ENOCH of NJ: Education Network of Christian Homeschoolers of New Jersey

ENOCH of New Jersey e-Newsletter

August 2009

From the President’s Desk

Friends,

Last September while our family attended a National Homeschool Leaders Conference I received a book call “Home School Heroes, the Struggles & Triumph of Home Schooling in America” by Chris Klicka.  It is about the beginnings of the modern homeschooling movement in America.  I was finally able to read it.  It’s fascinating to see what some of the early pioneers in the movement went through and accomplished.  To think that in the early1980’s it was illegal to homeschool in most states.  I have been privileged to have met some of those people who have been there from the beginning. They are just as fervent in their desire to the see the homeschool movement go forward today as they were back then, even though many of their children are now adults.  Gone are the days of secretly homeschooling, hoping that you would not be arrested and taken to court just because you believed it was your God given responsibility to educate your children.

We should be very thankful for what we have here in New Jersey; while the rest of the country was going through some difficult times in homeschooling we had it very easy.  Two court cases, one in 1965 and one in 1967 gave parents the ability to homeschool based on New Jersey compulsory education law. ENOCH, along with HSLDA and the NJDOE, worked on revising the Klagholz policies on homeschool education. From those meetings, the “Homeschooling Questions and Answers (Q & A)” document was designed. I’m grateful for those who labored so hard in the past to put us where we are today. At times we take it for granted and that should never be.

As the summer starts to wind down and final preparations for school continue, let us remember the freedoms we enjoy and thank God for those who fought the battles in other states to allow all Americans to homeschool without fear.

In relation to this, ENOCH would ask that you prayerfully consider your support in the organization. Our Board is in great need at this time for additional Board members. If you feel strongly in support of ENOCH and led to join, please contact me at president@enochnj.org. We are presently stretched to our limit. We need your help.  Thank you in advance for your prayers.

God Bless,
Richard Millward
President, ENOCH of New Jersey

Encouraging Words

National Homeschool Leaders Share Their Wisdom with NJ Homeschoolers - ENOCH is glad to pass on inspirational thoughts and encouragement from Homeschool Leaders across the nation.  Dorothy Karman's insights might be just what you need to get a good spiritual perspective for your upcoming year.

Homeschooling:

Author: Dorothy Karman
Published in: OCEANetwork Waves

not just an educational option . . .

When we begin home-schooling, most of us view homeschooling as one of three options for educating our children – we can choose public school, private school or home school. And we choose homeschooling for a multitude of reasons as the best alternative for our family. It may be that our child needs more one-on-one attention, or that he is being bullied, or that we want to teach academics from a biblical perspective.

Whatever the reason we begin homeschooling, we spend a lot of time focusing on the “schoolish” aspects of education. I even went so far as to pack my children’s lunch and send them out the back door to return via the front door to be welcomed and taught by “Mrs. Karman.” When the bell rang, my children filed into their desks in the schoolroom.

That didn’t last long.

In homeschool support group meetings, we talked about the difference between home school and home education. We realized that, after all, a real education wasn’t dependent on bringing all the trappings of school into the home. Education was:

The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manner. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which in intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.)

That kind of education didn’t depend on my children calling me Mrs. Karman or spending 6 hours at the school desks each day. Homeschooling became home education.

We began to realize that our children were learning all the time. We could read street signs as we drove along. They could learn about the American Revolution cuddled up on the couch while Mom read Johnny Tremain. They could learn to multiply fractions by halving a recipe. Life itself became full of rich learning experiences. Home education became a lifestyle of learning.

As Dick and I learned about providential history for the first time along with our children, learning took on a whole different meaning when looked at from a biblical perspective. We became excited that we were free to teach those things compatible with a biblical worldview. We learned about God through our study of science. We studied reading because we wanted to be able to read God’s word. We studied writing, spelling and speaking so we could communicate the love of God to others. And we not only saw God’s hand in the academics, but we also began to see God’s hand in everything. Home education became a lifestyle of learning to think from a biblical worldview.

As we progressed through the stages of understanding the potential of homeschooling in our family’s life, I would still get bogged down with academics. The pressure of getting through the textbook or cranking out so many papers was relentless. And when I would focus on what I thought we should be accomplishing, I would get frustrated and impatient. But God was helping us realize our focus needed to be on the eternal souls of our family and not just the academics we needed to get through.

The lessons that were truly important were lessons on faithfulness, on commitment, on following through on what you said you would do, on loving God and others, and serving God and others. Home education became a lifestyle of discipleship.

But the relationship with our children didn’t end when they graduated from homeschool. We continue to disciple them as they become independent, as they marry and start families of their own, as they face the inevitable trials of life. They are still watching and learning from us. How do we handle disagreements and disputes at church? How are we honoring our mother and father as they age? How are we growing old gracefully? How do we handle trials and tribulations of life? They see how we apply the Bible to our everyday lives - even when they are not living at home. This, too, is discipling and it goes on for a lifetime. Praise God!

So homeschooling is not just another educational option,

                                                    . . .   it is a lifetime of discipleship.

Dorothy and her husband, Dick, are veteran homeschoolers and the founding members of the Oregon Christian Home Education Association Network (OCEANetwork). Both their children have graduated from homeschool high school and Dick and Dorothy are delighted grandparents of two grandsons. Even though they are no longer homeschooling, Dick still serves as Chairman of the OCEANetwork Board and Dorothy is in charge of publications.

Copyright 2007. Dorothy Karman, OCEANetwork, 17985 Falls City Road, Dallas, OR 97212. Permission to reprint granted if copied in its entirety.

GPA SmartStore

Have you signed up yet with the GPA SmartStore? If not, why not? Read about this website and visit GPA at www.gpasmartstore.com.

GPA Mission
Over the past two decades, home-based teaching has matured into an established and respected alternative to public and private school education. Today, expansive growth in the movement and the proliferation of electronic technology have combined to launch an exciting e-education transformation.
GPA’s mission is to provide educators and parents with an interactive user-friendly Internet experience that offers a wide and comprehensive selection of self-paced educational resources as well as personal assessment, testing, reporting and outreach services at highly competitive rates.

GPA Vision
GPA SmartStore® is the first “one-stop” Internet site for home schooling families.

Whether you're considering home-based teaching for the first time or have taught your children at home for years, GPA SmartStore® places a wide and comprehensive selection of educational materials and learning products at your fingertips at significantly reduced prices. Textbooks and workbooks, both print and electronic format, mixed-media instructional aides, and supplemental materials from the world's leading education publishers and content developers.
Soon we will also release our Parental Administration Schooling System of Profiles, Outreach, Reporting and Tracking: GPA PassPORT®. GPA PassPORT® is an innovative e-education tool that does everything you don't have time or want to do: class schedules, progress reports, transcript records, placement and performance testing.

Perhaps best of all, together GPA SmartStore® and GPA PassPORT® take the anxiety out of selecting the right curriculum. Complete an online profile of your students, and GPA PassPORT® matches his and her unique needs to the educational products that best meet them and offers you choices of individually tailored curricula and other appropriate materials.

GPA PassPORT® also provides an online outreach community where educators and parents meet to share information and experience, and students learn in project groups or talk with peers and advisors. Last but not least, all of your information is guarded by our secure server and the Secure HTTP protocol which encrypts all data before it is sent over the Internet. Furthermore, all member information is username and password – protected against unauthorized access.

Other Events and Opportunities

BRIGHT CO-OP

BRIGHT Co-op starts Sept. 9 and continues on Wednesdays through the school year at First Baptist Church of Metuchen.  This year's classes include: Apologia High School Biology and Lab, Critical Thinking, AP Psychology, Spanish, Beginning French, Gym for all levels, Tapestry of Grace Year 4 (History and Literature), Bible, RealScience, RainbowScience, Magic School Bus Science, Cooking Around the World, and Pre-K classes. BRIGHT classes are at 10, 11, 12:30 and 1:30. Families must attend at least 2 classes, and a parent serves in an assigned co-op position during each class. BRIGHT starts with prayer and devotional at 9:40. We look forward to seeing how the Lord has us grow closer to Him and each other this year. If you're in Central Jersey and have an optimistic, serving attitude for co-oping to supplement your homeschool, this could be a lifeline for you and your dear ones.  Contact Mary Ann Rutter @ njrutters@optonline.net or 732-603-9343. See our webpage at http://www.homeschool-life.com/nj/bright.

THE WESTERLY LEARNING CENTER

The Westerly Learning Center, established in 1984, is an enrichment program for homeschooled children, ages five and older. Classes are held for 32 weeks each year, from September through May, at Westerly Road Church in Princeton, NJ.*  Students may choose from over a dozen different classes held from 9:30 am-12:00 pm and 12:30-3:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Courses offered this fall 2009, including Junior level, lower & upper elementary, middle school age classes, Science Explorers, and a host of other areas including foreign language, logic, history and writing classes.  Westerly Learning Center is a ministry of Westerly Road Church in Princeton, NJ and is overseen by its Board of Elders.For more information, please see our web site: www.westerlylearningcenter.org.   

THE JOY OF SINGING CHORALE:

Li-Chan and John began the JOS Chorale with a group of home schooled children in September, 2007. Their mission is to provide home schoolers with the opportunity to sing a variety of music styles in a chorale setting with emphasis on singing to God’s glory.  The chorale is for grades 1-12 and is a wonderful, affordable way for home schoolers to sing and have fun together. Contact: E-mail: maxchen@juno.com,  Tel: 732-603-0302

RDI & AUTISM

RDI is a developmental model for remediating the core deficits of Autism.   A supervision family is taken thru the process of developmental stages for the child with ASD.  Two are needed and one has already come forward to assist us. There are two children with Autism and they have been doing RDI with great success. The founder of RDI homeschooled his own daughters and basically says the best way to remediate Autism is thru Homeschooling and RDI. He acknowledges not everyone can do that......so he also has many systems in place for the child in school.

If you are interested in becoming a supervision family that is homeschooling the process is approximately 10 months, 2 hours per month of meetings with Kathy Darrow.  With the meetings we implement what is talked about in the home according to RDI. .Please contact Kathy if you are interested at k.darrow@verizon.net  and the website for RDI is. www.rdiconnect.com

HOMESCHOOL BAND OF SOUTH JERSEY

Bruce Smith is the Director of this musical organization. The band consists of student musicians from the Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester County areas, although they have had students from some surrounding counties as well.  All the students in the band are home schooled. The students in the band range in age from 9 to 18 and most take private instrument lessons with private teachers.  They are currently reaching out to homeschool groups in the geographical area mentioned above to try to increase their numbers.  They meet on Monday afternoons (from 1 to 4 PM) in Haddon Heights and will resume band rehearsals in early September.
 
Many of the students audition for and are accepted into South Jersey Jr. H.S. & Sr. H.S. Bands, Olympic Conference Jr. & Sr. H.S. Bands, NJ All-State Band, Orchestra & Wind Ensemble, and even the All Eastern Band (held this past March in Providence, Rhode Island.)  They present  2 main concerts each year- 1 in early December and our spring concert in early May.  They also play a couple other "smaller" concerts for Special Education Schools and for Sr. Citizen facilities in the area.  The band of approximately 40 students is a terrific experience for those students who are proficient on their instruments.  The band plays a wide variety of music in their concerts. 
 
Bruce would be happy to talk to you or make a brief presentation to your group, possibly bringing a small group of their instrumentalists to perform some samples of the type of music we play.  You may reach Bruce via e-mail at trombruce@verizon.net or you may call him at 856-764-0727. 

DEBRA BELL - HIGH SCHOOL @ HOME SEMINAR

October 2-3, 2009, Cornerstone Calvary Chapel, 6550 Route 9 South, Howell, NJ  07731

CHEG is pleased to announce Debra Bell's High School @ Home Seminar
Debra Bell is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling and a popular convention speaker. She has been teaching & advising teens and their parents for the past 20 years.

On October 2-3, 2009, she is coming to Cornerstone Calvary Chapel in Howell, New Jersey to offer a practical seminar for any family thinking about homeschooling through high school. Take time now to learn about and plan for your children's high school years.  Please go to www.homeschool-life.com/nj/cheg and click on the Debra Bell Link on the left to download the mail-in registration form.  Register early.  This event will fill up fast. Any questions, please contact Michele Gross @ grace2u5@verizon.net.

2009-2010 ART CLASSES

Registration is open for the 2009-10 school year Art Classes.  The classes teach the elements of art, incorporate art history, art appreciation and satisfy the NJ requirement for the arts. Students will engage in creative thinking and problem solving, while having an opportunity for self-expression - and fun!
Classes are structured as a full curriculum with lessons building upon one another.  They are held once a week for the school year, from the week of September 14 through the week of May 17, except holiday weeks.  High School credit and grades are available upon request.

All supplies are included in the cost of the class (except film and photo paper for Photography). There is a $10.00 non-refundable registration fee for each student. We offer a 10% discount on the total tuition when there is more than one student from a family. 

The Art Classes are taught by Jim & Ruth Cottingham, at their Soli Deo Studio, in Delran. Jim & Ruth both have degrees in Art Education and have taught home school art classes for 10 years. Jim is currently teaching Photography at Delran High School. They have home schooled seven children and enjoy working with kids of all ages.

For more information or to register please call 856-764-5973 or email soli.deo.studio@gmail.com

Art classes are offered for all age groups at various prices. Please contact them directly for more information.

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

Discovery Camp ‘09
August 10- 21, 2009 includes: Biology and robotics. August 24 – 28, 2009 includes: physics and chemistry.
Call for pricing, 215-448-1286. Details at www.fi.edu/Discovery

ADVENTURE AQUARIUM HOME SCHOOL DAYS

2009 Home School Weeks at Adventure Aquarium are set for September 14-18, October 12-16 and November 9-13. Ticket Costs are as follows:  Children $10 and Adults $10. There is a FREE Scavenger Hunt worksheet if you want to participate. When you register please let the aquarium know how many sheets you would like. You need to register your lunch space if you have a group of 15 or more. For more information or to register, please call 856-365-3000 x7545 or email: JTaggart@AdventureAquarium.com Thank you.

CHERUBINI ARTS ACADEMY

35 W. Broad St. Burlington, NJ 08016
(609) 386-0005
Fall 2009 Home School is offering classes in the arts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. Classes to include: Ballet, tap, jazz, voice/choir, fine art, string ensemble and more. Anyone interested should call the Arts Academy for further information.  All classes are $10.00 Per hour except string ensemble which is 15.00 for the hour.  1 ½ hour classes are 15.00 per class, 2hour classes are 20.00.  Tuition to be paid monthly.

COLLEGE-PREP TUTORING IN PHYSICS OR CHEMISTRY

(scheduling available for either Summer’s End or Fall)
Qualifications of Tutor (a.k.a. Dan):
•    Bio-Medical Researcher / Engineer / HS Teacher
•    Master's in Education
•    Already Professionally Tutors On-Line and In Students’ Homes
•    National Tutoring Association Member

Contact:        917 215-3298   or   dan@OnCallTutor.org

2010 HOMESCHOOL GRADUATION GROUP

A group of homeschoolers have met for the past few years in Atlantic City for "Thunder Over the Boardwalk." We will be going to the Atlantic City on Tuesday, August 18th. We will meet in our usual spot on near the Hilton (between the lifeguard stations) between 9:00 am-5:00 pm. The Navy Thunderbirds air show is always held on aWednesday, and they practice the day before the air show. The air show is held out over the ocean from about 11:00-3:00. We usually have the beach to ourselves. We put on out swimsuits, sunscreen, and cover ups. Everybody brings their umbrellas, chairs, and enough food and drinks for the day. The restrooms are close by. There is parking with 1-2 blocks for about $10 for the day.

Bring the whole family and let's help our "Twenty-Tens" to leave their "footprints in the sand!" Please pass the word on to any other "Twenty-Tens".
Ida

Hello Parents,
This survey has been prepared to gather information to help plan for a 2010 homeschool graduation. It is a general survey that can be completed by any student to indicate the average homeschool seniors preferences. Please allow your student to complete the survey by following the link below. If your student is not graduating this year, you can disregard the survey. Thank you.
 
South Jersey Homeschool Graduations
 
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yLhPKzAwicvHdf2wpbqTjQ_3d_3d

PUBLICATION DATES

ENOCH of NJ e-Newsletter NEXT DEADLINE

 
Here are the Fall deadlines for the ENOCH of NJ e-Newsletters.  The deadlines are firm and coordinated so that we can get you a fresh newsletter by the first of each month.    Thanks.

September 2009 issue: Tuesday, August 25
October  2009 issue: Thursday, September  24
November  2009 issue: Sunday , October 25
December 2009 issue:  Tuesday, November 24

Send all submissions to newsletter@enochnj.org.  This deadline serves the purpose of allowing time for editing and formatting the newsletter in order that time-sensitive information can be posted and mailed in a timely manner. 

Final editing begins at the deadline.  Submissions prior to the deadline are always welcome and encouraged.
 
Posting and emailing is normally by the 1st of the month (except for the June issue).
 
Thanks for your help in getting the newsletter delivered promptly.

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If you are not already subscribed to this newsletter, you can subscribe now!  If you would like the e-Newsletter delivered directly to your e-mailbox each month, go to Monthly Newsletter link on our website at www.enochnj.org.
 
Encourage your support group members to subscribe to the ENOCH email list!  Include this portion of our newsletter in your monthly hardcopy newsletter.  Get the word out that this newsletter is for them!   We use our subscription list to notify the homeschooling community of changes to our website, of the Convention and our Leadership Conference, alerts, and other important news.
 
All submissions desiring consideration for publication in the e-Newsletter should be sent to newsletter@enochnj.org.  Thanks.
 
ENOCH of NJ
Box 308
Atlantic Highlands NJ 07716
732.291.7800
office@enochnj.org
www.enochnj.org
 
Neither the ENOCH e-Newsletter, nor the Board of Directors for ENOCH New Jersey, endorses nor recommends any of the non-ENOCH programs, events, or opportunities listed. They are selectively provided as a service to those who wish to explore further.