Issue No. 12
February 2009

Are you a CHN member?

Help support homeschooling!

CHN is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that needs your support

Please join CHN today!

Homeschooling and your Taxes

Expo News

It's election time again!

Homeschooling Entreprenuers!

Brief Summary of January 2009 Online Member Chat

Snapshots from a Homeschooling Family

The Blanco Family

Sylvia working hard on getting her blue belt in Aoinagi Karate


Sage enjoys the feeling of dirt on her feet while camping with her family in the desert

The Blanco's enjoy a day a at the museum


Skyler getting ready to plant bulbs at a nature day activity


Sylvia at a museum learning about ancient America history

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“Home schooling is a very old way of doing things. If you look at any of the bills in your wallet or the coins in your pocket, they all have a picture of a homeschooler on them.” ~William Lloyd

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Visit to a Veterans Home
The Harriman Family


Veterans Day at Veterans Home in Barstow


My son and I made some bookmarks for Veterans saying, "Thank you for your service." They love it.


Learning about Veterans

Celebrating Veterans Day

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2009
International Year of Astronomy

The Universe is yours to discover during the International Year of Astronomy 2009!

http://www.astronomy2009.org/

Hubble's Next Discovery - You Decide!


"Hubble's Next Discovery -- You Decide" is part of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's observations. People around the world can vote to select the next object the Hubble Space Telescope will view.

Choose from a list of objects Hubble has never observed before and enter a drawing for one of 100 new Hubble pictures of the winning object. The winning image will be released between April 2 and 5, during the IYA's 100 Hours of Astronomy, a global astronomy event geared toward encouraging as many people as possible to experience the night sky.

Vote by March 1 to swing Hubble toward your favorite target.

More Hubble news:
Nasa unveils Hubble's successor

The US space agency Nasa has unveiled a model of a space telescope that scientists say will be able to see to the farthest reaches of the Universe.

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Homeschooling friends at Disneyland!


She's pretty!


Can you drive?


Pretty girls


A birthday at Disneyland is the best!


Tea anyone?


Ah, he's cuddly!

"Educating a child is a natural process. Home schooling is nothing more than an extension of parenting."
~Sue Maakestad

Valentines Celebration
Roserock Kids


Let's make bags for our Valentines!


Aren't they lovely?


Yes, we are ready!


Happy Valentines!


Sweet!


This will be perfect!



Bring on the candy!


Full of delight!


Play us a tune!


We got some great stuff!


Cool loot bags


Be mine!

 CHNzine
from
California Homeschool Network

Homeschooling and your Taxes
By Melissa Zawrotny

1. Can I write off any supplies that I use or “donate” to my home-based private school?

2. Can I write off any supplies that I purchase while schooling at home while my children are enrolled in a Public ISP or a Private School Satellite Program?

3. Can my mother write off donations she makes to my home-based school?

4. Can I write off the costs of classes that my children take while enrolled in my home-based private school, public ISP, or Private School Satellite Program?

Simply put, the answer to all of these questions is “No.” In most states the typical home-based schools are not run as businesses or non-profit organizations.

It is possible to set aside funds in a tax-free savings account to be used in conjunction with educational expenses for your child. Again, please consult your accounting professional for more detailed information.

There are certain IRS rules that discuss educational materials with regard to homeschooling. Here is a good place to get started: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html

A more simplified way to think of this is to compare yourself (as a private school) in relation to a large, institutional private school setting. If you enrolled your child in an off-site private school campus and paid tuition, you would not be able to deduct the cost of such tuition from your taxes. If you hold a teaching credential and charge fees for your tutoring services, there may be ways to deduct certain expenses from your taxes. However, these expenses cannot be in relation to the teaching of your own child.

Please consult an accounting professional for more information.

Spring is coming and Expo time is right on its heels! Now's the time to register for the most fun you can have in three days! Every family who registers before April 30 will receive one of CHN's famous sturdy canvas tote bags. These are perfect for stuffing with library books, or vendor hall finds, or whatever you like to have handy. Check out our main Expo page for details or call Ruth at 800-327-5339 if you have any questions.

While you're at it, don't forget to reserve your room at the Marriott! Rooms are filling up fast, and we only have a limited number at the super-low CHN rate of $88.00 per night - plus free parking! Check out our accommodations page for details.

Board of Trustees Election

Sample ballots will be sent out through email by the 3rd week of February with the Official Ballots being sent out the 1st of March. Ballots should be returned by March 30th with the election ending on April 1, 2009.

The candidates for the three seats available are: Karin Miller, Melissa Zawrotny, Dinah Williams, and Pia Williams. Their candidate statements can be found online on the CHN Website and also in the California Homeschool News: Winter 2009, pages 12 – 15.

The first 'Meet Our Candidates Chat' on the Grapevine took place on January 28th. Below is a summary of our candidates responses to questions that were asked, so you may get to know them. The next chat will take place on February 23, 2009 at 3:30 p.m.

What is the most rewarding aspect of volunteering for CHN?

Dinah Williams: I like helping people achieve their homeschool goals. I also like being around like-minded people.

Melissa Zawrotny: The most rewarding thing for me is the knowledge that there is work to be done to keep educational choice (especially to home educate) free in California and beyond and I am helping to do that work

Pia Williams: I've enjoyed being around other homeschoolers who are looking to get the most out of their homeschooling experience. By volunteering, I'm not only in a position to help, but I get great opportunities to learn.

Karin Miller: The best part about volunteering for me is getting to know so many passionate homeschooling volunteers and their families, and helping more homeschooling families throughout California to get together.

What do you consider to be your most important contribution to CHN?

Pia Williams: I find that I'm really enthusiastic about CHN - and I spread that around. I can't count the number of CHN business cards I've handed out in an effort of spreading the CHN message about homeschooling.

Dinah Williams: I feel I am really good at looking at situations from a variety of angles, and that I believe that everybody needs to find their teaching path, no matter what type of 'school' that's appropriate for their family.

Melissa Zawrotny: I have a passion for justice and a willingness to stand up against tyranny when those who oppose freedom of educational choice or who are simply ignorant of the law (regardless of whether they are also "educators") would do all they can to force conformation to the status quo

Karin Miller: My most important contribution is the project that I am working on at the time. This week it is the Spring Camping Trip, next it will be the upcoming CHNzine and the Expo pages for the website. I am passionate about homeschooling and giving homeschooling families the opportunity to network with one another.

Where do you see CHN in two years, five years, ten years?

Karin Miller: I see CHN growing in membership as more families find homeschooling as an answer to raising their children, and find CHN as the organization that is supportive, open and accepting of all homeschooling families.

Melissa Zawrotny: Two year plan.....CHN continues to grow in membership by leaps and bounds (I am not so great with numbers, so I'm not going to try with percentages or all of that) Five years.....CHN is the first organization to be included in the drafting of any/all legislative amendments to the Education codes that may affect homeschooling Ten Years....CHN is THE largest homeschooling support organization and highly influences the state support organizations of all other states.

Pia Williams: I'd like to first see the membership of CHN grow. It became very clear during the court battle about homeschooling that many, many homeschoolers aren't a part of one of the California groups. I think it is vitally important that we bring as many as possible into the fold. Over the next 5 years, I'd love to see CHN become more of a household name for homeschoolers. While there are several fine groups that help with homeschooling, I think CHN has the best possibility of filling the greatest number of needs because of it's inclusiveness. As membership grows, so will the name recognition. And by that, we will be *the* group that Sacramento looks to when dealing issues regarding homeschooling.

Dinah Williams: I see CHN very similar to the organization that it is now, but a lot bigger, and supportive of other states in addition to our own, to make sure that we have the ability to educate our children in the fashion we feel appropriate as their parents."

What do you think is the role of the Board of Trustees?

Melissa Zawrotny: The role of the Board of Trustees is to be the head of CHN....the membership is the neck without which the head cannot turn. The Board streamlines the membership collective conscience into focus.

Pia Williams: The board acts as the "eyes & ears" for the collective. As the role of CHN is defined by homeschooler's needs, the trustees help to ensure that we keep the organization on that path.

Dinah Williams: The board of trustees' role is to steer CHN in a direction that supports CHN membership in their desires and needs as a community, and to decide when to focus on a legal issue."

Karin Miller: Board members are involved in all areas of CHN business, both online and in person when possible. This would include participating in CHN email lists, overseeing that committees are working smoothly and helping out if there are problems. This includes volunteering at the Expo, reviewing quarterly reports, attending meetings and being willing to get involved at a moment's notice if there are issues that affect homeschooling and/or CHN.

If you have not received your ballot by March 10, 2009, please call our hotline at 800-327-5339 or email the Elections Committee to request a ballot.

Election results will be announced in the May issue of CHNzine, and in the Summer issue of CHNews. Trustees-elect will begin their terms on July 1, 2009. The full text of the CHN bylaws relating to the electoral process is found here: Bylaws

The specific text governing the general election process is in Article VI, Section 2.

Members wishing to vote are required to be registered CHN members, with family membership, by January 1st in order to be eligible to vote. Ballots will be emailed to all eligible members with active email addresses on file; remaining members will receive a ballot by mail. If you would like to receive your ballot by email but do not currently receive emails from CHN, please send an email to the Elections Committee

Homeschooling Entrepreneurs!

Starting this month, we will meet some homeschooling entrepreneurs! These moms and kids have taken the plunge, and are proving that success is possible!


Cassidy Hall - CassidysCreations.com
Cassidy is our Kid Entrepreneur of the month!

When I was about 8 or 9 I played with some plastic beads I had found in my closet. I really enjoyed making the plastic jewelry but wanted to try something more! I bought some glass beads from Wal-Mart and just started with my dad's pliers and some imagination. Soon I started to order off of bead websites and my skills progressed. I absolutely can't imagine my life without my hobby.

13 year old Cassidy loves to make beautiful jewelry, and her creations are sought-after by many!

Collette Perry
Lazy Perry Ranch
I have been crafting in one way or another my entire life. I started crocheting when I was a child, knitting came later and I began spinning my own yarn about 10 years ago on a drop spindle until I eventually got a spinning wheel. I am in a constant quest to learn more and expand my craft.

I have studied herbs and midwifery in the past and have been called nature junkie. I have also homeschool(ed) all three of my children. Most recently my family has begun building the Lazy Perry Ranch. We have poultry, angora rabbits, and an alpaca named Bacchus to keep our days full of adventure.

As a Homeschooling stay at home mother working from home was a natural choice. It started with a few skeins of yarn listed on the Internet and now I keep an inventory of roughly 250 skeins of yarn in stock at all times! I won't get rich doing this but it certainly does help supplement our income. Beyond that benefit, I really enjoy working with yarn and find it very fulfilling. It is a great learning experience for the kids as well seeing all the work that goes into running a home business.

I draw my inspiration from the incredible scenery that surrounds me. I live in the beautiful Mojave Desert. Wildlife is abundant and the gorgeous colors of wildflowers can be seen for miles around. Join me in my passion for nature and the beauty of the Mojave. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I do.

Collette - Homeschooling mother to three glorious boys and a self confessed addict to spinning, knitting, crochet and all things crafty!

You can see all of Collette's current creations at http://www.epicurus.etsy.com


Do you know a homeschooling entrepreneur?
Please let us know!

Brief Summary of January 2009 Online Member Chat
January 12, 2009

The meeting, held online in the Grapevine chat room, was attended by all six Trustees and a handful of members. General business conducted was approval of previous meeting minutes and a discussion of the position of Board Secretary.

The upcoming election was discussed next. We have four candidates for trustee, and Rhonda Hamilton, the election chairperson, has set up two chats in the Grapevine Chat Room so members can meet the candidates, scheduled for
Jan. 28th and Feb. 23rd. All four candidates will be in attendance for both chats with Rhonda and Ruth Pell as moderators. Notices will go out via email to members before each date. Voting will take place between March 1st and April 1st.

Crystal Torres Schuette was announced as our new CHNews Editor. The deadlines for CHNews and CHNzine were discussed.

Donations for the Expo and CHN in general were discussed, along with several ideas for gathering items for the Expo.

The meeting was adjourned, and followed by a casual chat among members who remained.

Spring Camping Trip!
Karin Miller - Camping Coordinator

Announcing our CHN Spring 2009 Camping Trip!
Dates: June 5th - 10th

We will be camping at the beautiful Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County!

We have a large beautiful group camp site, which even has electricity in the cooking area! Just think - we can have crafts that need glue guns! We can set up crock pots and go on a hike! They have the coolest BBQs, and we get two of them in our group site. They are huge and the grill cranks up and down - just think of the fun we can have with those! :)

There are restrooms and hot showers very close to our group site.

The group site will accommodate both tents and RVs.

We will set up some field trips with the park naturalist, such as:

GUIDED NATURE WALKS (Free)
The park naturalist leads visitors on the Oak Canyon Trail. This exploration takes walkers from a bird's to a bug's eye view of the oak woodland and lakeside. See skittering quail, laughing acorn woodpeckers, wasps in the construction business, and wild cucumbers you'd better NEVER eat. You can touch plants used in the daily lives of the native people, and learn some of the ways plants can help beat the heat.

Lake Cruise - (prices are below)

Climb aboard the 30-passenger "Osprey" for a 2-hour lake tour with a naturalist. Observe an assortment of wildlife and birds along the shore. Learn about the lake's history. The cruise takes a look at local wildlife, wildflowers, and resident birds along the shore. General emphasis is on Chumash history and lifeways, wildlife observation including mammals and resident and migratory birds, plant life, and geology.
Life vests are provided and worn at all times.
Cruise Fee: $7 for youth ages 4-12, $15 for adults.
More info about the Lake Cruise is here.

Here are some of the activities that are available at Lake Cachuma -

Boat rentals - several choices!

Lots of fishing - Lake Cachuma is known for fishing, and the kids really get a kick out of this activity, even if they don't like fish. Hopefully either they won't catch any, or we will have someone who likes to clean fish! :)

Lake Cachuma is known for Bird Watching. There are lots of trails that are great for Bike Riding. A few other amenities are - mini Golf Course, baseball area, general Store, gas station, coin laundry, fishing tackle and licenses.

Swimming is not allowed at Lake Cachuma, as it is a domestic water supply - BUT - the campground swimming pool will be open, so we will be able to swim if we would like! Plus, it is only about 30 minutes from the beach, so we can plan a beach day or two.

Horseback riding - Trail rides and riding lessons are available from Rancho Oso Stables, just a few miles down the road from the Park.

Solvang is nearby for a cool day trip.

Even more information can be found here and here.

The cost of this trip will be $25 per person for CHN Members, plus $8 per day per car. Non member cost will be $30 per person, so be sure to renew your membership!

You can register right now!

Pros and cons of homeschooling
Tamah Kushner

Negatives:

1) Your house is always a mess (except for a scary few of you, don't know how you do it but I have my suspicions). People say lower your standards and you realize you really can't. Housecleaning methods include raking lego and waiting until spaghetti dries to sweep it up. You consider having a dog just to deal with the food on the floor.

2) You're never alone. Not for one moment when your kids are little. Now that my children are older there are times that I'm alone for 1/2 an hour at a time. I stand in the middle of the floor and twirl.

3) You are seen to be the exemplar of homeschooling when you're out in the world. Talk about pressure!! When my youngest was yelling in Target and the older two were arguing about something at the same time, I wanted to lie to the clerk and say we just had a snow day (yeah, in California, what of it?). People at parties ask your children the times tables (uh, we haven't gotten to that yet) and grill them on trivia (I don't think it's important that they know the names of all the California missions).

4) Your children see your every move and behavior. Sometimes it's not pretty when they replay your worst self. My sister and I call it "instant karma" -- when you're forced to confront your own behavior in the body of a small person who demonstrates all of the imperfections (crap, I look like that when I scream?)

5) You know exactly what your children know and don't know -- it's painfully obvious and you don't need a letter grade to know they can't write a complete sentence.

6) You don't have the reassurance of the educational system to tell you that everything will be alright so all you can do is look at other homeschoolers and see if their children turned out all right.

7) You're out of the paid work force for more years than most people in our generation. My social security form shows a total of 19 years with very little money earned in many years and many years with a 0 in the earnings column. Financially that's a big decision, and in terms of how much I can earn the rest of my life that's a profound decision.


Positives:

1) You develop a love of history and other subjects you never knew about before because school made them boring.

2) You are forced to prioritize and figure out what's really important in life - and it's not a clean house. I came to the realization that no one was going to write in my obituary "and her house was always neat."

3) You really get to spend time with your children, all of your time - -and they're amazing and interesting people and when they move out you miss them (although you're also relieved that they're mature enough to move out).

4) You get to see those 'ah ha' moments when something clicks and they get it. When they fall in love with the inside of a cell or when they finally get long division (which they mostly figured out on their own). Why should teachers get those moments and not parents?

5) Your children learn by watching you -- they learn how to manage in the world, how to deal with adversity, how to talk to a friend, how to plan a party -- all things that aren't a traditional "subject" in school but lead to a true education.

6) You are your own boss, well, except for the short ones you travel with -- but still in most ways you get to decide what you're doing with your time. Beats the 9 to 5 any day.

7) You don't have the reassurance of the educational system to tell you that everything will be alright so you have to figure it out on your own. Expertise no longer looks so scary (hey, they're not doing such a great job all of the time) and you tend to learn to trust your own instincts and knowledge more and more and realize when it's necessary to consult experts in the field and when you're figuring it out just fine on your own thank you very much.

8) I gained amazing work experience over 19 years. I started or was involved with the beginnings of a number of homeschooling groups in California and Maryland. I experienced working with many different kinds of people in a non-hierarchical environment which has made me an excellent manager. And most importantly I've discovered now that I'm working -- I know a baby when I see one and I know an adolescent when I see one - parenting really does prepare you for the working world!! You immediately recognize the behavior and there's no hesitation at calling it for what it is -- hey, you're a mother you know what to do when someone misbehaves!!