Manchester Area Homeschoolers
February 24, 2010
Parent Support Newsletter
WEBSITE:  http://manchnh-homeschoolers.tripod.com/ 
Editor:  Kimberly Lacerte
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" Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
-- William Butler Yeats 
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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
1.  Overview of our February meeting
2.  NHHC Spring Workshop March 20
3.  Legislative items of interest
4.  First Annual PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest for Grades K-5!

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1.  Overview of our February meeting

This month our family celebrated the flexibility of homeschooling.  Snowstorms, illness, and a road trip to South Carolina all seemed to interfere with the educational pursuits in our house.  Thankfully, homeschooling makes it easy to adjust our schedules when life gets too hectic.  

I was not alone in this need for flexibility.  At our meeting this month we all agreed that with homeschooling it feels as if homelife and school are all facets of the same crazy life.

Our support group meets at Barnes and Nobles on South Willow St. Manchester on the 3rd Sunday of each month from 6:30 - 8:30pm.  Our next meeting is March 21, 2010.  
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2.  New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition Spring Workshop March 20
 
Get inspired at the New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition Spring Workshop, Saturday, March 20, at the Nackey Loeb School in Manchester . 
 
The morning session features a panel of experienced homeschoolers who will describe how homeschooling works for their families.  You’ll hear about various types of curriculum, different teaching and learning styles, ways to keep students motivated, and how to solve problems that come up when teaching at home.  We’ll also briefly explain the New Hampshire home education law for those new to homeschooling.
 
In the afternoon, we’ll discuss homeschooling through high school.  A panel of homeschooling parents and teens will get into the nitty gritty of covering high school work at home, in group classes, online, and at community college. The group will cover entering the workforce, preparing transcripts and college applications, and answer questions from the audience.
 
Registration is at 9:00 , A Homeschooling Sampler at 9:30 - 11:30 , Homeschooling Through High School and Beyond at 1:00-3:00 .  Admission is $15 if pre-registered, $20 at the door.  To pre-register and for details go to www.nhhomeschooling.org, or contact Jane Grady, 437-3547.
 
Special thanks to our sponsors:  The New England School of Archery, The Concord Fencing Club, Diane Lachance, Certified Zentangle Teacher in Contoocook, and The New Hampshire Germanic Association German Language School.

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3.  Legislative items of interest to homeschoolers

HB 1580 came out of committee as ITL, inexpedient to legislate.  It is scheduled to be included in the March Roll Call vote list, however, the date isn't published on the state website.  

Here is the state website, if you're interested in following the state of the bill:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/results.aspx

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4.  First Annual PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest for Grades K-5!

This contest encourages creative young writers and illustrators in grades K-5  to create an original story. The contest is a national contest sponsored by local PBS stations. (It was previously the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.) The contest runs from January 27-March 24.

NHPTV will select first, second, and third place winners in grades K-3. The first place winners at each grade level will be sent on to compete at the national level. Winning stories from New Hampshire will be placed on our web site and the authors will be invited to an awards ceremony at NHPTV in Durham. There is no national contest for grades 4-5. First, second, and third place winners in these grades are only eligible for local prizes. (We expanded the contest in New Hampshire based on feedback from past participants in the Reading Rainbow Contest. )

You will find entry forms, rules, writing tips, contest details, and past winning stories on our web site at www.nhptv.org/kidswrite.

Susan C. Adams
NHPTV Knowledge Network
603-868-4354
sadams@nhptv.org

PBS KIDS GO! Writing Contest
K-5 kids send us your best stories!
January 27-March 24
www.nhptv.org/kidswrite