The Everyday Educator

10 April 2012

In This Issue

• Letter from Janice
• Feature: Homeschool Conventions Made Easy
• Announcements: Memphis, Cincinnati, and Springfield, MO
• Subscription Management (Need to change your e-mail? Here's where!)

Dear Friend,

I hope you're having a beautiful spring One of the best things about this time of year is the beautiful weather and the fragrance of spring blossoms. Of course, that's one of the worst things about it as well, as it can make it very hard to focus on school!

One of the things our family enjoyed was taking school outside. You can take regular school assignments outside, or do something special such as memorize poetry or write in a nature journal. 

If you'd like to try memorizing poetry, I've posted two spring poems on the blog: Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins and Lilacs by Amy Lowell. You can also use a poetry anthology or visit the Poetry Foundation or Poets.org to find other poems. If you have boys, you may want to share William Blake's The Tyger or Robert Louis Stevenson's The Swing, which they are more likely to appreciate than some of the more flowery works. Recitation can be fun if students enjoy their chosen works!

Will you be going to a homeschool conference this year? It's the best place to stock up on encouragement, ideas, and yes--even curricula. I hope you'll be able to find one near you. If you find conventions overwhelming, perhaps you'd like to read last week's blog post (see below) on how to make your trip to a homeschool convention easy. 

If you make it to the conferences in Memphis or Cincinnati, please stop by our Everyday Education booth and say "hi."
 
Enjoy the week!

Blessings,

Janice Campbell

Homeschool Conventions Made Easy

Spring and summer are prime time for homeschool conventions, which means that those of us who go to a lot of conferences will see many people wandering the aisles, looking dazed. 

If you're planning to go to a homeschool conference this year, I have a few tips to make it the highlight of your homeschool year, rather than a daunting challenge.
Here are a few of the topics covered:

• Decide Why You're Going
• Map Out a Strategy
• If You Have More Than One Day
• If You Have Only One Day
• Questions to Ask If You’re a New Homeschooler
• Practical Items 

Announcements 

Upcoming Conferences

The first two conferences are part of the Great Homeschool Convention series, and are packed with amazing speakers and hundreds (no kidding!) of exhibitors of homeschool products. The conference planners, Brennan and Mary Jo Dean, have worked hard to provide homeschoolers of all levels with a conference experience that meets their needs.

You'll find a Worldview Teen Track, a Creation Apologetics Track, and even special tracks for Parenting, Children, and Support Group Leaders. Governor Mike Huckabee will deliver the opening address in Cincinnati, and speakers such as Chuck Colson, John Stonestreet, Andrew Pudewa, Cathy Duffy, and many more will be at both conferences.