February 2013
Announcements
(NEW) Free Brain Training Workshops for Homeschool Families: Offered by LearningRx in Bethesda with Parent Workshop on February 15 from 7:30-9:30PM and a Family Workshop on February 22 from 1:30-3:30PM. Learn about cognitive skills and their effects on learning and how to improve attention, memory, visual and auditory processing, critical reasoning and more. For more info contact Deborah@LearningRx.net or see details on flyer attached here.
(NEW) "Diamonds are Forever" Spring Gala -Open to the Entire Homeschool Community and their guests!
TOP SECRET - For Your Eyes Only: At the Request of Her Majesty's Secret Service, you are invited to spend an Evening of Elegance and Intrigue at the Diamonds Are Forever Spring Gala!
With the 50th anniversary of James Bond movies, TEA is hosting "Diamonds are Forever", named after one of the classic James Bond movie titles. Join us for an evening of elegance and intrigue at the posh Ten Oaks Ballroom where dancing, fun, and games will entertain you until the strike of midnight.
A gala is just a party with a snazzier name! Come celebrate the end of another school year with your friends at our 007 Gala! Once you walk the red carpet past paparazzi and secret agents, your fun evening starts with DJ Spinnin‚ Scott, the photobooth where you can snap photos and get them printed all night long, 007-themed games and door prizes, dancing, desserts, and a full-buffet featuring teen favorites. A special tribute will be made to all seniors, and homeschool alumni and their guests are invited to join the gala as their class reunion!
Dressy clothes are the norm, but tuxedos and floor-length gowns are totally optional. Most guys sport a jacket and tie and the girls choose a variety of dress lengths. This is not an event that you need a "date" for, either! Guests mix and mingle with their friends and make new ones. Seating is not pre-assigned at the banquet tables, so everyone is free to move around throughout the evening.View our impressive venue here: http://fdvfd.com/ten-oaks-ballroom.php
Our gala photographer will take your candid and posed shots in front of a 007-themed backdrop throughout the night. Dance and play the night away on the huge dance floor or under the stars in the enclosed courtyard. The Ten Oaks Ballroom is very posh and upscale, the perfect setting for this special occasion.
Ticket Cost: $85 per student and $35 per chaperone
Chaperones: Parents are welcome to attend as chaperones at the reduced rate.
Guests: All homeschool students in grades 7 to 12 are invited. You can also invite guests who are not homeschooled as long as they are at least 13 years old by the date of the Gala. Homeschool alumni are also welcome to attend and bring guests.
Dietary Restrictions: I will work with families who have students with dietary restrictions so these families can organize a buffet selection that their children can enjoy. Please contact me if this might apply to your child/ren so we can make it a great night for them, too! Any questions, please contact your host, Wendy Bush, of The Excelsior Academy.
Registration form and all details: http://tea-services.com/gala.html
Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD, Howard County
Friday, May 10, 2013 from 8:00pm to Midnight
Registration Postmark Deadline: March 31, 2013
Tickets: $85 per student and $35 per chaperone
Wendy Bush, Executive Director, The Excelsior Academy, P.O. Box 300, Odenton, MD 21113, www.TEA-Services.com, Director@TEA-Services.com, 410-695-1101"
Seeking musicians for a pit orchestra for "Guys and Dolls" at Poolesville High School "I am trying to find home-school student musicians who would like to audition to be in the pit orchestra for the Spring production of "Guys and Dolls" at Poolesville High School. Instrumental opening include Alto Sax, Tenor Sax (2 players), Bari Sax, Oboe, Bass clarinet, Trumpet (2 players), Violin (2 or more players), Cello, and Bass. I would like to set up auditions with individuals at their earliest convenience. Our rehearsals are scheduled to start on February 7th so the sooner I meet and hear them the better. The shows are not until April 25, 26, and 27. My office # is 301-972-7944 or email me at Kenneth_A_Goldsborough@mcpsmd.org. Thank you for helping get the word out!"
The National Capital Trolley Museum is currently taking reservations for spring field trips: "Age appropriate field trips offer opportunities to learn about Transportation and Community Development in an interactive classroom lesson, hear trolley stories and sing trolley songs, tour Museum Exhibits such as Street Cars go to the Movies, Street Car Communities and Street Car Hall. Your visit also includes a ride aboard a vintage street car through Northwest Branch Park. Cost of the trip is $25 per 1/2 hour classroom time and $4 Museum Admission per person in your group; teacher, student, parent chaperone, etc. We can accommodate large groups by dividing them into smaller groups of 25 students each and rotating them through the various stations. Please visit our website at www.dctrolley.org for more information about the programs that we offer. We are located at 1313 Bonifant Road, Colesville, MD 20905. From: Joanie Pinson, educator@dctrolley.org"
Friends Meeting School Invites Homeschoolers to Audition for Community Play: "I am now auditioning for our 2013 Community Play, "Once on This Island, Jr." This former Broadway musical combines elements of The Little Mermaid story and Romeo and Juliet. It is an upbeat, compelling story with exciting, Caribbean inspired music. Auditions are open to the public. We are currently looking for actors from 5th through 10th grade to audition. Actors should be prepared to perform a short monologue or poem, and to sing a song of their choice a cappella. The play will be performed at the Weinberg on Sunday, March 17th and at dates TBD the week before at FMS. Interested young actors should contact me at byankaskas@friendsmeetingschool.org."
The Clare and Robert Moore Scholarship Fund awards a yearly $1,000 scholarship to an incoming first-year student or to a current Notre Dame of Maryland University student who is interested in or currently majoring in English. The scholarship can be applied to tuition, books, or educational fees. The tri-fold Scholarship brochure provides additional detail. An online application and full details may be found on the scholarship website: http://crmoorescholarship.org. Applications are due by April 15, 2013. Send questions to the Scholarship Committee via email at appinfo@crmoorescholarship.org.
2013 Law Day Video and Poster Contest: From the Maryland State Bar Association:
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”, the 2013 Law Day Video and Poster Contest’s theme is Realizing the Dream: Equality for All.
The Law Day video and poster contest gives a perfect opportunity to explore the progressions in civil and human rights, whether it has been discrimination on race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Video contest awards cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prizes in Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice (voted on by attendees at the Law Day event). Poster contest is judged by the Public Awareness Committee and receives cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
The video and poster contest will begin accepting submissions on January 1, 2013 until April 30, 2013. A panel of distinguished judges and bar leaders will select the winners based on originality, creativity, adherence to the theme and overall quality.
To enter the video contest, you must create a 1-3 minute video with a Realizing the Dream: Equality for All theme. To enter the poster contest, create a poster on a minimum 8.5 X 11 inch paper with the Realizing the Dream: Equality for All theme.
Law Day is a free, full-day event for Maryland high school students, which will be held on April 30, 2013, at Sheppard Pratt Conference Center. The event features a keynote address from Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, Maryland Court of Appeals, and break-out groups focusing on civil rights.
For more information and to view last year’s winning entries visit www.facebook.com/MSBALawDay. For contest rules and regulations, visit www.msba.org/media/videocontest/default.asp.
Know a homeschooler in the news? Send us their story!
Homeschoolers in the News
Bowie Teen Fencer Wins National, International Gold Medals
Link: Bowie Patch, December 20, 2012
2012 Siemens Competition: Sam Pritt From Walkersville Wins $40,000 Prize
Link: Siemens Foundation: 2012 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology
MSO, Choral Arts, Soloists and Santa Make Audience Feel Home for the Holidays
Link: HeraldMail.com, December 12, 2012
Bible Bee Contestant Wins $100,000 After Three-Way Tiebreaker
Link: Christian Post, November 19, 2012
Teen’s Geolocation Project Wins Prize: Seeks $100,000 Award in National Competition
Link: Frederick News Post, November 8, 2012
The Year I Went to School and Why I Left
Link: Ruthie Goping (Silver Spring, MD homeschooler), Huffington Post, November 6, 2012
Frederick County Teen Wins Regional Science Competition
Link: Washington Post, November 4, 2012
What the Harvard Admissions Director Thinks
Link: New York Magazine, October 14, 2012
Hidden Rival of Charter School Growth
Link: Jay Matthews, Washington Post, October 7, 2012
Homeschool Advantage
Link: Sara Taylor, SoMDNews.com, October 5, 2012
DC Parents Choosing to Homeschool Their Children
Link: Janice Darcy, Washington Post, September 6, 2012
My Education in Homeschooling
Link: Quinn Cummings, Wall Street Journal Online, July 27, 2012
Homeschooling Goes Mainstream in Maryland
Link: Dana Amihere, www.thesentinel.com, June 6, 2012
African Americans Increasingly Turn to Homeschooling
Link: Garrett Tenney, FoxNews.com, June 16, 2012
Homeschooled Teens Ripe For College
Link: Kelsey Sheehy, US News and World Report, June 1, 2012
Frederick homeschoolers claim top prize in national competition
Link: Blair Ames, Frederick News Post, April 24, 2012
Homeschoolers Don't Just Stay Home
Link: Jill Caryl Weiner, NY Times, March 14, 2012
Gaithersburg students take top spot in regional Science Olympiad
LInk: Peggy McEwan, www.gazette.com, March 14, 2012
Frederick County students make math count
Twenty students being sent to state-level competition
Link: Staff writer, www.gazette.com, February 9, 2012
Voices in Education: Hagara Emira
Link: by Peggy McEwan, www.gazette.com, February 8, 2012
Maryland History Day students honored in Annapolis- Three Bethesda students among honorees
Link: Peggy McEwan, www.gazette.com, February 1, 2012
Muslim Families Turn to Homeschooling
Link: Daniel Jackson, The Washington Times, February 21, 2012
Tim Tebow Debate: Should Homeschoolers Be Allowed on Public-School Sports Teams?
Link: Andrew J. Rotherman, www.Time.com, February 16, 2012
Pasadena Homeschoolers Get Off to a Fast Start in 2012
Link: www.pasadenavoice.com, January 25, 2012
Major Victory for Homeschool Graduates Enlisting in the Military
Link: www.hlsda.org, January 13, 2012
Two Families, Two Takes on Virtual Schooling
Link: Heidi Mitchell, Wall Street Journal Online, December 15, 2011
Carroll County Group Promotes Music for All Ages
Link: Katie V. Jones, Baltimore Sun, December 4, 2011
A Homeschooler Goes To College
Link: Kate Fridkis, www.salon.com, November 12, 2011
My Parents Were Homeschooling Anarchists
Link: Margaret Heidenry, New York Times, November 8, 2011
High Marks for Home Schooling, a Small Study Finds
Link: Meredith Melnick, Time: Healthland, September 15, 2011
Homeschool Co-ops Tap Pooled Resources
Link: Jim Carleton, Wall Street Journal Online, September 8, 2011
Curtain Falls on All Efforts to Raise Compulsory School Age
Link: HSLDA, www.hslda.org, August 31, 2011
Number of Homeschooled Students Down Slightly In Maryland
Link: Alessa Giampaolo, Owings Mills Patch, August 1, 2011
Thurmont teen's art to grace U.S. Capitol
Link: Frederick News Post, July 14, 2011, originally published May 19, 2011
After Home Schooling, Pomp and Traditional Circumstances
Link: New York Times, Tamar Lewin, June 18, 2011
Arundel Homeschoolers Host Curriculum Fair
Link: Patch.com, June 9, 2011
Students Earn Scholarships for Environmental Studies
Link: Gazette.net, June 8, 2011
Cyber-schooled Students: Pentagon Snubs Our Service
Link: AP on news.yahoo.com, May 9, 2011
Two HCC Students Part of NASA Scholar Program
Link: www.explorehoward.com, May 18, 2011
Local Homeschooled Student a Presidential Scholar
Link: Inside Ed, Baltimore Sun, May 12, 2011
Umbrella Diplomas Problematic for Maryland Law Enforcement Jobs
Link: HSLDA website, www.hslda.org, May 4, 2011
Homechoolers in Eldersburg
Link: Eldersburg.net, Laurel Robinson, April 28, 2011
Local Homeschooled Student a Presidential Scholar
Link: Baltimore Sun, May 12, 2011
In Spite of Top Ranked Schools, Some Carroll County Families Choose to Educate at Home
Link: Westminster Patch, Kim Byrnes, March 23, 2011
Home schooling's appeal spreads to mainstream
Link: www.Reuters.com, Lauren Keiper, March 16, 2011
Ending home-school stereotypes
Link: Omaha World-Herald, Joe Dejka, February 13, 2011
Do Homeschoolers Deserve a Tax Break?
Link: New York Times, January 5, 2011
Colleges Nationwide Recruit College Grads
Link: Christian News Wire, January 4, 2011
Chesapeake Sees Spike in Homeschooled Students
Link: PilotOnline.com, Hampton Roads, December 26, 2010
Race to Nowhere - Are High Schools Hurting Our Students?
Link: Huffington Post, Kate Fridkis, December 14, 2010
Colleges Now Required to Determine “Validity” of High School Diplomas
Link: HSLDA website, www.hslda.org, November 2, 2010
Class Dismissed: 3DStoryFilms Working on Documentary About Homeschooling
Link: Learning Freely Network, October 10, 2010
Who Homeschools in DC-And Why?
Link: NBC4 Blog, PJ Orvetti, September 28, 2010
At School At Home, Homeschooling in DC
Link: NBC4 Blog, PJ Orvetti, September 25, 2010
As Homeschooling Moves to Mainstream, Stigma Fades
Link: MSNBC, September 28, 2010
Achieving Techno-Literacy
Link: NY Times, Kevin Kelly, September 16, 2010
Charles County Rattles Saber, Promptly Retreats
Link: www.hsdla.org, September 10, 2010
Homeschooling for Trendy Brooklynites, Or People Like Me (Editor's note: interesting post by adult who was unschooled)
Link: Huffington Post , Kate Fridkis, August 26, 2010
School's In
Link: NY Times, August 18, 2010
School at Home
Link: Frederick News Post, Editorial, August 23, 2010
Students Go To Head of Class with Homeschooling
Link: Frederick News Post, Marge Neal, August 22, 2010
Deciding to Homeschool
Link: NY Times, Motherlode - Adventures in Parenting Blog, Lisa Belkin, August 17, 2010
Set Your Kids Free with Some Free Range Learning (Book Review)
Link: www.wired.com, Geek Dad blog, August 15, 2010
New Study Shows Homeschoolers Succeeding in College
Link: www.hsdla.org, August 3, 2010
Valedictorian's Speech: "When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost?"
Link: Washington Times, Helping to Homeschool Blog, Amie Beal, July 25, 2010
Cab Schooled Students Earned Ticket to Harvard
Link: National Public Radio (NPR) transcript, July 20, 2010
Can Homeschoolers Do Well in College?
Link: www.moneywatch.bnet.com, Lynn O'Shaunessey, The College Solution, July 20, 2010
Homeschool Ban in Sweden Forces Families to Mull Leaving
Link: Washington Times, July 18, 2010
Homeschool Options - Curriculum or Not
Link: ABC News, Carole Feldman, Associated Press, July 13, 2010
Home Schooled Champs
Link: Frederick News Post, June 29, 2010
Homeschooled Students Bring Home National LifeSmarts Title
Link: Frederick News Post, June 27, 2010
Friends hope to find friends for lonely animals, seniors
Link: Frederick News Post, May 09, 2010
Homeschool Leaders Go to Washington
Link: www.hsdla.org, May 11, 2010
Classical Conversations: an editorial by Sam Bennett
Link: Frederick News Post, April 27, 2010
Homeschool Guilt: When a Child Returns to Public School
Link: Psychologytoday.com, April 10, 2010
Book Review: Love in a Time of Homeschooling
Link: Washington Post, April 6, 2010
Homeschoolers Do Well in FCPS Science and Engineering Fair
Link: fcpl.org, website of Frederick County Public Schools
Homeschooling on the Rise in Fairfax County
Link: Washington Post, April 1, 2010
Why Our Kids Don't Go to Kindergarten
Link: Salon Magazine, March 15, 2010
Frederick County Christian Homeschoolers Place 4th in Local MathCounts Competition
Link: Frederick News Post, March 9, 2010
Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses Yearning to Homeschool
Link: Time Magazine, March 10, 2010
Children Teach Themselves to Read: Unschoolers' accounts of how their children taught themselves to read.
Link: Psychology Today, blog of Peter Gray, February 24, 2010
Beat the Burnout
Link: Washington Times, February 24, 2010
Muslims turning to home schooling in increasing numbers
Link: Washington Post, February 21, 2010
High Schools to Offer Plan to Graduate 2 Years Early
Link: New York Times, February 17, 2010
Homeschoolers Fight For Access to Public School Teams
Link: Sports Illustrated, January 14, 2010
Homeschooling Grows Up
Link: Washington Times, December 13, 2009
Homeschoolers Thrive at Bees
Link: The Washington Times, November 22, 2009
Home is Where the School Is
Link: The Capital-Hometown Annapolis, November 15, 2009
If School Is Cool, We Win
Link: BaltimoreMagazine.net, November 13, 2009
Homeschooling, How We Do It (Part 2 of 2)
Link: Salon Magazine, October 19, 2009
Owner Eyes Growth for Homeschooling Website
Link: Maryland Gazette Business, October 22, 2009
Home School
Editorial by local homeschooling dad, Sam Bennett, in FNP
Link: The Frederick News Post, October 13, 2009
Confessions of a Homeschooler (Part I of 2)
Link: Salon Magazine, September 28, 2009
From Homeschooling to Unschooling
Parents believe in letting children set the pace
Link: The Baltimore Sun, September 3, 2009
Telos Academy at Mindworks Gets New Director
Educational program for homeschoolers gets new director
Link: Frederick News Post, August 8, 2009
A Child's Greeting to the President
Link: Frederick News Post, April 5, 2009
Parents Discuss the Value of Homeschooling
Local parent discusses pros and cons of homeschooling in Frederick County
Link: Frederick News Post, January 23, 2008
Editor's note: Links may or may not be available depending on the news organization's archiving policies. We apologize for any inconvenience; copyright laws apply, therefore we cannot print these articles directly on Homeschool Frederick!