SONORAN DESERT HOMESCHOOLERS
TUCSON, ARIZONA
FEBRUARY 2001 NEWSLETTER
MISSION STATEMENT
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 "hozho," a Navajo word meaning "harmony" or "walking in beauty or friendship."
**PLEASE NOTE** Park meetings begin at 12:00 noon **
CALENDAR (check below for related articles)
Tuesday, Feb. 6 Informal Spelling Bee;
Project Report Club
Thursday, Feb. 8 Parents' Coffee Night
Friday, Feb. 9 
Post Office Field Trip
Post Office Field TripTuesday, Feb. 13 Valentine's Celebration;
· Early And Middle Readers Groups;· Deadline For All March Newsletter ArticlesThursday, Feb. 15 4-H Bug Club
Tuesday, Feb. 20 Legislative Days
Saturday, Feb. 24 CHET Science Fair
Tuesday, Feb. 27 Early And Middle Readers Groups
Wednesday, Feb. 28 Crafty Ladies
ARTICLES
SCIENCE FAIR UPDATE
The CHET Science Fair at the Palo Verde Baptist Church is February 24. Setup is 9:30 - 10AM, with public viewing at 1:00 PM. Everyone who has a project or something they wish to display and share is invited to attend. If, for example, your child has a plant they have grown and wish to discuss, please encourage your child to attend. You don't have to create the standard display board unless you wish to go on to the SARSEF Fair at the UA. This initial fair is truly an opportunity to make science come alive for children; even a trip to 'check out' the exhibits for a next year effort might turn a school chore into a fun activity.
The entry deadline is February 10. Last minute entries are expected, but with "goodie bags" and ribbons for the participants, please try to stay in contact with Carol T. or myself, Susan E.
Please contact Susan E. by phone, snail or e-mail for forms and information about this year's fair. Carol T. continues to serve as the Voice of Experience, and she will gladly share the processes she and her children have gone through.
PROJECT REPORT CLUB
Project Report Club will meet under the ramada the first Tuesday of every month immediately following announcements. Any child may present a topic they have been studying, and presentations may include pictures, experiments, or demonstrations.This is a great chance for your child to practice speaking in front of a group.
Questions? Call Alice G.
CRAFTY LADIES
Meet to sip, talk about the travails of homeschooling and parenting, and catch up on projects.If you have a project you just can't get to, or you just need time to get away and recoup, please join us the last Wednesday of the month at 7 PM at Coffee Etc. on Oracle. Please contact Sybelle V. for more information.
EASTSIDE PARENTS COFFEE NITE
Who: Everyone welcome!
What: A leisurely chat over coffee or tea. Discussion is very informal.
When: Thursday, February 8, at 7:30 PM.
Where: Borders Cafe, Park Mall on Broadway
Why: Why not?
VALENTINE'S CELEBRATION
by Frances A.
Since Valentine's Day is on a Wednesday, we will celebrate at the park meeting on Tuesday, February 13. Each child who wishes to participate needs to decorate a Valentine box, bag, or container of their choice. Be sure to have the child put his or her name clearly on the container. The containers will be set out on the tables at the park for everyone to
admire and for the children to put valentines into. They will need to make (or buy), some valentines to bring to the park for this purpose. Note that the valentines need only a "from" name, and not a "to" name on them. We need the adults to supply drinks and goodies, so it is indeed a party. If anyone would also like to supply activities or games that would be fine, too.
Please let me know by February 6 if you wish to participate. Then call me after that date and I will give you a tally, thereby letting you know about how many valentines to make. (Let's encourage the children to give a valentine to every child, even if that person is not well known to them). We could also bring a few extras, in case some people join in at the last minute, or forgot to call and say they were coming. If you call and I am not in, you can leave a message. Just be sure to let me know how many children in your family will participate.
EARLY READERS GROUP
The early readers or nonreaders will continue to meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. We meet at 11:15am, just before the park meeting. We are looking for families who would like to sign up this year. If you are interested in sharing a story with our group, please
contact Mary Mc.
FIELD TRIP TO POST OFFICE
Wonder what happens to your letter after you drop it in the collection box? Meet at the Main Post Office, l50l Cherrybelle, at 9:00 AM on February 9 and find out. To reserve your spot and get directions, call Char S.
This field trip is best suited to ages six and up, unless the child has a good attention span.
SPELLING BEE REDUX
Jaron enjoyed participating in December's citywide spelling bee so much that he is organizing informal spelling bees for SDH. They will usually be held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month under the ramada, at 11:30 AM. However, this month's bee will be on February 6 to not conflict with Legislative Days in Phoenix.
All ages are welcome! It will probably not be very big at first, but hopefully it will grow. We will do our best to make it fun for everybody! Questions? Please talk with Jaron or Debbie at the park, or e-mail them at xxxxx@xxx. And hope for good weather!
4-H BUG CLUB
The Creepy Crawly 4-H Bug Club is up and crawling! We've begun work on the Fair Project and need everyone to attend the February meeting. Children under 8 will be meeting with Alissa, and children 8 and older will be meeting with Debbie and Alayna. This month's meeting will be held Thursday, February 15 at Tanque Verde Lutheran Church, 8625 E. Tanque Verde Road. Call Alayna V. for details.
LEGISLATIVE DAYS
Don't miss out on Legislative Days! This event begins with a big rally on Tuesday, February 20, at 10:00 AM in the Tower Lobby and Gallery of the Capitol. Be sure to get there early for parking and socializing. Part of the rally includes the presentation of the proclamation
designating the week "Home School Week" in Arizona. Speaker of the House Jim Weirs will present the proclamation to Tom Lewis, President of Arizona Families for Home Education.
In addition, you can take a Capitol field trip of both the historical chambers as well as the current facilities, visit your elected officials and look at all the home school support group displays. Each support group creates a display featured on a panel for two weeks at the
Capitol. The display tells the story of their group through pictures and short narrations. The displays are an important way for the home school community to educate the public and our elected officials on what we are about.
You may contact AFHE by e-mailing to AFHE@Primenet.com or snail-mail to AFHE, 1690 W. Venus Way, Chandler, AZ 85224.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it."
---Henry Emerson Fosdick
FYI...
UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARK
Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers has a new web address - (obsolete). This change was necessary because our previous host, Crosswinds, has been experiencing numerous problems, one of them being that our site was completely lost. Sam G. is designing this new site, and there will be new features available soon, including a password-protected calendar for SDH members only. The e-mail address for the site is xxxxx@xxx. Both Sam and I will be answering e-mail and maintaining the site, so if you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.
Thanks,
Debbie G.
MORE NEWS THAN WE CAN FIT INTO PRINT
Our group bulletin board (the cork kind, not the one on our website) is loaded with information and flyers on the following topics:
Home Educators HEART --- workshops on homeschooling issues
AFHE Home Education Scholarship Program --- college scholarship funds
Arizona Daily Star --- soliciting nominations for Senior Class Achievers
Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program and Scholarship Competition --- for aspiring artists Sonoran Shindig --- at Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge - lectures, displays, children's activities, raffles, and food.
For details, contact Karen or consult the bulletin board at the next park meeting.
ARTISTS WANTED
AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) has a contest for the "Future of Flight". They are seeking children's (ages 5-13) artwork depicting a vision of air or space travel in the next 100 years.
Please contact Susan E. for contest rules and forms.
SOUTHERN ARIZONA HOME SCHOOL GRADUATION
When: May 25th, 2001
Where: Victory Assembly of God
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Attention all senior and 8th grade graduates! Graduation is quickly approaching! If you are a senior in high school or an eighth grader and would like to participate in this year's Southern Arizona AHFE graduation, please call Nicole Lambros at 744-0446 to register. The
deadline for registration is April 6th for Seniors, and May 4th for 8th graders.
There is a fee for graduation this year. The cost is $20 for seniors and $10 for eighth graders. Your check should be made out to and mailed to Nicole Lambros at: 9152 N. Alabaster Pl. Tucson, AZ 85742. The money should be mailed after you have called and registered with
Nicole. If you have any other questions please feel free to call Nicole
and talk with her.
AFHE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE NOTES
by Debbie G.
It was still dark on January 20 when Eileen and I drove up I-10 toward Tempe to attend the Annual AFHE Leadership Conference. We were feted with an assortment of bagels, yogurt, fruit, coffee and juice. Lunch was a choice of pastas topped with alfredo or marinara sauce; meatballs or chicken; green salad; bread stick; and choice of carrot cake or cheesecake. And this was just the food.
Nine speakers presented talks from 9 AM until almost 4 PM. My notes from the conference fill 12 pages of paper. It will take a couple of newsletter issues to adequately cover what we learned at the conference. This month, I will touch on the power that voters wield, not just on
Election Day, but throughout their legislators' terms of service.
Tom Lewis, president of AFHE has often mentioned how few telephone calls, e-mail messages, or letters it takes to get the attention of a legislator. Someone in our group has been told that all it takes is FIVE phone calls for a politician to take notice. Right now, Tom is urging
voters around the state to contact their representatives in the State House to let them know that they oppose passage of HB 2153. (As an aside, Debora Norris, from District 11 in Pima County is among the bill's sponsors.) HB 2153 would have the effect of lowering the
compulsory school attendance age in Arizona from 6 years of age to 5 years of age. Tom especially feels that homeschoolers need to make their voices heard on this issue.
This link provides you with the actual text of HB 2153. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/45leg/1r/bills/hb2153p.htm
This link takes you to the main page of the State Legislature. From there, you can find your state senators and representatives, search for specific bills, and learn more about the legislative process up north.
Another issue being discussed in Phoenix involves homeschooled students being entitled to special needs educational services within their school districts. A lawsuit is being prepared against Scottsdale Unified School District on behalf of two legally blind homeschooled students who havebeen refused special needs educational services. The district is taking the position that Scott, age 15, and Caitlin, age 9, children of Doug and Carol MacIntyre, are not entitled to receive these services, even though they reside within the district.
Mark Lassiter, a business attorney who does some work in support of home education issues, suggests that legislative clarification of existing state law is all that is required to straighten this out. The law presently states that all students within a school district are entitled to receive services. The clarification would specifically state that homeschooled students within a district are entitled to the services. Mr. Lassiter recommends that voters contact State Senator Ken Bennett, a member of the State Education Committee, to advise him that homeschoolers in Arizona support clarification of this law. Ken Bennett can be e-mailed at kbennett@az.leg.state.az.us .
AFHE is requesting that people use "special needs education for homeschoolers" as the e-mail's subject line. Ken Bennett can also be telephoned at (602) 542-5584. AFHE is particularly requesting that the messages be polite - The strong support for homeschooling that existed in last year's legislature has "kind of dissolved," leaving AFHE working hard to establish good relationships with the leadership in the House and Senate.
This leads to a plug for Legislative Days. There will be a rally at the State Capitol on Tuesday, February 20. Homeschoolers from around the state are encouraged to participate. Last year between 500 - 700 people attended. AFHE will also be providing tours of the Capitol that day,
with sign-up in the morning for the tours. In addition, AFHE will be distributing "Thank You Pies" to each member of the state legislature.
Upcoming articles will include information about a new homeschoolers scholarship fund that AFHE was worked to develop, how to avoid problems with CPS, and the state of homeschooling around the nation. If you are interested in detailed information, let me know at the park, or e-mail debbiegubernick@yahoo.com .
SINGLE PARENTING AND HOMESCHOOLING
Single mom of a five-year-old would like to start homeschooling in the fall. Looking for other single parent homeschoolers interested in sharing how they logistically handle this set of circumstances. Also looking for a homeschooler who is interested in watching my daughter
while I work, either for trade or for pay. Laura 798-3810
ANOTHER QUOTE OF THE MONTH
by Char S.
In looking through some old files from when I was homeschooling my son 25 years ago, I found a letter from my friend, Lucy, who was homeschooling in Minnesota and was sharing some of her educational philosophy. She wrote:
"It is true. Leave kids alone, and in five minutes, at the 'opportune moment,' they will pick something up (like adding fractions or counting money) that children in public school have to take months of laborious work sheets to learn. The problem lies in the whole idea of teaching. You CAN teach things to kids before they are really ready. Thus the age of expected learning is lowered. And some parents feel better about a five year old being taught to read (even if he/she does so poorly), than an older child who reads well, but didn't start or wasn't interested until after age 8 or even l0. And look at all the important playtime some of these kids lose, while busily trying to learn to read, write, or do homework. The late readers ( or should I say later) get both the play and the reading! Even kids who truly are ready to read early, need lots of other kinds of teaching.
The challenge for parents is to provide the experiences and materials so that the 'opportune moment' can express itself, and to also pay attention to the child's interests. Then seize the moment!"
KIDS' STUFF
SLIPPING BEAUTY
by Lindsey S.
Once upon a time there was a castle. In the castle lived a queen and a king. Many years they longed for a child. At last their wish was granted by three fairies named Blural, Berry, and Berryweather. Everyone in town came to see the baby.
Then the wind blew. And there stood the ghost of the 30 year old witch named Maleficent. She was burned in l844. To escape the witch, the princess was taken to the forest by the three fairies. They lived in a little cottage.
On the princess's 16th birthday, the fairies sent her out to pick berries, so they could surprise her with a party. She climbed a mountain that looked like a steep bottle. At the top she found a berry bush and a prince. She slid back down the bottle mountain. Then she went to the castle and cried, because she missed the prince. All of a sudden she heard a strange voice calling her name. So she followed it upstairs to a tower. And there sat a large banana peel. She stepped on it and slipped. And she fell into a deep sleep.
Then the fairies put the town to sleep under their blankies and covers and brought them their teddy bears. Then they rescued the prince (named Gagooda) who was trapped inside the tower of the ghost named Maleficent. They gave the prince the mighty shield of Glurch and the
sword of Boop to kill the witch's dragon.
Then the prince went to the tower where the princess (now named Banana Peel) was, and kissed her lips, and she woke up. She ran downstairs to her mom (named Queen Galeeka) . Then Queen Galeeka served them banana splits for the rest of their lives.
The End.
INTERNET INFO
See "Update Your Bookmark" under the FYI section.
EDITOR'S FOOTNOTE
I've been composing a story about this past week, based on the Book of Job in the Bible. It's not every day that I accurately get to use great words like "woe," "affliction," "torment," and "forsaken." But this is not just the archaic language of the prophets --- it mirrors the
tortured cries of the newsletter editor whose computer was invaded by a virus that paralyzed all her Windows programs the week before publication. Several days later, amidst great jubilation and rejoicing, the computer was restored to wholeness and my heart was glad. So I set to work, but then the betrayal of one false mouse stroke was my undoing. After two hours of cutting, pasting and performing grammatical surgery, I turned my mouse over to clear it and when I looked up, the entire afternoon's work had been obliterated. Gone. As in, start over from scratch. I now completely understand why Job got his own book.
There's so much great stuff to do this month. It's a good thing our kids aren't in school --- with all these great learning opportunities, when would they ever fit it in? Don't forget to send me your articles for the March newsletter by Tuesday, February 13. As always, I aspire to have the newsletter to you by the 1st of each month, and if I could do it this month, ANYTHING is possible.
See you soon!
Michelle
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Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers Tucson Arizona
