Legislative Update
January 7, 2008
DAY AT THE CAPITOL - NOW IS THE TIME TO REGISTER!
What an exciting year this will be! You will get to visit the newly renovated capitol building, enjoy our new meeting location at the Richmond Convention Center, and take advantage of the free tour buses we have arranged for your convenience.
 We are expecting hundreds of homeschoolers and their parents to join us in Richmond at the Richmond Convention Center on Thursday, February 7, 2008
- that's right, we're now meeting at the same location as the annual
HEAV convention! Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and the morning
program starts at 9:00 a.m. A limited number of tickets for each
afternoon homeschool tour will be available at the Richmond Convention
Center on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The day will be
filled with educational opportunities and lots of fun! You can pick and
choose from a list of activities - take part in our "Mock General
Assembly"; participate in a scavenger hunt; observe the General
Assembly; greet your legislators; visit the Museum of the Confederacy;
or take special homeschool tours of the Capitol, the Executive Mansion,
the Virginia Supreme Court, and the 9th Circuit Court! Find more
details and download the complete schedule here!
[Photo Credit: Seth Fisher, Through My Lens Photography]
Meet Executive Branch Officials
Lieutenant
Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General Bob McDonnell will address
our group. We've invited Department of Education Policy Director
Michelle Vucci to discuss the DOE's proposed changes to the homeschool
statute. You will also get the latest updates on important homeschool
legislation from HEAV lobbyist Ben Lansing.
Parents and students alike can learn "How a Bill Becomes a Law" by
participating in a fun, interactive "Mock General Assembly"!
[Photo credits: Hillier Architecture (right); Karl E. Steinbrenner (left)]
Choose Afternoon Activities
During
the afternoon, free tour buses will run continuously from the Richmond
Convention Center to the Capitol grounds, the Museum of the
Confederacy, the 9th Circuit Court, and back to the Greater Richmond
Convention Center, making it easy for you to choose which sites you
would like to see. Simply get off when the bus stops, or stay on and go
to the next site - it's your choice. Busses will be running
continuously at approximately 30-minute intervals from 11:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
- Stop 1: Capitol grounds -
Visit the new Capitol Visitor's Center, the newly renovated Capitol,
and the Executive Mansion. You can watch the General Assembly in action
from the gallery above the General Assembly floor, and visit your
legislators' offices in the General Assembly building. You can even go
on a scavenger hunt on the Capitol grounds to learn about our Capitol's
rich history! Across the street from the Capitol, you can visit the
Virginia Supreme Court for a scheduled homeschool presentation and
tour.
- Stop 2: Museum of the Confederacy -
The museum is offering a "Homeschool Day" with special discounted rates
($2 per person) and two hands-on workshops for homeschool students in
addition to a tour of the museum.
Through
a hands-on program utilizing reproduction objects, students and their
families will explore the basics of soldier life - from the uniforms
they wore and equipment they carried to the food they ate and the
pastimes they enjoyed in camp. They will also learn the differences
between a musket and a rifle, as well as the nine steps of loading and
firing the weapon.
Next, a special documentary workshop will
allow families to read letters of the common soldier and to discover
firsthand what soldiers thought and felt. Following the program,
families are welcome to tour the museum's three floors of exhibits.
Each
program can accommodate 60 people and lasts one hour beginning at 1:00,
2:00, and 3:00 p.m. To participate in the Museum of the Confederacy,
you must register directly with the museum by clicking here, or by calling Kelly Hancock at 804-649-1861, extension 21, to register by phone.
- Stop 3: 9th Circuit Court - Sit in the courtroom and observe one of seven civil trials scheduled for the day.
Ways to Prepare
Take the time now to make an appointment with your senator and delegate.
Plan to stop by their office and thank them for supporting
homeschoolers! You can even take them a thank-you gift of home-baked
goodies! More information about the Capitol, the legislative process,
and your representatives can be found here. Be sure to visit the Capitol Classroom for age-appropriate learning activities that will prepare your students for a field trip they'll never forget!
Special
Note: Tours of the Capitol, the General Assembly building, the Virginia
Supreme Court, and the 9th Circuit Court require security checks.
Please do not bring unnecessary items. Cameras are allowed. Cell phones
are prohibited in the 9th Circuit Court and should not be brought to
the building.
Reservations: Call our office at 804-278-9200
Cost:
$20 per family, plus $5 for each additional non-family member. Payment
is due in advance. Additional $2 cost for each person visiting the
Museum of the Confederacy. See information above.
Cancellations: Call our office at 804-278-9200 so we can include a family on the waiting list.
Refunds: The deadline for refund requests is January 31, 2008.
If you have any additional questions, please visit our website, or call our office at 804-278-9200. We look forward to seeing you at the Capitol!
Sincerely,
Yvonne Bunn, HEAV Director of Government Affairs
Home Educators Association of Virginia
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