lol well my 11 y/o daughter, 6 y/o son, AND my husband just sat and listened to me read Rumpelstiltskin so not all fairy tales have to be extremely girlie! (Rumpelstiltskin is my husband's favorite character on the show Once Upon A Time haha).

So be sure to read some with your kids! :)

How cute! Sherwood Forest Treasure Island Sunnybrook Farm Terabithia Fantastica (Neverending Story) The Big Woods (Little House)

Another vote for Teaching Textbooks. It's a computer CD program and the very patient tutor will show AND tell how to do the math in a very easy to understand way. Plus there's some animation, animated "buddies" to help out, etc. The computer program keeps a grade book for you, there's LOTS of review, it's great. It's made math so much more pleasant at my house, so much easier, so much more independent, so much more fun, boosted confidence so much, etc. etc. I've got a pretty detailed review of it on my blog under "my reviews" on the sidebar to the left if you want to read more.

No vaccines are required, you can use an exemption if you don't want to get the vaccine. The homeschool affidavit I use says: "I attest that the student has received the immunizations required by law, or that the student has a medical, religious, or philosophical exemption." Pauline's website has a whole section on claiming an exemption: http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/homeschoolmedical.html

haha. I have a tune going through my head now. It goes: Isn't it ironic, don't ya think?

I wouldn't say I was anti-homeschooling, but it was never really on my radar and I certainly never thought I would do it myself until I just got so fed up with so many things about the system in general and our district in particular during my daughter's K-3rd grade years, that by the time she was in 3rd grade I was contemplating it and researching it and by the end of that year, I'd pulled her out and never looked back!

He's an idiot. He obviously has NO idea what homeschooling is all about. Then again, he obviously has NO idea what public schooling is all about these days, either. He's sitting around in his faded bathrobe reminiscing about his long-ago schoolboy days, thinking that maybe, just maybe, public school might be ANYTHING like that today (it's usually not, Dickie). And he's scratching himself and thinking that homeschooling might be ANYTHING like all the stereotypes he can dredge up (it's usually not, Dickie), and that was the best he could come up with for his sorry little article. Yeah, whatever. At the end of the day, my kids are happy (happier than they'd be in public school), educated (better educated than they'd be in public school) and, gasp, socialized (better socialized than they'd be in public school). It's all good. ;)

Not QUAT, OUAT... Once Upon A Time. :D And hey, look at that...I just realized somewhere along the line (apparently 12 posts ago) I hit 6,000 posts!!!

I can understand having a party for friends, but I don't know why they wouldn't pick another day to at least have some family over for pizza and cake if nothing else! And especially with how close you all are! Maybe you can just contact her and say, "We'd really like to have a chance to celebrate nephew's birthday with him, too. Can you guys come over for dinner and we'll have a cake for him over here?" Maybe she'll get the point that you don't like missing out on celebrating with him and at least think to do a separate family thing next year, as well, and you'll get a chance to celebrate with him.

I like them both! But if I had to pick one, probably Grimm.

:lol::lol::lol: I love it!!!

Wistful sigh. I WISH it were that easy here!

It's the PDE website. Suzanne Tallman took over for Sarah Pearce as the homeschooling liaison (cough, some liaison, she doesn't seem to be helping homeschoolers any). She changed the website up and made all sorts of "suggestions" on the Home Education and Private Tutoring webpage that were basically her own interpretation of the law and that are now going to have all these different districts thinking either that 1) the law changed or that 2) they can start asking for more than what they used to. For example, her Portfolio page: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/overview_of_homeschooling/20312/portfolio/973912 She says: "The log must demonstrate that the home education program provided a minimum of either (1) one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction or (2) of nine hundred (900) hours of instruction per year at the elementary level (grades kindergarten to 6), or nine hundred ninety (990) hours per year at the secondary level (grades 7-12). See 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 ©. If you choose to document days, you do not need to specify the number of hours each day." Why must THE LOG demonstrate that? The portfolio must demonstrate that, sure. By including an attendance statement, a calendar, etc. But many of us interpret "the log" as just a log of reading materials and many districts have accepted that in the past. Now she's making it sound like "the log" has to be more than that and districts, like mine, who were always content to accept "a log which designates by title the reading materials used" are asking for "instructional activity logs" now. She says: "Example Format Parents sometimes ask what the portfolio should look like. One suggestion for maintaining the portfolio is to use a big three-ring binder, inserting dividers for (1) the log, (2) the results of the standardized test (for grades 3, 5 and 8), (3) the evaluation, and (4) each subject taught." A BIG three ring binder? Really? Why a BIG one? I submit 3-5 samples per subject. It fits just fine in a little 1" binder. In fact, some years I've just given them a FOLDER. :P She's making it sound like we have to give them a lot and when the districts read this, they feel like they're entitled to it. There were other things on other areas of the site, a bunch of people had a bunch of complaints about it and I don't remember what/where they all were on the site, but I'm telling you, she put everybody into a tizzy and it remains to be seen what's going to come of it this year.

What changed according to CHAP's website was this: On June 30, 2011, Governor Tom Corbett signed into law House Bill 1352, which made numerous changes in Pennsylvania’s education law, including one that affects home education programs. Section 13-1327.1 of Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated, the statute governing home education programs, requires that the affidavit filed by the parent or guardian with the superintendent include a sworn statement that all adults living in the home and persons having legal custody of a child being homeschooled have not been convicted of certain crimes listed in Section 1-111(e) within the past five years. The recent legislation adds more crimes to the list in Section 1-111(e) that will prevent a home education program from being conducted. These additional crimes are as follows: Section 2910 (relating to luring a child into a motor vehicle or structure); Section 3124.2 (relating to institutional sexual assault); Section 3129 (relating to sexual intercourse with animal); Section 6318 (relating to unlawful contact with minor); Section 6319 (relating to solicitation of minors to traffic drugs); and Section 6320 (relating to sexual exploitation of children). Under the new law, included with the list of crimes now specified in Section 1-111(e) are other crimes similar in nature “under the laws or former laws of the United States or one of its territories or possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign nation, or under a former law of this Commonwealth.†The new law goes into effect 90 days after being approved by the governor or on October 1, 2011. http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/pa/201107200.asp Maybe when I submit my portfolio this year, I will also include a cover letter that says something like: On such and such a date you sent me a letter, attached, referring to a "new" homeschooling law and detailing what portfolio requirements you expected to see in accordance with said "new" law. Please note that Act 169 remains unchanged since it was passed in 1988 in regard to portfolio requirements, so while I am unsure by the wording of your letter whether you were looking for anything different this year, I am submitting what is required in Act 169, the same as I have the last few years. The only thing "new" in the law this year is House Bill 1352 which makes numerous changes to Pennsylvania's Education Law. Where that specifically affects homeschoolers is as follows: (and then I will copy and paste the above). For further clarification, please contact Suzanne Tallman at the PDE (? should I put that part?), and then contact me if there is another law of which I am unaware that sets forth new requirements for my homeschooling portfolio. Thank you, So and so. Thoughts? Anyone? Pauline? :) By the way, Pauline, do you have a new Affidavit sample on your site now that we have to use new wording, speaking of House Bill 1352?? :)

Yep. :) That was my experience with TT, too. Our first year using it (at grade level, no supplementing), my daughter got great standardized test scores, DEFINITELY not those of a "behind" student or program. I've heard plenty of other people say that, too. Love TT!

Oh, in fact, get this. I have a letter dated July 29th, 2011, after Tallman changed the PDE website, from my superintendent. He wrote: "I have received and reviewed your Affidavit of the Supervisor of a Home Education Program for (student's name), effective August 29, 2011 and it appears to be in order." Yeah, okay, whatever. But then he went on to say...(emphasis will be mine)... "In accordance with the NEW Home Schooling Law (Act 169), the following requirements must also be met:" NEW homeschooling law?!?! What? Thanks, Suzanne. He then went on to write: "1. A portfolio of the student's work must be maintained to include an instructional activity log identifying by title the reading materials used." - Now I'm not sure what he means by "instructional activity log"- the wording of the law, of course, does not say anything about an "instructional activity log." It says "a log, made contemporaneously with the instruction, which designates by title the reading materials used," Now, I personally have always interpreted this to mean, basically, a book log. A log of reading materials. I keep a log designating by title the reading materials used. I keep said log contemporaneously with the instruction. I still don't interpret it to mean that the log is supposed to be an ACTIVITY log even though I know that it's sort of a controversial topic and the poorly worded law stinks to begin with and that some homeschoolers DO interpret the log to mean you're supposed to jot down your activities each day. He's always accepted my reading log but maybe now he thinks that the law has changed and that I have to give him a daily activity log now. Ugh I hope not. Regardless it bothers me that he thinks there's a "new" law and that he can word it however he wants. The rest of the stuff he outlined all sounded fine but that one concerned me, I have a feeling when I send him in my usual samples and log of reading materials, he's going to write me and be like "You have to send me an "instructional activity log too telling me what you did each day." ETA: Of course, I could have written or called back then to clarify but I purposely decided not to. I wanted to be able to send him my same minimal portfolio and be able to act like I had no idea that he wanted me to send him anything further. I hoped that by then all the "new" b.s. would die down or be cleared up, that I could send him what I'd always send him, and that he'd either accept it, or that if he questioned it, I could act ignorant that he'd expected anything else and stand my ground then. ETA 2: There was something new introduced to the law but for homeschoolers as far as I know it only affected WHO could homeschool, like what crimes we couldn't have been convicted of etc. Nothing about what our portfolios had to include etc.

Relaxed/eclectic/secular

Ugh yeah I think that's exactly what it came out of and exactly what happened. I hate it, too. I wasn't nervous to file last year but I kind of am this year only because I really don't WANT a hassle. I'm prepared to submit the same more minimal portfolio I have the past few years and to make every effort to stand my ground, too, but none of us really WANT to have to fight with our districts. Of course that is stressful. But what's the alternative? Letting them walk all over us and demand more than they're entitled to, letting them set precedents that we always have to give them more and more, making more and more work for ourselves each year? Blah. That's no good either. We just have to see what this year brings, I guess.

We don't poke holes unless we're microwaving it for fast cooking. And that's so it doesn't start to explode in the microwave. :D If we're putting it in the oven, we wash it, brush it with oil, salt it, wrap it in foil, and bake at 350 for close to an hour. No hole poking. I've never had a potato 'explode' in the oven, I think that's way less likely to happen than it is in the microwave. Though I guess it can't HURT to poke holes in it first anyway!

I do, too. I like Cora and Claire for a girl. For a boy I like Caleb and Chris (maybe Christian or Christopher).

I know. Maybe the OP should should tell them, "And I'm not responsible if I smack you in the face either, my kids are homeschooled and polite so I'm not used to so much backtalk and stupidity from people!"

My district was one of the ones that tried to do that my first year reporting! I told them I wasn't going to do it as it wasn't what the law required and they backed down. They left me alone the two subsequent years. I'm hoping they don't give me a problem this year. Sarah Pearce leaving and Suzanne Tallman taking her place and deciding to change around all the wording on the PDE website really threw things for a loop and half the districts around here now think there's some new homeschool law requirements and I'm half afraid my district is going to try getting uppity again this year and start making unreasonable demands again...we'll have to see. What kills me is that my district is like the third worst in the area and still "below state average" and "on warning" when it comes to their PSSA scores so you'd think they'd be so busy worrying about the hundreds of students IN their schools that they wouldn't have time to worry about my one homeschooled kid (of reporting age) (and who scored GREAT on the standardized test I had to turn in last year) but I'm sure they'll still find time to hassle me. :P I'm tempted to find things to include with my port if they do. Maybe help my daughter write a persuasive essay on why superintendents shouldn't spend so much time worrying about homeschooled kids when their public schooled kids are consistently failing PSSA's year after year and the homeschooled kids are consistently doing fine or something, I don't know....

LMAO....now that is pretty funny. I can picture you bringing him in a copy of the PA Home Ed Law and asking him to please show you where in the law it says that PA home educators are supposed to meet with the superintendents on an annual basis as you've read and re-read the law yourself and haven't seen such a provision anywhere in the law. Handing him a carton of loose papers to go through with a mummified chicken at the very bottom. Telling him you will be referred to by your title, Ms. Supervisor, not "Homeschool Parent" in all future correspondence, thank you very much. Asking him when the PDE appointed a "Coordinator of Counseling & Home Schooling Programs," as you've never heard of such a thing and is it unique to his district? Asking him if you can lodge a formal complaint against his secretaries, while you are there, who often tell you that they cannot promise to get him paperwork and that he might want to consider hiring more efficient secretaries. Make sure you wear a pro-homeschooling/anti-public school teeshirt to the meeting. One of those "I survived public school, that's why I homeschool" type things. Maybe bring along your husband and have him wear a kilt. Not that you'd really do these things, but it sure is funny to think about! :D

In a situation like that, I'd definitely just mail it certified mail, return receipt requested, and refuse to ever deal with them in person. I'd also make a point of spreading the word to local homeschoolers letting them know that they certainly don't have to meet with the superintendent in person or deal with any of them in person.