Often Unknown Facts About Homeschoolers

To see this shirt and more click here.

Recently while talking to a friend, (hi David!) he mentioned that he had no idea that homeschoolers had yearbooks. He said that was something he thought a lot of people didn't realize. That helped me to come up with the topic of today's post. I am going to let you in on the little known opportunities that many homeschoolers are involved in that others may not realize.



Homeschoolers in support groups often have:



Yearbooks (ours also started a High School Yearbook Club for the teens last year)


Co-op Classes (these come in a couple of different forms: one type is where the Moms co-op (cooperate) together to teach things and another kind is where the group hires official "teachers" to teach difficult subjects like Chemistry, Biology, Algebra, etc. Some do a combination of the two. They can use Moms for some classes that are more fun to do in a group and also pay teachers to share their expertise. )


Newsletters(highlighting the many educational opportunities, service projects, field trips, clubs, etc. that the group may be offering)


Many field trips (examples would be grocery stores, health food stores, museums, radio stations, fire stations, newspapers, and LOTS more!)


Clubs, 4-H, Girl Scouts/Brownies, Park Days, Keepers of the Faith Clubs


Service Projects (for example, making cards and care packages for those in the military, helping put meals together for the Meals On Wheels program, helping serve the homeless in homeless shelters, stuffing envelopes for teen crisis pregnancy centers, etc.)


High School Activities (some examples would be monthly game nights, field trips just for that age, trips-depending on the size of the group there could also be Jr.High activities and elementary activities)


Spelling Bees


Groups within the group set up for ministry (this would be to help a family with meals that has had a death in the family or had a new baby or extended illness)


Monthly Mom Meetings (designed to encourage & support the Moms)


E-groups for Moms (for Moms to stay in touch & to share practical tips/advice on homeschooling, parenting, etc.)


Fellowship for Moms (this may come in the form of a monthly breakfast, monthly dinner, Moms Get-Away for the weekend, or a wide range of other possibilities)


Book Fairs (this is where many, many vendors get together to show their curriculum or other teaching aids...often it also includes colleges, drivers ed, etc....for me this is the highlight of my year & my husband goes with me!)


If you are interested in learning more about homeschool support groups here are some links to a few I know about.


CHEER (Christian Home Educators Encouragement Resource)


CHEF (Christian Home Educators Fellowship)

Victory's Homeschoolers

Homeschool groups in MO


As you can see from the list above when in a homeschool support group (and often without it) children that are homeschooled are hardly locked away in their houses sadly needing socialization. ;-)

Other things you may not know.

Homeschoolers often take online courses and/or can go to the local community college in their Junior &/or Senior year of high school for concurrent enrollment.


Homeschoolers can take advantage of jobs that are during the day when the other children are in school. Homeschoolers can be a lot more flexible with their time.


Homeschoolers can take a class or be taught drivers ed. by their parents. You can purchase several different types of drivers ed. curriculum.
Was there anything in this list that surprised you? Please, comment.

Have I missed anything homeschoolers? Should I have added something else to the list?

Your Typical Back To School Supplies?

This picture was found here.

It's a sad day when this is needed.Watch this short video.

"Aug.15 - A Massachusetts company is offering protection
from school
violence for students with a bulletproof backpack.

The company says the
backpack's patented panel -- which weighs about 2 pounds--
stops 97% of the
bullets used."

Wonder what would happen if all the teachers had guns. Makes you think doesn't it?

Homeschooling Myths #1

Found this image & the T-shirt here.

There are a lot of myths regarding homeschooling. I thought it might be interesting to look at each one. I have come up with at least 6 or 7 but if you have suggestions feel free to let me know. I would love to cover other myths that I may not have thought of.

Myth #1 People that homeschool are weird, peculiar, or freaks!

That was my first thought when considering homeschooling too! I know I am not alone in this thought. However, over the 10+ years we have been homeschooling I have noticed more and more people choosing this way of educating. I think that means it is either less freakish than it used to be or there are a whole lot more freaks out there now. To tell you the truth, in the years that we have homeschooled we have met some very strange people but we have met a lot more "normal" people. I look at it just like society in general. There are lots of weird folks out there in any group but there are also usually a lot of normal folks too. Whenever you get a group of people together you will find all kinds.

The homeschool families I have seen have a few things in common. The first one is usually not freakiness. The main things I see are stability, sacrificial (willing to make sacrifices for their children/family) honest, patriotic, dependable, & compassionate. Most that I know truly want to please God in everything they do and want to help raise up an amazing generation of people that can change the world.

I guess the answer to this myth depends on what your definition of "weird" "peculiar" or "freak" is.

One definition I have found, at dictionary.com says, involving or suggesting the supernatural; unearthly

Honestly, a lot of people react to homeschoolers as though we ARE supernatural. Comments like, I just couldn't do THAT or how do you do it...I just couldn't spend the WHOLE DAY with my child(ren) makes me think some see us with SUPER MOM capes!

Back to dictionary.com for the definition of "freaks". It says, a person or animal on exhibition as an example of a strange deviation from nature; monster.

Well, I don't know about other homeschool Moms but I can see that some people look at us as an exhibition (a large-scale public showing) or an example of a strange deviation from nature. (That is probably really true with large families when they have all their children with them in public. They hear a lot of, Are those all yours?) I surely hope monster doesn't come to mind though. LOL

I choose to look at myself & my family as more "peculiar" though. Here are a few of those definitions.

#1 distinctive in nature or character from others.
#2 Distinct from all others.
#3 uncommon; unusual


These don't look too bad now do they? The fact that we are Christians make us peculiar already so we are pretty much used to that.

Now we come to the heart of the matter. If you consider raising children with a heart for God, good character, love of country, respect for adults, & don't speak vulgarities on a regular basis (like what I see on TV,videos, & the Internet) then maybe we are a bit peculiar in this world.

That is something I am willing to live with.

(This is the end of part one. I will have more homeschooling myths. Keep checking back.)

Would You Sign This Petition?

Photo above found here.

Would you have signed this one? I sure hope not....we kinda need it. (Watch the short video to see what you think.)

Maybe We Should Rethink This?

I found the photo above here.

The quote under it said,

"Stalin also supported gun control. It makes the dictator's job so much easier."

I think it is time to rethink the whole idea that guns are bad. We don't think they are bad when a police officer has them. We DO think they are bad when a "bad guy" has them. What about when the "bad guy" has one and none of the "good guys" do? That would make for a pretty short western or adventure movie wouldn't it? Either guns are bad for all law abiding citizens or guns are good for all law abiding citizens.

Guns aren't bad....bad people are bad.

Recently I heard a very interesting statement. "Gun control is disarming the victims". Hmmm, makes you think doesn't it? I don't know about you but I want to keep my Second Amendment rights.

My good friend Kathy posted a video on her blog recently. You have to see it...well, listen to it. The video isn't the best but it is what she says that is most important. Be sure to go over to Kathy's blog to see it.

Go here for a little refresher.

The above picture was found here.

If Guns Cause Murder Do Matches Cause Arson?

Did you know that citizens of Kennesaw Georgia were celebrating a

quarter-century of murder-free living. Back in 1982, Kennesaw officials
passed an ordinance requiring each head of household
to own and maintain a gun. In the 25 years since, Kennesaw's
previously high crime rate has dropped far below the national
average--while the population has skyrocketed. Not a single
resident of this town has been involved in a fatal shooting -
as a victim, attacker, or defender. For more, click here:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55288

Check out this article too.

Homeschool Fast Facts

(Above is a logo on a t-shirt. To see this t-shirt click here.)

Think you know a lot about homeschooling facts? Check out these. See if what you thought lines up with the facts? (I don't know that the first fact is a high enough figure though. I did a quick calculation and already this year I can come up with at least $300. Also, they sure don't add in all the gas for driving the children to lessons, classes, activities, field trips, etc. It also depends on the year. High schoolers are usually much more.)

HomeSchool Fact File

Homeschool profile

Median amount spent on home schooling per child in the US - $450

Household incomes
18% of home school families earn less than $25,000, 44% of households between $25,000 and $49,000.

Religion
Over 75% attend religious services

Regulation
States with High government regulation of home schools - homeschool battery score - 86

States with Moderate government regulation of home schools - homeschool battery score - 85

States with Low government regulation of home schools - homeschool battery score - 86

Minority Performance
Home school - average reading score (white) - 87 percentile; Public school - average reading score (white) - 61 percentile

Home school - average reading score (minority) - 87 percentile; Public school - average reading score (minority) -49 percent

Home school - average math score (white) - 82 percentile; Public school - average math score (white) - 60 percentile

Home school - average math score (minority) - 77 percentile; Public school - average math score (minority) - 50 percentile

For data above reference Brian D. Ray, PhD, Home Schooling on the Threshold (NHERI Publications, PO Box 13939, Salem, OR 97309), and HSLDA, Home Education Across the USA (HSLDA, 17333 Pickwick Dr., Purcellville, VA 20132), and HSLDA, Home Schooling Works, Pass it on! Rudner Report, (HSLDA, 17333 Pickwick Dr., Purcellville, VA 20132).

"The average SAT score for home schoolers in 2000 was 1100, compared with 1019 for the general population. And a large study by University of Maryland education researcher Lawrence Rudner showed that the average home schooler scored in the 75th percentile on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills; the 50th percentile marked the national average."

These facts were excerpted from the United States Department of Education Study, summer 2001.

http://nces.ed.gov/

Patriot Guard Riders

Above is a video about the Patriot Guard Riders. Everyone should see it.

(It is just a little over 2 minutes so it isn't long at all.)

Below are some comments from the Patriot Guard Riders web site regarding yesterday.

14 Aug 2007 9:53 AM Alert

WOW, I think that was one of the longest hottest missions that Babe and I have been involved in yet. It was well worth the effort though. Seeing the children line the streets with flags held high for this American hero and his family was absolutely gut wrenching,yet at the same time it helped remind me of what we were there for,and made me VERY proud to be a member of this community. We had families from several states show up to show their support for a family that they had never met... the only connections were that they, like the Hollidays, taught their children at home; and they,like us, were proud of Jaron and wanted to show his family that they cared. It was also very nice to see the Boy scouts standing, in uniform, for Cpl. Holliday. I saw 6 or 7 from troop 313 along the way (my son's troop) as well as members of several other troops that I was unable to identify due to the tears that were blurring my vision at the time.

As far as the water and the wet bandannas…

like our mission for the Holliday family, it was just what needed to be done.
---------

"Babe and I spent some time today sitting with Jaron's best friend and his family, to try and learn a little more about this young man, who gave his life for his country. We have not had the opportunity to do this before, and it was a very humbling and inspiring experience. It seems that he was an amazing young man.

The oldest of 8 children, he was homeschooled and chose the branch of the service that he was going to join at the age of 11.

We also found out there there will be a group of homeschoolers that are coming down from Kansas to stand in honor for this young man beside the rest of us. "
------------------
"Today at the funeral, we had 22 bikes, 3 trikes, and 4 cages
representing independents, CVMA, Rolling Thunder, and the Guard Dogs. As
today's heat was brutal, we give a special thanks to Blade, Blades Babe,
and Lil Bit for keeping us refreshed with ice cold water and cold wet
bandannas. Also, thank you to O-State for the energy/hydration drinks. On
a final note, thanks to the Tulsa PD for providing us safe passage. And
thanks to the citizens of Tulsa and homeschoolers from as far away as
Kansas, who lined the route with flags and messages to CPL Holliday's
family. Mike.... Ride Captain "

You can see these comments & many more on this thread from Patriot Guard Riders.

We can't all be HEROES......

Update below in red
Yesterday was an awesome and amazing day for me. It was an experience I will NEVER forget and I hope it will be the same for my girls. I have to share a small part of our experience.




My girls and I were part of a much larger group that lined the streets for a young man most of us never knew. We went to honor Cpl Jaron Holliday & his family. My heart was touched by all the Mom's & children and especially the Dad's that came to this event.

(Notice this darling little girls shirt.)

We had to stand around for a long time waiting. It was over 100 degrees so it was pretty rough. However, it was hard to complain too much realizing that the young man were were honoring & many others had to endure these temperatures (and worse) in Iraq.

Before the procession came along we were just standing (or sitting) on the side of the street waiting. As we stood there people would often honk at us. I know most of them were not really sure of what we were doing. We even had a few people stop to ask us what was going on. However, seeing a group of people (with many children) standing around in red,white, & blue holding flags you can't help but be curious.



We had been warned that there may be protesters. I had talked to the children & we were prepared. Thank God we didn't see any and my friend that attended the funeral told me they were not there.

Finally, we got word that "they are coming". I was excited and eagerly looking down the road.

First, we saw the policemen on motorcycles.

Following them was the Patriot Guard.
If you don't know who these people are I encourage you to find out by clicking on the link above. I was so impressed by them.

Don't be surprised if you see that I have a motorcycle in the future so I can join them!

The second they appeared I began to cry. I couldn't stop. It was intensified when a woman (most likely Jaron's Mother) hung out the window crying THANK YOU!!

(You are so welcome-dear Mother!)

Many people in the cars were waving at us & smiling. One woman leaned out the window and just kept repeating, "precious....precious.....precious". The waves, the faces, and the words are still in my heart and mind. We found out later that the other street they were (before they got to us) was filled with people. We were there just about at the end of the their procession. We had no idea how many others had come but hoped it would be a lot. I was delighted to hear that there was such a good turn out for them.

They must have been looking at people all the way from the funeral home to the cemetery and I am SO honored to have been one of them.

Our hearts swelled with pride as we stood there holding our flags high for the family.

Here is a link to the Patriot Guard Riders website with comments about this event and condolences to the family. I hope you will at least glance at it.

While there I found my new favorite quote.
"We can't all be HEROES because someone has to stand on the sides and salute as they go by!"

Our local TV station had this article

and a few pictures.


(A lovely lady even brought balloons.)

(Afterwards Catrina noticed them flying away.)

If you are ever driving around and see a group of people standing beside the road with flags you will know what is going on. Feel free to give them an encouraging honk. They like that.

I will be tempted to get out and join them.

Thank you Jaron & Jaron's family for the sacrifices you have made for all of us. Although we have never met Jaron he will not be forgotten.

Here is a link regarding the funeral. It looks like it was a beautiful tribute.

Below are a couple of new pictures I found.

The father is in white and the mother has the hat on with the jacket.

Click here to see a short video on our news.

The First Post

Hi everyone! As you can see this is my first post on my new blog. I have been thinking for some time I should have more than one blog. One that is more personal for family and friends (family pictures, updates on what the girls are doing, vacations, etc.) I already have.

However, there are a lot of other things I am interested in such as political things, health related things, organizing/tips for cleaning, homeschool things, and the list just goes on and on. I decided to make another blog for the things that relate more to those things and opinions here. You will find my opinion (thus the name...'My 2 Cents') regarding topics such as Patriotism, Christianity, Politics, Global Warming (or lack of it), Evolution (or lack of it), and who knows what else. I am thinking of starting another blog to hold all the things pertaining to homeschool, family management, time management, tips, etc. That will be another blog for another day.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think of my new blog, today and in the future.