Then our youngest boy arrived at the end of August. If you’re here, you know that homeschooling looks different from day to day, but it was a wonderful, crazy start to our homeschooling journey.
In the spring of 2021, we decided to buy a camper, sell our house, and head around the country for 18 months. It was such an amazing adventure! We read a lot, explored the outdoors, visited lots of National Parks, and did the Junior Ranger programs there. We visited 46 states and many loved ones.
We came back to Cape Coral shortly after Ian and are now living here again. We enjoy being back with friends (and having a dishwasher and washing machine!) Since we’ve been back, we’ve gotten into a nice schedule of homeschooling for a couple hours a day, four days a week, and then playing with friends on Fridays.
I also stay busy teaching the 2-6 year old Sunday school class at our church, playing piano and trumpet for church, and organizing homeschool get-togethers. I have a current first aid and CPR certification and background check.
There are lots of reasons that I’m starting Homeschool Extras. Here are a couple: Growing up, I loved certain parts of traditional school like choir, putting on a play, and playing games with friends at recess. I want to give that to my kids and yours. I want them to have the social aspect. I want them to have those memories. That’s for the kids, but for you, moms and dads, I want to help make your homeschool journey easier. I want to offer you a break if you need one. I want to offer classes that may not be your specialty. I want to help make homeschooling even more rewarding.
Ryan
I have over 20 years of experience in software development and testing, with a strong background in C# and SQL. Over the years, I’ve built tools, automated processes, and worked on large-scale projects that improved efficiency and software quality.
Now, I’m excited to share that experience with students through my programming and technology classes. My goal is to introduce young learners to coding with Scratch, C#, and other STEM topics through real-world examples and hands-on projects that make learning fun and engaging.
One of the best decisions we’ve made as a family was Katie’s suggestion to homeschool our kids. It’s given us the flexibility to grow closer and share in learning and everyday adventures. I love biking with our kids, coaching our PE class, fishing, building STEM and electronics projects, and running my Scratch ideas by them for feedback. Working alongside Katie in our business and being part of our children’s growth—both academically and personally—has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Our family loves Jesus.