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Christ's walk (needs shockwave) |
Subj: Youth Homeschooler's Epistle Issue 3 Part 1 April 1999 Responses from last week's Question of the Week: Recently I took a trip to Gatlinburg for a business show and one of my step-mom's customers asked me about homeschooling. The man used to be a school superintendent and thought that all children should be in a public school or private school. What would you have said to defend your homeschooling situation? Q_for_Quincy@yahoo.com ( Andrew Jones ) writes: is home schooling?". This can be very difficult to answer, I am going to site some examples of people I know personally to help show the many faces of "Home schooling." I will not use these peoples names to avoid any embarrassment. This paper I believe will help give you some answer's to defend your choice of education. Allot of people don't understand that there are more way's to learn then just sitting behind a desk. This is a good time for me to write this paper because I am starting to go out and learn on my own, I really started to teach myself after I read an inspiring book, "Calvin and Hobbes." walking along in the woods and they see a snake and go running off to find a book about snakes and then Calvin stop's dead in his tracks and say's "Hay wait this is summer I don't to learn any thing in the summer!" and Hobbes say's "If nobody makes you do it, it count's as fun" (That's not exact but hay!.. Who is these days?). This is all about different way's of doing school none are better then any other they are all designed for individuals. I am going to talk about a little girl named sue (the name has been changed to protect the starving polar bear's in "Zimbabwe" so please send check or money order to save.com@aol.com). Sue loves wolves, I don't mean 'likes' I mean 'LOVES'. she has read every book at every library she can find, she look's wolves up on the internet all the time looking for more information (she usually end's up finding allot of new porn site's). The girl has her own 'scientific journal' that she wrote on wolves. She started a save the wolves club with her friends. I asked her one day if she thought reading about wolves was school. She said (remember this is a ten year old girl) "My research on the 'maximous canious readious'(parody of Latin here not a real name) or commonly known as 'big red wolf' (remember all names have been changed here.:). I believe is a kind of school. I don't do all of it for school most of it's just for fun." This is one type of "Home schooling" it is a blend of "Just sit down and do the page of math." and the "Okay kids today we will learn about nuclear weaponry by watching the news then If your entrusted you can write a 2'000 word research paper about it!". This is the most commonly used method if you don't use this method you are abnormal and should be teased, ridiculed, singled out and live with low self esteem the rest of your life even while you are making millions of dollars more then Bill Gates and watch the scum who picked on you living off well fare and...sorry this isn't public school were nice to weirdoes. The evidence is that I know some people who don't try to kill me with sharpened pencils every time they see me. Next I will tell you about the type of "Home schoolers" that most people think of when they think of "Home schoolers's". I will call these people "Gov. dodgers". 'Gov dodger's' are the people who live in abandon warehouses on the edges of town. The people who don't have birth certificates for there children or social security numbers and don't pay taxes because "The Government is evil" I don't think that every thing the government does is good but this is extreme. I want to clarify that I AM NOT talking about anything to do with Y2K. These people are the one's who's "Five year old kid can do trigonometry on his finger's." and "build a computer from scratch." This is all good because most of these kids will grow up and never be able to get a driver's license or go to collage because their parents didn't believe in social security's. This is what most people think about when they think about "Home schooling". There are also the people who are of the old school. These "Home schoolers" have "A time for every thing and a season for every thing under the sun." (this is an indirect quote from the Bible i am quoting a song by the birds who were singing a quote from the bible) My friend Fred does this. He wakes up at six in the morning and brushes his teeth takes a shower eats brushes his teeth again and then start's his school day out of his Mc.Guffy ninth grade reader and does his lesion on a modern slate (dry erase board). Then he raises his hand and asks to go to the bathroom. and he... well never mind. then he does his math (not Saxon...it didn't have enough repetition and all the problems were to easy). Then he does P.E. and goes out side and plays dodge ball(by himself). After the 'Game' of dodge ball he runs lifts weights and does other exercises. Then it's time for oops, I forgot lunch well he eats lunch some time in there. Then they do spelling, grammar, geography, and history. This is the type of schooling that most mother's think you should do when you "Home school". And the kind of thing kid's dread. In conclusion I think that "Home schooling" is the best way for me to learn. I don't think that public school's are bad or anything(yes I do I hate public school). I just don't like to learn that way. I like the way we do school because "It fit's me" I can learn at my own pace and I am not being influenced by anybody(except my mom my dad my third cousin on my grandma's side and every other Tom Dick and Hairy I meet). The question I started out with was "What is home schooling?" but the one i ended up with is "What do you mean by "Home schooling"?". I believe that the best answer to an "I think every kid should go to public school." person is, "I don't want to end up like you!" SJRuth1055 ( Me! Savannah Ruth ) writes: Homeschooling to me is a gift. It is a wonderful gift that our parents give us. To give up their time to school us ( even sometimes when they are fed up with us and don't really feel like schooling us ). My mother felt like the best way that she could give me a good Christian education was to school me at home. We use the Bible as our chief textbook. And most of what we do is centered around it. Take for instance, right now I am learning about the Reformation of the Church During the Middle Ages. Do you think that I would learn that in a public school? And if I did, it probably wouldn't go anywhere as much as I'd like to study it, things that interest me, such as history, I want to study as much in depth as I can. Now science and math are totally different stories..lol. By homeschooling I am able to do things like play soccer, act in plays, coach soccer, volunteer at the library and do the meals-on wheels program here in Rome. I would be entirely too busy with homework and other things to occupy my time to do things like that. Homeschooling gives the freedom to be an individual. I can be my own person and not the person that my peers want me to be. I will be the woman God wants me to be. So in closing Homeschooling was the best choice for my life. It may not be for everyone but it certainly is for me. :-) Got2BTru16 ( Joy Meadows ) writes: In a classic point-by-point style: 1. Homeschooling is as historical as it gets. I mean as old-fashioned, as time proven, as ultra-traditional as ever a schooling method was. Adam and Eve homeschooled. And you can bet your geological column that early cavemen didn't send their cave-kids to public schools! 2. Homeschooling has outstanding results. Whether you're looking at test scores or social skills or interfamily relations, home schooling is often better than most alternatives. 3. Homeschool kids can spell. Usually. I mean we know that the word is "cool" not "kewl". "Kewl" being an expression engineered by an ultra hip "in-crowd" most-popular-in-the-school girl who figured that the rules of English grammar and spelling made way for her, not the other way around. (My personal theory) Also we can spell "girl" and "woman" they are not "gurl" or "grrl" and not "womin" or "womyn", thank you so much. :) 4. And it follows that homeschool kids are smart. Incidentally they're also often responsible, independent, self-directed, and rather ingenious. 5. They also have decent vocabularies and can vividly describe an experience without using the words "cool", "wow", "bomb", or "awesome." 6. Statisitcs have shown (or, could show) that very few homeschooled children grow up to be ax murderers, and that homeschooled teenagers are far less likely than their counterparts to walk into their classroom and blow away their classmate, teacher, ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. 7. They are also far less likely to be that classmate or ex-girl or boy friend. 8. Not saying that all homeschooled teens are angels, but they tend to stay out of trouble with the law, don't use drugs too often unless you're talking about Tylenol, the weapons they carry into school are probably pocket knives, and I'd bet they get fewer tickets for reckless driving, speeding, DUI, and related offenses. 9. Homeschoolers tend to break lots of records. 10. Perhaps you could say that homeschooled kids would do well and be happy, perfectly well-behaved kids in public school, too, because of parental involvement. But perhaps you can't; many have been there and done that and that's why they're here not there. 11. Adults, such as neighbors, employers, and check-out people, like well mannered, polite, thinking kids and even teens. 12. ...Now what was that you were saying about having my dad telecommute or carpool for ecological reasons? Well we beat you to the punch there, because we've been telecommuting for years! :) 13. Lastly, homeschooling is great for us. It's what we do, you do your thing and we do ours. You're into accepting and tolerating different lifestyles, well homeschooling is a lifestyle, so you can go ahead and accept it. (And please do go ahead and tolerate it, it's rather tiring having to keep up with various homeschool-intolerant laws that some groups try to get passed.) It's a free country, we're legal, we're cool, and we get results. :) Subj: Youth Homeschooler's Epistle Issue 3 Part 2 Profile: What a typical school day at your house is like: I usually get up about 9:00 except when I've stayed up late the night before. I work on school until lunch and then I eat lunch and check my mail. (Even though no one is ever on to talk to at that time!) Sometimes, I wait until night to check my mail but it just depends on what I have to do that day! After that I go back to my school and I finish about 2:00. During the week I have swim practice 2 times a week, piano, and other different things throughout the week. Name: Victoria Sloan Orr..................to my friends I'm Vickie E-mail address: SYNCSWIM14@aol.com Age:16 How long you've been homeschooled: This is the end of my 7th year. Siblings: Marie, 21, is going to college, Margaret, 11, and Stewart, 10 What you like most about being homeschooled: It would have to be the flexibility. Because I think if I were in regular school, I wouldn't be able to do things I'm doing now. What you hate most about being homeschooled: Lack of socialization. I don't get to see a lot of my friends as much as I would like because most of them go to public school. Hobbies: Playing the piano, writing letters via e-mail or snail mail, synchronized swimming, talking and spending time with my friends TeenPact, debate, and sleep. Interests: teaching others, getting my lifesaving, trying to make others feel good about what they are doing or about themselves. What you want to be when you grow up: I've always wanted to teach but not in the public realm, unless that's where the Lord leads. I would rather be a teacher mainly to my future children and hopefully to those around me! Thanks Vickie! _______________________ Book Review: "The Silver Sword "by Angela Elwell Hunt The first book in a series called " The Heir's of Cahira O'Connor". Where a girl named Kathleen O'Connor researches her ancestors. Recommended by: Savannah Ruth There's this extremely cool book by Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Actually that's the first in a series of four books. All four books are great. I guess the genre is sci-fi, not something I usually read but this is an exception. The books kind of defy explanation but they're about this guy who travels around the universe getting perspective. The books are very unique and very creative. This is a series of short books that you can read to find that the answer to the question of "life, the universe and everything" is 42. Having said that, the problem that then comes up is "what was the question." If you're curious about that, or time warps or improbability drives or Galactic Blasters, go read the books. Recommended by: Joy Meadows ______________________ Actual Signs Seen On Church Property... A singing group called "The Resurrection" was scheduled to sing at a church. When a big snowstorm postponed the performance, the pastor fixed the outside sign to read, "The Resurrection is postponed." An ad for St.Joseph's Episcopal Church has a picture of two hands holding stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and a headline that reads, "For fast, fast, fast relief, take two tablets." When the restaurant next to the Lutheran Church put out a big sign with red letters that said, "Open Sundays," the church reciprocated with its own message: "We are open on Sundays, too." "No God -- No Peace. Know God -- Know Peace." "Free Trip to heaven. Details Inside!" "Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins." "Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!" "Have trouble sleeping? We have sermons -- come hear one!" "People are like tea bags -- you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are." "God so loved the world that He did not send a committee." "Come in and pray today. Beat the Christmas rush!" "When down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out alright." "Sign broken. Message inside this Sunday." "Fight truth decay -- study the Bible daily." "How will you spend eternity -- Smoking or Non-smoking?" "Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives": "Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world." "It is unlikely there'll be a reduction in the wages of sin." "Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church." "If you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns." "If you don't like the way you were born, try being born again." "Looking at the way some people live, they ought to obtain eternal fire insurance soon." Three guys walked into a bar... Gee, you'd think one of them would have ducked! Peter Shooner, OH Once a man having recurring problems with gas decided the issue was so bad he would consult with his doctor. He told the doctor, "Hey, doc, you know every time I pass wind, it makes this weird sound: 'honda, honda, honda'." The doctor grew contemplative and scratched his head, then asked to look into the man's mouth. The man obliged, and the doctor responded with "A-HA, I have it! My pet theory is correct! Thank you." "Well, doc - what was it?" "In the back of your mouth is a large abscess, just along the back molars. Thank you again for confirming my theory, sir!" "What's your theory?!" "Abscess makes the fart go 'honda'." Carolyn Dowd, San Francisco, CASo this state trooper was patrolling on the side of a road, and he sees this car driving down the highway at a snail's pace. He pulls the car over, and he sees a nun at the wheel. He asks the nun why she was going so slow. The nun says, "But officer, the sign back there says that the speed limit was 25." "No ma'am, that sign said Route 25." Just then, he looks in the passenger seat and sees another nun clutching on to the handle on the door and looking like she'd seen the second coming. He looked in the back seat and there were three more nuns doing similar things, and even one saying a quick rosary. "Ma'am, what are the rest of your passengers doing?" She replied, "Well, officer, I think we just got off Route 115..." Dave Thackara, Kingston, PAFrom ________________________ Scripture of the Week: " The Lord is my light and my salvation--- so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger--- so why should I tremble? When evil people come to destroy me when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident." Psalms 27:1-3 I think this is a wonderful verse to remember when we are going through tough times. That the Lord is with us no matter what we're facing, even if it seems sometimes that he isn't, he reassures us with his scripture that he is with us always. ____________________ Prayer Requests: - Please everyone let's pray for the people over in Kosovo, because they are going through some tough times. - And let's also pray for the families of the victims of the shootings in Colorado ___________________ Websites: The Epistle Website- index1 (home) The Epistle website offers the following attractions: a chatroom (suitable for those times when everyone is online at the same time and all are finding it hard to juggle 5 different IM windows and conversations at once), a poll (the poll topic changes every once in a while), back issues of the Epistle newsletter, a message board (that is incidentally, totally blank so far), and a links page. Plus some other stuff like a shockwave movie and a guidelines page, and there's a guestbook there too. Mock Trial Website- gracemt check out the Grace Mock Trial team..... Josh Polley's Website- Jap813's Page _________________________ Well, that's it for the third issue of The Youth Homeschooler's Epistle! Special thanks to: Joy Meadows, Andrew Jones, and Vickie Orr. We'd enjoy some feedback send to: grace911@eudoramail.com Savannah Ruth
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