Seek the Wisdom of the Grey Hair (or dyed hair, as the case may be)

"Speak to me, honey. What do you need to know?"
(Photo credit: pexels.com/photos/24884)

Seek the Wisdom of the Grey Hair

by Carol J. Alexander

My oldest son is almost 29 years old. He's a husband and a father. He and his wife own their own home. He's a skilled craftsman and owns his own business. He's well respected in his community. Would I have thought that would be the case 20 years ago? Absolutely not!

Drew was very strong-willed. He tried every nerve in my being. Once, when he was about 7 years old, I sent him to his room for an hour. While he was in there, and the house was actually quiet, I enjoyed talking to my girlfriend on the phone. But after some time passed, it occurred to me that it was just too quiet; so I checked on him. He was gone. The window was open. I found him in the backyard playing. SIGH!

I made a lot of mistakes. One was trying to get help from books.

While reading The Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson*, I realized that his book was no help to me what-so-ever. When I thought about why this great learned man, with such a large following, was feeding me non-practical theorizing fluff through this book, I realized, "He only has two kids, a boy and a girl, with plenty of money to put food on the table, drive a reliable car and pay the bills every month. What does he know about my life?"

Dr. Dobson was never down in the trenches with me. Oh, he may have had a strong-willed child. (And he may have studied strong-willed children in his laboratory, er practice.) But he never had my child, oldest of six. Dobson wasn't stressed-out trying to make it on one very low income in order to homeschool. He didn't live in a 500-square foot cottage with four kids! He didn't have parents and in-laws telling him that everything would be okay if he just put his child in school. His trench and my trench were worlds apart.

Then and there I decided that I would never ask parenting advice from someone again (or read their books or their blogs!) unless they had more kids than I did. You know what that took? Someone older. Someone further ahead in the journey. Someone with grey hair, so to speak.

I see a trend with younger parents asking for advice from their peers. I get that. You hang with your friends at the park, kids playing, you chatting. It's only natural to ask what brand of diapers work, where she bought her baby wrap, how to get over a breastfeeding hurdle. But let's face it, when it comes to life-changing decisions like how to discipline for lying or when to get your child a smart phone, do you really want the advice of someone who is experimenting with options right along with you?

The best thing that ever happened to this young mother was Kay. Kay was an older woman in my church. I asked her if she would meet with me and other young moms for Bible study. She said my request was an answer to prayer for her, as she had been asking God for direction in her empty-nested life. So we started meeting regularly at the park. (We lived in Florida at the time, so it was possible to meet outdoors year round.) The children played while the moms gleaned from Kay's wisdom regarding marriage and parenting. With a special-needs son, one income and four children, Kay had experience in my trench--and a love for Jesus that governed everything she did and said.

Fortunately, our Home Instructed Students support group is not new and has a wide range of experienced, Godly parents. There is no lack of grey (or dyed) hair in HIS. And even though we often don't feel it, there is no lack of wisdom.

The following HIS moms regularly attend meetings and have homeschooled for longer than 12 years. Why 12? It takes that long to graduate a child. I'm sure everyone on the list would love to share what worked, and what didn't work, for their family. I'm sure they would also love to pray with you and for you as you make life-changing decisions for your family. Feel free to seek one of us out.

Nita Sudlow--27 years.
Carol Alexander--23 years.
Cherie Ellis--21 years.
Staci Woods--13 years.

If that's not enough, there are those who have finished homeschooling but are still around. Watch for future posts from them.



*By sharing my experience with Dr. Dobson's book, I in no way mean to discredit him or his advice. I'm merely using it as an example of what did not work for me. I have not tried to re-read his books since, so I do not have a new perspective.

Christ Who Strengthens Me

Public domain photo by John Storr.

Christ Who Strengthens Me

by David Sloan

Well, as the HIS kick-off picnic reminded us, it’s the start of another school year again! The picnic allowed us to see old friends, and with several new faces to the group we even made some new ones. We shared food, stories and laughs. It was also a chance to remind ourselves that we are not alone in our homeschooling odyssey. And that, perhaps, was the most important gift that we shared.

 That is so important because it is easy for us parents to have doubts, concerns and questions about how well we are doing as “school teachers.” After all, our schoolhouses are separated so we don’t get constant feedback from one another about how things are going; we are constantly questioned about our qualifications and ability to serve as teachers for our children (Yes, those looks when you tell people you homeschool); and even our very decision to homeschool is often challenged (Yes, those questions when people discover you homeschool).

So I just wanted to take a few minutes to share some facts about kids and education as we start our new school year, sort of a faculty meeting to reassure the troops.

THE TOP INDICATORS OF STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS

·         Parental Involvement: That’s right! The single most important factor in the success of a child’s education is whether or not his or her parents are aware of what is happening with school, and just in general are making sure they are involved in their child’s life. Note that I’m not saying the subject matter expertise of the parent, simply the involvement! This seemingly simple thing, across the board, in every ethnicity, in every socio-economic background, and regardless of the educational level of the parents, is the single most critical component to ensuring academic success! Just take a moment to realize that BY MAKING A DECISION TO HOMESCHOOL YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE A GIANT STEP IN THIS DIRECTION!

Some of the other important factors for student success are simply expansions of this first one:

·         Peer Group Influence:  By making a choice to homeschool you have already shown you are concerned and involved about what your child is doing and who he is doing it with. Most likely the peer group will be family and other homeschoolers. Other likely contacts will be through extra-curricular and/or community involvement (that is, contact with others in a setting where members are not required to be there).

·         Positive Role Models: Again, by homeschooling it is unlikely that students will have a better role model than those in front of them-parents that are sacrificing time, lost income, etc. just so they can offer their children this incredible opportunity!

·          Value Education: This is a non-starter because again, by making a choice to homeschool you have already made a huge neon billboard advertising how much you value education. And eventually even our children, who oftentimes don’t even seem to be aware of our existence much less any sacrifices we make, will see that.

And these are only the academic benefits. Homeschooling also offers many non-academic benefits to home life as well, but we will let other postings cover those.

So the next time you start to fret or people question whether you’re qualified to teach your children, just remember that simply by making a choice to homeschool you have already started them down the path to academic success.  

And on those really tough days just recall Philippians 4:13:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Supreme Court of the US/Library of Congress Field Trip

Supreme Court of the United States.
Creative Commons photo.

Here's the plan. Hope you can join us! Any questions, drop us a line. :) 

Wednesday, October 5: Plan A :)

10:00am Meet at the Library of Congress
10:30am Guided tour of the LOC
11:30am Head to the Supreme Court to get in line 
1:00pm Sit in on the Court case "Manuel v City of Joliet"
2:00pm Head to a museum or two before they close!

1) The Library of Congress is next door to the Supreme Court, and offers a free, guided, one-hour tour at 10:30am. We'll want to arrive a few minutes early to make sure there's room for us. Meet at the Ground Floor Visitor's Center.

2) The Supreme Court recommends getting in line an hour or more before the case you want to hear. On October 5, they are hearing three cases, two in the morning and then ours (Manuel v Joliet) at 1pm. The hearing lasts an hour. So we plan to head there directly following the LOC tour.

NOTE that they do not have age restrictions for observing court sessions; however, since it requires sitting for an hour, it's not recommended for infants or small children.

3)
--FAQ for the Court:https://www.supremecourt.gov/faq_visiting.aspx#faqvc3

--Summary of Manuel v Joliet: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2016/14-9496

--Legal brief by Manuel: http://www.scotusblog.com/…/upl…/2016/05/14-9496ts-FINAL.pdf
--Legal brief by City of Joliet: http://www.scotusblog.com/…/…/08/14-9496-merits-response.pdf
--Amicus brief by the US Government: https://www.justice.gov/…/14-9496_manuel_v._city_of_joliet.…

4) Visiting the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/visit/
--LOC activities for families/kids (printouts to bring along--scroll down):https://www.loc.gov/visit/activities-for-kids-and-families/

NOTE: I am planning to arrive super early to check at the Court and make sure there aren't long lines for the 1pm session. If there are long lines and we need to get in line earlier and do the Library of Congress afterward instead, I will post on the HIS Facebook page to advise everyone.

MAP: Here is a map of the downtown Mall area. The US Supreme Court and the Library of Congress are located together to the east of the US Capitol.
https://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Following the Court visit, you may wish to take advantage of being downtown.

a) The US Capitol Visitors' Center is right there and open until 4:30. https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/

b and c) I also highly recommend the National Museum of the American Indian, which is just amazing, and the National Gallery of Art is always awe-inspiring. These are the two closest museums to where we'll be; they are open until 5:30 and 5:00 respectively.

GETTING INTO DC: Getting into DC doesn't have to be scary!!!

1) If you're a family of youngers, you may wish to consider the VRE out of Manassas. Kids 10 and under are free, and it's $19 round trip for everyone else. The train is clean, smooth, has bathrooms--and drops you off right downtown at the L'Enfant Plaza station. Details here:http://www.vre.org/service/schedule/#sched-mana-nb

2) If you've got olders, you might consider driving into the city. You can park in many garages for $22 or less--and for peace of mind you can reserve a space in advance. I've used online systems like ParkWhiz and Parking Panda with great success. There are many safe parking garages up and down the Mall area.

Let's Get Going!

Lighting of the Olympic Flame, Rio 2016

Welcome to another year with HIS! We can't wait to see what God has in store for us as homeschooling families and together as a support group. Won't you please join us for an evening of munchies (because Real Work requires yumminess, of course) and planning for 2016-17?

When: Mon, Aug 22 @ 7p
Where: Denny's Mt Jackson (back room)

Meeting Dates for 2016-17:

Sept 15 - Kickoff picnic @ Woodstock Park
Oct 20 - Regular meeting
Nov 17 - Regular meeting
Dec 15 - Christmas party
Jan 19 - Regular meeting
Feb TBD - Share Your Gift Night
Feb 16 - Regular meeting
Mar 16 - Regular meeting
Apr TBD - X-Fair
Apr 20 - Regular meeting
May 18 - Regular meeting
June 15 - End of year picnic @ Woodstock Park

Note that we aim for two teachers per class, plus helpers.

Position

Greeter 1 - Kodi W

Greeter 2

Box Tops

Playground supervisor

Playground supervisor

Registration Table

Moms’ Fellowship Group

Event: Share Your Gift night (Feb)

Event: X-Fair (April)

Event: Christmas party

Lunch (setup/cleanup, drinks)

Lunch helper

Facilities (setup/cleanup)

Facilities (setup/cleanup)

Field Trips

Nursery (morning)

Nursery (morning)

Nursery (afternoon)

Nursery (afternoon)

Preschool class (morning)

K-1

K-1

2nd & 3rd  - Lynn R

2nd & 3rd

4th & 5th

4th & 5th

6th – 8th

6th – 8th

High school

High school

Graduation

Graduation

Floater/helper

Floater/helper

 We'd love you to join us!

New Drama Troupe Season!

Joseph Cotten, in Horse Eats Hat. Federal Theater Project, public domain photo.

(From our drama director, Willough)

Hello Everyone!

I'm looking forward to starting HIS Drama Troupe's new season!  This season is going to be especially exciting, too.  Not only will we see the premiere of a new play, but we'll hopefully have a longer time to practice as well.  Also, we can look forward to delving deeper into dramatic knowledge this year.

This season HIS Drama Troupe is going to be producing the children's play "Princess Furball", the timeless story of a brave heroine struggling through trials presented in a new, comedic fashion!

Audiences of all ages will love this fresh new adaption.

There are a few changes since last time.  We still meet on Fridays and the time (4:00 - 5:45 pm) is the same.  But instead of only eight practices we're looking at ten.  Also, instead of meeting every other
week we'll be meeting every week.  This helps keep the Drama Troupe season smooth and makes it easier to plan for.

We will also be switching back and forth from meeting at the Edinburg Library to meeting at Edinburg Park (practice will be canceled on days that are cold, rainy or stormy).  Parents, on the days when we meet at the park, please stay with your kids (and if anyone knows an alternative meeting place besides the park - indoors - that we could use, I would be glad to hear your suggestions).

On the days when we meet at the library, we'll have the first 30 minutes outside the building like last time (but if it's cold, rainy or stormy wait until 4:30 when we move inside the building).  Finally, while we're talking about changes, I'm pretty certain we're going to have a bigger group.  The more the merrier, right?

:)

And so, we come to the dates.  Again, all of them are on Fridays at Edinburg Library/Edinburg Park from 4:00 - 5:45 pm.  And they are as follows:

• March 18th, 
• March 25th, 
• April 1st, 
• April 8th, 
• April 15th, 
• April 22nd, 
• April 29th, 
• May 6th, 
• May 13th, 
• May 20th.

If you know beforehand if you will miss any of these dates, please let me know ahead of time.

And there's also another change too.  This time I'm doing it a little differently by having sign ups. That way, if I have to cancel a practice or something comes up I can call.  It also helps me know beforehand how many people I'm going to have in the group and their ages, which helps me plan activities and things like that.  So, if you'd like to join us this season, please fill out this form (one for each participant):

Name:
Age:
Parent's email:
Participant's email (if different from above):
Parent's phone #:

Speaking of ages, the activities and practices would probably work best for those 8 and up, and the ability to read would be a helpful skill to have tucked under the participant's belt.  But parents, it's up to you whether or not your child is or would be ready for Drama Troupe.

Finally, I hope to see you at our practices this season!  Looking forward to starting HIS Drama Troupe again! :)

It's X-Fair Time!

It’s X-Fair Time!!!

When?

Thursday, April 28, at 7 p.m.

What is the X-Fair? 

Well, if you don't know, it is THE event of the year. The X-Fair is where your kids get the chance to truly strut their stuff, academically speaking.

Think science fair on steroids. Your kids are given the opportunity to create an exhibit on whatever they choose--science, history, math, arts and crafts, whatever.

Since last year, with all the changes, was such a hit, we are going to go with the same format. Following is a letter to parents regarding this year's fair. And following that, are the rules.

But, don't let the word "rules" scare you. We're flexible, ya know?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 20, 2016

Dear Parents,

In my 20+ years of homeschooling I have found that our children often do not get some of the same educational opportunities that children attending a traditional school are given. In that light, our X-fair format is designed to fill in some of those gaps.

The format gives your children the opportunity to practice skills they will be required to have once they get to college or enter the workforce. Those skills include things like creating an audio/visual presentation, writing an informative composition, and giving an oral presentation.

In order to encourage your children to do their best work, we will be giving participation ribbons to everyone. Also, for those that choose to compete, 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place ribbons will go to each category. A $10 gift card will be given to each 1^st place child. The categories include elementary, junior high, and high school.

Because we understand that some children cannot handle the stress of formal competition, all HIS members are invited to exhibit in the fair without competing, and still earn a participation ribbon. Those members that choose to compete for the prizes must adhere to the project requirements listed below.

Finally, qualified judges will be in place again for this year’s fair. They will be homeschooling parents who have graduated their children, or homeschooled graduates that have succeeded in their field of study. The judges will be given a judging sheet with the criteria to make their job more objective.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email.

Sincerely,

Carol Alexander

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HIS 2016 X-FAIR

Project Requirements (for those choosing to compete):

Audio/Visual portion:

Items that can be included in the A/V portion of this project include:

•         video
•          PowerPoint
•          presentation board
•         handouts
•         maps
•         photographs
•          artifacts or objects on display
•          samples, etc.

Specific requirements:

•          The presentation must give a clear representation of what the project is about.
•         If a presentation board is used, headings must be large enough to be read from the aisle.
•         Materials must be organized and focused on the topic.
•         Materials are to support the topic, not detract from it.

Written portion:

The written portion of the project is to be a three to five paragraph composition about the topic. (Length of written paper should be in keeping with the age of the child. Obviously, high school students will be expected to prepare a more thorough description of their project than an elementary student.)

Oral portion:

The child will be required to orally present his project to the audience and be able to answer questions from those in attendance. During this portion of the project, he should keep the following points in mind:

•          Speak with a strong voice,
•         Avoid the use of um, like, and other unnecessary words or sounds.
•         Answer questions thoroughly and with confidence, answering truthfully if he does not know the answer.

Appearance:

• Remember that appearances matter in the real world.
• The child’s presentation should be neat and of quality materials.
• The child’s personal appearance should also be neat. Think music recital or job interview here. He wants to make his best impression.
•  Appearance will be on the judging sheet.

January is here!

(and it's cold)

A resident struggles to walk in a blizzard in Manhattan, New York. Public domain photo.

As we grit our teeth through this week's arctic temps (more coffee/tea/chocolate, maybe??) and brace ourselves for the Gigantic Snowstorm That May Or May Not Be, what better time to come together for a day of warm fellowship? Here are the announcements for this week's meeting:

URGENT: Need someone to teach the 1-2nd grade class. Pls email me back ASAP if you can take this class. You will have a helper.

* Mtg time: Thurs, 9:45am, Wakemans Grove COB in Edinburg

* Theme: Survival: WATER

* Lunch: brown bag (bring your own)
* Remember: Box Tops and non-perishable foods for donation

* Cleanup: we're shorthanded, so please be ready to pitch in (as you always are! so grateful! thank you!)
* Temps: near 40! warmer than today, but still cold, so kids pls bundle up!

* GRADUATION: Tami would like to meet Thurs morning with those involved

* WILLIAMSBURG TRIP March 1-3: time to sign up! Read more here.

* SHARE YOUR GIFT NIGHT: our annual talent show in February! come prepared to sign up! details Thurs. Always a fun event.

* MOMS' GROUP: 7pm Monday, Jan 25 @ Sew & Vac in Woodstock. This month's topic: learning/teaching math.

* VALENTINES FOR VETS: Friday Feb 12; we'll meet at Chick-Fil-A in Martinsburg at 11:30am to fellowship, then head over to the VA Hospital to distribute valentines. 

---Special announcement for the 2-3rd grade class!--

If you think it is important to ease your child into "public speaking", here is the opportunity for you.

I invite you to put a first aid kit together with your son or daughter and help them prepare a short show and tell.

E.g. - for what occasion -home, camping, hike

        -why is an item important 

        -how do you use it

        -etc.

In class the child might have to choose one item to talk about, if all 24 are prepared! 

We will keep it relaxed and age appropriate.