Latest posts from Home Education Foundation
Building a God-Centered Family: Christchurch June 1 & 2
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Building a God-Centered Family – Christchurch Tour |
Jun. 01-02, 2013
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Saturday, June 1st:
12:00-12:45 Registration / Family Lunch/Fellowship (bring own food/purchase locally – facilities available to cook/prepare)
12:45-1:40 Intro/Session 1, Building a God Centered Family
1:50-2:35 Session 2, The Power of a Happy Marriage
2:45-3:30 Session 3, Preparing Boys for Battle
3:30-3:45 Break (Afternoon Tea)
3:45-4:15 Questions and answers
4:15-5:15 Session 4, Preparing Girls for Dominion
5:15-6:45 Dinner Break (bring own food/purchase locally – facilities available to cook/prepare)
6:45-7:45 Session 5, Nurturing Beneficial Family Affections
7:45-8:45 Session 6, A New Kind of FatherSunday, June 2nd:
CHURCH MEETINGS AT CALVARY CHAPEL CHRISTCHURCH – NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Directions: http://goo.gl/maps/PaM7Y
10:30-12:00 Church Service, Message Title – “God’s Beautiful Design for Discipleship in the Church” – Scott Brown
12:00-12:30 Break/Refreshments
12:30 – 1:30 Building a Family Economy (At Calvary Chapel Christchurch following 10:30 service)
1:30 – 2:30 Shared Lunch (bring food to share – facilities available to cook/prepare)
NOTE: All services at Calvary Chapel Christchurch are age-integrated.
https://ncfic.org/events/
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Building a God-Centered Family – Auckland Tour |
Jun. 02-04, 2013
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On this tour, we will focus our teaching on matters of church and family life. While families are in a state of frustration and even collapse all over the world, we bring a vision of hope. That vision is the biblical vision for family life. This conference series is designed to deliver that vision of hope by explaining from the scriptures and how family life is designed to operate in the midst of church life and economic life.
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Building a God-Centered Family – Melbourne Tour |
Jun. 05-09, 2013
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On this tour, we will focus our teaching on matters of church and family life. While families are in a state of frustration and even collapse all over the world, we bring a vision of hope. That vision is the biblical vision for family life. This conference series is designed to deliver that vision of hope by explaining from the scriptures and how family life is designed to operate in the midst of church life and economic life.
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Building a God-Centered Family – Sydney Tour |
Jun. 10-11, 2013
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On this tour, we will focus our teaching on matters of church and family life. While families are in a state of frustration and even collapse all over the world, we bring a vision of hope. That vision is the biblical vision for family life. This conference series is designed to deliver that vision of hope by explaining from the scriptures and how family life is designed to operate in the midst of church life and economic life.
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Building a God-Centered Family – Tasmania Tour |
Jun. 12-13, 2013
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On this tour, we will focus our teaching on matters of church and family life. While families are in a state of frustration and even collapse all over the world, we bring a vision of hope. That vision is the biblical vision for family life. This conference series is designed to deliver that vision of hope by explaining from the scriptures and how family life is designed to operate in the midst of church life and economic life.
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From the Smiths:
http://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/
Updated 1 May 2013: One year on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here
Needing help for your home schooling journey:
http://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/
And
Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:
http://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/
and
This link is motivational: http://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/
Exemption Form online: http://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/
Coming Events: http://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/
AGENDA: Grinding America Down (Full Movie) FREE to watch for a limited time!
Homeschooler uprising in America?
WASHINGTON – According to researchers, disgust, dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the U.S. public school system is on the rise, so much so that the number of homeschoolers is on the rise.
“Since 1999, the number of children who are being homeschooled has increased by 75%,” Julia Lawrence reports in Education News. “Although currently only 4% of all school children nationwide are educated at home, the number of primary school kids whose parents choose to forgo traditional education is growing seven times faster than the number of kids enrolling in K-12 every year.”
It does not look like this trend will dissipate anytime soon and could threaten the existence of public schools in the next decades. Think that homeschooled children underperform in standardized assessment exams? Think again.
“Data shows that those who are independently educated typically score between 65th and 89th percentile on such exams, while those attending traditional schools average on the 50th percentile,” Lawrence relates. “Furthermore, the achievement gaps, long plaguing school systems around the country, aren’t present in homeschooling environment.”
“There’s no difference in achievement between sexes, income levels or race/ethnicity.”
Homeschoolers typically score higher on the ACT than their public school counterparts and have higher grade point averages (GPA) than other students once they are in college. Nevertheless, homeschoolers are schooled by their parents at a cost around $500-$600 per year. In public schools, the cost per student averages $10,000 per year.
Recruiters from colleges are noticing the trend, since the majority of homeschoolers graduate and obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree at a much higher rate than public school and some private school competitors. Colleges such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford and Duke have begun recruiting homeschooled students.
Another knock on homeschoolers is that they miss the socializing aspect of student life. According to a
National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) survey, homeschoolers have “healthy social, psychological, and emotional development, and success into adulthood.” Homeschoolers typically have core groups of students and do not operate completely alone, contrary to popular perception.
Dr. Brian Ray, researcher at NHERI, said we can “expect to observe a notable surge in the number of children being homeschooled in the next 5 to 10 years.”
Read more here: http://www.academia.org/homeschooler-uprising-in-america/
Matamata HEART Retreat: June 21-23
Matamata HEART Retreat date this year is June 21-23.
Venue: Totara Springs Christian Centre, Taihoa North Road, Matamata
New Website: http://heartnz.wordpress.com/
General inquiries: ClanAbs@xtra.co.nz, markandchris@callsouth.net.nz
HSLDA: Swedish Court Rejects Homeschool Family’s Desperate Appeal
Sweden
April 30, 2013
Swedish Court Rejects Homeschool Family’s Desperate Appeal
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Domenic Johansson has been separated from his family for years. |
How to Help
Although the Swedish Supreme Court has rejected the Johansson family’s appeal, we understand that some may wish to ask the court to reconsider their decision. Contact information and a sample message are below.
Contact information for the Swedish Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen):
Email:
hogsta.domstolen@dom.se
Mailing address:
Högsta domstolen
Box 2066
103 12 Stockholm
SWEDEN
A 1-oz letter from the US will cost $1.10 through the Postal Service
A letter from NZ will cost $2.40 through the Postal Service
Fax:
From outside Sweden: +46 8 561 666 86
If you fax from the U.S., you will need to replace the + sign with “011” and then dial 46 8 561 666 86
If you fax from New Zealand, you will need to replace the + sign with “00” and then dial 46 8 561 666 86
From inside Sweden: 08-561 666 86
Sample Message
Re: Case Number 298-13, Annie and Christer Johansson
Mr. President and Justices of the Supreme Court,
I am writing today to urge you to take up the case of the Johansson family, case number 298-13. This is an extremely important case involving the welfare of 11-year-old Domenic Johansson who was taken from his parents in June 2009. The family has not seen their child in years. This sounds so inhuman, and we implore you in the interests of justice and humanity, please take up Christer and Annie Johansson’s case and return their child to them.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Sincerely,
[Your name and country]
http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/201304300.asp
In a perfunctory order the Swedish Supreme Court rejected a desperate appeal by Christer and Annie Johansson, parents of Dominic Johansson, who was torn from his parents while minutes from take-off on an international flight as the family prepared to move to India. There were no pending criminal or civil charges at the time.
By rejecting the appeal, the court upholds an appeals court ruling that effectively terminated the parental rights of Christer and Annie Johansson. United States courts have called the termination of parental rights the family court equivalent of the death penalty.
The family had previously won a District Court judgment in June 2012. After three days of testimony that court agreed that the parents were suitable and ruled that parental rights should not be terminated.
New Evidence
According to family attorney Ruby Harold-Claesson, however, when the Social Services agency appealed they were permitted to introduce their own new psychiatric expert while the appeals court refused a request by the family to provide additional testimony and an impartial psychiatric evaluation of the child.
Based on this new evidence, the court of appeals reached a decision that was diametrically opposite that of the district court, a situation, Harrold-Claesson said, that normally prompts the Supreme Court to hear an appeal.
“It’s obvious that they haven’t even read the appeal,” Harold-Claesson told HSLDA.
“I had hoped something would change with this case, but sadly this is more of the same inhuman treatment from a ruthless system that has no regard for the rights of parents and children to be together. The court doesn’t seem to even notice how the state was permitted to introduce new evidence in the court of appeals but the Johanssons were not. In the Swedish system it seems as if individuals have no rights when they oppose the ‘almighty state’.”
Judge in Question
Harrold-Claesson also pointed out that one of the judges in the appeals court had been in charge of the administrative court system that had awarded custody to the state in 2009. He retired from that court system and was appointed to hear the parental termination hearing in the district court system, something Harrold-Claesson said should never have happened.
“I asked for the recusal of this judge because he was the chief judge in the Stockholm administrative court where all the cases for Domenic Johansson had been decided in favor of the state—how could he be impartial?” she asked.
Michael Donnelly, HSLDA’s director for international affairs, said the decision is reprehensible but par for the course given the Swedish court system’s demonstrated callousness.
“We are grateful for the many people who responded to our request to send letters to the court. We are heartbroken by the court’s unwillingness to hear this case,” he said. “How can anyone respect the Swedish justice system that allows this kind of injustice to go unheard.”
Roger Kiska, the Alliance Defending Freedom’s senior legal counsel in Europe, was outraged by the court’s action.
“It is beyond belief that a modern civilized country could allow such injustice to continue,” he said. “There is no evidence in the record that justifies the continued separation of this family. We will continue to fight for this family and on behalf of the principle that the European Convention condemns such acts.”
Pressing On
Donnelly vowed that the fight will continue.
“How can we give up?” he asked. “The fact that both Johanssons have survived after nearly four years without their only child is a testimony to their faith and hope. We will leave no stone unturned in helping this family plead their case, but there are few courts left to which they can turn. We ask our friends and supporters to keep this family and their legal team in their thoughts and prayers.”
Since the court has made its decision, letters and contacts to the court may no longer be effective.
However, we understand that some may wish to ask the court to reconsider their decision. The family’s lawyers are also reviewing other legal procedures that may be available to request reconsideration or to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. That court refused to hear an earlier appeal.
HSLDA has been working with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to call attention to the plight of the family. For more information, please visit our Johannson resource page or ADF’s resource page.
In the meantime you can show your support for this family at their Facebook page.
Please also sign these two petitions:
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H.E.A.R.T Northland Conference 20-22 September 2013
20-22nd September 2013
@ Marsden Bay Christian Camp
Online exams accessible when needed
This could be good news for Home Educators wanting to do exams:
Online exams accessible when needed
JO MOIR
iSCHOOL: Wellington College’s Lawrence Henderson believes online NCEA exams would be popular.
Pupils may soon be able to sit school assessments online when they are ready, rather than waiting for the traditional exam period.
New Zealand Qualifications Authority chief executive Karen Poutasi has outlined what she says could be a “significant cultural shift for New Zealand” in a recent speech to secondary principals about the next decade in education.
“We can reach a position within eight years where most students will be sitting examinations using a digital device,” she said.
Secondary Principals Association president Tom Parsons said the system would be of huge benefit to intelligent pupils who were being held back in the classroom while they waited for end-of-year exams.
Teachers would manage pupils at different levels because it was already happening.
“Kids don’t always learn in a meaningful and quick way unless engaged, but why shouldn’t we remove the barriers so that they can do that learning earlier in certain areas.”
He said principals supported the idea happening as soon as possible, although the structure of the classroom and teaching style would need some changes first.
Dr Poutasi said the move towards online and on-demand assessments was a response to the technology shift already happening in schools…
Read more of the article here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8610984/Online-exams-accessible-when-needed
IDEA MAKES THE GRADE
The benefits of online exams at times of pupils’ own choosing will be huge for 15-year-old Lawrence Henderson and his peers.
“You would be able to tick off the subjects you excelled at and get them out of the way early, leaving you more time to study and prepare for the areas you struggled with,” said the year 11 Wellington College pupil.
Teachers were already battling to cater for a wide range of abilities, which could affect the pace of learning, Lawrence said.
“The more intelligent students get annoyed when it’s slow and then sometimes that can affect classroom behaviour.”
Technology was already a big part of learning at Wellington College after a “bring your own device” policy was introduced last year.
“Wi-fi was installed and it’s really good being able to do research for your individual projects, but we still do a lot of stuff with pen and paper, so it’s not too bad at the end of the year.
“But I think most students would be pretty happy to do it all online whenever you wanted,” he added.
“It would be different but I think everyone would see the benefits.”
Home-schooled students gain edge in US
Surveys show university students taught at home perform better than peers from conventional schools.
Watch the Video here: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/04/2013425019031918.html
Two million children in the US are taught by their parents or private tutors at home.
In surveys of standardised achievement tests over the past 20 years, home-schooled children on average scored about 30 percentiles above the median. And of those who went on to higher education, two-thirds earned a degree compared to just over half of their classmates.
Al Jazeera’s Tom Ackerman reports from Washington, DC.
Please pray for Christer and Annie Johansson and sign these two petitions
Please SIGN these two PETITIONs HERE:
http://www.change.org/petitions/return-domenic-johansson-to-his-parents-christer-and-annie
and
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Lyft_fram_fallet_Dominic_i_svensk_TV_Kalla_Fakta_etc/?ceTZWbb
Romeike family: Please sign this petition as well.
Please also sign this Petition: http://www.hslda.org/legal/cases/romeike.asp
April 24, 2013
Romeike Update: Is that tolerance?
Yesterday, surrounded by friends and supporters, the Romeike family sat silent in the courtroom before the three-judge panel that will decide whether or not the family can remain in the United States to homeschool their children. The six wooden benches in the small courtroom quickly filled up with homeschooling families—some with children finishing their schoolwork for the day—and several more stood in the back during the 38-minute hearing.
HSLDA Chairman Mike Farris opened the hearing and was quickly peppered by questions by the panel. The judges seemed skeptical as to whether Germany specifically targets homeschoolers. At one point, a judge asked whether Germany persecutes homeschoolers if it permits parents to teach their children at the end of the day, after the child has attended a government school.
In reply, Farris quoted published decisions from German courts, which explained that the ban on homeschooling exists to prevent the development and spread of religious or philosophically-motivated “parallel societies,” and which concluded that it was dangerous for a child to be taught by their mother.
When asked about parallel societies, Justice Department attorney Walter Buchinni admitted he did not know what the term meant, but claimed HSLDA was taking the point out of context. Buchinni also admitted that, even if the Justice Department wins the case, he did not know whether the family would be forcibly deported or whether they would be allowed to remain in the United States.
During the final rebuttal, Farris was told that there is no clear anti-Christian bias and that one reason for Germany’s strict public education laws is to teach tolerance. “If that’s tolerance,” Farris replied, “it’s a tolerance unknown in a free society.”
After the case ended, the Romeikes and their supporters filed out of the courtroom and gathered outside the building. Farris cautioned the supporters that there was no accurate way to predict the judges’ decisions solely based on the questions they asked. “I remember arguing a case before a California court in 2008 and being convinced that we had lost,” he said. “We ended up winning unanimously. So I know God can intervene.”
“The support from homeschoolers yesterday was incredible in two ways,” Farris observed. “First, the court room was packed, and that was absolutely wonderful and clearly made an impact. Second, I know there were thousands upon thousands of homeschoolers who were actively praying on a continual basis and during the actual hearing, and the impact of the prayer was real.”
He also said that HSLDA will continue to intervene for the Romeikes if the panel returns an unfavorable decision, including a potential appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
In the news:
Homeschooling Family Fights Deportation Back to Germany (Aol.On Entertainment)—April 23, 2013
Judges question homeschool family’s request for asylum (Christian Examiner)—April 23, 2103
Federal appeals court weighs asylum bid from German home-schoolers living in Tennessee (Washington Post/AP)—April 23, 2013
For more information and how you can help, click here.
Petitioning Supreme Court of Sweden: Please sign
Petitioning Supreme Court of Sweden
Return Domenic Johansson to his parents, Christer and, Annie!
For more information on Domenic Johansson, please visit:
http://friendsofdomenic.blogspot.se/p/because-they-loved.html
http://dominicjohansson.blogspot.se/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/returndomenic/
I urge you all to please, take action and sign this petition!
Supreme Court of Sweden, Högsta Domstolen
Kristina Djerf, Social Services of Gotland
Marika Gardell, Social Services of Gotland
Sincerely,
[Your name]
SIGN two PETITIONs HERE: http://www.change.org/petitions/return-domenic-johansson-to-his-parents-christer-and-annie
and
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Lyft_fram_fallet_Dominic_i_svensk_TV_Kalla_Fakta_etc/?ceTZWbb
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