November 18, 2008
Homeschooling and the Holidays
by: Zan Tyler
The kids and I were doing research for one of our many Thanksgiving plays. We duly noted that in 1608 the Pilgrims left their beloved homeland of England to settle in Holland because of severe religious persecution. Then I discovered something I didn't know. Even though the pilgrims had religious freedom in Holland, they were concerned that their children would become more Dutch than English. They were worried about socialization! For this and a few other reasons, they made plans to travel to the New World.
In his book Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford tells us that the pastor of the pilgrims chose this verse to read as they were preparing for their journey to the New World from Holland in 1620: "I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and our possessions" (Ezra 8:21, HSCB). Here again, we are reminded that a chief concern for the pilgrims was the welfare of their children.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article and get practical ideas for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season
Holiday Gift Idea
Do you need a Thanksgiving or Christmas gift idea for the homeschool mom in your life? How about an offering of spiritual refreshment? Apologia is holding an ApologiaLive™ Conference for Homeschool Moms. The event will be held February 27-28, 2009, at the Westin Hotel near the Baltimore-Washington airport.
The theme is "Walking in the Light." Speakers include:
Rachael Carman, author of SoundBites from Heaven
Zan Tyler, author of Seven Tools for Cultivating your Child's Potential
Debra Bell, author of the best selling The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling
Sally Clarkson, author of Educating the Wholehearted Child
Elizabeth Smith, with HSLDA and the Homeschool Foundation
Tell your family that this is what you would like for Christmas. Don't forget to take advantage of the early bird discount which ends December 1st.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER AND REGISTER
Apologia on the Road
Some members of the Apologia speaker team are going on the road in January and February. Rachael Carman and Zan Tyler will be guest speakers for the Wholeheart Mom's conferences hosted by Sally and Clay Clarkson.
Rachael and Zan will be speaking at the Charlotte, NC, conference January 23-24.
Rachael will be speaking in Irvine, CA, for the February 6-7 weekend.
Rachael will also be in Irving, TX, for the February 20-21 event.
You can register for any one of these Wholeheart Mom's conferences by calling 888-488-4466 or 719-488-4466. Jennice will take your registration M-Th 9:00-3:30, or leave a message and she we will return your call as soon as possible. You can register by Fax using 888-FAX-2WHM (329-2946). A downloadable PDF registration flyer can be mailed in or faxed. The registration form is online at http://www.wholeheart.org/whnewsitem.php?announceid=23
Radio SoundBites
Are you looking for a good radio program to listen to the week of Thanksgiving? Rachael Carman will be a guest on HSLDA's Home School Heartbeat radio program airing November 24-28. Rachael is a speaker, homeschool mother of seven children, and wife of the new owner of Apologia. She is also the author of SoundBites from Heaven — What God Wants Us to Hear When We Talk to Our Kids. This book is published by Focus on the Family and available through Apologia. The radio program will feature her book. You can listen online at their Web site: http://www.homeschoolheartbeat.com beginning Monday the 24th.
Resources for Life and Homeschool
Zan Tyler is now an important part of the Apologia family. She is the acquisitions editor for Apologia, helping to grow the new line of practical and inspirational books. She is a longtime homeschool advocate, speaker, and author. Apologia is pleased to offer her book, Seven Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential. Zan wants to take you beyond the here and now to embrace a wondrous, life-giving vision for your children's future. With this amazing book, you will learn to recognize the signs of potential in your children's lives, signs that are easy to miss yet ripe for cultivation. You will begin to see every facet of each child's life through the eyes of faith and the lens of Scripture, creating a picture of hope and beauty. You will come away with a vision of child-raising so captivating and enthralling that you will know, come bedtime, it's all been well worth the effort.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS PRODUCT
Apologia is best known for its creation-based science curriculum. The first of the junior high and high school texts is General Science 2nd Edition. This course is designed to be a student's first systematic introduction to the sciences. Although it can be used for eighth grade (especially if the student has recently left the public schools), it is typically used best in the seventh grade. The course covers such topics as the scientific method, designing experiments, simple machines, archeology, geology, paleontology, biology, and human anatomy and physiology.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS PRODUCT
What's New on the Web
Davis and Rachael Carman purchased Apologia this summer and are working hard on new and exciting plans for the future. God has given them a vision to expand the Apologia product line and stay consistent with the mission to help homeschool families learn, live, and defend the Christian faith. You can read the latest news at this link (http://www.apologia.com/news.php).
Happy Thanksgiving from the Apologia family.
http://www.apologia.com