Diary of a Christian Home Educating family, living in the country, in Devon, England. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0600 Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0600  FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY  "In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, May 1915 In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields." http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/743102/ Sun, 8 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/743102/ Tough lesson for home-educators suzan.uzel@cambridge-news.co.uk Parents who educate their children at home face having to register annually with their local authority to prove they are providing a "suitable" education. Graham Badman's review of elective home education has been welcomed by children's secretary Ed Balls, who said there would be "better monitoring so that every home-educated child stays safe". But the review, published earlier this year by Mr Badman - Kent's former education director - has provoked a backlash from parents who say they have been stigmatised as more likely to be child abusers. The review of 74 local authorities found children educated at home were "twice as likely" to be known to social services than those not educated at home. But Karl Meyer, from Cambridge Home Educating Families (Chef), who home-educates his 7-year-old daughter with his wife, said the review was based on "virtually no evidence". Mr Meyer, from Duxford, said less than half of local authorities contacted "specifically gave figures for the percentage of home-educated children who were under review by the child welfare teams". He added: "You could argue only those who have particular concerns would respond. Many local education authorities, once they realise a child is being home-educated, create a case under social services by default. That child is then on file with social services whether there is an issue or not." He added that measures such as having to register annually and be "inspected" to assess suitability changed the presumption from "parents are doing a good job unless we find otherwise" to "parents are child abusers unless they can prove they are not". Mr Meyer said: "This has angered many parents who have sacrificed lots to provide an education for their children." He said it was "a bizarre logic" to suggest that a parent who wanted to spend time with his or her child was someone to be questioned and queried. Mr Meyer stressed that school is, after all, not compulsory. However, the law does state that children of school age must receive efficient, suitable education "at school or otherwise". Currently, home educators do not have to seek permission to home educate and do not have to follow the National Curriculum or do SATs. Mr Meyer said the benefits of home education were huge, as learning was one-on-one, so lessons go at the right pace for the child and can be taken in any direction. A common question often asked about home education is, what about socialisation? Mr Meyer said: "Within Chef there are more group activities scheduled each week than can actually be attended - from sports to drama, French to philosophy." He said children had more flexibility thanks to home education as they could choose to sit GCSEs earlier - rather than being confronted with "an enormous exam block". Mr Meyer added anyone with a "reasonable level of education" could follow textbooks and produce a curriculum. Sue Stubbings, county attendance manager (for schools) at Cambridgeshire County Council, whose responsibilities include home education, said: "Every child has the right to an education and it's the responsibility of the local authority to make sure children are safe and that all children receive efficient full-time education - which doesn't have to be in school. "In Cambridgeshire, the vast majority co-operate quite happily with us. But there is just a small minority that won't co-operate with us or won't give evidence the child is receiving education, or where we are concerned no-one ever sees the child. "It is the ones we don't know about that we are worried about." She added: "We want to co-operate with the parents not work against them." In his report, Mr Badman said it was "cause for concern" that although around 20,000 home-educated children and young people were known to local authorities, the real number could be more than 80,000.   Comment on this article Your Name:* Your Email Address: Remember Me: Subject: Your Comments:* To confirm and submit this article comment, please enter the text in the image into the text box below.    Terms and Conditions function ValidateForm() { if ((document.commentform.elements['commentername'].value == "" || document.commentform.elements['commentername'].value == null)) { alert("You must enter a name into commenter name.") document.commentform.elements['commentername'].focus(); return false; } if ((document.commentform.elements['CommentContents'].value == "" || document.commentform.elements['CommentContents'].value == null)) { alert("You must enter a comment.") document.commentform.elements['CommentContents'].focus(); return false; } if ((document.commentform.elements['captchatext'].value == "" || document.commentform.elements['captchatext'].value == null)) { alert("You must type the letters in the image into the text box.") document.commentform.elements['captchatext'].focus(); return false; } if ((document.commentform.elements['commenteremail'].value != "" && document.commentform.elements['commenteremail'].value != null)) { if (!IsEmail(document.commentform.elements['commenteremail'].value)) { alert("You must enter a valid email address.") document.commentform.elements['commenteremail'].focus(); return false; } } return true; } function IsEmail(strEmail) { str = strEmail; var at="@" var dot="." var lat=str.indexOf(at) var lstr=str.length var ldot=str.indexOf(dot) if (str.indexOf(at)==-1){ return false } if (str.indexOf(at)==-1 || str.indexOf(at)==0 || str.indexOf(at)==lstr){ return false } if (str.indexOf(dot)==-1 || str.indexOf(dot)==0 || str.indexOf(dot)==lstr){ return false } if (str.indexOf(at,(lat+1))!=-1){ return false } if (str.substring(lat-1,lat)==dot || str.substring(lat+1,lat+2)==dot){ return false } if (str.indexOf(dot,(lat+2))==-1){ return false } if (str.indexOf(" ")!=-1){ return false } return true; } Currently displaying the top 1 comments View all 1 comments Local Authorities do not know law Posted By: David L Brown on 21-Oct-2009 Actually the law does not say anything about an efficient full time education! The child has to receive an education, and there is case law about the minimum outcome acceptable, but the words efficient and full-time are nowhere to be found. Inventing non existent criteria is unfortunately common by local authorities, and is a major part of why many parents do not wish to co-operate.   Published: 21/10/2009 Talk about | Email to a Friend | Print this Digg this | del.icio.us | reddit Back to top http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/737900/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/737900/ Joining strs My menu for this week   Saturday   Breakfast   Full English   Lunch   Vegetable Soup   Main Meal   Chicken and Lime Stir Fry   Cheesecake    Sunday   Breakfast   Toast and fruit.   Lunch   Toasted Cheese Sandwiches   Main Meal   Home made burgers and beer chips Cake   Monday   Breakfast   Cereal and Yoghurt   Lunch Cream Cheese and Hummus Sandwiches     Main Meal   Chunky Beef Casserole Baked Bananas with Chocolate Filling   Tuesday   Breakfast   Toast and fruit.   Lunch   Hummus and cream cheese sandwiches   Main Meal   Coley Fish Pie Stewed Fruit and Cream     Wednesday   Breakfast   Cereal and yoghurt   Lunch   Cheese, apple and chutney sandwiches   Main Meal   Roast Chicken Ice cream   Thursday   Breakfast   Toast and fruit   Lunch   Beans on Toast   Main Meal Jacket Potatoes with Tuna and cheese Fruit Salad   Friday   Breakfast   Cereal, yoghurt and fruit juice.     Lunch   Egg Sandwiches - peanut butter for Daniel   Main Meal   Orange and Apricot Pork Fruit and cream http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/652777/ Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:38:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/652777/ This week’s theme is going to be on unit studies. Some people are really big on unit studies, others aren’t, and some use them as their primary learning tool. I think they’re great a fun way to encompass everything in what you’re studying. please share your favourite unit study and if you’ve never done one before share one you’d like to do. Our unit study, which we will be starting next week is Johnny Appleseed. In the UK it is Bramley Apple Week from 1st - 8th February, and we have been studying American History, so I thought this topic would be a good idea. Links http://www.appleseed.net/About_Johnny.htm http://www.thevirtualvine.com/johnny.html http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/qt/mar11a.htm http://www.tooter4kids.com/Apples/johnny_appleseed.htm http://www.enchantedlearning.com/school/usa/people/Appleseedindex.shtml   Apple Links http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch39.html http://www.michiganapples.com/index.asp?Loc=4&Loc2=15 http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/apple044.html http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/after-apple-picking-2/   Recipes we will be trying out: Apple Spread Ingredients: 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup apples, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup pecans, chopped Directions: Blend all ingredients together on whip in a blender. Use the spread on bagels or bread Classic baked apple Adults generally love these just as they are. They’re quite large for children, who may find the apple pulp a little sharp. I usually give children half an apple each (bake whole and cut in half to eat) and serve with custard. Serves 4 Use Bramley cooking apples and choose them all the same size. Heat oven to 350F/180C/gas 4. Wash apples, and remove the core with a corer. Make sure all the core has gone – you might have to cut out any hard or pippy bits that are left with a small knife. Score a line around the ‘waist’ of each apple with the point of a knife. For 4 apples, mix together 2 tbsp soft brown sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, some sultanas and a few chopped walnuts if you have them – they add a very pleasant crunch. Stand apples in small ovenproof dish, pour a little water around them. You can drizzle a little honey or maple syrup over the tops if you wish. Stand the dish on baking tray just in case apples burst, and bake for 25-30 mins. Apple Tarts RECIPE INGREDIENTS:   1/3 cup butter 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1 egg 1/8 tsp. salt 1-1/3 cups flour 2 tart apples 4 tsp. sugar 4 tsp. orange marmalade, melted 1. Beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and salt. Gradually stir in flour until a soft dough is formed. Cover tightly and refrigerate 30 minutes. 2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, to a 10 x 10 inch square. Cut this square into four smaller squares (5 x 5 inches each). Turn up 1/4 inch edge all around each square and place them on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 3. Peel, core and slice the apples. Arrange apple slices over pastry and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden. 4. Remove from oven and brush apples with melted marmalade. Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Apple Experiments http://www.sunkist.com/kids/experiments/exp-apple.asp         Found this at   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SmallWorld/208857/   which has some good ideas.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/652343/ Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:12:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/652343/ I have joined Suzy in Read The Bible In One Year Part of Wednesdays reading was Mathew 18:21-35 From Susan Pendelton Jones from an article in The Christian Century. Forgiveness must become a practice -- a commitment -- that is to be sustained and renewed each day throughout our lives. It is not a single action, feeling or thought. Forgiveness must become an embodied way of life in an ever-deepening friendship with God and with others. Peter asks how generous he should be, yet he is still asking about limits. He's thinking quantitatively while Jesus answers qualitatively -- with the offer of limitless forgiveness. This is what God is like. Because we have been abundantly forgiven by God, we are able to forgive others in turn. There is a direct connection between forgiving others and being forgiven. Therefore, in the Lord's Prayer we pray "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." The parable of the unforgiving servant, which follows the exchange between Peter and Jesus, focuses on those who are willing to receive God's forgiveness but are unwilling to offer it to others. The servant has been forgiven a huge debt and yet is unwilling to forgive even a small debt owed to him. Such unwillingness shows, though, that he really is not able to receive God's forgiveness. For truly to receive forgiveness is to recognize how extravagant God's gracious forgiving love is and, in response, to offer it to others. Yet if we are honest, there are times when we find ourselves behaving like that unforgiving servant. We are pleased with the idea of a forgiving God, but not if it would require us to change our lives. Forgiveness becomes something we claim but fail to proclaim in our living. We too often sound like George Eliot's description in Adam Bede: "We hand folks over to God's mercy, and show none ourselves." Yet it is difficult to be forgiven and forgiving people. It takes time and involves struggle.  Forgiveness must be prayed for and struggled for and won. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/650359/ Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:53:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/650359/ Please Wear A Poppy Don Crawford “Please wear a poppy,” the lady said And held one forth, but I shook my head. Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there, And her face was old and lined with care; But beneath the scars the years had made There remained a smile that refused to fade. A boy came whistling down the street, Bouncing along on care-free feet. His smile was full of joy and fun, “Lady,” said he, “may I have one?” When she’s pinned it on he turned to say, “Why do we wear a poppy today?” The lady smiled in her wistful way And answered, “This is Remembrance Day, And the poppy there is the symbol for The gallant men who died in war. And because they did, you and I are free - That’s why we wear a poppy, you see. “I had a boy about your size, With golden hair and big blue eyes. He loved to play and jump and shout, Free as a bird he would race about. As the years went by he learned and grew and became a man - as you will, too. “He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile, But he’d seemed with us such a little while When war broke out and he went away. I still remember his face that day When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye, I’ll be back soon, Mom, so please don’t cry. “But the war went on and he had to stay, And all I could do was wait and pray. His letters told of the awful fight, (I can see it still in my dreams at night), With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire, And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire. “Till at last, at last, the war was won- And that’s why we wear a poppy son.” The small boy turned as if to go, Then said, “Thanks, lady, I’m glad to know. That sure did sound like an awful fight, But your son - did he come back all right?” A tear rolled down each faded check; She shook her head, but didn’t speak. I slunk away in a sort of shame, And if you were me you’d have done the same; For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed, Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid! And so when we see a poppy worn, Let us reflect on the burden borne, By those who gave their very all When asked to answer their country’s call That we at home in peace might live. Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/616640/ Sat, 8 Nov 2008 22:18:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/616640/ F A M I L Y I ran into a stranger as he passed by, 'Oh excuse me please' was my reply. He said, 'Please excuse me too; I wasn't watching for you.' We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said goodbye. But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, My son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. 'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, 'While dealing with a stranger, Common courtesy you use, But the family you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.' By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed; 'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said. 'Are these the flowers you picked for me?' He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.' I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.' He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway.' I said, 'Son, I love you too, And I do like the flowers, especially the blue.' FAMILY Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company That we are working for could easily replace us in A matter of days. But the famiy we left behind will feel the loss For the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more Into work than into our own family, An unwise investment indeed, Don't you think? So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means? FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/612531/ Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/liviingandlearning/612531/