From HomeschoolViewTube:

HomeSchoolViewTube.com, what is it? It’s homeschooling from your view. Pull up a chair and surf your way to your new favorite spot to upload your homeschooling themed videos. Share your experiences, ideas, and knowledge with your fellow homeschoolers. Think of it as your very own Virtual Co-op. Do you know how to teach a certain subject? If so, this is the place where parents can find resources to supplement or enrich their homeschooling experience. Are you a student? Share what you know and what you are doing. The opportunities are endless.

http://www.homeschoolviewtube.com/

Hat tip to Esther.

From HSLDA:

It’s time to plan for the SAT/ACT college admission tests. Register online for these tests at the College Board website or the ACT website. Test schedules and fees are listed there as well. A word to the wise—encourage your teen to prepare before taking these tests. On HSLDA’s website you can find test prep resources and tips or purchase an SAT/ACT prep CD. Remember, HSLDA members are always welcome to call or email the high school coordinators with questions.

The Preliminary SAT^®/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test that measures the critical reading, math problem-solving, and writing skills your student has developed over the years.

Why?

Here are just some of the reasons for your student to take the PSAT/NMSQT:

• The test is the best preparation for the SAT.
• If your student is in the eleventh grade, he'll be eligible to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's scholarship programs.
• The test identifies your student's academic strengths and weaknesses.
• The test forecasts SAT scores.
• He'll gain access to My College QuickStart™, an online personalized college and career planning kit that he can utilize throughout high school.

When?

Students take the PSAT/NMSQT in the eleventh grade to qualify for scholarships and to prepare for the SAT. Your student can also benefit from taking the test in the tenth grade or earlier because he'll get personalized feedback on the academic skills he needs for college. By taking the test before eleventh grade, he'll have more time to develop these skills and to begin the college planning process.

Depending on the school, the PSAT/NMSQT is given on one of two days in October. Test dates for 2008 are Wednesday, October 15 and Saturday, October 18.

How Does My Student Register?

You or your student should contact a local public or independent high school. Call the school's main number and ask to be directed to whoever handles the PSAT/NMSQT arrangements. Be sure to do so well in advance of the mid-October test dates, preferably during the previous June when the majority of schools place test orders. Most high schools should be accommodating. If the school seems resistant, you should ask another school in the area. Search for high schools in your area. 

Here is a list of questions to ask the school when registering:

How Much Does the Test Cost?

The fee for the 2008 PSAT/NMSQT is $13. The school may charge an additional fee to cover administrative costs. The College Board makes fee waivers available to schools for students in eleventh grade from low-income families who can't afford the test fee. Talk to the high school's counselor for more information.

Is My Student Eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's Scholarship Competitions?

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation cosponsors the PSAT/NMSQT. Your student must be in the eleventh grade to qualify for the scholarship competitions. Several home-schooled students have been awarded scholarships. For more information, contact your local school's counselor or the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Do you have a great support group that you want to kill? Courtesy of Elena at My Domestic Church, here are the quickest ways to do just that.

1. Stop Having meetings. That way no one connects and new people never have a chance to come and make friends.

 

2. Don't have strong discernible leadership. Spread the leadership over a large committee that way no one person has a vision or a focus and no one is ever quite sure who to go to.

 

3. Make a big controversy over something that has almost nothing to do with homeschooling. Point out all the ways people in the group are different and make sure everyone sees where the battle lines are. Then folks can just break off and take like-minded folks with them, further diluting the effectiveness of the original group.

 

4. Miss certain touch points. If you have a yearly picnic - miss it this year and don't tell anyone why. This is more effective if you can combine it with another missed event like dues notification. Then people really will start to wonder if the group is still going on or not.

 

5. Go out of your way to make it difficult for new people to join. Don't advertise your meetings and make sure all the topics are only of interest to old timers.

Hat tip to Esther.

The last seriously comprehensive national study of homeschoolers took place in 1997. In the time since NHERI had focused on a study of adults who were homeschooled. It's now past time to see how homeschoolers in general are doing.

If you tested your child for the 2007-2008 school year with one of the following testing services, and you know your child's student number (on the results page), you are asked to participate in the study online.

• Bob Jones University Press
• Family Learning Organization
• Piedmont Education Services
• Seton Testing Services

To participate in the study, have your child(ren)'s student number(s) handy and go to the following website:  www.nheri.org/study. It takes only a few minutes to complete.

The Zeta Delta Chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha, the homeschool honor society is now accepting new members for the new school year.

The Zeta Delta Chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha is a new chapter of HSA started in the Spring of 2004. It is open to all Oahu home schooled students, grades 7-12, who meet the membership requirements. Each applicant must complete and submit an application form. Applications may be submitted in the summer following the student's 6th grade year through summer following his/her 11th grade year. See the Membership Requirements page for deadlines to submit applications.

The Homeschool Court Report magazine featured an article about the Kamakawiwaole family. The article is also available online:

http://hslda.org/courtreport/V24N2/V24N206.asp