Essential Church School

TEEN - House Hang
2026-01-16 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Private Home, Birmingham, 35244, United States
***This group is exclusively for high schoolers- must be at least 14 and in 9th grade by Sept. 1st.***
Join us for some games! If everyone can bring some cookies to share! They can be store bought or homemade. Seriously, Oreos are great! 😍
I’ll provide hot chocolate! ☕️
*Parents are welcome to stay and hang too, or if you have younger kiddos to tend to, you can drop off teen.
For exact address, join group or contact Lindy.
3H GroupMe
Click here to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/95267939/8h2uLyYR

Alabama Homeschool Spelling Bee
2026-01-31 13:00 - 15:00 | Faulkner University – Birmingham Campus, Southlake Parkway, Birmingham, Alabama, 35244, United States
Homeschool Alabama has registered with Scripps organization so homeschoolers in Alabama from grades K-8 will have a way to participate in the national spelling bee. The winner of this state homeschool spelling bee will move on to the Alabama state spelling bee in Birmingham in March. A student must be registered through a school or organization that is enrolled with Scripps.
The Scripps organization made a few changes this year. The main one that affects us is that there is no longer an online testing option, so there will be no preliminary bee this year. All students who register with Homeschool Alabama will participate in the in-person bee in Birmingham.
Please be aware that the target audience for the spelling bee is grades 4-8; there is no minimum grade for participation in the program. All participating students should be in grade 8 or below.
Please register your students by Jan 15th
After you register you will receive an email with word lists to study so the earlier you register, the better for your student.
Are you a member of Homeschool Alabama? Be sure to include your discount code! Want to join Homeschool Alabama today? Visit HomeschoolAL.org for more details, and check with Essential for an Active School membership code.
COST: $25/family for student registration – no cost to attend and observe!

BHC Valentine's Day Party 2026
2026-02-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Veteran’s Park, 4800 Valleydale Road, Hoover, AL, 35242, United States
Join us for a valentine’s day swap and park day for the Birmingham homeschool community!
Get creative with your valentine boxes. There will be prizes awarded for the most creative ones! Please know that a simple box is fine for collecting a ton of greetings – no reason to not come due to lack of time to create a special box.
Valentine boxes should be dropped off by 1:45 so that they are ready for valentine delivery and judging. Valentines may be delivered any time between 2:00-2:45. Please prepare at least 50 valentines to deliver! If you want to create more, that’s fine; we’ve found that 50 is about right in order to have plenty to give out.
Lawn chairs and picnic blankets are encouraged for visiting in the open area at this park. And, there is a large field that is perfect for soccer or football.
If you win a prize for your valentine box, don’t forget to find a BHC representative to get a goody from our prize box.
SCHEDULE
1pm – Arrival and place boxes in designated area for your student’s grade or age level.
1:45pm – Box Judging Begins
2pm – Valentine Swap Begins
2:45pm – Pick up boxes and clean up park for community service

Special thanks to Essential Church School for sponsoring and hosting this community wide event!

TEEN - Baba Java Coffee Hang
2026-02-20 12:30 - 14:00 | Baba Java Coffee, 4730 Chace Circle, Birmingham, 35244, United States
***This group is exclusively for high schoolers- must be at least 14 and in 9th grade by Sept. 1st.***
Let’s meetup at Baba Java Coffee in Hoover!
They have really unique drinks here, plus all the normal ones! 😉
*Parents are welcome to stay and hang too, or if you have younger kiddos to tend to, you can drop off teen.
3H GroupMe
Click here to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/95267939/8h2uLyYR

Sloss Furnace Tour & Iron Pour
2026-03-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Sloss Furnaces, 20 32nd Street North, Birmingham, 35222, United States
Only for grades 3 and up.
Get the full circle of learning with our unique iron pour field trips. Students will tour the site, learning the historic method of making iron, then make their own piece of metal art. Students watch as our talented metal artists pour their artwork in molten iron and prepare it for students to take home the same day!

This is a two-hour program
$22 per student or adult making art – $5 per chaperone only (no art) – FREE 1 parent chaperone (no art) per family

Essential families should use the discount code on your Member Page when making reservations for this field trip.
RESERVE NOW

Sleeping Beauty
2026-03-13 10:00 - 12:00 | BJCC Concert Hall, 2100 Richard Arrington Blvd N, Birmingham, AL, 35203, United States
Step into a world of enchantment, romance, and timeless charm with this beloved fairytale ballet accompanied by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
No children under the age of 4 will be allowed to attend.
Homeschool groups may have no more than one chaperone per student.
Tickets are not distributed for this performance – you must enter with our group.
Secure your admissions by Feb 1st. Be sure to include your Essential family discount code located on your Member Page!
RESERVE YOUR ADMISSIONS

TEEN - Volunteer with Grace Klein
2026-03-19 12:00 - 15:00 | Liberty Church, 2732 Old Rocky Ridge Road, Birmingham, 35216, United States
***This group is exclusively for high schoolers- must be at least 14 and in 9th grade by Sept. 1st.***
Let’s volunteer with Grace Klein! They are in the works to set up a project for us. TBA on exact project.
I will update as soon as I hear back!
3H GroupMe
Click here to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/95267939/8h2uLyYR

Much Ado About Nothing
2026-03-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1 Festival Drive, Montgomery, 36117, United States
We have group admissions for this performance of Shakespeare’s play.
Reserve Now
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Plan to arrive by 9:30am for entry with our group, and we encourage you to make time to join us for lunch afterwards!
COST:
$19/student
$24/adult
If you prefer to pay by cash/check, please contact the Essential office directly.

TEEN - House Hang
2026-04-17 12:00 - 14:00 | Private Home, Birmingham, 35244, United States
***This group is exclusively for high schoolers- must be at least 14 and in 9th grade by Sept. 1st.***
House hang with games! I plan on coming up with a neighborhood scavenger hunt! (Just down my street, so I’ll have an eye on them 😉)
*Parents are welcome to stay and hang too, or if you have younger kiddos to tend to, you can drop off teen.
For exact address, please join group or contact Lindy.
3H GroupMe
Click here to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/95267939/8h2uLyYR

Schoolhouse Rock, LIVE!
2026-04-30 10:00 - 11:30 | BCT Mainstage Theatre, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Birmingham, 35203, United States
Get ready to rock your way through grammar, math, science, and history in this high-energy musical based on the beloved educational TV series! Schoolhouse Rock Live! follows Tom, a nervous schoolteacher on the eve of his first day, who finds unexpected inspiration when characters representing different parts of his personality spring to life from his TV. Together, they teach him how to engage his students through imagination and music with unforgettable songs like “Conjunction Junction,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly,” and “I’m Just a Bill.” A fun, nostalgic adventure for audiences of all ages!
Reserve your admissions by April 1st! Essential families should use the discount code found on your Member Page.
RESERVE ADMISSIONS NOW

TEEN - Creams & Cones
2026-05-14 12:30 - 14:00 | Creams & Cones, 2152 Pelham Pkwy, Pelham, 35124, United States
***This group is exclusively for high schoolers- must be at least 14 and in 9th grade by Sept. 1st.***
Last event of the year! Come celebrate with some ice cream! There are also tons of games here available to play.
*Parents are welcome to stay and hang too, or if you have younger kiddos to tend to, you can drop off teen.
3H GroupMe
Click here to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/95267939/8h2uLyYR

High School Graduation Ceremony
2026-05-21 18:30 - 20:30 | Church of the Highlands | Fultondale Campus, 3250 Lowery Pkwy, Fultondale, AL, 35068, United States
We look forward to a special, formal evening celebrating our high school graduates.
Graduates and their parents should use Graduation Information link on the Member Page to register for participation and admissions.
Admissions for friends and extended family are required for attendance. Please secure your attendance admission BEFORE May 15th. Admissions may be offered after this date, but they will reflect additional fees for adjustment charges. The admission ticket allows us to plan for attendance, cover photography, audio/visual, and cleaning services, and provide security/insurance for the venue.
Each attendee is assigned to a reserved seating area with their graduate. You can let us know if you prefer to sit in a general seating area.
Scroll down to see the order form. Be careful entering your email address and selecting appropriate tickets. All payments are nonrefundable. You will receive a confirmation email. Please forward this confirmation to any guests for whom you are purchasing tickets, so they can show as needed for entry. (The tickets do not have to be printed. Viewing on a phone will be acceptable.)
If you have any questions or issues with ticket purchase, please use the Contact Us tab above to send us a quick message.
Small children ages 5 and under only require a ticket if they need their own seat. ***Please note that this event can be long for young children. Consider having some quiet activities for them while sitting in the auditorium, or have them stay with a sitter for the evening.***

State Homeschool Conference
2026-06-11 - 2026-06-13 | Faulkner University, 5345 Atlanta Hwy, Montgomery, 36109, United States
Join homeschool families around the state for this special weekend. Homeschool Alabama is offering a small and intimate time for inspiration, encouragement, and direction in the new school year.
Something for families in all stages of homeschooling: beginners, committed, and veterans.
Watch their social media for more details about the weekend, but you will not regret taking this time to be refueled with resource and courage for the homeschool journey.
