Landry Academy: Fall 2011

Online Classes
Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 School Year
Current Early Registration Discount Available Through January 11, 2011
Please Note: Classes Have Limited Space and are Available on a First-Come-First-Served Basis

Advantages of Taking our Online Classes . . .                         Online Class Screenshots

• Students are guided in their study and held accountable to complete the work, yet are led toward being independent learners and critical thinkers
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• Students are taught by Christians who have expertise in their fields. Our online classes give families access to teachers who have expertise on a wide variety of topics.
  
• Teachers do all the instruction and testing, and are always available to students via email and telephone for questions, etc.
• Parents and students have access to student's grades online
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• You get an "official grade report" at the end of the semester or year that serves as an independent evaluation of your student's performance
• For some colleges and universities, this validates homeschool grades.
• Students can conveniently attend weekly live classes or the class recording that's available to them 24/7 on the class web page.
  
• Students learn to meet deadlines on a weekly basis - a valuable skill as they move toward the college years.
  
• And last but not least, students love our classes!

Class Numbering

Classes numbered in the "100's" are targeted toward 4th - 6th graders, "200's" toward 7th - 9th graders, and "300's" toward 9th - 12th graders. However, these are only guidelines. Parents should feel free to use their judgment as to class levels for their children. The class number sequence (example: 201, 202, 203..) usually does NOT indicate a required sequence or that "203" is a higher level class than "201" . Where there are prerequisites, it's indicated.

Class Sections

More than one section may be offered for some classes. For example..
section 1; Thursdays at 10 am
section 2: Mondays at 2 pm
When registering, you can choose and register for the section of the class that best fits your schedule.

Class Attendance

Students are encouraged to attend live classes when possible, but are not required to attend live classes. If they miss a live class, recordings of each class are available on the student's class web page, and they are still responsible for assignments given in those classes. They can access class recordings 24/7 at their convenience.

Textbooks and other Class Materials

Students are responsible for obtaining textbooks and other materials that may be required for the class. Textbooks may be purchased used at a variety of sites online. Other materials required for classes are typically minimal, if any are required at all. An exception to that may be science classes which may require lab materials.

Class Tuition & Payment Options

Tuition for online classes covers online instruction, testing, assignments, feedback, and grade reporting for the stated period, one or two semesters. Students are responsible for obtaining textbooks and other materials that may be required for the class. Textbooks may be purchased used at a variety of sites online. Other materials required for classes are typically minimal, if any are required at all. An exception to that may be science classes which may require lab materials.

Tuition Rates with Current Early Registration Discount Good Through January 11, 2011..

One Semester Class: $240 (full rate is $320 minus current 25% discount = $240)
Two Semester Class: $480 (full rate is $640 minus current 25% discount = $480)

There are Two Options for Payment..

1) Online with a credit or debit card (installment payments not available)  
2) Mail a check - installment payments are available with this payment option. Please click here for details on installment payments by check.

Please Click Here to Read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Artios Academies: Information Meeting

Artios Academies Informational Meeting! 
January 18^th. 7pm-9pm

Highlands Ranch Library

Room: Shea B

9292 Ridgeline Road, Highlands Ranch, CO 81029

Please RSVP by emailing l.busby@comcast.net or by
calling 720-344-9753

Artios Academy of Arts and History

The Artios Academies of Arts and History is a hands-on, integrative, and creative approach to fine arts training, historical education, and academic excellence for homeschool students.

Raising up educated, culturally literate, intellectually sound, spiritually discerning, servant leaders of the kingdom.

www.artiosacademies.com

Science Lab Help?

Are you looking for a lab class for Apologia Biology or Chemistry?  Look no further!  HSoCR has organized lab classes every other Thursday afternoon in downtown Castle Rock!  Cost will be under $100 for the school year and could be less with volunteer teachers.  There is room for 4-5 students in each class.  Classes will begin 9/16.

Calling all moms, dads or college students who are gifted/trained in the sciences!  We are currently looking for two more teachers to team teach or one teacher to take the whole year.  These positions can be paid, volunteered or traded for a student’s participation.  Team teaching would mean teaching 7 classes during the school year and 15 classes if a teacher took the whole year. 

If you’re interested please contact us ASAP for more info or to sign-up!  

Andrea or Carla 
info@hsocr.com

Classical Conversations Challenge

Do you want your child to learn Latin? Maybe to know about geography?
Do you have a 7th-9th grade student and could use some support and encouragement for the upcoming year?
Come learn how a Classical Conversations Challenge A community can assist you with your walk with your child through
Latin, Saxon Math, Geography, writing, Science, and Apologetics.
Information meetings: Saturday, August 7th, Sunday, August 15th, Saturday, August 21st, 4:30-5:30
at 1351 Oldfield Street Castle Rock.

Classes begin Thursday, August 26th at Heritage Church, Castle Rock.

There are still openings left for the 2010-2011 year.
Please call for more information at 303-814-0349 or email at angenjen@msn.com

DR. BRIAN RAY SPEAKING IN PARKER

Brian Ray, Ph.D, President of the National Home Education Research Institute , will be speaking at Grace Baptist Church in Parker, CO, on Friday, April 30th from 7-8:30 pm. His topic will be, “A Strong Vision – Homeschooling Works, and Increases Freedom.”

Contact:  CHEC at office@ CHEC.org  or 720-842-4852

Grace Baptist Church:  10461 South Parker Road, Parker, CO  80134-9038 (next door to CHEC office) Directions: I-25, exit east onto Lincoln, south on Parker Rd, west on Plaza Rd, and then turn right into the second driveway.  (We’re on the back side of the strip mall.)  Enter the lower parking lot on the north side of Plaza Dr. 

Free admission but suggested contribution is $5 per person or $8 per family to the nonprofit NHERI is encouraged.  Books, tapes, and DVD’s available from NHERI. 

Dr. Ray’s message will challenge and educate those new to or critical of homeschooling, as well as encourage experienced homeschoolers.  Dr. Ray will present the results of the latest research on home education, and challenge you to consider your philosophy of education.  He will also consider the parents’ role vs. the government’s role in education, and explain how the modern homeschool movement is bringing significant zeal and change to this nation. 

Dr. Ray will help you consider the answers to questions such as the following:

·         Are parents qualified to teach their children?

·         Are these children receiving an adequate academic education?

·         What about socialization?  (What is socialization, by the way?)

·         How will these children behave when they get into the “real world of adulthood?”

·         Do the home educated learn as much as those in conventional schools?

·         What do certain worldviews or God have to say about who should be educating – teaching, training, discipling, indoctrinating – children?

·         Why is the lure of government handouts so strong?

Co-sponsored by: Christian Home Educators of Colorado: (CHEC) 720-842-4852 or www.chec.org

National Home Education Research Institute: www.nheri.org

The Christian Connecter

The Christian Connector (www.christianconnector.com) is a "one-stop-shop" for receiving free information from Christian colleges. They have over 100 Christian colleges and Bible colleges ready to send you information! Completing the free information request form is like attending a huge Christian college fair without ever leaving home. They also offer a $2,500.00 Christian college scholarship drawing. The site has dozens of links to Christian colleges, as well as admissions and financial aid tips and more. All of their information services are offered absolutely free! U.S. students considering undergraduate Christian colleges can also take advantage of their free Christian College Scholarship Resource Program.

A message from HSLDA: Transcripts?

If your child has never attended a public or a private school, then it’s likely you’ve not seen a high school transcript in a while. To most homeschool parents, the word “transcript” elicits almost as much fear as the word “fire” in a crowded room! Some parents think that they cannot create such a document. We hope that reading this newsletter will allay your fears and give you confidence that you are capable of issuing a professional-looking document on your teen’s behalf.

Transcripts: What and Why?

Two questions we frequently encounter are: What is a transcript and why do I need one, especially if my teen is not pursuing college? Simply stated, a transcript is a concise and accurate record of your teen’s academic courses taken during the high school years. A transcript is not only necessary for college admission, but may be required for scholarships, Vo-tech and other post-high schools, apprenticeships, entry level employment to evidence completion of high school, and will definitely be required if enlisting in the military.
Now that we’ve established the necessity of a transcript, let’s look at the different sections of such a document. (It may be helpful for you to print off one or more of the sample transcripts, including a blank form, that are found on our website and refer to them as you read through the rest of the newsletter.)

Transcript Heading

You will want to begin by placing a title at the top of the document such as “Official High School Transcript.” Or, you may choose to use your school name, “Smith High School.” If you belong to an umbrella or oversight group, then that may be the school name you’ll use (please ask the group for permission to do so).
Following the title, provide the student’s personal information on one side and the school information on the opposite side (even though much of this information is identical). The student should list his full given name, address (including email address), phone number, birth date, and parents’ full names.
A Social Security number is not required on a transcript. It will be requested by the schools in the application in order to match up any financial aid or scholarship money that is received for your student. Once in the school’s database, most colleges issue a student ID number to the applicant, and that is the number to use for future correspondence with the school.

Transcript Academic Record

The major section of the transcript is the academic record (or body) section which is usually divided into four parts or years. Some families, however, create a transcript by semesters rather than years. This is strictly a personal choice, but listing courses by semester may make it more difficult to keep the transcript short and concise.
Each year will be labeled by grade such as “Grade 9,” and so forth. Under this heading, all the courses taken in the 9th grade will be listed followed by the credit earned and the grade awarded. When titling a course on the transcript, use a brief and clear title so that others will have an accurate idea of the course content.
College courses taken as dual enrollment should be starred and a note included at the bottom of the transcript that these are college-level courses, or simply list the name of the college. (Generally speaking, a one-semester college-level course is equivalent to one year of high school credit.)
Transcripts submitted with a college application should list the 12th grade courses even though these courses are not yet completed. Place an “IP” (in progress) in the grade column of the transcript until a grade is awarded at the end of the senior year.
Along with the course title and grade earned, also indicate the credit each course is awarded. There are several ways to evaluate credit. For additional information see “Evaluating Credits” on our high school website.
At the bottom of each year, total up all the credits and compute that year’s grade point average (GPA). More detailed instructions on how to calculate yearly and cumulative GPAs can be found in our October 2009 newsletter, “Computing a GPA—Yikes!”

Transcript Academic Summary

At the bottom of the transcript, the total number of credits and the cumulative GPA will be listed. Be sure to also include the date of graduation and that a diploma was issued.
Some transcripts will include a grading scale or table. Providing such information can be helpful to someone reading your transcript in understanding your grades. However, if your teen has taken courses from other teachers or from outside sources, it will not be possible for you to provide a uniform grading scale. If this is the case, then it’s wise not to include the scale or table.

Signature and Date

The transcript should be typed and professional in appearance. Every time it is requested, provide an original, signed, and dated document. It is a good idea to have someone proofread your transcript for spelling and calculation errors before issuing it.

The Finished Product

The samples on our website will give you the type of information that any transcript should include, but don’t think that you must duplicate the formats. You have the freedom to design your own transcript to fit your teen’s specific needs. Your transcript will be fine as long as it is clear and accurately reflects your teen’s high school academic courses.
Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Hopefully this information will give you the confidence that you, too, can produce a professional-looking transcript for your teen—one that you will look forward to providing to anyone who asks. 

New to Homeschooling?

Are you new to homeschooling?  Discouraged?  Feeling like you can't do it? You aren't the only one!  Check out helpful resources here.  

A Letter from HSLDA: Raising Teens

Happy New Year! We pray the Lord’s blessings on your family as we head into 2010. Fresh beginnings always offer new inspiration and motivation. We hope you are in that frame of mind.

If we asked you to evaluate your relationship with your homeschooled teen, would you smile or frown? Regardless of your reaction to that question, the majority of parents are very interested in improving their relationships with their teens. Homeschool parents in particular know that the close encounters homeschooling provides on a daily basis can either be a source of encouragement or cause for prayers of supplication. If you would like to take some time at the beginning of this year to equip yourselves as parents to better train and interact with your teen, we’d like to offer some suggestions for parenting resources.

Please know that we do not intend to be a substitute for your individual pastor’s oversight or instruction. The titles mentioned below are merely recommendations—your pastor will undoubtedly be able to suggest additional good selections.

Parenting with a Purpose

No matter your current interaction with your teens, parents can always grow in parenting skills. Understanding the changes in your teens’ physical, mental, and emotional areas will enable you to direct, train, and equip them for life. When both parents are on board and there is unity of spirit regarding training and disciplining issues, your teen will be less desirous of trying to divide and conquer your authority. If this is not the case, pray for harmony and peace in the home and a coming together of the minds. Homeschooling can place strains on a marriage. Michael Farris and Reed Elam in their book, A Sacred Foundation, give helpful insights on alleviating these strains.

Additional helpful parenting resources listed on our website (www.hslda.org/highschool) include:

Farris, Michael. The Home Schooling Father: How You Can Play a Decisive Role in Your Child’s Success
MacArthur, John. What the Bible Says About Parenting
Priolo, Lou. Teach them Diligently: How to Use the Scriptures in Child Training
Tripp, Paul David. Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens with Study Guide
Tripp, Paul David. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Changing Helping People in Need of Changing
Tripp, Ted. Shepherding a Child’s Heart (for younger children but still applicable to teens)
Communication is Key

Have you realized that conflict will be inevitable? Conflict is usually seen as negative, but when it is worked out in a biblical way, it leads to change and growth. Don’t ever lose hope or give up on your teens. Tell them time and time again that you love them, you are for them, and that with the Lord’s help you desire to raise them to the glory of God.

Communication by its very definition is a two-way process. If your teen refuses to communicate despite your many repeated attempts, please don’t despair! The Lord can open doors that you cannot. Cry out to the Lord for His help in this area and trust in the comfort of Psalm 40:1: “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Continue to earnestly seek an interactive relationship with your teen and leave the results in the Lord’s hands. If you are brokenhearted, the Lord is near to you. If your teen is running in the opposite direction from you and the Lord, the Lord is a great pursuer and the Hound of Heaven (according to C.S. Lewis)!

Some suggested resources for building relationships with teens:

Mahaney, Carolyn. “Building a Strong Mother-Daughter Friendship”
Mahaney, Carolyn and Nicole Mahaney Whitacre. Girl Talk: Mother-daughter Conversations On Biblical Womanhood
Priolo, Lou. The Heart of Anger
Sande, Ken. Peacemaking for Families: A Biblical Guide to Managing Conflict in Your Home
Tripp, Paul David. War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles
Questions are good!

The teen years are exciting times as your child matures and grows. You’ll be amazed at the questions that will come up in the midst of teaching academics that provide a platform for helping your teen sort out his or her values. You may have already encountered some of these questions: How do I know that God really exists when plenty of people don’t believe that He does? What’s embryonic cell research and is it a good idea? What’s the theme of The Scarlet Letter and what personal relevance does it have?

It is of the utmost importance that your teens understand that your home provides a safe place to wrestle with and sort out their questions—especially those of a spiritual dimension. Many times parents are thrown off guard when teens struggle with certain aspects of the faith; and some parents may respond with anger, fear, or remorse. Be encouraged that your calm and reasoned responses to your teens’ questions will have the most likely chance of being received with respect. Don’t panic when questions come up—but seek the Lord’s wisdom and pray for your teens to be open to the Holy Spirit’s involvement as they think about their personal convictions.

Resources for your teen to read that will encourage his personal faith include:

Brooks, Ron & Norman Geisler. When Skeptics Ask—A Handbook of Christian Evidence
Karl, Graustein and Mark Jacobsen. Growing Up Christian: Have You Taken Ownership of Your Relationship With God?
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity
Little, Paul. Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe
Mahaney, CJ. The Cross-Centered Life
Stott, John. Basic Christianity
Stott, John. You Can Trust the Bible
Whitney, Donald. Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life
Preparation for Life

As homeschooling parents, you have a tremendous opportunity to use your homeschooling days to prepare your teen for his future endeavors. As part of that preparation, think about incorporating a worldview or apologetics course into his high school plan. These courses and resources give your teen opportunities for practical application of the truths that you are teaching. Being prepared is half the battle when your teen encounters those in the workplace or college that adhere to different values.

Worldview and apologetics resources:

Noebel, David. Understanding the Times
Noebel, David & Chuck Edwards. Thinking Like a Christian: Worldviews in Focus Series
Sire, James. Universe Next Door
Wile, Jay. Reasonable Faith: The Scientific Case for Christianity
Good reading for teens heading off to college:

Budziszewski, J. How to Stay Christian in College (An Interactive Guide to Keeping the Faith)
McFarland, Alex. Stand Strong in College
Relationships with the Opposite Sex

One of the aspects of training that you probably encountered even before your children reached the teen years was the topic of how to relate to the opposite sex. Although there are different thoughts on what is or is not appropriate in terms of relationships during the teen years, it is beneficial as parents to stay directly involved in the friendships that your teens are forming. The majority of the resources listed below focus on a courtship style of relating to the opposite sex. Other resources may be found, however, that provide alternative or additional ways to view teen relationships. Ask the Lord for His insight and leadership as you tackle this area. The Word of God is a great place to begin to develop your family’s parameters regarding relationships.

Elliot, Elisabeth. Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ’s Control
Farris, Michael. What A Daughter Needs From Her Dad: How a Man Prepares His Daughter for Life
Harris, Joshua. I Kissed Dating Goodbye, A New Attitude Towards Romance and Relationships
Harris, Joshua. Boy Meets Girl
Jones, Debby and Jackie Kendall. Lady in Waiting: Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right, Expanded Edition
Paulsen, Heather. Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart
Rainey, Dennis. Interviewing Your Daughter’s Date
Generation of Virtue (resources for teaching purity)
A Final Word

During the teen years, you may find that the old adage, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” takes on a new perspective. Parents can train, discipline, encourage, and reason with teens, but each individual teen will make choices that reflect his or her heart attitude. For those of you with spiritually mature teens who are eager to continue growing, parenting may be a sweet endeavor. But for those of you with children who you lead to water and yet they refuse to drink, please take heart. Pray with a heart that believes in a God who is able to change hearts. If you need encouragement in this area, see “Homeschooling to Prevent Rebellion” by Barbara Frank. Don’t be fooled by the title. The article acknowledges that homeschooling is not a foolproof way to prevent teen rebellion, but it can be used by the Lord as a means of grace to steer your teen in the right direction while leaving the results to Him.

If your teen is currently not interested or is hostile to following the Lord, another resource to encourage you is Carol Barnier’s recent HSLDA webinar, “A Prodigal Speaks.” Carol is currently a homeschool mom and speaker; but she, too, was a prodigal who lived as an atheist for a number of years. She shares helpful insights that include loving and interacting with a prodigal child of her own. Carol discusses the false myths of parenting including: perfect parenting produces perfect children, children raised in a church will never depart, your child is deliberately trying to hurt you, and if you make parenting mistakes your child is doomed. You’ll find hope and help—not condemnation—from the wisdom that she shares.

From our personal experience, parenting teens was both a joy and a trial that kept us on our knees! Each day is a new opportunity for you to trust in the Lord’s help as you grow in your parenting skills. God promises that “when you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor.” James 4:10 (NLT) 

Libery University Online Academy

Quality online education with world-class support Liberty University Online Academy is an online  academic program specially developed for grades  3-12 and supported by Liberty University — the  world’s largest Christian university and non-profit  online educator. Proven curriculum that’s simple to administer Liberty University Online Academy offers a turn-key home learning system with solid curriculum that is  simple to manage. With Liberty University Online  Academy you and your homeschoolers will benefit  from: Online academic support through a unique faculty/student messaging system Automated lesson planning Instant grading feedback Flexible, yet structured program, customized to  meet the needs of each student Biblically-based, Christ-centered curriculum Rolling Enrollment: enroll and start classes  at any time of the year Qualified academic support with your personal academic advisor Record keeping and transcripting of all  student work Access to Liberty University’s extensive  online library services Save $250 on Spring Tuition! Call (866) 418-8741 for details, or click here to  submit your online application and to begin  enrolling your student in the Spring 2010 semester!

Beyond Academics - A Note from HSLDA

There is more to life than algebra! You're preparing your children for life. They're developing enduring friendships, making memories, and building skills and hobbies that will last them for years. You want to make sure your child has the right opportunities and experiences to become a well-rounded adult. What are some of the resources available to homeschoolers?

Extracurricular activities

You can help your child obtain a well-rounded education throughout the high school years by involving him/her in several extracurricular activities. Planning these activities at the beginning of the high school years will maximize possibilities for the student to grow into leadership positions. Opportunities abound for employment, community service projects, church-related ministries, sports teams, orchestra, band, etc.—the list goes on and on. Check out your local support groups and state homeschooling organizations to investigate extracurricular activities that may already be organized. If nothing is currently organized in an area of interest, consider having your child initiate an activity that others may want to join! Choose extracurricular activities wisely, and assist your child in maintaining a healthy balance of academics, outside interests, and work. As your teen participates in extracurricular activities, consider recording them on an extracurricular sheet, and then add to the sheet each year of high school. Keep in mind that many college admissions officers prefer that students be involved wholeheartedly in several activities, rather than minimally involved in many activities.
Character and Leadership Training

* American Heritage Girls
* Awana
Emphasis on Scripture memory and discipleship and leadership training
* Boy Scouts of America
Training in leadership and citizenship
* Pioneer Clubs
Spiritual and personal development, evangelism, and discipleship
* Scripture Memory Fellowship
Scripture memory program and resources for edification and encouragement

Competition and Scholarship Awards

Many contests and competitions are open to homeschool students. Each competition or contest has its own eligibility requirements, so be sure to carefully comply with the stated rules and deadlines. Contests can motivate your student to write an essay, draw a picture, or even build a robot! With most contests offering monetary rewards, they are well worth the effort and offer an opportunity for your child to earn scholarship money. The College Board’s article, “Where the Scholarships Are: How to Develop a Scholarship Strategy,” provides helpful information as you begin to research scholarships.

Finding a scholarship might appear to be one of the mysteries of higher education. But it doesn’t have to be! Starting your search in the right places is the key, and the resources listed here will help you do just that. You’ll be amazed at what you might find—there are scholarships for just about every conceivable category. One HSLDA member family had a daughter who was a swimmer and had asthma. They actually found a scholarship for asthmatic swimmers. You just never know what’s out there. Happy hunting!

To learn more about competition and scholarship awards.
Military

* American Cadet Alliance
* Civil Air Patrol
* US Naval Sea Cadets Corp

Summer Camps

* Generation Joshua Summer Camps
Generation Joshua sponsors a Family/Teen camp during the summer providing lectures and discussions by inspiring and nationally known leaders explaining how your family can impact our nation for Christ in the political and civic arenas. The week includes plenty of time for fun and relaxation with activities such as horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, fishing, swimming, arts & crafts,etc.
* Homeschool Science Academy’s Anatomy and Physiology weeklong camps
* JH Second Wind Camp
* PHC Teen Camps
Patrick Henry College's Teen Leadership Camps provide leadership training to high school students. Students learn how to apply a biblical worldview to issues of today in fields such as journalism, intelligence, and constitutional law.
* Probe Ministries
Weekend and week long apologetics and Christian worldview training for teens.
* Summit ministries
Teens learn how to understand ideas and answer major challenges to Christianity, develop a Biblical worldview, and are challenged to become leaders.
* Worldview Academy
A non-denominational organization helping Christians develop a Biblical Worldview. Training is provided in evanglism, apologetics and servant leadership.

Sports

* For Homeschool Sports Opportunities in specific states, see the State Resources page
* Homeschool Basketball
* Homeschool Football League.
* Homeschool Sports Network
Sports teams available and to be organized
* How To Start a Homeschool Sports Program
* Interscholastic Equestrian Association
* National Christian School Athletic Association (NCSAA)
Dedicated to promoting "Christ-centered excellence" in Christian school athletic programs, NCSAA is currently working with HSLDA to become a liaison between homeschoolers and Christian school leagues with this twofold objective: to convince Christian school leagues to allow the participation of homeschoolers (either as members of existing school teams or as separate homeschool teams), and to oversee eligibility and other issues that may hinder homeschoolers' participation in these leagues.
* National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
* National Homeschool Football Association
* National Homeschool Volleyball Tournament
* Play Ball! Homeschoolers Take the Field
This HSLDA article from the Court Report provides detailed information on the opportunites for homeschoolers to participate in sports.
* So, You Want to Play College Ball?

Friends

It’s understandable for parents to worry that homeschooling might limit their child’s friendships. But ask yourself, “What kinds of friends do I want my kids to have?” Attending school with several hundred other children rarely results in deep, lasting relationships. Homeschooling gives teenagers the freedom to make many friends, and the chance to cultivate those friendships in a mature way. Even families living in rural, less-populated areas quickly discover that homeschooling actually allows more time to get involved in community and social activities than attending traditional school does.

* The Best Kind of Socialization (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
* “Friends—God’s Gifts to Us”
* Rural Homeschooling and Place-based Education
* The “S” Word

Life skills

Preparing your child for adult life includes training in basic skills beyond the academics. For ideas, see the Life Skills Checklist, along with a list of resources. Also consider providing courses or experiences in some of the following areas.

* Driver's Education
* First Aid
Consider having your child take a CPR Certification course. These courses are usually offered through the American Red Cross or a local hospital.
* 4-H Clubs
* Local Cooperative Extension Courses
Local county governments sometimes team up with universities to offer practical courses to the community, which your student may be interested in taking as electives. Examples of cooperative extension classes include finances, savvy consumer techniques, home economics, Master Gardener certification, and nutrition. It may even be possible for you and your student to take a course together. To find out if such classes are offered in your area, try an internet search using your county's name along with "cooperative extension."
* Personal Financial Management
Have your child learn about setting up a checking account, considerations for buying a car, financing a college education, setting up a budget, and more.
o Money Matters for Teens
by Larry Burkett
o Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples: A Lifetime Approach to Spending, Saving and Investing
by Larry Burkett
o The World's Easiest Guide to Finances
by Larry Burkett
* Resume Writing & Interviews
o Creating Your High School Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing an Effective Resume for College & Career
by Kathryn Kraemer Troutman
o Entry Level Resumes
Targets college students and recent grads
o Field Work Savvy: A Handbook for Students in Internship, Co-Operative Education, Service Learning, and Other Forms of Experiential Education
by Joan A. Milnes
o How to Write a Masterpiece of a Resume
o Interviewing Skills
by Tim Hindle
o Jobweb - Resumes and Interviews
o Resume Writing 101
o Say What You Mean on a Job Interview e-Study
o Standard Deviants School, Interviewing Progam 1: Getting Ready, VHS
o Student Resume Formats
o The Insider's Guide to Writing the Perfect Resume
* Resources
o Life Skills for Kids: Equipping Your child for the Real World
by Christine M. Field
o Life Prep for Homeschooled Teenagers
by Barbara Frank
o Survival Training: Life Skills for Young Adults Resource List (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Missions

Cross-cultural experiences will stretch your student physically, mentally, and emotionally and broaden his/her perspective of the world.

* Adventures in Missions
* Teen Missions International
* English Language Institute of China (ELIC)
* Youth With a Mission (YWAM)

Motivation

Help! My teenager doesn't want to do his schoolwork. He won't help around the house. He's so uncooperative. What can I do?

* I Hate School: How to Help Your Child Love Learning
by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
* Age of Opportunity
by Paul David Tripp
* Romancing Your Child’s Heart
by Monte Swan
* Seven Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential
by Zan Tyler

Time Management

How do I squeeze into 24 hours all my high schooler's subjects, her extracurricular activities, time with my other children, attention for my husband, making dinner, and doing laundry? And how do I teach my teenager to manage her time more efficiently?

* Personal Time Management Tool
* Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+u+la
by Barbara Edtl Shelton
* Time Management Tips for High School Students
* Help for the Harried Homeschooler : A Practical Guide to Balancing Your Child's Education with the Rest of Your Life
by Christine Field
* Homeschooling at the Speed of Life: Balancing Home, School, And Family in the Real World
by Marilyn Rockett
* A Mom Just Like You
by Vickie & Jayme Farris
* Flylady.net

Volunteering
The teenage years provide an opportunity for your teen to begin a lifelong practice of serving others. These sites will provide you ideas on where and how to begin.
Work Permits

When children begin working outside of the home, many parents are confused by employers’ requests for permits, especially when told that the work permits must be issued by a public school official. Any homeschooler can go to his or her local school district to get a work permit in any state. Some private schools are issuing officers as well, and in some states a homeschooler can get the permit from the state (Michigan is one of those states). Hourly work restrictions and occupation prohibitions can also be confusing. Most states do not have an exemption for students who graduate early. For more information and details on work permits, see “Getting Permits Might Take Work” by J. Michael Smith, HSLDA President.

Click here to see more. 

Chuck Urano Memorial Scholarship Application

The Chuck Urano Memorial Award, sponsored by the Colorado Farm Show, will be awarded to six deserving students who strive to leave a lasting impression on their community and the agriculture industry.

The Colorado Farm Show is proud to award six $2000.00 Scholarships, to help offset the increasing costs of attaining a Higher Education, to graduating High School Seniors declaring an Agricultural Major at a College or University of their choice.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

1.       Applicants must be graduating High School Seniors.

2.       The Chuck Urano Memorial Award application, accessible in pdf format at www.ColoradoFarmShow.com, must be filled out by the applicant.

3.       Applicants must be citizens of the United States and reside in Colorado.

4.       Students must be pursuing a degree in an Agricultural related field of study at the accredited College or University of their choice.

5.       A sealed, signed copy of the applicants Official High School Transcripts must accompany the scholarship application.  Senior year classes must be listed if not included on transcripts.

6.       One letter of recommendation from a High School official/teacher must be included with the application packet.

7.       A one page essay outlining the applicant’s educational goals, chosen career plans, and any other information that the applicant considers pertinent must be included with the application.

8.       Application must be legible (typed preferred) to be considered.

9.       Complete application packet must be received in the Colorado Farm Show Office (received not post marked) by January 11, 2010.

10.   Failure to submit a completed application, with all of the required materials in one packet, will eliminate your application.

Please return scholarship application and required materials to:

Colorado Farm Show

Attn:  Scholarship Committee

P.O. Box 670

Greeley, CO  80632

A note from HSLDA: Teen Study Skills

As you seek to provide a quality education to your teens, we suggest you include time to improve your teen’s study skills. Many times, parents think that good study skills are naturally acquired, but that’s often not the case. Study skills such as note-taking, outlining, pacing your time, organizing study materials and schoolwork, increasing reading speed, and maintaining motivation for studying are, for the majority of teens, learned skills that must be taught. The high school years—or earlier—provide an opportune time to polish up these areas of competency.

Note-Taking

During the high school years, many of our teens are capable of independent study. Make the most of this ability by encouraging them to take notes on the material they are studying and discovering. As an instructor, you may not do much lecturing, but your teen will benefit from learning the finer points of note-taking. In the future, whether your teen is taking a college course, listening to a sales presentation, or interviewing a prospective real estate agent regarding the purchase of his or her first home; your teen’s note-taking skills will come in handy. Some practical ways to give experience in this area are to have your teen take notes during the pastor’s sermon each week, or while watching a speech given by a politician in person or on TV, or during those college visits that are coming up! All of these opportunities will enable your teen to organize data, discern important points, and perhaps even come up with personal shorthand symbols and words that speed up his intake of ideas.
Use of the computer can also enable your teen to quickly note important information, since teens can often type faster than they write. Having his notes transcribed will allow him to quickly save the information in an organized fashion. Those high schoolers planning to attend college will find that many students take a laptop to class to use for note-taking.
Although not every item relates to the one-on-one teaching used in homeschooling, the College Board provides helpful note-taking ideas if your teen is tackling an outside co-op, community college, or distance learning course. Also, Cornell’s Note-taking Strategies gives additional tips.

Outlining

Closely aligned with note-taking is the ability to outline. Use your teen’s readings in courses such as science and history to provide practice for improving outlining proficiency. This skill is important not only to organize study materials, but it is also useful when brainstorming writing ideas or compiling research for a paper or project. For a good review of the components of an outline—why and how to create an outline—as well as samples of outlines, see The Owl at Purdue website and The Hypertext Books website. Also, most high school grammar books include a section on outlining, so you may want to spend several days reviewing this information with your teen.
Remember, when outlining as a form of note-taking, it’s not necessary to adhere to a formal system. Instead, a method may be developed where there is a main point followed by bullets or dashes for subpoints. The main purpose to stress is getting information down in a systematic and understandable way.

Pacing Your Time

Have you ever thought of time management as a component of study skills? It is! Much of your teen’s academic success during the high school years will be related to how well he can budget the hours in his day. (A recap of general time management skills was covered in a previous high school email newsletter.)
Implementing time management in studying course material will allow your student to comprehend and retain the material. It will also prevent the need to cram for tests or quizzes. Cramming may allow your teen to score well on the test, but it will not prove effective in maintaining a good base of knowledge for future use. So, encourage your teen to come up with a plan which will allow her to be efficient in completing assignments, regularly reviewing her notes, and closing any gaps in the time set aside for studying. Practicing these skills during high school will cause them to become good habits to take with her after graduation.
School calendars and assignment books are tools that your teens can use to keep on track in meeting deadlines. Whether it’s reading the passage for a lit discussion tomorrow, the essay due next week, the science fair project due next month, or preparation for a college entrance test next year, having a schedule will encourage him to complete the work within the time he has set.

Organizing School Materials

As homeschoolers, your teens have the freedom to do math at the kitchen table, study history in the family room, read literature while relaxing in the bedroom, or conduct science experiments in the basement! While this flexibility is certainly an advantage of homeschooling, it can wreak havoc when trying to keep track of and organize school supplies and materials. Help your teen arrange his schoolwork neatly in binders. In addition, assist your teen in designing a central study place that is conducive to learning. Stock it with supplies such as pencils, paper, rulers, calculators, and reference books (such as dictionaries, thesauruses, etc.—although these days the computer may take the place of these items) within easy reach.
Think about involving your teen in the record-keeping of his high school work. Have your teen set up a file system (either in hard copy form or on the computer) that lists materials used in a course, perhaps a log of hours, and a folder that includes major tests, quizzes, papers, or projects. During our high school homeschooling years, both of us had our teens do a lot of the necessary filing and record keeping. We found that keeping up with this on a daily or weekly basis is a better approach than saving all of the filing until the end of the school year!

Increasing Reading Speed

Increasing reading speed (while at the same time retaining and improving comprehension) is important because it saves your teen time. An increase in reading speed—not only for coursework, but for pleasure reading, newspaper reading and even reading to obtain facts such as perusing directions—can add time to your day. If your teen is college-bound, she will appreciate this skill when bombarded with reading assignments. Virginia Tech and the University of Texas websites offer free information related to increasing reading speed.
As an interesting project, your teen may want to take a free speed reading test. (Please know that we are not necessarily recommending a speed reading course or class, but merely want to provide you with information that will enable you to investigate this area further if you wish. A simple internet search of speed reading courses will generate many additional resources.)

Maintaining Motivation

Your teen will more easily maintain motivation in any task if he is organized in his approach to it. The same holds true for assignments and projects. Often the most difficult part of the assignment is getting started. So suggest that your teen take a large project and break it down into doable pieces which will make it easier to tackle and complete. As he begins to see progress, he will be motivated to move to the next section until all is finished.
Boredom can be kept at bay by interspersing smaller assignments with larger ones. Checking off an assignment gives a feeling of accomplishment. It’s easy, though, to let those shorter assignments keep your teen from addressing the larger ones. Another way to keep interested in a task is to mix up the study methods used. Your teen may spend part of his time quietly studying, but then add some time to studying out loud as if he were instructing a class. If your teen is more visual, then using diagrams or drawings will help to keep her focused and interested. The College Board has some additional innovative ideas to consider.
We trust that the tips provided above will be useful to you and your teens. Study skills practiced become habits, and habits take time to develop. So, don’t expect that your teens will incorporate all of these suggestions at once. However, teaching them over the course of the high school years will ensure that your teens will be better prepared for their post-high-school pursuits.

CHEC Springtime Book Fair - May 22, 2010

This is a great opportunity to sell your gently used school books, as well as educational and computer games, supplies and more! Location and other details to be announced. Please email Christy at bookfair@chec.org with any questions!