Unfair Treatment of Homeschooler

Ok, now I am getting on my soapbox . . . If you follow DD and I on acupofteawithmomandme.blogspot.com , you know that she was invited to the Homecoming Dance by a boy in her confirmation class at church. Her father and I, after much deliberation, agreed that she could go and DD and I ran out and bought her a dress (frankly, I spent money that I really did not have to spend, but we all do what we can for our kids). Well, today we received a call from the principal of the school who wanted to confirm that DD was “enrolled in a High School” and get emergency phone numbers. As a conscientious parent, I called the principal back - - - this was mistake number one. We have now talked to the principal twice and the vice principal once and they have decided that DD cannot attend homecoming. Their stance is that DD is 13 and therefore would be considered a middle school student and ineligible to attend. I tried to argue that as a homeschooler there is no real “grade”. They also said that the boy should have known better. I replied by asking why he should have known better since he and DD go to 9th grade confirmation together. I also argued that there were going to be 13 year olds at the dance i.e. the kids with November and December birthdays. The vice principal tried to tell me that that was not true, but my children were in this district and my son has a November birthday and would be in 7th grade, therefore I know there are others. They then added to the “policy” saying that if there were students that were 13 AND enrolled at the high school then they would be exempt and allowed to come, but as DD was not enrolled she would not be allowed. I asked how they would deal with a child who skipped a grade and noted that we were arguing over barely a month and a half of time as DD birthday is in February. I’m sure you can imagine the response “policy is policy”. You know if they allowed one student then there would be a torrent of homeschooled 13 year olds that might want to come to the dances. I felt so badly for my DD and for her date. Of course, before I got off the phone I made sure to tell him what I thought (I’m sure he could care less), but I pointed out that it was this kind of inflexibility that made us choose homeschooling in the first place. Public schools have a very difficult time looking at issues on a one by one case. Futhermore, while my DD does not attend this district, we do live in this distict and have paid for these schools for twelve years and received nothing in return for the last five. We haven’t balked the system or asked for anything for our kids, I was only asking for her right to go to the dance. And that although I knew he did not have children that I hoped he would think back to this decision one day when he had a 13 year old daughter.

Of course my husband and DD has to see the principal next week at an Eagle Scout award ceremony, I said that my DD and husband should make a point of going over to introduce themselves. And as for the school’s request for help in fundraising, I think we’ll be skipping that!

P.S. I thought this one would send my DD over the edge. I’m sure at her age I would have flopped on the bed, slammed the door, and cried and cried. She, however, took it like a trooper. At least she got a beautiful holiday dress out of the deal.

Planning Around Life's Events

One of the great things about homeschooling is the schedule. This week it has been a blessing to us. With so many balls in the air, I needed time to resolve a multitude of issues. Fortunately, I could adjust accordingly. I’ve heard families that have made adjustments for traveling, illnesses, moving, etc. Often school can become an additional stressor for everyone; Homeschooling allows more flexibility.

Don’t get it the school rut and miss this blessing. It is wonderful if you regularly plan your lessons for the “regular” school day, but it is ok if you go outside those parameters. I have worked in the evening, put lessons off, or come up with alternative lessons to better fit with what we are doing. Many people ask us why we school throughout the summer, but this is exactly why. If we work year round, we can be more flexible in our daily schedule.

What tricks have you used when life has gone crazy, but you are still trying to get things done?

Survivor - Gabon - Season 17 - Episode 6

Vocabulary: Liability, oath, challenge, burden
Today’s episode is rated “PG-L”. What are the different ratings? What do they mean? Do you think ratings are a good or bad idea? Why?

Science – Fire and heat is very important to the players. Fire produces radiant heat. Find out about radiant heat. What are the benefits and deficits? List three other examples of radiant heat.

Volunteerism - Our bodies must have food to survive. Both tribes are very concerned about rationing , but this is not an issue reserved just for Survivor. Find out about world hunger issues. Find a way that you can help and do it.

You can see that people are starting to mentally break down. Do you think Survivor is a more physical or more emotional challenge? Why?

Have you heard the saying, “There is no ‘I’ in teamwork.” What do you think this means? How does this relate to FANG?

Kenny may have made the move of the game in the episode. How did Kenny use psychology to get the idol back into Sugar’s hands? Why would Sugar give her power away to another person, let alone such a powerful man? Do you think this is wise?

Did FANG miss a huge opportunity tonight?

Drawing Inspiration

I had intended to share with you a drawing made by DS today, but my scanner does not want to work. It says that there is a paper jam - not that a paper jam should have anything to do with scanning, but whatever - technology is great when it works and frustrating when it doesn't. So while I can't show you the picture, I can give you his words of wisdom:

"I start my drawings with a curved line.
When I start with a straight line,
I don't get any ideas.
I start all my drawings with a curved lines.
A curved line can be anything."

Setting up a Homeschooling House

Yesterday, DS had to set up a photosynthesis experiment. Four jars were put together with paper towels pressing beans against the glass; Two had water added to them. Then one with water and one without went in the sun and the other two were set in the dark. We tried to find the most inconspicuous place to put them.

I often wonder what people think when they visit a homeschoolers home. We tend to think our homeschooling is that obvious, but look around. Is there a science experiment fermenting somewhere, an art project drying? Is there a set of encyclopedias that instead of decorating a shelf, are sitting open on a coffee table? How many maps and globes are visible?

When I visited my friend Paula’s house the other day, I thought my theory might be blown. There was no sign of homeschooling. Then she took me on the tour of the house. As we went downstairs – BAM! There it all was. She had bookshelves with bookshelves, work areas, dry erase boards, three ring binders. It was a homeschooling mom’s dream. My house isn’t quite like that. 99% of our work is done at the dining room table or the coffee table, but a mom can dream.

If you could set up your home to accommodate your homeschooling, what would you do differently?

Getting Ready for Halloween

First of all a disclaimer: I am not a fan of Halloween myself. To me, it seems like a made up holiday that focuses on Pagan ideas. In a really great year with perfect weather and neighbors having outdoor parties, I can tolerate it, but when it is cold or damp, my interest is completely lost. I think my enthusiasm dissipated somewhere between trying to divvy out the 26 pounds of candy (on average) that the kids would bring home from trick or treating and the costume mania that consumes everyone during this period. Families are now actually spending an average of $98.00 between costumes and candy and I personally believe that this is a conservative estimate given some of the costumes that I see around. What happened to white sheeted ghosts? Robots made from cardboard boxes? Baseball players sporting their Little League Uniforms?

The first recorded reference to Halloween actually appears in 1911 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, but the term “trick or treat” did not appear for the first time in print in 1934. There are conflicting reports of how the idea of Halloween developed. Some relate it as far back as Celtic ritual of Samhain. Samhain was the Celtic New Year, a time to celebrate harvests. Samhain actually began at dusk on October 31st and signified the beginning of the dark period of the year. During this day, the break between life and death was shattered and spirits could roam the earth. When Celtic lands were Christianized, this holiday melded into All Saints Day. Others related it to the Roman celebrations of the dead, Feralia, Paternalia, and Lemuria. They may have blended with Samhain as the Roman Empire spread across Europe. However the celebrations of the dead developed, they were sternly squelched under the Puritan rule in the New World and do not seem to reappear until early in the 20th century. Treating seems to relate back to the medieval idea of souling; when poor people would go door to door requesting and receiving soul cakes in return for prayers for the giver’s dead family members.

One of the most interesting and one of my husband’s favorite family traditions is the jack o’ lantern. Legend has it that jack o’ lanterns relate back to the story of Jack. Jack was a troublemaker who tried to trick the devil into not taking his soul. There are conflicting stories of exactly how he accomplished this task, but the devil did agree not to take possession of his soul. So when Jack finally died, his soul was too sinful to rise to Heaven and had been barred from Hell. Left to roam the earth, he asked the devil to help him find his way. The devil sent a flame to light his way. Jack captured it in his favorite food, the turnip, and thus the Jack o’ Lantern was born. When this tradition came to America, pumpkins were larger and more plentiful and therefore become the preferred vegetable to be carved. However, in some parts of the world turnips and beets are still carved instead of pumpkins.

Certainly, no matter what its origins, Halloween is here to stay. I recommend you run to the store so that you can spend your portion of the between 5 and 6.9 billion dollars getting ready for for the holiday. We’ll keep our lights on for you.

Survivor - Gabon - Unit Study - Episode 5

Ethics – A major part of Survivor is lying, but the 10 commandments strictly prohibits lying. Do you think just because it is a game that it is ok to lie? Is there other times that it is ok to commandments? When? Why? Discuss with your parents.

Science – an elephant comes very close to one of the camps this week. Study elephants. Try to answer the following questions:
1. Where are elephants still found in nature? Mark on a map.
2. How heavy can elephants get?
3. How old are elephants known to get?
4. Find out about elephants endangered status. What issues relate to their decreasing numbers.
Create a poster about your findings.

History – Dan called the other tribe the “axis of evil” and the “evil empire”. What historical references is he making?

Critical Thinking - Independence is usually seen as a positive characteristic but when G.C. goes missing the other tribe mates see his independence as a negative trait. When is independence seen as a positive when is it a negative.

Physical Education - Create a simple obstacle course. Blind fold a friend and lead them through the obstacle course using just your voice. Switch positions. (Be very safety conscious when you set up your course)

Critical Thinking – do you think Jeff alters the outcome of the game through the choice of his questions at tribal council? Why or Why not? Do you think this is fair?


If you are as big of a Survivor fan as my DD, you may want this to help you along with your research.

Artistic Undertakings #2 & #3

Ok, we / I am continuing to try to draw and redraw the same object. Here are two more gourd picture (no comments needed for my absence spelling - thus, the reason I declined an invitation to participate in the local spelling bee).






DD is working on the artistic challenge we posted on acupofteawithmomandme.blogspot.com .

DS seems to have discovered the idea of embossing. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with. He started with simple pencil over a Boy Scout Merit Badge and then something made him get the tinfoil out.

I'm always interested to see how a little inspiration can lead in so many different directions. This is also why it is so important not to be running everywhere. For some of these things, you need time for ideas to perculate. You need quantity in order to glean out any quality.

Accepting Tax Rebates for Homeschoolers

I ordered some more curriculum last night. I was surprised that the LifePac’s were less expensive on Christian Book Distributors than directly from Alpha Omega. DD really wants to try their Bible curriculum, but I am still wary. I am not sure what their philosophy is. Does anyone else use it? What do you think of it? I figure that I will wait until after she finishes confirmation at our church before I order it.

Although I think that the LifePac’s are very well priced, I need to be very careful what we spend right now. There is definitely a part of me that wishes that we could keep the portion of our property tax that is used on education to use toward our children’s education, but I have read several articles and have come to the belief that accepting any government assistance would lead to regulation. While this money is my money, in order to deduct it from my taxes, I would at minimum have to check some sort of box which exempts me. Then I am sure that some politician would say, “How do we know that they are really homeschooling?” or “How do we know that they are really spending all that money on their children’s education?” Then they would further expand their oversight or require receipts. I reconcile myself to paying this portion of my taxes just like the elderly, single, and childless must; it is our social responsibility to assure the education of all.

DD has also decided that she would like to change from Latin to Spanish. I have relented and said that when she finishes the current book that she is doing, she can change. So, does anyone have any recommendations for a good Spanish Curriculum?

My Artisic Endeavor

What do you do while the kids are working on their work but you need to be near by? Today, I did this:







I am going to try to be a little more artistic after seeing the great artwork yesterday. Maybe it will inspire some little artists too.

Artistic Undertakings

Has there ever been a talent that you wished you had? I would say for me that I wish I had a more artistic hand. I was thrilled when I painted a mural on my son's wall and he called me an artist. I thought that this was the greatest compliment.

Today I came by a blog by Matt Lopez. You have to see his drawings. I was especially ennamoured with his picture of the beanstalk.

I read somewhere that one artist would draw over 100 pictures of the same object, trying to look at it closer and closer to explore it in 100 different ways. I keep thinking that we should try this. Maybe we'll try at least a few. I'll scan them and let you know.

Survivor - Gabon - Unit Study - Episode 4

Vocabulary – Rank, Confidence, Contributor

Oral conversation - The contestants participate in a ranking challenge. Using picture cut outs from the Survivor website, create your own rankings of the two tribes. How is your ranking the same and / or different from the ranking of the tribes on the show? Explain your choices to someone.

Bible - Matthew 19:30 says, “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” How might this scripture be applied to this challenge in the game? What do you think it means in life?

Critical Thinking - If you were to put together the ultimate tribe, given the players in the game, who would you have chosen?

Critical Thinking - Think about how it feels to be picked first and last. Design a way of picking people that does not inflate or deflate people’s egos.

Morals & Ethics - Winning, Trying, Dominating, Giving Up. Rank these words in importance. Explain your choice to someone.

Fun Fact Friday - Haiti

Sometimes facts are not so fun. I know that this is called Fun Fact Friday, but last night DD and I listened to a woman who has gone to Haiti several times on missions and has now begun her own orphanage in Haiti. Inspired by her, we felt that we should learn a little more about the country. You will be sad to read the following facts, but turn your tears into action, finding a way that you might help.


Haiti and its attached Dominican Republic are the original Hispaniola that Christopher Columbus “discovered” in 1492.

It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html

The average Haitian families are living on less than a dollar a day.
http://www.bemhaiti.org/tp40/page.asp?id=87578

Haiti has the highest rates of infant, under-five and maternal mortality in the Western hemisphere. Diarrhoea, respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are the leading causes of death.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti.html

Haiti became the first black republic in 1804 after a successful slave revolt against the French.
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_haiti.html

UN experts say just 2 to 4 percent of forest cover remains in Haiti, down from 7 to 9 percent in 1981
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/16/AR2008021602511.html

Some Haitians eat mud pies to quell their hunger. Watch a video:
http://hotzone.yahoo.com/b/hotzone/blogs4141

Some Haitian Artwork for purchase:
http://stores.ebay.com/Haitis-Back-Porch

Applying Newton's Laws

Physics and the laws of motion can be interesting and fun. They can creep up at the strangest times. If you watched the Lego version of the Newton’s three laws then you are already familiar with the laws, so you may be able to dissect it better than I.

As we are doing our work up at DH’s office, DS pushed his chocolate milk bottle with his pen. As expected the bottle moved forward (little push = little motion) but then interestingly, the bottle took a little extra jump as the milk continued in motion after the bottle had stopped. Then it finally came to rest (inertia) having expended all its energy.

See this little experiment shows exactly what I say – lessons and learning are everywhere, you just have to be ready / interested enough to explore them. I’m sure bottle of milk are being pushed in cafeterias around the country right now. How many do you think are discussing Newton’s Laws?

How to Play X-treme Cards

I know that I have mentioned that one of the great things about homeschooling is our ability to be very involved in other programs like Scouts. I thought you would enjoy this picture of DS during his summer canoeing trip down the Delaware Gap. During this trip, he got to canoe with a bald eagle, earned the Indian Lore and Canoeing Merit Badges, and apparently learned some good card games.

Anyone interested in exploring a program like this should check out The Pack Shack. You don't have to be in Scouts to enjoy what these hard working people have to offer.

Survivor - Gabon - Unit Study - Episode 3

Vocabulary
Idol
Strategy

Photography / Storytelling – The producers of Survivor constantly uses symbolism in their film edits i.e. a snake or a spider eating a fly. Choose one and explain the meaning.

Arts & Crafts – In Survivor tradition, eventually there will be an individual immunity idol. Using the information that you have amassed about Gabon, create a potential immunity idol.

Math – The immunity challenge involved a math problem. See if you can solve it yourself. “The sum of both end values equals the sum of the middle two, the last is equal to the second minus the third and is one less than its neighbor.” The numbers are 1,2,4,5,6,7. Watch the clip, http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/video/video.php?cid=834167134&pid=it9TiKBc_LWzcEWzw92X8T8riBm1Xxgv&play=true&cc=86 to find the answer.

Be Fruitful and Multiply

Today, you get a bad joke from my husband.

DD ad I were working on math. For one of the problems, I picked 100 as the LCD (Lowest Common Denominator). DD corrected me and said that 50 would be the correct LCD. She was quite pleased that she was up on Mom, “Mom, you can’t even multiply.” She turned to DH, “Dad, Mom can’t multiply.”

DH replied, “ Mom, can multiply. She had you didn’t she?”

I think the pun was lost somewhere between delivery and reception, but I thought it was pretty quick witted on his part.

Memorizing the Books of the Bible

Does anyone know a good way to memorize the books of the Bible? DD has to memorize them for Conformation Class. She will probably do fantastic as she can memorize multiple lines in a play, but if anyone has any helpful ideas, we would appreciate it.