HELP WANTED: HEAV Update Project Manager

Last week, we said goodbye to Wanda Hayes, the HEAV Update Project Manager for the past two years. Now we need to say "hello" to someone new - maybe you?

This modestly paid position requires 4-5 hours per week, a computer, reliable Internet service, an e-mail account, good organizational skills, and the ability to track down information.

If you have the interest and requirements, we would like to hear from you. Please send a resume, along with any work experience you feel may be pertinent, to Anne Miller (update@heav.org).

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UKROPS GOLDEN GIFT PROGRAM - You Can Participate Through HEAV!

As a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, HEAV is qualified to participate in the Ukrops Golden Gift program.

Certificate Submission Deadline: May 28, 2005

Since Ukrops began the program in 1987, the community's fundraising efforts have resulted in the Golden Gift Program paying non-profit organizations more than $10.7 million! You can make a difference in HEAV by simply doing your regular grocery shopping at Ukrops and donating your Golden Gift Certificate to the HEAV Office by May 28, 2005.

How does Golden Gift work?
First, be sure that all your grocery-shopping family members have a Valued Customer Card from Ukrops. (If you need a Valued Customer Card, stop by any Ukrops store to apply. You must have a Valued Customer Card to participate in the Golden Gift program.)

Then, between January 31st, 2005, and March 26, 2005, each time you shop using your Valued Customer Card, your purchase totals are recorded electronically as points (one dollar=one point). All household members whose cards are linked together will be tallied together.

In May, each Valued Customer Card household will receive one Golden Gift certificate with the total amount of points earned (equal to dollars spent!) during the Golden Gift program. These certificates must be submitted to the HEAV office by May 28, 2005.

If your neighbors and relatives don't know where to donate their certificates, you might suggest they support homeschooling by sending their certificates to HEAV, too! Customers MAY divide their certificate among more than one organization by submitting their certificate to any Ukrops store office for re-issuance of separate certificates totaling the original amount.) For more information, visit http://www.ukrops.com.

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1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
1.1 HEAV Graduation
1.2 Baseball/Softball Registrations - Chesapeake - February 17, 2005
1.3 Article: "Why Home Ministry Beats Home Business"
1.4 Homeschool Tour of Italy - May 22-31, 2005
1.5 NFL Player Broke Ground as Homeschooled Athlete
1.6 Testing Resources Wanted
1.7 Work-at-Home Opportunities for Homeschooling Moms

2) GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
2.1 Public Service Opportunity - Chesapeake - February 16, 2005
2.2 Jefferson Lab Observes World Year of Physics - Newport News - February & March, 2005
2.3 "Pursuit to Appomattox" Reenactment School Day — Appomattox - Deadline: March 14, 2005
2.4 Free Lawn Mowing Class for Youth - Yorktown - March & April 2005
2.5 Craft Days at Kid Krafters - Roanoke
2.6 Fifty Writing Tools
2.7 Newbery Award Winners Reviewed
2.8 Online Video Game Design Class Available
2.9 Opportunities with the CIA
2.10 "Stages for All Ages" - Washington, DC
2.11 Online Resource: High School Physics
2.12 Online Resource: Basic Math Facts Practice Applet
2.13 Cool Web Site: del.icio.us
2.14 Cool Web site: "Seescapes/Soundscapes of the 1930s"

3) PARTING THOUGHT: "Numbers Racket"

4) WORTH REPEATING


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1) HOMESCHOOL ITEMS
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1.1 HEAV Graduation

Do you have a homeschool student who will be graduating this year? We hope you plan to participate in HEAV’s graduation ceremony on June 18, 2005. Please visit our Web site (http://www.heav.org), click on the "convention" tab, and follow the links to the graduation FAQ. You must pre-register your graduate by contacting our graduation coordinator, Nancy Nix (804-278-9200, ext. 42, or graduation@heav.org).

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1.2 Baseball/Softball Registrations - Chesapeake - February 17, 2005

Chesapeake Library (Greenbrier)
1214 Volvo Parkway
Chesapeake, VA 23320

Thursday, February 17, 2005, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cost: $35 (checks, please), includes shirt, hat, trophy, and team picture.

For more information, contact Stuart Driscoll (757-485-3925 or vmdcad@verizon.net).

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1.3 Article: " The Lazy Mother's Guide to Home Education"

Note from Anne Miller: My life and philosophy of education was forever changed when I first read this article by Mary Pride in 1988. (Boy, do I feel old!) If you like what you read here, dig up a copy of Mary Pride's Schoolproof--it will open whole new avenues of teaching the "lazy" mother's way.

"The Lazy Mother's Guide to Home Education"
CLONE YOURSELF
Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could hire a private tutor for some minimal sum like, say, 5¢ an hour, to drill your children on all those memory facts and to tell them fascinating stories? You want it, you have it. Introducing... the Tape Recorder. Faster than a speeding mother! More powerful than a tired father! Able to leap tall buildings on either Fast Forward or Rewind! This remarkable visitor from our own planet has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Perfect recall of every story. Perfect patience.

Read the rest and be inspired at (scroll down to see this article):

http://www.home-school.com/HELP/HELP2.html

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1.4 Homeschool Tour of Italy - May 22-31, 2005

Every year the Learning Community of Northern Virginia puts together a tour of Italy specifically designed for homeschoolers and their families. This year, they are opening it up to HEAV families as well.

Cost, including round trip airfare, is $2,399 per person ($1,799 without air). The final cost could be as much as $200 less per person if the group contains 30 people or so. After a $99 deposit, payment may be made in four installments.

In addition to the incredible and always-popular areas of Florence and Rome, this year the group is also going to St. Frances’ picturesque home town of Assisi, beautiful Siena, and a number of fascinating places you won’t want to miss!

For a complete description, brochures, application, and other information, contact Rene’ at A La Carte Travel (703-281-1225 or 866-233-8282, or info@alacartetravel.com).  Their Web site is http://www.alacartetravel.com. Be sure to mention you are interested in the Learning Community’s Tour of Italy.

[Our thanks to Sharon Strauchs, of the Learning Community of Northern Virginia, and to Darci Nelson.]

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1.5 NFL Player Broke Ground as Homeschooled Athlete

Read the HSLDA article on Jason Taylor, of the Miami Dolphins, at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=2088.

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1.6 Testing Resources Wanted

It is hard to believe, but annual testing for your students is not that far away. If you know of a testing resource that is local to you, please let us know so we can pass it along to everyone.

We want to include testing information in the upcoming weeks so others (especially those new to homeschooling this year) can know of resources close to them.

Please send an e-mail to testing@heav.org  and include the following:
- Registration deadline date
- Testing date(s) and time(s)
- Testing location
- Type of tests offered (Iowa, SAT, etc.)
- Grade level for the test(s)
- Source for purchasing the test(s) offered
- Any fees to administer the test
- Any restrictions on who may take the test (e.g., "they must be a member of ACME support group")
- Contact person(s) to register for the test or for more information. If possible, include a telephone number AND an e-mail address (physical mailing address and Web site link would be great too)

Thanks for taking the time to help us let Virginia's homeschoolers know what you already know!

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1.7 Work-at-Home Opportunities for Homeschooling Moms

A homeschool mom approved business, the M.O.M. Team (Mothers On a Mission) offers a simple system with free training and two free Web sites, plus no telemarketing.

For more information visit http://www.ichosehome.com or call (757) 345-0277.


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2) GENERAL INTEREST ITEMS
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2.1 Public Service Opportunity - Chesapeake - February 16, 2005

Wednesday, February 16, 2005, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Would you or your church/student/professional group like an opportunity to serve? Operation Blessing needs your help in sorting through several pallets of books to be distributed to outreach centers across the country for literacy/educational programs for at-risk children. They are working to complete this project in February.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Melanie Dorman (757-226-3902 http://www.jlab.org)

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2.3 "Pursuit to Appomattox" Reenactment School Day — Appomattox - Deadline: March 14, 2005

On Friday, April 8, 2005, the Historical Appomattox Foundation Reenactment Committee will sponsor a School Day for local elementary and middle school grade students. They invite you to bring your third through eighth graders, including homeschoolers, to a day of both entertainment and education.

Your students will be transported back in time to the spring of 1865. They will be greeted by Sergeants-at-Arms as new recruits into either the Confederate States Army or the United States Army. They will be trained in the manual of arms and drilled by the Sergeants’ staffs, then marched to different stations, including artillery demonstrations, a Civil-War-era field church, a field hospital, cavalry demonstrations, and an inspection by the Generals Lee, Grant, and others.

Students may wish to bring bag lunches to dine on the site; however, some food venders will be available. The reenactment site is open from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. In order to not overwhelm the Sergeants and stations, they will set "fall-in" times for each school or group attending.

This is a free event. However, you must reserve a spot for your fall in time and an approximate number of students to be attending. Deadline to register is Monday, March 14, 2005.

For more information, or to register, contact Ann Dixon (434-352-5996 or 434-352-0736 or acrd@earthlink.net).
 
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2.4 Free Lawn Mowing Class for Youth - Yorktown - March & April 2005

St. Luke's United Methodist Church
300 Ella Taylor Road
Yorktown, VA 23692

Monday nights in March (7th, 14th and 21st) and April (7th and 14th), 2005, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Free.

4-H and Master Gardeners are offering their free, award-winning class on lawn mowing for youth ages 10-15. Parents are encouraged to attend this class with their child.

Topics include: Lawn Mower Safety, Basic Grass Botany, Lawn Mowing Patterns and Techniques, Lawn Mower Maintenance, and How to Start a Summer Lawn Mowing Business.

Call the York County Extension Office (757-890-4940) to register. This class usually fills very quickly.

[Our thanks to Darlene Levy, Tidewater Homeschool Info Support.]

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2.5 Craft Days at Kid Krafters - Roanoke

Kid Krafters
5524 Williamson Road, Suite 10
Lamplighter Mall
Roanoke, VA 24012
540-400-8758

Kid Krafters has changed format at the request of many homeschoolers. Open Craft Days are Mondays (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), Fridays (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), and Sundays (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Pay a small fee at door and stay and create and play as long as you like.

Thursdays are for "Mommy & Me" classes with exposure to music, theme and two crafts that integrate together. Morning, afternoon and evening classes are available. Cost is $40 per month for classes; registration is waived for homeschoolers.

For more information, contact Cheri Blevins (540-400-8758 or theblevins4@cox.net).

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2.6 Fifty Writing Tools

The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists, future journalists, and teachers of journalists. Among the many free resources they offer are articles like this one: "Fifty Writing Tools," http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=61811#series  by Roy Peter Clark, Senior Scholar, Poynter Institute.

To subscribe to receive the toolbox via e-mail, visit http://www.poynter.org/subscribe.to.toolbox. National Public Radio frequently has guests on from this organization, such as last week's episode on "blogging."

Poynter Institute Web site: http://www.poynter.org

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2.7 Newbery Award Winners Reviewed

"And the Winner Is..." is a guide to Newbery Medal winners from a Christian perspective offered by Praiseworthy Books. Cost is $6.50 per book, plus shipping.

Web site: http://www.praiseworthybooks.com

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2.8 Online Video Game Design Class Available

The Learning Community Group announces the launch of their CyberSchool and first online class: Video Game Design. This class teaches students from 4th grade on how to make their own video games using simple drag-and-drop software. This nineteen-chapter class covers the basics of creating an original video game from scratch, and introduces potential video-game designers to one of the today's biggest emerging industries. For $20, students get one month to complete the same class that the LCG taught this past summer at the Museum of Science in Boston for $235.

The software required for this class is Multimedia Fusion (currently PC only). This software is available exclusively to LCG students who have enrolled in our Video Game Design class for $60 (40% off the retail price).

To enroll, visit http://www.thelcg.com/cyberschool and sign up for a free CyberSchool account. Then log into the CyberSchool and purchase the class. You may purchase Multimedia Fusion at http://www.thelcg.com/store. You can start the class once you have received your software kit in the mail.

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2.9 Opportunities with the CIA

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offers scholarship and internship opportunities for students in high school and up. Visit http://www.cia.gov/employment/student.html#usp for more information.

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2.10 "Stages for All Ages" - Washington, DC

During spring 2005, the League of Washington Theatres, with lead sponsorship from the Washington Post, will present the sixth annual "Stages for All Ages," a program designed to introduce thousands of young people, 17 and under, to live, professional theatre in the Washington area. Because of schedules, many theatres are offering tickets to performances as early as January and continuing into May and June.

For select performances, more than twenty area theatres will offer a free ticket to a child 17 or under, with each adult ticket purchased.

"Different Stages" lists performances in other performing arts disciplines - including music and dance - offered as a part of Stages for All Ages.

Events are also listed by geographic area, and the "Quick Guide to Age Ranges" provides guidance regarding age appropriateness of productions.

"Stages for All Ages" is presented by lead sponsor the Washington Post. Additional support has been provided by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Nora Roberts Foundation.

Web site: http://www.lowt.org

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2.11 Online Resource: High School Physics

"The Physics Classroom Tutorial" is an online physics tutorial written for high school physics students. The tutorial was originally developed for physics students at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois. Today the Tutorial pages and other original Glenbrook South resources are hosted by StudyWorks! Online.

"The Physics Classroom tutorial" pages were written by Tom Henderson, science teacher at Glenbrook South High School. Tom teaches physics and (during less fortunate years) chemistry. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he received degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. Tom has been teaching physics since 1989.

Web site: http://www.physicsclassroom.com

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2.12 Online Resource: Basic Math Facts Practice Applet

Saxon Publishers offer this online practice area for basic math facts. The page we list below requires Java to function. There is, however, a link to a non-Java page on this page.

Web site: http://www.saxonhomeschool.com/activities/basicfacts/javafacts.jsp

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2.13 Cool Web Site: del.icio.us

I have six or seven computers that I use during the week. I use this Web site/service to make my bookmarks accessible to me as I go from computer to computer. But what takes this to the next level, and makes it useful for even those fortunate enough to work on just one computer, is the "social networking" aspects. Using a "TAG" system, you can see other's bookmarks for the same topic. What made eBay, Amazon, and Google such smash hits has been the "social" aspects of the technology: relying on the opinion of others.

Need some fresh Web sites for Valentine's Day? Visit http://del.icio.us/tag/valentine. Want resources on World War II? http://del.icio.us/tag/wwii will get it done. 

I must warn you that you can stumble upon some weird people. Just because a person has TAGGED sites relating to "gardening" doesn't mean they don't have other interests that are of no interest to you. However, I have found that the really great Web site links I have found using this service is a hundred times better than the occasional weird link.

Web site: http://del.icio.us

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2.14 Cool Web site: "Seescapes/Soundscapes of the 1930s"

This online exhibition, hosted by the University of Virginia, seeks to describe one kind of American cultural landscape of the 1930s: the mental landscape many individuals carried around in their heads - placed there by the popular films, cartoons and comic strips, radio programs, and documentary works of the period. Each of the six contributing editors was asked to select one or more representative examples from each medium or genre and, in as economical a fashion possible, to indicate how each reflects the larger issues and concerns of the era.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MUSEUM/scapes.html


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3) PARTING THOUGHT: "Numbers Racket"
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The teacher asked one of her young students if he knew his numbers.

"Yes, I do," he said proudly. "My father taught me."

"Good," the teacher said. "What comes after three?"

"Four," answered the boy.

"And what comes after six?"

"Seven."

"Very good! Your dad did a great job," said the teacher. "What comes after ten?"

"A jack."


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4) WORTH REPEATING
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"When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.'"
-- George Washington Carver (1864-1943, American slave, horticulturist, chemist and educator)