Submitted Photo The Witmer family is no stranger to homeschooling as all five daughters are either currently homeschooling or have graduated. The Christ-centered family appreciates the ability to customize curriculum to fit each child’s preferred learning style and the flexibility studying at home allows. Members of the Witmer family, from left to right, are Mariah, Joci, Rhema, front center, Cheri, Aaron, Skye and Hannah.

The Witmer children are breaking the stigmas that surround home- schooling.

Some say homeschooled children are isolated, lack social skills and are not prepared for college and to enter the workforce. Mother Cheri Witmer’s oldest daughters, Skye and Hannah Witmer, recently graduated from their homeschooling curriculum and are showing the world what they’re capable of.

Cheri Witmer made the decision to homeschool after seeing young girls wearing makeup and singing sexually explicit songs as she dropped her daughter off for her day of kindergarten. What Cheri Witmer saw clashed with her belief in encouraging a moral lifestyle and she desired her daughters learn in a more controlled, stable environment.

The second determining factor in her choice was the growing issue of bullying. Her oldest daughter, Skye, attended public school until she was in sixth grade where she faced criticism for her lifestyle. According to the beliefs of the Christian denomination the Witmer family follows, the women and girls wear skirts, dress modestly and don’t cut their hair. Cheri Witmer took action and switched her daughter’s curriculum so Skye could focus on her studies instead of the bullying she faced at the public school.

“Everybody probably to some extent gets a little bit of bullying in school, but it was something I did not want my kids to have to go through. We live in a day of age where it’s more and more common, so that was one of my reasons for being able to keep them home,” she said.

She has been homeschooling her children for 12 years and currently has children in grades kindergarten through 10th.

Witmer first started with a Christian-based curriculum but later branched out to different programs, depending on each child’s learning styles. Some children learned best utilizing audio and visual programs with extra “snazz and pop” while others did well learning with classic textbooks. Through homeschooling, children aren’t forced into a set learning style. Instead they are able to explore different methods to find what works best for them, Witmer said.

The flexibility that comes with homeschooling is also a plus. It means students aren’t confined by the strict 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. school schedule. Students are able to complete schoolwork during peak productivity hours, whether that timeframe is in the morning or in the evening. This gives the students the freedom to pursue employment opportunities during daytime hours and develop confidence, professionalism and leadership skills, Witmer said.

“It’s very freeing in the fact that you have a schedule that’s so open. That and you can tailor what that child is interested in. I was able to do a program that counted as one of my extracurriculars,” Hannah Witmer, daughter of Cheri Witmer, said. “There’s so many different curriculums that offer so many different things. You’re not hindered by what your school offers.”

The flexibility to engage in personalized learning opportunities is a perk of the program.

Hannah Witmer is involved with Minot’s Public Safety Cadets program, a program in which students learn about law enforcement careers while developing leadership and teamwork skills.

She has completed more than 300 hours of ridealongs with law enforcement personnel and earned the title of Cadet of the Year just six months after joining.

Students who are homeschooled aren’t completely cut off from public school opportunities. They still have the ability to engage with traditional learning.

“When I was homeschooled in middle school, I still had opportunities, like I went to band. I was able to go through the public school to band. There’s a lot more opportunity than I think people realize. I was able to volunteer for a vet quite a bit and do job shadowing,” Skye Witmer said.

If students are motivated, they also have the freedom to graduate early. Hannah Witmer was able to graduate a year ahead of schedule even though she struggled with math. She was able to squeeze two years of math classes into one by doing an extra lesson every day to get herself back on track. Instead of being “left behind” in a traditional school environment, she was able to focus her effort and strengthen her math skills at her own pace instead of an educator’s timeline.

When a student graduates from homeschooling, they earn a nonaccredited high school diploma. Some colleges will accept the nonaccredited diploma and a transcript while others want to see proof of grades. SAT or ACT scores are also sometimes required. A homeschooled student can optionally take the tests to submit scores when applying to colleges.

Skye and Hannah Witmer supplemented their social lives through their involvement in their church, community organizations, clubs and jobs. Hannah Witmer said students have more opportunities to be social when homeschooled because they get to interact with people of all ages and walks of life.

“I don’t mention I was homeschooled right off the bat. There’s people who say, ‘Oh, what school do you go to?’ and try to learn more about me. When I say I’m homeschooled they’re almost shocked by the fact that I’m normal. Breaking that stigma is nice to show people I’m just a normal person,” Hannah Witmer said.

Cheri Witmer said while not all parents have the luxury to stay home, she encourages the ones who can to give it a try.

“I love how I get to spend so much time with my kids. Yes, it’s tough. Yes, there’s tears on both ends – parents’ ends and kids’ ends. But, I get to spend so much time with my kids, whereas if they were in school, I would see them for a couple hours at night. I’ve been able to make memories,” she said. “We go hang out. We go do fun things and still learn in the process. I liked having more control of what was being put into my kids and being able to spend more time with them.”