Jan. 7, 2009
More Kids Being Home Schooled (Milwaukee Journal article)
| More Kids Being Home Schooled |
| Last Edited: Monday, 05 Jan 2009, 11:44 PM CST |
| Created: Monday, 05 Jan 2009, 11:44 PM CST |
By MIKE BRODY,
MyFox National
The number of home-schooled kids rose to 1.5 million in 2007, up 74 percent from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36 percent since 2003, according to USA Today.
Traditional surveys show that the No. 1 reason parents choose to home school their children is religion, but a new factor arose in 2007 -- an interest in a "non-traditional approach."
"We wanted to identify the parents who are part of the 'unschooling' movement," Gail Mulligan, a statistician at the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics told USA Today. Most home schoolers generally follow standard curriculum and grading systems, but "unschoolers" create their own systems, according to Mulligan.
If you're considering home school for your kids, check out these factors before making your decision.
Homeschool.com and Homeschool World are just two of them many Web sites that will help you get started.
http://www.myfoxmilwaukee.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=8198237&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.8.1
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Oct. 22, 2008
German e-pals for homeschoolers
Dear Homeschoolers,
Greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia! My name is Susan Gleason and my family and I are life-long homeschoolers. Our daughter, Claire (13), and I have developed an epal program between U.S. homeschoolers and students in Germany. We would like to invite you to participate. Please read the announcement below as well as the recent news article. We would be grateful if you would kindly post this info on your websites and in your newsletters.
Vielen Dank!
Susan Gleason
Terry, Susan and Claire Gleason
Seven Springs Farm
1804 Taylors Chapel Rd
Fries VA 24330
276-744-7222
276-233-3376 (cell)
*German-American Family e-Pals*
An e-Pal program has been organized between U.S. homeschoolers *ages 12-16* and their families and German public/private school children of similar ages. The German students are from Ludwigsburg, Markgröningen, Stuttgart, and Hagen, and participation is limited to their English classes.
There is no cost.
Goals for the program are for homeschoolers to learn about the culture, history and daily life in Germany and that German students will improve their English and learn about American culture--especially about
homeschooling. /Any homeschooler learning German has an opportunity to improve his or her language skills. *Parental involvement is important.*
Students in Germany are from public and private schools. All parents are encouraged to oversee correspondence and to discuss cultural differences with their children.
If interested, please e-mail Susan Gleason at sgleason@ls.net with the following information on each child who would like to participate:
· Name
· Gender (if not apparent by name)
· Age
· City
· Interests/hobbies
· Favorite school subjects
Participants will be paired with same-gender pals according to similarities. You can also request a Christian family. Parents will have the opportunity to approve the German e-pal before communication
begins.Personal data is never shared with outside organizations.
*Homeschooler Develops German-American e-Pal Program*
(FRIES, Va SEPT 2008) Until recently, 13 year old homeschooler Claire Gleason had never seen the inside of a public school classroom. Last September, for the first time, she did. In Germany.
For two days, the Fries, Virginia, native attended the Helene-Lange-Gymnasium (/Gymnasium/ means "high school" in German) in the town of Markgröningen which is located in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Raised a bilingual, Gleason was the guest of her German friend, Dorothee Mannsdörfer, and attended her 8^th grade classes with her September 9 and 10, which included history, English, P.E., French,
physics and German.
"This is a special high school for students who are talented in music and art," said Gleason. "But they still have to learn subjects like science, math, languages and history."
The Helene-Lange-Gymnasium has 350 students in the 7^th -12^th grades and a faculty of 36 teachers with 17 additional music teachers.
"The public school system in Germany is very different from the United States," noted Gleason's mother, Susan. "All teachers must be certified in at least two different subjects. Students attend grade school until about age 10. Then, they are put in other schools according to their grades," she said. "The top students go to the /Gymnasium/, the average students attend the /Realschule/ and the lower
scoring students go to the /Hauptschule/. Those with college aspirations usually attend the /Gymnasium/."
Just like in the United States, there are some differences in the school systems within each of Germany's 16 states. There are also other types of schools like the /Gesamtschule/ and /Berufskolleg/.
Both mother and daughter spoke to Mannsdörfer's English class and answered questions about the United States, Southwest Virginia and homeschooling, a way of learning that is relatively unknown in Germany.
"They asked me a lot of questions, like what subjects I study, why I am homeschooled and what time I have to get up," said Claire. "They thought it was neat that I can go to school in my pajamas."
Vera Rackebrandt, Mannsdörfer's English teacher at the Helene-Lange-Gymnasium, plans to incorporate information on homeschooling into her lessons this school year. "Our focus country
this year is the U.S. and my pupils will learn about its culture, geography and history as well as the school system," she said. "The concept of homeschooling is very interesting to us, but also an idea
that, in Germany, is presently unthinkable."
Claire and her mother have developed an e-pal program between homeschoolers in the United States and the English classes of Helene-Lange-Gymnasium as well as other schools in Ludwigsburg,
Stuttgart and Hagen. An e-pal is like a pen pal, except communication is via e-mail.
"Having e-pals in Germany will enrich our homeschoolers' educational experience," noted Peter Pratt of Woodlawn, Virginia, whose eldest daughter will participate. "They will learn first-hand about the
culture, history and education system of Germany," he said. "Likewise, the German students will improve their English, learn about our culture and this "new concept" called homeschooling. The e-pal program will enrich them as well."
English teacher Barbara Winter of the Hildegardis-Schule in Hagen welcomes the chance for her students in Germany to learn about American culture and improve their English at the same time. "We are expecting our students to gain knowledge about the culture and daily life in America," she said. "They will also find things that Europe and the U.S. have in common as well as recognize specific cultural differences."
Winter even included a unit study on homeschooling itself in her English classes last year. Her students were fascinated, if not a bit puzzled by the concept.
Students will be matched according to age, gender, favorite subjects and interests. Ages range from 12-16. All e-mails will be in English, unless a homeschooler is learning German and wants to improve
his or her language skills.
Parents on both continents are encouraged to be involved. There is no cost.
Reverend Shannon Hicks, a homeschooling father in Laurel Fork, Virginia, has three sons who will have e-pals. "We are very excited about this e-pal program," he said. "My family and I have never been overseas and it will be like having a direct connection to Germany with someone who lives there."
Homeschooling families interested in signing up for the German-American e-Pal Program may contact Susan Gleason at sgleason@LS.net |
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Oct. 2, 2008
Local [home schooled] teen experienced convention from many angles
ST. PAUL — To some, the best way to learn is through hands-on experience, and this week Hannah Wahlen has received several armfuls of experience.
Wahlen, 18, daughter of Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen and his wife, Jan, was at this week’s Republican National Convention as part of an internship program provided by the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. The program is giving approximately 80 students interested in politics a chance to experience the convention from a variety of perspectives, from working with state delegations to working with broadcast outlets and print media.
Wahlen, who is interested in journalism, jumped at the chance to work with The Washington Times. But unlike being an errand runner as some of her fellow interns are doing with organizations like CNN, Wahlen is working hands on as a reporter. She has had a couple of bylined stories in the Times this week, and has assisted reporters on several others by getting quotes from those attending the convention inside and outside the Xcel Energy Center, site of the convention.
Her assignments have included covering the convention of the Libertarian-leaning Ron Paul that is going on at the same time as the RNC at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Wahlen also compiled a report on reaction to the controversy over the pregnancy of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol.
For Friday’s edition of the Times, Wahlen was assigned to gauge the impact of the Wednesday night speech by Palin in terms of whether it was the defining point of the convention. She was also to get quotes from delegates about the speeches made Thursday night, the final day of the convention.
Wahlen’s sources for the stories are everyone from people on the streets of St. Paul to delegates on the convention floor to sources reached by phone.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people from Texas because there’s so many of them (at the convention) and you can always find them in the aisles with their cowboys hats,” Wahlen said. Wahlen has also been able to experience some of the large protests and violence occurring outside the Xcel Center.
A roommate of Wahlen’s experienced tear gas and pepper spray when she ventured too far into the fray. Wahlen said she wasn’t scared, but called the experience “a little nerve wracking.”
A sophomore philosophy major at Elmhurst College in suburban Chicago, Wahlen also was confronted by what she described as “anarchist” protestors while stopping by a vegan restaurant. She said the convention credentials she wore around her neck were enough to set off the protestors, who verbally sparred with Wahlen, but did not harm her.
On the flip side, Wahlen on Wednesday had coffee with a few of the hundreds of law enforcement officers and firefighters assigned to the area around the Xcel Center. Wahlen said the officers got a kick out of her knowledge of law enforcement that comes from having a police chief as a dad. Another aspect of the convention Wahlen has experienced is the constant criticism of the media.
She said the Times, a conservative newspaper, “is more liked here than the Washington Post, which is nice when I’m interviewing.” Wahlen was nominated for the two-week, tuition paid internship with the Washington Center by her college.
The first week of the program involved introductory seminars about the process of putting on a national political convention. Speakers included local officials as well as former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla., and Jo Ann Davidson, co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. After the convention wraps up, Wahlen will be returning to Washington, where she is working this fall in the office of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
Wahlen’s responsibilities there include scheduling and corresponding with constituents. Wahlen worked over the summer in Ryan’s Racine office.
Home schooled during her high school years, Wahlen said she is considering applying to law school after she graduates from Elmhurst.
A former Miss Wisconsin Junior Teen, Wahlen also is not ruling out future pageants.
“Look at Sarah Palin. She was a beauty queen, so you never know what you can do with that (experience),” Wahlen said.
Local teen experienced convention from many angles
By Pete Wicklund- Journal Times-Thursday, September 4, 2008 11:38 PM CDT |
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Jun. 19, 2008
Re: AlphaOmega email stating "change in WI homeschool law"
Dear Homeschool Leader,
This email is to assure you that despite information you may have received from Alpha Omega Publications, Wisconsin's homeschooling regulations have not changed. Here are the details. Please share this information with your support group.
Alpha Omega recently sent an email to homeschoolers in Wisconsin with the subject, "Wisconsin Passes New Homeschooling Regulation!" It goes on to say, "Did you know health is now a homeschool state requirement in Wisconsin? Don't worry. Alpha Omega Publications has you covered!" This same language could be found on Alpha Omega's website at http://www.aop.com/enews/aopnetalert/20080617/index.php as late as 10:30 AM on June 19, 2008. (It may have been changed by the time you read this, and the link may no longer work.)
This information is clearly incorrect. There has been no change in Wisconsin's homeschooling law since 1984. When the law was passed, it included the requirement that the educational program of a private school, including a homeschool, "provide a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health." (S. 118.165 [1] [d]) (Note: Because there is not a comma in the phrase "science and health," private schools, including homeschools, can include health in their science curriculum and do not need a separate health curriculum.)
Since Alpha Omega has been represented at WPA's Curriculum Fair for many years, I assume that this is an unfortunate error on their part and one that will not be repeated.
However, this morning I spoke with Ron Gibson, the Vice President for Marketing at Alpha Omega. I explained that because WPA has heard from homeschoolers concerned about Alpha Omega's statements in emails and on their website, WPA needs to send a email promptly. I asked if I could say in the email that this information was put out in error and will be retracted. Ron said he had heard from several homeschoolers at the Wisconsin CHEA Convention last month that Wisconsin's homeschooling regulations had been changed and health is now a required subject. He then checked and found health listed in the Wisconsin statutes as quoted on several websites. I pointed out that this statute has existed unchanged for over 24 years. Nevertheless, Ron said he needs to do further research.
I am still hopeful that this error will be corrected soon. I'll inform you of further developments if necessary.
Larry Kaseman
Executive Director
Wisconsin Parents Association
Post Office Box 2502
Madison WI 53701-2502
Voice Mail 608.283.3131
www.homeschooling-wpa.org |
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May. 25, 2008
Local WI State Spelling Bee winner
UPDATED- local homeschooler going to Nationals -- a note from her mom about hte trip:
>>>>>>>>Hi everybody. We're leaving tomorrow morning for D.C. for the National Spelling Bee. I've had a number of you asking questions about our schedule there, and so I thought it best to lay it out here. Also, I highly recommend daily checking the status of the Bee on the Scripps website: www.spellingbee.com They'll be continually updating their website with pictures and news as the week carries on. Check out the Competition Section for details on this year's Bee, where you can meet this year's spellers, learn about the prizes and procedures, and read some interesting statistics.
Broadcast times (Eastern Daylight Time): link
The Quarterfinals air live on ESPN360.com from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 29.
The Semifinals air live on ESPN from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 30.
The Championship Finals air live on ABC from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 30.
Our Bee Week Schedule:
Monday: registration begins at 1pm, Grand Hyatt Hotel. Kara will probably take her written round sometime this afternoon, depending how she feels. (Scripps is letting the kids take the written round at their leisure anytime between Sun-Tues.)
Tuesday: Janna's 13th birthday :) 11am-4pm Great American Barbecue at the Turkey Run Pavilion.
Wednesday: 8am-2pm Annapolis Tour
Thursday: 8am - the verbal spelling rounds begin!
Friday: 11am - spelling rounds continue. By 10pm the new Scripps Champion will be determined. :)
Saturday: 7-10pm Awards Ceremony
Sunday: farewell, leave for home.
I'll touch base again once we arrive in D.C. Keep us in your prayers for safe traveling, and calm nerves for Kara! Thanks everybody for the support. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations to Kara! Kara & her family belong to my support group, Master's Touch, in Oak Creek -- we're all vey proud of her.
MATTHEW WISNIEWSKI - For the State Journal
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Hales Corners 14-year-old Kara Walla won the 2008 Badger Spelling Bee Saturday at Monona Grove High School on the word ampicillin. Kara, who is home-schooled, was making her second trip to the state bee.
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Wisconsin State Journal
Sunday March 9, 2008
Champ is from family of spellers
By Patricia Simms
Fourteen-year-old Kara Walla of Hales Corners gave God a lot of credit for her victory Saturday in the 2008 Badger State Spelling Bee.
God and good genes.
Home-schooled by her parents with her four siblings, the teenager comes from a family of spellers -- her father, Wade, placed ninth in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 1982 representing Montana, and her aunt, Theresa Walla, came in 27th in the national contest in 1976.
After 16 rounds of spelling against 48 other contenders at Monona Grove High School, Kara carved her own place in the family legacy by spelling ampicillin (an antibiotic).
Before that, she correctly spelled the Greek word echinoderm (a category of marine animal), which 12-year-old Sam Maki of Owen had missed. Third was Natalie LaPointe of Bayfield, who missed the word disciform (of round or oval shape).
Madison city champion Erich Wegenke went out in the fourth round on the word sassafras.
This was Kara 's second trip to the state contest -- last year she exited in the second round. But she said she 'd spent much of this past year studying the roots of words in Latin and Greek, "getting the different sounds from different languages. "
That must have helped as she wound her way through words like nenuphar (a water lily), rejoneador (a bullfighter who fights on horseback), witloof (Dutch for chicory) and zeitgeber (a German word for something that resets a biological clock).
"I think God helped me win, " Kara said. "I was really praying through the rounds that I would remember what I 'd learned. "
Kara will represent Wisconsin at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., on May 29. She also won a copy of Merriam-Webster 's Third New International Directory and a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/276291
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Dec. 7, 2007
MidWest Homeschool Convention
Mar. 8, 2007
Homeschool families on TLC (The Learning Channel)
Jan. 15, 2007
Large Homeschool families on TLC
| If you have ever wished to be a mouse in the corner to observe a large family in action, here is your chance! We invite you to join us for a candid portrait of three large Christian homeschooling families on prime time national television! These three families will be featured on TLC (The Learning Channel) at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. CST as a mini series called Kids by the Dozen. Be sure to tune in or ask someone to record it for you.
January 15 - The Arndt Family from Missouri has thirteen boys and one girl!
Jan. 22 (National March for Life Day!-) The Heppner Family from MN, with sixteen (actually, we just brought home #17 this week, our first adoption!-)
Jan. 29 - The Jeubs, now in CO, had twelve and thirteen one year ago (twins!!-)
Approximately 100 hours of filming for each family has been edited for 45-50 min. documentaries (an hour show with commercials). The initial television crew spent one week with our family in July, and the post production crew came back for three days the week of Thanksgiving. This was a life-changing experience for our family. We tend to think of our family as normal (whatever that means!-). In truth, each of our families has a unique story to tell. Although God is still writing our family’s story, we have been amazed as we have already watched Him at work through the process. This positive (albeit stretching!-) experience helped us take a step back and see what we have through the world's eyes. We were forced to look at what we are doing, why we are doing what we are, and how we are doing it. As we took a fresh look at family relations and the journey of faith that brought us to where we are, we realized anew that what God has given us in our family is incredibly awesome. You can expect a candid and encouraging production that could have a far-reaching impact on our society. Pass the word!
The production company's purpose for doing this series is to encourage other families, which is also our purpose for participating in this project. Please pray with us that God will use this series to speak truth and encouragement to others, and above all… that God will be glorified.
Please send a response to the network thanking them for this series. A good response will help facilitate more of these positive family programs. http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations
For more info: http://tlc.discovery.com/tvlistings/series.jsp?series=55654&gid=0&channel=TLC
Watch for more upcoming info on our website www.buildingthefamily.com
Blessings!!
DuWayne and Miriam Heppner (and Family!-)
PO BOX 7
Warroad, MN 56763 |
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Oct. 11, 2006
Home School parents meeting
The Home School Connection of Harvest Bible Chapel in Lake Zurich is hosting a special home school parents meeting this coming Sunday evening, and you are invited. Please note the details in the following announcement. Feel free to pass this on to others in our area. (Attendance is free.)
October 15, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.: We are really excited to have Christine Field come and speak to us. Her topic will be, "Catching the Foxes that Ruin the Vineyard: What are the small and large distractions that detract from your work in your home? " She will present strategies for dealing with the common foxes of every day home life, both large and small, such as time crunchers and energy wasters. "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom." (Song of Songs 2:15)
Christine practiced law for eight years before becoming a full-time mommy. She and her husband live and home school their four children in Wheaton, Illinois where her husband serves as Chief of Police. Three of their four children are adopted, one through a private adoption and two are from Korea. She is the author of several books, including Coming Home to Raise your Children, Should you Adopt?, A Field Guide to Home Schooling, Life Skills for Kids, Help for the Harried Homeschooler, Homeschooling the Challenging Child, and Homeschooling 101, written with her husband and due to be released in February 2007. She serves as senior correspondent and Resource Room columnist for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Her articles on life skills have appeared in Focus on the Family Magazine and Single Parent Family.
Join us for this special evening of encouragement and refreshing.
Sarah & John Crupper &
Colleen & Tim Ryan
The leadership team of
The Home School Connection
Any questions may be addressed to Sarah at Mrscrupper@comcast.net |
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Sep. 7, 2006
Gena on "CrossTalk" today!
I happened to hear Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, interviewed by VCY America's Ingrid Schlueter on "CrossTalk" today about her experiences in homeschooling, how TOS got its start, and also some of the resources available to parents today and how to avoid burnout.
Listen to the program here:
http://www.crosstalkamerica.com/shows/recent_programs.php
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Aug. 16, 2006
Homeschool.com’s FREE Summer Teleconference
August 21st – 24th, 2006
To receive the Schedule, Dial-In Number, and Passcode go to: www.Homeschool.com
Can’t make the LIVE event? CDs on sale NOW.
Go to: http://www.homeschool.com/PreOrder/summer2006.asp
Want to order CDs of our PAST Teleconferences?
(Know how to burn your own CDs?)
Go to: http://www.homeschool.com/PreOrder/
Monday, August 21, 2006
· 11:00 Pacific (12:00 Mountain, 1:00 Central, 2:00 Eastern)
“Hour-A-Day Homeschooling Sends Six to Stanford” with Dr. Matthew James
· 12:00 Pacific (1:00 Mountain, 2:00 Central, 3:00 Eastern)
“A Reggio Emilia Approach to Homeschooling” with Diane Nichols
· 1:00 Pacific (2:00 Mountain, 3:00 Central, 4:00 Eastern)
“Living Joyfully With Children” with Bill & Win Sweet
· 2:00 (3:00 Mountain, 4:00 Central, 5:00 Eastern)
“Taking Care of the Me in Mommy” with Lisa Whelchel
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
· 11:00 Pacific (12:00 Mountain, 1:00 Central, 2:00 Eastern)
“Memorization Secrets for All Subjects” with Jim Sarris
· 12:00 (1:00 Mountain, 2:00 Central, 3:00 Eastern)
“The World is Your Classroom” with Jean Houston
· 1:00 (2:00 Mountain, 3:00 Central, 4:00 Eastern)
“How to Raise a Leader” with Chris Widener
· 2:00 (3:00 Mountain, 4:00 Central, 5:00 Eastern)
“Homeschooling Your Grandchildren” with Rita Davis
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
· 11:00 (12:00 Mountain, 1:00 Central, 2:00 Eastern)
“Quantum Learning Strategies” with Bobbi DePorter
· 12:00 (1:00 Mountain, 2:00 Central, 3:00 Eastern)
“Powerful Writing Strategies for All Ages” with Andrew Pudewa
· 1:00 (2:00 Mountain, 3:00 Central, 4:00 Eastern)
“Slice of Heaven: A Homeschooling Family on the Move” Martin/Jennifer Thomas
· * 2:00 (3:00 Mountain, 4:00 Central, 5:00 Eastern)
“Homeschooling is the Best Way to Raise a Child!” with Mary Leppert
Thursday, August 24, 2006
· 11:00 (12:00 Mountain, 1:00 Central, 2:00 Eastern)
“Secrets for Eliminating Email Spam” with Greg Writer
· 12:00 (1:00 Mountain, 2:00 Central, 3:00 Eastern)
“How To Learn Anything Fast” with Pat Wyman
· 1:00 (2:00 Mountain, 3:00 Central, 4:00 Eastern)
“Community-Based Homeschooling” with David Albert
· 2:00 (3:00 Mountain, 4:00 Central, 5:00 Eastern)
“Homeschooling the Autistic Child” with Karen Simmons
Can't make the LIVE call? Recordings are available. CDs are on sale for $6 each (Through the end of September. We are making a bulk purchase to get costs down). Or if you know how to make your own CDs (or if you have an MP3 player), you can receive links to the 16 recordings above for just $16. Place your orders now at: http://www.homeschool.com//Teleconference/Summer06/default.asp |
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Jun. 1, 2006
National Spelling Bee
I am watching the National Spelling Bee tonight and so thought I would share some interesting tidbits -- for isntance; of the 275 contestants this year over 13% are home-schooled:
School Type -
196 public (71.28%)
37 home (13.45%)
26 private (9.45%)
13 parochial (4.73%)
3 charter (1.09%)
Of last year's 273 spellers, 63.37% were public-schooled, 12.45% were home-schooled, 13.92% were private-schooled, 9.16% were parochial-schooled, and 1.1% were charter-schooled.
Click for more Statistics. |
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