Win an Elsie Dinsmore doll or a William Wallace sword!

HomeschoolWriters.com is sponsering a writing contest to encourage homeschoolers to write!

Who can enter the most writing contests this year? Enter more than any one else and you will be named Homeschool Writer of the Year, and win your choice of either an Elsie Dinsmore doll or the William Wallace Sword.

The goal is to help students see that winning a contest is not the important part-- it's entering the contest itself. That's where this competition comes in; we try to encourage the student to enter writing contests without getting discouraged that they didn't win each contest. We award recognition not for who won the most but for who entered the most. Our hope is that students will find entering contests fun, even if they don't win.

To learn more, please visit www.HomeschoolWriters.com.

Free American History DVDs for Homeschoolers

The History Channel is giving away free DVDs and educational supplies of their upcoming American History program (12 hours). It's supposed to be really good and will have lots of reenactments instead of just narration.

Homeschoolers can get in on the action! Here is the link to sign up for your free copy: classroom.history.com/america-dvd/event/form.

Iowa Test of Basic Skills

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (grades 1-12) Test with Helen Holmes at The Rock
Tuesday May 18 through Thursday May 20, 2010 See note below on high school dates.
Location: The Rock, 2413 N. Harris Ave. (a block behind IHOP on 23rd and Highway 231)
Tentative arrival time on Wednesday is 8:30 AM
Pick-up time is approximately 11 AM-12 Noon each day.
An email will be sent with final details.

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (grades 1-8) and the Iowa Test of Educational Development (grades 9-11/12) will be given on May 18, 19, 20, 2010 at the Rock. Testing will be ONLY in the morning, with students to be picked up around 12 noon each of the 3 days. Any home school student is eligible to register.

!! Note this is a separate testing from Cathy Pascoe (Sue Alford) and ithinkers, which tests over 2 days elsewhere on different dates!!

This is accepted by the Bay District Schools and state of Florida as one option for your required annual evaluation. No scores will be sent to them, the scores will be sent to you. You will send in a form stating that your child has been tested.

Registration is now being accepted. Testing will be over a 3 day period only in the morning, allowing students to go home for lunch. A short break will be offered each morning. High school students will be tested over 2 days, May 18-19.

Registrations are being taken now till March 31st. I will order April 1st and cannot guarantee being able to take late registrations. Also, some grade levels may fill up.

Costs:
$43 per test if postmarked in January or February

$53 per test if postmarked in March

Send:
1--a check made out to Helen Holmes
2--a stamped (liberty bell preferred) self addressed business envelope (one envelope for up to 3 children; no 8 x 11 manilla envelopes!)
3--a 3 X 5 card with:
Child's Name AND GRADE
Parents' names and cell numbers, and email address for communication and updates.
Address
Home phone number
Reading ability: high or low or average.
Any environmental or testing needs you may be aware of.

Send registration to:
Helen Holmes
927 Huntingdon Rd.
Panama City, FL 32405

Questions may be answered by emailing Helen Holmes: hholmes40@aol.com or calling 785-9099.

Practical Homeschooling Part 2: Digging into Literature

Reading is one of the joys most home school parents want to pass onto their children. We read aloud. We teach reading. We listen to our dear ones read. That I would say is one of the greatest joys of the early years! But as they mature, the joys turn to discussions of the characters, setting, plot, themes, literary structure, biblical allusions, etc. Do you know how to find these things in the literature your children are reading. How do you find good literature? What are living books? What is twaddle? What are the questions to ask my child as we read together. Will this ruin the enjoyment of reading? Is reading different in non fiction than fiction?

All home school parents are invited to come have fun together and learn the answers to some of these questions. Bring your pencil as we will look into a favorite children's story to work out how much we can find by digging into it. You never knew how much treasure was in Peter Rabbit!

Monday, March 29 from 6:00-8:00pm at Heritage Bible Church.

No RSVP needed unless you need childcare. Email hholmes40@aol.com for reservations with ages and number of children.
FREE

Sponsored by Classical Conversations of Panama City.
Information about Classical Conversations programs will be available for participants to take home or questions can be asked in the Q & A session. Materials used in our program, including literature, will be on display. No book sales will be offered on site.

Christopher Columbus’ Niña and Pinta

Replicas of Christopher Columbus’ Niña and Pinta vessels sailed into the Panama City Marina on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 to set up a temporary floating museum and will stay until Monday, March 21, 2010.

The ships are touring as a sailing museum. They offer guided tours and displays for school groups and the public. Each ship has a crew of four people who will be on hand to answer questions and talk about the vessels.

This Niña was launched in 1992 and has been called by Archaeology magazine the “most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.” Of the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, the smaller, faster Niña was Columbus’ favorite ship, and he made most of his journeys on it. The replica Niña has sailed a half-million miles, docked in 600 ports and traveled through the Panama Canal about a dozen times. This is the fourth time the Niña has docked in Panama City.

This is the first time the sister ship Pinta has come to town. The Pinta was built 50 percent larger than the original vessel and was completed in 2005. After spending some time taking day-sailing trips in the Caribbean, the Pinta joined the Niña to tour the country and offer a historical perspective.

The two ships — both built in Brazil — are run by the Columbus Foundation and give tours of the vessels to remain in operation. The vessels also periodically are used for films and documentaries, Morgan Sanger said. There currently are no plans to build a replica of the Santa Maria. To learn more about the ship visit theNina.com.

Educator Appreciation Week at Borders

Educator Appreciation Week at Borders starts this Friday, March 19, 2010 and runs through Saturday March 27. During the whole week, educators will receive 30% off of their total purchases. Homeschoolers are eligible for this great savings too! Bring in you EAW card or ID cards, they can issue you an EAW card at the point of purchase.

There will also be a reception for educators on Saturday March 20 at 2pm. There will be giveaways, drawings, sampling from the cafe, and a local author.