Oh my goodness, it's been a long time since I have posted here for you other Albertans.  It's amazing how fast time flies when change is going through your home.  Between illness, spiritual journeys and the like I have been MIA far too long.  I while not be disappearing like that again I hope.

A quick note, The International Children's Festiva is currently going on in downtown St. Albert.  It will be on until Saturday May 31, so if you haven't been down yet please make time to do so, a great time is guaranteed for all ages.  We go every year and this year will be no exception.  We will be attending tomorrow, hope some of you can make it too.

Other goings-on.  This is the time of year for life cycle sciences.  We have decided on 2 studies so far, both rather spur of the momenr, first on the agenda is Painted ladies butterflies.  While at our local Education store looking for a spanish program we wanted I noticed butterfly pavillions, so we bought one and 2 caterpillars.  They are very small still but growing quickly.  It willbe fun to watch them metamorphosis into butterflies.  The second study is frogs.  A fellow homeschooler went pond dipping and caught tadpoles, she graciously shared them with my family.  In conjunction with both studies we are doing lapbooks.

Now a point of interest for those in the Edmonton area.  Durning the month of June the Valley Zoo, and the John Janzen Nature center are doing a frog theme.  Every weekend will be a different topic, check their websites for more information.  Apparently frogs are headed towards extinction, these topics will give you more information on the hows and whys and what we can do to help, as well as general information on frogs. 

Also if anyone has information on where one can order a ladybug raising kit here in Canada I would really appreciate it.  It appears that while these kits are readily available in the states, they can not send the larvae over the border, so I need a Canadian supplier.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Weekend.  We sure did.  We were blessed with tickets to see "Love According to John", I have to say for anyone who has not had a privilege of seeing this play yet mark your calendars for next Eater to buy tickets.  It was so well done, the music was delightful, and overall was a beautiful production.  I took my 2 oldest children and the baby(6 months old), even the baby was thrilled with it staring at the actors and jumping up and down "singing" with the songs.   The weekend progressed with the usual egg hunts, dying eggs, big dinner and eating lots of chocolate, my goodness is my belly still full.

Of course last week ushered in the arrival of spring.  Now I don't know about your part of Alberta but my yard still has entirely too much snow in it for my liking and knowing Alberta we are bound to have another blast of winter before the May long weekend arrives.  We are making our plans for spring activities, particularly related to Science.  Life cycles is always a fun unit to study when spring arrives, this years plan includes raising caterpillars/butterflies and tadpoles/frogs.  I would love to do chicken eggs again like we have in the past, but the hatchery we previously used no longer rents them out.  If you are aware of a location to get eggs and rent an incubator in the Edmonton area(or any area) let me know and I will post it here on the blog. 

For those interested in raising Painted Lady Butterflies this year, "Butterfly,Wings and Wishes" is the company to contact.  They sell kits that include the larvae, food and information to help you raise the butterflies. If your interest is in tadpoles/frogs I have not found a company yet that sells the tadpoles here in Alberta, what I have is a friend with a pond on her property to get tadpoles from then return the frogs to once grown.

Spring is also the time to start thinking about gardens and plants.  Even though it is too early to start the actual planting, now is the time to plan what we want to grow, research the best growing conditions for those plants and prepare the land.  Soon the Botanical gardens throughout the province will be open allowing us to enjoy the plant life around our areas.  Sadly the Muttart in Edmonton has closed for renovations for the next 10 months so enjoying that will not be possible again until next year. 

If you are interested in nature activities geared for Alberta, the series of books "Knee High Nature _____ in Alberta" by Dianne Hayley and Pat Wishart are wonderful.  It is a 4 book series 1 for each season and outlines a wonderful selection of nature activities, finger plays and songs and information based on our particular Albertan climate.  The Spring book covers pond life; Frogs,Toads & Salamanders; Ladybugs; Butterflies & Moths; Green and Growing(plants); hares & rabbits; and Spring Birds.

Some Suggestions for Spring Walks (Taken from Knee High Nature Spring in Alberta)

• Mini Walk- Look for things smaller than a penny
• Green Walk - Look for the first signs of green; if you give your child a green jelly bean first, the "magic" helps them see green much better
• Smelling Walk - sniff various objects you find, such as mud, bark, moss, mushrooms, leaves, buds and flowers
• Listening Walk - Keep track of all the different sounds you hear; try to imitate them
• Bird Walk - focus on looking for birds and birds nests and listening for birds songs
• What's New way - keep a note of returning birds, flowering plants, awakening animals
• Clean-Up Walk - the melting snow exposes the garbage that the winds of winter have blown around - take time to clean up
• I Wonder Walk - for example "I wonder how the butterfly survived the winter?"
• Mini-Stop - use a hoop t circle a small area, look for tiny things that might be hiding under the lead litter

Enjoy the beautiful sunshine, and have a great time this first week of Spring.  Leave me a message here if you take one of those spring walks and let me know how it went.

As spring quickly approaches we enter back into Conference time in Alberta.  Personally I love homeschooling conferences, meeting so many homeschoolers, attending sessions, going over materials with all the vendors, I eagerly await the registration packages each winter knowing that the warm weather heralds new beginnings and the chance to start thinking ahead to the following year.  The following conferences are fast appraoching, get you registrations in soon.

This weekend is The Western Canadian Catholic Home School Conference  March 13 - 15, 2008
Providence Centre 3005 - 119 Street Edmonton, AB Further information can be found at www.wcchsc.net:80/

AHEA Conference held in Red Deer at the Westerner if a favorite of mine. Register by mail before March 14th and online before March 21 to receive early bird pricing. Information and registration to be found at aheaonline.com

Southern Alberta Homeschool Conference http://www.albertahomeschool.ca/ runs May 31/2008 in Calgary

Literacy and Learning day is a free 1 day conference Held at Nait in Edmonton on April 19/08 more information can be found at http://www.literacyday.ca/

The University of Alberta is hosting Science Sunday once again this year.  We have gone in the past and had an amazing time. http://easweb.eas.ualberta.ca:80/index.php?page=4&id=860

Look, Touch, dig, create and discover at Science Sunday! Join the university of Alberta museums, and discover Science through fun hands on activities.  Explore the formation of trace fossils, learn how to read animal tracks, unlock the mysteries of meteorites, and so much more!

WHEN: Sunday, March 2, 2008, 12 pm -4 pm, drop in or stay for the whole afternoon.

WHERE: Earth Sciences building, Saskatchewan Drive, U of A 

WHO:Kids ages 5-12, must be accompanied by an adult

COST: admission by donation

INFORMATION: Call 492-5834 or www.museums.ualberta.ca

Monday February 18th Family Day  Did you know Family day was declared to recognize the values held by the pioneers who built Alberta and the values of home and family. As homeschoolers we definitely have shown how much we value our families and our time together. Celebrate the day together at one of these events

Calgary:

Family Fun Weekend #2 Blackfoot Bracelets Glenbow Museum; Morris Shumiatcher Activity Room Explore Blackfoot customs and art and gain a greater understanding of the beauty and meaning behind geometric designs. Finish off by making your own unique bracelet. February 16 & 17 from 1 - 4pm  http://www.glenbow.org/

Greetings!   You spoke and we listened. After some of you pointed out that mailing to Canada was much less expensive than mailing elsewhere internationally, we decided to take another look at our pricing. So today, we're happy to announce that we now have a new *much* lower price just for Canadian subscriptions! Our normal international subscriptions are $45.60, but our new Canadian subscription price is just $30. That means Canadians can now save 1/3 off our regular international subscription price! Spread the word and let your Canadian friends and support groups know about our new lower Canadian subscription price. They can save over $15 and STILL get the 19 FREE international gifts valued at over $300!   No doubt about it, that's a great deal!

Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding this offer. We can be reached at 1.888.718.HOME.   Sincerely,   Paul & Gena Suarez, Publishers The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Oh Canada! If you're interested in more information on home learning in Canada, feel free to browse these links on our sites. Homeschool Nations - Canada (lots of helpful links!) Minute to Minute - Quebec responses Provincial blogs: British Columbia New Brunswick Nova Scotia Ontario Quebec  Don't see your province? We're looking for enthusiastic people to join the Homeschool Nations Team for each province. Just contact Pat Mills, Homeschool Nations Manager for more details.

Save $15! Let your Canadian homeschooling friends know about our *NEW* lower price for  Canadian subscriptions. Regularly - $45.60 New price - $30!

Well, we are all freezing here in Alberta. I guess particularly because I am not native to this country that I would urge you all to be cognizant of the inherent dangers of being out and about at this time.  I have seen so many drivers speeding on the roads particularly rural roads as I was travelling to Whitecourt this past weekend.  Most drivers seemed to be passing me and I was sitting on the speed limit.  I was amazed at their courage (or stupidity) given that visibility was poor to medium in some spots.  Please consider that the life you are risking may not be your own.

We keep hearing that snow is on the way!  The temps are dropping.  Perhaps we will wake up to a snow blanket tomorrow! 

We have just begun some wonderful homeschool programs that recently began last week at Cardel Place in the northwest.  It is lovely to be able to participate in their programs int he warmth of the indoors in a state of the art centre. 

One doesn't need to be a member to take advantage of these programs however if you are you will also receive a 10% member discount off the price of the program.

The programs generally last for 9 weeks and though the current programs are the centre's first offerings to Calgary homeschoolers the word is that they have proved so popular that there is very likely to be another round of programs after Christmas.

At the moment the programs on offer are two choices of sport program, swimming lessons and art lessons.  I was speaking with the teacher of some of the lessons and she was asking for further feedback regarding lessons of interest - in the case that additional programs might be offered in the future.

So if you live in the Calgary area and would be interested in seeing more programs offered at Cardel Place make sure you make contact with them and let them know your thoughts.

If you are a resident of Calgary and haven't yet had a chance to visit the Telus World of Science to view the Ancient Egyptian display it would be worthwhile to put it on your to do list!  This display is extensive with opportunities for the kids to make rubbings of early Egyptian writing, and marvelling at the wonders of the Lego displays.  There are free standing pharoahs, Tutankhamen's mask, a mummy suite and much much more.  Apparently the display will be there for the next couples.  The above is just one of lots of photos that I took!

Well worth a look!

Remember to lodge your registration with a willing school board if you expect your child to receive funding in this province for the 2006/2007 school year.  The date on which all registrations are calculated is September 30th which means effectively you need to have registered your child with a school board by September 29th 2006.

There have been some recent changes in the way programs are delivered by private school boards.  Private school boards are no longer at liberty to offer a blended program.  Alberta Education has altered the way in which private school boards operate and now allow them to only offer homeschooling programs (which is commonly known as Traditional) AND teacher led programs.  Private school boards are no longer able to offer blended programs.  Just as in the past with blended programs the teacher led programs are meant to attract higher amounts of funding as one is then basically following the Alberta Programme of Studies at home. 

Some private school boards who offer classes are allegedly offering 'free' services/classes in lieu of the child's full entitlement.  Parents are at liberty to reject or accept these offers.  In my opinion, however, it is unreasonable under these circumstances to expect that a child's full entitlement is traded off in this way.  The services/classes are then in effect being paid for twice.  The services/classes are not then free. And what if there aren't any services/classes that the child is truly interested in.  Too bad!  The school board has gained from that situation already as the full amount of the child's funding has not left the school board's bank account.

In terms of blended programs, the new rules allow that only school boards which come under the public school system (which may include some Catholic boards also) are at liberty to offer blended programs.  Blended programs are those in which some of the program is created/delivered and assessed by the parent and the remainder of the program is created/delivered and assessed by the teacher.  There are a variety of percentages on offer eg. 25/75, 50/50 etc on offer depending on which PUBLIC school board one selects. 

There may be some school boards that do not fit neatly in the private school board sector and may be classified in amongst public school boards.  Some Catholic boards fit this category.  There may be others.  Make sure you check what category your school board falls under if you have any questions regarding your program and the funding structure you are being offered. 

This information is not comprehensive to include every school board in this province and therefore is not designed to offer legal or legislative advice.  Please check the details of your particular situation BEFORE you make your final board selection decisions.  Remember that even if you have already registered for one board you are at liberty to register with a different one as long as the new board receives your registration by September 29th 2006.

Urgent! Calls Needed to the German Embassy Next Week
(Updated with Contact Info for the German Embassy)

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

The German government is persecuting homeschoolers like never before.
Armin Eckermann, president of Schulunterricht zu Hause (School
Instruction at Home--SIH), the homeschool legal defense association of

Germany, states that there are over 40 homeschool families in court in
Germany!

The families are being heavily fined; the parents are being jailed;
The children are being threatened with being seized and placed in the
Custody of the state; and families are being forced to flee to Austria

And other surrounding countries.

Here are a few current and frightening situations:

1) The Rudolph family: They are diligently homeschooling their six
Children in Hamburg. The father, Andre, was jailed for a week for
Refusing to send his children to public school. Like many of the
Homeschool families in Germany, they are evangelicals. What is even
More surprising about Andre Rudolph being put in jail for
Homeschooling is that he has a degree in teaching! He and his wife
Have been fined 840 euros ($1,090) for homeschooling.

After Andre's jail time the authorities tried a new weapon and began
To forcibly take the children to public school each day. Their plan
Was take custody of these six children and make them wards of the
State. One day, however, the authorities came to take the children to school,
But no one answered the door. The Rudolphs fled to another country in
Order to homeschool their children according to God's ways.

2) The Plett family: If you recall, last year we asked you to pray
And contact the embassy about the seven Baptist homeschool families of
Paderborn. One of the families, the Pletts, have continued to
Homeschool their 12 children. Last week, a female plainclothes police
Officer rang at the Platt's house. When the mother opened the door,
Other police officers who were hiding in the bushes forced their way
In. The mother was able to inform her husband by cell phone before the

Police took her to jail. The husband then fled to Austria with the
Children. She was given a 10-day prison sentence and is facing heavy
Fines and more jail time.

Of the seven Paderborn homeschool families from last year, two have
Fled to Austria and five have enrolled in a Christian school in
Heidelburg. They all still have pending cases against them.

3) Three homeschool families from Saxony have been taken to court and
Convicted. One was fined 3,000 euros, one 6,000 euros, and another
10,000 euros.

4) The Bauer family: This family in Hesse are American missionaries
For the last 15 years. They were prosecuted about five years ago and
Have exhausted their appeals and have sought review by the Human
Rights European Court that covers all of Europe.

There are now eight cases pending before the European Court, most of
Which the SIH organization has brought, along with Ronald Richert, a
Renown Constitutional law attorney who has handled some of the SIH
Members''s cases. The problem with the European Court, is that it all
Cases are discretionary: there is no right of appeal. If the Court
Decides not to rule on them, the case will not be heard. Another
Problem is the Court has no particular deadline of when they have to
Decide to take the case or not, so some of these cases have been
Sitting for three to four years, with no resolution in sight.

5) The Herrmann family: This family from Baden-Wurttemberg was facing
Prosecution for homeschooling their twins who have many medical
Problems. They have been forced into hiding and are seeking asylum in
The United States and other countries.

The Maisch family, also from Baden-Wurtemberg, has been convicted of
Homeschooling. For the past three weeks they have faced increasing
Fines.

Schulunterricht zu Hause (SIH), the legal association that HSLDA
Helped establish, is being worn out with defending all these families
In court. They have approximately 150 members in their association
That are all homeschool families, many of whom are underground, and
Almost 40 in court.

Appeals have been exhausted time and time again, and money is running
Out. The German homeschool families are pleading for your help.

Will you take a moment and contact the German Embassy?

ACTION REQUESTED

1. Please contact the German Embassy and give them this message:

"German governments need to make homeschooling legal. Over 40 families
Are being prosecuted in Germany merely for teaching their children at
Home. These families have been given huge fines, some parents have
Been jailed, some have been forced to flee to other countries, and
They are all being threatened to take their children into state
Custody. This is deplorable and unacceptable for any free nation to
Persecute Christian families who are providing an excellent education
For their children. We ask you to stop prosecuting these families like
the Maisches, the Pletts, the Bauers, the Rudolphs, and the many
others. Homeschooling needs to be legalized in Germany."

This message can be put in your own words, along with a story or
information about the success of your own homeschool.

The German Embassy can be contacted at:

Wolfgang Ischinger
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000

The embassy can be e-mailed from its website:
http://www.globesco pe.biz/germany/ reg/index. cfm

2. If you want to support homeschoolers in other countries--and causes

such as Schulunterricht zu Hause in Germany--you can make a donation
to the Home School Foundation's international fund. For more information visit http://www.homescho olfoundation. org/ .

3. Please pray fervently for these poor families facing incredible
pressure and fear.

We cannot give up. Our brothers and sisters in Germany need us and
have their back against the wall.

BACKGROUND

Homeschooling in Germany has been illegal in Germany for a long time.
In fact, according to some newspaper accounts it has been illegal
since Hitler banned it in 1938. Five years ago we helped establish
Schulunterricht zu Hause as a way for Germans to receive some legal
defense. However, even though the determined lawyers defending the
families have worked for free and many attempts have been made to
battle to make it legal, homeschooling is still outlawed.

We have had tremendous success in many countries in the past to
influence their parliaments to legalize homeschooling and even release
people from jail. When Americans and homeschoolers in other countries
have contacted the German Embassy, officials there have communicated
the thousands of calls back to their national government and it makes
a difference, even in policy considerations.

We have been successful in help legalizing homeschooling in South
Africa and Romania and in stopping bad legislation that would destroy
homeschool freedoms in Ireland, Australia, Czech Republic, and other
countries.

Thank you and God bless you for your willingness to make a difference.


Sincerely,

Christopher J. Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel

Hello out there!

How was your first homeschooling week?  (If you follow the school year that is?)

I thought I was going to have an awesome week!  I had it all planned! That was my first mistake.  Because as we know when we plan things other occurrences have a way of challenging our plans and asking us to become somewhat more flexible. 

In my week I lost a bit of sleep with the news of a beautiful baby boy being born to my oldest daughter a couple of days ago.  (Her 2nd child - They live in Australia....I haven't seen photos yet)  He is my first grandson.  So the excitement in our house reigned supreme and challenged our timetable and our outside of the house committments. 

So this incoming week I plan to allow myself the grace to take a step back and allow things to happen in their own way a little more!

The new school year is about to begin.  The back to school supplies are out in the stores.  Now is the time parents are looking at the various school boards to make decisions about the right choice for their family.

I had included some of the school boards that I had found in my travels in this fine province.  Please take the time to look at their websites.  With each new year school. boards are looking to update their programs and offer new resources or experiences.  It is worth your time taking another look at what is on offer. 

Please remember that you need to be registered with a school board and that the school board you are registered with by September 30th will be the board to which your funding will be sent.  If you are not registered with a school board by September 30th you will not be eligible for funding. 

I think I got the idea of editing the template FINALLY!  Sorry I am bit html unsavvy on this but hey, I think I am learning after all!

I have had a few learning curves myself in this past month or two.  A couple of months back I decided I wanted to learn to iceskate.  Being an Aussie living in Canada this did not come as easily as it might to for some of North American friends and relatives. 

I left enrolling into the class to the absolute very last minute.  Actually the last 45 minutes before the 1st session began to be precise!  When I called up the customer service lady said the spot must have been kept just for me!

Okay I decided to enrol and off I went.  It was hard work! I couldn't do anything that all of the other people in the group seemed to do more easily than I.

By the end of the class I was feeling exhausted, emotionally drained and shattered.  I didn't like this feeling of defeat.  I am an intelligent person and can do many things but this learning experience humbled me to the place where I could feel again what it had been like in a classroom when I was a child and powerless to anything about it.

Thank God that I have been given the opportunity and the divine responsibility to make different choices for my children. 

Hi ladies,

The Women of Faith - Contagious Joy - Conference is coming to Calgary this month!  Group rates are available! It looks like awesome use of time for us! 

It's so important for us as mothers and women to gift ourselves and allow ourselves to fill up and renew our spirits.

Looking forwards to this event.

To check out more details go to the website and have a really good look around.  There is even a short clip that you can view to have an idea of how others appreciated previous conference times.

http://www.womenoffaith.com/conferences/calgary/default.asp

This link directs to a page about some interesting rocks.  It's worth taking a look.

http://members.cox.net/scbmom2/tips/prayerrocks.html

The spring weather is gettting warmer and slowly merging to summer I think!  We are currently trying to raise beautiful butterflies.  Right now we just have little fat, squidgy looking caterpillars that keep growing fatter but seem to be doing little else.

We are all looking forwards to seeing the cycle progress!  Keep you posted !

Summer Programs
                
                           Contact
                          Young Champions
                          C/O Kenny Rowlette
                          Liberty University
                          2043 DeMoss Hall
                          1971 University Blvd.
                          Lynchburg, VA 24506
                          youngchampions
                                 @liberty.edu
                        



                  
               Quick Facts/Links
                              
                                Liberty University
                                July 16th - 21st, 2006

                                Camp Rate:  $275
                                (Room, board & all activities)

                                Day Rate:  $175
                                (9am-5pm activities & lunch)

                                Late Fee:  $50
                                (Registrations after July 1st)

                                Morning Concentrations
                                Afternoon Electives
                                Daily Schedule
                                Registration Form (Check)
                                Online Registration (Credit)
                              
                          Liberty Institute for Young Champions is an
academic summer camp for students to stay on Liberty University's
beautiful campus, learn and enjoy God's blessings. As Dr. Falwell says,
"Liberty is the world's largest distinctively Christian, academically
excellent and spiritually vibrant university." LU keeps Christ at the center
of all that it does; consequently, it is the perfect place for 10th,
11th or 12th grade students to explore college life before they make the
big commitment. Students come for one week in the summer and grow from
the knowledge and biblical worldview of some of the best teachers in
the world.  All sessions are taught by full time, fully-qualified LU
faculty.

                          Several of the week's sessions will be tours. 
During free time and in the evenings, students may attend a praise band
concert, ice cream social, a play, ballgame, career fair and use the
facilities on campus such as the wellness center, swimming pools, ice
skating rink and student lounge.  Bring a friend! Bring a smile!

                          How it works
                          Step 1: Students choose a "Concentration." 
Students enroll in one of seven topic areas, which mimic a college
major. They attend their major sessions Monday-Friday mornings from 9:00 am
- 12:00 pm. 

                          Step 2: Students also choose four "Electives"
just as they will in college. Elective sessions occur in the afternoons
Monday-Thursday from 1:00 - 3:00 pm.

                          Step 3: Register before July 1st by filling
out this form and sending a check or money order, or fill out the online
registration form for credit card payments and registration.  Payment
is required at registration. Note: Students who select the day rate pick
a concentration and four electives, just like everyone else; they will
also be served lunch.  However, breakfast, dinner, lodging and the
evening "fun" sessions are included only in the camp rate.  Some evening
activities may be open to the public (free or at a small cost) if family
members wish to participate.

                          Step 4: Arrive on Sunday afternoon, July
16th, 2006 to check in.  Registration will be open from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm.
Students may attend the evening services at the newly-constructed
Thomas Road Baptist Church on the Liberty campus. 

                          Step 5: Attend sessions, learn, have fun and
do all to the glory of God!  (Faculty and RA's will be on site at all
times to direct students.)

                          Step 6: Attend the Friday morning closing
ceremonies at 11:00 am (Family members are welcome).

                          Step 7: Check out! We hope you'll come back
next year and tell all of your friends about the great experience you
had at Liberty Institute for Young Champions!

University Games (the board game people) are running a competition to

young board game inventors.  Prizes offered include $10,000 savings

bonds, a trip, a home game library - a chance to have your game published. 

There are runner up prizes also.

So check for more information on this great competition go to:

http://www.universitygames.com/NYGIC/NYGIC2006ContestInfo.html

Things have been slow here, I know!  I am not as technically oriented as some on these blog sites.  I just don't seem to have the knack to change things in the links sections etc, by way of example.

Anyway, we have all had people down with colds but we are slowly recovering.  Thank the Lord for the sunshine though!