The New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition News February 2017 Volume XXVIII Number 6

Save the Date

The 2017 New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition Spring Workshop will take place on Saturday, June 17 from 9:30-noon. Topics to be covered include legal rights and responsibilities, as well as elementary and high school homeschooling basics. Stay tuned for details!

Homeschool Day of Winter Activities

Rumney Bible Conference hosts Homeschool Day on Wednesday, February 15.
Come for the day and enjoy all the fun of our facilities like tubing and ice skating, meet with other homeschool families, and make new friends. Admission is $5.00 per person, free for those 5 and under; maximum of $25.00 per family. Breakfast and lunch will be available for purchase, or you may bring your own food.

8:00 a.m. – Breakfast and Registration Begins
9:00 a.m. – Activities Open
11:30 a.m. – Lunch
12:15 p.m. – Speaker
1:00 p.m. – Activities Re-Open
4:00 p.m. – Homeschool Day Ends

To register, call 603-786-9504 ext. 302, or register at www.rumneybibleconference.org/homeschool-day.

Report from the Home Education Advisory Council

I am pleased to report that the only current vacancy on the HEAC is a Department of Education seat. The remaining home educators’ seats prescribed by law have been filled by David Menard of CHENH, and Janet Ellis of Seacoast Christian Home Educators.

The Home Education Advisory Council has experienced an uptick in meeting attendees over the past few months. Much discussion has centered around the issue of DCYF involvement in investigating alleged cases of home-educational neglect. Council members have heard from an increasing number of individuals involved with DCYF for reports of educational neglect since the provision for a due process hearing at the Department of Education was removed from home education law in 2012. The Department of Education was finally able to obtain statistics from DCYF regarding their investigation of educational neglect cases over the past three years, but unfortunately those numbers are a combined total of all schooling methods and not particular to home education. It is notable that only 10% of allegations are found to be substantiated, and a suggestion was made to have that small number of cases reviewed to determine how many are related to homeschooling. Other suggestions brought forth by meeting attendees include approaching the legislature to reinstate the due process hearing through the DOE, and transfer of jurisdiction for home-educational neglect allegations from DCYF to the DOE.

Finally, I want to draw attention to Rep. Hoell’s bill this legislative session to eliminate home education rules. Rulemaking is a function the HEAC has filled for the past 25 years to flesh out the details of the law. For instance, over the years it has become apparent that we needed to spell out that home educators are not subject to public school calendars, homeschooling does not need to coincide with regular school hours, and school districts cannot ask homeschooling parents for more than what is required by the RSA (such as immunization records). Because these items do not go beyond the scope of the RSA we were able to include them in the rules, which have the force of law. In every instance of rules revision, the HEAC has ensured that the rules protect home educators from government over-reach.

When Rep. Hoell’s bill text became available after the January 12 HEAC meeting there was still no public hearing date scheduled. However, the hearing happened just 10 days later, and the homeschooling community was only made aware of the date on the afternoon before the hearing occurred. The hearing took place during a snowstorm bad enough to close schools in northern and central New Hampshire, and even Chairman Ladd of the House Education Committee was unable to get there. Rep. Hoell has expressed his belief that eliminating the rules will increase the ability of home educators to participate in the legislative decision-making process; others disagree.

Executive session on HB395 is scheduled for February 8, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. in LOB 207. Members of the public can register their position on this bill with House Education Committee members; a list of HEC members can be found on the General Court website at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?c… .

Respectfully submitted,
Amy Gall, Chair

Student from Tajikistan Giving Presentations to Groups

I have the pleasure of hosting a foreign exchange student from Tajikistan who wants to share her culture. Safarmo is an 18 year old FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange program https://exchanges.state.gov/…/progr…/future-leaders-exchange) student here on U.S. government scholarship, and one of the requirements of her scholarship, actually the biggest purpose for her year here, is to share her culture.

She and I have presented to most of the 4th grade classes in the elementary schools in the Newfound School District. Sophie (her American name of choice) has a power point presentation covering location, history, food, her family, etc. She wears her traditional attire and even performs her national dance. The whole presentation and allowing time for questions goes about an hour.

We would love to share with a group in a central location. I’m a Local Coordinator for Greenheart and live in Bristol. Sophie gets volunteer hours credit for her presentations and wants to complete at least 100 hours before she returns in June. For information contact Barbara Rosendahl, Local Coordinator CCI Greenheart, a division of Greenheart International, at 603-455-1368.

Homeschool Classes at the Remick Country Doctor Museum and Farm in Tamworth

All classes are on Mondays from 10 until noon. Reservations close one week before the class; call the museum at 603-323-7591 to reserve your spot.

February 20: The History and Art of Sign Making
For ages 9 and up; design your own wooden sign. Students will learn some history of wooden signs and several common symbols. Come prepared with your sign idea(s) and old clothes to wear.

March 20: Maple Syrup
Explore the fascinating science and history of maple syrup. Students will learn how native Americans, colonists, and our very own Dr. Remick transformed watery sap into a sweet treat. There will be samples!

April 17: Recycled Newspaper Basket Weaving
We will use recycled newspapers to weave a basket to take home. Afterwards we’ll explore the outdoors on an educational quest around the Remick grounds.

May 15: Wild Edibles
April showers bring May flowers…leaves, roots and more! Join herbalist Carol Felice to hunt, gather, and enjoy some tasty plants found right in our backyard.

June 19: Dairy
Help us celebrate national Dairy Month: meet our dairy cows and Ellie, the dairy goat. Learn how to milk a goat. Tour Dr. Remick’s historic cattle barn and milk house to learn about the history of Hillsdale Dairy here at Remick Farm. Learn how to make wholesome dairy products including cheese and butter, and sample your hard work
The Remick Museum is at 58 Cleveland Hill Road, Tamworth, NH 03886 http://www.remickmuseum.org/

Programs at Amoskeag Fishways in Manchester

Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center in Manchester, now open Monday through Saturday, 9-4, offers winter programs. Registration is required; call 626-3474.

Homeschool Discovery Program Project-Based River Study Second Thursday of every month beginning February 9, from 10 to 12. Staff will work with students to develop a river-based project. Grades 4 and up; $60 per child for the spring semester, January – June.

Winter Wildlife Detectives Friday, February 10, 6:30 – 8.
Even wild animals that we rarely see leave behind some kind of clue if they are close by. Learn to interpret animal tracks and signs. $8 per family.

Merrimack River Raptors Homeschool Program Thursday, February 16, 10 – 11:30.
Students will learn about the many species of raptors that rely on the Merrimack River for survival. Grades 1 and up, $10 per child.

Let’s go ICE Fishing! Friday, February 17, 6 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, February 18, 9 a.m. – 1.
Learn how to ice fish with New Hampshire Fish and Game staff. Friday will cover ice safety, fish ecology, equipment, and more. Parents and participants over 16 do not need a fishing license during the organized field trip on Saturday. All angling gear will be provided. Bring your own lunch and wear proper outdoor clothing for Saturday. Ages 8 and up, FREE.

Pizza Party with the Painted Turtle Friday, February 24, 6:30 – 8 p.m. After dinner and some turtle-y crafts, our very own painted turtles will make an appearance for a fun presentation. $15 per family includes pizza.

Saturday Nature Seekers, Saturdays 11 – 12.
Stop by our center any Saturday at 11 a.m. for miniprograms and fun nature-based activities. Donations encouraged. February 4, 11, 18, 25 –Backyard Birds. March 18, 25–Aerial Predators.

Learn about Pathways to a Bachelor’s Degree at Great Bay Community College

Great Bay Community College invites homeschooled students and their parents to a transfer pathways event on March 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. at our Portsmouth campus. Great Bay offers an affordable pathway to a bachelor’s degree. Come and meet our most active four-year partners from across New England, representing a variety to disciplines. RSVP: www.greatbay.edu/transferpathways For more information, contact Dr. Sarah Bedingfield at 427-7631.

Story Preservation Initiative Features Oral Histories from a Wide Variety of Speakers

The Story Preservation Initiative is an oral-history based educational resource that uses audio recordings of people in the arts, sciences, and humanities together with related project-based lesson plans for use in K-12 classrooms. Info graphics, photographs, transcriptions, book recommendations, and related links of interest round out each Learning Lab page, further piquing the student’s curiosity and encouraging student-led inquiry.

The Learning Lab is available to homeschooling families at a reduced rate of $20 for one month; $70 for three months; and $250 for one year. If interested, go to: www.storypreservation.org.
Click Learning Lab
Click Login/Register
Click Register
Click link on bottom of page for Homeschool families and follow prompts.

Remember, check our website www.nhhomeschooling.org for more activities and announcements!

NHHC Newsletter Staff

Abbey Lawrence, Editor, PO Box 97, Center Tuftonboro, NH 03816, 539-7233, abbeyl53@gmail.com.
Stefanie Marsh, layout and web posting.

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