emkaysmommy

Hello! My name is Holly and I live in Glen Ridge NJ with my almost-
two-year-old dd Mary Kate. I am a full time mom and (very) part
time Children's Librarian. My dd's interests include the outdoors,
messes, the outdoors, dirt, sticks, pumpkins, climbing on stuff, the
outdoors, and books to a lesser degree. Looking forward to getting
to know you all and hearing about your experiences with your kids,

BTW Sandra I always remember you b/c of your daughter's name! ;-) I
have enjoyed your articles and posts!

Dawn Bennink

Hi. I'm Dawn, unschooling SAHM to two rambunctious boys, ages 3 & 7.
I'm an advocate for changing the homeschooling laws in New York State
(www.freeinny.org <http://www.freeinny.org/>), a den mother for Cub
Scouts, and active in the areas of art & music education for children.
I garden, read voraciously, and volunteer in the community, including
doing pro bono website designing for not-for-profit organizations. I
love to do art & science projects with my boys. I suffer from CFIDS,
which makes juggling everything I do difficult, but not totally
impossible. Basically, I am a stressed out, semi-disorganized, and
extremely busy person.

Dawn


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/17/03 8:59:07 AM, emkaysmommy@... writes:

<< BTW Sandra I always remember you b/c of your daughter's name! ;-) I

have enjoyed your articles and posts! >>

Thanks!

"Holly" is a pretty rare and memorable name!

I miss having nearly-two year olds. When I had them, I couldn't really
believe it when people said "You'll really miss this."

So it goes! <g>

Sandra

Julie

Hi, Dawn. Where in New York do you live? I live in Endicott, near Binghamton. I just checked out www.freeinny.org and signed the proclamation. Thanks for the link!

I don't have any kids of my own yet, but my husband and I plan to make sure any kids we have are free to unschool. I'm a former teacher, but I really don't know what the regulations are in NY for homeschoolers. Can you refer me to a place that gives a succinct description? Is there any way a certified teacher can volunteer to assist homeschoolers in NY (if needed to sign off on paperwork or do "evaluations")?

Thanks,
Julie

----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn Bennink
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] And yet another new one


Hi. I'm Dawn, unschooling SAHM to two rambunctious boys, ages 3 & 7.
I'm an advocate for changing the homeschooling laws in New York State
(www.freeinny.org <http://www.freeinny.org/>), a den mother for Cub
Scouts, and active in the areas of art & music education for children.
I garden, read voraciously, and volunteer in the community, including
doing pro bono website designing for not-for-profit organizations. I
love to do art & science projects with my boys. I suffer from CFIDS,
which makes juggling everything I do difficult, but not totally
impossible. Basically, I am a stressed out, semi-disorganized, and
extremely busy person.

Dawn


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



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Dawn Bennink

Julie,

Thanks for your support for F.R.E.E. in NY! I'm in Jamestown, in
Western NY. My husband used to live in Endicott when he was very small.
His Dad was an IBMer. We pass through your area at least twice a year
when going to visit my SIL in the Kingston area.

http://www.nyhen.org/ <http://www.nyhen.org/>is a great place to learn
about regulations for NY homeschoolers, find a support group local to
you and more. They have a few email lists to which you can subscribe
for support as well. Check 'em out. I'm on their legislative committee
as well. I'm also list mom for NYSHomeschool@.... We are
presently a moderated group due to the onslaught of porn on
homeschooling lists lately. You are welcome to join.

NY has a horrible reputation for their treatment of homeschoolers, but
in most cases districts are not too difficult. There are a few
exceptions, but there is plenty of support out there to help you learn
the finer points of the regulations, probably better than the district
people know them, to combat any difficulties. My paperwork takes me
just a few minutes every quarter. Of course, it would be even nicer if
I didn't have to deal with it at all. Thus F.R.E.E. in NY. We are very
proud to have the support of people like Linda Dobson, John Taylor
Gatto, Paul Matte & Doris Hohensee.

Thanks again for your support, and don't hesitate to let me know if I
can be of help with regards to NY homeschooling.

Dawn

Julie wrote:

> Hi, Dawn. Where in New York do you live? I live in Endicott, near
> Binghamton. I just checked out www.freeinny.org and signed the
> proclamation. Thanks for the link!
>
> I don't have any kids of my own yet, but my husband and I plan to make
> sure any kids we have are free to unschool. I'm a former teacher, but
> I really don't know what the regulations are in NY for homeschoolers.
> Can you refer me to a place that gives a succinct description? Is
> there any way a certified teacher can volunteer to assist
> homeschoolers in NY (if needed to sign off on paperwork or do
> "evaluations")?
>
> Thanks,
> Julie




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

Julie

Dawn wrote:
<<Thanks for your support for F.R.E.E. in NY! I'm in Jamestown, in Western NY. My husband used to live in Endicott when he was very small. His Dad was an IBMer. We pass through your area at least twice a year when going to visit my SIL in the Kingston area.

http://www.nyhen.org/ <http://www.nyhen.org/>is a great place to learn about regulations for NY homeschoolers, find a support group local to you and more. They have a few email lists to which you can subscribe for support as well. Check 'em out. I'm on their legislative committee as well. I'm also list mom for NYSHomeschool@.... We are
presently a moderated group due to the onslaught of porn on
homeschooling lists lately. You are welcome to join.>>

It's a small world, Dawn. My hometown is Jamestown! We visit my parents there several times a year. Did you grow up in Jamestown? My husband was born and raised in Endicott, and his dad was an IBMer, too. We live minutes from the Endicott exit on rte 17, so feel free to stop by if you need a break on your way to Kingston. :)

I'll definitely check out www.nyhen.org and join the list. Thanks!

Julie



----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn Bennink
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 7:20 PM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] And yet another new one


Julie,

Thanks for your support for F.R.E.E. in NY! I'm in Jamestown, in
Western NY. My husband used to live in Endicott when he was very small.
His Dad was an IBMer. We pass through your area at least twice a year
when going to visit my SIL in the Kingston area.

http://www.nyhen.org/ <http://www.nyhen.org/>is a great place to learn
about regulations for NY homeschoolers, find a support group local to
you and more. They have a few email lists to which you can subscribe
for support as well. Check 'em out. I'm on their legislative committee
as well. I'm also list mom for NYSHomeschool@.... We are
presently a moderated group due to the onslaught of porn on
homeschooling lists lately. You are welcome to join.

NY has a horrible reputation for their treatment of homeschoolers, but
in most cases districts are not too difficult. There are a few
exceptions, but there is plenty of support out there to help you learn
the finer points of the regulations, probably better than the district
people know them, to combat any difficulties. My paperwork takes me
just a few minutes every quarter. Of course, it would be even nicer if
I didn't have to deal with it at all. Thus F.R.E.E. in NY. We are very
proud to have the support of people like Linda Dobson, John Taylor
Gatto, Paul Matte & Doris Hohensee.

Thanks again for your support, and don't hesitate to let me know if I
can be of help with regards to NY homeschooling.

Dawn


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

Dawn Bennink

Julie wrote:

> It's a small world, Dawn. My hometown is Jamestown!

Get out!

> We visit my parents there several times a year. Did you grow up in
> Jamestown?

I did. Went to ps here. I graduated in '78.

> My husband was born and raised in Endicott, and his dad was an IBMer,
> too. We live minutes from the Endicott exit on rte 17, so feel free
> to stop by if you need a break on your way to Kingston. :)

Thanks!

>
> I'll definitely check out www.nyhen.org and join the list. Thanks!

You are most welcome. I think you'll find it extremely helpful.

Dawn

Julie

Julie (jlist@...) wrote:
<<We visit my parents there several times a year. Did you grow up in Jamestown?>>

Dawn wrote:
<<I did. Went to ps here. I graduated in '78.>>

I graduated from JHS in 1990, and my dad taught English in Lincoln Junior High & then the high school. You graduated right about the time my dad tried to pull my sister and me out of school (after reading John Holt & others), but then the school system threatened a law suit and he backed down. Times have changed... :)

Julie
----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn Bennink
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] And yet another new one


Julie wrote:

> It's a small world, Dawn. My hometown is Jamestown!

Get out!

> We visit my parents there several times a year. Did you grow up in
> Jamestown?

I did. Went to ps here. I graduated in '78.

> My husband was born and raised in Endicott, and his dad was an IBMer,
> too. We live minutes from the Endicott exit on rte 17, so feel free
> to stop by if you need a break on your way to Kingston. :)

Thanks!

>
> I'll definitely check out www.nyhen.org and join the list. Thanks!

You are most welcome. I think you'll find it extremely helpful.

Dawn



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Dawn Bennink

Julie wrote:

> I graduated from JHS in 1990, and my dad taught English in Lincoln
> Junior High & then the high school.

Who is your Dad? I went to Lincoln & the HS.

> You graduated right about the time my dad tried to pull my sister
> and me out of school (after reading John Holt & others), but then the
> school system threatened a law suit and he backed down. Times have
> changed... :)

Interesting HOW times have changed. I had no idea that had happened.
Must not have made the "wonderful" Post Journal. :o) How frustrating
for your parents, especially given that your father was part of the system.

Dawn

Julie

Dawn wrote:
<<Who is your Dad? I went to Lincoln & the HS.>>

My dad is Bill Boerst. When I was a kid we lived in the Lincoln district too, on State St. near Persell. What neighborhood did you live in?

After the threat of the lawsuit from the school system, my parents thought about moving to Canada, but it didn't work out. I think my dad continuted to do some volunteer work for Holt & GWS, and then he started turning his energy toward making the classroom a more human-friendly place. Every once in a while I wonder how my life would be different if they were able to yank me out of school, but I survived with fighting spirit intact (just took a while to emerge). By the time I graduated, homeschooling was an accepted alternative.

What is the school district in Jamestown like to deal with?

Julie


----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn Bennink
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2003 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] And yet another new one




Julie wrote:

> I graduated from JHS in 1990, and my dad taught English in Lincoln
> Junior High & then the high school.

Who is your Dad? I went to Lincoln & the HS.

> You graduated right about the time my dad tried to pull my sister
> and me out of school (after reading John Holt & others), but then the
> school system threatened a law suit and he backed down. Times have
> changed... :)

Interesting HOW times have changed. I had no idea that had happened.
Must not have made the "wonderful" Post Journal. :o) How frustrating
for your parents, especially given that your father was part of the system.

Dawn



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Dawn Bennink

Julie!

OHMYGOSH! Your father was my 7th grade English teacher! What a lovely
man! I remember him well! We lived on Fairmount Avenue, right near the
corner of Hallock & Fairmount, and I went to Fairmount School - before
they turned it into condos!

The Jamestown district is pretty easy to deal with with regards to
homeschooling. They have so many other issues to contend with that they
really don't bother us much. As long as we turn our paperwork in, we
don't hear a peep from them.

Speaking of your family, is Betty Lou your aunt? My mother knits with
her, and I remember her telling me she was a Boerst.

What an incredibly small world!

Dawn

Julie wrote:

> Dawn wrote:
> <<Who is your Dad? I went to Lincoln & the HS.>>
>
> My dad is Bill Boerst. When I was a kid we lived in the Lincoln
> district too, on State St. near Persell. What neighborhood did you
> live in?
>
> After the threat of the lawsuit from the school system, my parents
> thought about moving to Canada, but it didn't work out. I think my
> dad continuted to do some volunteer work for Holt & GWS, and then he
> started turning his energy toward making the classroom a more
> human-friendly place. Every once in a while I wonder how my life
> would be different if they were able to yank me out of school, but I
> survived with fighting spirit intact (just took a while to emerge).
> By the time I graduated, homeschooling was an accepted alternative.
>
> What is the school district in Jamestown like to deal with?
>
> Julie
>

Julie

Dawn wrote:
<<Julie!

OHMYGOSH! Your father was my 7th grade English teacher! What a lovely
man! I remember him well! We lived on Fairmount Avenue, right near the
corner of Hallock & Fairmount, and I went to Fairmount School - before
they turned it into condos!

The Jamestown district is pretty easy to deal with with regards to
homeschooling. They have so many other issues to contend with that they
really don't bother us much. As long as we turn our paperwork in, we
don't hear a peep from them.

Speaking of your family, is Betty Lou your aunt? My mother knits with
her, and I remember her telling me she was a Boerst.

What an incredibly small world!>>

How funny, Dawn! Was your name Bennink when you were in his class? I'll ask him if he remembers. At one point he was doing the open classroom thing at Lincoln, and he told everyone they didn't have to come to class if they didn't want to. (They could lounge around in the comfy area on the other side of the room.) He only had a few students show up, poor guy. Was that when you were there?

And here's another funny coincidence -- when I was twelve, we moved to Meadow Lane, right around the corner from your old house. My parents still live there now. And yes, Aunt Betty Lou is my dad's sister. What an unbelievable set of coincidences!

I'm glad the Jamestown district is easy to deal with. Let's hope it stays that way. :)

Julie


----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn Bennink
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] And yet another new one


Julie!

OHMYGOSH! Your father was my 7th grade English teacher! What a lovely
man! I remember him well! We lived on Fairmount Avenue, right near the
corner of Hallock & Fairmount, and I went to Fairmount School - before
they turned it into condos!

The Jamestown district is pretty easy to deal with with regards to
homeschooling. They have so many other issues to contend with that they
really don't bother us much. As long as we turn our paperwork in, we
don't hear a peep from them.

Speaking of your family, is Betty Lou your aunt? My mother knits with
her, and I remember her telling me she was a Boerst.

What an incredibly small world!

Dawn

Julie wrote:

> Dawn wrote:
> <<Who is your Dad? I went to Lincoln & the HS.>>
>
> My dad is Bill Boerst. When I was a kid we lived in the Lincoln
> district too, on State St. near Persell. What neighborhood did you
> live in?
>
> After the threat of the lawsuit from the school system, my parents
> thought about moving to Canada, but it didn't work out. I think my
> dad continuted to do some volunteer work for Holt & GWS, and then he
> started turning his energy toward making the classroom a more
> human-friendly place. Every once in a while I wonder how my life
> would be different if they were able to yank me out of school, but I
> survived with fighting spirit intact (just took a while to emerge).
> By the time I graduated, homeschooling was an accepted alternative.
>
> What is the school district in Jamestown like to deal with?
>
> Julie
>




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