News from the Board

Your NHHC Representative

Looking for Helpful Homeschoolers!

Get in touch if you have questions

The representatives at the New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition are all volunteer homeschooling parents with years of homeschooling experience. They love to share their knowledge and answer your questions – so keep them coming!

You can also check out our website. It’s chock full of everything you’ve ever wanted to know about homeschooling in New Hampshire. Some of your questions might even be answered on our “Frequently Asked Questions Page”: https://nhhomeschooling.org/frequently-asked-questions/

Homeschooling in the Age of COVID-19

St Patrick’s Day

Every year, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th, which is the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in the 5th century. There are many myths and legends surrounding the person that this holiday is named after. One of the most interesting and outlandish ones possibly tries to explain why Ireland has no snakes.

Supposedly, St. Patrick was going through a 40-day fast on a hill when he was attacked by snakes. He then chased them all into the sea where they all met their demise. Some versions of this story go a step further and claim that he drove all venomous creatures out. 

In truth, Ireland has never even had snakes to banish. This is because snakes weren’t able to reach the Emerald Isle. The Ice Age made it too cold for snakes to live on the island and once it ended, the surrounding seas made it inaccessible for them. 

This story may be logically false, but as an allegory, it may be true. Snakes and serpents are very prominent in Druid mythology and maybe the snakes in the story are meant to represent those who practiced the “old, evil” ways of the pagans. 

If you’d like to learn about the real St. Patrick, then you can check out this interesting article.

To learn more about snakes in Ireland, check out this article or even this one.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful rest of your day and stay safe.

4th New Hampshire Boys State Will Be Held June 20-25, 2021

The Boys State Committee is delighted to announce that American Legion New Hampshire Boys State will go forward in Manchester this coming summer. Saint Anselm College will host the 74th annual session of this New Hampshire tradition from June 20-25, 2021. Girls State will take place on the same campus at the same time.

The Department’s annual youth program to teach civics and citizen engagement seeks to enroll at least 75 high school juniors and seniors from across New Hampshire. It is important to note that this program is at no cost to the school, and that the only cost to the student is the $25.00 non-refundable application fee. Application materials, eligibility information, and instructions on how to nominate and sponsor outstanding young men from your community is at each Post in the state. Copies of the materials are also available online at https://www.nhboysstate.org/

At Boys State, students learn about American government by doing it. In past years, students have met with Governor Chris Sununu, United States Representative Chris Pappas, sitting judges of the Supreme Court, and more than half a dozen other state, municipal, and civic leaders. Students also learned about the hard work that keeps democracy alive by volunteering their time for service on municipal committees, putting their names forward for election, and governing.

Franklin Pierce University is offering free tuition and fees for eligible students!

Through the Pierce Promise New Hampshire program, Granite State residents meeting the following criteria are eligible for free tuition and fees.

To be eligible, the student must:

• Be a first-time, full-time, incoming student for the fall 2021 semester.

• Be a resident of New Hampshire and plan to be a residential student at Franklin Pierce’s Rindge Campus. Students who choose to commute will be eligible for a prorated discount.

• Earn a 3.0 or higher high school cumulative GPA.

• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) and demonstrate a household gross income of under $100,000.

The actual award through the Pierce Promise will depend on merit based scholarships and other sources of federal and state financial aid.

Online Music Classes, Upper Valley Music Center (Lebanon)

Enhance your musical curriculum with Music Together or Rhythm Kids Online!

Looking for a fun, safe way to enhance your music curriculum from home? Join Upper Valley Music Center for Music Together Online! Early childhood music specialists lead live, interactive weekly classes via Zoom for children birth through age 6. Parents and children will be guided through a joyful music-making time that helps to develop little ones’ inborn musicality and teaches basic music competence. The 10-week Winter session starts January 4! Details online at uvmusic.org/musictogether

Music Together Online Mixed Ages: birth-5 years
Mondays 9:30, Tuesdays 10:30, Fridays 10:30, or Saturdays 9:00 am
Rhythm Kids: 4-6 years
Tuesdays, 1 pm

Babies: Parents of newborns, birth-9 months
Wednesdays, 12 pm (starts 1-20)
Free Demo Class January 13

Music Together is designed to help you incorporate music-making into your daily life as a family! In addition to your weekly class, you’ll receive:

Songbooks, with beautiful illustrations, that you can use in story time or bedtime routines
Recorded music of the songs we sing in class, available on CD, digital downloads, and a mobile app: Perfect for keeping kids happy during car rides, or put it on your speakers for a dance party at home!

Pre-recorded videos from your teacher: put them on for your own mini-class whenever it suits your schedule, or use them to keep your child mentally and physically engaged when you need a breather!

A weekly email from the program full of ideas of how to extend what you’ve learned in class throughout the week.

Tuition
Music Together Online & Rhythm Kids Online, 10 weeks:
One child: $175
Family rate, 2+ children: $200
Babies, 8 weeks: $120
UVMC has a once per family annual registration fee of $30.

Tuition assistance is available from UVMC. If your budget is stretched because of COVID, holidays, or any other reason, this program is still for you! Any family can apply for any level of tuition assistance. 
Details online at uvmusic.org/musictogether OR call (603)448-1642 to talk to a real live person.

Upper Valley Music Center is a non-profit community music school located in Lebanon, NH. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance with registration.
 

Writing Contest, Cancer Pathways

Learn about the Wild World Around You with Squam Lakes Natural Science Center Virtual Programs for Homeschoolers

Virtual Homeschool Series Programs are the 1st and 2nd Thursdays through April, 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. February 4, 11 March 4, 11 April 1, 8

Observe, discover, and explore phenomena in the natural world as a scientist does, through this monthly virtual series for homeschool students. The first Thursday of each month, a seasonal topic is introduced and students are given an outdoor investigation to complete at home. The investigations use materials readily available at home and are suitable for different age groups.

On the second Thursday of each month, students share their observations and discoveries, and meet a live animal related to the topic. Each program will be recorded and available to view for a limited time after each program. An adult must participate with each child or children at no extra cost. The virtual sessions will be held via Zoom, with links provided upon registration. Advance registration and payment required. Cost: $9/member child; $11/non-member child per month; or $18/member family; $22/non-member family per month

Register here: https://nhnature.tamretail.net/Events.aspx

STEM Summer Programs at the NH Academy of Science in Lyme

The Annual Writing Contest gives students a chance to win scholarships for the summer programs

There are two age groups, each of which offer scholarships for 1wk or 3wk summer programs. The information pages for each can be found at the following links: Grades 6-8 (scholarships for our 1-week programs) and Grades 8-11 (scholarships for our 3wk programs).

https://www.nhacadsci.org/summer

Teen Pact Leadership Schools

TeenPact is a hands-on program for students to learn about the political process in their State Capitol from a Christian viewpoint. While learning about government, students are encouraged to be engaged citizens, effective leaders, and committed followers of Jesus Christ. Being at the Capitol allows the students to not only see where the legislative process occurs, but also to interact with their local government in a practical way.

There is a one week class, at the State Capitol for 13-19 year olds and a one day class at the state capital for 8-12 year-olds. This course includes field Experiences in small-group settings, hearing from Representatives, Senators, and other state leaders. As well as involving the students in student-written bills and mock legislature, student-led committee system, and mock elections allow students to run for office.

For more information or to have a speaker explain Teen Pact to your group, contact Chloe WIneriter,

719-569-9746, cewtiger18@gmail.com and check https://teenpact.com/.

The New Hampshire Drinking Water Festival will be virtual in 2021!

The New Hampshire Drinking Water Festival has educated and inspired fourth graders to conserve and protect our water resources for 27 years. To keep everyone safe, the 2021 festival is moving online. And, to support teachers, students and parents these FREE online resources will be available March through July.

Major themes include the water cycle, watersheds, groundwater, wildlife, the human water cycle and a Water Poetry Contest!

Lessons connect with student’s daily lives and explore how they can keep water clean. The online lessons and activities are designed for students in grades 3-5, but with the timeless importance of clean water, students in other grades can also benefit from them.

The Drinking Water Festival’s new website is currently under construction – watch for it in March! If you would like to learn more, please contact Lara Hooper at lara.hooper@des.nh.gov.

Grants to Fund Projects Using Sherlock Holmes Stories

The Beacon Society proudly announces that once again, grants to U.S. and Canadian teachers, librarians, children’s museums, children’s theaters, other entities working with students, and Sherlockian literary societies are available to provide up to $750.00 to fund the development of a project that will introduce young people to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about his famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

The Stauber Grants have funded projects that use Sherlock Holmes to teach English, literature, history, mathematics, deductive reasoning, forensics, and critical thinking to students from elementary through high school.

An application form, guidelines and other details about the Stauber grant may be obtained at the society’s website, http://www.beaconsociety.com/the-jan-stauber-grant.html. Deadline is May, 1, 2021. Other teaching materials, information about the Society, and resources for educating students can be found at the Society’s website, http://www.beaconsociety.com The Beacon Society is a not-for-profit affiliate of the Baker Street Irregulars, the New York City-based group of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts founded in 1934.

 Parent-Child Cooking Classes, The Culinary Playground at the NH Cooking School (Derry)

Time for a date with a special kid in your life? Adult & Child work together in these hands-on & homemade workshops!

* Homemade Cheese Ravioli

* French Macarons

https://www.culinary-playground.com/parentchild-classes.html

  Science Education Lessons and Activities, Hubbard Brook Research Foundation (North Woodstock)

Hubbard Brook Research Foundation provides science education lessons and activities that are ideal for students in school at home. The lessons are based on forest ecosystem research conducted in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Please visit our website at https://hubbardbrook.org/education.

Some of our lesson topics:

Moose Power, Waterviz, Birds of Hubbard Brook, Lake Ice Cover, Acid Rain, and Spring and Fall Phenology, and Snowpack Studies.

For more information, contact Sarah Thorne at

sthorne@hubbardbrookfoundation.org, or visit:

https://hubbardbrook.org/education

New England History Classes, New England History & Heritage Journal (Belchertown, MA)

Let us teach your students about New England!

Owner Kristie Poehler is a published author and historian, who specializes in the American Civil War, New England history, and more!

We can offer:

–Class Lecture– $100 for a virtual class lesson

Kristie will talk to your class about some aspect of New England History. Possible topics:

New England and the Civil War

Industrial Revolution in New England

A specific New England figure or invention

New England Legends & Traditions

Firsts in New England Education, Healthcare, Religion

–History Train Book Club Meeting– $200 for a virtual 2-class session

Based on our History Train model, Kristie will:

Activate prior knowledge about the book club selection, including setting the stage, KWL chart, predictions and other graphic organizers

Read a New England and/or history-based age-appropriate book to your class

Follow up with book club discussion questions, involving QAR strategies and reflection journals

Initiate a group activity with the class based upon the book

Visit an historic site featured in the book, connecting literacy with the history of this great region and country, in an exciting, integrated lesson.

Have a book club “meeting” just once, every month, or 2-3x/year!

Contact Kristie Poehler at nehistoryandheritage@gmail.com

Virtual STEM labs, VEEP and NHEEP

Scottish Gàidhlig lessons via Skype, Kyle Carey

I have worked with most of my students for years now and have brought them to fluency through a method I designed myself. Seven years of teaching has allowed me to hone this formula and it has been a joy for me to see my students begin to not only understand, but converse with me comfortably in Gàidhlig through what I like to call ‘the building block’ technique.

You can learn more about my lessons by clicking on this link – https://bit.ly/3cI3J05 or by e-mailing me directly at kyle@kyleannecarey.com. Lessons in Gàidhlig song are also an option.

Studio Arts with Sarah, Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center (Hollis)

Register here: https://app.mainstreetsites.com/dmn2233/art-classes.html

Weekly half hour Spanish classes, Megan Smith (Concord)

Megan Smith is offering weekly half hour Spanish classes geared towards students two and older at 4pm every Tuesday at Rollins park in Concord as weather permits. The cost is $20/student.

Megan holds a masters degree in Spanish, and has extensive experience teaching students of all ages. She will also be working with a native speaker within the class.

Contact Megan at mgoodw1@gmail.com for more information.

Kinship and Relative Guide, NH Children’s Trust

In New Hampshire and across the United States, grandparents and other relatives play a critical role in the prevention of unnecessary entries into foster care. Despite this, these kinship caregivers often experience significant challenges and barriers to their caretaking role. With this in mind, New Hampshire Children’s Trust is working in collaboration with NH Family Resource Centers to expand formal support services for grandparents and relative caregivers across the state via the Kinship Navigation Program.

Rooted within NH’s Family Resource Centers, the Kinship Navigation Program links grandparents and other relative caregivers, both inside and outside of the formal child welfare system, to the services and supports specific to their family’s needs. Kinship Navigators provide emotional support, education and guidance to relative caregivers, and offer information, referral, and follow-up services to promote independence and enhance the well-being of the families they serve.

The Kinship & Relative Guide is available for free download at https://www.nhchildrenstrust.org/kinship.

Kids’ Bible Story and Activity, Hill Village Bible Church (Franklin)

333 Central Street. 3-5 pm. The date in the photo says Friday, August 28 – that was the starting day, but it’s continued to every other Fridays.

Winter Programs, Peabody Mill Environmental Center

We’ve got some exciting learning opportunities for everyone! For all information and registration please check out our website!

Please note… we will be following the proper state-directed and CDC guidelines, which includes physical distancing and face coverings. Class sizes are limited so sign up today!

https://amherstnh.myrec.com/info/activities/default.aspx?type=activities

Virtual Concert Program, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

View the Bird Flight Patterns and Music Video Preview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avmXSzIrGRg

Community Education Spring Classes, Institute of Art & Design at New England College (Manchester)

Spring classes at the Institute of Art and Design start January! Register now and use the code HSNH10 to get 10% off!

Click here to register: https://tinyurl.com/y45w3wue

Additional resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD4Vw_xoekg&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehkQM626yoo

Short Term Homeschooling – Confessions of a Homeschooler

Homeschooling 101:Teaching Multiple Grades

11 Best Podcasts for Kids

Free Audiobooks

If you’re looking for a place to find free audiobooks, check out LibriVox and Tokybook. On LibriVox, you can find public domain audiobooks such as Alice in Wonderland. However, they also have audiobooks for works such as Little House in the Big Woods and Harry Potter.

How to make a zine from a single sheet of paper

Executive Functioning Workshop for Teenagers Winter Session, Life Long Learners (online from Rochester)

If you have emailed me in the last week about your interest, I have had some issues with my responses going to customers’ junk mail. I am working with google to get this resolved. I recommend reaching out via Facebook Messenger if you would like more information at this time.

Homeschool SportsNet

Homeschool dad Chris Davis was led to create the non-profit Homeschool SportsNet. The timing of this request is probably not the best with Covid, but it is more of a perpetual initiative. Davis runs the very large East Coast Nationals and thinks it would be great to have some NE representative teams. He is trying to reach out to the I-95 corridor homeschool community that might want to learn more about homeschool sports and then fill in the “voids” of missing teams along the NE. They have strong representation up until about PA (some in NY) but the line seems to end there.

If there is a proponent or a group of interested families that might want to join in, please contact Chris Davis at 540 631 5683. More information can be found at:

https://www.hspn.net/homeschool%20sports.asp

https://www.hspn.net/ect/east%20coast%20nationals.asp

Homeschooling Opportunities…

Timeline of New Hampshire History homeschool program, New Hampshire Historical Society (Concord)

The New Hampshire Historical Society’s popular homeschool program, Timeline of New Hampshire History is back! This year, learning will be done virtually as learners work to build their own museum exhibition.

For a more in-depth explanation, visit here or watch this informative video via Facebook.

Homeschool Bowling League, Lakeside Lanes (Manchester)

We can’t BOWL-IEVE it! Our 6th year of Homeschool Bowling!

I have arranged a homeschool bowling league at Lakeside Lanes on Candia Road in Manchester for any homeschooler that is interested in participating.

Ages 7-18 year old groups that will be divided into teams based on ages.

Homeschool price is $3.50 per game with free rentals! We will be bowling Fridays at 11 AM. September 11th 11-1. Awards and a pizza party will take place at the end of the year.

If your homeschooler would like to participate in this fun activity, please contact Lori Trickel at loritrickel@comcast.net with your child’s name and age.

Homeschool Soccer, Lori Trickel (Hooksett)

Pass, shoot, score! Soccer helps kids become not only better soccer players but better people as well. This 6 week soccer program is a progressive program, with multiple age-specific levels. Players are taught basic game skills such as passing, receiving, shooting, footwork and dribbling. We will also be getting to play some games!

Six weeks! Tweens and Teens will be playing separate from the younger kiddos with an award ceremony.

Beginning Friday September 11 at 1:30-3:30

151 Merrimack Street

Hooksett, NH 03106

$25 per child PayPal to loritrickel@comcast.net

Please have your child bring a soccer ball, cleats, shin guards and a water bottle. Please respond with your child’s name and age.

Homeschool Science Program, Stonewall Farm (Keene)

Stonewall Farm has just started accepting registrations for a home school science program. This program will run 2 days a week for two hours each day. This program is currently available to grades K-5 and will focus on meeting NEXTGEN science standards through hands on, inquiry-driven lessons, incorporating farming and nature whenever possible

For more information, click here.

Girl Code of Southern NH

Got teen homeschooled girls? Join us! The social world for teenage girls has become a more stressful and challenging environment than ever before.

The rise in peer pressure, competitive conflicts, and unhealthy social media messages are all likely contributors to national increase in anxiety, mood disorder and low self- esteem in girls.

This group is designed to help teen girls to become all they are meant to be through an educational and experiential approach to improving decision-making, developing coping resources, managing stress, and increasing self-esteem.

American Precision Museum (Windsor, VT)

The American Precision Museum is a great place for your families to visit to learn about history & engineering. We’re just over the river from Cornish. We also have some virtual resources, too, on our website!

We’re open and currently ‘no-touch’. As your school year gets going, consider visiting the museum! Open daily from 10-5. If you give us 48 hrs advance notice we can be sure you have a tour guide.

Visit 196 Main Street, call 802-674-5781 (office) or click.

Farm Camp, Legacy Lane Farm (Stratham)

DO YOUR KIDS NEED A BREAK FROM SCREEN TIME AND REMOTE LEARNING?? We extended our FARM CAMP for children AGES 6-16 that need a place to run, play and learn all about the animals and running a small farm!

 Offered daily Monday-Friday

Half day $25.00

Full day $40.00

 Weekly/2nd child discounts available! No minimum day requirements!!! This is a year round program. For more information, visit here our Facebook page or contact us via email.

Youth Martial Arts, Tokyo Joe’s Studios (Hooksett)

Writing Challenge, NHSaves and New Hampshire Energy Education Project

The New Hampshire Energy Education Project and NHSaves have partnered to bring the NHSaves Education Challenge back to NH schools this fall. Elevate student voice and give them an authentic audience for their energy and climate action work through this K-12 student writing challenge. Students respond to grade-specific topics about energy efficiency and create projects to educate and encourage their community to make sustainable energy choices. Submission format may vary (essays, informational comics, video entries, etc) as long as a written component is included with the entry and the project is shareable via local newspapers, on school websites, or other public formats. Winning entries will receive prizes worth $25 and be eligible for one of 5 grand prizes worth $100, awarded at the end of the year. Literacy prompts and rubrics are aligned with Common Core ELA and NGSS science standards.

Click here for all details.

Social and emotional support, Choose Love Movement

Now, more than ever, meeting the social emotional needs of our children (and adults, too) are, of course, a priority. My name is Shannon Desilets and I was hired by Governor Sununu almost two years ago, with the sole purpose of spreading the Choose Love Movement across that state. 

This is a free, comprehensive social and emotional curriculum- that anyone can utilize! I work with schools across the state, families, community agencies, state departments, and the list goes on. Contact Shannon at Shannon.Desilets@nh.gov

Foreign Language Classes, One World Language School (Durham)

One World Language School is a 501(c) nonprofit organization based out of Durham, New Hampshire. Our mission is to make foreign language learning accessible at a young age, starting as early as 5 years old. The primary languages that we teach are French, Chinese, German, and Spanish. We have been teaching foreign languages after-school in public school classrooms along the Seacoast for over a decade by using our one of a kind teaching curriculum, and game materials. Due to the pandemic, we shifted gears and started teaching over Zoom. For the 2020-2021 academic year, we plan to continue to use Zoom because we are unsure what the public schools will do regarding after school activities. We want to continue teaching our current students and would love to teach new students who have an interest in learning another language. We feel that Zoom is the best way to move forward for the near future. Please feel free to call or email Pranav Dadarwala; 207-370-8398; pranav@oneworldlanguageschool.org. Please visit: https://www.oneworldlanguageschool.org

Virtual Visits to Museums

NH History Interactive Podcast, Live Free and Learn

Visit our Facebook page to find games and trivia centered around New Hampshire history. Although the Facebook page hasn’t been updated in awhile, keep an eye on it for future updates. 

Civics 101 podcast, NHPR

The Civics 101 podcast is a show about the absolute basics of how our government works. We’ve started a Learn at Home page with daily lessons paired to our show. We make graphic organizers to go along with our podcast content, one-sheet docs that students can take notes upon while listening, or just listen while going out for a long walk!

A message from Angela Lawrence-Hurt who graduated from homeschooling several years ago:

Hello!

I teach English at a secondary school in Madrid, and have been tutoring a couple of students, a boy and a girl, both 8 years old. I tutor the girl every week, and the boy, every other week. Their parents are looking for them to improve their English writing skills, so I would like to set up a pen-pal program for them. I´m looking for kids that are around eight years old, who are interested in learning about another person´s culture, and who will be committed to writing on a semi-regular basis (letters take about two weeks to cross the ocean). This would be a great opportunity for someone who wants to write more and make a friend with a Spanish boy or girl!

Please email me if you know anyone who would be interested in this, and we can get started!

Thank you,

Angela Lawrence

alawrencehurt@gmail.com

Career and Technical Education Access Study

Amanda Trainor is a researcher (and former homeschooler) working with the NH Department of Education on a study about expanding equitable access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) across New Hampshire. Their project is focused on engaging stakeholders to hear their perspectives on student barriers to attending CTE in high school, and to hear ideas for improvement.

Some teachers at CTE centers have mentioned that homeschooling students have expressed interest in attending CTE, but may face additional barriers given their circumstances – or, that they and their families may not know about the CTE options in their communities.

Amanda is looking for anyone from the New Hampshire homeschooling community that would be interested in speaking with her about this topic. If so, please contact her via email at atrainor@rmcres.com, or cell phone at 603-785-1144.