April marks the Month of the Military Child with month long events and celebrations. Spouse BUZZ has a huge posting with TONS of info!

D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority.

When? 12 April

This comes from one of the TOS newsletters.

One of the greatest joys in homeschooling for me has been learning Creation Science right alongside my children. I grew up in a  small rural public school and all of my teacher's would preface teaching evolution with "This isn't my personal belief, but you need to know this information."

As I got older, I knew that I didn't believe in evolution and that I DID believe in the Genesis account of creation, but I was honestly just very confused. I had been taught that evolution was fact and scientifically-proven after all.

I was at one of my first homeschool meetings, when the topic of creation science came up and that's when I FINALLY began to find the answers I was looking for. That group of homeschool moms, who had obviously already been learning along with their kids, gently answered my questions and pointed me towards some wonderful resources.

Some of my favorite resources for the boys have been D is for Dinosaurs and A is for Adam. I really try to have a wide variety of resources at our home that support our biblical worldview and help us to learn more about creation science. Just take a look at all of the wonderful resources available from Creation Ministries International.


Enjoy every minute!

THM Editor

Do you teach creationism? Evolution? Both? Something else? What are some of your best resources to share?

SPECIAL BULLETIN

"The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations." (Pierce vs. Society of Sisters, 1922) What In the World Is Going On In California? By Karen Braun By now, most homeschoolers across the country have heard about the California appellate court ruling handed down on February 28 ordering the children of Phillip and Mary Long to attend public school or a legally qualified private school. The judge's ruling surprised everyone and sparked a firestorm of concern among homeschoolers nationwide, many wondering if homeschooling had become illegal in California. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine staff has been following the developments since World Net Daily first broke the story a week ago. In this Homeschool Minute, we would like to provide a brief summary of the events and offer links to various perspectives to help homeschoolers understand this ruling, how it impacts homeschoolers in California, and what homeschoolers across the nation can do to help. To gain a better understanding of this case, it is necessary to note that prior to this ruling, the Long family had been involved with the juvenile court system regarding the care of their children. Such proceedings are confidential, and in most cases, a court-appointed attorney is provided to represent the interests of the minor children. The attorney representing two of the children was not satisfied with a ruling made by Superior Court Judge Stephen Marpet, who found the children's education to be "meager" but determined that Phillip and Mary Long have a constitutional right to school their children in their own home. The attorney for the children brought an appeal before the Second Court of Appeals of California. The California Second Appellate Court in Los Angeles found that the Longs had not demonstrated that any of the exemptions to California's compulsory attendance applied to their children. The court reversed the finding of the Superior Court and ordered the children to attend public or a "legally qualified" private school. The court remanded the case back to the lower court for a hearing to determine if the family was in compliance with the law. The family plans on appealing this ruling decision to the California Supreme Court. Read the complete court opinion here. The ruling spurred reactions from attorneys representing various homeschool groups and interested parties across the country. The Homeschool Minute provides these links for informational purposes related to this case and does not necessarily endorse these sites. Sunland Christian School. The Long children were enrolled in this school. Pacific Justice Institute (PJI). These attorneys are representing Sunland Christian School and advising the family. Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). HSLDA presents several appeal options to reverse this ruling or diminish its impact upon California homeschoolers. There is a petition available for those interested in supporting the HSLDA's move to depublish the ruling. National Home Education Legal Defense (NHELD). Attorney Deborah Stevenson offers a detailed and informative analysis of this case. Several homeschool groups in California issued statements concerning this ruling: Homeschool Association of California California Homeschool Network Christian Home Educators of California Private and Home Educators of California California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement in support of homeschooling: "Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what's best for their children. Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will." By the end of a long news week, the court decision reached the broader Christian community through a radio broadcast by Focus on the Family. Dr. Dobson discussed the California court case with several prominent guests.

Don't Miss Out on the New TOS Digital Magazine Subscription! With their new digital magazine, you will get to enjoy all the same great content as the print edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, but in a new format - digital! Want to know why you'll want to subscribe - even if you already get the print edition? Instant delivery - No waiting for your mail to arrive. Huge savings - At $16.95, the digital subscription is 32% less than US print subscription price, 43% less than Canadian print subscription prices, and 65% less than international print prices. If price has kept you from subscribing before, you can't go wrong with the huge savings on the digital subscription. Helpful links - No more running to the computer to check out an advertised product or website reference. One click and you're there! Exciting features - Print or email articles to share with up to five of your friends. Fun, dynamic format - Flip through a real online magazine, not a pdf file. Never lose your magazine again - Save all your TOS issues to your computer. More of what you love -  Enjoy the same high-quality content and beautiful design of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine print edition. View the sample issue here. With a one-year digital subscription, you'll receive four quarterly issues, the 19 free International/Digital gifts, and Teacher's Toolbox membership, but right now, TOS has a Charter Subscriber Special for the first month that makes it an even BETTER offer. Order between March 12 -18, 2008 to get the very best deal! Pay only $10.95, receive one full year of TOS Digital Magazine, the Summer & Fall '07 digital back issues and five BONUS downloadable gifts just for Charter Subscribers! International Geography Quest Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child   ($25 Value) Breakfast for Busy Moms from Urban Homemaker                                  ($9.97 Value) Organic Gifts from Vintage Remedies                                                       ($12 Value) Education Travel on a Shoestring from Eagle's Nest Home                       ($5.98 Value) 1 month subscription to Classroom Zoom!                                              ($4.15 Value) Hurry! This offer won't last long. Prices will go up and there will be fewer gifts each week until they reach the regular digital subscription price. Enjoy HUGE savings and FREE bonus gifts, order early! Go digital! Subscribe TODAY.

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H/T to HSN Maryland

Parents, help your kids aged 7-14 submit an original recipe using milk,
cheese or yogurt for a chance to win a $10,000 savings bond in a recipe
contest called Kitch'N Kids with 3-A-Day of Dairy. The recipe can be a
breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack food but needs to contain a full
serving of a qualifying dairy product from Cabot, Dannon, Garelick
Farms, or Stop & Shop's brand of milk, cheese or yogurt.

The top five recipe entries will be selected to participate in a
finalist "cook-off" on April 19, 2008, where a panel of judges will
select the grand prize winner of a $10,000 savings bond! Four first
place winners will each win a $1,000 savings bond. One hundred entries
will win Kitch'N Kids aprons.

Entries for the Mid-Atlantic area must be submitted by midnight on
March 22, 2008. Parents can enter for their kids online, at the store,
or by mail. For entry details and contest rules -
http://dairyspot. com/site/ contests/

Great news! If you are a fan of the revolutionary children’s show “ Liberty ’s Kids” and would like to see it back on the air, now is your chance! Beginning this Wednesday, February 27, The History Channel will air episodes of “ Liberty ’s Kids” on Monday - Friday 7:00 am to 7:30 am and Saturday 7:00 am to 8:00 am. However, this is only a test marketing of the show. IMPORTANT! The History Channel needs to know this is the kind of programming that we as parents want for our children. So tune in and watch, then contact The History Channel at http://www.history. com/global/ feedback/ index.jsp? NetwCode= THC and tell them how much you and/or your children enjoy the program. If the show does well, the producers are prepared to create more programs highlighting other historical eras in American History. Imagine how much fun it would be to watch the same type of educational animated series about other periods of our nation’s history like the Civil War or the Oregon Trail . Click here to read an informative “ Liberty ’s Kids” review: http://www.knowledg ehouse.info/ libertykid. html

Thanks to my friend Sherri for this info!

I just read about this over on HSN-Pennsylvania and after downlaoding it HAD to share it with you all here!!

Knowledge Quest is expanding their line of history and geography productsAs part of their current promotion, they are pleased to give you their newest ebook titled GLOBALMANIA:  Master World Geography in Just 7 Months - retail value $12.95.  They hope that you take the challenge and enjoy your learning moments together.

To download, simply click here and save the file to your desktop or some other memorable place on your computer.  If you have any trouble, send an email to helpdesk@knowledgequestmaps.com.

To view the rest of the product line, click here.