Here are some pictures of Sarah at New Life Camp. She has to go back to college in a week ~ the summer went too fast!

Saturday night about 30 Lighthouse teens went to Ken's Korny Corn Maze, in Garner, NC.  This is one of the monthly activities for the teens in our support group.  Last month a family hosted a game night at their house which drew about 40 kids.  Next month is supposed to be a service project ~ I think helping at an Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection center.  

The Corn Maze was a lot of fun.  Mark and I went along , bringing Jason as well as Eric, Amanda, and a friend.  The maze is cut in a 6-acre corn field, and you go through in groups of 3-6 people, attempting to find  12 boxes  which contain a rubber stamp to stamp your card.   Once you have all 12 stamps, you find your way out of the maze and your time is recorded. The object is to finish in the least amount of  time.  Of our teens, the fastest group finished in 39 minutes.  My husband, our friend Rick, Jason, and his friend Nathan, took an hour and 20 minutes ~ they were the slowest.  There was a 2-story observation tower next to the entrance, from which you could observe the maze and see where the various teams were. Each team carried a large flag on a pole, so you could see the flags bobbing along above the tops of the corn stalks.  After they finished, Eric and his friends climbed the tower and attempted to help direct the dads via cell phone.  That part was pretty hilarious. 

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Students age 16 and older in North Carolina are eligible to take classes at any NC community college under the dual-enrollment program.  This is a marvelous opportunity to earn college credit inexpensively, since the classes are free.  One drawback is that dual-enrollment students cannot enroll until the final day of registration, after the paying students have registered.  In urban areas such as Raleigh and Durham, where there are a large number of homeschoolers, many classes fill up before the final day of registration. Dual enrollment students may only take classes at the 100 level and higher.  They must take a placement test offered by the community college or have SAT or ACT scores ( I'm not sure what the minimum required score is ).  And a student must be taking at least 3 courses at their homeschool.

My 17-yr-old son  is taking 2 classes at Durham Technical Community College this year ~ Spanish I and Statistics I.   We were originally planning on Pre-Calculus, but the sections that fit in our schedule were full, so we decided to do Stats this fall and try to get in Pre-Calc in the spring and next fall. 

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Yesterday I spent the day at Transcript Bootcamp.  My friend, Eve, had about a dozen homeschool moms to her house to watch the DVD seminar of that name from Education PLUS, featuring Inge Cannon. The other moms all had children just entering the high school years. I was there because I have created two high school transcripts already, and Eve wanted someone "with experience" to answer questions.  It was really an excellent seminar. I had never seen or been to Inge Cannon's "bootcamp" before, but many of her methods and suggestions were things I had done.   I was impressed with the thoroughness of the presentation, and also that it did not take a " YOU MUST DO IT THIS WAY" approach. The whole seminar featured Inge Cannon sitting at a desk and speaking to the camera, and she was very clear and at times quite humorous!  I was relieved to hear her speaking nice and slowly, because I had attended a workshop she gave at our state homeschool convention quite a few years ago, and she spoke a hundred miles an hour, because she was trying to fit so much information into that hour!!  My hand got cramps from taking notes. Each person got a workbook to go along with the seminar which had notes and examples and additional articles to read. I didn't purchase the workbook, thinking that I had the transcript thing already figured out, but now I think I might try to purchase it anyway. There was a lot of good information in there.   I got some good ideas for recordkeeping and for converting real life learning experiences into credits for a transcript.  

The seminar consisted of four 1-hour sessions.  We watched an hour, took a break and talked about it, watched an hour, had lunch, watched an hour, took a break.....there was an awful lot of information to digest in one sitting.  I think I would break it up into two days if we do it again for our support group.

The DVDs cost about $80.   You can also buy the seminar version, which includes workbooks for a number of people, at a discounted rate.

http://www.edplus.com/tbc.asp

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Graduates "turn their tassels" at conclusion of the  ceremony.

Yesterday was Graduation Day for 19 students in our support group, including my daughter.  Months of work by the moms and students culminated in a wonderfully moving ceremony held at a local church, with about 500 guests in attendance.  The sky was overcast, but the called-for storms never materialized, and the sun even poked through from time to time. The ceremony began at 1:00 PM with the graduates, decked out in black caps and gowns and colored tassels and stoles of their own choosing, filing into the sanctuary to the strains of "Pomp & Circumstance", played by our Homeschool Band.  The 19 grads sat up on the stage in chairs facing the audience as our host and hostess, Dr. & Mrs. Steve Ladd,  opened with prayer.  Then an ensemble of 12 middle school and high school girls, including my 2 daughters, sang an acapella 3-part arrangement of the National Anthem, with me conducting. We had been rehearsing one hour a week for about 6 weeks, and it was just beautiful!   Dr. Ladd welcomed all the guests, and then announced each graduate and their parents, in alphabetical order.  As the parents came up to the podium, the graduate presented the mom with a single red rose nestled in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. Parents then had 3-4 minutes for remarks to or about their son or daughter, and to present the diploma.  Rarely did the parents make it through with dry eyes, and there were a lot kleenex being passed around!  I read these words, from the song "Find Your Wings", to my sweet girl, and to all my children:

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth...

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things 
We're here for you whatever this life brings
So let our love give you roots
And help you find your wings


It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
We'll have tears as you take off
But we'll cheer as you fly

After all the parents has presented the diplomas, there was a multi-media presentation of 6-8 photographs of each grad,from babyhood to the present, all set to music. Then the graduates stood and turned their tassels, and left the sanctuary to cheers from proud mamas and daddies and grandmas and grandpas and brothers and sisters and friends and relatives, as the band played a recessional. 

We had cake and lemonade in the fellowship hall and then went home to host an Open House graduation celebration with many friends for the rest of the evening. 

It was a wonderful, tearful, joyful, memorable day.

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Saturday night was our support group Teen Formal.   Instead of doing a "prom" type thing, we go out to a nice restaurant and then to the theater.  This year we had 22 teens and 8 adults who went to Carver's Creek in Raleigh for dinner, and then to the BTI Center in Raleigh to see the NC Theater's production of "South Pacific".   It was wonderful.  The kids got all dressed up ~ some formal, some semi-formal ~ and really enjoyed their evening on the town. I haven't gotten my photos developed yet, but here is one taken by a friend of Sarah and her friend Joanna ~

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Well, the NCHEAC state homeschool basketball tournament didn't go as well for us as we had hoped.  We went to Greensboro yesterday morning ready to stay overnight in a hotel for 2 days of tournament play. In the early afternoon game, Sarah's girls varsity team lost a heartbreaker in overtime against a team they had beaten easily earlier this season. That put them in the Consolation Bracket, and they won that game pretty easily yesterday afternoon.  Eric's JV team had their 1st game at 4:30 against the Hawks, so we expected a tough match, and it was. The game was tied at half time,  but Eric fouled out early in the 4th quarter, and one of our best players was recovering from the flu and just wasn't making his shots, so we couldn't keep up with the Hawks in the 2nd half.  The JV consolation game was at 8 PM against the Storm, another tough team.  Craig was feeling sick and very tired after that first game, and then he twisted his ankle, and a minute later, Eric was down on the floor with a sprained ankle. The other boys played valiantly, but Storm ran away with that game. 

So the area hotels got a slew of room cancellations and the Lighthouse teams headed home at the end of the day. 

Good thing we bought a pair of crutches last year!  Amanda was using them last weekend after twisting her ankle, and now Eric is to be off his foot for a week.  I did take him to the doctor this morning, since he was in a great deal of pain last night and had trouble getting any sleep.  But she was confident nothing was fractured.  She said he MAY be able to play on it next Friday night, when the varsity has one more tournament to play in.  They were called this week and asked to be in a small school tournament after another team cancelled. We'll see.  

Check out Lea's blog to see how the Hawks did in the tournament. Her son plays on the middle school and JV teams ( and some varsity too )

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Go Eagles

This weekend was the East Regional Homeschool Basketball Tournament for our state.  This was the first year we have had regional tournaments before the state tournament, and it was only for Boys Middle School and Boys Varsity teams, because there were so many of them.  All the JV boys  and all girls teams will go to the state tournament next weekend in Greensboro, but only the top 2 teams from the East and West region in MS Boys and V Boys will go.  Lighthouse "hosted" the East tournament here in Wake Forest, and teams from Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, Orange County, and Alamance County came to play. The 2 Lighthouse teams played hard, and I think my son played particularly well in the Varsity games , but they didn't finish in the top two spots so their seasons are over. Fortunately, Eric plays  JV as well, so he will play in the state tournament next weekend anyway, as will Sarah's varsity girls team.  

In addition to Eric's 2 tournament games on Friday night and Saturday morning, Sarah's team played on Friday night in Surry County, 2 ½ hours from here ( I didn't make it to that one).  Amanda had an Upwards basketball game at church on Friday night, and Jason had one on Saturday. So we had 5 games on Friday and Saturday!!   Amanda sprained her ankle in her game, and has been hobbling around on crutches this weekend.

Congratulations to the Raleigh Hawks for their victory in both the Middle school and Varsity divisions.  Kudos to Lea's ( End of the Road ) son, Christopher, who played on both teams and was a Middle School tournament MVP!

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I got asked this question today, and thought I'd put it out there to all you homeschoolbloggers: 

What materials / curriculums / resources are your favorites for teaching high schoolers?

Some of mine would be:

Tapestry of Grace  -  awesome reading list for history and literature; teacher notes; discussion questions; writing assignments; geography; philosophy; worldview;  a smorgasborg from which to choose....very rich

Write Shop -writing program designed for 7th -12th graders; this is our first year using it, and I've not been very consistent ~ my fault, not the curriculum's ~  but I'm impressed with it

Apologia Science - we have used the General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Human Body ( Adv. Biology ) ;  I like it best when we have a co-op with other families to do the labs and maybe quizzes;  written for homeschoolers, very "user friendly" but solid science

Answers in Genesis - books, videos, seminars for creation science and biblical worldview; we take advantage of as many weekend seminars, classes, discussion groups as possible; understanding a biblical worldview and having knowledge of opposing worldviews is essential for my high schoolers before "graduating"

Senior High: A Home Designed Form+U+La  by Barbara Shelton

Homeschooling High School  by Jeanne Gowan Dennis

So what is on your list?

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Well, the boys lost both basketball games to the Durham homeschool teams this afternoon.  More accurately, we were smoked!  It seems to happen often, that after a game where they play great and work really hard, they have a let down, and don't play so hot! They looked a bit sluggish out there today, and the shooting was off.  Oh well.  They play again on Saturday, against Fayetteville. 

The National Honor Society meeting was interesting.  The speaker was from CFNC ~ College Foundation of North Carolina ~ an umbrella group that includes 3 different agencies.  She spoke on college financial aid, a subject close to our heart right now!!!   She didn't really give me any new information, however. We've already done this with one child, and know what a FAFSA is, and what Stafford Loans are.  

Submitting the FAFSA was an eye-opening experience the first time.  FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  You plug in the numbers from your tax return, and they send it back to you and all the schools you have applied to, telling you what your "Expected Family Contribution" is, based on parents' incomes.  Whoa!   When I looked at the number that came back, I seriously thought it was the amount they thought we could pay for 4 years of college. But nooooooooo.  It was for 1 year!   HA!  The number they sent back could have purchased a new car!  I have to space out purchasing new shoes for the kids... but somewhere the feds think we have some huge amount of money available for college tuition.  Go figure.  So needless to say, we pin our hopes on merit-based scholarships and grants instead of need-based, because apparently we are very wealthy!!  So why do I have plywood where a garage door should be?  ( something to do with a new driver...)  Or mismatched dining room chairs?  Or shoes with holes in them? 

The Homeschool Honor Society is doing a service project this month and next. They are collecting items to send to military personnel in Iraq. They chose 2 army units who were based here in NC before being deployed.  The teens have letters they are sending out to friends and family, asking them to contribute items as well. They want lots of letters, and also items like shampoo, deodorant, magazines, CDs, DVDs, drink mix, snack foods, etc.  The information comes from a website called AnySoldier.com.  They will get together next month and pack the items up to send overseas.  I heard that one box will be sent up to West Point, to a certain 1st year cadet.  Shhhhhhhh!

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My two daughters and I were up before dawn today to drive the hour and a half to Fayetteville for the 2nd annual NCHE ( North Carolinians for Home Education) State Volleyball Tournament. The Lighthouse JV and Varsity teams joined teams from Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, and Orange County for the day long event held at the Berean Baptist Academy. Amanda's JV team  had the first game, which started at 9:00 AM.  They won that match against a strong Fayetteville team.  Fayetteville then lost a match to the  Euroclydon Storm, from Orange County, so our team had to beat the Storm in the 3:30 game for the championship.  Our girls kicked it up a level and had a solid game.  Amanda ended up serving  the last 4 points of the game, for the win!

Lighthouse JV Volleyball team -

2005 NCHE Champions

Sarah's Varsity team started the day with a 10:30 match against the Hawks from Forsyth County. These 2 teams both played extremely well and hard, with long volleys and great hustle!  We had played them a week ago and lost in a very close, 5-game match.  Today, Forsyth came out on top again. It was a tough loss, but our girls played their hearts out and had nothing to be ashamed of. Three of our players couldn't come to the tournament, so 5 out of 7 players were on the court for every minute of every game today.

( between matches, the girls tried to relax and keep loose )

When Forsyth beat the Fayetteville team later on, that clinched the championship for them. We then played Fayetteville at 4:30 PM for 2nd place.  Although Fayetteville played well, everyone was tiring after a long day of effort, and Lighthouse won the match in 3 games.  Just prior to the start of that game, the coaches from each team recognized the seniors playing in their very last high school game! 

We arrived back home at 8:30 PM, after stopping for dinner at Wendy's.  The volleyball season is over.  

Basketball practices have already started, and the first games are only a few weeks away.

CONGRATULATIONS, LIGHTHOUSE EAGLES!

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