Check out these AWESOME contests and free offers for our home schooled students.
Contest Central For the month of February
Harmony Fine Arts Harmony Fine Arts describes their program as the art and music appreciation program for busy people. They have done all the research and organizing so that you can simply follow their lesson plans and offer a great program for your children.
Our TOS reviewer said, "I've read Charlotte Mason's thoughts on picture study and composer study, but still felt helpless to implement them. Harmony Fine Arts makes it so simple to use Charlotte Mason's ideas and organizes them in a classical education style. Harmony Fine Arts includes information for free resources whenever possible and Barbara has a blog where she shares what her children are doing and further insights of how to approach nature study, art and music. She is a rare gem among homeschoolers as she not only has done the groundwork with her children, but she shares the fruits of their experience in a way that will equip other homeschoolers to reach their goals in art and music."
Read the complete review online and enter for a chance to win a bundle of the grades 1-4 Art and Music Appreciation Curriculum.
TO ENTER: Email Deb with your name and mailing address and the subject, "Harmony Fine Arts" for a chance to win*.
Here is a site I came across recently that we are just loving! librivox.org records public domain books and releases the audio files on the Internet. My kids and I have been having a great time listening to these classic books. Here are some of the titles we have on our reading list:
In case you missed the great free e-Book we offered recently in Freebie Friday, make sure to stop by and download your free copy of Special Report - Teach Your Children to Write from Cardamom Publishers. This little e-Book is packed with great ideas and advice to get your children writing! You will find the free e-Book HERE.
In our society today, we have abdicated our Biblical responsibilities and have let the government take more and more of our liberties away, often with our consent. Freedom and Capitalism is a reminder that we are to conform all our thinking, including our thinking on government and economics, to the written revelation of God in the Bible.
The Essay Contest is open to those 17 to 23 years of age. Cash prizes are awarded for the top three essays -- $3,000 for first prize, $2,000 for second, and $1,000 for third. The complete rules and entry form may be found at our website or by clicking on the links. If you are eligible, please enter the contest. If you are too old, please urge your children and grandchildren to enter.
I haven't posted about any contests in a while. I found a great opportunity to take part in a writing contest on Jeannie Fulbright's blog. Hurry on over to her site and check it out. Submissions need to be postmarked by March 16, so you will need to get started right away! You can also find out more about the contest by going to the Foundations for Life web site.
Do you have a memorable Christmas story? Has there been a Christmas that touched your heart or changed your life?
KKIM, a local radio station in Albuquerque wants to hear about it. From now until December 15th, KKIM and Kim Jew Portrait Studios are looking for your Most Memorable Christmas story. One winner will be chosen to receive a Family Portrait Package from Kim Jew Photography valued at $250.00! Email your story to radiodewey@aol.com or send it to KKIM 4125 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87107. Then on Friday, December 16th, KKIM will announce the winner.
Sponsored by KKIM Christian Radio for New Mexico & Kim Jew Photography.
FIRST-EVER ‘NATIONAL VOCABULARY CHAMPIONSHIP’ GIVES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NATIONWIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THEIR VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE New Nationwide Competition Encourages All Students to “Win With Words”
Winner of Championship Receives $40,000 invested in a “529” Savings Plan
SANTA MONICA, CA – SEPT. 27, 2006 – In an effort to emphasize the importance of language arts skills and encourage high school students to better prepare for their futures, GSN, the leading interactive television game network, today announced the first-ever National Vocabulary Championship™ (NVC). The announcement was made today by Dena Kaplan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, GSN, who conceptualized the cause program and public service campaign, and will oversee the championship and televised finale.
The NVC joins a legacy of legendary education-related competitions – from “It’s Academic” and “Quiz Bowl” to the National Spelling and Geography Bees. Produced by the entertainment network known for original and classic game shows and its educational partner The Princeton Review, the NVC will set the standard for promoting academics in a fun, playful way.
The NVC will contemporize the model set by the traditional competitions by providing students with “real world” tools necessary to comprehend word meanings and help them build an enhanced vocabulary that will assist them in their next stages of life, whether that be college or professional careers.
“Students, teachers, parents, guardians and educators will each play an integral role in the success of this initiative. We created the NVC in the hopes that it will become a cultural phenomenon and get people from all over the country excited about the power of a good vocabulary, and understand that a great vocabulary is the key to their opportunities in life,” said Kaplan.
Eligible high school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia are invited to enter the first round in one of two ways – by taking an online national qualifying exam or if the student attends a participating school, by taking an in-school qualifying exam to compete for an opportunity to advance to one of eight live citywide competitions. Forty-two top scorers from the national qualifying competition and eight winners from the citywide competitions will receive a trip to New York City to participate in the nationally televised National Vocabulary Championship finale in February 2007. The ultimate winner will receive $40,000 deposited in a higher education “529” savings plan. In total, GSN will award over $100,000 to top-performing students and their schools this year through the program.
“GSN is committed to helping high school educators across the country raise awareness of the importance of language arts in the classroom and is investing in America’s future by providing money for college to winning students as well as making learning words fun and relevant in the game of life,” added Kaplan.
According to the NationalCenter for Educational Progress, since the early 1990s, national reading scores for 17-year-olds have dropped steadily and consistently across all demographics, with a sharp decline occurring from 1999-2004. Furthermore, the National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools, and Colleges reports that more than 50 percent of college freshman cannot write papers without language errors, analyze arguments, or synthesize information.
"The NEA is proud to support GSN and the NVC in its quest to help all children improve their vocabulary skills," said National Education Association President Reg Weaver. "NEA members on the front lines truly understand the benefits of engaging students in an imaginative, fun way."
The Princeton Review, a leading provider of college preparation and educational services, will provide study materials for students, including sample tests, words of the day, NVC-related podcasts of study words and other preparation materials. These materials are available free online at www.winwithwords.com.
“Having taught vocabulary to millions of students through our courses, tutoring, books and podcasts, we're excited to be part of the NVC,” said John Katzman, CEO of The Princeton Review, “Normally, I eschew sesquipedalian verbiage, but we'll make an exception.”
“Everyone is a winner with this program. Students will learn new word meanings, teachers will be pleased that students are studying, and parents benefit by having their children receive free study materials from The Princeton Review,” emphasized Kaplan.
Supporting the NVC is the “Win With Words™” Public Service Announcement Campaign designed to promote the importance of words in our daily lives, whether at school, work or home. Joining the cause are noted celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Bergeron, Jeff Probst, Chuck Woolery, and Shandi Finnessey. These celebrities appear in the “Win With Words” PSAs that began airing in August. The “Win With Words” Campaign also includes a website that features study materials from The Princeton Review.
Students who wish to participate in the national qualifying competition can register for the NVC online at www.winwithwords.com <http://www.winwithwords.com/> and choose from one of ten different times from October 27th through November 5th to take the qualifying exam. Students who attend participating schools in Boston, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, St. Louis and Palm BeachCounty will have the opportunity to work with in-school “Vocabulary Coaches” in preparation for an in-school qualifying exam, from which approximately 100 students per city will advance to the live competition to be held in those cities.
Each city event will be sponsored by one or more cable partners in the respective area. Comcast Cable is sponsoring the events in Boston, Detroit, Palm Beach Co., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Sacramento. Charter Communications is the cable partner in St. Louis. Cablevision is a co-sponsor in New York along with Time Warner Cable.
Joining the cable partners as sponsors are Neutrogena, Sony Card, Sharpie, Mead School Supplies, Bolt.com, Friendster.com, TeenFreeway.com and The American Heritage® Dictionary, which serves as the official dictionary of the NVC.
GSN has been committed to helping Americans earn money for college for three years with its award-winning Get Schooled Tour. Since its inception, the Get Schooled Tour has contributed a total of over $500,000in higher education “529” saving plans to over 60 people.
For Official Rules and more information about the National Vocabulary Championship and the “Win With Words” Campaign, visit www.winwithwords.com <http://www.winwithwords.com/> .
Online National Qualifying Exam Dates The dates and times that students can take the online national qualifying exams are as follows: Friday, October 27th – 10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST Saturday, October 28th – 12:00 pm EST/9:00 am PST Sunday, October 29th – 10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST Monday, October 30th – 11:00 pm EST/8:00 pm PST Tuesday, October 31st – 11:30 pm EST/8:30 pm PST Wednesday, November 1st – 7:00 pm EST/4:00 pm PST Thursday, November 2nd – 8:00 pm EST/5:00 pm PST Friday, November 3rd –10:00 pm EST/7:00 pm PST Saturday, November 4th – 5:00 pm EST/ 2:00 pm PST Sunday, November 5th –9:00 pm EST/6:00 pm PST
Citywide Competition Dates Dates for the citywide competitions are as follows (locations to be announced): Pittsburgh – Monday, October 30 St. Louis – Thursday, November 2 Boston – Monday, November 13 Philadelphia – Thursday, November 16 Detroit – Monday, November 20 Palm Beach – Monday, November 29 Sacramento – Tuesday, December 5 New York – Thursday, December 13
About the “National Vocabulary Championship” The National Vocabulary Championship (NVC) is a GSN initiative that uses competition and wordplay to engage and reward high school students, educators and parents, teaching them the value of a strong vocabulary. Created with educational partner The Princeton Review, the NVC is open to eligible high school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and will be promoted in schools and through a national “Win With Words” Public Service Announcement campaign. In addition, a robust, interactive website (www.winwithwords.com) will offer a variety of free vocabulary-enhancing tools, word games and study materials.
About GSN GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN features over 133 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN’s televised games via GSN.com. Reaching 60 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN’s press website at corp.gsn.com.
About The Princeton Review The Princeton Review (Nasdaq: REVU) is a pioneer in the world of education. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York City, the Company offers private tutoring and classroom and online test preparation to help students improve their scores in college and graduate school admissions tests. The Company's free website, www.PrincetonReview.com, helps over half of university-bound students research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for their higher education, and helps hundreds of colleges and universities streamline their admissions and recruiting activities. In addition, The Princeton Review works with school districts around the U.S. to measurably strengthen students' academic skills by connecting ongoing assessment with professional development and instruction and by providing districts with college and career resources for both students and guidance counselors. The Company also authors more than 200 print and software titles on test preparation, college and graduate school selection and admissions, and related topics
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR PARTICIPATE IN THE NVC. Open only to high school students who are legal residents of the U.S., between the ages of 13 and 19 as of the date of each applicable NVC exam and/or event. Minors in their state of residency must provide written consent from their parent or legal guardian to be eligible to advance to an NVC citywide championship or regional exam. Void where prohibited. Please visit www.winwithwords.com < http://www.winwithwords.com> for complete details, including dates of NVC qualifying examinations and events, additional eligibility restrictions and prize descriptions/restrictions.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is now accepting entries for their first ever StoryTime Writers Contest. The two categories are Adult Fiction and Children's Fiction. Judges from The Old Schoolhouse will review each entry and select the 20 finalists. Those finalists will be listed on the TOS website by title, author, and city. From there a panel of judges who are 'experts in the field' will select the first prize winner and two honorable mentions in each category. Deadline for entries is November 1, 2006. $7.00 per entry. You may enter as many submissions as you wish. For more information see The Old Schoolhouse Magazine website.
The Crazy4Math website has a contest to "encourage children to think mathematically and keep up their math skills during the summer, promote math as part of many family activities, and build a free list of great ideas for kids, families and teachers to access on the internet and continue to use after the contest is over."
"Math is used in just about every part of our lives: gardening, cooking, music, art, crafts, games, travel, shopping and even sports.
We all know that learning doesn't have to stop at the end of the school day - or the school year! This contest is an exciting way for children to share ideas so that families can see how many ways they can (and do) use math in their everyday lives, and see how much fun math can be."
Click on the link above, and check out this great contest! The contest deadline is July 30th.
The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund is sponsoring an essay contest celebrating the Second Amendment as an integral part of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The theme for the essay is “The Second Amendment to the Constitution: Why it is important to our nation.” The entry deadline for this contest is December 1, 2006. Though the web site doesn't specifically mention that homeschooled students are welcome to enter, I called them, and they said that homeschooled students are definitely welcome to enter the contest. For more information see the NRA Defense Fund web site.
What a great way for your child to put his or her imagination to work! University Games is sponsoring the Young Game Inventors Contest! If you are between the ages of 5 and 12 you can enter by designing your own original boardgame! Entries must be in by September 1, 2006. Prizes range from a $10,000 dollar savings bond to a library of games from University Games! For all the details on how to enter click HERE .
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