Veterans Day

Just a prayer of thanks to those who are brave enough to serve this country for our freedom and to remember those who have given their lives.

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln"

Homeschooling Benefits Children less preoccupied with peer acceptance

Just read this great article and thought to share it.

William R. Mattox Jr.

Friday, March 19, 1999

MOST FOLKS who have never met a homeschooling family imagine that the kids are about as socially isolated (and as socially awkward) as Bobby Boucher, the Cajun ``Momma's boy'' Adam Sandler portrays in the recent hit film, ``The Waterboy.''

But some new research by Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute suggests otherwise. Indeed, Ray's research helps to explain why the number of homeschoolers in America continues to grow and now totals more than 1.4 million children. Ray reports the typical homeschooled child is involved in 5.2 social activities outside the home each week. These activities include afternoon and weekend programs with conventionally schooled kids, such as ballet classes, Little League teams, Scout troops, church groups and neighborhood play. They include midday field trips and cooperative learning programs organized by groups of homeschooling families. For example, some Washington, D.C., families run a homeschool drama troupe that performs at a local dinner theater.

So, what most distinguishes a homeschooler's social life from that of a conventionally schooled child? Ray says homeschooled children tend to interact more with people of different ages.

This is actually more akin to the ``real world'' -- what businessperson's social interaction is largely restricted to those born in the same year? It reduces the degree to which children find themselves constantly being compared to, and comparing themselves with, other kids their age. Interestingly, this reduced consciousness about age tends to help homeschooled ``late bloomers'' avoid being stigmatized as ``slow learners'' -- which is one of the many reasons homeschoolers, on average, score 30 to 37 percentile points higher than conventionally schooled students on the most commonly administered K-8 standardized tests.

Moreover, homeschooled children tend to draw their primary social identity from their membership in a particular family rather than from their membership in ``a tribe apart.'' That's the phrase author Patri cia Hersch uses to describe the conventionally schooled kids she followed through adolescence. According to Hersch, many school kids today feel isolated from the grown-up world and alienated from parents who fail to take an interest in their lives and to set boundaries for their behavior.

Now, Hersch's intention isn't to make a case for homeschooling. (She doesn't significantly address the issue.) But the angst- ridden teens she describes in her book closely resemble the peer-obsessed students Seattle public high school teacher David Guterson talks about in his compelling book, ``Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense,'' (Harcourt-Brace Jovanovich, 1992). Guterson reports that the kids in his conventional school often have difficulty navigating the turbulent social scene at school, with ``its cliques, rumors and relentless gossip, its shifting alliances and expedient betrayals.'' Guterson says that their preoccupation with peer acceptance often encourages young people to become ``acutely attuned to a pre-adult commercial culture that usurps their attention (M-TV, Nintendo, fashion magazines, teen cinema)'' and frequently fosters a sense of alien ation from people of other ages.

Interestingly, educational researcher Susannah Sheffer of Cambridge, Mass., says facilitating peer-dependency is part of ``how schools shortchange girls'' (to borrow the title of a highly publicized report issued several years ago by the American Association of University Women). In a recent study of self-esteem among adolescent girls, Sheffer found that unlike their conventionally schooled counterparts, homeschooled girls did not typically lose confidence in themselves when their ideas and opinions weren't embraced by their friends.

Now, none of this means that every homeschooler is socially well-adjusted. Or that homeschooling is the only way for parents to raise children successfully. Or that good things never happen in conventional schools. But these studies do suggest that homeschooling offers more than just educational benefits. No wonder a growing number of families are now giving home education a try.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/03/19/ED71809.DTL

This article appeared on page A - 23 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Day 21~Thanksgiving Decor

This is a great Idea for anyone who is interested!

Day 21~Thanksgiving Decor

Squidney turned 13 on the 31st, Teenager at last!

The things that I love about Squish,

She has a beautiful Smile

Loving sister

Tries to make others laugh

Has taken control of her schooling

and improving her reading and math a lot

Always Helpful

Loves to Watch old Movies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

Great and Quick Cold Weather Soup Recipe

I came across this recipe and then decided to make it turned out great although I did modify a little, instead of rotel I used fresh tomatoes I had and used S&W Chili Beans that had garlic, onion and chili in them. And I threw in a few more veggies when sauteing the onions, I had peppers and celery in there too.  Here is the recipe I hope you try it and enjoy!

Willy Strange's Good Soup

Several years ago, our church congregation did a community service project and cleaned up an overgrown cemetary in Rockwall, Texas.  The care-taker, an elderly woman, couldn’t afford to pay for our services but gave us something much better.  This recipe came from her.  It was an instant hit with everyone who took a copy, and has continued to be a family favorite which we share with our special friends.  I’ve decided that it’s just too good to keep under wraps.  So, sometime when you need to make a main-dish in just 10-15 minutes, give this a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Campbell's Minestrone soup
• 1 can Ranch Style beans *
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes (Mild or hot - you choose) *
• 2 cans water
• ¼ cup catsup
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 small diced onion
• * Rotel and Ranch Style are brand name products of ConAgra Foods. Their web site has a search feature to help you find a retailer near you that carries these two products. It's worth your time to find them.

Preparation:

Sauté the diced onion in a dutch oven.  Add the hamburger and brown.  Drain off the excess fat.  Add the remaining ingredients, heat and serve.

We sometimes add an additional can of tomato soup with an additional ¾ can of water.  You can control the spiciness of the soup by using the spicy Rotel tomatoes.

Our new SBO!

Last Friday Corky was voted Freshman Vice President at OHSU, and they are planning big time first thing they will be doing is a school trip to Lagoon for Frightmares!  There is a great deal that I will post as to how you can help OHSU raise funds just by going to Frightmares, a portion of your ticket price goes to the school.  But they are planning a night when they can all meet in person.  As far as I can tell they are very anxious to have this. I will be adding a few links for that.  We are all excited yeah Corky!