Virginia Homeschool | December 9, 2008 HEAV Update

HEAV's Virginia Homeschool Update

December 9, 2008

Above the Fold
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Prefer a text-only page? Click Here!

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December's Top Pick - Free Shipping!
Homeschooling the Challenging Child
- By Christine M. Field
Reviewed by Linda Trumbo, homeschool mother of five and past publisher of the "How to Homeschool Newsletter."

Many homeschooling moms will admit they have a least one challenging child in the family. The frustration level can get high trying to meet the demands of discipleship, character training, and academic instruction with a child who seems to need 24-hour attention. Read the rest of the review here.

Get free shipping on Homeschooling the Challenging Child for the month of December! Order your copy here for $13.49(members)/$14.99(non-members).

Brainware Safari cognitive skills software - Save $300
Using a fun and entertaining video-game format, Brainware Safari helps children develop the cognitive skills needed to excel academically -- attention, visual processing, auditory processing, sensory integration, memory, and thinking -- and thereby increases their self-esteem and academic achievement. Now available exclusively through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op for only $49.

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/bws/

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Special Offers from Trivium Pursuit and Christian Logic!
Note from HEAV: We thought those of you interested in classical Christian education or Christian logic might want to know of these free newsletters and specials for new subscribers. They were extended specifically for HEAV subscribers.

Between now and December 17, subscribe to Trivium Pursuit's Homeschooling with the Trivium newsletter through this link, and receive the following two e-books free.

The 73-page e-book containing Chapter Twelve: Ten Things to Do With Children Ages Ten Through Twelve from the book Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
The new 94-page e-book Ancient Literature: Significant Excerpts from the Books of Classical Authors Which You Can Use to Supplement Your History Curriculum - Volume Two: Alexander the Great.

In addition, if you subscribe to Christian Logic's Fallacy Detective News by December 17 through this link, you will receive two lessons from the logic textbook The Thinking Toolbox by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn (Lessons 12 and 13, along with exercises and answer key).

*Both offers are only good for new subscribers, and were extended specifically for HEAV. There is no cost to subscribe to either newsletter.

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Support Homeschooling in Virginia - Book Holiday Travel with HEAV!

REGISTER NOW:
How to Begin Homeschooling: What You Really Need To Know!
Richmond, Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Are you ready to begin homeschooling? Get your questions answered and use the information from this seminar to get off to the right start! What are the first things you should do to get started? What does the new law say? Where can you get curriculum? What kind of records should you keep? Where can you get help? Maximize your success with practical ideas from Yvonne Bunn, a veteran homeschool mom who has helped thousands of families begin homeschooling.

Cost is $20/HEAV members; $25/non-members; spouses are free. See more details about the How to Begin Homeschooling Seminar online, and be sure to mark your calendar and call the office to register (804-278-9200)!

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Homeschooling Around the World - South Korea
Homeschooling Prospers by Families Helping Families
In September of 2008, ten homeschool leaders from around the world attended HSLDA's annual National Homeschool Leadership Conference. Read this exciting update about the growing movement among South Korean Christian homeschoolers and about the Americans who are helping them on HEAV's Homeschooling in Virginia Blog.

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New Resource - Curriculum Description, the Homeschool Law, and You
Filing a Notice of Intent is not too difficult for most parents except for one required item--a description of curriculum. Like many other homeschoolers, you may be unsure of what to include or of how much detail you must give. A few districts require no curriculum description, while others require a minimal list of subjects to be taught and textbook titles, and still others want excessive descriptions that go beyond the scope of the law. For this reason, it's important to know what the law requires and what is acceptable in your school district within the parameters of the law. For information and answers to a variety of questions, please visit the new Providing a Curriculum Description page on the HEAV website.

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1) Homeschool Items
View All Homeschool Items
1.1 Essay Contest - Register by December 15/Essay Due January 23
1.2 Article - German Homeschool Family Seeks Asylum in U.S.

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2) General Interest Items
View All General Interest Items
2.1 Wright Brothers Celebration - Richmond - December 13
2.2 National Handwriting Day - Deadline Is December 15
2.3 New Creation Video and Book Library - Fairfax - Most Saturday Afternoons
2.4 Answers in Genesis Conference - Richmond - February 13-15
2.5 Free Answers for Darwin Seminar - Lynchburg - February 15-17

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3) Cool Sites for Homeschoolers
View All Cool Sites
3.1 Civics Test - How Do You Measure Up?
3.2 Institute in Intercollegiate Studies - Not Just for College!
3.3 What's That Bug?
3.4 Click of the Day - Joshua Project: Unreached People Groups
3.5 How to Homeschool for Free Using the Internet

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4) Parting Thought - Old Fashioned Snow Cream

1-3 cups of CLEAN, fresh snow
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 drops vanilla flavoring

In a separate bowl, mix cream, sugar, and vanilla. Slowly add snow to desired consistency. Eat and enjoy! All ingredients can be adjusted to preference.

There are many variations to snow cream. Substitute eggnog for the cream or half-and-half. Add chocolate syrup or instant cocoa mix. You could also add plump raisins and cinnamon, or pureed fruit. Note: Always use clean, fresh-fallen snow. Avoid snow where animals and birds eat (or do other things).

Note from Your Update Editor: After reading about snow cream quite a while back, I asked my mother-in- law if she'd ever made it in rural Iowa. She said, "You bet we did!" Her advice was to make sure you use new-fallen snow without wind, as that may contaminate the snow. She also warned me that the snow melts quickly, so be sure to eat it right away! She didn't remember mixing in raisins, chocolates, or fruits as too much mixing "loses the snow" once you add the liquid.

Although we only get a few light snows each winter in coastal Virginia (if that), we plan to try "snow cream" sometime. If you are blessed with snow, you can start a new holiday tradition or make a fond winter memory for your family. Enjoy!

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5) Worth Repeating
"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."
- Oren Arnold (1900-1980), Arizona newspaper editor and free-lance writer. He was very active in local civic and religious groups, including his church.

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6) Verse of the Week
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
- John 1:4 (KJV)

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7) Homeschool Laugh of the Week - 20 Great Reasons You Homeschool

Homeschool Laugh of the Week
REASON #10
"You Can Celebrate Your Birthday with a School Holiday..."

Written and illustrated by Jim Erskine. Reprinted with permission. Jim Erskine also manages www.HomeschoolFreebieOfTheDay.com, where you can find a new free homeschool resource every weekday.

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Submit an Item
Know of an event, contest, or resource that would be of interest to homeschoolers? Please submit it using our online form at www.heav.org/update_submit.html.

Note: We compile information for publication at least two weeks prior to send-out date, so please submit items as early as possible (preferably one month in advance). HEAV reserves the right to accept or reject any material submitted. There will be no Update on December 23 or 30, so please submit items for that time period early.

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Disclaimer
The Virginia Homeschool Update is produced by Kathleen Dillie (copy editor), Chris (editor), Anna Dykhoff (graphic designer), Katherine Loop (manager), and Anne Miller (director of publications & marketing).

HEAV does not necessarily endorse the above-mentioned resources, nor guarantee the accuracy of information found on any external resource we may mention. If you find anything wrong on our website, please let us know so we can correct it.

HEAV diligently researches each link prior to publication. However, we recommend you, the parent, fully examine websites before allowing your children to surf them without supervision.

Copyright © 2008 by the Home Educators Association of Virginia. All rights reserved. You are free to pass along all or part of this Update, but please include the following credit line when you do: "Taken from HEAV's Virginia Homeschool Update, a free newsletter for Virginia homeschoolers. You can sign up at www.heav.org."

Home Educators Association of Virginia

e-mail: update@heav.org

phone: 804-278-9200

web: http://www.heav.org