Winter is nearly upon us, and the school year is nearing its half-way point. Have you joined Texas Home School Coalition Association yet? (Click on the graphic for more information.)

THSC Association is continually looking not only for more member discounts to add to its Member Benefit Package but also for ways to make joining more manageable.

It is now even easier to budget for your membership! We still offer $15 off the annual membership price of $85 for members of local home school support groups. In addition, an auto-renewal option gives another $5 in savings. Our newest budgeting tool is our monthly payment plan. You can now spread your payments throughout the year. The base price still includes the discounts.

To learn about the new options or to join, you can call our office at (888) 200-4903 and speak to our friendly, helpful staff or send your questions by email to staff@thsc.org. You can download, print, complete, and mail or fax your application and order form. Mail completed application to THSC, PO Box 6747, Lubbock, TX 79493 or fax to (806) 744-4446. If you would like to join or renew your membership, you can still join online, but the payment plan options are not yet available at the web store.

An article posted at news8austin.com on October 25, 2006, reports on home schooling in print and on television. In the report, both professional educators and home schoolers are interviewed, and National Home Education Research Institute statistics are cited as well.

“Research points to benefits of home schooling

“Some trained educators call parents who home school their children ‘well-meaning amateurs.’

“NHERI [National Home Education Research Institute] reports homeschooled students typically perform 15 to 30 percentile points above public school students on standardized achievements tests.”

In her article, posted October 17, 2006, The Cary News staff writer, Wendy Mondello, tells the story of how she and her husband made the decision to homeschool their son. The article begins:

“Homeschool a good fit for one food-allergic child

“My 3-year-old son, Joseph, puts on his backpack, climbs into the bus and goes to preschool — down the hall. The school bus is really a board book that folds into the shape of a big bus and the teachers that greet him for morning circle are my husband and me. Yes, our family has entered the world of homeschooling.

“Joseph’s life-threatening allergies to peanuts, nuts, wheat, dairy, egg and soy led us to the decision to homeschool, an unconventional choice, perhaps — especially for the daughter of a preschool teacher — but a choice I believe is right for us.”

THSC Association president Tim Lambert wrote a second letter to Vidor ISD as a response to their letter taking issue with a previous letter that he had written concerning their dealings with a member home school family.