Ohio Historical Center, Columbus

Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

(Registration begins at 9:00)

Fee: $20/Family, includes box lunch and materials

National History Day in Ohio invites home school families to learn about the program and how to use it as a family learning opportunity. Families that register will receive pre-visit materials to help prepare parents and children for the day’s activities including:

· An introduction to the program

· Activities on identifying and using primary sources

· Advice from a home school parent who has used the program

· A session about using archives for research

· A culminating family activity

What is History Day?

National History Day is an exciting co-curricular program that encourages young people to explore a historical subject related to the annual theme. Students make history come alive as their research leads to imaginative exhibits, original performances, media documentaries, websites and papers in junior and senior divisions. The National History Day in Ohio program demonstrates that students learn history when they do history.

• A highly regarded national academic challenge, nearly 500,000 students participate in National History Day.
• The program's goal is to promote the study of history by engaging students and teachers in the excitement of historical inquiry and creative presentation.
• National History Day events reinforce classroom teaching by rewarding students of all abilities for their scholarship, individual initiative and cooperative learning.
• Students in grades 6-12 participate in National History Day events at the district, state and national levels, students in grades 4 and 5 participate at the state level with modified exhibits and performances. Historians, educators and professionals in related fields evaluate students' work at each stage. 6th-12th grade Students that receive recognition at the District events qualify for Ohio History Day. Award-winning entries at the statewide Ohio History Day held in the spring are eligible to participate in the National History Day event held in June in Washington, D.C.

A Battleground for the Minds of Our Children

            “Jesus said to His disciples:  ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through which they come.  It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.  So watch yourselves.’”  (Luke 17:1-3) 

            John Dewey was a very out-spoken prophet for the anti-God public school system.  Not only did he not want God entering through the doors of our schools, but God’s absolutes, God’s morals and principles would put a wrench in his plans for our youth.  There is no room for the God or anything to do with His kingdom.  “Every teacher should realize the dignity of his calling; that he is a social servant set apart for the maintenance of proper social order and the securing of the right social growth…In this way the teacher is always the prophet of the true god and the usherer of the true kingdom of god.”[1] [emphasis mine]   And again, just in case you didn’t understand the first time, he added this for good measure: “Faith in the prayer-hearing God is an unproved and out-moded faith.  There is no God and there is no soul…There is no room for fixed, natural law or moral absolutes.”[2]   

            Oh, but there is more.  Horace Mann and John Dewey were certainly not the only ones to take this point of view.  They are merely standing at the head of the line of our modern school system.  More recently, Paul Blanshard, a writer for The Humanist magazine even hinted that even though America’s arithmetic, science and reading skills are sinking – even while billions of our tax dollars are being poured into the bottomless pit of educational “reform” – that only seems to be part of the plan for him.  “Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is sixteen tends to lead toward the elimination of religious superstition.”[3]

            For anyone who doubts, Blanshard was not the first person to think this way.  Adolph Hitler once said, “Let me control the textbooks, and I will control Germany.”  And that is exactly what he did.  And to make sure, he made private school, parochial school and home education illegal.  “Recalcitrant parents were warned that their children would be taken away from them and put in orphanages or other homes unless they enrolled[4] [in the government schools].”  (Sound familiar?)  But Hitler was certainly ahead of his time.  In 1983, John Dunphy, yet again another writer for The Humanist magazine, reiterated that what the public schools are secretly fighting unaware parents for are the minds and immortal souls of their children:  “The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new – the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism.”[5]

            And let us not forget about this generation’s leader of the pack:  The National Education Association.  Dr. John Goodland wrote a report for the NEA in which he said, “Our goal is behavioral change.  The majority of our youth still hold to the values of their parents and if we do not resocialize them to accept change, our society may decay.”[6]  [emphasis mine] 

            Reading, writing and arithmetic have had to make way and be replaced by a new value system.  Values clarification seems to be the order of the day whether parents want it be or not.  (Remember the outcome of the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision.) 

            “Values Clarification.”  It has the sound of the educational system desiring nothing more than to help our youngsters get a handle on right and wrong, doesn’t it?  Mary Pride, in her book “The Way Home,” is not one known to beat around the bush.  She cuts right to the chase as she puts it this way:  “…as the public schools are demanding the right to indoctrinate children in values that may be directly contrary to the parents’.  Sex education courses are designed to brainwash children into accepting homosexuality and fornication as ‘valid forms of sexual expression.’ Values clarification classes systematically destroy the Biblical concepts of an absolute right and an absolute wrong.  One-world government programs in Social Studies are meant to destroy patriotism, while the study of ‘women’s role in today’s society’ is a front for indoctrination in feminism.  Economics courses teach socialism; English teachers assign pornography as required reading; even my high-school gym class featured instruction in occult Yoga techniques.”

            Even though I graduated from high school in 1977, I can personally verify nearly everything she listed.  In my own experience, my Psychology teacher required us to lay on mats hooked up to monitors that measured our bio rhythms.  All in the name of progressive learning.  Mann and Dewey would have been so proud.           

Happy Homeschooling,

Jamin

Freebie Finder
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com

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This Week's Schoolhouse Store Freebie Purchase:  Biblical Feasts and Holy Days - Stick Figure Through The Bible Using this convenient study, students ages 7 and older learn about the original holidays! This Bible study covers the seven feasts of Leviticus, the Sabbath and Purim. Our study begins with the biblical timeline for the feasts and holy days and offerings associated with them. Each feast and holy day is studied individually by reading Scripture, stick figuring accounts, and answering concrete questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how). ·         Receive Free: A second copy of Biblical Feasts and Holy Days - Stick Figure Through The Bible A value of $14.95 - free! What To Do: Purchase: Biblical Feasts and Holy Days - Stick Figure Through The Bible Type Free 2nd Copy in the comments. Your FREE 2nd Copy will be included in your order.

Who Owns Our Children?

            “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him.”

            (Psalm 127:3)

            After a mere 160 years of public education – after an accumulation of world history with parents or tutors having been the sole teachers of children – the folly of our choice to let others have reign over the influence and education of our children is coming home to roost in a very big way.  In my own experience as the Miami County, Ohio homeschool coordinator for eleven years, I know of many instances of superintendents, and other school district “authorities” actually believing that every child in their district belongs to them, and not the parents.  Indeed, this was driven home by the outlandish decision by the 9^th Circuit Court’s admonishment and judgment against a concerned family who discovered that their young daughter’s school believed it necessary to conduct interviews of third grade students, asking explicitly sexual questions, greatly disturbing many of the school’s innocent children  – without parental consultation or permission.  When a Christian father went to the Principal of the school, he found out that his authority over his own daughter stopped when he and his wife let her cross the threshold and walk into their government school.  And when that father took his school district to court, this Socialist point of view was confirmed by Ninth Circuit Judge James V. Selna in his June 2, 2005 decision, which reads in part:  “[O]nce parents make the choice as to which school their children will attend, ...their fundamental right to control the education of their children is, at the least, substantially diminished. The Constitution does not vest parents with the authority to interfere with a public school’s decision as to how it will provide information to its students or what information it will provide, in its classrooms or otherwise…While parents may have a fundamental right to decide whether to send their child to a public school, they do not have a fundamental right generally to direct how a public school teaches their child. Whether it is the school curriculum, the hours of the school day, school discipline, the timing and content of examinations, the individuals hired to teach at the school, the extracurricular activities offered at the school or…a dress code, these issues of public education are generally ‘committed to the control of state and local authorities.’ ” [emphasis mine]

            This judge clearly overstepped his bounds.  Or, is he just living up to what has been the plan for the public school system all along?  He obviously thought the superintendent had birthed those children his employees were corrupting himself.  After all, they were his children.

            But these are the type of offenses that take place when parents give up their authority and when attendance in the public – government – school arena becomes the unfortunate norm.  But it wasn’t always this way.  “The function of the parents to control the education of his children has been a Constitutionally recognized right in a long line of cases beginning with Meyer v. Nebraska in 1923.  A U.S. Supreme Court decision to protect parents’ rights in education was not necessary prior to 1923 because there were hardly any compulsory attendance laws that required children to attend public school.  As soon as compulsory attendance laws were passed, however, the attack on parental liberty began.  Education became a state responsibility rather than a traditional parental responsibility.  As experience teaches, whenever the state takes responsibility of any private sector, controls always follow.”[1] [emphasis mine]

            And as time marches on, parents willingly give their children over to the state to indoctrinate and claim ownership…right under their noses.  The state’s children are then fed a steady diet of lies and pseudo education.  They are told – on pain of a failing grade and possibly a few lines on their student record, which will follow them for the rest of their lives – that evolution is truth.  Not theory. Truth.  Those ‘oddities’ who espouse “Creation Science” and “Intelligent Design” are odd, religious bigots.  After all, what about separation of church and state?  Besides, our universities have perfected their curricula and have spent years, themselves, being trained to train our children.  All they want is to teach our children the very best of academics and humanities without any interference of  religion or even any agenda of their own…right?

            “Horace Mann had a view of education in which the elite must manipulate and conform the masses in order to create an ideal society.  The state, not the parents, knows what is best for the children. There is little room left for God in Mann’s philosophy of public education.”[2]  But certainly, Mr. Mann was the only one involved in the formation of our public school system to feel this way.  Not so fast.  John Dewey, who was a signer of the Humanist Manifesto and who was also the first president of the American Humanist Association believed that there was no place in society for Christian values.  “This same man applied the principles of the Humanist Manifesto to America’s public school system.  Dewey believed that man is not a reflection of God, but that society and education must be ‘socially planned’ by the state.”[3]  [emphasis mine] 

            So now what is it that we find being taught in our public schools?  Humanism has become the new non-religious school religion.  It is a true religion that can be camouflaged as nothing at all.  Or better yet, if some curious parent comes snooping around and asking too many questions they can be patted on the head and sent away with the assurance that their children will come away with a new tolerance and acceptance for the down-trodden; that the “I’m OK, You’re OK” philosophy is just a needed and innocent teaching tool and will become just as accepted as New Math and long division.  “Don’t worry, we’re the experts, we went to teacher’s college for this, we know what we’re doing.” 

            Even though that parent might feel the urging of the Holy Spirit telling them to ask deeper questions, or even more, to get their children out of the public school system, they think it is just their imagination that they felt as if they had just left some sort of spiritual battle ground.  But that is exactly what it was.

To Be Continuted...

Blessings, Kim Wolf<><

Please Note:  The newsletter is automatically sent to all 2007-2008 MCCHEO members.  Any non-members who wish to receive the newsletter must notify the editor at vabelle@woh.rr.com .

MCCHEO NEWSLETTER

October 2008

NEW THIS MONTH—PLEASE READ

OPPORTUNITY!

(BTW—you do not need to live in Montgomery County to participate and help.  Everyone is welcome.)

BIG CHANGES

We have a new coordinator for MCCHEO!  Her name is Stephanie Ruby and she has officially taken over for Kim Wolf.   Thanks to Kim for her years of dedicated service to homeschooling families in Miami and surrounding counties.

Check out Stephanie's blog!

~Stephanie Ruby~
Miami County Homeschool Coordinator
(937) 829-8294

sisterchicksteph@aol.com
Mommy of Deuce, Dakota and Abriella
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sisterchicksteph

MCCHEO MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Printable applications for MCCHEO are available at http://www.geocities.com/mccheogroup/index, or you can obtain a hard copy from Carol Hacker (DHACKER910@aol.com or 698-3686), or at the monthly meetings.   Return applications to Carol Hacker with a check for $15 payable to MCCHEO.  All members must comply with Ohio Revised Code regulations regarding home education.  Members are expected to coordinate at least one field trip, special class, or service opportunity each year!! 

Open Positions

Please consider helping with one of these positions—our strength and success is rooted in our members!

The following positions are open and need to be filled.  Filling one of these positions fulfills your requirement to support MCCHEO in some form.

Art and Talent Festival Coordinator (February meeting)

Field Trip Coordinator

Childcare Coordinator (for meetings)

Homeschool Notebook—Troy, Piqua, West Milton

Please call Kelly Snyder (339-0251) if you are interested in any of these positions or need a description of what is involved.

******New Meeting Location******

mccheo meetings

Community Grace Brethren Church, 2261 S. Miami St. (SR 48), West Milton, Room 108

3^rd Tuesday each month at 7pm, September-April

MCCHEO meetings are held once each month at 7pm on the third Tuesday.  Please join us at Community Grace Brethren Church in West Milton to share, learn, and fellowship with other home school families.

Meeting Dates:

October 21—Homeschooling through high school, Kim Wolf 

November 18—Adoption, Terri Coate

December—No Meeting

January 20—TBD 

February 17—Art and Talent Festival

March 17—TBD 

April 21—TBD 

May 19—Used Curriculum Sale

WEB SITE INFORMATION

Jon McDaniel is our web site coordinator.  Visit the site at  

http://www.geocities.com/mccheo_homeschool_group/homeschool.html

~ MCCHEO FIELD TRIPS~

Remember…as a member of MCCHEO you are asked to coordinate at least one field trip or special activity each school year.  Together we can do great things!

Non-members are welcome to participate in MCCHEO field trips and activities.

However, non-member families are asked to pay an additional $5 per family.

I wanted to remind all of us that as a member of MCCHEO we have agreed to support the group in some fashion.  Some of us serve as coordinators, website creators and work with the newsletter; others deliver the newsletters to the libraries for others to read.  Everyone else has agreed, by becoming a MCCHEO member, to host a class or plan a field trip or service project.  For those who are new to our group, either of these options may sound daunting -- but it really isn't!  Here is what you need to do:

1.) Decide what field trip, class or service project that you want to do as a family.

2.) Open it up to the group for your children's age group.  This activity does not have to be for all ages! 

3.) Contact the location for pricing, date and time.  Set these tentatively until you check the MCCHEO calendar to make sure there are no other field trips scheduled for the same age group. 

4.) Relax, the hard part is done.  If you have any questions, please contact Becki Whittaker.

~ EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES ~

Still looking for 5th graders in Troy for the Mayor's Youth Council

Mayor's Youth Council, Troy
Needed: A 5th grade representative to serve a 2 year term as part of the Mayor's Youth Council.  Duties include participating in local events as a representative of the Mayor, volunteering in service capacities such as the Soup Kitchen, participating in social activities like the Strawberry Festival Parade among other things.  Students must be a resident of Troy.  Contact Sharon Morgan at 339-5594 or sharonggarden@aol.com if interested.

YMCA Homeschool Gym Day

Mark your calendars for Thursday, Oct. 9th, 2008!  Once again the Miami County YMCA (Robinson Branch, Troy) will host homeschool gym from 1-3p.m. every Thursday and the cost is a mere $3.00 per pupil/max $7.00 per family...OR...$1.00 per member pupil.

The 1st gym day is FREE!!!

Homeschool Art at Hayner Cultural Center

The Hayner Cultural Center will once again offer homeschool art classes with instructor Dawn Flory.

Classes are offered for 5-9 year olds and 10 years old and up.  Please contact Hayner Cultural Center for additional information and registration.  Classes are subject to change and/or cancellation if a minimum of 5 students are not signed up.  Classes are $5.00 per student/per class.

Oct 3                    Batik, part I

Oct 10                   Batik, part II

Oct 24                  Self Portrait from a funny view

Oct 31                   Halloween Art

Nov 7                    Styrofoam Printed Quilt

Nov 14                   Christmas Ornament

Nov 21                   Oil Pastel Christmas Lights

Dec 5                    Special Paper Snowflakes

Dec 19                   Reserved for possible make-up day

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