The Texas Home School Coalition Association's Twelfth Annual Awards Banquet will be held in Irving on April 27. We are pleased and honored to have as our speaker this year, Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. In addition to hearing Justice Willett's words of encouragement, attendees will witness the presentation of various awards and the recognition of special Texans.

The evening will be a special time of enjoying good food and great fellowship and of celebrating the strides made by the home school community in recent years. THSC takes this time to honor home educators, legislators, and others who have positively impacted home schooling in Texas.

To be recognized at the annual event are recipients of the THSC Patrick Henry College scholarship, the THSC Leader of the Year, the State Speech and Debate Tournament winners, and the top award winners of the THSC Good Citizenship program.

The last Capitol Day of 2007 will be held May 16, and the deadline for registration is May 2. Take advantage of this final opportunity until 2009 to observe the Texas legislature in action and participate in the process. While in Austin, visit some historic and educational sites, such as the Governor's Mansion and the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum. Learn more at our Web site about field trips in the capital city of Texas and about discounts that are available to home schoolers.

Plan to attend THSC Association's May Capitol Day! Register today! Please note that the April Capitol Day was filled to capacity and we had to turn people away, so get your registration in early! Click on the graphic to download the registration form, or call our toll-free order line, 888-200-4903.

Among the benefits of being a member of the Texas Home School Coalition Association is a discounted registration at a Worldview Academy Leadership Camp. These camps are weeklong programs designed especially for home schoolers who desire to become bold leaders in Truth and Grace. Camps are held across America, primarily on college campuses. Students, age 13 and up, are trained in three main areas - worldviews, apologetics and evangelism - as well as in servant leadership.

Worldview Academy is offering THSC Association members a $30 discount off the cost of a camp registration. Click on the graphic to read more about the World View Academy camps.

Integrity Educators of Plainview is sponsoring "Homeschool Coffee and Dessert" on Tuesday, May 1, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Lyndsay Lambert will be the featured speaker. The meeting will take place at College Heights Baptist Church, 802 Quincy, in Plainview. No childcare will be provided. For more information, call Beverly Pucket, 806.296.2716 (h) or 806.774.2716 (c).

It's almost May-can graduation be far behind? Make your graduate's big day especially meaningful with a beautiful, personalized diploma from the Texas Home School Coalition Association.

In Texas, as private school officials, parents decide the requirements for high school graduation. When met, the student may receive a diploma. THSC Association makes available this custom diploma on which you may have not only your student's name and graduation date but also your school's name and a life verse, if desired. You can choose from four different font styles and several types of paper. You even have the diploma kit option, with which you get a custom diploma and an attractive black, padded cover for a great presentation.

All this with these great prices:
Diploma: $13
Padded cover: $15
Best Deal!!! Diploma Kit: $22

Remember that THSC Association members can take 10% off these and all regular-priced items in the store.

The Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) is seeking to fill employment openings this month. Please help us notify potential candidates by forwarding this message to any interested parties.

THSC has openings in our Lubbock office for one full-time administrative secretarial and one part-time staffer.
Duties for the secretarial staffers include such things as telephone customer service, light data entry, and other clerical responsibilities. The ideal candidates will be organized, methodical, and computer literate.

A cheerful, professional attitude is a must. The ability to travel infrequently to weekend book fairs and other events will be a plus. Schedule for part-time positions is flexible within normal office hours, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday.

If interested, please fax or email employment history and salary requirements to Wendy Wilkerson at 806.744.4446 or wendy@thsc.org.

"A bill in the (Alabama) State Legislature this week could allow homeschooled students to participate in public-school, extracurricular activities.

"The bill was introduced recently by Sen. Henry E. 'Hank' Erwin, R-Alabaster. It is expected to be introduced in the House soon by either local Rep. Jeremy Oden, R-Vinemont, or Rep. Blaine Galliher, R-Gadsden.

"Oden said Tuesday he will co-sponsor the bill if he does not introduce it. 'Either way, it has my full support,' he said."

A Big Spring school official attempted to force a member family to jump through unnecessary hoops in order to homeschool. Tim Lambert reminded the official what the state actually requires and promised to defend the family through legal means, if necessary.