Reenie

Hello everyone!
My name is Reenie- I am a stay- at-home mom and artist (doll artist). I have two girls- Ann Elise 2 1/2 and Evelyn Grace (Eve) 5 1/2. We are "UNSCHOOLING"!
I am looking for like-minded people to chat with. I live in a very conservative area and the only homeschoolers I know are curriculum-aholics. I am definitely an odd-ball with my laid back approaches. I know there are others who see things as I do- I am currently reading "Learning All the Time" by John Holt.

My background: I have a BSE in Art Education. I am certified for K-12. I substituted in the public schools just enought to know that my kids were NOT going there- and that was before they were even born. I live in PA where the HS requirements are nasty- (testing, evaluations and portfolios)
Since I have a certificate, I can by-pass these laws, I just need to take courses to "update" my teaching certificate first. BUT- we are planning to move to MD in the next 2 years- where you are only required to turn in a portfolio.
Any MD unschoolers?
Gotta go- there is a tea party in my LR that I am invited to and I hear they have choc chip cookies!
LOVE TO CHAT!
Reenie


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sharon Rudd

Hi Reenie

Welcome
Wish you were in FL so you could do my evaluation.

Sharon of the Swamp





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joanna514

**Since I have a certificate, I can by-pass these laws, I just need
to take courses to "update" my teaching certificate first. BUT- we
are planning to move to MD in the next 2 years- where you are only
required to turn in a portfolio.
> Any MD unschoolers?**

Hi!
I'm in MD. Eastern Shore.
It's is not a requirment to turn in a portfolio here. In my county,
we are suppose to get biannual visits from a school board rep. (Or
you could choose an umbrella group) At that time, you can show them
things your children have done, books read, examples of math and
writing....your suppose to cover the subjects they teach in school.
My 1st two years, I was visited, and it was very easy to categorize
things my kids did, and put it in schooly terms. The man was usually
impressed with how much we were doing.
I somehow slipped through the cracks, and haven't been called for an
appointment in over two years now ( oh, darn). The people I do know
that get visited(not unschoolers) tell me that there is a new guy and
he is very easy going, and the most important thing seems to be an
attendance record!
Joanna


--- In AlwaysLearning@y..., "Reenie" <ezmaralda@a...> wrote:
> Hello everyone!
> My name is Reenie- I am a stay- at-home mom and artist (doll
artist). I have two girls- Ann Elise 2 1/2 and Evelyn Grace (Eve) 5
1/2. We are "UNSCHOOLING"!
> I am looking for like-minded people to chat with. I live in a very
conservative area and the only homeschoolers I know are curriculum-
aholics. I am definitely an odd-ball with my laid back approaches. I
know there are others who see things as I do- I am currently
reading "Learning All the Time" by John Holt.
>
> My background: I have a BSE in Art Education. I am certified for K-
12. I substituted in the public schools just enought to know that my
kids were NOT going there- and that was before they were even born. I
live in PA where the HS requirements are nasty- (testing, evaluations
and portfolios)
> Since I have a certificate, I can by-pass these laws, I just need
to take courses to "update" my teaching certificate first. BUT- we
are planning to move to MD in the next 2 years- where you are only
required to turn in a portfolio.
> Any MD unschoolers?
> Gotta go- there is a tea party in my LR that I am invited to and I
hear they have choc chip cookies!
> LOVE TO CHAT!
> Reenie
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pat Cald...

Hi Reenie,

We are in MD also. Joanna I did not know you were on the Eastern Shore. We are in Crofton, not far from Annapolis.

Our county requires a twice a year portfolio review. My first review is coming up on Feb. 24th. I asked for an appointment to review my portfolio. What they asked for was a notebook of the work being done in the 5 subject areas being taught in ps. Our portfolio is going to be a little light so it will be interesting to see what happens.

I'm going to try to find out what the minimum amount of stuff is. I was thinking of making some of it myself if my kids don't wind up doing it on their own. It would be less expensive than getting one of the unschool friendly charter schools to oversee us.

Pat


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

Joanna said:
I'm in MD. Eastern Shore.
It's is not a requirment to turn in a portfolio here. In my county,
we are suppose to get biannual visits from a school board rep>>
NO! NO! NO! That is over and above Maryland State Homescooling Laws. PLEASE
don't let them come into your home! If that is what the county is telling
you is required, they are not following the law.
There also is no attendance requirement like you mentioned later. Please
think about finding out a little more about the homescooling law in Maryland
as the actions of one county affects what happens to regulations over the
entire state. It is vital to our homeschooling freedoms to ONLY give the
state what is required. The law is not a starting point for HSing
requirements. It is the limit.
Check out http://www.mhea.com/legal.htm for info on what is and isn't
allowed.
Elissa, who will soon be singing
Yippee - Kai - Yay!

Sharon Rudd

It is vital to our homeschooling
> freedoms to ONLY give the
> state what is required. The law is not a starting
> point for HSing
> requirements. It is the limit.

> Elissa, who will soon be singing
> Yippee - Kai - Yay!


That is a good way to put it....may I quote you?

Sharon of the Swamp

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Do You Yahoo!?
Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings!
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[email protected]

Sharon said:
That is a good way to put it....may I quote you?

LOL! I actually remembered someone else saying that (Joyce?) and was
repeating it! I hope woever said it can claim credit!!
Elissa, who will soon be singing
Yippee - Kai - Yay!
-----Original Message-----
From: Sharon Rudd <bearspawprint@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Monday, February 11, 2002 12:09 PM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Hi- Intro


>
>It is vital to our homeschooling
>> freedoms to ONLY give the
>> state what is required. The law is not a starting
>> point for HSing
>> requirements. It is the limit.
>
>> Elissa, who will soon be singing
>> Yippee - Kai - Yay!
>
>
>That is a good way to put it....may I quote you?
>
>Sharon of the Swamp
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings!
>http://greetings.yahoo.com
>
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>[email protected]
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

joanna514

--- In AlwaysLearning@y..., "Pat Cald..." <homeschoolmd@y...> wrote:
> Hi Reenie,
>
> We are in MD also. Joanna I did not know you were on the Eastern
Shore. We are in Crofton, not far from Annapolis.
>
> Our county requires a twice a year portfolio review. My first
review is coming up on Feb. 24th. I asked for an appointment to
review my portfolio. What they asked for was a notebook of the work
being done in the 5 subject areas being taught in ps. Our portfolio
is going to be a little light so it will be interesting to see what
happens.
>
> I'm going to try to find out what the minimum amount of stuff is.
I was thinking of making some of it myself if my kids don't wind up
doing it on their own. It would be less expensive than getting one
of the unschool friendly charter schools to oversee us.
>
> Pat
>
>

Hi Pat
I thought the md in your name might mean Maryland!
When I did my review, I showed very few things my kids had actually
written down. I think I showed a math workbook, and only a few pages
had been messed with. He didn't look through it. Just recorded the
names of things we were using.
A friend of mine started making a list of things covered by her kids
and divided them into subjects. The books read and field trips taken
took up pages to themselves. I did that (but he never came that
year). I wrote the heading "math" and under it would write all the
computer games, real life games, workbooks we happen to have here,
Puzzle Mania, savings account, shopping.....then I did the same for
science...... Filled up a few pages, and it was easy and kinda fun.
(Though I haven't done it again in over 2 years so it must not have
been *that* fun) My friend said the ps man just took her list and put
it in the file and chatted a little then left. That was it.
I'm sure it depends on your county and whose in charge of
homeschoolers. It seems we are lucky here, and they must be
overburdened by all the homeschoolers here, because I'm not the only
one who no longer is getting visited.
Joanna