Welcome to all Teachers,
Wow I can’t believe that summer is already over. Here we are looking at books and beginning our school year with excitement and the smell of new paper. I have a new student this year who has been begging to start his work early. I am so glad that he feels that way. I pray that you all have a wonderful school year filled full of blessings and minds full of wonder. If you have any questions or comments about things going on in your homeschool, Let us know. We are hear to listen, help, and pray. If you have any concerns or need a place to share your thoughts here is a place to voice your opinions. Please remember that this is a family friendly site, as well as a christian organization. You are welcome to help each other in a loving and Christ like manner. I want to remind you that encouragement goes a long way, but one unkind word can hurt for a lifetime.
Here are some encouraging words to live by:
When you woke up this morning you had a fresh new day without any mistakes or regrets. You had a fresh slate to write beautiful moments on and an open mind to receive loving memories. What you do with your new day is up to you. Happiness is a choice we make every day when we awake. We are either going to let today’s troubles take away our happiness or we will stay happy no matter what today brings.
Have a wonderful day and be blessed, Jeana
The days of October 1-14, 2008, will be Home School Days at Fantastic Caverns. During this time, we will offer our school group rates for our educational cave tour to area home school groups regardless of the number attending. These rates are $5.75 for children age 12 and under and $14.50 for age 13 and above. These prices are heavily discounted from our general admission prices of $13.50 for children and $21.50 for age 13 and above.
The all riding tour addresses geology, history, cave life, karst and groundwater. The trip through the cave takes about 55-minutes and is available from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily. While we do not require a deposit, we do anticipate high demand for the tour. Be sure to call and let us know when you plan to attend…this will help us to have enough staff scheduled to serve you better.
Our goal is to meet the needs of small, home school groups by waiving our group size requirements during this period. We hope this will allow you to incorporate more learning opportunities into your curriculum. This is a time of year when we have available staff to devote to our educational programs and the cave is a Warm 60°, no matter what the outside weather is like.
A free study guide, “Living in Cave Country”, and the cave-related magazine Ozark Adventure, is available on our web site at http://www.fantasticcaverns.com/educate.htm to assist your teaching efforts.
To make reservations, please contact our office at (417) 833-2010.
The state Radon Program (within the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services) is participating again this year in the National Radon Poster Contest. The contest is sponsored by the National Safety Council in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking and number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
The age group for the contest is 9 to 14 years of age. I am asking for your assistance in getting the word out about this contest to those in the Homeschool community.
If you are interested in giving your students the opportunity to participate in this nationwide contest, you can locate the guidelines and criteria at http://www.nsc.org/resources/issues/radon/radon_poster.aspx . An alternative means of communication would be a mass mailing to your members. If you can provide me with a mailing list, we will mail contest flyers to those on your list. We will not use your mailing list for any purpose other than to provide this contest information to interested Homeschool providers.
The contest entries must be received in our office in Jefferson City, Missouri for state judging no later than Wednesday, October 15, 2008. If you have questions, please contact me directly at 573/751-6102.
My current e-mail address is: Carol.Bell@dhss.mo.gov
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Calling All Homeschoolers!!
Start your new school year off with a bang at a Science Center Camp-In! On September 5, 2008, the Saint Louis Science Center is hosting an exclusive Homeschool-only Camp-In.
Featuring:
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Parent-child workshops with hands-on activities, using the inquiry-based learning method
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Fun family activities, including a Science Goes Splat Show, and an Omnimax® film
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Sleep in the Science Center Galleries (cots and air mattresses are allowed)
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Pizza dinner, movie snack, and breakfast
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A souvenir patch
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…and more!
At least one chaperone is required for up to every five campers.
We stay up late (about 11:30pm) and get up early (about 7:30am). We do not recommend these camp-ins for children under six years of age.
Only $35 per person, $32 for Science Center Members
That’s $3 off the regular Camp-In price! Come and join the fun – Call 314-289-4424 to sign up for this exciting program at the Science Center!
PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS ALERT!
PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS HSLDA HAS ASKED!
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August 18, 2008
Missouri--Action Still Needed to Stop Grain Valley Daytime Curfew
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,
Homeschoolers in Grain Valley have taken the first step toward defeating
the proposed daytime curfew ordinance under consideration by the Grain
Valley Board of Aldermen. Thanks to the families who attended the meeting
last week and spoke up, the Board of Aldermen decided to table the
proposed ordinance, instead of voting to pass it, as many anticipated
would happen. However, this measure is still under consideration, and
your action is still urgently needed to make sure it is defeated.
The Board of Alderman meets tonight at 6 p.m. for a workshop, and the
daytime curfew ordinance is on the agenda. This will be a public meeting,
but the discussion will be limited to the Board. If at all possible,
you should attend this meeting in order to communicate your
objection to the proposal through your physical presence. The Board
needs to be reminded that the families of Grain Valley will not tolerate
such a broad attack on their fundamental rights.
ACTION REQUESTED
If you live in Grain Valley, please stand up for freedom by attending
the meeting tonight, August 18, and show by your presence that
you oppose the ordinance.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Grain Valley City Hall at 711
Main St. Please contact other families and ask them to come to the
meeting, as well!
BACKGROUND:
1. Daytime curfews do not deter juvenile crime.
A recent California study compared the juvenile crime rates of counties
that enforced curfew ordinances and counties that did not. The
crime rates were the same. The curfews had no effect on juvenile crime.
2. Daytime curfews allow searches without probable cause.
The Fourth Amendment forbids any investigation of a citizen without a
"probable cause." The proposed ordinance allows policemen to stop and
interrogate a person merely because he looks young enough to be
violating the curfew. It is an invitation to harass homeschool families.
3. Daytime curfews assume a person is guilty until proven innocent.
In several incidents where homeschool students were stopped by
police, they had done nothing to arouse suspicion. There was no
evidence they had committed a crime or intended to. Nonetheless,
the police interrogated them and treated them like criminals until
they had proved their innocence.
4. The ordinance allows some exceptions. Unfortunately, the only
way for a policeman to determine if an exception applies is to stop
and interrogate the frightened young person. By then the damage
has already been done. The child may be afraid to go outdoors again.
The right to homeschool includes the right to be free from fear--especially
for young people, who are most vulnerable to feelings of fear.
Thank you for standing with us for freedom.
Sincerely,
Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Staff Attorney
It has been a busy week in our household. We have been busy getting all of our last minute stuff ready for school to begin. The house is getting a much last minute cleaning and we are working on getting on our classroom so that our year will go as smoothly as possible.
Have you bought your books and supplies? There are several places giving discounts through the next few weeks, you might want to check them out. If you are an HSLDA member think about buying through there online http://www.hslda.org/clicks4hs/default.asp.
For parents that have children pre k-4th make sure and check out the Teacher’s Book Bag. Donna has some wonderful free things that you can use for free in your teaching. She is also selling some extra books that she is writing on CurClick. You won’t be sorry that you look at her stuff, it is wonderful! She also has a store where other homeschool mothers are selling there written material.
I hope that as you finish putting together this years school plans that you make sure to put Christ in the foremost of your schooling.
May you have a blessed weekend!
Orilla Crider, MATCH Director
Petition to boycott McDonald’s
Make copies of this petition and distribute
McDonald’s: those opposing homosexual marriage motivated by hate
American Family Association (AFA) is boycotting McDonald’s restaurants because of the company’s promotion of the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage. AFA asked McDonald’s to remain neutral in the culture war. McDonald’s refused.
In response to the boycott, McDonald’s spokesman Bill Whitman told the Washington Post that those who oppose homosexuality are motivated by hate, saying that “… hatred has no place in our culture.” McDonald’s has decided to adopt the “hate” theme used by homosexual groups for years.
McDonald’s, as a corporation, is giving the full weight of their corporation in support of the homosexual agenda. McDonald’s donated $20,000 to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in exchange for membership and a seat on the group’s board of directors. The NGLCC lobbies Congress in support of homosexual marriage.
McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner said the company will promote issues they approve. “Being a socially responsible organization is a fundamental part of who we are. We have an obligation to use our size and resources to make a difference in the world … and we do.”
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Yes, I’m supporting the boycott of McDonald’s until McDonald’s stops supporting groups that promote homosexual marriage.
NAME CITY STATE ZIP
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3.________________________________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________________________________
5._________________________________________________________________________
6._________________________________________________________________________
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When complete, mail to Boycott McDonald’s, c/o American Family Association, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803.
This is a wonderful 48 page magazine that is full of all kinds of activities and helps to learn all about those around the world. It has wonderful maps of the different countries that you can use in lap booking or just handouts while you study each country.
A neat looking ‘Country Research Page” is found after the maps and has different questions for the student(s) to answer. The next section is about different animals in each country. Some of the pictures are colored and some of them they have left for the students to color themselves.
Food chains. Food chains are very important to not only the human beings but also to the animal world. So they have encluded a wonderful area about the food chains.
Now we jump to the Special Olympics and what they envolve. There is information about the Olympics and some fun games to play. Did you know you can host your own Olympic in your own back yard? To help learn more about the different ones playing in the Olympics there is a fact sheet for the student(s) to fill out about them.
Food! Can’t have an Olympic show without the food. TOS has encluded some really good recipes for us to use during this wonderful time of the year.
At the back of this magazine you will find a big list of different helps to help you get more into the Olympics for your study. Make sure and check these out.
As always I love having the magazines online because I don’t have to go look up things and then type it in, the links are already to go and I can just go from there to see what they are talking about. Also my paper magazines seem to get “eaten” and no one seems to know where they have gone. But the online version I know it will be there when I sit down to read it.
Great job TOS! I look forward to seeing more great things from you in the near future.
Looking for a homeschool magazine that will help encourage you throughout the coming year? I have one that will do so. The magazine comes through the mail or by digital format for you computer now. The magazine comes by-monthly but during the off month they have a Teacher Toolbox that is chucked full of helpful items that you won’t want to miss.
I have taken the “real” magazine for years now and have loved it but when they came out with the digital form this is what I really wanted. Why? I have so many books, magazines, projects, etc. all over my house and would rather not have anymore. So I signed up for the digital magazine and fell in love with it.
No when I sit down to read my magazine I read it on my computer and can actually following the interesting links while I’m reading the articles immediately instead of stopping and starting again. I can print off only the articles that I find an interest in and that will be helpful to me now or down the road and not have to throw away a big magazine and feel terrible because what I paid for it.
Another advantage of the online version is that it doesn’t cost as much for them to produce it, so it helps to cut cost. The articles they have are wonderful and I recommend using the digital over the paper copy. It still has the beautiful pictures just like the paper one but it is at your hands sooner that the other.
The Old Schoolhouse is constantly changing and making things better with their magazine. I see them not as a money making group but ones that are trying to put God first in their lives and business. Check them out at The Old School House.
Orilla Crider
