|
|
|
What's So Great About the U.S.A.?
 In years past, citizens were proud to show their patriotic feelings. Next to love of God and family came love for one's country, especially the United States, which is still the golden ring to which many people worldwide aspire. This attitude of unabashed loyalty is rare now - we are too cynical to express our feelings for our country so openly.
Show your children and remind yourself of how it once was and how it can be again. Listen to these audio presentations by two shamelessly proud Americans who were not afraid to love their country aloud.
The Pledge of Allegiance - Red Skelton
Why I Love America - John Mitchum - Narrated by John Wayne
|
|
This Is My Country
 Lyrics by Don Raye
Music by Al Jacobs
This is my country! Land of my birth!
This is my country! Grandest on earth!
I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold,
For this is my country to have and to hold.
What difference if I hail from North or South
Or from the East or West
My heart is full of love for all of these.
I only know I swell with pride and deep within my breast,
I thrill to see Old Glory paint the breeze!
This is my country! Land of my choice!
This is my country! Hear my proud voice!
I pledge thee my allegiance, American, the bold,
For this is my country to have and to hold.
|
|
Meet Featured Speaker Jim Weiss
 Jim Weiss joins a great lineup of speakers for the 2008 THSC State Convention and Family Conference! As a storyteller, Jim's performances have been described as exciting and enchanting. His connection to his audience is magnetic and interactive, proof positive that storytelling today rejuvenates one of the first and most personal forms of entertainment. Adults and children alike leave the performance feeling that they have really met characters from a wide range of classic literature and folk tales. Jim's presentations garner heightened respect for the art of storytelling and for the literature itself. Jim's workshops at our convention are Storytelling and Character-Building, Real Life Heroes: Fascinating Stories of Great People, and Stories Worth Telling.
A Vacation Weekend You Don't Want to Miss!
Come Thursday for a FREE taste of the weekend to come. Dr. Jeff Myers will kick off your Convention vacation and motivate you with his talk, The Christian Worldview: A Call to Reason! Following Dr. Myers, there will be a showing of the premiere documentary, Taking a Stand in Texas: The Battle for Home School Freedom.
Come and be encouraged and inspired by two days of shopping, workshops, speakers, and fellowships. You will leave ready to face the new school year with fresh ideas and enthusiasm!
|
|
It's Already July! Join THSC Association Now!
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.
Start your school year on a great note - join today! Download and print application now....
|
|
Are You a Threat to Popular Culture?
Sonny Scott, a columnist from Mississippi, muses on why people are so critical of home schoolers. He believes there is increased suspicion of the educational choice and says, "Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar's be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return."
Citing all the rationalizations people offer for not homeschooling, he concludes that those who do homeschool are making everyone else uncomfortable. How rude. Are you a cultural threat? |
|
National Speech and Debate Championship Results
The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association recently held its 2008 National Speech and Debate Championship in Birmingham, Alabama. With more than 500 students from some thirty-nine states, this level of competition represents approximately the top ten percent of the league's participants. As you can see from the results at the link, Texas home schoolers were represented well in every category of speech and debate.
We at THSC are excited to see how well Texas was represented nationally. We congratulate all these students for doing such great jobs!
A little history -
THSC has been the proud sponsor of the Texas home school speech and debate program since 1999. We are really pleased with its progress! For those who may not know, this program has come a long way over the past few years:
- 2001 - There were only eight debate teams (the minimum number necessary for a tournament), and half of those were from out of state.
- 2002 - Texas had no tournament at all because of a lack of teams.
- 2003 - Some Individual (speech) Events were added..
- 2005 - ALL the IEs were finally offered.
- 2008 - Click on the the link below to see just how well the Texas team did!
Way to go, team!
|
|
Dad Takes on Rare Role: Home School Teacher
 David Kahl, a stay-at-home dad from Georgia, has decided to homeschool his eleven-year-old daughter next fall. The transportation company employee already works from home, so the decision will not affect his job. He and his wife, a cosmetologist, have chosen to homeschool because their daughter Kyra is entering middle school, and they do not feel comfortable about her new campus. Kahl is reading books on home schooling, investigating curricula, and planning museum field trips.
Read the article.... |
|
Your Invitation to the HEART of Texas Leadership Conference
 The 3nd Annual HEART of Texas Leadership Conference will be held July 19, 2008, at Restoration Church in Euless, Texas.
The focus of this year's conference is to equip home school leaders with the resources and information they need to fulfill their vision by inspiring them with this year's theme, "Get Organized." As more and more families make the decision to homeschool their children, there is an increasing need for leaders in the home schooling community to have access to the resources that will allow them to serve these families successfully. The focus of this conference is to equip leaders with the tools they need to help them function in their roles more effectively.
The speaking sessions complement the theme, and include Lyndsay Lambert's "Conflict Resolution" and Mary James' "The Heart of a Leader." Tim Lambert will provide an update on legislative issues impacting Texas home schoolers. Doug and Patsy Arnold of Texas' Special Kids will present "How to Integrate Special Needs Families in Your Support Group." Dave and Anne Gebhart, HEART of Texas founders, will speak during a breakout session on "501c(3): Is it Necessary and What's Involved?" and "The 4 Leadership Styles and How They Work Together to Complement Your Board." The day will culminate with a town hall forum to give attending home school leaders the opportunity to identify and explore current issues facing home schoolers and home school leadership.
The conference is sponsored by Home Educators Alliance for Resources and Training of Texas, Inc., (HEART of Texas), an alliance of home school support group leaders and families in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding North Texas counties.
Click on the graphic to get more information.
Download a registration form.... |
|
Japanese Cultural Exchange Program Looking for Host Families
 Want to travel the world without leaving your home?
Invite a Japanese student over for a one-month stay, July 22 to August 18.
We are still seeking a few more host families and siblings for these students. We have three boys left: two twelve-year-olds and a fourteen-year-old. Their personal information is below.
Shigeki Yamada, M-14: Likes sports, especially soccer, and listening to music. Enjoys shopping, reading, movies and sports events. He is tidy and laughs a lot. His favorite subject is English. He is allergic to cats and birds, but a small dog would be all right.
Yusaku Kasai, M-12: He likes playing and watching baseball, shopping, video games, and drawing. He also enjoys going to the movies, computer games, arts and crafts, eating and cooking. He is friendly, easygoing, talkative, and sensitive. He wants to help around the house, horseback ride, cook, camp, and make many friends. He is allergic to inside cats.
Ryosuke Hasegawa, M-12: He likes watching TV, games, reading books, skiing and swimming. He also enjoys computer games, eating, singing, and playing with friends. He is talkative and friendly. He would like to make many friends
For general inquiries or to request an application, please contact Coordinator Susan Kilpatrick at 940-241-3097 or e-mail: tge.susan@gmail.com |
|
Free Houston Meeting for New Home Schoolers
 Looking into home schooling?
Come to a free informational meeting for new or prospective home schooling families.
July 10, 2008
7 - 9 p.m.
Barbara Bush branch of the Harris County Public Library, Women's Council of Realtors room
6817 Cypresswood Drive, between Stuebner Airline and Kuykendahl Road
No childcare provided.
Sponsored by the state home school organization of Texas, the Texas Home School Coalition. For more information, call (832) 249-6765, or contact THSC at (806) 744-4441.
|
|
A Merry Heart Doeth Good
Reprinted with permission. Taken from the Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons www.familymanweb.com
|
|
Pasadena ISD Attempts to Inspect Curriculum
Pasadena ISD refused to continue services to an Association member's special needs child unless the mother allowed the district to "approve" her curriculum. The district cited a recent change by the Texas Education Association (TEA) for its ruling. The member contacted THSC Association, and Tim Lambert wrote a letter to the district clarifying the state's policy regarding home schools.
| |
Articles in THSC's weekly E-Newsletter are included because of their potential interest to the home school community of Texas. Inclusion does not signify an endorsement. We encourage parents to practice due diligence before participating in any program. THSC neither recommends nor endorses any material or ads that may be encountered when clicking on links that take the reader away from the THSC website. |
|
|
 |
|
:: 806-744-4441 | |
|
|
|
|
|
Travel Flexibility: A Home School Dividend
One of the things we really like about home schooling is the flexibility we have with our vacation time. Several years ago my wife and I were in California on business in July and decided to make a quick swing through Yosemite. The crowds were so thick that it was more akin to Manhattan than America's most famous national park. Most families are tied to school schedules and have to travel at peak travel times like spring break, Christmas, and summer months. We home schoolers, on the other hand, can go whenever we like (working parents' schedules permitting, of course). For instance, we try to take the kids snow skiing a time or two each year and usually go in early December or February. Lines are small, as are lift and room rates. Read the article.... |
Build a Victorian Villiage
|
Inspiring Historical Documents - Download Free until July 6
|
Check Out Tim Lambert's Blog
| |
