- children under the age of six on September 30 at the beginning of the school year;
- students who are under the religious-exemption provision §22.1-254(B)(1);
- students being taught by a certified tutor in compliance with §22.1-254 (A); or
- students who have graduated, regardless of age.
- Students admired and touched sea creatures, including sea stars, hermit crabs, and horseshoe crabs.
- Under the direction of Nauticus scientists, students participated in amazing liquid nitrogen experiments, as well as discovered the science of temperature and states of matter.
- Students joined in a “Battle Blast” education program and investigated the science of energy, force, pressure, and combustion to help them understand the power of the guns on the USS Wisconsin.
- The Aegis Interactive Theater provided a hands-on battle simulation with students in command of launching the ship’s modern defense systems—quite a hair-raising experience!
Understanding Twitter
This post is part of a series titled, “Technology Q&A.” The series features questions related to technology–and the answers! Have a question? Send it to Tech@HEAV.org.
Q. What is Twitter, and how does it work?
A. Twitter is a free “microblogging” service that allows a user to broadcast information 140 characters at a time. When it was first released in 2006, text was the only information that could be entered in a “tweet.” Since then, capabilities have been added such as including your location, websites, and even pictures. Messages highlighting other users, locations, and subject matter have added an unsurpassed level of efficiency to the service. Users can decide how simple or how complex they’d like their post to be. Let’s look at some examples. (more…)
HEAVTech @ February 23, 2011 | Technology Q&A | Comments (0)
Note to Facebook Users
The “New Facebook” News Feed defaults to show ONLY posts from people with whom you’ve recently interacted or those with whom you have interacted the most (limited to the last couple of weeks just before people started switching to the new profile).
This means you may not be seeing HEAV’s Facebook posts.
HERE’S THE FIX: On your Facebook homepage, click the “Most Recent” title on the right of the News Feed, then click on the drop-down arrow beside it and select “Edit Options.” Click on “Show Posts From” and change the setting to “All of Your Friends and Pages.” (You can also access the “Edit Options” link at the very bottom of the Facebook homepage on the right.)
(Information based on that shared on the You Are Invisible!!! event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194392487256900)
Blog @ February 23, 2011 | General | Comments (0)
Support Groups Gone Missing – Please Help Us Find Them!
Over the past few months, we’ve been updating the support group listings on our website. New homeschoolers frequently consult our website to find local support, and we want to make sure the information we offer is accurate. Below is a list of groups we have not been able to reach–could you please see if you know how to contact any of them or if you can confirm that a group no longer exists?
If you know anything about any of these groups, please e-mail chris.hulbert.heav@gmail.com.
Thank you for your help!
Hyland Heights Home Educators
Bible World Academy
King’s Home Educators
Loving Educating At Home
Point Harbor Home Educators
Schooling Alternatives for Learning & Teaching
Swift Creek Home Educators
Giles County Homeschoolers
Heart of Wisdom
Covenant Family Bible Fellowship
Fort Story Co-op
Grace Home Educators
Chesapeake Support Group
Williamsburg Area Home Educators
Scott County Homeschoolers
The Master’s Homeschool Group
Christian Home Educators of the Metro Area
Home Educators Link to Prayer
Cumberland Advancing Kingdom Educators
Homeschool Mother’s Encouragement Group
Parents As Christian Educators
Kids for Christ Homeschool Co-op
Faith in Action Ministries Athletics
Homesteaders Homeschool Support
Share at Home
SHARENET
Smyth County Homeschool Organization for Our Lord
Southside Academy
Southwest Virginia Home School Athletic Academy
Dumfries/Woodbridge Playgroup
Home Educator Associates Residing in The Highlands
Home Educators’ Learning Partnership
The Home School Connection
Enlightened Education Homeschool Group
Homeschooling with Hope
Chesapeake Christian Preschool Homeschoolers
Halifax County Homeschoolers
Traditions of Roman Catholic Homes of Fairfax
Calvary Chapel of Manassas Homeschoolers
Mary’s House
Chesterfield Homeschoolers: Lighting a Fire at Home
Blog @ February 23, 2011 | General | Comments (1)
Legislative Homeschool Day at the Capitol
Although snow was falling in some parts of Virginia, it was a brisk, sunny day in Richmond for HEAV’s Legislative Homeschool Day at the Capitol. Homeschooled students and their parents were able to visit their legislators, view live action in the General Assembly, be recognized in both the House and the Senate, and participate in an engaging historical interpretation of Patrick Henry’s famous speech!
Yvonne Bunn @ February 22, 2011 | Events | Comments (0)
Attending HEAV Events
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. Do I have to come with a group to attend HEAV-sponsored field trips or museum events? Do I have to be an HEAV member?
A. Not at all–you are welcome to attend all of HEAV’s events as an individual family. Grandparents can come along, too!
HEAV arranges these hands-on educational opportunities for ALL homeschoolers. You do not have to be in a support group to attend.
Neither do you have to be an HEAV member to participate—although your membership helps support our work with museums and historical sites. (We work many hours to arrange dates and negotiate cost-saving educational discounts.) Your membership also helps us provide up-to-date information and knowledgeable representation at the General Assembly and with the Department of Education, provide year-round resources and support for homeschoolers, reach out to new homeschool families, and more.
Please consider taking the money you save on one or two field trips and joining HEAV!
Yvonne Bunn @ February 16, 2011 | Events, Homeschool Q&A | Comments (0)
AP Exams
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. How do I make arrangements for my teen to take an AP exam? Is there a deadline? How much will it cost?
A. Testing arrangements for AP (Advanced Placement) tests should be made by contacting a local high school or private school no later than March 1. This gives the high school time to order the appropriate AP test. AP tests are administered nationwide in May of each year at public high schools and some private schools.
The Virginia law in §22.1-254.1(F) requires all school districts to make Advanced Placement (AP) and Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) examinations available to homeschooled students. The fee for each exam is $87, and payment is made to the school that is administering the test, not to the College Board.
There are 33 courses and exams, covering 22 subject areas. High school students can earn college credit, placement, or both for qualifying AP exam grades. The AP has an excellent reputation and is probably the most widely accepted exam for obtaining college credit. The exams are rigorous and usually test the knowledge that a student would be expected to gain by completing a full-year college course. Only a few exams are designed to test a semester’s worth of material.
View more AP information, test deadlines, and study links.
Yvonne Bunn @ February 16, 2011 | Homeschool Q&A | Comments (0)
Achievement Tests with Distance Learning
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. If I’m part of a distance-learning program, do I need to submit an achievement test?
A. The law requires you to provide some form of assessment if you complied with the homeschool statute §22.1-254.1 and filed a Notice of Intent form or wrote a letter. Regardless of the option you choose on the NOI or the type of curriculum you use, you must provide the results of an assessment by August 1 each year. It can be the results of a standardized achievement test or an independent evaluation.
If you use a standardized achievement test, you may choose the test and the tester. The student’s score must be at the 23rd percentile or higher in order to continue to homeschool.
If you choose an independent evaluation instead of an achievement test, you have two options. First, you may choose an evaluator who is a certified teacher in any state, or you may choose a person with a master’s degree or higher in an academic discipline to evaluate your child’s work. The evaluator should write a letter indicating the progress that has been made.
Second, you may submit a copy of a report card or transcript from a homeschool correspondence school, or, if your child is dual-enrolled, from a community college, college, or college distance learning program. If you are using a distance-learning program that provides a report card or transcript, you could use this option in lieu of an achievement test.
Having said this, there are four exceptions to the testing or evaluation requirements. Testing is not required for the following students:
As you can see, you have several options, but you must submit some form of evaluation by August 1 unless your child meets one of the exceptions. You can find additional testing information HEAV’s Homeschool Testing FAQ.
Yvonne Bunn @ February 9, 2011 | Homeschool Q&A | Comments (0)
A Fun-Filled Homeschool Day at Nauticus!
On January 18, 2011, homeschooled students explored the power of the sea at Nauticus’ Homeschool Day. Nauticus offered a variety of special programs, from taking guided tours of the battleship Wisconsin’s main deck to learning cool facts about sharks while observing their behaviors.
View and download photos in Picasa.
We’d love your feedback! Share your thoughts and experiences from the day as a comment below.
Yvonne Bunn @ February 7, 2011 | Events | Comments (0)
Governor Proclaims Virginia Home Education Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Governor Proclaims Virginia Home Education Month
Media Contact: Yvonne Bunn, Director of Homeschool Support, Home Educators Association of Virginia, 804-278-9200, www.HEAV.org/media
Richmond, VA, February 2 – At the request of the Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV), Governor Robert F. McDonnell has proclaimed the month of February 2011 as Virginia Home Education Month.*
After acknowledging both parents’ final authority and responsibility “for the care, upbringing and choice of education for their children” and the proven status of home education as an educational alternative, the governor’s certificate of recognition officially recognizes home educators and home-educated children “for their contribution to the diversity and quality of education in this great Commonwealth.”
How many homeschoolers are in Virginia? According to the Virginia Department of Education, more than 31,900 students are now being homeschooled in the Commonwealth, which represents a 45.2% increase since 2002.**
“Families are embracing home education for a variety of reasons,” says HEAV president Anne Miller, who has successfully homeschooled eight children, several of whom have gone on to become engineers, with one currently working on his Ph.D. “Homeschooling allows parents to customize their child’s course of study; it also allows them the opportunity to play an active role in the learning process and to impart their values.”
Parents interested in finding out more about homeschooling can view Virginia-targeted information, including a free introductory webinar, at www.HEAV.org. HEAV, a state-wide, non-profit homeschool association, will also be offering free how-to-begin-homeschooling workshops and free admission for qualifying parents of preschoolers at their upcoming 28th Annual Virginia Homeschool Convention, held in Richmond on June 9-11, 2011. The convention is expected to have more than 11,000 in attendance and offers more than 310 booths of resources, 130 workshops, a homeschool graduation ceremony, and a used curriculum sale. Discounted preregistration is available at www.HEAV.org.
*View the Certificate of Recognition for Virginia Home Education Month.
**Based on numbers given in Virginia Department of Education, “Home Instruction and Religious Exemptions, 2002-2003” (02/03/2003) and “Home-Schooled Students and Religious Exemptions, 2010-2011″ (12/16/2010), http://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/enrollment/home_school_religious_exempt/index.shtml.
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Blog @ February 2, 2011 | General | Comments (3)