Homeschool Nations

Homeschool Nations - Arkansas

Jun. 25, 2008

Schoolhouse Planner

TOS is so excited to announce that our much-anticipated Schoolhouse Planner is READY!

The Schoolhouse Planner has so many wonderful features. You told us what you wanted in a planner, and we have delivered!

Some of the main features include:

Calendars in various forms - yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily

Planners for your homeschool - in various styles to meet your individual needs

Household planning forms

12 "homeschool must-know" items, one for each month of the year

12 essays from some of our favorite authors in the homeschool community - you absolutely won't want to miss these!

24 easy main-dish recipes from some top homeschoolers around the nation

and so much more!

PLUS, the Schoolhouse Planner is interactive! You can type right into the pdf! If you have Adobe Acrobat, you'll be able to save the changes you make. (Note: If you only have Adobe Reader, you can type in your planner information, print it, but will not be able to save these changes.)

Don't forget, monthly planner add-ons are available for purchase every month. We already have some great holiday related information ready for July's planner supplement!

We're there with you each month to make your home and school planning as easy and fun as possible throughout the year!

ORDER HERE!

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Jun. 3, 2008

Electrical Safety

Scott Davis at Making Accidents Disappear, teaches children about electrical safety in his magic shows. He does shows for free for schools and homeschool groups. Check out his website for more information.

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May. 27, 2008

Around Arkansas

Hands-on Fun

The Fort Smith National Historic Site is offering hands-on workshops for children on June 2, 3, 9, 14 and 28. The program is for children ages 5 and up and will explore the history of early Fort Smith. While designed to be fun for kids, the workshops are also educational and tie into Arkansas’s state curriculum frameworks and standards.

3rd & Rogers

Phone: 479-783-3961

Web site: www.nps.gov/fosm.

Web site: www.Arkansas.com

Heading to Hardy for Homesteaders Day

Step back in time and experience the life of our pioneering forefathers at the 17th Annual Homesteaders Day in Hardy. Held in Loberg Park on June 21, the day includes demonstrations of pioneer skills, buggy rides, music, skits, treasure hunts and a wide variety of other activities for kids. And don’t miss everyone’s favorite – the terrapin races!

Loberg Park

Phone: 870-856-3811

Web site: www.oldhardytown.net

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May. 13, 2008

Silent Auction

From Education Alliance

Look below at all the wonderful items that have been donated for the silent auction at the Searcy Home School Convention! The silent auction will be open from 9-5 on Friday and 9-1 on Saturday.

Here is the list of items up for bid:

1. $50 gift certificate to J Pruitt Shoes/Bo's Birkenstock in Little Rock
2. Four admission tickets to Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs
3. Four $10 gift certificates to any Dixie Cafe restaurant
4. $25 gift certificate to make pottery, ceramics, etc, at Firefly Studio
    in Little Rock
5. Four VIP passes to Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Odditorium in Branson, MO
6. Two 1-Day admission tickets for the 2008 season at Silver Dollar City in
    Branson, MO
7. A 1-Night stay in a standard single or double occupancy room at the
    Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock
8. $50 gift certificate for Arbonne International products
9. Two complimentary tickets for the 2008 season at Murry's Dinner
    Playhouse in Little Rock (program included)
10. A Brighton bracelet from Faux Pas in Little Rock
11. Two adult tickets to The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs
12. 3 separate complimentary one-year memberships to Home School Legal
    Defense Association
13. Gift basket from the Secretary of State's Office
14. Two VIP show passes for the 2008 season at Grand Country Music Hall in
    Branson, MO
15. Two roundtrip airline tickets valid on any Southwest Airlines operated
    flight within the Continental U.S. No restrictions; no black out dates.
16. A Ginger Lime candle from Gold Canyon Candles
17. Two separate complete lunches for up to a family of four at Capitol
    Bistro in Little Rock
18. Family Four Pack to Dickey-Stephens Park to watch the Arkansas Travelers
    play baseball - includes 4 reserved tickets, hot dogs, soft drinks and
    peanut/popcorn coupons
19. $20 gift card to Mardel Christian & Educational Supply store
20. Two tickets to any one performance of Pops Live! or Masterworks Series
    for the 2008-2009 season from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little
    Rock
21. $5 gift certificate to The Bible House in Searcy
22. $10 gift certificate to The Bible House in Searcy
23. A 1-Night stay in a premium room at The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in
    Eureka Springs
24. Two regular season passes to Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in Hot
    Springs
25. Two tickets to "Fire on the Mountain" showing May 30-June 14 at The
    Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock
26. Four movie passes good at Rave Motion Pictures in Little Rock
27. Two audio books called "Interviewing Your Daughter's Date" from
    FamilyLife
28. Family devotion book from FamilyLife called "Just Add Family: Easy
    Recipes For Faith Filled Fun" (for children 10 and under)
29. "Simply Romantic Nights: License 4 Creative Intimacy" from FamilyLife.
    Get to know your spouse's needs and enjoy one another with these
    creative ideas for a date night once a month. This book is for parents
    only!
30. Trout fishing trip from White Hole Resort in Flippin - two nights in a 1-
    bedroom unit, one full day of guided trout fishing on the White River
    and breakfast on the day of the guided fishing trip.
31. K-bar knife (pilot survival knife) from TeenPact
32. Black Milestones Picfolio (album) from Creative Memories
33. $25 gift certificate to HobbyTownUSA in Little Rock

This is a wonderful opportunity to get items at a discounted price! You will need to check back frequently to see if someone outbid you and to raise your bid. The silent auction will close at 1:00 on Saturday. At 2:00, winners will be announced and may purchase their items. If the winner is not present, the Education Alliance will contact them to arrange for payment and delivery of the item won. The winner will be responsible for shipping costs if not picked up at the convention.

Hopefully you have seen something above that interests you and we hope you will stop by and bid on something.

See you at the convention!

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May. 13, 2008

Help needed at conventions

From Education Alliance

We still have volunteer positions open and paid positions as well. For the Northwest Arkansas convention, we still need help with registration and the used book sale. To volunteer please contact our office at info@arkansashomeschool.org or by calling 501-978-5503.

We also need men (15+) who would be available on Thursday night (4-9 pm) to help the vendors unload and set-up and we need men on Saturday evenining (5-8) to help the vendors tear down and load their vehicles. The pay is $7.50 per hour. If you or someone you know would be interested in any or all of these positions, please contact our office at info@arkansashomeschool.org or call 501-978-5503.

For the Searcy convention, we still need volunteers to help with registration, the used book sale and the children's conference. To help with registration, please contact Amy Chastain at 501-851-8220. To help with the used book sale, please contact Dana Adams at 501-868-7177.

To help with the children's conference, please contact Brandon Werner at 405-517-5686. I also need some teens to usher at graduation. If you have any teens that would be interested, it would be from 5:15 until 6:30 and/or they are welcome to stay and watch the ceremony. This would be great for high school sophomores or juniors to come check out what it's like! Dress is business casual (slacks and skirts; no jeans).

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Apr. 30, 2008

Contest from THM

U.S. Presidents March CD

We have a fun contest for you this month! If you ever wanted your children to learn the names of the presidents we have the product for you!

U.S. Presidents March CD

From our reviewer:

The three songs in The U.S. Presidents March CD help children memorize U.S. Presidents, First Ladies, and the story of the writing of the U.S. Constitution. "The U.S. Presidents March" contains the full names of all U.S. Presidents in chronological order to the tune of John Phillip Sousa's "Washington Post March". A separate split track and instrumental track are also included. "The First Ladies March" (to the same tune) contains the full names of the First Ladies in chronological order, with a separate split track. The third selection is "The Ballad of the U.S. Constitution", which tells the story of how the U.S. Constitution came to be. Events included in the ballad are the signing of the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the creation of the Bill of Rights. The Ballad has an additional instrumental track.

It delights me to recommend a product created by a fellow homeschooling family. The Coopers have graduated two sons from their homeschool. Drawing from their many years of homeschooling experience, they create and provide products they believe will serve fellow homeschoolers well. I enjoy supporting a family company that offers high-quality products, especially when the family has successfully traveled the path I am just beginning.

Read the complete review online and enter for a chance to win the U.S. Presidents March CD!

TO ENTER:
Email Deb with your name and mailing address and the subject, "U.S. Presidents March" for a chance to win*.

Also, if you are not already a subscriber to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, now is a great time to start.

I wanted to tell you about a special promotion the magazine for homeschool families is running right now. If you subscribe for just a year, you actually (while supplies last) will receive 25 curriculum-type gifts from various vendors. The value is huge – hundreds of dollars' worth of freebies to you. No strings attached – except that TOS only has about 2000 of these “gift baskets” left in their inventory. First come, first served. Here's the link which explains more, below. You can even view all the gifts and find out how they'll arrive. Hurry, though, they go really fast. Last time the magazine did this they sold out about two months early.

http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_60&products_id=1542

The above link will show you the pictures of your free gifts plus give you all the details.

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Apr. 24, 2008

14th Annual Migratory Birding Hike at Lake Leatherwood

Eureka Springs

April 27, 2008, 8:30 - 11

Eureka Springs’ birding authority J. Pat Valentik will conduct the three-hour migratory birding hike, participants are asked to meet at the Bath House at Lake Leatherwood Park. Valentik recommends hikers “bring adequate drinking water, sturdy shoes and binoculars.” He added, “And be prepared to see up to sixty different species of migratory birds on the hike!” Children are welcome. An adult must accompany children under twelve.

For a free bird coloring book here.

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Apr. 18, 2008

Convention Help

Got this from Education Alliance today.

Jim Fuller with Bob Jones University Press is looking for some additional help at both the Springdale and Searcy conventions coming up very soon. What he is seeking is a BJUPress home school parent and teen team that is currently using BJUPress for all there homeschooling needs and that have a Love for BJUP materials. The parent can help out answering homeschooling question as well as take orders and the teen will be just taking orders and helping customers fill out order forms. This is a paid position from Precept Marketing Group of $8.00 per hour each for the parent and for the teen. For more information call Jim Fuller 501-766-1632.

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Apr. 13, 2008

April Events

Predators
April 2 - April 27, 2008
Museum of Discovery
How did the dinosaurs track their prey, and what was their favorite meal? Do common house cats and the big cats of Africa still have common traits? What is the most dangerous animal in the ocean? Join the Museum of Discovery as we take you on an adventurous look into the lives of Predators!
Admission: $8 adults; $7 children and seniors
http://www.amod.org

"Creating Pots for Wood Burning Kilns" Workshop

April 12 - April 15, 2008
http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com
Certain forms, as well as certain clay body formulations, are more conducive to success in a wood firing kiln than others. Learn the difference in this class which precedes our annual wood firing with resident Folk Center potters John Perry and Judi Munn. Lodging and meal packages available. Contact the park to register.
Admission: $200 plus material fees

Step Back Saturdays: At the Forge
April 12 - April 26, 2008
Historic Arkansas Museum
http://www.HistoricArkansas.org
See how they did it in pioneer days. Saturdays March-October bring pioneer life ways to the historic grounds, showing you the how and the why of 1800s living. Each month presents a different theme. The half-hour presentations are open to the public free of charge, or can be seen as part of a historic house tour at no additional cost. Times: 10:45, 11:45, 1:45, 2:45, 3:45.
Admission: Free

Artists Retreat-Creative Expressions
April 18 - April 20, 2008
10 am - 8 pm
Peace Mountain Lodge on More Mountain
http://johntwohawks.com
Whether you are an artist, a writer, an entrepreneur or a college student, creating The Creative Expression Retreat replaces the 'Artist's Retreat' because we see that all people have a need to experience this creative force that is the essence of making life worth living. This retreat is set up to help us to appreciate those things that are sometimes thought of as 'less valuable', but are really the seeds of peace, love and joy. Nature lovers, business visionaries, thought explorers, dream catchers, entrepreneurial spirits, vision dancers and lovers of the wind, you are all invited to explore your creative potential. Bring ideas, dreams, art, jokes.
Admission: $250

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Apr. 4, 2008

Arkansas--Announcing the 2008 Annual Education Alliance Convention

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

The 2008 Annual Education Alliance Convention is coming to your area

May 16-17, 2008. This event will be held at the Harding University

Campus, 915 E. Market Street, Searcy, Arkansas 72143.

We encourage you to attend and take advantage of our special offers

below. Our staff would love to meet you. We count it a privilege to

serve you, and appreciate your partnership with us to defend

homeschool freedoms.

This year, we have two special offers for members:

> If you join or renew your membership at the conference for one year,

you'll receive a $10 coupon that you can use toward your membership

(at the conference only) or for purchasing our materials. Or...

> Renew or join for two years and receive either a $25 coupon that you

can use toward your membership (at the conference only) or the Drive

Thru History America DVD and student workbook, retailed at $50.00,

FREE. Please visit http://www.hslda.org/join/offers.asp for more

information. (This offer does not include the $10 gift certificate.)

If you are not yet an HSLDA member or know someone else who might be

interested in joining, these same offers are available for families

who join at the conference.

Additionally, if you bring someone to our table who joins at the

conference, we'll give you another $10 coupon for your

recommendation--which you can also apply toward membership (at the

conference only) or HSLDA products.

Please note that these offers are only valid at the conference. Early

registration ends of April 30. For more information about the 2008

Annual Education Alliance Convention, please contact TEA at

501-978-5503, info@arkansashomeschool.org, or visit

www.arkansashomeschool.org .

We are keenly aware that our parental and homeschool freedoms are best

preserved when we all stand together to defend them. We look forward

to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

J. Michael Smith

HSLDA President

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Apr. 2, 2008

Important Dates

If you have a child in grades 3 - 9 the state-mandated testing is coming up. Mark your calendars. Find out more information here.

News from the Arkansas Education Alliance

Homeschool Graduation hosted by the Arkansas Education Alliance
Date & Time of Graduation: Saturday, May 17, 2008, 6:00 p.m.
Place for Graduation: Benson Auditorium
Harding University, Searcy, AR

Graduation Deadline Extended
The deadline to register has been extended to April 15. If you or anyone you know has not signed up there's still time! Click the link below to print a copy of the graduation packet.

Click here to view the graduation packet.

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Mar. 24, 2008

Book It

Homeschoolers can enroll here for the Book It program at Pizza Hut.

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Mar. 19, 2008

Rosetta Stone Contest

Jen is hosting this fabulous contest on her blog:

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE!

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.

This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking. Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included! For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports.

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/ and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it. And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it. And good luck! The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg. And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win. Yay for free stuff!

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Mar. 13, 2008

Cave Tour

A four-hour guided trip into undeveloped portions of Blanchard Springs Caverns. Visitors will need sturdy boots and long pants, must be in good physical condition, and be prepared to climb, crawl, and get dirty. Participants must be at least ten years old. A responsible adult must tour with ten to twelve year olds. Open year round; tours by reservation only, Wednesdays-Sundays. Call (870) 757-2211 or (888) 757-2246 for tour times, rates, or reservations. March 1-31.

Admission: $75 per person; $25 non-refundable deposit, $50 on tour day

Information from Arkansas.com

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Mar. 13, 2008

Star Gazing Event

Star Gazing the Night Skies

Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park, remote yet centrally located at Scott, provides a perfect backdrop for this Star Gazing event. On Mar. 29, a park interpreter will guide you through the spring constellations and tell Native American stories while exploring the site in a different way. Space is limited so make reservations early. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair.

490 Toltec Mounds Road

Phone: 501-961-9442

E-mail: toltecmounds@arkansas.com

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Feb. 28, 2008

Birding Workshop

A birding workshop at Lake Chicot State Park in Lake Village will be held March 8-9. You will learn how to use binoculars, birding tips and how to identify specific birds.

For more information call 870-265-5480.

Also coming up, celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the All Things Green Weekend also at Lake Chicot State Park March 15-16. You will help sow a native plant and help local wildlife that enjoys feasting on the native plants. Other programs will include: gardening, native plants and backyard habitats which will be held throughout the week.

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Feb. 23, 2008

Homeschool Groups Can Help Education Alliance With Walk-a-thons

Education Alliance is supported entirely by Arkansas homeschool families. Homeschoolers can help them raise money through Walk-a-thons.

A walk-a-thon is simply where you pass out pledge sheets provided by Education Alliance to the children in your support group. Those children get their family/friends/neighbors to sponsor them at so much money per mile when they walk (maximum of 5 miles). You pick a date/time to hold the walk-a-thon and walk (or skate, bicycle, scooter, whatever works – make it fun!).

You then turn the pledge sheets in to Education Alliance. They send a letter to the sponsors reminding the sponsors of their pledge and Education Alliance collects the money. 90 days are allowed for people to turn in their pledges. Prizes are then issued to those children raising $100 or more and also a check will be issued to your group for half the proceeds from the walk.

Local support groups use this money for many different reasons – some donate the money to local food pantries, some use it to pay speakers that come talk to their group, some use it to fund sports teams,etc. You get to decide what your group would like to spend the money on.

For the Education Alliance, walk-a-thons have turned into their main fundraiser. They bring in more profit than anything else. But, they don’t have enough of them. They need more groups to “step up to the plate” and host a walk-a-thon in their area. It not only helps the Education Alliance, but your group can benefit as well.

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Feb. 14, 2008

Freebies

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine 2008 Freebie Directory - over 40 items!

Homeschool Freebies
Jamin!, Freebie Finder

We live in the HOT, HOT desert so right now our weather is lovely and we are enjoying being outside. Therefore, I will try to remember some of the things my family does to get through the 120 degree days of summer! Seriously though, whether you get cabin fever when there is a foot of snow on the ground or the temperatures are too unbearable to go outside it happens to us all! I LOVE being home with my kids, but when the temperatures soar and we are trapped inside together for weeks on end we all start to go a little crazy!

Here are some ideas to keep you busy until spring has sprung!

learn4good.com offers some online games to keep kids busy and having fun!

kidsmc.com connects kids from 181 countries with international pen pals! Kids communicate through the website and no personal information is exchanged. My kids have done this in the past and it is a lot of fun!

Free Three Snow Bears Lapbook - This lapbook is based on the book Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett. This is a fun, wintry, re-telling of The Three Bears. There are also links to fun printables that go along with the book from Jan Brett's website.

Happy Homeschooling!
~Jamin

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Feb. 12, 2008

Great Backyard Bird Count

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

11^th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

February 15 – 18, 2008

Count for Fun, Count for the Future!

Dear Great Backyard Bird Count participant,

Your chance to take part in the eleventh Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) comes up in a few short weeks. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to have fun and help us find out where the birds are this winter. Read on for new and exciting features of this year’s event.

What’s new this year?

Check out the GBBC website (www.birdcount.org) for improved features, including:

Ability to submit YouTube bird videos. The best videos will be posted on the GBBC website
Expanded sparrow identification page
New bird call identification game for kids
New FAQ section and narrated GBBC overview

Spread the Word
We hope you'll spread the word this year by encouraging your friends to participate. You can forward this email to them or direct them to visit the website at www.birdcount.org. Remember: the GBBC is fun, free, and helps birds!

Win something cool
When you send in your checklist this year, you will automatically be entered in a prize drawing to win items like binoculars, bird feeders, and a variety of great books! Check out http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/press/news-stories/prize-list-for-2008 for a listing of prizes.

Submit Photos to our Online Gallery and photo contest
During the count, take digital photos of birds (and bird watchers!) and submit them to the GBBC website. All photos submitted will be entered in the photo contest, and some will be posted in an online gallery. Images will be accepted through March 1.

Your counting counts
In 2007, GBBC participants made history, breaking records for the number of birds reported and number of checklists submitted. Participants sent in more than 80,000 checklists tallying over 11 million birds of 613 species. Last year, as a result of your counts, we discovered that many bird species had already started their spring migrations in February—earlier than in decades past. Your counts help us build a long-term record of where people are finding birds and how many birds there are. Although your bird counts need to take place from February 15-18, you can submit data as late as March 1, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact us at citizenscience@audubon.org or cornellbirds@cornell.edu.

Remember, count for fun, count for the future! We can’t wait to see what you discover this year.

Sincerely,

Janis Dickinson, Director of Citizen Science, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Rob Fergus, Senior Scientist, National Audubon Society

Melissa Hopkins, Education Associate, National Audubon Society

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Feb. 12, 2008

Homeschoolers Allowed Public School Access for Extracurricular Activites

I've heard a lot of talk lately from homeschooling parents who would like their children to be allowed access to public school extracurricular activities. Alabama homeschoolers are lobbying for their public schools to allow equal access to sports and other extracurricular activities. Currently only 23 states have equal access, but this access is working.

Some of us have hoped we could begin the same process in Arkansas.

I received this email from Education Alliance:

Due to the fact that the most recent Heisman Trophy winner was a homeschooled student (Tim Tebow), our office has received numerous phone calls regarding the pursuit of home schooled students in Arkansas being allowed to participate in sports at their local public school. If you or someone you know is interested in this topic and would like to attend a meeting to discuss it, please come to our office on Tuesday, February 19, at 1:30 pm. (414 S. Pulaski St., Little Rock, AR 72201) Please contact our office at info@arkansashomeschool.org or 501-978-5503 by NOON on Friday, February 15, to let us know you are coming and how many people will be in your party. We need to make sure we have enough space to hold everyone.

So, if you are a homeschooler who would like to see equal access for our students, please try to attend this meeting.

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About Me

Welcome to the Arkansas Homeschool Nations website. I'm a homeschooling mom of 3 and have been homeschooling for 5 years now. On this site I will be sharing news about events in Arkansas, specific topics for homeschoolers, information about our state laws and important information we should be paying attention to. I hope you find what you're looking for on this site. If not email me and I'll do my best to help!