Congratulations to FIRST LEGO League Homeschoolers

Homeschooling teams that competed on November 6 at the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) tournament did very well. The Electrical Invaders (EI) took first place in Division 2 (9 to 14 year olds) for research, and fourth place overall; they are the alternate team for the state competition. The Bionics, also a first-year-competing homeschooling team, took the championship in Division 2!

This is the first year five of the six EI team members worked with LEGO Mindstorm, and the first year any of them did programming or building with the newest version of the FLL robot system. Team members ranged from 9 to14 years old, the full age range for Division 2.

Robert Hudgins said one of their strategies was to “learn everybody’s strengths and use that to make the team better.” No one had to do everything (some tasks were researching, designing, programming, building the robot, skit designing, and costume making), but all members contributed to EI getting first place in research. One member did no programming, but helped plan missions on the map, worked on the research skit, and had a special skill — keeping the group calm! The kids learned about math, computer programming, and even drama.

Blog @ November 23, 2010   |   Homeschoolers Did It!  |   Comments (4)

Homeschool Day at Mount Vernon

HEAV’s Homeschool Day at Mount Vernon was our largest homeschool field trip ever–more than 2,500 homeschoolers visited Mount Vernon on November 5! Families came from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and several other states. Two homeschool families–one from Nebraska and one from Alabama–were surprised and delighted to find they could share in our homeschool discount! They were on trips to Washington, D.C., and happened to come to Mt. Vernon on HEAV’s Homeschool Day!

Reminder: HEAV organizes homeschool field trips throughout the year. Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter to be notified of other Homeschool Day events!

Note: If the slideshow is going too quickly, hover over the image and press the pause button, then manually move on to the next photo by clicking the arrow.

A big “thank you” to our members–your membership makes events such as this one possible.

Yvonne Bunn @ November 17, 2010   |   Events  |   Comments (0)

Testing If Moving

This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!

Q. We are moving out of state in early spring. Do I still need to test my children and submit anything to the county, or do I just move and notify my new state?

A. If you are living in another state prior to August 1, the law does not require you to test and submit the scores to Virginia. When ready to move, some, as a courtesy, will notify their superintendent they are moving to another state. This can be done by phone or letter.

Homeschool laws differ in each state, so when you have established another residence in a new state, you will comply with their homeschool laws.

Yvonne Bunn @ November 17, 2010   |   Homeschool Q&A  |   Comments (0)

Calls Needed–Senate Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on U.N CEDAW Treaty

Reprinted from the HSLDA e-lert service.

Calls Needed–Senate Subcommittee
to Hold Hearing on U.N CEDAW Treaty

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

Congress failed to hear the message the American people sent on Election Day. On Thursday, November 18, during Congress’ lame-duck session, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law will hold a hearing on the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Urgent calls are needed to oppose this treaty.

Background

CEDAW is an international treaty drafted by the United Nations in 1979. Although it was signed by the Carter administration, it has never been ratified by the U.S. Senate. While it was intended for a good purpose—stopping discrimination against women and girls—ratification by the U.S. Senate would not provide any greater protections to women and would actually cause irreparable harm to American sovereignty and to homeschool families. We urge you to read a detailed analysis of CEDAW and how it threatens homeschool freedom.

If CEDAW is ratified, it will embolden internationalists to attempt ratification of additional treaties. HSLDA fears that approving CEDAW would be the first step toward ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which would cause even greater harm to homeschool freedom and parental rights. You can read Mike Farris’ detailed analysis of the U.N. children’s rights treaty online.

Action Requested

If your senator is listed below, please call him immediately and urge him to oppose CEDAW.

If you choose, you can identify yourself as a homeschooler and explain how ratification of CEDAW would harm you specifically. You can use some or all of the following message:

“Please oppose the United Nation’s CEDAW treaty during the hearing on Thursday, November 18. CEDAW would cause great harm to American sovereignty. Additionally, it will hurt the freedom of parents to choose how to educate their children and would allow the federal government to regulate how schools and parents teach their children under the guise of eliminating gender bias. Finally, it will not provide any greater protection to women and girls because U.S. laws and foreign policy already protect women from discrimination.”

The following senators are on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. If your senator is not on the committee, call the chairman and urge him to oppose CEDAW:

• Richard Durbin (IL), chairman 202-224-2152
• Russell Feingold (WI) 202-224-5323
• Benjamin Cardin (MD) 202-224-4524
• Edward Kaufman (DE) 202-224-5042
• Arlen Specter (PA) 202-224-4254
• Al Franken (MN) 202-224-5641
• Lindsey Graham (SC) 202-224-5972

• Tom Coburn (OK)—calls not needed—Senator Coburn opposes CEDAW
• John Cornyn (TX)—calls not needed—Senator Cornyn opposes CEDAW

You can visit HSLDA’s Legislative Toolbox to find more contact information for your U.S. senators. We encourage you to send e-mails using the link above to thank senators Coburn and Cornyn for their opposition to CEDAW.

Thank you for standing with us for freedom.

Sincerely,

Mike Smith
President, HSLDA

Blog @ November 16, 2010   |   Legislative  |   Comments (0)

HEAV Bike-a-Thon & Homeschool Day at Berkeley Plantation

The cool, fall day was perfect for the HEAV Bike-a-Thon from Charles City Courthouse to Berkeley Plantation–the site of our nation’s first Thanksgiving in 1619. Visiting the historic plantation and its beautifully maintained grounds on the James River was like stepping back into another time.

Some families both biked and toured the plantation–others just came to the plantation portion. A big “thank you” to everyone who participated!

Note: If the slideshow is going too quickly, hover over the image and press the pause button, then manually move on to the next photo by clicking the arrow. To view the photos larger, click here and then click on any photo.

[Our thanks to Joy Santangelo for some of these pictures.]

Yvonne Bunn @ November 10, 2010   |   Events  |   Comments (0)

Homeschool Day at Frontier Culture Museum

In late October, beautiful fall foliage and a crisp breeze welcomed hundreds of homeschool families to the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton. Parents and students learned about the different countries from which the early settlers came–places such as Ireland, England, Germany, and Africa. Each group brought their own ways of farming and their own customs to America. The museum trip was a great learning adventure to go back in time and see how these early settlers struggled to carve out a life in the Shenandoah Valley.

Note: If the slideshow is going too quickly, hover over the image and press the pause button, then manually move on to the next photo by clicking the arrow.

Yvonne Bunn @ November 10, 2010   |   Events  |   Comments (3)

Homeschool Q&A: Membership Cards at HEAV Homeschool Days

This post is part of a series titled, “Homeschool Q&A.” The series features questions we’ve received from parents on a variety of topics–and the answers!

Q. In order to attend the many Homeschool Day events planned by HEAV, do you need to have an HEAV membership card to show you are a member and a homeschooler?

A. You are not required to present a membership card, and all are welcome to come to our Homeschool Day events–members and non-members alike!

Of course, we appreciate our members’ support–it makes these events possible–but HEAV provides museum trips and historical site visits as a service to all homeschoolers and potential homeschool families.

Come on out and join us! HEAV Homeschool Day events provide a great opportunity to have an educational outing–usually at reduced prices–and to meet other homeschooling families!

Yvonne Bunn @ November 3, 2010   |   Events, Homeschool Q&A  |   Comments (0)

Colleges Now Required to Determine “Validity” of High School Diploma

[Thanks to the HSLDA Weekly Update for this information.]

First, the bad news:

The U.S. Department of Education has promulgated a new regulation that requires colleges that receive federal funds to adopt procedures to determine the validity of a student’s high school diploma when the student applies for Federal Student Aid (FSA).

Now, the good news:

This new rule does not apply to homeschoolers. But homeschoolers need to be careful to check “homeschooled” when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to avoid delays in the processing of their application.

Background
The federal Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, makes federal aid available to participating colleges and participating students. The U.S. Department of Education has the authority to promulgate rules to implement the Act. Title IV and its implementing regulations require participating colleges and students to meet certain requirements to be eligible for federal aid.

A student who wishes to apply for FSA must have a high school diploma, GED, pass an “ability-to-benefit test” or must have “completed a secondary education in a home school setting that qualifies as an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under State law.”

According to the DOE, “Though homeschooled students are not considered to have a high school diploma or equivalent, they are eligible to receive FSA funds if their secondary school education was in a homeschool that state law treats as a home or a private school.” The reasons for the DOE’s distinction between “high school diploma” and “homeschooled” are complicated and not entirely satisfactory, but this distinction is not new. In part, it is intended to accommodate homeschoolers who wish to receive FSA without requiring the student to obtain a GED or take the ability-to-benefit test.

All students seeking FSA must fill out the FAFSA. Before the new regulation went into effect, students were able to self-certify on the FAFSA that they either had a high school diploma or were homeschooled by simply checking the appropriate box. In 2009, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted an audit of student-loan defaults. It discovered several areas of concern, including so-called “diploma mills” that were wrongly issuing high school diplomas to ineligible students who later defaulted on their federally guaranteed student loans at a higher rate than others.

In response to this GAO audit, the new regulation, when fully implemented in 2011, will require participating colleges to have procedures in place to ensure that when a student checks “high school diploma” on the FAFSA that it is a “valid” high school. Additionally, the FAFSA will be changed so that if a student checks high school diploma he will have to give the name and location of the high school.

To assist colleges, the USDOE will be compiling a list of “valid” high schools. If a student checks high school diploma, and the school he names is not on the DOE’s list, the college will red-flag that FAFSA and will investigate whether the issuing high school is legitimate or a so-called diploma mill.

Homeschoolers, however, will be able to continue self-certifying that they completed secondary education in a homeschool setting. That is true whether they operate as a “home” school or private school under state law. But if a homeschooled student checks “high school diploma” and then identifies “Smith’s Home School Academy” as the issuing school the college will most likely audit the FAFSA, causing considerable delay. To be clear, even if your homeschool is considered to be a private school under your state’s laws, you should check “homeschooled” on the FAFSA if you want FSA.

annemiller @ November 2, 2010   |   General  |   Comments (1)