Hat tip to The Informed Parent.

There are currently two bills in the U.S. Congress which could potentially affect homeschoolers. The first, S. 3076, would provide an optional tax deduction for homeschool families. HSLDA and Home Education Magazine have both written about this bill.

The other bill, HR 6737, was introduced on July 31, 2008. It has yet to be commented upon by leaders in the homeschool community. To read the text of this bill, go to the Library of Congress search engine THOMAS and enter bill number HR 6737. This bill also involves amending the federal tax code in favor of homeschoolers.

On Friday, the California Court of Appeal unanimously overturned their earlier decision that effectively banned homeschooling in California. They acknowledged that homeschooling is a valid type of private school education and is legal under current law.

Thank God for this victory, and thanks to all for your prayers.

Do you have a great support group that you want to kill? Courtesy of Elena at My Domestic Church, here are the quickest ways to do just that.

1. Stop Having meetings. That way no one connects and new people never have a chance to come and make friends.

 

2. Don't have strong discernible leadership. Spread the leadership over a large committee that way no one person has a vision or a focus and no one is ever quite sure who to go to.

 

3. Make a big controversy over something that has almost nothing to do with homeschooling. Point out all the ways people in the group are different and make sure everyone sees where the battle lines are. Then folks can just break off and take like-minded folks with them, further diluting the effectiveness of the original group.

 

4. Miss certain touch points. If you have a yearly picnic - miss it this year and don't tell anyone why. This is more effective if you can combine it with another missed event like dues notification. Then people really will start to wonder if the group is still going on or not.

 

5. Go out of your way to make it difficult for new people to join. Don't advertise your meetings and make sure all the topics are only of interest to old timers.

Hat tip to Esther.

The last seriously comprehensive national study of homeschoolers took place in 1997. In the time since NHERI had focused on a study of adults who were homeschooled. It's now past time to see how homeschoolers in general are doing.

If you tested your child for the 2007-2008 school year with one of the following testing services, and you know your child's student number (on the results page), you are asked to participate in the study online.

• Bob Jones University Press
• Family Learning Organization
• Piedmont Education Services
• Seton Testing Services

To participate in the study, have your child(ren)'s student number(s) handy and go to the following website:  www.nheri.org/study. It takes only a few minutes to complete.

The first local chapter of Generation Joshua is now being formed on Oahu. An orientation is scheduled for Tuesday, July 29th, 2008, 7 - 8 p.m., at the Hokulani Community Center on 298 Main Street.

From their website:

Generation Joshua is designed for Christian youth between the ages of 11 and 19 who want to become a force in the civic and political arenas. Our goal is to ignite a vision in young people to help America return to her Judeo-Christian foundations. We provide students with hands-on opportunities to implement that vision.

This local chapter is being organized by Ryan McDonald (themcdonaldfamily@hawaiiantel.net). There will be monthly meetings with guest speakers along with other local political events. Please join them!

The Zeta Delta Chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha, the homeschool honor society is now accepting new members for the new school year.

The Zeta Delta Chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha is a new chapter of HSA started in the Spring of 2004. It is open to all Oahu home schooled students, grades 7-12, who meet the membership requirements. Each applicant must complete and submit an application form. Applications may be submitted in the summer following the student's 6th grade year through summer following his/her 11th grade year. See the Membership Requirements page for deadlines to submit applications.

2008 Guidelines

Submission Dates: July 1 through August 1, 2008!

Theme

Students must submit a photo with one of the following fruits of the spirit as their theme:

Category 1: Gentleness
Category 2: Faithfulness
Category 3: Self-Control

We try to choose themes that will leave a lot of room for students’ imagination and interpretation. We want students to come up with their own ideas of what best illustrates the given theme without us dictating the response.

Basically, what does the theme make you think of? Then take it from there and be creative. We hope that students will come up with many imaginative ideas to fit the theme. Our judges love it when a student comes up with something they had not thought of before.

Who

Contest prizes and themes are determined based on the student’s age. If a student falls into Category 1 in age, then he or she must do the Category 1 theme and will be awarded Category 1 prizes. The same applies for categories 2 and 3.

Category 1: Homeschoolers ages 7 to 11 as of July 1, 2008.
Category 2: Homeschoolers ages 12 to 15 as of July 1, 2008.
Category 3: Homeschoolers ages 16 to 19 as of July 1, 2008.

For the purposes of this contest an eligible student must have been home educated in the past year and received a majority of his or her education in the past year through home education.

For entry form and rules, visit the following website:

http://www.hslda.org/Contests/Photo/2008/2007rules.asp

Beginning IN EARLY June, visit your local public library, read at least one book per week and receive a free reading incentive, while supplies last. Also, enter for a chance to win a bookstore gift certificate.

Younger children may participate by having a caregiver or sibling read to them.

Just for teens  in grades 7 - 12, join the 2008 Teen Summer Reading Program in June! Visit your local library, read at least one book per week and receive a free reading incentive, while supplies last. Weekly prize drawings will also be held. Teens are invited to enter for a chance to win a $1,000, $500 or $250 Back-to-School Shopping Sprees at Pearlridge Center.

For more information, contact your local public library or visit

Patti Phears is interested in adding homeschool music classes to her program, called Music for Young Children. She is located in Makikilo. For more information please contact her at mychawaii@mac.com or visit her website:

http://www.mychawaii.com