'Tebow Bill' passes out of committee ... now on to full House vote

For the first time ever, a homeschooler sports access bill has passed out of the House Education committee to go to the floor of the House of Delegates.

This morning with a vote of 14-8, HB 947, also known as the "Tebow Bill," passed with a sunset amendment that was attached by Del. Steve Landes (R-25th House) that would limit it to a four-year trial period. Both Landes and Del. Dickie Bell (R-20th House), who represent the Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County areas, voted yes.

A phone call from the bill's sponsor, Del. Rob Bell (R-58th House) from the House floor this morning confirmed the bill had passed and would move to the full House.

At no time during my sixteen years educating my children at home or as president of Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH) or as legislative liaison for that group do I remember a homeschool sports access bill passing out of the full committee and making it to the House floor for an up-or-down vote.

The bill has a lot of support. Governor Bob McDonnell (R) is for it. Delegate Rob Bell sponsored it. The Family Foundation backs it. Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) also backs it as well as the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers.

Patrons of the bill in the House, besides Rob Bell, are J. Randall Minchew (chief co-patron), David I. Ramadan (chief co-patron), and Peter F. Ferrell. They were joined by Sen. Ryan McDougle.

HB 947 - Nonpublic school students; organizations governing participation in interscholastic programs - is summarized as:

Nonpublic school students; participation in interscholastic programs. Prohibits public schools from joining an organization governing interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation a student who (i) is receiving home instruction, (ii) has demonstrated evidence of progress for two years, (iii) is entitled to free tuition in a public school, (iv) has not reached the age of 19 by August 1 of the current school year, (v) is an amateur who receives no compensation, but participates solely for the educational, physical, mental, and social benefits of the activity, (vi) complies with all disciplinary rules applicable to all public high school athletes, and (vii) complies with all other rules governing awards, all-star games, parental consents, and physical examinations applicable to all high school athletes. The bill allows such students to be charged reasonable fees for participation.

See the full text here.

The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers laid out the case for supporting HB 947:

•Virginia’s homeschooled students would benefit from the opportunity to participate in athletic and other interscholastic programs governed by the Virginia High School League, but VHSL’s current eligibility requirements specifically exclude homeschooled students.

•Homeschooled students in Virginia’s rural communities would particularly benefit. In small, rural communities there are few options for homeschooled teens to play team sports or participate in other activities -- particularly at the high school level -- except through public school programs.

•Homeschool sports and activities access is working smoothly in 28 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah and others. HB 947 is an approach that will work in Virginia.

•High school interscholastic programs are an important opportunity to qualify for college scholarships. Currently homeschooled students are denied the opportunity for that exposure.

•Homeschool sports access will strengthen community support for high school programs. Homeschooling families are already active, committed members of the community, and the addition of homeschooled students would expand the base of families involved in high school interscholastic programs.

•Homeschooled students in Virginia need legislative support in order to be allowed to try out for their local high school interscholastic programs. Despite significant effort by homeschooling organizations to work with members of VHSL to develop fair, reasonable and practical eligibility guidelines for homeschooled students, VHSL has refused to consider any change. Virginia’s homeschooled students are depending on the General Assembly for a chance to try out.

It it passes the House, HB 947 will cross over to the Senate in two weeks where it may face a tougher audience in that evenly-divided chamber.

Our thanks to Rob Bell for his continued support of homeschool families by again submitting the homeschool sports access bill this year and not giving up, something those families may remember when he runs for Attorney General in 2013.

Tim Tebow: Christian, role model, athlete

Many in the American media have strange values when it comes to covering athletes. The bad guys seem to get the positive press -- they're the cool kids -- while so often the good guys are persecuted for being ... well, good.

Tim Tebow -- homeschooled student, Heisman Trophy winner, Denver Broncos quarterback -- is a positive role model for our children, one of the good guys who actually understands that the world doesn't revolve around him. He is a public figure who shares his good fortune, reaches out to those who are hurting, and retains his down-to-earth personality.

ESPN reporter Rick Reilly, who has been voted National Sportswriter of the Year eleven times so he's been around the sports block a time or two, took a closer look at this unlikely hero and was surprised to find someone to admire, as he declared by simply stating, "I believe in Tim Tebow" and noting :

I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Who, indeed? What makes this more amazing is Tebow's youthful age (23), and his hero status in the NFL.

Ridiculed in the media for dropping to one knee on the football field -- something that has been done for years by other players --  and by some for being a nice person, Tebow represents the best of humanity. His Christian upbringing by missionary parents laid a firm foundation for this young man who doesn't just talk the talk ... he absolutely, 100% walks the walk.

Sharing his good character along with his worldly goods, Tebow reaches out a hand to those less fortunate in a way that shows true concern and caring. Riley talked with some who have benefited from Tebow's touch and they responded that he had offered them hope for the future, happiness for the present, and made them believers in themselves and, perhaps, renewed belief in humankind.

Tebow hosts them for home and away games, making it a point to visit with them before the game. Didn't he find that distracting, asked Riley? Tebow's answer showed insight into the unselfish person that he is:

"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."

Like I said ... a guy who doesn't allow himself to be the center of the universe. Why, heck ... he made a believer of a cynical, crusty, long-time sports writer who tried his best to find a crack in Tebow's persona and finally stopped trying. Riley conceded:

I've given up giving up on him. I'm a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.

Tebow's kind of innocent optimism is good to see and keeps the rest of us believing that there truly is good left in the world.

You know what? I believe in Tim Tebow, too.

Thursday: homeschool bills to be heard by General Assembly

There are a number of homeschool bills will be heard early Thursday morning, January 26, in the General Assembly House and Senate. Three sports access bills, and two bills requested by Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) clarifying a curriculum description are on the agenda.Your presence at these meetings will make a difference in the outcome of this homeschool legislation so those who are able to do so are encouraged to attend.

7:30 a.m.
5th Floor East Conference Room, General Assembly Building
Curriculum Description, HB 1208, Delegate Brenda Pogge
Sports Access, HB 947, Delegate Rob Bell; HB 905, Delegate Randy Minchew; and HB 1005, Delegate David Ramadan

8:30 a.m.    
Senate Room B, General Assembly Building
Curriculum Description, SB 564, Senator Dick Black

'Tebow Bill' seeks homeschooler access to public school sports programs

An ongoing debate throughout the years has been the refusal in Virginia to allow homeschooled students the opportunity to participate in public school sports but now they may have an unlikely hero on their side.

Most Virginians have probably heard of 23-year-old Tim Tebow, the wildly popular Denver Broncos quarterback who led his team to the 2012 NFL playoffs and is famous for kneeling on one knee in prayer, something that has been deemed "Tebowing" and duplicated throughout the country.

Many came to know this young man during last year's Super Bowl game when he was part of a Focus on the Family ad advocating pro-choice and noting that his mother had been advised by doctors to abort him when she became seriously ill during pregnancy but she chose not to follow their recommendations.

What they may not know is that Tebow was born of missionary parents, and that he was homeschooled in Florida, a state that allowed homeschool students to participate in public school sports. He went on to lead the University of Florida Gators to two national titles, won the 2007 Heisman Trophy, and was then recruited by the Denver Broncos.

Pretty heady stuff especially considering Virginia's homeschooling students are continually refused that opportunity, therefore denying them the chance for sports scholarships.

Florida opened its sports programs to homeschoolers in 1996, allowing Tebow to play and work his way up the ranks. Twenty states across the nation allow homeschoolers to participate in sports but the Commonwealth isn't one of them. Could there a Tim Tebow somewhere in Virginia just waiting for the opportunity to lead a high school and college team to victory and join a professional sports league?

Delegate Rob Bell (R-58, Charlottesville), who has been a champion for Virginia homeschoolers for years, has introduced the "Tebow Bill" (HB 947) that would permit homeschoolers to try out for public school athletic programs.

HB 947 -- Nonpublic school students; organizations governing participation in interscholastic programs -- reads:

"Prohibits public schools from joining an organization governing interscholastic programs that does not deem eligible for participation a student who (i) is receiving home instruction, (ii) has demonstrated evidence of progress for two years, (iii) is entitled to free tuition in a public school, (iv) has not reached the age of 19 by August 1 of the current school year, (v) is an amateur who receives no compensation, but participates solely for the educational, physical, mental, and social benefits of the activity, (vi) complies with all disciplinary rules applicable to all public high school athletes, and (vii) complies with all other rules governing awards, all-star games, parental consents, and physical examinations applicable to all high school athletes. The bill allows such students to be charged reasonable fees for participation."

The Virginia-based Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has followed access at schools nationwide. This issue is strongly resisted by the Virginia High School League (VHSL), the Virginia Education Association (VEA), the Virginia Secondary School Principals Association (VSSPA), and others who oppose allowing homeschoolers to put a foot in the athletic door. Reasons given have been everything from the suggestion that homeschoolers could "lay on the sofa all day" before going to practice to the concern that the actions of homeschoolers could not be controlled outside of a school activity.

Homeschooled students have proven over the years that they can keep up with their public school peers academically. Testimony to that is the number of homeschoolers who have been spelling bee winners and finalists, who have regularly outscored public school students on SAT and ACT tests, who have received higher education scholarships, and who have scored in research, work, academia, the military, and beyond.

Many of those home school families have asked to participate in sports programs, something they feel should be allowed since home school parents pay the same school taxes as everyone else but pay extra for their children's education, receiving no benefit from those school tax dollars. For years, former Delegate Chris Saxman (R-20th House District) championed school choice and tax credits for home schoolers only to see the measures defeated.

Not all homeschoolers want access to public school sports and feel it would inch the government one step closer to controlling that segment of the population. Others participate in private, civic, and homeschool sports programs in their communities.

Perhaps one of the the strongest opponents to allowing access to public school sports is Delegate Robert Tata (R-Virginia Beach), formerly a coach and football player from the 1950s. NBC-29 noted his objections:

Tata fears that opening high school sports to homeschoolers would weaken the system's accountability and allow aggressive coaches at powerhouse sports schools to "recruit" home-schooled blue-chip players.

On Thursday, January 26, a House Education subcommittee will debate Bell's legislation. Will 2012 be the year that Virginia homeschoolers break through the sports barrier?

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift

Frontier Culture Museum: Home schooling day this Friday

Enjoy the Frontier Culture Musuem this Friday, September 30, as home schoolers* from throughout the Commonwealth spend the day learning hands-on history up-close-and-personal. (Please note below that pre-registration for home schoolers to receive the discounted rate is required before Friday.)

In addition, Colonial Artisans will be sharing their skills and wares both Friday and Saturday to add to Saturday's Oktoberfest festivities.

From the FCMV website:

Held in the vicinity of the American farm, they will be showing and demonstrating various 18th century skills and trades including leather working, knife making, metal and gunsmithing, engraving, cooking over an open fire, and period style music. New artisans expected to join the group this year are skilled inbasket making, bee keeping, and finger weaving. Pomology, or the study of apple varieties, will be featured as well. Come, learn, and take seedlings home to plant for your own historic apples!

*Home school groups wishing to attend the special Friday event must pre-register to receive an educational discount.

Friday Sept. 30, will be a special event for Virginia home school groups. Held in the vicinity of the American farm, they will be showing and demonstrating various 18th century skills and trades including leather working, knife making, metal and gunsmithing, engraving, cooking over an open fire, and period style music. New artisans expected to join the group this year are skilled in basket making, bee keeping, and finger weaving. Pomology, or the study of apple varieties, will be featured as well. Come, learn, and take seedlings home to plant for your own historic apples!

There will be regularly scheduled talks and demonstrations as well as ongoing exhibitions throughout the day. Some limited interactive, hands-on experience where safe and appropriate.

Attend a session at the Museum's Early American Schoolhouse to see how home schooling compares to that of students in the early nineteenth century! This program includes a brief history of early American education, and a basic lesson from early American textbooks led by the "schoolmaster"!

Home school groups wishing to attend the special Friday event must pre-register to receive an educational discount. Pre-registration price on or before Sept 29 (Thursday) is $3 per child, $5 per adult. Day of the event is $5 per child and $7 per adult.

Pre-registration is encouraged to be sure there's adequate staffing to accommodate everyone!

For more information about the home school day, please contact: Lisa McCumsey - nonesuchdesigns@gmail.com or call (540) 271-4329.

To pre-register: Sasha Duke - sasha.duke@fcmv.virginia.gov or call (540) 332-7850.

For more information about the Colonial Artisans, please contact: Mark Thomas - mtgraver@yahoo.com or call (540) 867-5829.

Back in the home school classroom: First day of school

Today is the first day of school for those who had not already started back to classes. It's also the first day of school for many home school students ... and that's where my mind wandered this morning as I remembered sixteen years of "first day of school" classes with my children. We had no bus to catch, no lunch to pack, no specially-requested school supplies to buy.

Teaching with the Calvert curriculum in grades K-8, all supplies were included so no trips to the store were necessary for specially-requested items. Calvert has it down to a science because they supply curricula for families around the world ... students living on sailboats with their parents, missionaries in remote areas of the globe, and even those of us who were simply teaching our children here in the United States.

For a child, there's something special about a new pad of writing paper, box of crayons, drawing paper, freshly sharpened pencils, books, work books, and even a new ruler. I would add extras ... glue sticks, glitter, craft supplies, additional reading books, and personalized items for each of my children to make it a special, never-to-be-forgotten day to kick off a special, never-to-be-forgotten year.

I also decorated the school room and made it a new, exciting place for the school year ... new posters, maps, visuals ... and items that were added throughout the year with each season. I'd add a three-foot tall tree on the wall for fall and the kids would cut out and color leaves to add to it as I read story books out loud. Thanksgiving would have hand-crafted turkeys followed by Christmas, winter, Valentine's Day, and the other special times of the year.

Six things remained the same year after year. Our classroom always had a Bible, the American flag, and posters on the wall with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Ten Commandments. Maps of the United States and Virginia were part of our geography.

When my son was in the early elementary years and my daughter was a pre-schooler, she had her own "work station" complete with drawing paper, crayons, cut-out alphabet letters, Play-Doh, coloring books, manipulatives, and toys. It made her feel included in the school day.

Mid- to late-August was spent each year working on lesson plans. While the kids swam in the small pool in our back yard, I would sit at the picnic table under a nearby tree and set up our schedule. Calvert provided a laid-out lesson plan but I always deviated from it, adding and rearranging and working in extra activities to fit our family. That was the beauty of home education.

For the first day of school, I would wait until the kids went to bed the night before and then set up the school room for our first day. It added to the surprise and allure of a new year and, the next morning, they would pop out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, and then we'd head for the school room. It was almost like Christmas with big eyes and oohs and ahhs as they admired the new school accessories, picking up and examining a tablet or book or glitter.

And so our school year began. Since it was September and the days were beautiful leading to autumn, we would often move outdoors onto a blanket in the shade to read out loud, or hike down to the farm pond to look for critters in the science book. Searching for specific tree leaves was a favorite as they gathered a variety of species in our own nature scavenger hunt.

Some days we would pack a lunch and the school books and head for the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway where we would do school activities around a picnic table or search for creek critters for biology. After moving to Virginia, we would do the same and head for the Skyline Drive, eating lunch at a picnic area and then becoming Junior Park Rangers for the afternoon, looking for animal tracks and wildflowers and insects.

But the first day of school would kick it off each year ... those adventures in teaching, in learning, in exploring and expanding our horizons. I learned as much as the kids, and I believe we are all better for it. It was the right choice for my family, and I was willing and, thankfully able, with the backing of a supportive husband, to give 24/7 to my children who are now 20-something adults.

Lynn Mitchell educated her children at home for 16 years and was part of leadership in Iredell County Home Educators (ICHE) and Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH). Her son, now 27, graduated from James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg with a BS in Computer Science and a minor in Creative Writing. Her daughter, now 23, is a senior at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton majoring in Sustainable Business.

Augusta 4-H home school team wins national championship with coach Jennifer Mercer

 Augusta County 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) Team
2011 National Champions
(Left to right) Coach Doug Harpole, Meredith Persinger, 16, Mark Persinger, 15, Katie Fenneran, 16, Trube Short, 17, Coach Jennifer Mercer

Proving there is no "I" in team, the Augusta County 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) Team stormed the National 4-H Championship competition this week in Little Rock, Arkansas, by becoming National Champions in the nationwide competition. Beating out 16 other teams from across the country, they provided presentations individually and as a team to secure the top spot.

Their coach, Jennifer Mercer of Augusta County, led them to excellence as she has for years ... encouraging, coaching, mentoring, and being a constant presence to the team of four local young people who proudly represented Virginia. Jennifer, who is married and the step-mom to a young soldier who served in Iraq, has been the long-time 4-H extension agent in the central Shenandoah Valley county of Augusta.

Also coaching the team was Doug Harpole, 4-H Agent from Fauquier County, who was assigned to the team by the Virginia State 4-H and Virginia Tech after the Augusta group won the state competition.

The WHEP team was made up entirely of Augusta County home school students: Trube Short, 17, Katie Fenneran, 16, Mark Persinger, 15, and Meredith Persinger,16.

They first organized in 2005 as young "Nature Nuts" under the leadership of Jennifer who worked with them until 2007, then home school mom Deanna Persinger took over. After two years, when the team decided they wanted to compete at the national level, Jennifer was asked to take over again in December 2009 so they could go to the next level of education and competition.

"I had taken them as far as I could, " Deanna told me. "Jennifer had the expertise to teach them beyond my knowledge."

With help from others in the local home school community, team members studied all aspects of wildlife habitat and how to offer presentations at competitions on wildlife, urban wildlife damage management, and other topics. Home school dads Al Bourgeois and David Kocka, wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, spent time with them on educational field trips to further their scope of wildlife, wetlands, habitats, and nature.

Older home school grads who had competed at the National 4-H level in the past lent a hand. Josh Salatin, 23, inspired. Nate Salatin, 25, motivated. Jill Bourgeois Colon-Romero, 23, encouraged.

Along the way, Jennifer kept everyone focused and on track, drilling them on facts and information while encouraging them to give their best. She even took the team to Maryland for five days to study a variety of wetlands in preparation for the 2011 national competition, studying marshes and explaining the various aspects of wetlands management. Her dedication and love for working with young people, and her devotion to bringing out the best in young competitors has made her an excellent coach throughout the years. The seeds of her influence have been sown in numerous 4-Hers in Augusta County.

Deanna added, "Jennifer knows how to train, how to compare, how to instill the competitiveness, and how to bring out the winning spirit with the kids. She tells them at competitions, 'Don't worry if you don't win. Just go out and have fun.' "

On her Facebook page, Jennifer posted late Wednesday night, "Words cannot express how proud, honored, and humbled I am to have had the opportunity to work with such an incredible group of young people... The VA 4-H WHEP Team: Trube, Meredith, Katie, and Mark did not just get first place at the National Contest. They ROCKED Little Rock!!! Blew the socks off the competition. Gave me the best gift I could ever ask for and the timing could not be better!"

Each member of the team also did well in individual competition but there was one additional honor that was bestowed on team member Mark Persinger. He received special recognition for service over and beyond what was expected of a competitor, singled out for displaying a high standard of character and work ethic. When he found himself with an hour of time on his hands in the mornings before the day's activities, he helped the ladies in the kitchen pack lunches for campers. Grateful for his extra pair of helping hands, the 4-H camp gave recognition to a camper who had offered to help the staff during his spare time, something that had never before been done.

The Augusta County 2005 home school Envirothon Team was an inspiration for Meredith Persinger who kept a photo on the wall of members who made it to Nationals in West Virginia. Coming in second against teams across the country, the Envirothon team was also made up entirely of home school students: Josh Salatin, Nate Salatin, Jill Bourgeois, Lee Kelley, Ryan Bourgeois, Shane Robacker, and Leigh Robacker.

Many in the community got behind the effort to send the WHEP team to Nationals: Shenandoah Harley-Davidson, Skyline Kennel Club, Staunton Foods, Nuckols Gun, Virginia Frame Builders & Supply, James River Equipment, The Meating Place, nTelos, and many individuals.

The tired but happy group of young people flew home Thursday night with medals, scholarships, and recognition as the best of the best in America for 4-H Wildlife Habitat, and the satisfaction that the years of hard work paid off.

In the words of Augusta County home school mom Donna Salatin, mom of four home schooled alumni including a U.S. Marine who served twice in Iraq, "Home schoolers can do anything if they are willing to work hard at it."

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift

The team at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, VA, after winning the State Title on April 2, 2011.

Meredith sketched out all of the species with detailed information.

Tagging Canada geese.

One of the Maryland/Delaware wetlands the team studied in preparation for the national competition.  

Studying wildlife habitat in Maryland-Delaware.

The Senior WHEP team helped the Ruffed Grouse Society plant fruit trees as a food source for wild turkey in March 2010. Kenny Wilkinson and Al Bourgeois were instrumental in teaching them that day.

Katie and Meredith assisted Al Bourgeois in planting trees on Little North Mountain in western Augusta County.

George Allen's 'Virginia Values for Washington' ... Homeschooling

In 1995, Governor George Allen declared the last week in January as "Virginia Home Education Week."  There are thousands of homeschool families who are grateful to see their choice of education as part of Allen's "Virginia Values for Washington":

Ever since George Allen was elected to Thomas Jefferson’s seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, he has maintained that parents have the right to educate their children in accordance with their values and beliefs – and that the government should not arbitrarily interfere with a parent’s wishes for their children.

A parent’s choice to homeschool their child is a decision that must be respected and must be legally protected.

In 1995, as Governor, George Allen created “Virginia Home Education Week,” and was the first Governor of Virginia to select homeschooled students as Pages and Governor’s Fellows. As Senator, he nominated homeschooled students to various Military Service Academies.

In the U.S. Senate, George Allen was the main, original cosponsor of the “Homeschool Non-Discrimination Act” (HONDA) in 2003 – and again cosponsored the legislation in the following Congress.

HONDA sought to clarify federal laws that overlook or unfairly impact homeschool students. The bill would have ensured that home educators have access to Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which allow parents to save $2,000 a year in tax-free accounts for a child’s educational expenses.

George Allen also introduced the “Education Opportunity Tax Credit Act” to allow families a $1,000 per child refundable tax credit for educational expenses, such as tutoring, computers, and computer software.

If elected to the U.S. Senate, George Allen will

• continue to oppose the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child

• support the Parental Rights Amendment.

• work to ensure that the federal government never harasses homeschoolers all federal agencies (such as the military) treat them fairly.

George Allen for U.S. Senate 2012

A beautiful bride

I knew her as a little girl ... and as a young lady ... and Saturday

she married the young man of her dreams.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
21 May 2011

God's sanctuary

What a beautiful location for a wedding! Home schoolers and others gathered Saturday for the wedding of one of our own in a mountain meadow overlooking Jump Mountain in Rockbridge County. We were in God's sanctuary on a gorgeous Shenandoah Valley spring day.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
21 May 2011

Back in the home school classroom ... HEAV Convention 2011

THE CONVENTION IS COMING

ONLY 21 DAYS LEFT TO GO! 

(And only 4 days left to pre-register!)

Time is running out to take advantage of pre-registration prices!

Save up to $25...and Get into the Used Curriculum Sale Earlier! How?

Pre-register and save $10.*

Become an HEAV member and save another $15.*

Plus, by registering now, you'll also get an earlier admittance time to bargain hunt in the Used Curriculum Sale.**

*Based on full convention, Friday only, or Saturday only prices. 

**After early volunteer shopping, admittance is based on registration time. The earlier you register, the earlier you get to shop! Pre-registered attendees get to shop before those who register at the door.

   

Pre-registration ends Monday, May 23, so if you haven't yet, register today!

After May 23, you will still be able to register at the door.    

 

Why attend? Attending the convention can be a life-changing event that fuels and equips you for your homeschooling journey! At the convention, you will be surrounded by many like-minded families (you are not alone!) and find inspiration, encouragement, and resources.

 

FREE How-to-Begin Workshops

Considering Homeschooling? Just beginning? Don't miss the four FREE how-to-begin workshops on Thursday! These workshops have helped thousands learn about home education and how to get started.

FREE Admission for Parents of Preschoolers

Are you a parent of a preschooler? Or do you know a parent of preschoolers? Parents whose eldest child is not yet five and who have not attended the convention before are invited to enjoy the ENTIRE convention as our guest. Even if you're not sure about homeschooling, this is a GREAT opportunity to get parenting tips and fabulous resources. Learn more. 

Introduce a Family to Homeschooling!

Distributing convention materials is a great way to introduce people to home education and to encourage current homeschoolers in their journey! We have FREE how-to-begin workshops, and FREE admittance for qualifying parents of preschoolers (see above). Make sure those in your church or community--or your online friends--know about the convention! It's easy! Just check out these promo resources, download or order what you need, and hand them to friends, give them out at church, or post them online!

GET READY FOR THIS YEAR'S WORKSHOPS!  

 

Feeling like you're burning the candle at both ends? Check out these workshops!  

• Modern Families on a Treadmill: Run Over by High-Speed Good Intentions
  Dr. Richard Swenson   
• Margin, Balance, and Priorities: Making Space in Our Lives for the Things That Matter Most
  Dr. Richard Swenson 

Wondering how to manage with little ones at home? Check out these workshops! 

• Benefits of Infant and Toddler Training
  Kerin Morgan
• Preschool and Kindergarten Education at Home Susan Chrisman
• Home Educating with Babies and Toddlers and Loving It ~ Marilyn Boyer
• Structuring the Day with Infants and Toddlers in the Home ~ Kerin Morgan

Not so sure about your homeschooling journey? Need encouragement? Check out these workshops!  

• How to Be More Motivated Than an Olympic Champion ~ Jamie Lash
• Learned Helplessness: How to Defeat Self-Defeating Thoughts ~ Jamie Lash
• Using Failures as Stepping Stones for Success ~ Jamie Lash
• When Smoke Gets in Your Eyes ~ Susan Chrisman
• One People: The People of God ~ Eric Burges
• Trusting God in Times of Trial ~ Jamie Lash
• In the Beginning, God Created; In the End, Sovereignty Wins ~ Richard Swenson
• Future Trends: Understanding Our Times ~ Richard Swenson
• Vision for Struggling Moms ~ Rick Boyer

See more workshop descriptions and view workshops by category.

 

Resources...Resources...and More Resources!

Looking for a language curriculum...or a Bible study? In need of good reading books for your child...or a solid math program? How about educational DVDs? It's all there in this year's Exhibit Hall. Take a look at who is coming, and get ready to browse some treasures.

 

Turn Those Used Books into Cash!

Now's the time to turn those books you've finished with into extra cash! Begin barcoding your books today, and be sure to check out these new packing and loading dock instructions. The last day to input books for sale is Wednesday, June 8, at 4 p.m., so don't delay!

Children's Program Volunteers Needed!

The Children's Program still has need of more adult and teen volunteers, ages 13 and up. Have fun working with little ones--and blessing them and their parents!

Graduation Volunteers Needed!

Calling all able-bodied men! If you would be willing to put on a suit and tie and help with crowd control on Saturday, June 11, 2011, just before the graduation ceremony (1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.), please contact graduation@heav.org or 804-278-9200.

An Easy Way to Volunteer...Without Missing a Workshop!
Host a Workshop
We still need speaker hosts and hostesses for many workshops. If interested, please contact Ann Harrell, our speaker host coordinator, at heavspeakerhost@gmail.com.   

Should government interfere with homeschooling parents because of religious and socialization concerns?

Cross-posted at the Washington Examiner....

A child's education is hanging in the balance as her divorced parents battle over whether she should continue homeschooling or be in public school. For now, she is in a New Hampshire public school at a judge's order and the father wants it to stay that way.

The 11-year-old girl was homeschooled through 4th grade and then ordered into public school because of a lawsuit by the father who objected to the mother educating their daughter at home. Ironically, the parents divorced when the daughter was two months old. According to the First Amendment Center blog:

Religious-freedom groups have trumpeted the cause of Brenda Voydatch of Meredith, who home schooled her 11-year-old daughter, Amanda, from first through fourth grade.

Voydatch claims her rights were violated when a court ordered that Amanda attend public school after the girl’s father, Martin Kurowski, said his ex-wife’s strict Christian teachings were socially isolating their child and they could not settle on an alternative to home schooling.
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Voydatch sent her daughter to public school in Meredith for certain classes, such as gym and art, but home-schooled her using education materials from Bob Jones University, a fundamental Christian college in South Carolina.

Family Division Judge Lucinda Sadler ordered in 2009 that Amanda begin attending public school that fall after the parents failed to agree on a private or parochial school. The judge said the ruling did not infringe on the parents’ religious freedom because “both are free to provide religious guidance” to their child.

The "socialization" excuse was used as part of this case, something heard numerous times during my 16 years of educating my two children at home. My response to people who asked about socialization was that I was surprised their first questions wasn't about the child's education.

My next question would be: what kind of socialization did they think homeschool students were missing? While I realize there are numerous positives with public school, many students are also exposed to smoking, underage drinking, drugs, and premarital sex. There is also the violence that has broken out at public schools throughout the years?

While serving as president of the local homeschool group in the central Shenandoah Valley, the most phone calls ever fielded came in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado that took place on April 20, 1999. On that day, two high school students killed 13 people -- 12 students and one teacher, sending ripples of terror across the nation. My phone rang off the hook for weeks as distraught parents turned to homeschooling.

So what would possess a judge to pluck a child from her familiar learning environment and plunk her into the middle of a public school classroom?

This case has shaped up to be a question of religious and educational freedom, and may set a dangerous precedent to private religious schools in America. A great many of the home school students encountered throughout the years used at least part of the Bob Jones curriculum that was used by Mrs. Voydatch.

A ruling in this case is due in a few weeks. If this judge's order is upheld to keep Amanda in public school, that will be a red flag to homeschoolers, private, and parochial schools that education freedom is under fire.

In the center of this case is the question of whether homeschool students are socialized and the answer is yes. My oldest child was educated at home from grades 2 through 12 and went on to graduate from James Madison University in 2007 with a major in computer science and a minor in creative writing. My youngest child was homeschooled in grades K-12 and currently attends Mary Baldwin College in Staunton working toward a business major.

The New Hampshire case is an example that it is time for the stereotypes about homeschool students to end.

Virginia Home School Week ... thank you, Gov. George Allen

George Allen at GOP Advance in Williamsburg ... December 2009.

Did you know that the last week of January is Virginia's official "Home Education Week"? Thanks to the work of Home Educators Association of Virginia, Governor George Allen declared the first Home Education Week in 1995.

Thank you, George Allen, from the Commonwealth's home schoolers.

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
December 2009

VMI ... home school cadets in Lexington

Nate returns for his final year at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) after two deployments to Iraq with the USMC.

Home school Rat talks with home school Dyke.

Sparse but clean....

The Class of 2014 is on campus....

"Do today what others will not do,
so tomorrow you can do what others cannot do."

Photos by Heidi Salatin
VMI Matriculation 2010

National Spelling Bee: Go, Sarah Anne, go!

There will be a Valley girl at Wednesday's Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, and a home school Valley girl, at that!

Sarah Anne Allen of Waynesboro is part of the PEACH (Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes) home school group and is being cheered on by all the home educators in the SWAC area.

After winning the regional bee in March, she started preparing with her mom and teacher, Sherri, to participate as one of 274 competitors in DC.

The Waynesboro News Virginian wrote about Sarah Anne today and gave the ESPN schedule:

The national competition begins Wednesday with a computer test of 25 words. Competitors will then complete two rounds spelling one word orally each. The preliminary rounds will air on ESPN 3 at 1:15 p.m. Thursday.

About one-fifth of the spellers will move into the semi-finals, which will be broadcast on ESPN at 10 a.m. Friday. The final round is set to air on ABC that day at 8 p.m.

Best wishes to the Allens as they head to DC. Go get 'em, Sarah Anne!

Calling all home schoolers! Help save HB 926

Yesterday morning in the House Education committee, HB 926 was voted down on a 12-9 decision. The bill, patroned by Delegate Rob Bell (R-58, Charlottesville), would allow home schooled students to participate in public school sports, on the rational that they contribute equal financial support to the schools, they are required to maintain certain state academic standards, and they are as much a part of the school’s community as any public school student.

The main criterion that was relied upon by the opposition was the argument that a “double standard” would be created if home schooled students were allowed to participate in athletics without being required to pass the five academic course minimum currently imposed on public school students.

Eventually, the debate boiled down to fairness, with opponents arguing that homeschool participation would be unfair to public school students. However, figures brought up ironically by a Virginia High School League (VHSL) lobbyist revealed that only 2% of high school students in Virginia are home schooled. Because of the small number of home schoolers, the impact on athletic teams would be minimal (as both sides stated), while the impact on educational freedom would be immense.

Unfortunately, the bill failed to proceed to the floor. However, this does not have to be the end of HB 926! If HB 926 is brought up at the next House Education committee meeting Wednesday (the last meeting prior to Crossover) by one of the delegates who voted on the prevailing side (those opposed to HB 926), another vote can be taken. With such a slim margin of defeat last time, the outcome could very well be different.

ACTION: Contact your delegate and ask them to bring HB 926 back to committee and change their vote on the bill at the next Education Committee meeting!

--From the Family Foundation

Who says home schoolers don't have fun?

Home schoolers, those independent-minded learners, are big into hands-on teaching. Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) has made arrangements for a number of upcoming field trips that are open to home schoolers throughout Virginia.

Learning ... teaching -- it's fun!

Virginia Aquarium - Thursday, January 28, 2010
Science Museum of Virginia - Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Virginia Holocaust Museum - Thursday, February 18, 2010
Home Educator Day at Monticello - Wednesday, March 10, 2010
New Market Battlefield Homeschool Day - Saturday, March 27, 2010
Homeschool Open House at the Lynchburg Museum System and Point Of Honor - Thursday, May 6, 2010
Homeschool Day at Kings Dominion - Friday, May 14, 2010

Home schoolers also need H1N1 vaccine

Letter to the editor written by a Staunton home school mom....

Dear Editor:

I have three children - two home schooled and one in private school. We live in Staunton. One of my home schoolers is a type 1 diabetic. Because of his compromised immune system he cannot have the H1N1 mist (which is live virus). Instead he needs the syringe version which is killed virus. I got the mist for my other two children at my pediatrician's office and since they did not have the syringe version my doctor suggested I call the Staunton-Augusta Health Department to get it for my diabetic son.

After initially being told we had to go through the public school system and being refused by the school system because my child is not enrolled in public school, I was very concerned about where to find the vaccine.

I called the Health Department again and spoke with one of their nurses... she asked me who had told me I had to go through the school system and said my son should get his vaccine at the health department - which we did that afternoon. I was told that he received one of the last five syringes they had.

I was upset about the whole experience but thought it was more of a person-to-person misunderstanding than a state-wide problem. Today when I got a message from HSLDA I realized the issue is bigger than that.

While I'm grateful that our situation was resolved in a positive way, I'm deeply troubled by the idea that the health department/school system or anyone else in authority in Virginia would take it upon themselves to decide that some Virginia children are not eligable for state-wide health care services.

I'm copying this message to my local home school support networks, my pediatrician's office, my school board, the health department, and my local newspaper.

Heather Farrell Bernard
Staunton, VA

Tributes pour in for HSLDA's Chris Klicka

UPDATE 12 October 2009: Home school community lost HSLDA attorney Chris Klicka, 48, today after a long battle with MS.
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As Chris Klicka remains critically ill in Colorado, too weak to travel back home to Virginia in his final days, tributes and prayers pour in from throughout the country for this warrior for the home schooling cause.

Home school leader Doug Phillips writes in Doug's Blog:

The hearts of America’s home school leaders were turned to our beloved friend and homeschool hero, Chris Klicka, who has suffered from MS for more than fifteen years, and was admitted into a Colorado hospital during the event. Chris has suffered greatly for years now, but this weekend his condition became life-threatening when his temperature dropped to eighty-five degrees. Though he has recently showed some positive signs, he remains in very serious condition. Both he and his dear wife Tracy have supreme confidence in the sovereign God, and are prepared for His will to be done, be that life or eternity.

It was my pleasure to serve with Chris on the legal staff of HSLDA for six years, during which time we had many adventures serving the Lord and fighting to defend home schooling families. Chris’ love for and principled commitment to Christian home education is legendary, and his tenacious efforts in defense of family freedom equally so.
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In 2007, I presented Chris with the John Smith Quadricentennial Award at the Jamestown Quadricentennial. He received a five-minute standing ovation from the more than 4,000 home educators present for the event.

No Apologies blog writes of Chris:

Chris Klicka has been a vital force in the buildling of home schooling in America into a mainstream activity and a political force through the Home School Legal Defense Association. He is also a passionate Christian who wears his love for God on his sleeve. In the last few years, he has lived a very public struggle with MS to bring glory to God – which he has many times over – and to be an encouragement to others.

Lifestyle Education through Discipleship blog posts this:

The name Chris Klicka holds a dear place in the hearts of many home educators. He has stood and helped home educating families since 1985, as Senior Defense Attorney for Home School Legal Defense Association. Many of us have been touched to hear Chris speak, and changed by his books, HomeSchooling: The Right Choice, The Heart of Home Schooling, and Home School Heroes.
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Chris has battled MS for several years, and has seen much deterioration lately. After his unsuccessful hyperbaric oxygen treatment late this summer, I was surprised to hear he was feeling well enough to attend the HSLDA Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs this past week.
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But during the conference he had to be hospitalized. After several ups and downs - while the saints prayed fervently, they were able to get him fairly stable, yet not back to a place that he would be able to return home.

Early Christian America blog posts:

I cannot say enough about the heroism and faith of my dear friend Chris Klicka. From the days when he and I prayed together in his home in Wauwatosa about what he aspired to do with a dedicated life to Christ and the desire to help God’s people, to the days more recently when he spoke on our radio show about the plight of home schoolers in Germany, Chris remains always an inspiration.

Certainly there are many of us across the country who are praying that Chris will be well… that God will raise him up again to do that which he has accomplished so well throughout his lifetime: He Defended the Truth as it is found in Christ Jesus; he led our nation toward upholding educational freedom (Deuteronomy 6) in home school education, in the process upholding the rich heritage of this nation. Our prayers are certainly with him and his family in this time of trial.

A warrior for years for home schooling families, Chris Klicka is known by thousands ... and thousands more benefit from the work he has done throughout the years as one of the pioneers of the current home school movement.

Prayers and tributes continue to pour in for the Klicka family.

Home school leader Chris Klicka update ... not good news

UPDATE 12 October 2009: Home school community loses HSLDA's Chris Klicka, 48, longtime home school advocate who has battled MS for years.
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The latest update from the Klicka family's pastor is not good news as Chris Klicka has taken a turn for the worse in Colorado and is too weak to be moved back to Virginia. He has been placed in hospice care in a friend's home in Colorado Springs and, short of a miracle, Chris' 20-year battle with MS may be nearing an end. His wife, Tracy, is with him and an update can be found at the website:

Chris is deeply convinced that God is superintending his life and his body in such a way that when his body ceases to function in a way that it can sustain itself, then the Lord is making clear to Chris that it is time for him to go home to be with Christ in heaven. And so it is with a great mixture of sadness and yet distinct hope that Tracy along with Chris are making the decision to transition Chris to hospice care at the home of very dear and very trusted friends here in Colorado Springs. They have made the decision to not move Chris again, including home to Virginia, and to make him as calm and comfortable to enjoy his remaining days surrounded by his family.

The only regret that Tracy has in that decision is not being able to be back home in Virginia with church family and close friends who have been so dear to them. She would have loved to give everyone an opportunity to speak and pray with Chris and to grieve together with the family. Please know however that Tracy is convinced that God's wisdom and care is being played out in these circumstances and that there will be many good things to come out of this. The family is abiding and trusting in God's wisdom and provision, which has been incredibly abundant here in Colorado Springs. Please know as well though that Tracy is thinking of you all with a heavy heart and with deep love and affection.

There is a specific prayer request from the family as passed on by their pastor:

Would you please join Tracy and family in giving thanks to God for his grace in Chris' life and would you pray for them that they would have strength and peace to continue to walk through the necessary details of this decision. Please also pray that God would help them take care of all the necessary arrangements to get their youngest son, John, back out to Colorado, as well as Bethany's husband Ben, and Megan's fiancé Brendan. There is yet much to do but they are keeping in primary view what God has already done in sending his Son and in giving hope and life and peace through his Son.

You are an expression of God's loving care to them. Thank you for your love and prayers.

Our prayers are with the Klicka family in Colorado, and the HSLDA, HEAV, and home schooling communities who have benefitted from Chris' involvement throughout the years.