SONORAN DESERT HOMESCHOOLERS

November Newsletter

Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers is an open, not-for-profit home education

network, providing social and creative outlets for homeschooling families.

We are not devoted to any one homeschooling approach, political platform,

religious outlook, or philosophical ideal. Our homeschooling community

supports all families, regardless of their personal lifestyle or educational

choices in the area of home education. Our motto is "Hohzo'," a Navajo word

meaning "harmony" or "walking in beauty or friendship."

-- mission statement, Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers, Tucson, AZ

NOVEMBER CALENDAR

TUESDAY, NOV. 2, 12 pm--PARK MEETING.

SATURDAY, NOV. 6, 10 am--TUCSON HOMESCHOOL LEADERS' MEETING Details at park

announcements. --First DRAMA CLUB meeting. See related article.

TUESDAY, NOV. 9, 12 pm--PARK MEETING. --READING CLUBS meet at 11:15, see

related article --GAMES DAY Felicia and Debbie will be leading playground

games for all ages after announcements.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10, 9 am--MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS See related article.

FRIDAY, NOV. 12, 9 am--CLASS ON USE OF LIBRARY TERMINALS Meet at front door

of Wood's Library, 3455 1st Ave, between Prince and Ft. Lowell. Questions?

Contact Lisa C. --UA PRESENTS, 9:15. See related article

TUESDAY, NOV. 16, 12 pm --PARK MEETING --Make decorations for Festival of

Lights tree. See related article

FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 6:30 pm (approx)--TEEN CLUB See related article

TUESDAY, NOV. 23, 12 pm--PARK MEETING AND THANKSGIVING POTLUCK See related

article --READING CLUBS at 11:15. See related article

TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 12 PM--PARK MEETING --PROJECT REPORT GROUP 11:30 am under

ramada with Kim S. See related article. --FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 9 am: Meet at

the zoo to decorate our own SDH holiday tree. See related article.

RELATED ARTICLES

DRAMA CLUB: The Drama Club, suitable for all ages, will meet on Saturdays,

starting Nov. 6 at Beverly I's house. Directions and more information are

available from Beverly or Kathryn B. at park meetings.

READING CLUBS: Reading group for pre- and very early readers meets Nov 9

and 23 at 11:15. The Upper Elementary Reading Club will meet the 2nd and

4th Tuesday of November at 11:15 a.m., (before the regularly scheduled park

meeting at Ft. Lowell Park). On Nov 9th we will be discussing The Trumpet

of the Swan by

E.B. White. On Nov 23rd the discussion will be about The Hundred Dresses by

Eleanor Estes. Both of these selections are available in the library. We

have a lot of fun at these meetings (both children and parents!) and extend

an invitation to everyone to check us out. See you there! Questions? Call

Lalita K.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS ACTIVITIES: On December 3rd. through 12th. there will be

the annual Festival of Lights at the zoo. The zoo will be open from 6-8PM,

with entertainment and refreshments on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Weekdays people can just stroll and enjoy the lights and the different

trees. SDH has "purchased" a tree to decorate. On November 16, at park day,

anyone who wants to participate can make a decoration for the tree.

Decorations need to be made out of wood, paper, dough, pine cones, flowers,

food items, or other natural materials. They need to be placed in the tree

with yarn, string, or ribbon. No hooks or breakable ornaments allowed.

Remember that "local wildlife" could eat some decorations and that it could

rain, so think of something that would work well with that. Anyone who can

bring things to use to make decorations with, please bring them that day,

and any extra scissors, glue, yarn, etc will be very welcome also. Then on

November 30, before park meeting, we will meet at the zoo to decorate the

tree with our ornaments. Everyone is invited to help make this the most

beautiful tree there. Remember that lots of people will visit and that this

is a way to present something of SDH to the community. We still need

someone to loan us lights for the tree. Please see me at the park, or call,

if you have any. Also, we will need a good looking sign to be placed on or

at the tree to identify it as the SDH tree. Please, if you are creative,

give your time and energy. With questions or suggestions call Sybelle.

SDH TEEN CLUB: We have Friday, Nov. 19th as the next date for a teen group

meeting, but we need plans! Talk among yourselves and come up with ideas!

Then, let Jane Kaiser or Mary Beth Daught know what you would like to do

and who is going to facilitate it. We need to know at least a week in

advance in order to get the word out to everyone. It's up to you!

MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS by Debbie D. If you are signed up and paid, here are

this year's dates: Nov. 10, Jan 12, Feb 9. All concerts, for grades 3-5,

are held at Ft. Lowell School, 5151 E. Pima, and begin at 9 am. Please

arrive a few minutes early!

UA PRESENTS If you have purchased tickets for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band

on November 12, here is some news you can use. There is a free teacher's

in-service available to us on Wednesday, October 27 in the Choral Room at

Rincon High School (5th & Swan), from 3:30 - 5:30 PM. If you wish to

attend, please call Elaine Tygiel, Tucson Arts Connections Coordinator,

298-9407. A teacher's study guide will be provided at the in-service.

On the day of the performance, we will meet at Centennial Hall (on

University, just inside the UA Main Gate on Park Ave.) between 9:15 - 9:30

AM that morning. The performance starts at 10:00, but we need to be there

early in order to be seated as a group. WE WON'T GO IN UNTIL YOU GET THERE,

so please call me, Michelle Y., if you will be unable to attend.

Parking is tight around the university, so try to carpool or take the bus

if that is feasible for you. If you plan to drive there, the easiest place

to park your vehicle is the Main Gate Garage located at the corner of

Euclid and 2nd Street. If you have special needs, such as wheelchair

load/unload, you are allowed to drop off in front of the hall.

PROJECT-REPORT CLUB Your child has worked really hard to build a Pilgrim

diorama? Does he have a report to share? Does she want to explain how to

use an abacus? An art project to show? An electric circuit with bells and

whistles to demonstrate? This is the place to demonstrate what you've

learned and share the wonderful experience with your friends!

THANKSGIVING INVITATIONAL POTLUCK Danetta is contacting two homeschool

groups to see if one of them would be interested in being our guest at our

annual Thanksgiving potluck. Homeschool support group suggestions were made

by Felicia and Sybelle. All other ideas are equally welcome. Further

information will be available at park meetings.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you are interested in a teen volunteer and service club, please contact

Sharon H. for more information. If you are interested in a young kids'

volunteer and service club, contact Sybelle V.

Anyone interested in a pre-teen club, please contact Becky L.

4-H Creepy Crawly Club will meet Thurs, Nov 4th at 12 noon. Meet at the

Sabino Canyon parking lot. We'll eat a sack lunch, talk about aquatic

insects, and then hike in to Lower Sabino (not more than a mile). Unless it

really gets cold, there should be plenty of ponds and insects. Bring: nets,

buckets, magnifying glasses, and other exploration gear. Plan for sun!

Bring your own water! Contact Debbie D. for more information.

ESSENCE OF TRANQUILITY HOT SPRINGS TRIP: Saturday, December 11, 1999

Safford, AZ There will be an adults-only trip to Essence of Tranquility, a

hot springs resort in Safford, Arizona. The cost is $10.00 per person,

which includes use of the six pools at the resort, and access to full

kitchen facilities and indoor recreation room. If you are interested in

going, please put your name on the sign-up sheet at the park. Debbie G.

will be collecting the money for the trip starting in November. If we get

twenty people attending, the resort will be closed to the general public

for that day. Questions? Please speak to Debbie G. at the park, or e-mail

her at a2sails@prodigy.net.

THE SPELLING BEE IS IN DECEMBER, THE SCIENCE FAIR IS IN JANUARY AND THE

GEOGRAPHY BEE MAY BE HOSTED BY TELAO IN THE SPRING. We have two

representatives for the science fair, Carol T. and Linda L., with more

details to come at the park meetings. If we have no representative to

coordinate the other activities, our kids will not participate. Let's

discuss the interest for these, soon!

CONGRATULATIONS to the handwriting contest winners!: Linda Sheehan >14 Lia

Haynes 8-13 Colton Eaker <8

ANNUAL DUES FOR NEW MEMBERS Annual dues are $10, prorated to $5 after

January 1st. This entitles you to our monthly newsletter and our membership

list, which is, of course, not intended for commercial use. See the

treasurers Carol T. or Lalita K. about membership.

JANUARY ART SHOW by Nika K. The SDH have the Main Library for an art show

in January. The subject for all of the artwork is "The Next Millennium".

I'm not sure how many pieces you'll be able to enter; I'll have to check

how much space there is. I have a sign up sheet so I know how many people

will want to participate. Two or three dimensional artwork is OK, but be

aware that the artwork will be displayed everywhere in the library,

including in the children's section, and the 3-D artwork might get handled.

If you would like to sign up, please call me or contact me at the park

meetings.

SCHOLASTIC BOOKS: I have available catalogs from Scholastic Book Clubs for

kids Pre-K through 6th Grade, also one with Spanish and bilingual books.

The prices are great and it is easy to order. If you want a catalog see me

at the park or call me. Sybelle.

PRIVATE STARSHOW by Alissa T. We are new to the group and wondered if there

was any interest in a starshow. My grandfather holds a master's degree in

physics and has been holding starshows for homeschoolers and specialty

groups for years. He used to be employed by Kitt Peak and now enjoys

teaching astronomy courses at the Village of Oak Creek in the Verde Valley.

He said that he would love to drive down to Tucson to give a show and that

November would be a good month to view the rings of Saturn. This is an

outdoor talk/demonstration with telescope, at the park (or in my backyard),

and we would ask for a donation to cover his expenses. Please talk to me at

park to let me know of the interest level and for more information.

HOMESCHOOL OPEN BOWLING PROGRAM Lucky Strike Bowl at 4015 E. Speedway is

starting a 12 week program of once a week bowling leagues. This is suitable

for all ages (bumpers available) and runs $4/wk. The starting date is Oct

28. Call 327-4926.

ARCHERY If you are looking for an athletic outlet for your family and team

sports don't seem to fit the bill, consider archery this fall. Aaron has

enjoyed participating in a sport in which you mainly compete against

yourself. We have found the fees at Precision Shooting Instruments (located

off of Miracle Mile) to be very reasonable and the coaching to be

outstanding. Coach Kirillov, a former Olympian and USSR national archery

coach is a top flight coach. Archers from around the world fly in for his

coaching, and he is available to our kids! His coaching style is attentive

and encouraging. There are several fun tournaments during the course of the

year. For more information, talk to Aaron or Danetta.

GROUP PE THROUGH PARKS AND REC Ft. Lowell Park employees have offered our

group PE on park days if we are interested. If parents want the Parks &

Recs people to provide PE all we have to do is get a list to Chuck. He's

just waiting for ideas. Please come on Tuesday with ideas or contact Alayna

V.

OLD PUEBLO HEAT by Debbie D. The Heat had a carwash in an effort to raise

money and reorganize for the 2000-01 school year. Doc A. and I will be

passing around a clipboard at park meetings for parents to sign up their

boys and girls, 5th grade-8th grade, for this spring's track and field

events. If we get enough interest, we will participate competitively in the

Tucson Independent Athletic League. There will be a cost, practices, and

meets, although we do not have details right now. What a wonderful

opportunity to promote homeschooling, increase our visibility in the

community, and keep our children in good shape!

CALLING ALL GRADUATES Plans for the 8th annual AFHE State Graduation

Recognition ceremony are now being made. The ceremony will be held on

Friday, May 12, 2000, at Grace Community church in Tempe from 7-9 pm.

Traditional caps and gowns will be worn and certificates (not diplomas)

will be issued. This will be a very special evening with a Christian

emphasis. More information is on the park bulletin board.

BETHLEHEM DAYS: I am the Special Events Director at Tanque Verde Lutheran

Church (20 hrs a week). I have a special event coming up on December 12th,

Bethlehem Days: Journey To Bethlehem. We ask 4-H members to bring their

animals for a petting stable which is good for the animals -- who have

judges touch them at the fair -- they get used to human hands. And it is

good for the 4-H member, because they have to do X-amount of community

service each year. I give out Community Service Certificates with the hours

they dedicated toward the program, so they can get credit for it. Last year

we had about 20 4-H members with their animals in the stable. Anyway... I

wanted to invited the homeschooled 4-H members to bring their animals and

participate. The event is 12/12/99, 2:00-4:00 at Tanque Verde Lutheran

Church on Tanque Verde, west of the Bear Canyon stop light. Any one

interested can contact me, Alayna V., at park.

CUB REPORTERS FOR BEAR ESSENTIAL NEWS: Bear Essential News Young Reporters

Workshop October 30, 1999 Young Reporters Workshop KVOA-TV Channel 4

Studios 9 AM to 12 Noon for children grades 4 - 8 This three-hour program

consists of six rotating workshops that discuss researching and writing

news stories. Each participant will receive a press pass, a Young Reporters

notepad, and a Bear Stylebook. The program is held at KVOA-TV Studios, 209

W. Elm, Tucson. There are also some presentations for educators. I attended

this program about five years ago, and got to watch Dave Fitzsimmons work

his caricaturing magic, learn how blue screens are used to televise weather

forecasts, and eat some really tasty pastries in the educators' room. I

will be at the studio throughout the morning. Parents are welcome to either

stay for the whole program, or drop off their children at 8:45 AM, and pick

them up at noon. This is the Bear Essential News' description of the Young

Reporters Program - "The Young Reporters Program is an exciting way for

children to improve their literacy and writing skills, increase their

self-esteem and social development, and learn more about current affairs."

There is still room for five more children from Sonoran Desert

Homeschoolers, so please let Debbie G. know if you are interested in having

your child attend this workshop.

TEEN DRIVERS by Debbie G. An article in the October 1999 issue of Tucson

Family recommended a free booklet from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

"Teaching Your Teen to Drive without Driving Each Other Crazy" is written

for parents who are acting as driving instructors to their teens. When I

called to order it, I was also told about another booklet geared for

teenagers once they are fully licensed, and a video about safe driving.

Order these materials, all free of charge, by calling 1-800-METLIFE.

RESOURCES by Debbie G. I am compiling a collection of resources for fun and

learning for SDH - recommendations for software, books, toys, music, day

trips, etc. If you are interested in contributing to the collection, please

talk to me at park, or e-mail me.

GENERAL ARTICLES

PAINT YOURSELF SILLY--A Review by Kids On September 26th, several families

in SDH went to Paint Yourself Silly for an art field trip. We had the

choice of painting a bowl, an ornament, a mug or a tile. Some families

picked their piece to do as a holiday gift for someone. Our children had a

few comments about the visit. Amanda said, "Painting was good." Ingo said

he "liked painting all the colors." Alison said "I like that you get to

paint." Joanna said, "It was good!" Robert "had fun!" David said he "had a

good time. I made a teddy bear for nana for Christmas." Matthew said he

"liked the snowman" and that he "liked the blowdryers." Caroline said, "I

don't want to go bye bye!" After we painted our pieces, the Paint Yourself

Silly staff took care of glazing and firing our pieces. A week later they

were ready to pick up. Samantha loved her reindeer ornament when she saw it

and she said it was "beautiful." Amanda loves her bowl and wants to eat any

meal she can out of it--especially when we have ice cream for dessert!

OCTOBER PARENTS' NIGHT Thank you Brian for facilitating the meeting at the

Columbus library. Approximately a dozen parents came to chat about home

education and share experiences. It was a great opportunity to learn the

names of some of our fellow homeschooling parents in a smaller, more

intimate setting and to talk to some of our fellow home educators in depth

for the first time.

PLAY ON by Carlie H. I recently saw the ATC production of "Play On", a

musical. I loved it! Most of the time, musicals are a little, you know,

boring, at least to me. But this one used Duke Ellington songs and I LOVE

Duke Ellington. The singers were phenomenal. The dancers were excellent.

The band was great. I also loved the story, based on William Shakespeare's

Twelfth Night. I thought it was wonderfully transferred to a 40's Harlem

setting. I can't say it enough: I loved it.

MY VISIT TO DR. HERRINGTON'S OFFICE by Aaron M. We were invited to Dr.

Herrington's veterinary office where we were treated to a tour around his

clinic. Dr. Herrington talked to us about veterinary medicine and about

what he and other members of the staff do. He told us how he and others

diagnose and treat the animals. He showed us the surgery room and explained

what the other rooms were for. Dr. Herrington also showed us pictures of

animal radiographs ("X-rays"). He was able to answer all of our questions.

In the end, I don't think anyone left disappointed.

CHARLOTTE'S WEB--A REVIEW by Danni Herrington We went to a play called

Charlotte's Web Tuesday and I liked it. My favorite part was when Charlotte

the spider ate a fly and Wilbur thought it was gross.

SEVEN MINUTES?? The following was forwarded by Michelle Y: "A homeschooling

friend of mine in Michigan forwarded this. I don't know how accurate the

"recent survey" is, but with that disclaimer, it still might be fun to

include in the newsletter..."

> A recent survey of public school teachers grades K thru >12 asked, "How

>much time, on average, do you spend with each child >individually in a

>day- making sure they understand the material and answering any >questions

>they might have?" > >The answer? Nationwide- an average of 7 minutes per

>day. That means... >that if you spend 3 hours with your child THIS ENTIRE

>WEEK, one-on-one... >they will have received more >personalized

>instruction than they would have received in a *YEAR* of >public school!!

>And if you can do that for every week from now until Thanksgiving, they

>>will have received more individualized instruction than they would have

>>received in all 13 years of public school; grades K thru 12! > >And

>that's if you just manage 3 hours per week- about 35 minutes each day.

>>Now then... doesn't that provide a little much-needed perspective?

>In short- tutorial education is incredibly efficient- and the

>>homeschooling race is a marathon- not a sprint. Enjoy the journey, one

>>day at a time. Not every day will be great- and some seasons will be

>>better than other seasons. Just remember that the deck is >stacked in

>your favor over the long haul.

ATTENTION BUDDING ASTRONOMERS www.thursdaysclassroom.com

Dr. George Lebo from the University of Florida writes: "I am a University

of Florida astronomy professor who works with NASA's Space Science

Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). We are now making

NASA's exciting new discoveries available to the nation's classrooms by

creating science lesson plans and putting them on a website at

thursdaysclassroom.com. Each Thursday, lesson plans for grades: 2-4, 5-8,

and 9-12 are posted at the above site so they can be incorporated into

classroom curricula to be taught the following week, hence the name

'Thursday's Classroom'."

You'll find serious information, links and lesson plans about space,

climate, seasons and other topics at the site. The topics coming up in

October include Alien Volcanoes, Halley's Comet Returns (in bits and

pieces), Blast from the Past and Space Telescopes R Us.

If you're intrigued by Thursday's Classroom and want to learn more, go to

science.nasa.gov, the NASA home page which just won a Webby award for best

science site on the net. Congrats!

SAOR OILEAN http://centauri.nbtsc.org/saor/

Ever wonder if those unschooled kids can really learn to write? To find

out, check out Saor Oilean, a web site for unschooled teens. You'll find a

collection of writings, autobiographies, links to other unschoolers' web

sites and more. Your unschooled teen might even find a venue for sharing

some of those stories and poems you never get around to grading. This site

is a member of the Unschoolers Network. You'll have to go there to find out

what saor oilean means. My lips are sealed.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH Read, every day, something no one else is reading.

Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day,

something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind

to be always part of unanimity. ---Christopher Morley

FAVORITE HOMESCHOOL READING by Mary Beth D. Thanks to those who contributed

their favorite titles about homeschooling! Many of these titles are

available in public libraries and local bookstores. *Trust the Children: An

Activity Guide for Homeschooling and Alternative Learning by Anna Kealoha

*Homeschooling for Excellence* by David and Micki Colfax *The Unschooling

Handbook* by Mary Griffith *Core Knowledge Series: What Your 5th Grader

Needs to Know* (also 1-6 grades) by ED Hirsch, Jr. *Better Late Than Early*

and *School Can Wait* by Raymond and Dorothy Moore *Endanger Minds* by Jane

Healey *The Education of Little Tree* by Forrest Carter *Why Children Fail*

*How Children Learn* and *Teach Your Own* by John Holt

FOR YOUR INFORMATION submitted by Richard Humphrey The following is an

excerpt (with emphasis added) from the 9/99 Tucson chapter newsletter of

People for The USA: Although Janet Reno can see no evil regarding Chinese

espionage and illegal campaign contributions, she does warn us about the

following. "A cultist is one who has a strong belief in the Bible and the

Second Coming of Christ; who frequently attends Bible studies; who has a

high level of financial giving to a Christian cause; who homeschools for

their children; who has accumulated survival foods and has strong belief in

the Second Amendment; and who distrusts big government. Any of these may

qualify a person as a cultist but certainly more than one of these would

cause us to look at this person as a threat and his family as being in a

risk situation that qualifies for government interference." (Janet Reno,

Interview on 60 Minutes June 26, 1999)

PROTECTING THE GIFT by Michelle Y. I recently read a book that I feel so

strongly about that I am recommending it to every parent I know. The title

is Protecting the Gift, by Gavin de Becker, and the subject matter is dear

to all of us: teaching our children and our teenagers how to be safe in an

uncertain world. It covers safety at every age level, from screening

babysitters to safety skills children need before being alone in public;

warning signs to help parent protect children from sexual abuse and how to

keep teens from unsafe situations with peers and adults.

De Becker's most important message is, "Listen to your intuition because it

has something important to tell you." He points out that our culture

devalues instinct and intuition, trying instead to substitute logic for

what is nature's most important survival tool. He also shatters the myth

that teaching our children never to talk to strangers will protect them

from harm. (Stranger abductions are relatively rare, compared to the number

of crimes perpetrated against children by people they know.) De Becker's

insights are based on 30 years of experience in predicting violent behavior.

I believe that this book will change the way you evaluate and respond to

situations in which your child's safety -- or your own -- might be

threatened. I read dozens of books every year, thanks to the library, but

purchase very few of them. I bought this one.

INTERNET INFORMATION Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers web site is:

http://www.crosswinds.net/~hozho/

The Southern Arizona Homeschoolers' mailing list is here:

http://www.egroups.com/group/soazhomeschoolers/info.html

You click the Join button, and if you're not already a member of e- groups,

e-groups will guide you through the process where they ping your e-mail

address to make sure it's valid and to make sure you're not being signed up

by a third party.

TREASURER'S REPORT by Carol T. (treasurers Carol T. and Lalita K.) As of

10/17/99:

Current balance is $328.00

I have reimbursed Alayna, Danetta, Linda Sheehan a total of $45.50 for

newsletter expenses since 9/15.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SDH? By Danetta M. A WHOLE LOT! We have members of

many faiths in our support group. If you have questions about Jewish,

Mennonite, Muslim, Quaker, New Age, or LDS (Morman) faith, to name just a

few, our group is better than a comparative religion textbook! We have

members with many talents. If you want to know about pet parasites, how to

raise goats, photography darkroom techniques, women's soccer, calligraphy,

crafts, horse care, French language, woodworking, or how to file a

patent--there is someone in SDH who can get you the information! We have

members with lots of energy! Our members have great ideas and great

resources and put together special events for our kids. Some events are one

time events: games day, arranging an art show, crafts activities, music and

sing-alongs, field trips, and special visitors. Other events are on-going:

theater and music events, reading and drama clubs, teen and volunteering

clubs, and book orders. I know many of you feel, as I do, how fortunate we

are to have such a great support group like SDH. Here's a big group

hug--because I LOVE YOU!!!

COMING IN DECEMBER: Who's who in SDH, an essay by Kim S., our winter

holiday schedule, and more!

DISCLAIMER: All mistakes and omissions are mine, but I really tried! Thank

you Alayna and Mary Beth for formatting and sending out the newsletter!

Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers   Tucson, Arizona