• Calls Needed Immediately to Stop Restrictive NJ Homeschool Bill
• NJ Homeschool Bill A3123 - Stop Calls to Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan
• ENOCH Update on Opposition to Bill A3123
• Phase I of Mission to Oppose Bill A3123 Complete!
• Prayer Request for Traveling LW Teens & Chaperones
• 12th Grade Graduation Ceremony Planning Meeting
• Contes Farm Apple Picking & Corn Maze Trip Cancelled
• Apple Picking at Strawberry Hill Farm
• October's Mom's Game Night Out - LW MEMBERS ONLY
• Will-Moor Gymnastics Offers New Homeschool Class
• November Classes at Noyes Museum of Art
• Camp Creek Run Offers FREE Nature Classes for Kids Ages 3-6
• Free Performance of "Baggage Claim" in Burlington
• CoCo Key Water Resort Invites Students/Parents to Grand Opening - FULL

======================================================
From the HSLDA E-lert Service...
======================================================

SUBJ: New Jersey--Calls Needed Immediately to Block Restrictive Homeschool Bill

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,
 
Now is the time to speak with one voice and tell New Jersey lawmakers that the homeschool restriction bill, A. 3123, must be stopped. 
 
This bill would rob you of your freedom, tangle you in red tape, and let bureaucrats force you to stop homeschooling. Bureaucrats could mandate subjects and control course content. The bill demands that you keep mountains of records and interferes with your medical privacy. 
 
New Jersey residents have already paid enough for expensive public school disappointments. A. 3123 will increase taxes yet again for New Jersey families because more bureaucrats will need to be hired and paid to enforce it.  Also, millions of dollars in added taxes will be necessary, if even only a small percentage of homeschoolers put their children in public school rather than endure the crushing new weight of paperwork and the threats of school superintendents.  And state revenues will be lost if homeschool families avoid living in New Jersey.
 
ACTION REQUESTED
 
1. If either bill sponsor, Sheila Oliver (District 34, East Orange, Clifton, Glen Ridge, Montclair, West Patterson) or Harvey Smith (District 31, Bayonne City, Jersey City) is your assembly person, call them and courteously ask them to withdraw this bill. Your message can be as simple as, "Please withdraw A. 3123. We don't need our taxes raised to pay for something as pointless as regulation that helps no one. Studies show that children in states with high homeschool regulation do no better than those in states with low homeschool regulation."
 
2. Call all the members of the assembly Education Committee (listed below) and courteously convey your message.  It can be as simple as, "Please stop A. 3123, the homeschool restriction bill.  I don't want my taxes raised to pay for something as pointless as regulation that helps no one.  Studies show that heavier homeschool regulation does not help children. The law already requires that homeschooled children get instruction equivalent to public school instruction.  That is enough."  Keep calling until you get through.
 
3.  While telephone calls and personal visits have the most impact, e-mails, faxes and letters can also have an effect.
 
4.  Contact other homeschool families and ask them to help.
 
CONTACT INFORMATION
 
Sponsors

Sheila Oliver
15-33 Halsted Street
Suite 202
East Orange, NJ 07018
Phone: (973) 395-1166
Fax: (973) 395-1724
aswoliver@njleg.org
 
L. Harvey Smith
485-7 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Jersey City, NJ 07304-2305
Phone: (201) 536-7851
Fax: (201) 536-7854
asmsmith@njleg.org
 
Education Committee
 
Joseph Cryan, Chair
985 Stuyvesant Ave.
Union, NJ 07083
Phone: (908) 624-0880
asmcryan@njleg.org
Fax: (908) 624-0587 (Note: fax machine not working right now)
 
Joan Voss, Vice-Chair
520 Main Street
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: (201) 346-6400
Fax: (201) 346-5385 (Note: home line)
aswvoss@njleg.org
 
Patrick Diegnan
908 Oak Tree Ave.
Unit P
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Phone: (908) 757-1677
Fax: (908) 757-6841
asmdiegnan@njleg.org
 
Amy Handlin
890 Main St.
Belford, NJ 07718
Phone: (732) 787-1170
Fax: (732) 787-0356
aswhandlin@njleg.org

Mila Jasey
15 Village Plaza
Suite 1B
South Orange, NJ 07079
Phone: (973) 762-1886
Fax: (973) 762-6118
aswjasey@njleg.org
 
Joseph Malone
311 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown, NJ 08505
Phone: (609) 298-6250
Fax: (609) 298-6359
asmmalone@njleg.org
 
Paul Moriarty
129 Johnson Road
Suite 1
Turnersville, NJ 08012
Phone: (856) 232-6700
Fax: (856) 401-3076
asmmoriarty@njleg.org
 
Nellie Pou
100 Hamilton Plaza
Suite 1403-05
Paterson, NJ 07505
Phone: (973) 247-1555
Fax: (973) 247-1550
aswpou@njleg.org
 
Ruben Ramos
70 Hudson St.
7th Floor
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Phone: (201) 714-4960
Fax: (201) 714-4963
asmramos@njleg.org
 
Scott Rumana
155 Route 46 West
Suite 108
Wayne, NJ 07470
Phone: (973) 237-1362
Fax: (973) 237-1364
asmrumana@njleg.org
 
Joseph Vas
276 Hobart St.
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Phone: (732) 324-5955
Fax: (732) 324-1879
asmvas@njleg.org
 
David Wolfe
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724
Phone: (732) 840-9028
Fax: (732) 840-9757
asmwolfe@njleg.org
 
BACKGROUND
 
Here is a summary of what A. 3123 would do:
 
1. Give the superintendent and school board power to force a family to stop homeschooling if they believe the child is not getting an "appropriate education."  This means whatever the superintendent and school board say it means because it is not defined. A bureaucrat would have power make a life or death decision over your homeschool program.
 
2. Give the Commissioner of Education power to mandate courses and course content ("objectives").   Families would no longer be free to decide what to teach.

3. Require parents to list objectives in every mandatory subject.  Any family whose list does not satisfy the superintendent will be in trouble.

4. Require parents to send a notarized letter and register every homeschooled child annually.

5. Require parents to prove that the children have received all medical services and immunizations the law requires.

6. Require parents to certify that adults in the home have not committed certain crimes.

7. Require that parents provide 180 days of instruction and turn in these records annually (and also as often as the superintendent requests, if he has "reason to believe" the student is not getting "an appropriate education"):

> list of reading materials
> writing samples
> worksheets
> workbooks
> creative materials
> standardized testing in grades 3, 5 and 8 (with parents being prohibited from administering the test)
> an annual evaluation by a person other than the parent, after an interview and review of materials. The evaluator must certify the student is receiving an "appropriate education".  The evaluator must be a: (a) licensed psychologist, or (b) certified school psychologist, or (c)  New Jersey public or private school teacher, or (d) New Jersey public or private school administrator.
 
The organizations of the New Jersey homeschool task force are united in opposing this bill: HSLDA, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (Kevin Kiernan), Eagle Forum of New Jersey (Carolee Adams), Education Network Of Christian Homeschoolers of New Jersey (Mark August),  New Jersey Homeschool Association (Nan McVicker), and Unschoolers Network (Nancy Plent).
 
Thank you for standing with us for freedom.
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Scott Woodruff
HSLDA Staff Attorney

======================================================================
The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:

Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000
Purcellville, Virginia 20134
Phone: (540) 338-5600
Fax: (540) 338-2733
Email: info@hslda.org
Web: http://www.hslda.org

ENOCH of NJ Legislative Alert!
Date: October 8, 2008
From: Mark August, Legislative Liaison,
Re: New Jersey Assembly Bill 3123 (Update #4)
__________________________________________________________

Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan has indicated his support of our position. Please stop all calls to his office at this point! Thank you for all your calls. It's been reported that 3 of the mailboxes are full in the offices we have asked you to call.

Date:  October 8, 2008
From: Mark August, Legislative Liaison, legislative_liaison@enochnj.org
Re:  New Jersey Assembly Bill 3123 - Update #4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you!  We've gotten many reports of the many phone calls received by our lawmakers today.  Our message is definitely being heard!

I have received many emails about some pretty disturbing rumors circulating through email or the loops.  One of the most disturbing, said that the Chairman of the Assembly Education committee has decided to "fast track" this bill and would be pushing it through the legislative process as quickly as possible.  We have attempted to verify this rumor, and so far we have not been able to get anyone in Assemblyman Joseph Cryan's office to validate this rumor.  As far as we can ascertain, this rumor is false.   While the task force certainly does not have an inside track to the legislature, we are committed to checking our facts before disseminating any news.   Before responding to any alarming news, look for a note or an alert from one of the task force members attesting to its validity.

If you have not made your phone calls today, or you were unable to get through, please continue to try tomorrow.

The list of organizations and representatives on the task force have been listed before but here they are again:

Kevin Kiernan, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (CHNJ); Carolee Adams, Eagle Forum of New Jersey; Mark August, Education Network Of Christian Homeschooler (ENOCH) of New Jersey; Scott Woodruff, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); Nan McVicker, New Jersey Homeschool Association (NJHA); Nancy Plent, Unschoolers Network

As a Christian, I cannot emphasis enough how much effect your prayers are having and will continue to have.  Please continue to pray for our lawmakers. 

I thank you, as well, that so far, the only reports I am receiving from legislators' offices is that your message is coming across strongly, yet not arrogantly or angrily.  Well done.

Proverbs 25:16 "By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone."  Let us continue to be persuasive and break some bones!

Your fellow servant,

Mark August
ENOCH of NJ

Date:  October 10, 2008
From: Mark August, Legislative Liaison 
Re:  New Jersey Assembly Bill 3123 (Update #5)

----------------------------------------------------------

Phase I  of our mission to oppose A3123 is complete!  Thank you for responding to the charge to call and email the sponsors of A3123 and members of the Assembly Education Committee.  There is no doubt that our message has been heard.  Here is a report of what has been reported to us at this point:

1. Chairman Joseph Cryan of the Education Committee's office has confirmed that Mr. Cryan is not supportive of the bill.  While we still do not know the strength or scope of his opposition, we can confirm that he is NOT planning some fast-tracking of this bill (as some rumors have suggested).
2.  Assemblyman Diegnan  of the Education Committee has voiced his opposition to the bill. 
3.  Assemblyman Ramos of the Education Committee has written: "Thank you for your correspondence regarding bill A3123.  You make valid points which I will consider as this bill is discussed in the legislature.  The decision to home school has become popular.  I will bear your sentiments in mind."
4. Assemblyman Rumana's office (of the Education Committee) states he is against these regulations specifically stated in this bill. One of his staffers mentioned that there is already a law regulating home schoolers.

Now is the time to stop the coordinated phone and email campaign.  It has accomplished the goals of making our position known, helping the Education Committee and  the bill sponsors understand our passion for this issue and our ability to unite in defense of our freedom.

The task force has also received many good reports from the Assembly offices staff members that your calls, while clear and firm, were gracious and winsome.  Thank you.  Your calls have not alienated any potential friend in Trenton and may actually have opened the door to form some new friendship.

We now know that the Assembly Education Committee hearing, scheduled for October 16th, has been canceled.  The next possible hearing date would be November 13.  This gives us time for the next phase of action.

The task force met late this afternoon by conference call, and agreed that we can stop making calls at this time.  We believe the next step will be for the task force to be joining a few of you in face-to-face meetings with Mr. Cryan and as many of the Education Committee members as possible.  We will also be pursuing meetings with the bill's two sponsors. 

During this phase, while the task force may not be asking  all of you to participate in any particular political action, I am asking you to continue to pray and stay vigilant.  The political climate can change quickly, and another call to action could come at any time. 

The task force has received copies of emails circulating a call for a Rally in Trenton next week.  The task force has not organized such a rally and we do not endorse a rally for the issue of opposing A3123 at this time.  If you wish to attend a rally for any other purpose, then we encourage you to do so.  However, if the stated purpose of the rally is to oppose A3123, then we ask that you refrain until such time as a statewide effort has been initiated by the task force.  We had a great success four years ago with our rally, and much of that success came from our unity across the state.

To conclude:  We are not out of the woods yet, as the sponsors have not actually withdrawn the bill .  We remain confident however that A3123 will never make it into law.  By uniting in the past, we have been able to maintain our status in New Jersey as having one of the best, most homeschool-friendly law in the nation.    It is clear in how quickly we have united this past week, that we are on the same road to success this time.

Faithfully and gratefully,

Mark August
ENOCH of NJ

Reporting for the task force opposing A3123:
Kevin Kiernan, Catholic Homeschoolers of New Jersey (CHNJ); Carolee Adams, Eagle Forum of New Jersey; Mark August, Education Network Of Christian Homeschooler (ENOCH) of New Jersey; Scott Woodruff, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); Nan McVicker, New Jersey Homeschool Association (NJHA); Nancy Plent, Unschoolers Network

Nineteen Living Water World History and Geography classmates and chaperones will be leaving on October 18th out of Bayonne New Jersey aboard the Explorer of the Seas, a cruise ship to Bermuda.  Please keep the group in prayer for safety, calm seas and great Godly fellowship.  Part of the itinerary includes a class at sea, sea life study, and a historic tour of St. George.  Thank you for your support in the student's fundraising efforts!  They will be returning on October 23th.

If you are interested in joining the 12th grade graduation ceremony in 2009, contact Sue Hurst at hurstnj@comcast.net.  The first meeting will be held in November.  Location of meeting is to be announced shortly, however, the meeting place will be in the Medford/Mt Holly area.  After contacting Sue, you will be emailed a survey that will need to be sent back before the meeting, so the first meeting can be simplified and gain from your great input.  If you know of a family that may want to participate but they are not a part of Living Water, please help spread the news!

The Contes trip on Friday, October 24th at 11:00am for apple picking and the corn maze has been cancelled.  Kelly Linhart will be setting up a trip to pick apples at Strawberry Hill Farm in Bordentown/Chesterfield instead (www.strawberryhillfarm.org).  Stay tuned for details!

An apple-picking trip to Strawberry Hill Farm in Chesterfield/Bordentown is set up for Wednesday, October 15th at 1:00pm.  Visit their website at www.strawberryhillfarm.org for prices and directions.  Email Kelly Linhart at plinhart1@yahoo.com if you are attending so she can look out for you!

Hey Moms!  Has getting the new homeschool year off the ground last month given you a reason to want to break free for a few hours and share some laughs and lively conversation?  If so, the next Mom's Game Night Out is scheduled for Thursday, October 16th at 7:00pm at Irene Taschek's house.  This fun, light-hearted and relaxing night of fellowship is intended for MOM'S ONLY!  It's also a great opportunity to make new connections!  So bring your favorite games, a snack or drink to share, and an appetite for laughter...but the leave the little ones behind!  Email Irene at itaschek@comcast.net if you are interested in participating this month.

Will-Moor School of Gymnastics will offer a new homeschool gymnastics class on Tuesdays from 3:30pm - 4:30pm starting October 17th in their Mt. Laurel location.  The monthly fee will be $33.  Class size is limited to 10 spaces for children ages 6 years old and up. 
 
This class will be geared more toward a "gymnastics class" rather than a "PE class" as the Wednesdays (at Medford) and Thursdays (at Mt. Laurel) homeschool classes are now.
 
Call Will-Moor directly for further information at 856-234-5292 or visit their website at www.will-moor.com/web/wm.htm.

Hi Homeschool Families!

I have 11 spaces available in the Tuesday, November 4th 1:30pm class at the Noyes Museum. The topic is as follows:

Colorful Collage Mysteries - The abstract paintings of Ilona Sochynsky will be our source of ideas for this project. Using sections of blown-up images, we will learn about color and composition as we create colorful collages.

If you would like to RSVP for the November 4th class, please email me at bluebostonshore@yahoo.com no later than October 29th so I can get the count in.  Reservation is required.  Spaces are offered first come, first served.

FAQs

• Noyes Museum is in Oceanville on Lily Lake Road in Atlantic County.
• Classes for ages 5 and up. Class Size limited. Cost is $5 per student. You can pay the $5 (cash; small bills appreciated! ) to me, or if I am not there, to another Mom I designate, at the class.
• If you wish to pay before the class, please email me off-loop. Otherwise, cash payment will be collected the day of the class.
• If folks want to tour the museum, there is an admission charge of $4 adults, $3 seniors and children over the age of 6 to be paid to the museum. Check out the website at www.noyesmuseum. org for the particulars on current exhibitions and directions.
• The parents with younger children can hang out in the Creation Station while the class is taking place.
• Please remind children not to run, yell or touch the art in the museum and to raise their hand so that one person can speak at a time when called upon. Also, if students and/or parents could help with the clean-up afterwards (as you have already), that would be great.
• Please RSVP only if you plan to attend. I know things come up at the last minute! but if you RSVP and cannot attend, and I can't fill your spot(s), then I still need to get the payment from you for your student(s). Sorry!

Best,
Julie

Camp Creek Run in Marlton is holding FREE classes for kids, ages 3-6 on various Tuesdays and Thursdays in October and November:

October 2 - It's for the Birds
October 7 OR October 9 - Fall Crafts and Dolittle Farm
October 14 OR October 16 - Animal Hibernation
October 21 OR October 23 - Creatures and Crafts

Email campcreekrun@yahoo.com to register or click here to get more details.

There's an upcoming performance of "Baggage Claim" at the Fountain of Life Church in Burlington on October 24th at 8:00pm and October 25th at 1:00pm & 7:00pm.  It's a hilarious story of a family celebrating a New Year's Eve vacation at a much-publicized Bed & Breakfast located on a mile-high precipice of a deep canyon.  Things start to go awry when they find the lodge is full of animated goofballs and a screwy bellhop who keeps tossing their entire luggage into the cavernous canyon!  Sam, the father, becomes increasingly unraveled as he has to keep traversing 347 flights of stairs to retrieve his stuff. The comedic beginnings soon change into a darker reality as the pain and inner conflicts of the four family members are revealed. One by one they begin to willingly turn over their baggage to the bellhop, but Sam keeps resisting – until, just one stroke before midnight, he is stunned to realize that the bill is too big for him to pay!

The show features live, contemporary music and dance. The tickets are FREE!  If you would like to come, visit their website at www.flcnj.org/e-baggage_claim.html.

UPDATE 10/09/2008:  This event is full. Anyone on the guest list who cannot make it please call the resort so people from the waiting list can take your place.  Be sure to check the website daily so you don't miss out on hot  opportunities like this!

Be among the first to experience the brand new CoCo Key Water Resort at the Mt. Laurel Marriott, a 55,000 square foot Key West themed adventure!  Join them for their Grand Opening!  They are inviting 400 students and parents to be part of their Grand Opening Ceremony!
 
RSVP today before space fills up!  This free event is November 11th.  Attendees MUST arrive by 9:30am. The group will proceed through the water resort lobby after the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, which begins at 10:00am, and will be allowed to remain in the park until 4:00pm.  Call 856-802-3988.  Visit http://www.cocokeywaterresort.com/.
 
Please note:  All attendees will be required to sign a standard photo release. Images may be used in press coverage or advertising collateral.