1. MassHOPE 2021 convention – our first virtual event! While Covid continues to make a large-scale in-person convention too great a risk for this year, we are excited to announce our online convention for May 3-8, 2021.
SPEAKERS: Don’t miss this time of inspiration and practical help for veterans, newbies, and seekers from a lineup headed by Connie Albers and Israel Wayne. Full schedule is coming soon to masshope.org. You can watch the video sessions as they are added each day, and for your convenience, previous sessions will be available for viewing all week.
EXHIBIT HALL: A great group of vendors will be found on our exhibit hall page for your convenience 24 hours a day through midnight Sunday, May 9. Shop all your favorite vendors in one place. Vendor convention specials and vendor workshops will be there on vendor specific pages. Participating vendors will be listed soon at masshope.org.
REGISTRATION: Registration is open HERE and will continue through the event. You may register for any donation. Suggested minimum is $5.00. This allows convenient 24-hour access to video sessions and vendor workshops all week for as many times as you wish and the same for vendors in the exhibit hall. We look forward to serving you there. Spread the word! 

2. Attention all graduating seniors!
Are you a graduating high school senior this year? CONGRATULATIONS! MassHOPE has finally secured a date and location for our 16th graduation ceremony! As you can imagine, these are tricky times for planning any kind of event, due to frequently-changing COVID restrictions. As it stands right now, we are planning an outdoor event – either drive-in style or under a tent (if restrictions allow) – for Saturday, June 5, 2021, 2:00PM. There is a rain date set for June 12, 2021.
If you have someone interested in participating, please email Susan Jacobsen at graduation@masshope.org for more details. Please include graduate’s name in your email. Deadline to register is April 23, 2021.

3. MassHOPE Speaker Vault: Sonya Shafer
To commemorate MassHOPE’s 30 years of service to the Christian homeschool community, we thought it would be timely and encouraging to highlight some of the amazing homeschool speakers from our annual conventions. We are now releasing, at no cost, convention keynote sessions and particularly helpful workshop sessions. Click this link to access “MassHOPE Speaker Vault” where we will feature these sessions for a limited time. Each will be available for approximately two weeks. The next one in this series is Sonya Shafer’s “Laying Down the Rails” from our 2012 convention. We trust that this will bless and encourage your family as we navigate these unusual times.

4. 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 #7, 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.

5. 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.

6. 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/

7. The MassHOPE Educator ID Card
Educator IDs are available for benefits such as potential discounts at retailers. Order them from our website HERE.

8. Are you on our mailing lists?To those who have been recently added to our email list through our website: if you would 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.

9. Your news items wantedDo 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. 

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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!

13. Homeschooling in Massachusetts
Check out this MassHOPE site for getting started.

14. Video help for getting started, from HSLDA
This free 7-part video series is sponsored by the Home School Legal Defense Association, discussing how to get started with homeschooling for children at any age level. Watch it all, or skip to the age group of your choice!

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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