Registration for the 19th Annual ENOCH of NJ Homeschool Convention begins now!   ENOCH has a new website and you can register online at www.enochnj.org.  A terrific Children's Program is offered this year through Historical Happenings.  Don't miss the fun...sign up now! 

 

Don't forget that Debra Bell is coming to Medford (Come Alive New Testament Church) this Saturday, March 28th!    The morning begins at 9:30am with coffee, tea and danish.  Debra begins her seminar on "Raising a Life Long Learner" at 10:00am.  The high school workshop with Connie Taylor begins at approximately 11:30am.  This is all free to Living Water members!  For more information contact Rosemary Laberee at labereeland@verizon.net.

Greetings, Middle Schoolers~

Well, we promised it would be outrageous, and it was!  Thanks to all who came out to our Outrageous Games Night.  I hope you had as much fun as Mr. Young and I did!  It was certainly a night to be remembered.  A photo scrapbook of some of the evening's highlights can be viewed by clicking the image below.

If you were unable to attend, you were missed....so mark your calendars now for our April activities:  Monday, April 6th, is the date for our Boys' Night Out and Girls' Night Out events (click on the link for all the details).  The guys will be with the Renauds and the girls will be with the Youngs.  Because of the Easter holiday, our April event is only 3 weeks away...hope you can make it!

Blessings, Mrs. Young
(on behalf of all the leaders)

UPDATE 03/18/2009:  Please note the changes in trip details highlighted in red below.

PLACE: Johnson's Farm, Medford
DATE: Wednesday, May 27th
TIME: 11:00am - 12:30pm
COST: $2.95 per person for the hayride; strawberries will be charged at $1.95/lb.

The cost of this trip includes a pint of berries for children, a quart for adults, hayride to the field, animal feeding, and the use of the picnic area to eat your bagged lunch.  Afterwards, we can head over to Freedom Park, if desired!  Payments are due by May 1st and payable to Kelly Linhart (refer to the member directory for Kelly's mailing address).  Contact Kelly at plinhart1@yahoo.com for any questions or to participate in this event!  For more information on Johnson's Farm visit their website at www.johnsonsfarm.com.

PLACE: Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia
DATE: April 9th
TIME: 10:00am
COST: $4.00 per person

This is a one-hour guided tour and the rest of the day can be used to explore the museum at your leisure!  To participate, contact Sharon Patterson at spatterson76@comcast.net.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology houses one of the largest collections of Egyptian and Nubian material in the United States, with more than 42,000 items. Assembled through nearly a century of archaeological research, this collection is unusual in that a majority of the objects were obtained through archaeological investigations in Egypt. Because the museum has worked at a wide range of sites (provincial and royal cemeteries, palaces, temples, towns, sanctuaries and settlements), the collection spans ancient Egypt's entire history, from the Predynastic Period (circa 4000 BC) through the Greco-Roman Period and into the Coptic Period (ending in the 7th century AD). It also includes a large number of material categories, such as architecture, statuary, minor arts, domestic artifacts, textiles, papyri, pottery, tools, jewelry, weapons, funerary objects and human remains.

The artifacts comprising the Egyptian collection of Penn Museum derive from a variety of sources. Around the turn of the century, the Museum began acquiring objects through purchases and gifts from local benefactors. A major part of the collection, however, results from excavations sponsored by the Penn Museum. The Museum sponsored excavations in settlements and cemeteries in Nubia; at Egypt's ancient capital city of Memphis (Mit-rahina); in the cemeteries at Dendera, Giza, Dra abu el-Naga (near Thebes), and Meidum; and at the major cult center of Abydos, among others. Before originating its own excavations, Penn Museum contributed funding to support the work of the Egypt Exploration Fund (later Egypt Exploration Society), a British organization responsible for archaeological excavations throughout Egypt. In particular, it funded the work of Sir William M. Flinders Petrie, one of the foremost archaeologists working in Egypt at the time. As a result, the Museum obtained a significant portion of the material awarded to this project by the Egyptian government. This material comes from a wide variety of sites throughout Egypt and Nubia. Among the most important artifacts are the Predynastic and Early Dynastic remains, which document the earliest periods of Egyptian history and the formation of the unified state.

For more information about the museum visit their website at info@museum.upenn.edu. 

Dear Living Water friends,

Please take time to read through this entire email.  Thank you so much!

The Christian Communicators of Pennsylvania Speech and Debate club is sponsoring an NCFCA, regional qualifying Speech and Debate tournament in early April.

In order to have a successful tournament, we need people who have never judged before, those who have judging experience, and those who have a background in speech and debate personally and professionally.

PLEASE consider getting a car pool together and spending a morning or afternoon observing and judging an event or two. If you have middle and high school age children who might enjoy sitting in and watching some of these events, perhaps you could make it a field trip (the DEBATES and extemporaneous SPEECHES provide wonderful exposure to current event discussion and debate and our government’s current policies withIndia, and value issues in government.

Competition will be held in the following events:

DEBATE:

Team Policy Debate (Resolved:  That the United States federal government should significantly change its policies toward India)
Lincoln-Douglas style debate (Resolved:  When in conflict, idealism should be valued above pragmatism).
 
SPEECH:

Limited Preparation Events:
- Extemporaneous (30 minutes to choose & prepare a 7 minute speech responding to a question about current world events)
- Apologetics (5 minutes to choose & prepare an answer to a question from five tenets of the Christian faith (much like the Westminster Catechism)
- Impromptu (2 minutes to prepare a 5 minute speech choosing from three abstract words or quotes)

Interpretive events:
- Dramatic Interpretation (using a piece of literature or poem)
- Duo Interpretation (using a published piece of literature or poem)
- Humorous Interpretation (using a published piece of literature or poem)
- Open Interpretation (using an original, non published or published work)

Platform speeches:
- Persuasive (up to 10 minute memorized, original speech to persuade)
- Original Oratory (up to 10 minute memorized, original speech – topic of student’s choosing)
- Expository (original speech using props and visual aids)
 
New judges who have never seen an NCFCA tournament before are highly valued as are returning judges.  If you can come even for just two hours on one day it will meet a great need. In order to have a successful and fair tournament, we need many judges who bring fresh perspectives. Choose to judge speech or debate or both!  There is a brief judges orientation to help you know where to focus during a round and explain the simple guidelines and judging ballots that will guide you in your response to the speech/speaker or debate you choose to judge.  After your round enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, a snack or light meal in the judges lounge while you fill out your ballot.

The focus of NCFCA is to help students learn to speak well and in a winsome way so others will listen and understand them.  The nature of the competition is friendly and the camaraderie among competitors is inspiring, as many encourage their opponents while waiting outside event rooms to compete and even make thoughtful and friendly suggestions to each other between rounds (debate). 

WHEN:  APRIL 6,(afternoon only on the 6th) 7,8,9 (morning only on the 9th); See schedule at http://sepatournament.homechooldebate.org/schedule
WHERE:  Berks Technical Institute, 2205 Ridgewood Rd., Wyomissing, PA  19610  (this is near Reading)
HOW:  Grab some friends, car pool and come out for a morning, afternoon or the day to judge and observe and inspire your own students.
 
Thank you in advance for your consideration.  I hope you will join us!
 
REMEMBER – NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.  If you personally think you would not be a good judge, don’t sell yourself short - you might be just the person we need!
 
If interested, please contact Kathy Underland at kunderland@safeplace.net.  Kathy will glad to answer any questions and tell you how to sign up for the time that fits best in your schedule.

There will be a FREE art class at the Noyes Museum on Thursday, April 2nd at 10:30am. The class will last between 1 1/2 and 2 hours. It is very important that families arrive on time (see description below)

In addition, there will be some spaces available in the second class, which will be held On Friday, April 24th at 1:30pm. Those who attend the reserved class; no charge this month and, yes, I have you down!

This class can accommodate up to 24 students, ages 5 and up. Reservations are required. Please RSVP by Monday March 23. Please include the number, names, ages of children and date of class preferred to Julie at bluebostonshore@yahoo.com.

Class Description: Fred Reitmeyer, a talented and experienced decoy carver and painter from the Tuckerton Seaport, is coming to talk to the kids. This class will be FREE! It is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Fred will give them an introduction to the history of decoy carving and painting and teach them how to paint a “flattie”. It is VERY important to arrive ON TIME.  In this way, their children will be able to move through the process of using a series paint colors on the flatties along with the other children. Fred pulls out a different color for each step and he doesn’t start over for each child as they arrive.  He does a great job, it’s a wonderful learning experience and they end up with a beautiful flattie in the end. I hope lots of kids sign up. He can take up to 24 kids in each class but we will need advance notice because he has to make the wooden flatties ahead of time. The class will take about 1 ½ - 2 hours.

FAQs

Noyes Museum is in Oceanville on Lily Lake Road in Atlantic County.

Classes for ages 5 and up. Class sizes limited. 

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, as the teacher is preparing materials for the class.

Thanks!

Hi Folks,

Saskia Schmidt has offered participants in the Homeschool Noyes art classes the opportunity to exhibit work in the Young at Art Gallery at the Noyes in September.

I know it is early to be mentioning this, but since it was discussed at the last class,  I wanted to be sure the information was out there for all who have participated.

If you have attended the Noyes Art Classes, and are interested in exhibiting, please contact me with names and ages of children you wish to participate at bluebostonshore@yahoo.com.

WHO:  We have room for 50 students who have participated in the Noyes Classes for Homeschoolers

WHAT:  Saskia feels we have room for a total of 120 works of art - possibly more if they are smaller. We'd like to see the body of work from the classes at the Noyes represented as well as some  art created by the students outside the classroom. Sizes to a maximum of 18” x 20”. Works should be mounted on a piece of black construction paper.

WHEN: The works would be on display for the month of September. We discussed the possibility of having an opening reception to coincide with "Grandparents Day" September 13th. The museum is open 12:00pm - 5:00pm that day.

Receptions are usually 1-2 hours long. We could stay in the Young at Art Gallery and enjoy each other's company, refreshments and the kid's art work. I'll need to get with Saskia to confirm dates, times and details. If you have input, please share it in your email to me .

COST: The students and 1 guest are admitted free, children 6 and under are free, adults are $4, seniors (65+) and students are $3.

I'm inclined to schedule a reception later if on a Sunday , maybe around/after 2:00pm, to avoid conflicts with church services and athletics.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Julie
bluebostonshore@yahoo.com

Are you ready for the 2009 NJ Homeschool Prom?

Well, here's your invitation to have a fabulous, elegant, glamorous, fantastically fun time!  We'll have a gorgeous room for our event, totally awesome music to dance the night away, and a photographer the will capture your smile and all the fun we have - and, of course, your beautiful dress or handsome suit!  One photo included per ticket.

So join us for a memorable, incredible time.  For more information than below, visit our website and visit our FAQ's page at www.arxpub.com/HomeschoolProm or contact us at njhomeschoolprom@verizon.net. 

WHERE: The MANSION, Plaza 3000, Kresson and Evesham Roads, Voorhees
WHEN: Thursday, June 4th
TIME: 7:00pm - 12:00 midnight
WHO: Homeschoolers and their guests, ages 13-18
THEME: Early 1800's Mexico-Zorro
COST: Tickets are $65 a person up until April 30, 2009. As of May 1, 2009 tickets will be $70 a person.

If you have any more questions please email us and let us know.

Sincerely,
The Prom Committee

Join us on Monday, March 30th for special rates on groups of 6 or more:

$15 per person for the first 100 people.
$17 per person for the second 100 people.
$19 per person for the third 100 people.

Price includes a hot dog and soda from A&W Express.

You must call the sales office to book the event at 856-802-3988.  For more information about CoCo Key Water Resort, visit our website at www.cocokeywaterresort.com.

Choosing to homeschool your child is a huge decision. Then add to that a child with special needs. This brings up all kinds of mixed feelings, uncertainties, and emotions. I feel we tend to sell ourselves short when it comes to our children with special needs because this is uncharted territory. However, with research, resources, and much prayer you can do it. Here are ten reasons to homeschool your special needs child.

1. No one knows and understands your child's needs better than you do.

Who is there when your child is diagnosed with a special need? Who spends a great deal of time at doctor appointments, in therapy sessions, and by their beds when they are sick? You! As parents or guardians of children with special needs, you have been through thick and thin with your child. You know and sometimes understand a need or behavior your child might be experiencing. Your knowledge of his or her needs allows you to modify your child's schooling based on his or her needs instead of his or her needs having to conform to someone else's teaching method or classroom rules.

2. Homeschooling provides positive socialization opportunities.

One of the most common questions we hear as homeschoolers is "What about socialization?" Something I have learned over the years is that not all socialization is good or positive-especially for a child with special needs. Developing positive relationships with Mom and Dad is one of the best experiences a child can have in life. With homeschooling you are able to help special needs children nurture and develop positive relationships with others around them. Some of the most positive socialization comes from family and friends of all different ages who help them learn to interact with adults as well as children.

3. There are fewer distractions.

When a special needs child is trying to learn, the last thing he needs is distraction. Most have to work harder to focus on their work, so when you have their attention it is important to keep it. Having them at home gives you the opportunity to keep distractions at a minimum. If you need to take that child into a separate room during instruction time and close the door so that he or she can concentrate better, you can do that. Staggering the teaching time between your special needs child and your other children is helpful.

4. You can provide one-on-one teaching.

Many special needs children require one-on-one guidance throughout their daily lives. This holds true for their education as well. You can sit down face to face with them and take as much time as needed to explain and work through the task at hand. Giving your special needs child one-on-one attention not only can help encourage and improve your relationship, but it also can give him or her a positive school experience. Also it helps you as his or her teacher to be able to see where adjustments and improvements need to be made to personalize your child's education.

5. It gives you the ability to focus on your child's strengths-not weaknesses.

Children with special needs face all kinds of challenges. The last thing they need in their education is negativity. You can take the subject or work area that they are strongest in and spend as much time as is needed throughout their day working on this. This can boost their confidence, providing them with an opportunity to say, "Hey, I'm good at this!" instead of feeling frustrated while working on tasks they aren't ready for. If they have subjects that they are not as strong in or are struggling to comprehend, you can just touch on these subjects briefly throughout the teaching time. Minimize their frustration by focusing more attention on their stronger subjects.

6. Use your child's interest or compulsive tendencies as educational tools.

My daughter with Down syndrome loves to shuffle cards repetitively on a daily basis. She rarely goes anywhere without them. So, we use them in her education. She has trivia cards that we use for reading and playing cards that we use for number order, number recognition, sequential counting, addition, and subtraction. She loves it because she is getting to use her favorite things while she is doing school.

7. Siblings or other homeschoolers can encourage and help your child with his or her schoolwork.

Siblings are fantastic teachers for your child with special needs. They are fantastic motivators. When your special needs child sees a sibling learning to write in cursive, you may very well hear these words from your special needs child: "I want to learn how to write like that." You might find yourself teaching your special needs child something you never thought possible. If you don't have siblings, then you can recruit a fellow homeschooler to spend time with him or her.

8. Personalize self-help and life skills to meet your child's specific needs.

Each child with special needs has very different needs. If your special needs child is at home, you can identify his or her needs and discern what he or she needs help with to grow up to be as self-sufficient as possible as an adult. If this means that you dedicate an entire school year to teaching him or her how to feed himself or herself with a spoon or how to choose the appropriate clothing to wear for the weather outside, then that should be a part of his or her education that is just as important as math and reading. Children with special needs do have to work harder to accomplish tasks, with lots of repetition and positive reinforcement, and this holds true for self-help and life skills.

9. Teaching morals, values, and manners is also important for children with special needs.

Homeschooling your children gives you an opportunity not only to verbally teach them your family's morals, values, and manners but also to show them by your example. Just because your child has special needs doesn't mean that you can't teach him or her these things too. You want him or her to have every opportunity that life can offer, just like anyone else. If we hold back on teaching our special needs children how to be respectable people in life, then we are selling them short. The instruction might have to be broken down into smaller or simpler lessons, but it can be done.

10. You can share all of the different joys, excitement, and struggles that you and your child may encounter during his education.

Teaching a child with special needs can be rewarding and yet heartbreaking. Special needs children have to work harder at school and life. There is nothing more rewarding than to see your child achieve or comprehend something that he or she has been working on for weeks, months, and possibly even years. To see that joy and excitement after such a struggle is priceless, and with them at home you are right there to share it with them. You get to see the tears of joy and struggle and even shed some yourself.

As a parent of a special needs child, I feel that we have been chosen by God to raise these precious special children. If He has laid it on your heart to home educate them, then He will be there to help guide you through the amazing journey. It may not always be easy, but with much prayer and patience it can be done.

©2008 The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC
www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC
Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

About the Author
Amanda Fuller and her husband Billy have been homeschooling their two children, the oldest of which has Down syndrome, for seven years. Amanda enjoys spending time with her family and has a newfound love for gardening. For the last ten years, she also has been a support parent for other parents of children with special needs. The Fuller family lives in western North Carolina.

Article Source: http://www.content4reprint.com

We are pleased to announce that you may be eligible to receive one year of digitally recorded audiobooks, including children's literature and textbooks, FREE, from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic®*.

Beginning on January 26, 2009, through January 25, 2010, any student with a qualified learning or print disability in the U.S. can sign up for 12 months of free access to RFB&D's CV Starr Learning Through Listening® Library of more than 46,000 textbooks and literature, via Internet download.

This special offer, in celebration of RFB&D's 60th anniversary, is made possible by the generous contributions of RFB&D's donors and major funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

Signing up is easy. Just apply online at https://custhub.rfbd.org/Registration

For more information on AudioAccess visit www.rfbd.org/audioaccess.

Download our Letter To Parents and our Free Membership Factsheet.

 

RFB&D's Free Individual AudioAccess Membership in brief:

Who is eligible?
- Any student in the U.S. with a certified print disability such as a visual impairment, learning disability or other physical disability
- Grades K-12, post secondary education program (college, graduate or professional school, trade or vocational school)
- Public, private or home-schooled.

How do you enroll?
Visit https://custhub.rfbd.org/Registration.  Students under 18 must be enrolled by a parent or guardian.

What is the term of membership?
Students can enroll between January 26, 2009 and January 25, 2010; the membership period will be one year from date of enrollment. 

What does a student receive?
-12 months of 24/7 access to RFB&D's CV Starr Learning Through Listening® Library of more than 46,000 textbooks and literature titles.
- Download delivery via the AudioAccess service.

How much does it cost the student?
FREE, available to any eligible student in the U.S. 

What special equipment is needed?
No specialized playback equipment is required. With AudioAccess, audiobooks can be easily downloaded onto Microsoft® Windows®- based computers with Windows Media Player version 10 or higher. Digital files sync easily between a computer and portable media players.

Supported by the generous individuals, foundations and corporations who support RFB&D and the U.S. Department of Education. 

* Eligibility required. Limited time offer. Enrollment period subject to change without prior notice. Parent or guardian must apply for students under 18. See www.rfbd.org/membership_3.htm for more details.

 

Taken from Todd Wilson's Family Man Ministries at www.familymanweb.com.