This heartwarming story of homeschoolers putting on plays is a good illustration of how the freedom and flexibility of homeschooling can bring about amazing venues for learning.
“When you home-school your children, the thing you hear most is ‘what about socialization?’ To us, as home-school parents, we see this as a positive setting to work toward common goals,” Pudewa said.
If you want to get involved in this local progarm or want to learn more about starting your own homeschooled theater group, check out the Central Coast Homeschool Theater Ensemble webpage. You can find out more about upcoming performances, thoroughly Christian mission statement, and more.
A group of homeschoolers, led by Katie Grimes spent a peaceful afternoon writing in Harry Myers Park in Rockwall, Texas. These homeschoolers are using different aspects of outdoor and indoor areas to improve their writing abilities. It also provides them with a way to meet other homeschooling kids in their area. Citing the many luminaries of writing who are known to have homeschooled such as Mark Twain and Ben Franklin, reporter Jackie Larson illustrates the way that homeschooling nurtures a creative spirit.
Movie and music superstar Will Smith has recently sung the praises of homeschooling, making him one of the many wealthy American parents who choose homeschooling over prestigious private school education.
Will Smith says he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, homeschool their kids because “traditional education is based on facts and figures and passing tests — not on a comprehension of the material and its application to your life.”
He’s so right. Public school education is based on memorizing and then “brain-dumping” after the test is over. Our minds can only hold so many unrelated factoids. What we need is context. This kind of analogue context can only be achieved through in-depth research, story-telling, and writing. In the public school, most learning is done by memorizing a vocabulary list and then filling in the scantron sheets.
“In the December issue of Reader’s Digest, Smith, 38, says, “Jada and I homeschool our children because the date of the Boston Tea Party does not matter.”
Joining forces with big names in the homeschooling industry, Berthume Enterprises has developed a Monopoly-style board game complete with branding from World Magazine, the Home School Legal Defense Fund, and more. Clever additions include the nasty Truancy Officer who would like to take your homeschoolers to court. Of course, you can always respond with an HSLDA “Get Out of Court Free” card!
The Susquehanna County Historical Society and Free Library Association is hosting a learning program specifically for homeschoolers. Given the rural population of this Pennsylvania county, homeschooling is a perfect fit for families who live far away from schools. Amid concerns about socialization, this unique program provides a way for local homeschoolers to learn and grow in the company of peers from other homeschooling families.
The Belleville News has an interesting profile of a young white rapper who some are calling “the Christian Eminem.” Eschewing the popular subject matter of today’s hip-hop such as violence, homophobia, sexism, and racism, Nathan Wilson namechecks Christ and gives him all the glory. His parents know him as Nathan Wilson, but he goes by surname “Nameless” when he’s rocking the mic.
Homeschool blogger Gena Suarez is calling for a mass participation in a Walden Media contest.
“BOSTON, MA (November 9, 2006) — Walden Media is launching a nationwide attempt to break the Guinness World Record™ for the “Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations.” The event, “Break a World Reading Record with Charlotte’s Web” will introduce Charlotte’s Web to new fans, encourage longtime fans to read it again and build excitement for this heartwarming story in advance of the December 20 release of the new live-action film based on the beloved classic.”
Hoping to demonstrate the wide-ranging influence of homeschooling, Suarez wants homeschoolers to sign up. If homeschoolers participated, they could easily break the record with no help from the public school. Click here to read more.
You thought you’d heard it all! Here’s another terrifying news story, this time from the halls of Horace Mann Middle school.
“Prosecutors had said he took a 13-year-old boy out of class after the boy had tripped a girl the night before at a basketball game.
The boy had told authorities that Ellis had stun him three times and punched him in the stomach.”
The teacher is now serving six years of supervised probation. Unfortunately, the conditions in which a crime like this could be committed are preserved.
The Barre Times ran a thought-provoking article about the dire state of the public school system last week.
“Or, encourage the creation of virtual schools, like Oak Meadow School headquartered in Brattleboro. Oak Meadow is like a homeschooling network, with curriculum, testing and mentoring provided via the Internet by qualified teachers. This is far less expensive than the conventional public school.”
The editorial calls for virtual schools like The Jubilee Academy to help cut costs.
The Union Leader has a heartwarming story about a modern-day hero returning from Iraq. Sadly, he was wounded in the call of duty. Fortunately, he was able to return home and was met with a chorus of “God Bless America” sung by his family’s local homeschool group.
‘It’s part of your duty, being an American,’ Peters said. ‘I may not agree with everything this country does, but I was born here. I’ve got to protect it.’
Don’t forget to pray each day for our brave soldiers.
