I hope everyone enjoyed celebrating Jesus' birth and the start of a new year!  I am so encouraged by new beginnings and new attitudes. As I reflected this morning, I pondered what new wellspring I could bring to our continued school year in 2010.  Fresh is good!  It's time to re-read our goals for our children - see what progress we have made and how we might need to realign what we are doing.  I want to make sure I address full rounded wellness - spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical.  Perhaps most importantly, let it begin with me.  I want to encourage you as you walk to be encouraged in what you are doing, but recognize it is a work in progress.  The only way you know if you are making progress is by taking the time to check it over (it is work requiring effort).  Yes, we are busy, torn in so many directions.  However, let's endeavour to keep first things first.  What we do matters in so many ways.  Let's purpose to do it well!

Live with renewed passion!

Posted: January 05, 2009
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

 A homeschooling movement is sweeping the nation – with 1.5 million children now learning at home, an increase of 75 percent since 1999.

The Department of Education\\\\\\\'s National Center for Education Statistics reported homeschooling has risen by 36 percent in just the last five years. \\\"There\\\'s no reason to believe it would not keep going up,\\\\\\\" NCES statistician Gail Mulligan told USA Today.

A 2007 survey asked parents why they choose to homeschool and allowed them to provide several reasons. The following are the most popular responses:

• Concern about the school environment, including reasons such as safety, drugs or negative peer pressure – 88 percent

• A desire to provide religious or moral instruction – 83 percent

• A dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools – 73 percent

• Nontraditional approach to children\\\\\\\'s education – or \\\\\\\"unschoolers\\\\\\\" who consider typical curriculums and standardized testing as counterproductive to quality education – 65 percent

• Other reasons, such as family time, finances, travel and distance – 32 percent

• Child has special needs (other than physical or mental health problems) that schools cannot or will not meet – 21 percent

• Child has a physical or mental health problem – 11 percent

• Parents who report that they homeschool to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent from 2003 to 2007.

  Above all other responses, parents cited providing religious and moral instruction as the most important factor in the decision to teach their children at home (36 percent). The second most important issue was concern about the school environment (21 percent), while the third reason was dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools (17 percent).

  Research has shown the positive effects of homeschooling through the years. While some critics say teaching children at home may stunt their social growth, Dr. Brian D. Ray, president of National Home Education Research Institute, reveals homeschooled students fare well or better than public and private school students in terms of social, emotional and psychological development.

  Additionally, homeschoolers earn higher marks than peers who attend public schools. In Academic Leadership, and online journal, Dr. Ray and Bruce K. Eagleson also cite findings from at least three nationwide studies across the United States and two nationwide studies in Canada.

  \\\\\\\"The home educated in grades K to 12 have scored, on average, at the 65th to 80th percentile on standardized academic achievement tests in the United States and Canada, compared to the public school average of the 50th percentile,\\\\\\\" the report states.

  Three studies also show that demographics, income and education level of homeschooling parents are generally irrelevant with regard to quality of education in a home setting. On average, homeschoolers in low-income families with less formal education still score higher than state-school averages.

Here's a virtual opportunity to step through inauguration day alongside a president-elect right from morning worship service to the evening inaugural ball. 

http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/

Here's a great family outing suggestion:

Lockport's 21st Annual Winter Festival - it look like it's full of fun activities.  Find at more at their website:

http://www.lockport-childrensfestival.ca/

Enjoy!

http://www.wga.hu/index1.html

Hi everyone!  TOS is pleased to offer some exciting sales till the end of November in celebration of American Thanksgiving and the official beginning of the Christmas Holiday Shopping Season.  Have homeschooling friends in the US?  This is a great time to bless them with a gift subscription.  There are greats specials within TOS's online store.  Here are the details from the publisher:

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is having an amazing sale on subscriptions
during their annual Black Friday Sale November 26 – 30. For those 5 days
only, they are actually lowering their new one-year U.S. subscription price
to $7.95! That's the price you would usually pay for just one issue at a
bookstore!

This is their lowest price ever on the magazine and they want all of you to
take advantage of this offer and share the info with your friends.

Please don't miss out. Your one-year subscription will pay for itself time
and time again as you receive practical tips and Biblical encouragement to
keep going strong in your commitment to homeschooling and to the Lord. Since
it's a quarterly magazine, they even have a monthly subscriber's only
E-Newsletter called Teacher's Toolbox that will give you seasonal teaching
ideas and a free E-Book download! It's like joining a unit study of the
month club! The free E-Books alone are valued at almost $250/year. It's
really perfect for people who are homeschooling on a shoestring or just
wanting to add in some little extras to your teaching.

Plus during the Black Friday Sale, they have all kind of bonus gifts when
you spend $50, $75, $100, or $150. Some are electronic downloads that you
can download immediately, while other are physical products mailed from
various vendors directly to your home.

Visit The Old Schoolhouse store at: www.TheOldSchoolhouseStore.com

Order Yours Today! And don’t miss out on this great price!!!

Be sure to check out this awesome learning opportunity: 

Exploravision Awards. 

Designed for K–12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels, ExploraVision encourages kids to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. All inventions and innovations result from creative thinking and problem solving. That's what ExploraVision is all about.

Since 1992, more than 245,000 students from across the United States and Canada have competed in ExploraVision. But this is much more than a contest. ExploraVision can be the beginning of a lifelong adventure in science, as students develop higher-order thinking skills and learn to think about their role in the future.

To enter ExploraVision, students work in groups of two, three or four — simulating a real research and development (R&D) team. A teacher serves as team coach, and you can also choose an optional mentor.

• Each team selects a technology (or an aspect of a technology) that is present in and relevant to their lives
• First, the team explores what the technology does, how it works, and how, when and why it was invented
• Next, the team imagines and explores what that technology could be like 20 years from now
• Finally, each team prepares an in-depth report that conveys its vision to others.

Check out their website for more details:

http://www.exploravision.org/entry-process/

Hello Everyone!

This is an emphatic plea for support group contacts from all over our fine province.  I'm talking about all those little and large coffee support/CoOp groups.  I'd love to make a listing available on this site for each region.  Will you help me?  Please respond as a comment to this entry with contact information about your group and general area.

Thanks!

Giselle

PS  There may even be a special surprise gift instore, just for responding, for one of you!

With a Canadian Federal Election around the corner, it's a wonderful time to do a unit study or share a learning day with other families about Canadian politics.

Here are some useful resources:

For nine mini journeys through a History of the Vote in Canada: http://www.civilisations.ca/hist/elections/el_001_e.html

Elections Canada Trivia Game: http://www.civilisations.ca/hist/elections/el_043_e.html

Election 2008 Info:

http://www.nodice.ca/elections/canada/

Civic responsibility is both caught and taught.  Don't let any opportunity to stress the importance of an educated, thought through decision learning opportunity pass you by.  The headlines in the daily papers and all the propoganda and advertising leave room for plenty of discussion.  Why not have your students create an advertisment or speech for their favorite candidate?  Have fun with this!

The Race is On!

Saturday September 20, 2008

Looking for a Challenge?

Come and join Grade 7-12 students from all over Western Manitoba in the Amazing Science Race, based on the reality TV show The Amazing Race.

It's guaranteed to be a day full of wacky activites, intense competition and strategic thinking!!

Get a team together and go to their website to find out how to register and for more information:

http://www.wmsf.com/Scirace/SciRAce.htm

It would be wonderful if we had a few homeschool teams in this race! 

Anyone up for the challege?

Some may believe that the messy days of art projects should be left behind after elementary school.  May I suggest that you pursue art still.  There is wonderful curriculum out there to help teach classical art.  For example:  How Great Thou ART by Barry Stebbing gives wonderful instruction on colour and technique for all ages.  You can find a wonderful FREE art resource newsletter to subscribe to at his site: http://www.howgreatthouart.com/news1.htm as well as samples of other homeschooled students work to inspire your child.

With the awesome resources available on the net, peruse some sites for FREE ideas on high school age appropriate projects - all instructions included.  Turn off the TV and the gaming systems and get creative!  Many of the ideas can be used in conjunction with other subject area studies.  Please, please, do not ignore offering creative outlets for your children at any age.  The stirring of imagination, the brain connections made and time spent is all reason enough to explore this area.  Here are some high school specific sites to get you started:

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/highlessons.html

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ArtJH.htm

Rally a few fellow homeschoolers or bring your support group onside and have a Gallery Evening when your students can exhibit their creations - perhaps with dessert and punch.  Students are apt to put more energy into projects for display or gift giving.  So, a timeline may help.  Perhaps you could arrange a display day once or twice a year or plan to give as gifts to family this Christmas.

Happy creating!

I'm just waiting for the leaves to change colour around here, before we head outside for some photos of the kids.  The changing leaves always add a nice natural touch.  I LOVE using our digital camera for this.  Nowadays, there is so much more you can do and edit before you print.  There are many online sites that can be a help in developing your camera skills.  Here are a few:

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/

Basic digital photography:

http://www.basic-digital-photography.com/shooting-photos.html

Here's a site with the top 10 tips from Kodak:

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=317&pq-locale=en_CA&_requestid=2585

Be sure to have the camera handy all year as you study and go about "normal life".  Afterall, what you do today will be what they remember.  Why not let your students have a try?  It's also a great way to develop (no pun intended-but funny eh?) a photography unit or study.

I hope you enjoy capturing the moment.

Here's a fun You Tube video I know many of you moms will enjoy.  Turn up the volume, sit back and enjoy a smile break!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIOogqa-5GA

Remember everyone, you are not in this alone!  Connect with a local support group now to ensure you have friends to help you keep everything in perspective and for fun and fellowship.  Keep sharpening the saw of life experience and learning!

May God richly multiply your efforts!

I stumbled across this gem:

"Access.ca introduces a new way to find lesson plans, articles, visual
and multimedia resources to support Social Studies teachers in all parts
of Canada. Connecting to an ever-expanding group of contributing
organizations, Access.ca eliminates the frustration of searching for
relevant resources through general web browsers."
http://access.

2008 Fall Gathering

The Manitoba Living History Society invites everyone to its Third Annual Fall Gathering at Fort Gibraltar on the weekend of 5-7 September 2008. Step back in time and visit the People of Red River, as they would have appeared circa 1815.

Available on site will be tours of the Fort and encampment, ongoing fur-trade era demonstrations (Blacksmithing, Paddle Making, Military drills, musket demonstrations, bannock making etc...), cooking on an open fire, workshops, presentations and games.

All participants must register in advance and appear in appropriate 18th or 19th century costume; these stipulations of course do not apply to members of the public who are welcome to observe free of charge (between the hours of 10:00 am to 5:00 pm) and are indeed encouraged to ask questions and take tours.

The event starts at 6:00 pm Friday and participants are welcome to camp in Whittier Park until 4-5:00 pm on the Sunday. Please inform us if you plan to camp overnight and what type of accommodation you'll be staying in. If you do not own a historical tent, please advise us ahead of time so we can allot room for you in the designated modern camp.

Events (subject to change):

• tour of Fort Gibraltar
• military drills
• fencing demonstrations
• blanket trading
• camp prizes
• blacksmithing
• bannock making
• butter churning
• paddle making
• settler skills competitions
• musket reliability competition (no live fire, $5.00 per person for powder, cartridges, and a prize)
• dessert competition
• activities for children

All participants are invited to participate in the St. Andrew's Society parade in honour of the Selkirk Settlers on Saturday.

Saturday evening supper and dance at 5:30 pm: soup, meat and bread provided.

Workshops:

• Friday afternoon: Setting up a teepee
• Friday 8:00 pm: Say it ain't so - myths of the fur trade
• Saturday 9:30 am: Using a draw knife
• Saturday 10:00 am: Bread making
• Saturday 1:00 pm: Doll making (make your own Selkirk Settler soft doll. Dolls are ready to stuff, add hair, face, clothes. Ideas and materials provided)
• Saturday 2:30 pm: Fire making with flint and steel including pipe lighting
• Saturday 5:00 pm: Dessert making judging
• Sunday 9:30-10:00 am: Non-denominational service
• Sunday 10:30 am: Leggings (bring your own melton cloth or buy on site for $10.00)
• Sunday 10:30 am: Blacksmithing (learn basic techniques and make a hook)
• Sunday 1:00 pm: Musket reliability
• Sunday afternoon: Selkirk Settlers skills competition
• Sunday 4:00 pm: awarding of all prizes

No modern camping on site. Wood, water and indoor washrooms provided. Bring ironware for cooking.

Setup Friday, noon to 8:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, no vehicles after 9:00 am. Take down Sunday, 4:00 pm.

To register, complete a registration form (PDF form) and send with payment to:

Carol Douglas
Box 675, RR 1
Dugald, Manitoba R0E 0K0
Canada
Email: ceilidh32@hotmail.com

The cost is $20.00 per family, $10.00 per individual (members), or $20 per individual (non-members). Fee includes camping, wood, modern washrooms, demonstrations, workshops, and Saturday supper. Please bring a vegetable/salad dish for Saturday supper. No alcohol permitted.

Morden Corn & Apple Festival
It's fun and free!

Free admission, free shuttle bus, free live stage entertainment, free hot buttered corn-on-the cob, free apple cider and free bus
tours. Also a midway, crafts, dances and gospel stage on Sunday
Morden August 22-24, 2008

I cannot stress enough how important it is to PREPARE .  I believe overplanning is key - especially for young ones.  I find it helpful to have many activities ready to go for my tot.  That way he is readily active.  It has blessed me tremendously this week to have a planning sheet complete for his day too.   Not only does this ensure that he completes meaningful activities each day, but it is mindless for me (I can direct an older sibling to the sheet at centre time for the suggested activity) and I have pre-thought through activities readily available.  This makes for lots of variety for everyone.  Try it - I think you'll be pleased.  Don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed.  There is nothing you need to purchase, just thoughtful planning.  More specifics on this another day.

Happy home educating!