Pizza Hut Reading Program

For the 4th year in a row, my family has signed up for the Pizza Hut Reading program. While I have mixed feelings about rewarding children with food for reading, the kids really enjoy the free pizza. One less meal for me to cook.

The program is only available to children in grades K-5 whether home schooled or enrolled in public school.

Vanilla


http://www.bookitprogram.com

Fox and Friends

In a recent article on unschooling for the Baltimore Sun, Holt Associates President and long-time homeschooling advocate Patrick Farenga noted “Interest in unschooling has skyrocketed,” and that comment landed him a debate with a school representative on the merits of unschooling tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 5, at 9:50 AM EST, on Fox and Friends. Currently in their banner for this weekend: “What the new trend of un-schooling means for students, parents.”

Source: Home Education magazine

Law Case #1

Forwarded Message: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case

Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case

Friday, August 28, 2009 7:24 AM

From:

"Elizabeth Donovan"

To:

NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG

I am new to this list-serve and do not know how to "post" the decision. I
tried to attach it but was kicked back. Any instruction?

Be mindful that there are layers and layers of facts and procedural history
not known or investigated by the press. These parents have equally shared
decision-making; the mother agreed to put this very issue before the court
and let the court decide; the mother never offered alternate schooling
options to the court; the mother chose the child's counselor and then didn't
like what the counselor concluded. The decision is not based on the GAL's
discomfort with any religious beliefs; the record reflects that no such
"discomfort" was ever evidenced by the GAL.

The decision was based on promoting independent thinking, tolerance of
others, intellectual and emotional development, problem solving, group
learning and interactivity. This child's home schooling was done with her
sitting alone in the corner of her mother's bedroom watching the computer.
Religion had nothing to do with it.

Libby Donovan
Dwyer, Donovan & Pendleton, P.A.
461 Middle Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-433-7040

-----Original Message-----
From: NHBAR Family Law Email Discussion List
[mailto:NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG] On Behalf Of Patrick J. Sheehan
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 10:22 AM
To: NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG
Subject: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case

I agree. It simply begs the question to argue that the child should be
home schooled because mom gets to make school decisions and that is what
she has decided.



-----Original Message-----
From: NHBAR Family Law Email Discussion List
[mailto:NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG] On Behalf Of Chris Keenan
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 10:13 AM
To: NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG
Subject: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case


Lets all remember this is a case where the parents disagree, mom wants
her
home schooled, dad wants public school. The Court sided with dad's
(Libby's)
argument. Just because John Simmons frames the issue as the court
interfering with the girls home schooling, does not mean that is what
the
case is about.
How many out there have had their client disagree with their ex on an
issue
involving children and had to resort to the court to decide for the
parents. The 2 articles below seem very unfair to the Master and the
Judge and
therefore the justice system.
Home schooling is a major decision on which the parents must agree, just
as
private vs. public school is a decision on which parents must agree. If
they
don't and one brings it to court, the court makes the decision. Chris
Christopher W. Keenan, Esq. 125 Brewery Lane, Suite 7 Portsmouth, NH
03801 603 433-1884 603 433-1885 Fax 603 828-5158 Cell


----- Original Message -----
From: "Sheila J. Burnham" <sb@JAFFREYLAW.COM>
To: <NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG>
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 9:52 AM
Subject: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case


My thoughts:

If the parent with the right to make schooling decisions is actually
making
them, and, If the child is being "properly" educated and socialized, and
the
child is exhibiting higher degrees of competency than her counterparts
in
public school, then it appears this decision is based on the GAL's
discomfort with the child's religious belief system.

Why is the ONLY alternative public school? Does this decision preclude
private school (which of course homeschooling is). What type of action
will
mom be able to bring in the future if, once the child is in public
school
her grades drop, or she exhibits signs of depression, or begins acting
out,
or gets involved with drugs or all of the above.

Finally, what is the difference between this case and the same case
where a
family not divorced decides to homeschool and inculcate their children
with
strong religious beliefs? Yes, the parents agree and therefore the
state
doesn't get involved. But in the divorce case, doesn't the fact (if it
is
indeed so) that the mom has the legal authority to make the schooling
decisions make this case identical to the case of married parents who
also
choose homeschooling?

Sheila J. Burnham, Esq.
Tower & Crocker, P.A.
47 Main Street
Jaffrey, NH 03452
sb@jaffreylaw.com
office: 603-532-7731
fax: 603-532-8650


-----Original Message-----
From: NHBAR Family Law Email Discussion List
[mailto:NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG] On Behalf Of Honey Hastings
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 9:34 AM
To: NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG
Subject: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case

> Here are a couple of the new report on it. Lots more if you google
> "homeschooling case nh."
>
> NH mother wants to continue home-schooling
> Associated Press - August 27, 2009 9:35 AM ET
> LACONIA, N.H. (AP) - A religious freedom group has taken up the cause
> of a New Hampshire mother who wants to keep home-schooling her
> daughter.
>
> The Alliance Defense Fund has asked a family court judge to reconsider

> a decision last month that sends the 10-year-old daughter of Brenda
> Voydatch to a public school in Meredith.
>
> The Citizen reports Voydatch and the girl's father, Martin Kurowski,
> divorced shortly after she was born. Court documents say the girl's
> father wants his daughter to attend public schools so she will have
> more opportunities to socialize with children her age. A guardian ad
> litem agreed.
>
> John Anthony Simmons, a lawyer associated with the fund who represents

> Voydatch, said the court has usurped his client's right as the parent
> with custody to make decisions about what she considers best for her
> daughter.
>
> Education
> NH Court Orders Homeschooler into Public School to Expose Her to
> Different Faith Views August 28th, 2009 by LifeSite News Print This
> Article * ShareThis
>
> An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney asked a New Hampshire court
> Monday to reconsider its decision after it ordered a 10-year-old
> homeschooled girl
> to attend public school in order to remedy the girl's lack of exposure
to
> "a
> variety of points of view" in matters of faith.
>
> Although the marital master making recommendations to the court agreed

> the child is "well liked, social and interactive with her peers,
> academically promising, and intellectually at or superior to grade
> level" and that "it is clear that the home schooling...has more than
> kept up with the academic requirements of the...public school system,"

> he nonetheless proposed that the
> Christian girl be ordered into a government-run school after
considering
> "the impact of [her religious] beliefs on her interaction with
others."
> The
> court approved the order.
>
> "Parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for
> their children. In this case specifically, the court is
> illegitimately altering a method of education that the court itself
> admits is working," said ADF-allied attorney John Anthony Simmons of
> Hampton.
>
> "The court is essentially saying that the evidence shows that,
> socially and academically, this girl is doing great, but her religious

> beliefs are a bit
> too sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among
other
> worldviews. This is a step too far for any court to take."
>
> The parents of the child divorced in 1999. The mother has
> home-schooled their daughter since first grade with curriculum that
> meets all state review standards. In addition to home schooling, the
> girl attends supplemental public school classes and has also been
> involved in a variety of extra-curricular sports activities.
>
> In the process of renegotiating the terms of a parenting plan for the
> girl, the guardian ad litem involved in the case concluded, according
> to the court
> order, that the girl "appeared to reflect her mother's rigidity on
> questions
> of faith" and that the girl's interests "would be best served by
exposure
> to
> a public school setting."
>
> It was also concluded that "different points of view at a time when
> she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief...in
> order to select,
> as a young adult, which of those systems will best suit her own
needs."
>
> Marital Master Michael Garner reasoned that the girl's "vigorous
> defense of her religious beliefs to [her] counselor suggests strongly
> that she has not
> had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view,"
and
> then
> recommended that the girl be ordered to enroll in a government school
> instead of being home-schooled.
>
> Judge Lucinda V. Sadler approved the recommendation and issued the
> order on July 14.
>
> "The New Hampshire Supreme Court itself has specifically declared,
> 'Home education is an enduring American tradition and right,'" said
> ADF Senior Legal Counsel Mike Johnson. "There is clearly and without
> question no legitimate legal basis for the court's decision, and we
> trust it will reconsider its conclusions."
>
> This article is courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com.
>
> Honey Hastings
> honeyhastings@earthlink.net
> office/Wilton NH 603.654.5000
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "kathy needleman" <tudorlake@YAHOO.COM>
> To: <NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG>
> Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 7:31 AM
> Subject: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case
>
>
> Yes. I have a question posed by a friend (another attorney) from
> another state who is extremely interested in this decision and its
> impact. We had an hour long discussion on this issue last night. She

> wasn't arguing that it wasn't ultimately in the child's best interest
> to be sent to public school, but that it was unconstitutional for him
> to make his decision based upon the child's religious beliefs. We
> just didn't have enough facts to understand his reasoning.
>
> She asks that I ask, "what were his (Master Garner's) legal arguments
> as to why the child should not be home schooled."
>
> My take is that she reads the opinion as being an affront to the
> parent's constitutional right to decide how they raise their child and

> their child's religious beliefs. She thinks from her reading of the
> order that he ordered
> the child to public school because the child believes too strongly in
her
> faith, and he wants the child to get a broader, more balanced view of
> religion. (My friend is deeply religious and home schooled her own
> children
> before going to law school, so she is coming from that perspective.)
>
> I figured there were just too many unknowns to draw any conclusions to

> that effect, but it does seem that his reasoning was strongly
> motivated by the issue of religion.
>
> What is the real story.
>
> --- On Thu, 8/27/09, Elizabeth Donovan
> <edonovan@GRANITESTATELAWYERS.COM>
> wrote:
>
>> From: Elizabeth Donovan <edonovan@GRANITESTATELAWYERS.COM>
>> Subject: Re: [NHBAR-FAM] NH homeschooling case
>> To: NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG
> Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009, 9:05 PM
>> I'm the
>> attorney for the dad: what
>> would you like to know?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Libby
>> Donovan
>>
>> Dwyer, Donovan &
>> Pendleton, P.A.
>>
>> 461
>> Middle Street
>>
>> Portsmouth, NH
>> 03801
>>
>> 603-433-7040
>>
>> From: NHBAR Family
>> Law
>> Email Discussion List [mailto:NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG]
>> On Behalf Of Kathy
>> O'Donnell
>>
>> Sent:
>> Thursday, August 27, 2009
>> 9:32 PM
>>
>> To:
>> NHBAR-FAM@LISTS.NHBAR.ORG
>>
>> Subject:
>> [NHBAR-FAM] NH
>> homeschooling case
>>
>> Hi- I read this
>> article referencing a recent NH court decision in a marital case, on
>> sending a homeschooling girl to public school. I was wondering
>> if anyone here knows
>> about it, and would be able to supply more facts or
>> background- thanks
>>
>> http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=659638
>>
>> Kathy
>>
>> Kathleen O'Donnell
>>
>> Attorney at Law
>>
>> 800 Park Avenue
>>
>> Suite 113
>>
>> Keene NH
>> 03431
>>
>> 603.355.9900
>>
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Life Assignments

I have never made a New Year's resolution. I have always felt that if you wanted to change or improve something about yourself or your life, then that was the moment to do so. Waiting for Jan 1 doesn't make sense. So this, our 4th year of home schooling, not only am I challenging my children to be the best and smartest they can be, I am also challenging myself.

For the next 365 days, I will be working towards the following 13 "assignments". They are listed in random order.

1) Write on my blog twice a week.
2) Become a published author....not just a blogger.
3) "Pen pal" with a girl friend.
4) Be more aware of home schooling laws and injustices in said area.
5) Read 1 book a month for individual pleasure.
6) Learn yoga.
7) Meditate again.
8) Drink more tea and less soda.
9) Learn candle and/or soap making.
10) Donate and volunteer more.
11) Learn canning and preserving.
12) Buy a home.
13) Go back to college.

Please follow me on my journey. I pray that by encouraging myself to be the best person I can be will encourage my children to be the best they can be. My spirit feels alive.................

Storyteller

Storyteller Simon Brooks was at our local library today. The children thoroughly enjoy "live action theatre". Simon is very animated, has a catalog of voices and keeps the children very engaged.

In the video, you can hear my 2 year old giggling. All 3 of my children who attended had permanent smiles on their face during the program. We own one of Simon's CD's: Second Hand Tales - release date 2006.

I would recommend checking out Simon's website to find out where he will be appearing next. He is definitely worth the trip.
http://www.diamondscree.com

Lost Arts

Today is my daughter's 11th birthday. Now, last Saturday, my girlfriend and I took our daughters out to a local restaurant for their birthdays. Well, during the course of the dinner, I mentioned to the other girls how my daughter has had pen pals and inquired if they would be interested in pen palling with my daughter. The next thing I heard was my friend's 12yro daughter ask what pen palling was! I jokingly explained to her that in the days long before email and texting, that people actually put pen to paper and mailed letters back and forth to each other.

This got me thinking about how detached humans are becoming because of advancing technology. The things that are suppose to make our lives "easier and more efficient" are actually making us isolated and irrelevant. We are losing the art of letter writing. We are forgetting how to spell. (Our children are born with ten fingers and toes, not an F7 key, aka - spell check key). We are losing the art of conversation. We are losing the art of handwriting. Most young people can text/keyboard as easy as they breathe, but ask them to read or write in cursive, many cannot.

For those home schoolers that will be taking the SAT exam soon, be forewarned that there is a hand written essay portion. Poor penmanship can cost you a deserving high score and/or possible scholarship(s).

As a parent, teacher and primary example to my children, I am committed to preserving these lost arts. I write letters in cursive as well as email. I journal in cursive as well as blog. I still have to remind myself, sometimes out loud, that
" i comes before e except after c" when spelling, as well as, hitting the F7 key.

Okay, enough venting. Happy Birthday Bug! I am proud of you as a maturing young lady and for getting you pen pal letters done tonight so they can be mailed out in the morning.

Does anyone remember what time does the Pony Express come by? I keep forgetting...............:)

Read Around Town

This morning, the children and I participated in Read Around Town. Read Around Town is a FREE summer reading program proctored by 2 elementary school teachers. Includes story time, craft project, snack and book give away. Ages pre-school and older. Not recommended for teens but they can "hang out" at the library or GCC for 45 minutes.

Today's story was When You Are Happy by Eileen Spinelli.
Afterwards, the children decorated foam cup holders with stickers. And then they had their choice of snack and drink.

This is my family's 4th or 5th year of participating in the program. Free, entertaining and social.....this program is truly a joy to look forward to on Tuesday mornings.

BUGS

The kids and I just got back from a FREE library program about bugs. The nature program was hosted by Barbara Bald. My 5 and 2 year old sons participated in the learning. My 10 year old daughter sat in the back reading a book with her headphones on. My 14 year old son is on "vacation" until the 22nd of July.

My two little scientists loved it a lot and their attention span remained in tact for the entire program. The event lasted about an hour and a half. They got to touch super-worms and hissing cockroaches. There was also a little craft project at the end.

We had fun and look forward to the next program.

Freedom

On this 4th of July, I am grateful to live in a country where homeschooling is legal. I am even more thankful that I reside in a very home school friendly state. But this personal reflection made me curious about the countries where educating your own child(ren) at home is ILLEGAL.
Some quick internet research turned up the following information on Wikipedia where homeschooling is either illegal or generally illegal.

Germany

Further information: Homeschooling in Germany

Status: Illegal

Homeschooling is illegal in Germany (with rare exceptions). Children cannot be exempted from formal school attendance on religious grounds. The requirement for children from an age of about 6 years through the age of 18 to attend school has been upheld, on challenge from parents, by the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. Penalties against parents who allow their children to break the mandatory attendance laws may include fines (around €5,000), actions to revoke the parents' custody of their children, and jail time.

Spain

Status: Generally illegal

In Spain, homeschooling is illegal. However, the regional government of Catalonia announced in 2009 that parents would be allowed to homeschool their children up to 16 years.^[2

Sweden

Status: Generally illegal

Children have to attend school. Home schooling is allowed when attending school would be obviously unreasonable.

People's Republic of China

Status: Deemed illegal for citizens, but no restriction against foreigner students.

There are no accurate statistics on home schooling in the People's Republic of China.

The Compulsory Education Law states that the community, schools and families shall safeguard the right to compulsory education of school-age children and adolescents. And, compulsory education is defined as attending a school, which is holding a schooling licence granted by the government. Therefore, homeschooling is deemed to be illegal. The Law does not apply to non-citizen children(i.e. those with foreign passports).

However, due to the large population of hundreds of millions of migration workers, alongside with their children, it rarely happens that the government inspects if a child is attending a licensed school or not. Thus, there usually is no punishment to parents who homeschool their children.

An organization called Shanghai Home-School Association was launched in September 2003.^[37]

Hong Kong

Status: Illegal

Attendance at school is compulsory and free for students aged six to fifteen in Hong Kong. Parents who fail to send their children to school can be jailed for 3 months and fined HK$10000. In 2000, a man named Leung Jigwong (梁志光) disagreed with Hong Kong's education policy and refused to send his 9-year-old daughter Leung Douling (梁道靈) to school. Instead, he taught her Chinese, English, French, Mathematics and The Art of War at home. After 2.5 years of discussion, the Education Department finally served an "attendance order" on him and his child was required to attend a normal school.^[38][39][40]

Loving the Library

On June 23rd at 7:00 pm, my family and I went to see the final installment of the Classic Authors Series at our local library. Marianne Donnelly of Boston, Massachusetts portrayed "Louisa May Alcott. In addition to being best known for her novel, "Little Women", Alcott was also an abolitionist, suffragist, and Civil War nurse.

This program taxied on to our 2008-2009 school year very nicely because my daughter read 5 works by Alcott as part of her participation in the Pizza Hut reading Program.

Ms. Donnelly was very animated and entertaining. The attention span of my 5 and 2 year old only lasted for 30 minutes and then I took them outside to run around. My two oldest stayed for the remainder of the program.

I love the FREE programs at the library. No cost learning in an engaging manner. A homeschoolers jackpot!!!

Homeschooling Freedom in NH

Good Morning Everyone,

I signed the petition "Homeschooling Freedom in NH". I'm asking you to sign this petition to help us reach our goal of 5,000 signatures. I care deeply about this cause, and I hope you will support our efforts.


Please consider signing this. NH homeschoolers are not being treated equally under the law:

http://www.thepetit ionsite.com/ 2/homeschooling- freedom-in- nh

Angels Among Us

This morning, I received the most unexpected act of kindness. In today's mail was a generous helping hand. It was sent anonymously and really appreciated. It was a relief to be able to meet some of my families needs today without worry. Thank you to to the person(s) who thought of my growing family.
Truly overwhelming. May you be blessed a thousand times over.

The latter part of the day could have benefited from a weather and garden angel. The weather here was 90 degrees F with 25 mile an hour wind gusts and a 50% chance of rain. Because of the high winds, we lost all but two of the vegetable crops that we planted in the peat pots less than a week ago. All the "lasagna" greenhouses were blown off our balcony and the peat pots were ripped and soil, gravel and pans were scattered all over the street and sidewalk. The only crops we still have are the radishes and strawberries. Such a defeating feeling but I know that the it will pass and we will try again.

There are times that we all just want to stay in bed and hide under the covers because life seems a tad too tough to bear. However, it is important to remember to stay positive, surround yourself with a healthy support system and regroup from time to time because.............
the Universe will always provide.

Walk Total

This past Saturday, the children and I participated in a community event to end violence. The 5K walk consisted of 26 teams (including us, the Home Spun Scholars) and 398 walkers total (not including the animals). The grand total raised was $30,001!!!

Turning Points Network is a community resource agency that strives to end all forms of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking. TPN provides free, confidential assistance and information to survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, stalking and harassment. Those services include a 24-hour crisis support hot line, counseling, help with obtaining medical and legal services, an emergency shelter and "safe homes." The group also runs a Child Advocacy Program that assists and educates children who have been affected by domestic violence.

The children and I have been participating in this event since it began in 2006. This year we raised $115.00. Thanks to everyone who sponsored us. We had a lot of fun and the weather was perfect. Looking forward to next years walk and hope that we can raise more money.

Incentives

My husband and I receive a weekly paycheck for a job well done. Completing high school or college will earn you a diploma. Some children even get paid a weekly allowance to do chores.
While in our home it is not acceptable practice to pay children to be contributing members of the household, I do employ a reward system for completing school work.

Each child has their own color coded roll of raffle tickets. If they are able to complete all their assignments, they earn a ticket for that day. At the end of the week, the tickets can be used to "purchase" items from the "canteen". Each item in the canteen (18 gallon plastic tote) is labeled with a ticket value.
The children are in charge of managing their tickets.
The decide if they want to save or spend and how.
Tickets also hold value for TV and computer time.

Computer use as a reward happens only on the weekends. The established time limit is one hour on Saturdays and Sundays and NO internet. Each ticket is worth 15 minutes.

Ticket value for TV viewing is the same and is limited to 90 minutes on the weekends.

This system works well for us. It teaches about consequences, management and boundaries.

Earth Day 2009

Today in celebration of Earth Day 2009, my children and I planted vegetables.

Mom planted Tomatoes (Red Lightning Hybrid)
13 yr old son planted Scallions (White Lisbon Bunching)
10 yr old daughter planted Radishes (Cherry Belle)
5 yr old son planted Carrots (Nantes Half Long)
2 yr old son planted Peppers (Kaleidoscope Mix)

All of us will be keeping an observation journal and taking photos of the progress.

Space is a limitation of ours so we created "greenhouses" using lasagna pans! We re-use disposable lasagna pans with the clear lids. Each different vegetable is sowed in peat pots and housed in its own pan. Each pan measures 13.38" L x 9.63" W x 2.88" D. Once the vegetables begin to sprout, they are moved to bigger terra cotta pots. This year, the tomatoes will be put into Topsy Turvy hanging planters.

Now since March, I have been growing 3 strawberry plants for the 1st time. Two of them are still looking promising. I am eagerly waiting for the weather to turn warmer so I can put them outside so the bees can do their pollinating.

While the fruits and vegetables are growing, I will be reading up on canning and preserving. We are going to be a family of 7 soon and food prices aren't going down.

We also made better sense of our recycling. Recycling cans, glass and plastic gives us a little extra pocket money. This year, our recycling money will hopefully be used to buy a Rosetta Stone language program.

Clothing and shoes are also recycled. With baby #5 on the way, I have been swapping clothing in and out of boxes. Someone is always growing out of something. If their is something that the children need and I don't have saved, we take a trip to the thrift store. We usually start in the basement were every item is 5 cents each. Then we work our way up to the main floor and make a bee line to the 25 cent rack. I can't tell you how many winter coats in excellent condition I have purchased that only needed buttons or zippers!!

The one thing that I wish we can do is composting. We just don't live in a place where that is possible.

One day, all our prayers will be answered. I look forward to the day that we have a space big enough to live comfortably off the land.

Why Mom Does the Teaching

A couple of days ago, my 5 year old humorously reminded me why I do the majority of the teaching and not daddy.

Out of no where, he began to sing "Oh Suzanna!". As I listened, it sounded like the song I use to sing as a child, but something was off. So I asked him to sing it again.

Yep, just as I thought. According to my son, the U.S. has fifty one states. Number 51 is Ala-banjo.

"Oh Suzanna! Oh don't you cry for me. I come from Ala-banjo with a banjo on my knee."

Now I really don't blame my husband for this but I think we should stick with this particular section geography a little bit longer.

For the love of boys

For those of us who love our boys........And for those who just need a laugh.........

Co-ops

One of the homeschooling groups that I belong to formed a cooperative about a year and a half ago. My family does not participate in the cooperative because it is not the best fit for us. As a family, we would prefer to barter skills with another family. Exchanging knowledge in a more one on one basis feels comfortable and less stressful. It is also more flexible for us that way.

Co-ops, as they are more commonly known, come together because a group of parents got together and decided to volunteer their talents and experiences and "teach" a class. One parent may be strong in math and another may be fluent in a second language. Some older children can even teach a class. For example, if someone has a teenager who took dance lessons as an itty bitty, that teen may want to teach a group of 5 to 7 year olds some dance steps.

For those parents who are not hosting a learning activity, it is important to be present to be responsible for your own child(ren). Co-ops are usually not an experience where you can drop off your child(ren), run errands and pick them up in a couple of hours. Medical issues, behavior issues and meltdowns happen to the most angelic of offspring. It is also important to be available to provide any possible assistance.

When you choose to participate in a co-op, it is a commitment. Most co-ops operate in block sessions. For example, a co-op may run a series of classes for 6-8 weeks, break for a period and then start up again for another 6-8 weeks with new classes.

Most co-ops are free. Other may choose to charge a "tuition" fee or ask for a small fee to cover materials.

Cooperatives are not for everyone. Visit a co-op class before deciding to join. Get to know some of the members and understand the philosophy and/or expectation of everyone involved.

Ending Violence

Ending violence, in all its forms, is a social issue that my family passionately supports.

This year will be the 3rd year in a row that my family will be participating in a walk to end violence. Thank you so much to everyone that sponsored us and supported the agency in the past. Our goal this year is to raise $1000.

Please visit our First Giving fundraising page to the right to make a donation.

Thanks in advance to everyone who contributes to meeting the goal.

Photos to follow..................

For more information on the agency we are raising money for, please visit their website at www.free-to-soar.org

Extra curricula activities

Extra curricula activities are an important part of the homeschooling experience. As a taxpayer, my children are eligible to participate in sports and other activities through the local public school. But as a family, we choose to find alternative avenues for outside activities. Our local community center, private clubs and bartering with other families works best for us.

For the first 2 years, my 2 oldest participated in swimming lessons; one session after the other. During the summer months, we joined the reading program through the public library. For our 3rd year, things needed to be changed up. So, my 2 oldest and I joined a fencing club. (I hope that my children are proud to have their pregnant mom fencing with them. I try to be a good example for them and I want to be more than just a "taxi driver".)

Our fencing season runs October through March. We are having so much fun. We will start swimming again this summer. The summer reading program is literally mandatory for us.

The video attached is of my 13 yro son (dark pants w/white stripes) and my 10 yro daughter (white sneakers) bouting tonight. I think that they are pretty good for rookies!

Why we home school

The 2006-2007 school year was the last year that my 2 oldest children attended public school. My son was in 5th grade and my daughter was in 2nd grade. It was during that school year that I began investigating the home schooling lifestyle. The thought of my oldest attending the local middle school for 6th grade and on terrified me. Smoking, drinking, sex, bullying seem to be intensified from the middle school years on.

As for my daughter, I was seeing some "ugly" behavior. She and her peers seemed to be more interested in what each other was wearing, which boy thought they were cute and talking to each other on the phone. School work seemed to be low on the list of priorities.

I wanted better childhood experiences for my children than what some people deemed "rights of passages". And I also wanted to get back to some core family values. In addition to learning a lot of first year, I felt that I was spending an equal amount of time undoing some inappropriate behavior learned while attending public school.

I found last week's poll results interesting. Last week's question asked "Why do you home school?" The majority of the votes were for "other". I would like to hear from people as to what "other" is for them.

1st Library Card

Today was my son's 5th birthday. For about the past six months, all that he has wanted for his birthday was his very first library card. He was so anxious all day. He waited patiently for daddy to come home from work so that his whole family could share in the excitement. He has been working so hard learning to read and write. We have been working in the the McGraw-Hill workbooks for preschoolers. And we have been teaching him to read using the Bob Book series by Bobby Lynn Maslen, along with other ancillary material.

Now that he had his first library card, it was time to pick out his first book under his name. (Usually it's myself or one of his siblings that check out books for him.) So what did my son pick out for his book.....drum roll please..........DRAGONS & KINGS by Jackie French Koller. It is going to be an adventurous read but he is most definitely read for the ride.

Mommy loves you "A". You make me so proud.

Socialization

Socialization. The "S" word. Whenever people find out that I
home school, their first question(s)/concern(s) were always:
"What about socialization?"
"Aren't you worried that they won't have friends?"
" How will they learn to interact with people?"
The socialization question never intimidated me. I knew that my family wasn't going to be deprived of interacting with others. Instead, when I took my 2 oldest children out of public school, I knew that a whole new world of possibilities and experiences awaited them. I knew that we were not alone and that soon, we would be interacting with people just like us.

At first, I was so excited that we were home schooling, that it was a pleasure to educated those unfamiliar with the lifestyle. Then, it started to feel like a passive aggressive attack. People, including some family members, were implying that my children were going to be socially challenged and not ready for the "real world" because they weren't contained in a classroom for 7 hours a day, 180 days a year with peers their own age.

Valuable social skills are not learned in a public school setting.
They are learned at home. They are learned while volunteering in the community. They are learned by being involved with field trips and home school support groups. Involvement through other areas of interest is another way to prevent isolation and promote socialization.

Regular interaction with varying types of people of varying ages and varying life experiences, along with adults who portray a positive example, is how we learn to act appropriately and responsibly in the "real world".

Eclectic

My family and I decided on an eclectic curriculum. Just like us, it is a little bit of everything. Right now, we are using workbooks by McGraw-Hill. Their workbooks range from Pre-K through 8th grade. These books can be found at either Staples or www.amazon.com. For "textbooks", we shop library sales. A lot of times, libraries will have a book sale event 2 - 3 times a year to get rid of books with low circulation. At one sale, we literally got 200+ books for $25. Thrift stores are also a great resource. From my experience, both libraries and thrift stores get books donated by local colleges.

I also like finding great books on Amazon.com. We get some great deals from the independent book sellers listed there.

Then there are the hands on experiences that books can never teach. Hands on science museums, backyards, dirt, rocks, cloud watching, family walks, etc are great conversation starters that lead to further investigation into a specific area of interest. My eldest son found a frog once during one of our mammoth walks. He was able to pick up the frog, go to the library, figure out what kind of frog it was and then set it free again.

In my opinion, there needs to be a balance between parent directed and child directed learning. As both parent and teacher, there are just some absolutes that need to be taught. There are also some experiences, that if I did not insist on, they would miss out on. They might not appreciate it in the moment, but later on, when that same opportunity avails itself again, my children are the first to say "Can we go to that?"

Our 1st Year

Our first year was full of experiments. Experimenting with days and times to work and learn. Experimenting with different workbooks and curriculum and software. Finding appropriate and stimulating outside activities (swimming, reading programs, fitness programs, etc). My mailbox was full of catalogs. It was, at times, overwhelming but I knew in my heart that we, as a family, were doing the right thing and that time and patience would be our greatest asset. It was going to take time and patience to sift through all this newly found information. It was going to take time and patience to find a curriculum that worked for my children. It was going to take time and patience to understand the laws in my state regarding documenting "educational progress".

In 2006, our first year, only 2 of my children were of compulsory age to be educated. I made the decision that year to keep my 3rd and 6th grader on their respective levels in the areas math and English. I decided that for the areas of history, science, geography, art and second language that we would all be studying the same topics. Each of them understood and discussed the topics at their own level of understanding. That part of our first year worked out great for us.

Welcome

The best advice I ever received when I decided to home school was this:
"The kind of parent you are, will determine what kind of teacher you will be."
Three years into this home schooling adventure, and that statement has never felt more true.
During our first year, I was so anal with my children.
I kept saying:
"Make sure you keep all your scrap paper. I have to prove you did the work."
"Make sure you name and date all your work. I have to prove you did the work."
"Make sure........I have to prove you did the work."
I must have driven my family completely nuts!!!! I was so worried about being able to prove to my local school district that my children and I worked hard all year long learning that I must have made the experience unpleasant at times.
The second year, I did not care if they throw away all their scrap paper, etc because as my child's teacher, I knew that they did the work. I knew that they understood the work. And I knew they had learned something.
Now that we are in our third year, we finally found a system that works for us.