1. 18 years or older? Spend this winter at Camp Monadnock!
Camp Monadnock in southern New Hampshire will be the site of a 12-week discipleship program, providing mentoring, hands-on ministry experience, and training for students 18 years or older. Gain a variety of camp skills as you grow in your faith and serve the mission and ministry of Camp Monadnock.
More details are available HERE. Email Laurel Taaffe at ltaaffe@berea.org for application materials.
2. Free course on C.S. Lewis
From Kyle Murnen, Director of Online Learning at Hillsdale College
I’d like to invite you to join me in Hillsdale College’s free course studying the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th century, C.S. Lewis.
C.S. Lewis, best known as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, also authored works on apologetics and philosophy, including The Abolition of Man and Mere Christianity. This free online course studies both Lewis’s apologetics and his fiction, as well as his philosophical and literary writings and their continuing significance today.
Hillsdale President Larry P. Arnn delivers three of the nine lectures, and is joined by Michael Ward, a leading expert on the works of C.S. Lewis, and Hillsdale Professor of English, David Whalen. I hope you enjoy the course.
You may enroll in “An Introduction to C.S. Lewis: Writings and Significance” and begin learning today by clicking on this SECURE LINK.
3. Still time to view Schoolhouse Rocked
“There’s a revolution transforming education and it’s NOT happening in the classroom!”The new feature-length documentary, Schoolhouse Rocked: The Homeschool Revolution, examines the incredible growth of homeschooling and why thousands of families across the country are choosing this path for their children’s education. The premium streaming release of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCKEDlaunched on November 12, but there are plenty of viewing dates left. You can see a trailer or order your tickets HERE. Schoolhouse Rocked will impact countless lives by…
- Encouraging families who aren’t yet homeschooling to dive in,
- Bringing much needed encouragement and resources to current homeschool families so they will stay the course, AND
- Breaking down the misconceptions and negative stereotypes that many people believe about homeschooling.
Gather your family, other families, your support group/co-op, even skeptical friends and family members, and have a movie night! With each ticket purchased, 15% of the purchase will be kicked back to MassHOPE. Thank you, and enjoy the show!
4. “Keeping the Faith” by Christian Smith
The author, although not necessarily holding an evangelical Christian perspective, has some useful advice for all parents to be “real” when trying to guide children in the right path.
“The good news is that, among all possible influences, parents exert far and away the greatest influence on their children’s religious outcomes. “https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/05/keeping-the-faith?fbclid=IwAR0Fs4J_QXadtf-D0yjR_h1AQeeb_9-wX9DVotttUB-u2ZFmC_TOhKIZCoI“So, what can committed, religious parents do to increase their chances of raising children who, as young adults, believe and practice some version of their religion? The first answer is simply to be themselves: believe and practice their own religion genuinely and faithfully. Children are not fooled by performances. They see reality.”
5. New resources from HSLDANew on-demand recordings:
Could Homeschooling Fit My Family?—Q&A, with Rochelle Matthews-Somerville, HSLDA Special Needs and High School Consultant, and Tj Schmidt, HSLDA Staff Attorney.Single-Parent Homeschooling: Success Strategies—Q&A, with Kim Sorgius, Not Consumed community founder, and Erin Eskew, Have Soldier: Will Travel blog.Helping Your Child Love Learning—Q&A, with Ainsley Arment, Wild + Free founder, and Natalie Mack, HSLDA High School Consultant.Homeschooling Through Major Life Changes—Q&A, with Faith Berens, HSLDA Special Needs Consultant, Tracy Klicka, HSLDA Director of Development, and Sunny Coté, state department spouse.9 Tips for Homeschooling in the Military—Q&A, with Natalie Mack, HSLDA High School Consultant and U.S. Navy Chaplain’s wife, and Sabrina Riley, Army National Guard, active duty spouse.
Upcoming webinars and dates:11 Ways to Homeschool More Efficiently—Q&A, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. ET, with Vicki Bentley, HSLDA PreK–8 Educational Consultant (and homeschooling mom to eight biological kids plus nine foster kids through the years), and Tiffany Jefferson, writer, speaker, homeschool coach (and homeschooling mom to 10).Ask Any Question About Homeschooling (Except Legal Advice!)—Q&A, Nov. 18, 7 p.m. ET, with Rochelle Matthews-Somerville, HSLDA Special Needs and High School Consultant (and homeschooling mom to six), and Darren Jones, HSLDA Senior Counsel and Director of Group Services (and homeschool grad and dad to four).
Classic on-demand recording: hoHomeschooling through the Holidays? (or taking a month off? or flexing with hands-on learning and unit studies? or . . . ?) with Vicki Bentley, HSLDA PreK-8 Educational Consultant and homeschooling mom to eight biological kids plus nine foster kids through the years), and Chelsea Moore, HSLDA blogger (and homeschooling mom to two).
Upgraded webinar library page:hslda.org/Webinars
6. Great deal at Great Wolf Lodge!
Looking for a fun local winter getaway? Consider trekking to Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg for a splashing time! Located in northern Worcester County, Great Wolf Lodge has “pawsitively” something for everyone to enjoy. Check out their website for more information, including COVID-related regulations. We are pleased to announce that MassHOPE has blocked rooms for the nights of Monday, 1/24/22 and Tuesday, 1/25/22. The room rate is $119/night and includes access to both the water park and the ropes course! Access begins at 1:00 p.m. on the day of check-in and ends when the water park closes the night of your check-out date! What a deal!
Come alone as a family, or make it a time to get together with other families. Make your reservations by calling (866)980-9653 by 12/17/21, and use our unique code – 2201MAHOPE2 – to take advantage of this special offer. Please note: Unless a cancellation is due to someone in your party being sick, a $40 fee is incurred for any cancellation until 72 hours prior to arrival date. Any cancellation made within the 72 hours of arrival date will be charged 100% for one night’s room rate plus tax.
7. TeenPact Massachusetts 2022
TeenPact is an “awesome Christian ministry” where your kids can learn about government from a Biblical perspective. They will learn how a bill becomes a law and how elections are run, and hear from elected leaders on site at the State House.
Email Ken at ken.tangel@teenpact.com to RSVP or for further information. Please share with your friends!
TeenPact Massachusetts will be April 25-29, 2022.
8. MassHOPE Facebook groups
Did you know that MassHOPE has two private Facebook groups in addition to its main Facebook page? If you would like to join the MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Discussion and Support Group (described in Item #10, below) or the MassHOPE Massachusetts Homeschool Marketplace and UCS group, or if you invite anyone to join these groups, please note that there are questions you will need to answer in order to be approved. If you don’t get approved soon after your request to join, perhaps you didn’t answer the required questions.
9. MassHOPE advertising opportunities
MassHOPE has a variety of advertising options available at reasonable rates in several media paths – MassHOPE website, dedicated email, Facebook, MassHOPE Messenger. If interested, please send an email to advertising@masshope.org. All ads are subject to availability and space. MassHOPE reserves the right to accept or reject ads as we must apportion limited space and evaluate relevance to our audience.
10. MassHOPE Facebook discussion group
Connect with us on Facebook at MassHOPE’s Massachusetts Homeschool Discussion and Support Group. This group provides support and encouragement for homeschoolers pursuing privately-funded, parent-led home education. Its purpose is to encourage and equip homeschool parents to disciple and educate their children for the Lord, and to connect families within our state to give them opportunities to gather together for educational and recreational experiences.https://www.facebook.com/groups/MassHOPEDiscussion/
11. The MassHOPE Educator ID Card
Educator IDs are available for benefits such as potential discounts at retailers. Order them from our website HERE.
12. Are you on our mailing lists?
To those who have been recently added to our email list through our website: if youwould also like to be added to our “snail mail” list to receive information (such as our print newsletter) via the U.S. Postal Service, please send your full name and complete mailing address to newsletter@masshope.org.
13. Your news items wanted
Do you know of an event or activity in or near Massachusetts that would edify or interest the homeschool community? Email Anne Smith at volunteer@masshope.org and we will review it for possible inclusion in the MassHOPE Messenger.
14. Remember to “Like” MassHOPE on Facebook
“Like” MassHOPE’s Facebook page: facebook.com/MassHOPE?fref=ts. You’ll be encouraged in your homeschooling journey and will receive all updates for upcoming events.
15. Do you receive The Voice of HOPE?
MassHOPE publishes a quarterly print newsletter, The Voice of HOPE. In addition to announcements you might also find in the Messenger, we provide three or four full-length articles on a variety of homeschooling topics. If you would like to add your name, please send your name and “snail mail” address to newsletter@masshope.org.
16. Support MassHOPE through AmazonSmile
Do you shop at Amazon? If you shop through AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to MassHOPE! If you’re not already signed up, you can do so more easily than ever. To start supporting our organization, simply click this link, which is unique to MassHOPE: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/04-HYPERLINK “http://smile.amazon.com/ch/04-3220412″3220412. That’s all! From then on, when – and only when – you enter the Amazon website through amazonsmile.com,Amazon will automatically donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to MassHOPE. Thank you for supporting the work of your Christian state homeschool organization!
17. How to homeschool legally in Massachusetts
This video features Michael Donnelly, HSLDA’s designated counsel for Massachusetts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmELLON4OFI&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWzxwNhyZUNrdz0K-tbkz9a&index=21. The link referenced for further Massachusetts-specific articles is https://hslda.org/legal/massachusetts.
18. Getting started? NEW videos and webinars
1.Three-part video series on getting started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVOzkYx2vcA&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWAtvLTz1gA1CYyPLBBe-Ke.
2. Helpful overview of how to start homeschooling: https://hslda.org/post/ready-set-go-choosing-homeschool-curriculum-and-more.
3. You Can Homeschool Through High School: https://hslda.org/post/you-can-homeschool-through-high-school.
4. How to Start Homeschooling with Special Needs: https://hslda.org/post/how-to-start-homeschooling-midyear-with-special-needs-q-and-a.
19. MassHOPE: homeschooling in Massachusetts
Check out this MassHOPE site for getting started.
20. A bevy of materials, offers, and helps
https://www.mfwbooks.com/My Father’s World materials. Includes offer of two free activity packs.https://homeschoolhistory.com/Notgrass History web-based curriculum. Free trial.https://www.iew.com/three-weeks-of-language-arts-instruction-from-iewFree language arts lessons from IEW.https://coronavirushomeschooling.com/The importance of Christian homeschool organizations for homeschool freedom.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRgV-1tfKz8&feature=youtu.beYouTube with Dr. Kathy Koch: Having Conversations about Today’s Tough Stuffhttps://www.oaclub.org/Remember Adventures in Odyssey? Free 28-day trial.https://billygrahamlibrary.org/continue-the-journey-from-home/Family activities from the Billy Graham Library.
21. Variety of interesting sites suggested by the Heritage Foundation
Science, engineering, and building projects and lessons from The League of Young Inventors.
Exciting free courses from Hillsdale College in literature, politics, history, and economics.From Joy Hakim: DIY lessons on topics such as the human body, Magellan’s travels, the story of Elizabeth Jennings Graham, and plagues from previous eras.Students can explore the remains of Athens’ ancient Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Zeus, and more in these virtual tours.
Free online language learning materials in English, Spanish, French and German, from Lingoda.More free language learning from Duolingo, with 23 languages.Core Knowledge offers a vast array of resources. Their Language Arts, History and Geography, and Science curricula are available for free.
TouchMath offers free downloads of TouchMath Workbooks.
22. Browsing corner for vets and newbies
How To (and How Not To) Homeschool During COVID-19 by John Stonestreet by John Stonestreet‘Most Rewarding Thing You Can Do’: Homeschool Experts Offer Hope to Parents in COVID-19 School Shutdowns by Kayla RootHome-school family feels the impact of social distancing, offers advice to other families by Tiffany Kafer5 Tips From Homeschool Veterans For Parents New To Learning At Home by Laura Isensee