Craig passed away 30 September 2011.
I have had to think about what I should be doing now. I have three little ones still at home. They are 14, 11 and 6, and their training and home education must come first. Alanson, our grown up son, has moved back home and has taken on many of the responsibilities with the children. Craig and I were involved jointly in the Home Education Foundation and it has been so much a part of our lives for so long now. I don’t want to give it all up. Alanson being at home now will enable me to carry on some of the Home Education Foundation functions like: the website www.hef.org.nz; the email discussion groups-hefnetnz, chednetnz, ccednet, dwha and TEACH-eForum; the books we sell; difficult MoE, ERO and special education issues (which Craig was so good at-I have a lot to learn, but have already had a few cases since Craig died); and a Titus 2 ministry which would include counselling-home education and family/parenting issues and speaking at a limited number of workshops each year.
I cannot take all the phone calls from people starting out like Craig used to. He would get a number each week and he would be on the phone to them for 1-2 hours at a time. This will take up too much of my time as these usually come during the day when I now will want to be with my children. So I will be referring these calls to local support groups. I would like to get a good list on our website of the main contact people in each area to make it easier for new people.
Please check on the Home Schooling Support Group closest to you and they will be more than willing to help you out. Click on the link below and go to “contact us” and you should be able to find a phone number or an email address.
NZ Home Education Support Groups
- Nationally: For exemption help – If there is no-one in your area to help you, then Cynthia is available cynthiahancox@actrix.co.nz, http://www.cynthiahancox.com or http://www.cynthiahancox.com/homeschooling.html
- — National Council of Home Educators: info@nchenz.org.nz
- — Networking-across-the-nation
- — NZ Home Education Support Groups
- Far North: Toni 09 4080791 leave message or text 0276921344
- Whangarei Home Educators: Heather 09-4382501, 0212132862 hegamo@xtra.co.nz
- Rodney-Hibiscus Coast
- Auckland Home Educators (AHE): (09) 3022 866 enquiries@ahe.org.nz
- — Auckland: Dorinda (09) 480 6878 (especially helping with children with reading and maths difficulties and other learning disabilities); Erena (09) 269 3532
- — South Auckland Home Educators
- Huntly (Waikato): Mari Swindley (07) 828-9825 (Mari works odd hours)
- Morrinsville: Ann (07) 889-3797
- Hamilton – The Home Educators Network: thenmail@gmail.com Christine (07) 8395513 or 0274334462, Sheena 021 151 1738 or 07 981 1343, Nigel & Heather (07) 859 0303 or Lara (07) 843 2521
- WaiCHE (Karakariki): Jackie 0274 866570
- Christian Home Educators Corporate Hamilton CHECH using ACE Michelle (07) 854 3303
- Taupo: Dario 07 378 1569 021 176 7561 (experience with CYFS and the Courts)
- Hawkes Bay: Twin City Home Educators
- Marton-Rangitikei: Steph 06-327-6466
- Wanganui Home Educators: Lisa Crosse 06 3458645 neil.lisa@xtra.co.nz
- Manawatu Home Educators (MHE): (06) 355-0721 dayspring07@slingshot.co.nz
- Hearthland Educators (Kapiti, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Tararua,Taihape): 06 3637575 badi@slingshot.co.nz – unschooling
- Wellington Home Educataors: 04 477-9447 whenMembership@gmail.com
- Nelson Christian Home Educators
- Blenheim: Linda (03) 578 9177 tempoconcert@hotmail.com and Ana (03) 579399 apanoho@gmail.com
- Canterbury Home Educators: (03) 348 1814 CHEInc@free.net.nz
- South Island Home Educators: (03) 312 8790 sihe@clear.net.nz
- Oamaru and North Otago:Tani Newton tani.newton@vodafone.co.nz; Sandra Murphy (03) 434 5547; Maddy Maxwell (03) 432 6180 mebmmax@gmail.com;
Sara Martin (03) 439 5572 willowbrook@xnet.co.nz
- Dunedin Home Educators: SHEAF sheaf.dunedin@gmail.com Kathrin 03 471 0563
- Southland Home Educators: Carol herring7@xtra.co.nz.
- Winton: Lynley 03 236-7477
- There is a wonderful group of mothers (and Fathers) at this Trademe Home schooling/unschooling Message board who are very willing to answer all your questions.
- If you are having difficulties with your exemption application, MoE, ERO reviews, CYPs or anything else then please contact Cynthia, details above, after you have spoken with someone in your area.
These email discussion groups are also a good place to get help and support:
NZ-r-Email discussion groups
- .Christian Classical Home Educators (ccednet)
- .Christian Home Educators (chednetnz)
- .Diana Waring History Alive (dwha)
- .Home Education Foundation (hefnetnz)
- .TEACH-eForum
- Auckland – East (East Auckland Home Educators)
- Auckland South Home Educators
- Auckland unschoolers
- CMandFriends-ANZ · Australians, New Zealanders-Down-Under
- Designer Kids
- Franklin Homeschool Group
- Frugal-Kiwis-In-Christ
- Harvest – for new books
- Harvest – for Second Hand material
- HE Trading post – furniture, books, clothes and appliances.
- Home School Holiday Accommodation/Home-swaps
- Home Spun Learning
- Horowhenua Home Educators
- HS Free Thinkers NZ
- Kapiti homeschoolers
- Manukau Home School Support
- NCHEofNZ
- NZ Catholic Home Ed
- NZ Home Ed using Cambridge
- NZ Home Educators
- NZ Home Educators (Political)
- NZ homeschooling (Christian textbooks)
- NZUnschoolers
- Radial Unschoolers (RUA)
- Sharing (Diana) Waring
- Single parent homeschool NZ
- Single Parent Homeschooling
- Taught of the Lord
- Taupo home school
- TePuke support group
- THEN-Waikato
- Twin City
- VerasKidsNZ
- Waikato North – LIFE (Learning is For Everyone) (Huntly)
- WHSA-Wellington
Facebook seems to be the place where people go for a lot of support these days:
- Facebook: Far North Homeschoolers
- Facebook: Gisbornehomeschoolgroup
- Facebook: Harvest-Curric-Swap-New-Zealand
- Facebook: Home Education Foundation
- Facebook: Home Education in NZ
- Facebook: Home-Schooling-Advice-Network
- Facebook: HomeEducationNZ
- Facebook: Homeschoolednz
- Facebook: Manawatu Home Educators
- Facebook: NelsonHomeSchool
- Facebook: NZ Homeschool Curriculum Sell/Trade/Swap
- Facebook: Secular Home Education Discussions (SHED)
- Facebook: Trademe-Homeschoolers-Support-Group
- Facebook: Unschooling NZ retreat/networking
Home schooling exemption form now online
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are a couple of links to get you started:
https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/
and
https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/
Hi Mr and Mrs Smith.
Not sure you remember me, but I have heard the sad news from my family in NZ regarding Craigs tumor.
I would love to give you some medical advice regarding this, if you would like? I now live in Perth WA with my wife and 2 sons, and work as a Paramedic here.
If I could have your contact details I would love to ring you sometime soon.
Please keep in contact, and we will be praying for you, Craig and your family.
Love from,
Evert and Rebekah Grul.
Thanks Evert. We remember your visits warmly.
Here are our contact details:
https://hef.org.nz/contact-us/
This might be an odd email to be getting, but I thought it was worth a try. I am a christian homeschooling wife/mother from the US wishing to correspond (pen pal) with other women around the world. I miss the pre- nternet days when as a child I looked forward to letters in the mail. I still look forward to them but life has changed. I was wondering what it was like for Christian homeschooling mothers around the world and thought what a great opportunity for me to get to see into the lives of some amazing women. So, I found your site and was homing you may know of a (some) lady that would like to correspond the old fashioned way. Thank you for your time.
Maralie Thomas