International History Bee and Bowl

Posted on by
The International History Bee and Bowl (IHBB) is an organization that runs history quiz tournaments for primary and secondary school students throughout the world in over 20 Countries. Home educators are welcome to compete (at the same cost as State Schools) in their tournaments. They can compete in teams from their home education support group or on their own.

This month, IHBB will be holding tournaments in New Zealand for the first time. Their Christchurch and Hamilton tournaments will take place on 13 September, while our Auckland and Wellington tournaments will be held on 14 September. The top 50% of teams and individual students will then get the chance to represent New Zealand at the inaugural International History Olympiad, which will take place in the USA in July 2015

Email received from Nolween Madden:
My name is Nolwenn Madden, and I am the Executive Director of The International History Bee and Bowl. IHBB is an organization that runs history quiz tournaments for primary and secondary school students throughout the world in over 20 countries; see www.ihbbglobal.com for our international homepage. Homeschoolers are welcome to compete in our tournaments. They can compete in teams from their homeschool association or on their own.
Our questions draw on both historical knowledge and critical thinking skills, and students use a buzzer system to answer them, so it’s almost a bit like being on a TV quiz show. The Bee is for individual students, while the Bowl is for teams of up to six students.
This month, IHBB will be holding tournaments in New Zealand for the first time. Our Christchurch and Hamilton tournaments will take place on 13 September, while our Auckland and Wellington tournaments will be held on 14 September. The top 50% of teams and individual students will then get the chance to represent New Zealand at the inaugural International History Olympiad, which will take place in the USA in July 2015 (see historyolympiad.com for more).
You can find more information, including sample quiz questions, game rules, a study guide and more about the International History Bee and Bowl on our New Zealand homepage at www.ihbbnewzealand.com. I can also put you in touch with some of the attending homeschoolers from our past tournaments in other countries if you would be interested to hear their thoughts. If you are ready to register officially, please just visit: http://ihbbnewzealand.com/register/regionals-registration/
Please let me know if your kids are interested or if you have any questions. Thanks for your time, and I hope that you will be interested in this new opportunity for your homeschoolers.
Sincerely yours,
Nolwenn Madden

International History Bee and Bowl

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

*****

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://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:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/

 

Please sign this petition is support of Monica who is in jail for “failing to cause her kids to attend school”.

Posted on by

As many of you know Monica O’Connor was arrested by the Gardai and taken to Mountjoy Prison for “failing to cause her kids to attend school”. For background read an earlier article here…  and from her home educated daughter here...

Now there is a change.org petition that we can sign in support of Monica here…

Petitioning Jan O’ Sullivan

This petition will be delivered to:

Minister For Education;
Jan O’ Sullivan
Child and Family Agency
Pat McSitric
J O’Sullivan(Irish Education Minister),Child and Family Agency: Protect Constitutional right to home educate without having to apply

On 6th June 2013, Monica O’Connor and Eddie O’Neill were fined 2000 Euro for failing to cause their children to attend school. They are home schooling and as they are foster parents and home schooled a foster child, they were assessed in respect of that child. It was agreed that they met the undefined ‘certain minimum education’. Despite this they were issued with a School Attendance Notice regarding some of their own children. They had informed the Education Board (at the time) that they were home schooling.Under Article 42 of Bunreacht na hÉireann (the Irish Constitution) the State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the inalienable right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.
What this means is that we have the given right to home educate. However, the Child and family Agency under the Education (Welfare Act) 2000 deems that parents have to ‘apply’ for their children to be placed on the national register of home educators. We argue that this is unconstitutional and families should not have to ‘apply’ for a ‘right’. Registration should not be an application. The Constitution must be upheld and protected. Home education does not need permission.

So please sign the petition here…

https://www.change.org/p/j-o-sullivan-irish-education-minister-child-and-family-agency-protect-constitutional-right-to-home-educate-without-having-to-apply?utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

For background read an earlier article here… 

and from her home educated daughter here..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

*****

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://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:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/

 

 

Homeschool Essay Contest: The Most Inventive Wins!

Posted on by

HSLDA's PHOTO CONTEST

Kick off your school year with HSLDA’s 13th annual essay contest! Offering cash prizes upwards of $200, this contest is open to all homeschooled students ages 7–19 and runs through November 1, 2014. Our themes for this year’s contest focus on inventions.

View Contest Info & Guidelines

Our world has been shaped by the inventions of the past, with inventors improving and building on the ideas of previous generations. Every item we use—from the toothbrush to the smartphone—was invented by someone using his or her God-given creativity and intellect to do something!

Category 1 (ages 7–10): God has given humanity great creativity, and so many amazing things have already been invented. But there is still so much room for ingenuity! If you were to invent something that has not yet been invented, what would it be, what would it do, and why would you choose to invent it?

Category 2 (ages 11–14): Let’s say you are stranded on a desert island, alone, where there is no electricity, no cell tower signal, nor any other sign of civilization. You have a stockpile of food and help is on its way—in a couple months—but in the meantime you must survive. What three existing inventions would you want to find washed up on the shore of the island with you and why?

Category 3 (ages 15–19): Though created with good intentions, to do something good, some inventions have had unintended negative consequences. They’ve solved one problem but created other problems—sometimes worse than the first. Choose one such invention and discuss its positive and negative impacts. Be sure to address whether or not the benefits from the invention outweigh its negative impact.

Each student is invited to enter up to two essays relating to the theme for his or her age category.

To get a sense of what to look for or avoid when writing an essay, you can view the judges’ comments from previous contests or read the winning essays from previous years!

Guidelines and entry forms can be found on our website, as well as information about our other annual contests: art, poetry, and photo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

*****

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://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:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/

 

 


“The point of the essay is to change things.” ~ Edward Tufte

MoE scoping Home Educators

Posted on by

The National Office of the MoE is sending out an email or snail mail letter to all home educators today. They have asked us to put it up on our websites and pass around to other home educators.

Jim Greening’s letter to us all: scoping_letter

and the Problem scoping survey: Problem_scoping-1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

*****

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://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:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/

Posted in MoE

Monica arrested today and sent to prison for “failing to cause her kids to attend school”

Posted on by

Monica O’Connor  was arrested this morning by the Gardai and taken to Mountjoy Prison for “failing to cause her kids to attend school”. For background read an earlier story here…

Today Monica’s daughter Emmet has written about this. We don’t often hear from children in this situation.  With Emmet’s permission this is what she as written:

As most of you will be aware by now, my Mam was arrested this morning by the Gardai, and brought to Mountjoy Prison for ‘Failing to cause her kids to attend school’. If any of you have met any of my siblings, or my parents in fact, I’m sure you would agree that there is no education issue present there. I boast to have had the best experience, regarding my education, that I could possibly have had. That is not to say my education was, or is, better than anyone else’s, but for me it was perfect!
To me, I think we were scapegoats for the NEWB, (or what is now the Child and Family Agency,) to frighten any potential Home-Edders into automatically assessing with the board rather than going through the same lengthy, draining, court proceedings that we were subject to.

The crux of the problem is this: Home Educators in this country are currently treated as though their kids are truants, hence the assessment process.

What we would like to see is a change in governmental policy, whereby some from of liaising body is set up between the CFA and Home Educators. This would comprise people who are experienced with regard to Home Ed. and some Home Educators themselves. There would be no registration involved. All Home Educators would notify this body that they were home educating. Then this board could provide support, and possibly: funding for field trips, museum cards, or even scholarships to Home Educating kids, and treat them as a separate educational entity.

In this way, if there were some issue with child welfare or educational requirements, the agency would be in be better informed than the governing bodies currently are, and then be able to take it to the CFA, who might then see the need intervene.
Because the system we have in place not only wastes its, already, limited resources persecuting people like my mother (who they have actually assessed, and approved, for the education of a foster-child we had living with us,) but they also don’t get to see any genuine truancy or welfare/education issues that are present in this country.

The assessors don’s have to meet the kids; they don’t have to come into the home.
They can meet either parent in a Library, a Hotel Reception, a Cafe, etc.

This means that the kids who are in danger, and who do require the actions of the government, and possibly the intervention of the Gardai, could be sitting at home hungry while their mother/father signs the papers.

I think most will agree: this does not make sense!

In our case I am fully confident that the persecuting body did not suspect their to be any welfare or educational issue in our family. And yet they subjected us, (and themselves,) to over a year of court proceedings, which has done nothing but drain our resources, time, and energy, not to mention create worry, uncertainty, and fear, (in our family at any rate,) and that’s not to mention the whole ‘sentencing my Ma to jail’ thing.

I wrote this in the hope that those of you who were not aware of this case, might hear of it and spread the word, and those who already were aware, might gain some insight and understanding, as it is not a very black and white.

I feel I must say that I don’t believe for a second that the governmental bodies at work in this situation, those who worked in the NEWB, or CFA, are inherently bad, or nasty people. They are people: they get up everyday, have their ups and downs, most probably do their best to help out who they can when they can, but they are operating within a system that is inherently flawed in it’s design and management and is wasting it’s resources, not to mention those of the lawyers, judges, and Gardai, persecuting the wrong people.

I’d also just like to make a big shout to Mum and my Dad, for being so brave and standing up for what they believe in.

And also to all who have given/offered support be it a text message a call, a prayer, I can’t adequately express how thankful we all are for the amazing kindness people have shown us over the past few months. From our closest friends, to people half the world away who we have never met it really means so much.

Peace and Love!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 22 April 2014:  Two years on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

*****

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://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:

Information on getting started: https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

Information on getting an exemption: https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-exemption-form-now-online/

Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/2013/some-coming-events-for-home-education-during-2013-2/

Beneficiaries: https://hef.org.nz/2013/where-to-for-beneficiary-families-now-that-the-social-security-benefit-categories-and-work-focus-amendment-bill-has-passed-its-third-reading/