HOME's Used Curriculum Sale!

Be a participant! Sell or buy at this year's used curriculum event!

Countdown to the sale

Date:   Saturday, June 6, 2009
Time:  9:30am - 1:00pm
Place: St. Paul’s Center in Augusta

Volunteer & Seller Registration must be in by June 1st!

HOME's 2008 Used Curriculum Sale was a huge success! It was wonderful to have so many dedicated volunteers who helped the sale go so smoothly! The new sales tags and check out procedure allowed buyers to move through the check out line within 10 minutes!  This year's sale is coming soon and we look forward to seeing you there. The rules and sales tags will stay the same as last year. (If you participated in the 2008 sale and are participating in the 2009 sale with items that were in the 2008 sale, you will need to retag your items with the current year tags to eliminate loss of tags due to age.)  Please help HOME by sharing information of the 2009 Used Curriculum Sale with your friends, and plan to participate as a seller, a buyer or both!  HOME will be holding a Getting Started Workshop at the sale, and The Heart of HOME Bookstore will also be at the sale!

• Used Curriculum Scholarships

• Buyer Information

• Important Information

• Driving Directions

• Questions?

• Sellers Information

• Sale Tags (these are new and must be used!)

• Volunteer Information

• Sellers Register Online

• Seller - Print & Mail Registration

• Volunteers Register Online

• Volunteer - Print & Mail Registration

The HOME Used Curriculum Sale provides a great opportunity for homeschooling families to save money and recycle items that are no longer being used. This can be such a blessing to those trying to stay within a tight, one-income family budget! Even so, there may be some families who are in need of a greater blessing. If you or someone you know needs help with curriculum purchases, please contact the HOME Office in writing. We may be able to offer some assistance at our Used Curriculum Sale. Please submit a letter explaining your situation. Do not call. You will be notified regarding your eligibility. Send your letter to the HOME Office, no later than June 1, 2009.
 

To purchase items at the sale. . .

. . . you may use a check or cash, we are not equipped for credit cards
. . . bring sturdy bags in which to carry your purchases
. . . wear comfortable shoes and clothing
. . . bring a list of needed curriculum
. . . You will have 3 1/2 hours to shop. This will be an intensive time of shopping. You will find it easier to concentrate if you can make childcare arrangements for your children.

We would like to point out IMPORTANT information for the Used Curriculum:

• Location—St. Paul’s Center in Augusta

• New format from years past—no long lists of books that must be sent to us!

• Sales tags—you MUST use copies of our new Curriculum Sales Tag.

• Sales money will be sent within three weeks to the seller. We will NOT be giving out money at the sales.

• You may bring a friend’s items to sell—All sellers must have their own participant number. Numbers may not be shared by more than one seller. - HOME must have a Sellers Release signed by each seller.

• You will have 3 1/2 hours to shop—this will be an intensive time of shopping. You will find it easier to concentrate if you can make childcare arrangements for your children.

Directions to the St. Paul Center in Augusta
From the North take Exit 109A from the Maine Turnpike (I-95), and from the South take Exit 109 onto Western Avenue. Drive approximately one mile to the rotary (traffic circle). Continue 3/4 around the circle to a one-way road. Take the left fork to State Street. Make a right turn onto State Street. The parking lot entrance to the Center is on the left (before you reach Green Street).

Driving Distances: Kittery - 105 miles, Freeport - 39 miles, Boothbay Harbor - 36 miles, Camden - 42 miles, Bar Harbor - 123 miles, Bangor - 77 miles.

Sellers Information

HOME would like to thank you for your interest in participating in our Curriculum Sale 2009. The used curriculum sale is a highlight for many homeschoolers in Maine and it is an easy way for you to support Homeschoolers of Maine. It is also an easy method to support HOME. Your participation as a seller is crucial to the event’s success. Your used books and educational materials may be just what another homeschooler needs! HOME will keep 20% of your sales to help finance the ministry to Maine homeschoolers. Please be sure to read over the instructions for selling as they have changed a great deal from past years.

To participate you will need:

• To Register by June 1, 2009

• A Participant Number (provided by HOME) Participant numbers may not be shared by more than 1 person.

• HOME Used Curriculum Sale Tags properly filled in with your information (You must use a copy of these tags!)

• A pen with black or blue ink. (please no crayons) Please be careful to write legibly.

It is very important that the following instructions are followed when selling your items

Before the sale. . .

• You must register by June 1, 2009 and receive a Participant Number.
• If you participated in the 2008 sale and are participating in the 2009 sale with items that were in the 2008 sale, you will need to retag your items with the current year tags to eliminate loss of tags due to age.
• You must tag your own items before delivering them to the sale.
• You must remove all old stickers from previous sales before putting on your new tags. (Check for old prices on the inside of the cover also.)
• You Must use a copy of the HOME Used Curriculum Sales Tag.  We recommend you copy the tags several times, write in all the information which will be the same on a number of tags (such as participant number, category, price, etc.) and then make as many copies as you need. (Each item will need two tags.) On the tag you will write the participant number, price, grade, category, and title. Tape a tag on the upper right hand corner of the front cover, and a duplicate tag on the inside front cover. Please adhere them with scotch tape on the vertical edges. (See example above, right.) (Duplicate tags identify an owner if the outside tag comes off. We cannot sell items that do not have tags! The tags are the only record we will have of the item you are selling.) When an item is purchased, the tag on the front cover will be cut off and used as verification of the sale. Please write with blue or black ink, not crayon or markers, and please do not let the children help unless they are very neat and their writing is legible.
• For non-book items please tape two tags to each item. Games and Manipulatives that have little pieces need to be in Ziploc bags.

The sale categories to list on the tags are:

• When selling a set of materials, please tape a completed tag on each item. (The selling price will be for the set , not each item as if sold individually.) Fill in the # __ of ___. (For example, if the set has three items in it, you would fill in #1 of 3 for the first item in the set, #2 of 3, for the second, and #3 of 3 for the last item. You need to bind them together with heavy elastics. (Please put an elastics on vertically and horizontally.)

• Please be sure the selling price you give to an item is the correct price you desire on it. We will not have time for price changes at the sale.

• It is your responsibility to keep track of the items you are selling. This year we will have no records of the items you are placing in the sale.
   

• Please sign the Sellers Release and send with your registration or bring to the sale. We MUST have the Sellers Release in order to put your items into the sale.

At the Sale . . .

• Please follow the signs to the sale room to deliver your items. On Friday you may deliver your items from 12pm to 6pm.

• Please bring your Sellers Release (see below) signed, and give to the Used Curriculum worker at the Sign In Table. You MUST check in with one of the Used Curriculum workers when delivering your items.

• If you are bringing a large quantity of items you may be asked to help distribute the items to the various tables. Also, with large quantities of items (over 100 pieces) it would be very helpful if you would separate your items into categories. (I. e. science in one box, reading materials in another, etc.)

After the Sale . . .

• At the end of the sale Saturday, please pick up your unsold items, they will be ready at 2:00pm and must be picked up no later than 2:30pm.

• You may arrange for someone else to pick up your unsold books if you are unable to pick them up after the sale.

• HOME cannot send or deliver them to you.

• If you do not arrive by the end of the pickup time, your unsold items will be considered a donation to HOME.

• • HOME appreciates your donated items that are used to bless other families and support HOME's ministry.

• Due to new postal regulations, tags from your sold items will *not* be mailed to you this year. HOME will keep the tags on file for six weeks after the sale (until July 18), should there be any questions. After that time, the tags will be discarded. Money from the sale of your items will be mailed to you by check within three weeks of the sale. No monies will be given out at the end of the sale day."

To register on line please click here to reach the on line registration.

If you prefer click here to print and mail the forms.

Volunteer Information

Thank you for your desire to volunteer. Your desire to volunteer is the ONLY way HOME can have a Used Curriculum Sale, we rely upon your dedication to the homeschoolers in Maine. The deadline for volunteer registration is June 1, 2009.  As a volunteer, who has committed to working a total of 3 hours throughout the event, you will be allowed to shop early— one hour before the sale is open to the public at the Volunteer Sale. YOU will have the first choice of items. ONLY volunteers, working a total of 3 hours or more, are allowed the opportunity to shop at the Volunteer Sale. We have a limited number of volunteer slots to fill, if you desire to volunteer and be a part of the Volunteer Sale, you will want to register early! We have a great need for teens to volunteer on Friday from 12noon - 6pm and Saturday after 1:30pm to help carry boxes of books, help with set up, and take down. If you have good strong teens we would greatly appreciate their help in serving other homeschoolers for several hours during these two days!

HOME Requirements to volunteer. . .

• a desire to serve others

• a willingness to work hard

• ability to smile, even though you are tired!

• appropriate clothing—you will probably get dirty!

• bring your own meals

We will need volunteers on Friday to. . . We have all the help we need for Friday, Thank you.

• carry boxes of books, help collect, sort, distribute, set up, and organize books

• sort, distribute, and organize books, help direct shoppers and assist those with needs, keep books neat and in their assigned areas, assist with breakdown and clean up, and carry boxes of books.

• Please Note:
  
  The Volunteer Sale will take place Saturday, before the general population sale from 8:00am—9:00am.
  
  Teens may volunteer along with their parent. Parent is responsible for their child at all times. (Teens may be a part of the Volunteer Sale if they work 3 hours.)
  
  There will be no walk-in volunteers accepted this year.
  
  The Volunteer slots are limited, register early—the slots are allotted on a first come basis.

To volunteer on line click here.

The following list contains some of the more common mistakes that are often made by families new to homeschooling. These items are in random order and are by no means all of the mistakes that could be made, nor is the existence of this list a guarantee that all new homeschoolers will make these mistakes. In an effort to help families avoid these errors, I have included links to other articles containing further help, encouragement, or explanations.

1. Doubting their ability to teach their own children

2. A. Attempting to copy the schedule, curriculum, or lifestyle of another homeschooling family
B. Attempting to copy public school classroom models for time schedules, room arrangements, or teaching methods

3. Being overly strict with schoolwork, teaching methods, and discipline, thinking that is how to avoid homeschooling failure

4. A. Leaving the house too often, due to over-involvement
B. Not leaving the house enough, due to fear or due to a too-intensive load of schoolwork

5. Trying to do too much -- too many subjects, too many activities, or too many projects

6. Viewing the household chores as Mom's Work, instead of as a team activity that benefits everyone

7. Assuming that what they may have heard about homeschooling is true, without checking into the facts: legal accountability requirements, time or financial commitment, or curriculum availability

8. Giving too much information on official documents

9. Refusing to try alternate methods or materials, even when something is not working well, feeling that changing methods will bring inconsistency

10. Giving up too quickly, instead of allowing themselves time to adapt to this totally new lifestyle (the second year is much easier than Year #1)


Once again, beginning to homeschool your children does not mean that you will make any or all of the above mistakes, especially if you attempt to tailor the academics to your children's interests and fit the educational experiences into your family's lifestyle (instead of the other way around). Guilt-Free Homeschooling is based in the homeschooling method which is comfortable for you and keeps you relaxed (not tense and stressful). Guilt-Free Homeschooling fits your family's lifestyle -- and there can be few mistakes in that.

For more encouragement, browse through the Titles Index for intriguing articles, or check out the category listings in the Topical Index for help with a specific problem you may be enduring.

Posted by Carolyn M @ 4:07 PM | 4 comments

Subway contest, for homeschoolers too!
Enter today.

http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/kids/contest.aspx

Here are the rules and regulations from the website.

SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.
©2008 Doctor's Associates Inc. All rights reserved.

EVERY SANDWICH TELLS A STORY – SUMMER SPECIAL CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not improve your chance of winning. To enter, visit www.subwaykids.com and submit your child's story and your name, address, daytime phone number, e-mail address, your child's name and grade level. Your child must be in Grade Pre-K – 6. You can also send your child's story along with the information above to: Every Sandwich Tells a Story Contest Summer Special, c/o Scholastic Inc., P.O. Box 711, New York 10012. Contest begins July 1,2008, 12:00 a.m. EST and all entries must be received by August 31, 2008, 11:59 p.m. EST. Parents can enter only one entry for each child in the household.

2. ELIGIBILITY. Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are currently over the age of 18 and the story submitted must be by such entrant’s child in Pre-K – 6. Employees and members of their families of Scholastic and Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, Doctor’s Associates Inc., their parent organization, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion and production agencies are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

3. WINNERS. One Grand Prize Winner and Six Runners-Up will be selected by Scholastic from among all eligible entries on or about September 17, 2008 and notified by phone on or about September 22, 2008. One Grand Prize Winner and Six Runners-Up will be chosen based on the creativity and quality of their essay, adherence to the proposed theme, and use of story starters. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a Scholastic gift basket (Approximate retail value: $500), $100 Subway® Card and athletic equipment (Approximate retail value: $5000). Six Runners-Up Winners will receive a Scholastic gift basket (Approximate retail value: $100) and a $100 Subway® Card Prizes are non-transferable, non-assignable and no cash alternative will be offered except by Scholastic in the event of unavailability, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. Athletic equipment awarded to the Grand Prize Winner will be selected by Contest Sponsors. Taxes on prizes, if any, are the responsibility of the winners.

4. GENERAL. All entries will become the property of Scholastic and Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust and will not be returned. By entering, entrants agree to abide by these rules, warrant and represent that their entry is accurate and their child's original work and grant to Scholastic and Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust the right to use the winners names, information provided and likeness for purposes of advertising and/or promotion. Winners may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within ten (10) business days of notification attempt or an alternative winner may be selected. By accepting a prize, winners and family members also agree to release Scholastic, Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, Doctor’s Associates Inc., their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion or production agencies from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize and/or participation in the Contest. Taxes, if any, on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Subject to all applicable laws.

5. WINNERS' LIST. The names of the Grand Prize Winner and Six Runners-Up will be available after October 8, 2008. You may request these names by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope by November 17, 2008 to: Every Sandwich Tells a Story Contest Summer Special Winners List, Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, 5th Floor, NY, NY 10012.

Contest Sponsors:
Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
SFAFT, 488 Wheelers Farms Rd., Milford, CT 06461

In many states, creating a portfolio of your child's work is a legal requirement for homeschoolers. Doing so gives the state authorities the reassurance that your child is making sufficient academic progress, as well as provides a written record for your homeschool's program. But, creating a portfolio with meaning and memories can add so much more to your family's homeschool journey. By creating one that is personalized and tailored to your child and your program, you will be creating a book that will be cherished for years to come. Additionally, a well organized, personalized portfolio will give its evaluators a better understanding of your child and your family. This way, your evaluation will be far more significant than one for a more generic or haphazard collection of your child's work.

Compiling your children's portfolios does not have to be difficult, but it can be time consuming. Here are some ways to stay on top of things, as well as ways to put your own personal mark on these "end of year" collections:

	Begin organized and stay organized. Keep a file for every subject area, for every child. You will find that just having a folder into which your children can place their work will save you hours of running around at the end of the year. Date all completed worksheets and place them in the appropriate file immediately. For books (like math consumables), you can date the appropriate worksheet and leave it in the book, tearing out examples when you put your portfolio together.
	Document everything you can. It's a great deal easier to document field trips, books read, and schedules as you are accomplishing them, then to try to reconstruct the year after it's complete. You can do this on the computer, or simply keep a notebook into which you write all relevant events as they happen.
	Write a weekly log. Writing daily lesson plans in advance can be helpful, but for most of us, schedules can change as the week goes by. Doctor's appointments, unforeseen events, needing extra time to complete an assignment or simply moving ahead more quickly can all lead to those lessons changing on a daily basis. If you keep a weekly log for what did take place in your homeschool, you will be able to provide an accurate, written account of what was covered and any special classes your children were able to take.
	Take lots of pictures! Not only do photos provide a visual aid in helping to envision your homeschool program, they also afford you the chance to record events as they happen. Pictures don't have to record only the "big" events. Doing a science experiment, curling up reading a book, playing a math game or reading a map are all day-to-day events that you will want to remember in pictures. There are many ways to document these pictures, the most popular of which is the hobby of scrapbooking. Scrapbooking materials and supplies are available from private consultants and in hobby stores. You can decorate pages with journaling, explaining what's happening in each photo, and enhance them with your own creative flair.
	Take photos of items too large to fit into the scrapbook. For example, if your child has created a number of wonderful art projects or science experiments, make sure you not only photograph your child working on them, but take ones of the finished project, as well. So many of these special "treasures" are fragile and photographing them will preserve them forever. For prolific artists, you can also assemble an art "show" monthly and photograph the group of projects altogether.
	When in doubt, keep it! It's a good idea to keep all sketches, diagrams, spelling tests, maps, current event projects, reports, handwriting samples, book reports, creative writing examples, math worksheets & tests, foreign language samples, ticket stubs to special events (such as museum trips, theater events, etc.) and map & timeline projects. You can always weed out later ! But by saving them in an organized, methodical way, you will be able to pick and choose which samples you can best include.
	Give yourself plenty of time to sort and compile your portfolio. Don't wait until the last minute ! I like to give myself some time every day for a few weeks to really create the picture of each of my children I wish to convey. Rushing will only stress you out and make you want to hurry through the process. Take the time to create organized groups for every required category and then pick the 'best' reflections for every quarter for every subject. Using a three-ring binder, I use standard section separators and create different sections for required forms given by the evaluators, book logs, field trip logs, weekly logs, calendar (attendance chart), writing samples (creative writing, as well as reports), handwriting samples, math samples (worksheets & tests), spelling (worksheets & tests), science logs, foreign language samples and photos.
	Neatness does count! To provide the clearest record, I take my scrapbook pages and take them to the local copy center and have them color copied. I also find that this presents a tidier, less bulky 'feel' to the pages in our portfolio. Additionally, this keeps our cherished family photos in the family album. Copy centers will reduce and/or resize your scrapbook pages if they don't fit onto a standard 8" x 11". I also have color copies made of my children's writing samples so I don't have to tear out samples from their "final copy" books & journals. Copy centers will do this for you for a nominal fee but some copy centers will allow you to make the copies yourself. Standard Xerox does work but doesn't look as crisp or presentable. Scanning on a high quality scanner on your own home computer might be another viable option, but may not offer you the same resize opportunities as a copy center's professional touch.
	Don't forget the basics. Make sure your child's name, address, phone number, age, grade and other relevant information is right on the front of your portfolio. It makes it far easier for evaluators to  pertinent information first thing. Additionally, it helps evaluators to know if you use a specific method in your homeschool. For example, if you employ the Charlotte Mason, unit study or Classical methods, it helps your evaluators to have that information right away so that they can best read your portfolio with that in mind.
	Have fun! Remember to look at this as your opportunity to share your year with your child's evaluators. Express your passion for homeschooling and your child's special gifts on every page. The love that you convey for your child will clearly show on the pages of your portfolio!

Editor's note: With Ellen's great ideas you can start the year off right by planning for the end of this year's evaluation today! How easy it will then be to send the portfolio to HOME for your review!

"Take It Outside" Natural History Series at the Pine Tree State Arboretum

Every Thursday in June,12:15-1pm, free (meet at the PTSA Visitor Center)

Spring Fest Saturday, May 10th at Field's Pond Audubon Center
Come to the nature center for an all ages, all day, free event celebrating International Migratory Bird Day.

7 - 8:30am Birding By Ear Walk with Bruce Barker

7 - 8:30am Bird Walk with Medea Steinman

9 - 10:00am Yoga with John Yasenchak (bring mat if you have one)

9 - 10:00am Children's Walk (parents can enjoy yoga or Birding by Ear)

9 - 11:00am Birding By Ear Walk with Steve Coleman (open to the visually impaired community & anyone interested in learning bird songs)

10 - 1:00pm NATIVE & ORGANIC PLANT SALE BY REBEL HILL FARM

10 - 4:00pm Children's Activity Area

10:30 - 11:30am Walk and Talk with Merle Hetley: Native Plants

10:30 - 11:30pm Children's Nature Exploration with Ruth Perry (parents enjoy plants walk)

11:30 - Noon Lunch Break: sandwiches, chips, cookies & juice will be for sale

Noon - 1:00pm Live Turtles with Jean Adamson

1:30 - 2:30pm Pollinators Presentation with Pat Synder: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds

3:00 - 4:00pm Music Together with Surya Mitchell (children with their parents)

4:00 - 5:00pm Hands-on Photography Workshop with Joni Dunn

4:00 - 5:00pm Children's Walk (parents can enjoy photography with Joni Dunn)

5:00 - 6:30pm Evening Bird Walk with Judy Kellogg Markowsky

Children's Activities:

9 - 10:00am Children's Walk

10 - 4:00pm Children's Activity Area

10:30 - 11:30pm Children's Nature Exploration with Ruth Perry

Noon - 1:00pm Live Turtles with Jean Adamson

1:30 - 2:30am Pollinators Presentation with Pat Synder: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds

3 - 4:00pm Music Together with Surya Mitchell (children with their parents)

4:00 - 5:00pm Children's Walk

Directions to Fields Pond in Holden: At Exit 5 from I-395, go right on Parkway South for 0.3 mile. Go right on Dirigo Drive 0.5 mile. Go right on Green Point Road 0.8 mile. Go left on Wiswell Road 1.5 miles. At Fields Pond Road, go right 1 mile. Audubon Center is on left #216.

To contact Fields Pond email htwining@maineaudubon.org or call 989-2591.