March Fireside Helps

[MATCH]

*/Fireside Helps
MATCH Newsletter/*




*From your Directors
*

Dear Homeschool Family,
    Is spring here?  One week we have winter weather, the next we have 
rain, rain and more rain.  If you don't like the weather stick around, 
it will change.
    It is hard to believe that Easter is already here!  To think just 
about three months ago we celebrated the birth of our Lord and this 
weekend we will celebrate the death and resurrection of our soon coming 
_*KING*_.  Like Christmas, we have seen Easter turned into a 
non-Christian event.  Thank God that in the US we still can celebrate 
both events as Christians without having to hide from our government.  
Make sure to spend time teaching your children the true meaning of this 
glorious season because we may not be so fortunate in the coming years 
if God doesn't undertake somehow.
    We hope that you are making plans to attend the SHEM convention, if 
possible, in Springfield.  We will be there with all sorts of door 
prizes that have been donated by all different companies and we will be 
giving a discount for new and renewed memberships.  We have also got 
lots of information that we will be giving out this year from all sorts 
of places.  We don't want you to miss out!
    We pray that each of you have a blessed Easter!
Working for Homeschoolers and for Him,
Michael & Orilla Crider

	
*MATCH Homeschooling Helps*

Missouri Law <http://www.match-inc.org/laws.html>
Enrollment Info <http://www.match-inc.org/enrollment.html>
Record-Keeping <http://www.match-inc.org/record-keeping.html>
Hours of Instruction <http://www.match-inc.org/hours.html>
Sample Withdraw Letter <http://www.match-inc.org/withdraw.html>
Homeschooling 101 (/workshop/) 
<http://www.match-inc.org/convention/lankford.html>
*Homeschool Helpful Articles

How To Make Home Schooling Your Children Fun
/by James Masterson /

*
Seeing your children go to school and learn things can be fun. It makes 
you feel that you have, in a way, imparted them the most treasured gift 
that you can give them --- EDUCATION.

However, with many influences that lurk in school, you might even wonder 
if sending them to school is the best gift, indeed. Many parents are 
worried how children are getting their behaviors changed whenever they 
are in school.

That's why homeschool had been created in order to provide a feasible 
option for parents who wish to educate their children in a way where 
they can supervise personally. They want to find a way where they can 
instill in them the values that they want their children to have.

All of these things are contained in homeschooling. In this manner, 
parents are able to control and instigate the kind of education they 
want their children to learn. They can manage their children's behavior 
and impart in them the values that they want their children to learn.

However, what people do not know is that the very important aspect why 
homeschooling is a great alternative to traditional schooling is based 
on the fact that both the parents and the children can have fun learning 
things.

With homeschooling, parents can make their children's learning process 
more fun and less rigid compared to the traditional school system.

Here's a list on how to make homeschooling your children fun:

*1. Make reading more fun*

The best way to teach a child is to make things easier for him or her to 
understand and learn. The best way to do this is to incorporate fun in 
the setting.

For instance, if you want to teach your children to read, it would be 
better if you will read to them just to have some fun. Let them enhance 
their imagination by generating life in the characters included in the 
story. In this way, they will be able to learn things with lots of fun.

Create a connection with their books and not instill in them the norms 
and standards set by the typical school system.

*2. Make learning comfortable*

If the children or the students are comfortable with the program, then 
homeschooling can be more fun. It will generate more enthusiasm 
compelling the children to participate in the process.

The point here is that in order to make homeschooling more fun is that 
parents should never be constrained on the idea of teaching itself. They 
should teach by example. That is, indeed, a fun way of learning things.

It doesn't matter if you just want to explore home schooling 
possibilities or have made the decision and are looking for a guide to 
point you in the right direction, "The Parents Guide to Home Schooling" 
will provide you with the information you require. 
http://www.free-online-course.com/homeschool

Reprinted with Permission. Article Source: 
http://www.a1-articledirectory.com


*Homeschool Gardening for Wellness
/by Lynn Wilson /*

I have always enjoyed gardening, almost to the point of distraction! As 
I like to say to people (no pun intended), gardening keeps me grounded! 
The problem is that I could literally spend all day in the garden, which 
is impossible, because I have many responsibilities including 
homeschooling two of my children! However, gardeners being the great 
improvisers that they are, it did not take long for me to realize that 
gardening could make for a very enriching part of our weekly and/or 
daily school work! Using the garden as a teaching tool gives me some 
important "me" time in the garden and allows my children to learn and do 
something outdoors at the same time.

Our gardening as a part of school work began several years ago when I 
had all the children start keeping nature journals. I will be forever 
grateful to Karen Andreola. Her writings encouraged me greatly to plunge 
ahead with my ideas for using my garden to teach. The same year we 
started our nature journals, I planted quite a few perennial and annual 
herbs and flowers that would attract butterflies. It was a huge success. 
We were able to watch the entire life cycle of the blue swallowtail 
butterfly. I felt a wonderful sense of victory in this. The children had 
beautiful, creative drawings in their nature journals of a larva, a 
chrysalis, and, finally, a newly emerged blue swallowtail butterfly 
drying its freshly unfurled wings!

Last year, during one of our first gardening outings of the season, my 
children and I all gathered around an amazing and somewhat gruesome 
sight! A veritable army of ants had subdued a spider that was much 
larger than any of them. They were working together, dragging this 
spider closer and closer to the hole leading down into their underground 
fortress. We watched, spellbound, as the spider neared the hole, its 
legs collapsing in on each other as it was pulled out of sight and down 
into darkness! I had my creative writing assignment for the day! Each 
child old enough to write was to write a story based on what they had 
seen. They were to use 10 adjectives from a list I had given them and 
recount the story as vividly as they possibly could using those adjectives.

Our garden space has evolved over time, with the front yard of our small 
1/3 acre being solely for flowers and herbs, and a 20-foot x 25-foot 
space in the back yard being solely for fruits, herbs, and vegetables. 
The back yard garden is one of whimsy and creativity! We have a flower 
pot in one corner to hold "treasures" that we dig up. We put a small, 
but cute wire fence around the garden to add a boundary to help us with 
weeding. The entrance to the garden is an arch arbor with a grape vine 
making its way up higher each year. And, at intervals all along the 
fence are shepherd's hooks with various wind chimes and garden art 
hanging from them.

If you want to start your own "school garden" I would suggest tapping 
into the writings of any of a number of gardeners who have had 
experience and success teaching children with gardens. I personally am 
very fond of the work of Sharon Lovejoy. From one particular book, 
Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots, we used her idea for planting a 
"garden of giants." It was a lot of fun.

In this writer's opinion, including nature and gardening in you life 
brings a sense of emotional wellness. So, make sure you adequately 
protect yourself against the hot sun, grab your best nature 
identification book, get your tools and your students and start digging 
and learning in your own school garden!

/Lynn Wilson, mom to four delightful (and perhaps challenging) children, 
is the eclectic and nature-loving owner of The Healthy Homeschool 
(http://www.thehealthyhomeschool.com). She welcomes you to visit her any 
time at her website!/

Reprinted with Permission. Article Source: 
http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory


*Healthy Easter Treats For Kids
/by Heathy Menu Mailer/*

Easter is right around the corner, and that of course means plenty of 
candy and treats for the kids. Not only does the Easter bunny bring 
sweets in the form of chocolate bunnies and eggs and of course the 
always popular marshmallow peeps, but the kids also receive plenty of 
candy at school and from grandparents. As parents, we want to provide 
our kids with some healthy alternatives to all this candy for Easter. 
Not only is it better for our little ones, it also eliminates the 
constant whining for candy, or the stack of sweets that lasts until 
Halloween.

What can you do as a parent to switch out some of the sugary treats with 
healthier alternatives? Quite a bit and we have compiled some of our 
favorite ideas to get you started. Read through the suggestions below 
and feel free to adapt and change things around to make it work for your 
family.

*Treasure Hunt*

Start by making an Easter basket that you fill with inexpensive outdoor 
toys. These could include jump ropes, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, gardening 
tools and various balls or Frisbees. Other ideas are water bottles, bike 
accessories (like a basket or a new helmet) and new sandbox toys. Of 
course you can also include a few markers or crayons to use inside for
rainy days.

Now it's time to hide the Easter basket and set up a treasure hunt for 
the kids. You can draw a map where x marks the spot where you hid the 
basket, or set up a series of hidden clues for the kids to follow. The 
hunt itself will be just as much fun as receiving all the fun outdoor gifts.

*Egg Filler Ideas*

Plastic Easter eggs that you can fill yourself are another great idea 
for healthy Easter treats. You can fill these eggs with small toys, a 
few coins or even a couple of crayons. A pack of stickers is another 
favorite in our house. Of course you can also fill these plastic eggs 
with some edible treats. Add a handful of nuts, or some dried fruit. One 
of our favorites is some homemade trail mix from dry cereal, nuts, dried 
fruits and a few M&Ms.

*Party Treats*

If you are having a family get together or a party this Easter, try some 
of these healthy Easter treats and desserts. Make some egg shaped jello 
jigglers using egg shaped molds that you can find at most grocery stores 
this time of the year. Fill Easter themed bags with plain popcorn and of 
course set out some baby carrots that the kids can nibble on. They'll
love eating "just like bunnies".

*The Easy Way Out*
 
Even if you don't have much time to prepare homemade treats, you can 
keep Easter healthy by making the right choices. Even retail stores are 
catching on to the idea that parents want healthy treats. Our local 
Wal-Mart carries plastic eggs prefilled with healthy treats, along with 
alternatives such as matchbox cars, silly putty and bracelets. In the 
Easter Basket provide a stuffed animal, toy, clothing, hair clips, 
coloring books or other fun items that you know your child will enjoy.

*Make a tradition*

Ask the grandparents and other relatives who usually bring a treat, to 
bring an Easter-themed book instead that your kids can enjoy for years 
to come. Our family has a stash for both Christmas and Easter that we 
pull out for the designated season and the kids always look forward to it.

Of course Easter isn't the only time to eat healthy. Cook a healthy meal 
for your family every single day and enjoy more time with your kids 
instead of planning what you will cook that night.  Click HERE to join 
the Healthy Menu Mailer today. We will send you 7 healthy dinner recipes 
a week with a grocery list to go along with it. We make healthy menu 
planning easy and save you time and money along the way.

Reprinted with Permission. Article Source: 
http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory


    When your Homeschooler Hits College Age


    /*by Kim Yonkers*/

When you first decide to homeschool your child, it can be overwhelming. 
All sorts of questions abound: what should we study; how; am I 
qualified? After you've gotten yourself into a routine, though, many of 
those uncertainties seem to fade away as you and your child discover the 
world together. However, after you've been at it for a few years, you're 
bound to notice that your child is reaching the age where people start 
asking about college. That opens up a whole new can of worms for a 
homeschooler, and a whole new set of questions pop up. Will my 
homeschooler get into a good college? Will admissions officers look 
negatively on the homeschooling experience? Will my child fit in with 
the other students who are coming from a traditional school environment? 
The list is practically endless! However, as most homeschooling parents 
are pleasantly surprised to discover, homeschooling doesn't work against 
your child when it comes time for college. In fact, many of the nation's 
top schools seek out homeschooled students because of their diverse 
learning experiences and broad knowledge base! The admissions process 
may be a little different for homeschoolers, who may or may not have 
completed many of the standardized tests that are offered in traditional 
school settings. Many of the top schools take the time to interview 
every student they are considering for acceptance. An interview is the 
best place for the homeschooler to shine. It's a chance to show all the 
knowledge and skills that are gained from homeschooling and it's also 
the best place to show the independent thinking and maturity that often 
results from staying out of the traditional school setting. Since 
homeschoolers tend to be surrounded by adults more than children, they 
often demonstrate an ability to relate to the college environment more 
easily than a traditional student who has been indoctrinated in 
deference to authority and obedience to random rules designed to handle 
the herd. The fact is, the college life is a lot different from a high 
school atmosphere. Most courses a student will take throughout their 
postsecondary education require few prerequisites that don't come 
directly from the college experience. A high school course in history is 
quite different from one in university: high school courses are designed 
to teach facts and basic skills, while a college course is designed to 
teach theories and independent thought. The one aspect of the college 
admissions process that your homeschool student may miss out on is some 
of the scholarship opportunities. Many of the sports or club 
scholarships require participation in a high school environment. 
However, there are many scholarships available that aren't tied to these 
activities, or will accept participation in community teams or clubs as 
equivalent. Make sure that you put the same effort into researching your 
college applications that you do into creating your homeschool experience.

Kim Yonkers has been home schooling her three children for several 
years. She also works as a freelance writer for 
http://www.homeschoolingplus.com - a site that provides information on 
home schooling <http://www.homeschoolingplus.com>, online schooling 
<http://www.homeschoolingplus.com/homeschooling-philosophies/online.aspx> 
and more.

More articles from this pro: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Kim 
Yonkers <http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Kim%20Yonkers>


	
*Sponsor/Partners*


Check out our sponsor of the month. Some of them are partners of ours 
and offer discounts to our members.





http://www.match-inc.org/sdc.html <http://www.match-inc.org/sdc.html>

Check out the great deals that Silver Dollar City is giving 
homeschoolers!  You won't want to miss out!  Click on the graphic above 
to see this wonderful deal.







http://www.match-inc.org/TTUAC_8.5x11BW_DoSchoolMama.pdf 
<http://www.match-inc.org/TTUAC_8.5x11BW_DoSchoolMama.pdf>

Check out this wonderful group by clicking on the graphic above.  They 
have some wonderful publications they have to offer.  See their specials 
they are offering in this ad.  They are the sponsor for this months 
newsletter.
*Fun for Kids

*Does your kids enjoy puzzles?  Check out these
http://www.match-inc.org/proteinstudent.pdf
http://www.match-inc.org/proteinanswers.pdf
http://www.match-inc.org/gravitychanges.pdf
 if you enjoy them sign up to receive them by email every week at 
http://www.cogno.com/puzzlers/.

The answers to the gravity changes challenge is as follows:  *False*. As 
it turns out, the force of gravity is often not exactly the same 
everywhere on a planet. For example, Earth's gravitational force varies 
by almost 1% depending on where you stand on the surface. Since gravity 
is caused by mass, and the density and mass of Earth is not the same 
throughout the whole planet, the gravity varies just a little. This is 
true of many planets that are made of various materials and may have low 
points and high points on their surfaces. On top of a mountain, you are 
farther from the influence of the planet's gravity and would weigh very 
slightly less than someone standing at the base of the mountain.
	
<http://www.hslda.org>


*HSLDA Membership Save *$20* on HSLDA Membership! Use group *294050* 
<http://hslda.org/a/2294050>.*

	
http://www.angelfoodministry.com <http://www.angelfoodministry.com>

To find a location for this wonderful ministry in your area go to 
http://angelfoodministries.com/states.asp?state=MO. For this months menu 
go to http://angelfoodministries.com/menu.asp.

*Homeschool Events

*
*2008 SHEM Convention* <http://shemonline.org/Convention.htm>
April 24-26, 2998
Springfield Expo Center

*Silver Dollar City Homeschool Day* <http://www.match-inc.org/sdc.html>
October 4-5, 2008
Use code *78105* to reserve your discount tickets

*St. Louis Science Center* 
<http://www.match-inc.org/stlouisscctrhsdays.html>
April 15, 2008
Weather

This program introduces participants to the tools used to understand and 
predict weather patterns. Students will create a weather instrument of 
their choice -- discussion may feature barometers, thermometers, 
anemometers, wind vanes, psychrometers and precipitation gauges.
*Suggested follow-up activity:* Tour the Ecology and Environment Present 
Galleries to see a real tornado.

*St. Louis Science Center Camp-In* 
<http://www.match-inc.org/stlouisscctrcampin.html>
# *April 11* - Family Camp-In
# *April 18* - Family Camp-In
# *April 25* - All-Girl Camp-In

*Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede-Branson 
<http://www.match-inc.org/2007dixiestampede.html>*
April 26 	
	2:10 pm pre-show


Dedicated performances for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, so availability 
may be limited. Includes Horse Care & Handling presentation for Scout 
merit badges

*Youth Show Pricing
$15.99 + tax and gratuity*

**Call early for reservations, 1-800-520-5101**
	http://www.teacherbookbag.com <http://www.teacherbookbag.com>

If you're working with preschool through fifth grade children at home,
this site is dedicated to you! It is not a curriculum to follow. You already
have that. Instead, our site is packed full of unique, curriculum 
supplements and encouraging advice on how to make it all balance out.

Right now you can sign up for a free month to see what she has on her 
site and see if you want to join or not.  I have found wonderful things 
for my own children on this site!  Click on the graphic above and it 
will take you to her site.

This website is chocked full of all sorts of helpful printable/downloads 
in the following areas:

    * Calendars - with all sorts of things for each month
    * Daily Quote
    * Math
    * Reading
    * Science
    * History
    * Social Studies
    * Writing
    * Handwriting
    * EBooks
    * Flipbooks
    * Spanish
    * Preschool
    * Art
    * Coloring
    * Clip Art
    * Drama
    * Creative Movement
    * Music Book Making
    * Card Making
    * How-To-Draw-It
    * Decorative Papers
    * Shape Pages & Books
    * Frames
    * Tools to Help HS Teacher
    * National Stands
    * Time Management for HS Parent
    * Word Searches
    * Toppers
    * Cooking for Kids
    * HS Hearth
    * Seasons
    * Thanksgiving at a Glance
    * Winter Activities
    * Faith-Based Materials
    * Character Ed
    * Care to Share

*Special Announcement*

**


    Petition to Request Depublishing of California Court Case /In re
    Rachel L./

*Please Sign this Petition to Support Homeschool Freedom in California. 
242,688 signatures so far! *

A California Court of Appeal recently decided that homeschooling is 
illegal in California unless a parent is a certified teacher.

The case arose in a confidential juvenile court proceeding. The family 
was represented by court-appointed attorneys and HSLDA did not become 
aware of the case until the Court of Appeal case was published on 
February 28, 2008.

The Court could have restricted its decision to the facts before it, but 
instead, it issued a broad ruling that effectively outlaws home 
education in California. The Court also certified its decision for 
publication, which means that the decision can now be cited as legal 
authority by all other courts in California.

The family and their California counsel are planning to appeal to the 
Supreme Court of California, which could result in reversal.

Another option to keep homeschooling free in California is to petition 
the Supreme Court of California to "depublish" the opinion. If the 
opinion is "depublished" then it cannot be used by other California 
courts and this threat to homeschool freedom will be neutralized for 
other California homeschoolers.

HSLDA will be formally petitioning the California Supreme Court to 
depublish the opinion. We would like to show that many other people, 
both in California and across the country, care deeply about homeschool 
freedom in California.

Please show your support for this effort by signing the petition today. 
https://www2.hslda.org/Registrations/DepublishingCaliforniaCourtDecision/


-- 
Orilla Crider
MATCH Director
2203 Rhonda Dr
West Plains, MO 65775
Email
www.match-inc.org

HSLDA Savings! Save $20 on HSLDA Membership! Use group *294050*.** 
<http://hslda.org/a/2294050>**

2008 SHEM convention April 24-26, 2008 at the Springfield Expo Center. 
For more information go to http://shemonline.org/Convention.htm.

Mark your calendar from Silver Dollar City Homeschool Day October 4-5, 
2008. For more info go to www.match-inc.org/sdc.html 
<http://www.match-inc.org/sdc.html>.

Do you enjoy saving money and go to different Homeschool Events? Take a 
look at our homepage and the calendar that has been updated. **
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