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1. Great Wolf: gift idea for the whole family?
Need a winter break for the family? Want a different type of Christmas gift - a memory, perhaps, instead of another toy or device? MassHOPE has secured a deal for a winter water getaway in January at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, right off Route 2. Reserve your stay now!
Room block dates: Tuesday night, 1/27/26 and/or Wednesday night, 1/28/26
Cost: $99/night (resort fees completely waived!) In addition to these savings, Great Wolf is also providing our group with a complimentary unlimited ropes course. There is now a parking fee of $19/night which is being reduced to only $5/night for our group.
Call (866)516-0138 or visit
GREATWOLF.COM
prior to Sunday, December 28, 2025
to take advantage of this offer. You must identify yourself as a member of the group with the Block Code of 2601HOPE. Cancellation fees will apply; check with the facility for details.
2. December only: huge deal from the Classical Learning Test
The Classical Learning Test (CLT) is a college entrance exam that was developed only 10 years ago as an alternative to the SAT or ACT but is now accepted by over 300 colleges and universities. It is especially popular with homeschoolers. For those still unfamiliar with it, you can find good information on it
HERE
,
HERE
, and even
HERE
.
During the month of December, the CLT is offering the
2026 UNLIMITED PASS
for a one-time cost of just $167. Students usually do better each time they take the test, and this offer will remove any financial barriers to multiple testings.
Also this: “As a special bonus, the first 100 customers will receive a FREE
CLT STUDENT GUIDE
, which will be shipped to customers in January 2026.”
3. Homeschool fitness program in Woburn
Homeschool at Conquer Ninja Gyms Woburn!
Active. Social. Confidence-building.
Looking for a fun and structured way to add physical education to your homeschool schedule? Join us for our daytime Homeschool Ninja Classes - where kids build strength, coordination, and confidence in a positive social environment!
Our goal is to make fitness accessible and affordable for homeschooling families. Classes are held during the day, and all members enjoy unlimited access to Open Gyms throughout the week!
Plans:
1. One daytime homeschooling class per week + unlimited open gyms.
$125/month or $500/semester (5 months)
2. Two daytime
homeschooling classes per week + unlimited open gyms.
$220/month or $900/semester (5 months).
3. Three
daytime
homeschooling classes per week + unlimited open gyms.
$310/month or $1,150/semester (5 months).
Sibling Discount: 10% off each additional child enrolled.
Schedule: Classes run Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-1p.m. and 1-2 p.m.
Address: 10W Gill Street Woburn, MA 01801
For more info, email Jenna at jenna.tavanese@conquergyms.com. or
call
(781)556-1071.
4. Church pianist needed
In Search of: Church Pianist OR Pianist/Organist
Chepachet Union Church in Gloucester, Rhode Island
(
in northwest Rhode Island, well under 10 miles from both the Massachusetts and Connecticut borders)
is looking for a pianist or pianist/organist beginning in February 2026. This would involve playing for Sunday morning services which are usually from 9-10:00 a.m. (occasionally a little over that time). You would be expected to play a prelude and short postlude, 2-3 hymns, and the doxology, at a minimum. If you are comfortable playing contemporary music on the piano alongside a guitar, that’s a plus (1-2 per service). There also may sometimes be a need for an offertory (solo). If you are able/willing, then we’d also love for you to occasionally accompany someone else (voice or instrument) for the offertory.
Pay rate per service will range from $150-200 per service. While we’d ideally like someone who could commit to every week, we are open to individuals who are willing to play bi-weekly or even monthly.
There also may be opportunities to play for special services (Good Friday, Christmas Eve) at the same pay rate, or other special events (wedding, funerals, etc.) at a payrate of $100 per service if you are interested/available.
Note: We may be interested in this position turning into a part-time music director position if we find someone who is the right fit. We have had a choir in the past and are open to considering it again, but we also want to grow our contemporary music.
To learn more about our church you can visit
https://www.chepachetunionchurch.org/
.
To inquire or submit resume please e-mail pastormikecoburn@gmail.com.
5. Know someone who doesn’t receive the Messenger?
We share important information about MassHOPE, and other items of interest to homeschooling families. So spread the word! Encourage your friends to sign up now to ensure they receive all this this, especially upcoming convention info.
All they need to do to receive it is to send full name and email address to
info@masshope.org
.
Help them stay informed!
Also,
while you’re at it, why don’t you start thinking about volunteering at our next convention? We need you!
6. Speaker vault for November – Jay Wile
MassHOPE website features a
CURATED LIBRARY OF
RECORDED WORKSHOPS
from past conventions. Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting hundreds of inspiring speakers, and we
regularly
showcase some of their most encouraging presentations in this section.
For December, we invite you to listen to a compelling message by Dr. Jay Wile:
I Told You That Was Going to Happen!
In this workshop, Dr. Wile examines several Old Testament prophecies that have already been fulfilled in remarkable detail. He highlights how these prophecies, written centuries before the events they describe, accurately predict the rise and fall of famous cities, as well as specific aspects of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You will even hear how Scripture foretold the very day Jesus entered Jerusalem. Through these striking examples, Dr. Wile demonstrates that the Bible could only have been authored by God Himself, the One who alone knows the future. This session is sure to deepen your confidence in the reliability and divine inspiration of Scripture.
7. Field trip fun in Worcester
Studying Roman history? medieval warfare? Or have a kid who’s really into weapons like swords and axes? Until 2013, you could visit this one-of-a-kind exhibit, this hemisphere’s second-largest collection of arms and armor, at the
HIGGINS ARMORY MUSEUM
. Since the armory’s closing, it has been housed at the
WORCESTER ART MUSEUM
and is now featured in the brand-new Arms and Armor Galleries that opened just a little over a week ago.
Check their website for free admission on certain holidays.
8. For your encouragement:
“A Recipe for Idiocracy”
Can your homeschooled high school graduates do middle school math? Yes? Yay! They’re ahead of about 10% of incoming freshman at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), recently ranked by Forbes as the No. 3 best public university in the nation, and No. 20 among
all
schools
in the U.S. (with an impressively low acceptance rate of just under 27%.) Horrifyingly, the UCSD report notes that “more than a quarter of the students who placed into the elementary- and middle school-level remedial course last year had earned straight A’s in their high-school math classes.
Almost all of them had taken advanced math courses in high school.”
(emphasis mine) It was also noted that the kids had more issues with “logical thinking” than with “math facts,” according to
THIS PIECE
in The Atlantic.
UCSD’s problems are “extreme, but they are not unique.” And
EVEN HARVARD
is grappling with “a lack of foundational algebra skills” among some students. Still, it could worry any parent with a child in school: is my straight-A child really learning math, or is (s)he a victim of educational malpractice? So...Homeschool On!
9. In the news: supercharged growth
“The big question was whether the end of public health controls would also curtail interest in homeschooling. We know now that it didn’t.” According to
THIS ARTICLE
from Legal Insurrection, Angela Watkins at Johns Hopkins University’s
Homeschool Hub
reports that homeschooling is increasing annually at three times the rate that occurred pre-Covid.
10. Group discounts at Wachusett Mountain
Group discounts for skiing and snowboarding at Wachusett Mountain! Pass it on!
Come ski or board with your family at a discount rate! All homeschooled students in grades 3-12, as well as parents, chaperones, and friends are eligible to purchase passes through our ski/snowboard student group.
Our group skis at Wachusett Mountain from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. on Fridays, beginning January 9, 2026. We ski eight Fridays: January. 9, 16, 23, & 30; February 6, 13, and 27; and March 6.
Here are the highlights of what our group has to offer:
-
8-week lift badges are $205 through 12/1/25 ($235 after 12/1/25.
Registration ends 12/12/25).
-
8-week ski/ snowboard rentals are $109. Season rentals are $193.
-
8-week helmet rentals cost $31.
-
6 one-hour group lessons (from 10:30-11:30) are available for $102 - for beginners and novices only.
The mountain has also informed me that
children in our homeschool families under 3rd grade are welcome to participate as well.
However, group lessons are available only to those in 3rd grade or above. Contact me for help registering younger kids.
Bronze and Junior Bronze season passes are available this year
for $399 and $379 respectively if you purchase through the group; that's a significant discount off retail pricing. These are available until December 1 at that price.
After December 1, season pass prices go up.
Want to come as a guest for one day? Guest passes are available for $57. Guest rentals are $35, and helmets are $11.
Card of Wachusett (COW) cards are available at discounts as well. You can purchase a $50 card for $45 or a $100 card for $90 through our group, even if you don't purchase a lift badge! It's a great Christmas gift idea!
To sign up:
Go to
w
ww.wachusett.com/schoolgroups
and enter this Program Code to access the online order form:
CHSCH
.
If you have any questions or would like more information, contact group coordinator Kristen Raskett at
kras21@msn.com
. I'd be happy to help you any way I can! And please feel free to share this info!
11. Recruit your friends for TeenPact, and save!
Love TeenPact, and planning to return this spring? Share it with your friends! For every first-time student you recruit, you’ll save $10 off your tuition And so will each friend (up to a maximum of 10 friends). Read important details
HERE
.
Although Massachusetts currently has no TeenPact class, two of our neighboring states do, and you are welcome to attend their classes. Register
HERE
for Connecticut and
HERE
for New Hampshire. Both offer student housing.
Don’t know
what
TeenPact is, and
why
you should attend?
The
WHAT
: here’s a
QUICK LOOK
at what it’s all about. [Bonus for attending a state class: you’re eligible for Alumni Events. My kids loved them!]
The
WHY
: read this
INSPIRING STORY
about the huge impact TeenPact had on one student.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The last day of the New Hampshire 4-day class is Thursday, April 23, and the optional 5th day is Friday, April 24.
These dates overlap with part of MassHOPE’s annual convention.
If you sign up for the New Hampshire class, see if you can arrange for your student to get home with a relative or friend, leaving you free to attend the entire convention in Sturbridge.
12. Speaker vault for November – Andrew Pudewa
The MassHOPE website features a
CURATED LIBRARY OF
RECORDED WORKSHOPS
from past conventions. Over the years, we have had the privilege of hosting hundreds of inspiring speakers, and we regularly showcase some of their most encouraging presentations in this section. For November, we invite you to listen to an uplifting message by Andrew Pudewa:
Reaching the Reluctant Writer.
Many children do not like to write. Why? This workshop will answer that basic question and teach a specific and successful method of separating the complex process of writing into the smallest possible steps, making it possible for even the most reluctant writer to produce short but complete compositions. He will be proud and motivated to write again. If you remove the problem of what to write, you will be free to help your child learn how to write, using source texts, key word outlines and “dress-up” checklists. Results guaranteed!
13.
Field trip fun in Springfield
The Springfield Museums are free the first Wednesday of each month. See
HERE
for details. There is a variety of exhibits. Just pick the ones that interest you. Free First Wednesdays continue through 2026.
14.
For your encouragement: raising influencers?
“When I started homeschooling, the word "influencer" didn’t even exist. But God knew the world my children would grow into, and He was preparing them for it all along.”
Most of our kids won’t grow up to be online “influencers.” But here’s
A LOOK
at how that did come about in one Christian family.
15. In the news: interviewing with the formerly “unschooled”
“Some see it as the purest form of child-led learning. Others worry it’s just educational neglect in disguise.”
“Unschooling” is more common among secular homeschoolers than Christian, but it’s always wise to be aware of what’s being written, and being read, about any type of homeschooling.
HERE
the Huffington Post gives a nicely neutral look at the negatives a
16. Choose “MassHOPE” when purchasing from Christian Book
MassHOPE has been approved for the GiveBack affiliate program at Christian Book and will receive a 4% cashback donation on any orders that are placed with MassHOPE as the beneficiary! Look for a box at checkout that says to find your church (which actually includes Christian schools and 501(c)(3) organizations as well as churches).
17. Convention recordings
Did you miss a session because there were too many great workshops to choose from? Or, sadly, did you miss the entire convention? No problem. Order session recordings individually, or get the whole set. Just click
HERE
.
18. Social media triple play
We’re on each of the Big Three: X
, Facebook, and Instagram. Our Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked, so you can follow us on Instagram and get some of the same info we post there. Go to our link -
https://www.instagram.com/massachusetts_homeschool/
-
and click “Follow.”
19.
Discounts from SchoolhouseTeachers.com
Homeschooling can be challenging.
It can be expensive, time-consuming, and confusing to choose classes and curricula for multiple students. We are writing to tell you that
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
will provide all the courses you need for homeschooling each of your preschool through graduating 12th-grade students at the discounted annual price of $179 (you save $90)
.
With hundreds of online courses, lesson plans, quizzes, tests, answer keys, certificates of completion, and streaming videos, your annual
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
membership will ensure you have a full-spectrum, non-Common Core curriculum platform to confidently educate your children at home.
Membership is good for your whole family—including grandparents—no matter how many children you have. Because everything is included online, there is no need to buy textbooks. PLUS, there are no per class, no per child, nor any other hidden fees. You can also generate quarterly report cards for each student and access help with transcript creation for your high schoolers.
SchoolhouseTeachers.com contains nearly every subject imaginable—art history, drawing, computer technology, foreign languages, history, language arts, math, music, science, and loads of electives. Let your kids help pick out their own courses!
20. 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 #22) 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.
21. 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.
22. MassHOPE Facebook discussion group
Connect with us on Facebook at
MassHOPE 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/
23.
The MassHOPE Educator ID Card
Educator IDs are available for benefits such as potential discounts at retailers. Order them from our website
HERE
.
24. 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.
25. Remember to "Like" MassHOPE on Facebook
"Like" MassHOPE's
FACEBOOK PAGE
.
You'll be encouraged in your homeschooling journey and will receive all updates for upcoming events.
26. Are you on our mailing lists?
If you are receiving this e-newsletter, you are on our email list! May we also add you to our “snail mail” list to receive occasional information via the U.S. Postal Service? If Yes, please send your full name and complete mailing address to
newsletter@masshope.org
.
27. How to homeschool legally in Massachusetts
This video features Michael Donnelly, formerly 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
.
28. Special education resources
Here are two valuable resources for homeschooling parents of special needs children.
FREE DOWNLOADS
provides IEP templates, therapy resources, a Getting Started guide, and more.
EMPOWERING HOMESCHOOL CONVERSATIONS
, which covers a wide range of issues.
29. Videos and webinars from HSLDA
T
hree-part video series on getting started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVOzkYx2vcA&list=PLe7Gz-9V5xsWAtvLTz1gA1CYyPLBBe-Ke
.
How to Start Homeschooling with Special Needs
:
https://hslda.org/teaching-my-kids/special-needs
.
And many, many more
:
https://hslda.org/community/webinars
.
30. Get started homeschooling in Massachusetts
Check out this MassHOPE site for
getting started
.
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