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April 25, 2007 - Grace Co-Op (Greater Rural Area Christian Educators) recently celebrated Arbor Day at House of Prayer Church by planting a bundle of dogwood trees provided by the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Tony Harkins, Union County 's Chief Ranger, from the Georgia Forestry Commission, gave an interesting demonstration. He asked the children, "What is Arbor Day?" There were many answers including the fact that Arbor Day is a holiday that celebrates the future. Harkins went on to explain that trees are our most energy efficient natural resource.

The students learned a lot about Arbor Day and trees in general. Everyone was surprised that Georgia 's state tree is the live oak. Harkins had photos to share and went on to explain how to plant the dogwood trees.

Grace Co-Op is comprised of almost forty families from Murphy, Blairsville, Mineral Bluff, and surrounding areas. The children are home-schooled but meet as a group every Tuesday at House of Prayer Church in Blairsville. Kelli Mathews says, "House of Prayer is very generous in letting us use their facilities."

Rhonda Anderson adds, "We are a bunch of parents that pool our resources. We have classes in many subjects including biology, Spanish, sign language, geography, art history, drama, and journalism."

Grace Co-Op consists of all age groups. The unit studies and science labs are designed to meet the needs of high school age students in preparation for college.