Virginia Homeschool | December 3, 2008 HEAV Update

HEAV's Virginia Homeschool Update

December 3, 2008

Above the Fold
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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. The doubts and anxiety can sabotage all the best intentions, leaving everyone feeling depleted and defeated.

Christine Field has given the homeschooling community a great gift with her book. She includes helpful information in the early chapters to help you figure out what type of challenge you're dealing with--is the problem a learning style issue, personality issue, discipline issue, or real disability? Read the rest of the review.

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).

Vision-Casting Films for Christmas
As you head into the holidays, include this Library 10-Pack to provide your family with the critical elements of encouragement and vision casting. From the much loved "A Journey Home" to "Still Standing", the inspiring story of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, these films combine to weave the fabric of a warm holiday season. Order today!

http://www.franklinsprings.com/films/tenpack/

VCU Engineering Hosts Open House for Homeschoolers--December 6
The VCU School of Engineering is hosting an Open House for Homeschoolers on Saturday, December 6, at 9:30 a.m. Stop by to learn more about our engineering program and scholarship opportunities for homeschooled students. Family members of all ages are welcome! For more information: www.egr.vcu.edu

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Limited-Time Fundraising Special
Makes a Perfect Christmas Gift!
Ground your children in the truth with this full-color magazine produced by Answers in Genesis! The biggest and most comprehensive creation magazine in the world, Answers Magazine is packed with relevant articles and stunning photos and graphics that reveal the latest creation-science news-- Answers Magazine equips you and your children for the culture war in society today. Speaking of children, the magazine also includes an 8-page "mini-magazine" for children and a unique detachable wall chart for youth and adults! This magazine makes a perfect Christmas gift for your children, as well as for other families you know. For more details about the magazine, check out www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am.

For a limited time only, a portion of your Answers Magazine purchase can go to supporting homeschooling in Virginia, and HEAV members can get $2 off the subscription price--a savings of nearly 10%! A one-year subscription is $20/HEAV members and $22/non-members. Note: Subscriptions will all be submitted as a batch at the end of the fundraising period. Please allow 4-8 weeks for your first issue to arrive.

Subscribe today--for yourself or for a loved one!

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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 - Mexico
Find out about homeschooling in Mexico on HEAV's Homeschooling in Virginia Blog! The Blog post highlights the ministry of Vida Nueva Ministries, a ministry of the Richardson family. Before beginning Vida Nueva Ministries, Mike Richardson was headed for a political career. Read about the impact a homeschooling family had on him--an impact that led him to homeschool and reach out to Spanish homeschoolers in more than 30 countries.

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LIMITED TIME OFFER
Save on Your HSLDA Discount!
Have you been waiting for just the right time to join HSLDA? Well, this might be it! Between November 24, 2008, and January 15, 2009, HSLDA is offering a $25 discount if you join for two years, or a $10 discount if you join for one year.* Plus, if you're an HEAV member, you will save an additional $20!

Even if you never experience legal trouble yourself, those who oppose families and home education are still hard at work, and we need to band together to continue fighting for the freedoms so dear to our hearts.

http://hslda.org/a/2294016

*Offer is only good online.

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Website Reminder
Remember to check the websites of your favorite museums, historic sites, or cultural groups for updates, or subscribe to their newsletters. Space limitations keep us from publicizing all of the events that may interest your family.

If you need ideas on field trips, check past Virginia Homeschool Updates to find events or sites we have listed in the past. You may also want to consult the Virginia field trip information we have on our website.

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1) Homeschool Items
View All Homeschool Items
1.1 Virginia Historical Society Events - Richmond - December 3 and 4
1.2 Potomac Academy - Fairfax/Vienna Area - Begins in January 2009
1.3 Young People's Concerts - Multiple Venues and Dates
1.4 HSLDA Cookbook
1.5 Virginia State Parks Newsletter - Write Stories or Subscribe

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2) General Interest Items
View All General Interest Items
2.1 Holiday Teas - Richmond - Register by December 5 or 12
2.2 Science Museum Activities - Richmond - December
2.3 Holiday Mail for Heroes - Deadline Is December 10
2.4 MATHCOUNTS Competition - Register by December 12
2.5 Gunston Hall Plantation Christmas - Mason Neck - December 12-13
2.6 Christmas Concerts - Washington, VA/Culpeper - December 12/14
2.7 NASA Engineers Career Day - Hampton - Register by December 15
2.8 NASA Science Project - Apply by December 31
2.9 Outdoor Ice Skating - Hampton - Ends March 8
2.10 Find Boy/Girl Scout Troops or American Heritage Girls

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3) Cool Sites for Homeschoolers
View All Cool Sites
3.1 December Family Activity Calendar
3.2 Luke and Acts in EasyEnglish
3.3 Home School in the Woods - Free Christmas Unit Study
3.4 Notebooking Pages, Forms, Chore Charts, the Pledge, and More!
3.5 Winter Ideas Page
3.6 Angel Food Ministries

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4) Parting Thought - Saying Grace
A four-year-old boy was asked to return thanks before Christmas dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip. Then he paused, and everyone waited...and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"

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5) Worth Repeating
"Christmas is a time...to open our hearts to...millions forbidden the freedom to worship a God who so loved the world that He gave us the birth of the Christ Child so that we might learn to love...The message of Jesus is one of hope and joy. I know there are those who recognize Christmas Day as the birthday of a wise teacher...then there are others of us who believe that he was the Son of God, that he was divine."
-Ronald Reagan, (1911-2004) in 1983, as 40th President of the United States. Later, in his farewell address, he mentioned the "shining city upon a hill," a phrase borrowed from John Winthrop, one of our Pilgrim Fathers. Both men clearly hoped America would shed a unique light abroad among the nations of the world.

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6) Verse of the Week
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
- Matthew 5:16 (KJV)

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

Homeschool Laugh of the Week
REASON #9
"You Don't Have to Develop a Taste for Cafeteria Food..."

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