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Homeschooling - past and present

September 2, 2010

I was working on an article about "back to homeschooling" for Growing Up in Santa Cruz (read it!), and in the midst of corresponding with representatives of the wide range of local homeschoolers, I came across yet another incendiary piece on the web about how awful homeschooling is, how it's damaging children, killing public education, and shaking the very foundation of our republic. You can read any number of these pieces on the web, just Google it. But it got me to thinking how my thinking has come around on this issue, due to my own experience and to meeting all these great and varied homeschoolers in my community. Click on "homeschooling" above and you'll see that I am what is called by our ilk "a reluctant homeschooler." I never had any intention of following this path, unlike many of the committed, inspired parents I interact with in our community. Here are some thoughts on how my viewpoint has changed since that fateful day I was forced to become a homeschooler... In the past, when our son was in preschool, my husband and I read about a local homeschooler who had declared her home a "private school" and whose daughter was doing some fabulous thing or other. I remember that the "private school" part of it amused us, and we made fun of it in our ignorance. Now I know they're called independent homeschoolers and it's a perfectly legal and legitimate route to take. And not only do I know people who do their homeschooling this way, but I respect the path they're taking. My children are registered with a public school program for various reasons. I love the program's social atmosphere and I appreciate that our tax dollars go to a local school district. But I do have a bit of a sense that my independent friends are taking the more "virtuous" path, as far as homeschooling goes. In the past, I would have assumed that most homeschoolers were probably not schooling their children as well as a school, even a mediocre school, could. Now, I'm pretty much convinced that schools are unlikely to produce a better-educated product --- uh, child --- than the child's parents are. Most people end up more or less educated similarly to their parents. We wonder why kids can't learn math? In most cases, you can predict their math skills from their home life. Ditto interest in reading and critical thinking ability. Yes, occasionally a school, or more likely a committed teacher, can really reach a child and help her to reach past what she was given in life. But I know that in a good number of those cases, you'd see parents who want more for their child, too. Parents who don't care about education don't choose to homeschool. In the past, I thought that our local public school would be "good enough." Now that I have kids, I only feel successful as a parent if I know that I'm doing the best to fulfill their needs. And if the local public school can't do that, I have no obligation to use their services. In the past, I would have thought it a real concern that homeschooling parents have no state oversight. See above for concerns about the level of education they get. But one part of this really concerns me: most child abuse referrals come from public school teachers. If there is no public school teacher to notice and care about a bruised child, who will help? Now, I'm pretty sure that this isn't a problem on any large scale. I know that a severely abusive family would probably keep a child out of school no matter what the laws. Homeschooling kids is such hard work and demands such commitments of the parents, I really doubt the casually abusive family would consider it. Their kids are in the way, so public school is as good a free babysitter as any. Finally, the question of rocking the foundations of our democracy just makes me laugh. Yes, like all non-homeschoolers, in the past I believed that Christian homeschoolers were all nutty fundamentalists trying to keep their kids ignorant. But now I know that for every Christian homeschooler trying to keep their kids ignorant, you have the whole range of other homeschoolers to balance them: Christian homeschoolers who aren't, actually, trying to keep their kids ignorant. Homeschoolers who happen to be Christian but educate their children in a largely secular manner. Homeschoolers of other religions or no religion at all. Homeschoolers who are actively atheist. Pagans, hippies, and whatever else you can find. And talk about rocking the foundations of our democracy: Those Christian homeschoolers aren't the only radical ones out there homeschooling. How about those of us who have decided to vote with our feet when it comes to the sort of choices our educational establishment has been making lately? (No Child Left Behind, for example.) And those of us who are raising our children to actually be radicals: left-wing or no-wing, there are parents out there that simply don't want their children to be forced to conform. What it comes down to, for me at this point in my homeschooling life, is that the very foundation of our democracy is choice. Yes, there are some yucky parts of our history that don't jibe with that (the fact that the native people of this land had their choices taken away from them was probably the first), but those yucky parts aside, we are a nation of people who choose to be here. We choose to have the freedom to choose, and new immigrants come here full well knowing what they're giving up. The rest of us may have forgotten why our ancestors came here, but freedom of choice was a big part of it for most of them. So, now I would absolutely defend a parent's right to choose to homeschool, almost no matter what. But I am going to put that almost in there... I like to keep my options open....

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Choosing the right volunteer abroad program

September 2, 2010

Travelling is a passion to some while others do it to get away from their routine. Volunteer travel is a more rewarding experience if you want to do more sitting in a hotel and seeing museums and animals. Volunteering abroad is a life changing experience for anyone who does it, whether you are in your teens, in college, taking a career break and whether you have retired. The experience you get is worth more the money you spent in your volunteer vacation. Picking the right volunteer work program is important as you plan your volunteer trip. There are many volunteer service organizations that offer many volunteer abroad work programs. There are many volunteer abroad programs to choose from for example: teaching; orphanage work; HIV/AIDS work; community developed; Health/ Medical work; teaching extreme sports, music lessons; conservations projects; and research projects.  All volunteer abroad work programs are not the same. They are different and require different skills, expenses, training provided, types of placements, and quality of service. The following are tips to help you choose the right volunteer abroad work programs Skills and abilities Many volunteer service organizations recruit volunteers who don’t have any specific skills apart from being able to speak the language in which you are going. If you are an independent traveler, grass roots organizations also want volunteers with no skills or requirements to come and work for them. Most of the programs don’t require you to have specific skills or academic qualifications except for a few e.g. Health care and medical work whereby you are asked to provide relevant skills or background experience. One of the reason they don’t require any skills and qualifications because they attract young people who don’t yet have academic and work experience. Meaning anyone can apply for any program and be accepted. Even though you will be accepted in any program it is better choosing a program where you can apply your skills and experience. This will make you more effective in your volunteer work. With your love for kids and being good with them will help you better work in an orphanage or teaching. If you are a marketer your skills and abilities will be best suited in a marketing position. Also if you want to learn new skills choose a volunteer program where you will taught and experience new skills. Goals When choosing a volunteer program, find out what are the goals of the programs. Try and match your personal goals, mission statement and results with the volunteer programs. Find out about the organization that is providing the program. Try to find out the background about the program, how long it’s been working; how many people it has helped and their future goals. Write down what you want to do in your volunteer work, what you want to achieve and the long term effect of your work. When deciding the appropriate volunteer program, match your list with the work that will be involved. Also choose programs and project that have continuity, whereby when you leave the program there is somebody who will come and continue you work. Destination Choosing the right program will involve choosing the right destination. If you choose to do orphanage work, teaching, HIV/AIDS work etc, you will have to go to developing countries because the more developed countries address these problems in a different way. On the other hand if you want to volunteer in conservation projects like saving whales, teaching extreme sports, working in shelters then the more developed countries are a better pick. After choosing the country you should decide whether you want to be in the rural or urban areas. Rural areas are small towns while urban areas are large cities. Picking the right destination involves looking at the cultures, the languages spoken and the local customs. To avoid extreme cultural conflicts choose countries which are not too different from yours e.g. if you are Christian try and avoid Muslim nations who might find your habits offensive. Time Find out how much time you have for your volunteer holiday. There are programs that range from one week to three years.  Some programs are appropriate for short term volunteer work which takes up to one week to one month like orphanage work. On the other hand, there are long term projects like community development, construction projects which take between 6 months and 12 months. The volunteer programs are open throughout the year.  But some programs are time specific in that they don’t operate in certain times of the year. Choosing the length of the volunteer and timing is important, for example when picking teaching programs take into considerations that the program doesn’t run in certain times of the year because the schools are closed.

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Essay Contest - Enter to Win FREE Training

August 31, 2010

Essay Contest: 12 Week Body Fat Loss Challenge Personal trainers Valerie Minning & Stacey Cooper will be choosing 6 people (Male or Female) to win 3 months of FREE personal training to compete against each other for the biggest body fat percentage loss over 12 weeks! The essay contest runs for one week--ALL entries are due by 12 Midnight Sept 1 and the winners will be announced at the Bootycamp for Breast Cancer Event at Fueled Sports ( 530 State Street ) on the evening of Sept 2nd. The Fat Loss contest will start Sept 20th and run through Dec 10th with a final party to announce the winner on Dec 16th. There will be a large prize package for the winner---stay tuned for those details!!! Qualifications: *You MUST be available to train the ENTIRE time (Sept 20- Dec 10) with only 2 days off for Thanksgiving--please check your calendars to make sure you can commit to this training program! *You will be training 5 days per week in groups of 3 with either Valerie Minning or Stacey Cooper at Fueled Sports Performance. There will be 1 outdoor group session/challenge per month. These dates will be agreed upon and confirmed during the first week of training. *You will need to be available to train at 6AM, 5PM or 6PM for a One Hour Session, 5 days per week. *You must complete essay and attach pictures (Front & Back shots please) wearing athletic clothes. These are due to staceycooper1@cox.net but Midnight Sept 1st. The Essay Question: Why would this training change your life & how you feel about yourself? *In the essay, be sure to explain your commitment level and assure us of your dedication. Please limit the essay to 2 typed pages Send essays to staceycooper1@cox.net See you all at the event!!! Stacey Cooper & Valerie Mininng

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Registered Offender Residing in Santa Maria

August 31, 2010

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PAGE YOUTH CENTER ANNOUNCES HALLOWEEN FUN FOR ITS PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM

August 30, 2010

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Art From Scrap Teams Up With Jack Johnson

August 30, 2010

Art From Scrap is teaming up with Jack Johnson on his 2010 To The Sea Tour and All At Once, a social action network that connects nonprofits with people who want to become active in their local and world community. For over twenty years, Art From Scrap (AFS) has been a leading environmental education organization in Santa Barbara. The AFS Green Schools Program reaches 14,000 children yearly, through lessons and field trips covering the topics of Waste Diversion, Watershed Education, Gardening, and Composting.   Art From Scrap promotes the philosophy of All At Once, that “Collectively, individual actions create global change. Your actions, your voice, and your choices, all have a huge impact.” As part of this partnership, the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation (Jack Johnson’s new charity) is matching every dollar contributed to Art From Scrap, up to $2,500, between now and October 15^th. Any contributions made at this time will double in value through this generous matching opportunity! On October 13^th, Art From Scrap will have a table at Jack Johnson’s Santa Barbara County Bowl concert. The table will be located in the Village Green,  a collection of interactive booths where concert-goers can get educated, inspired, and connect face-to-face with Art From Scrap, All At Once, and other local and national non-profits. Visit www.AllAtOnce.org and www.artfromscrap.org to check out what you can do before, during, and after the show to get involved. CONTACT: Melissa Brooks PHONE: (805) 884-0459 ext. 17 FAX: (805) 884-1879 EMAIL: devo@artfromscrap.org 302 East Cota Street Santa Barbara, CA93101 www.artfromscrap.org About Art From Scrap: Art From Scrap is Santa Barbara’s Environmental Education and Art Center.  The AFS Green Schools Program reaches 14,000 children yearly, through lessons and field trips covering the topics of Waste Diversion, Watershed Education, and Gardening and Composting. AFS Green Schools supports teachers with resources, including teacher training workshops, an environmental lending library, creek testing kits, classroom materials, and garden supplies.

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Santa Barbara's Slice of International "Fashion's Night Out"

August 30, 2010

The nation is still buzzing about last year’s inaugural, international fashion/shopping extravaganza “Fashion’s Night Out”. Paseo Nuevo is hosting Santa Barbara’s first take on this economy spurring event, Friday September 10. On this one fabulous evening, the community is invited to celebrate all things fashion and shopping alongside the rest of the world—from Brooklyn, to Boston, to Brazil. Let me know if you have any questions—Thanks, Kevala. CALENDAR LISTING FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 26, 2010 MEDIA CONTACTS: Kevala Kenna, kevala@ks-comm.com, 303-495-5159 Calendar Editors: Please let your readers know about the following free event Work it! FASHION’S NIGHT OUT Santa Barbara Indulges in International Shopping and Fashion Extravaganza WHAT: Santa Barbara shopaholics and fashionistas are invited to partake in the 2010 edition of the most epic, stylish event of the year. From Brooklyn to Brazil to Boston, the nation is buzzing about last year’s globe-spanning extravaganza Fashion’s Night Out. Now it’s back--and you’re invited to experience it Santa Barbara-style—at Paseo Nuevo, September 10. Fashion’s Night Out is an unprecedented global initiative created to celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence, boost the industry’s economy and put the fun back in shopping. For one special night, our stores will bring special one-of-a-kind events and extras inside to make the shopping experience that much more enjoyable. Also, Fashion’s Night Out kicks-off the community-wide event—Shop Spree SB (a Santa Barbara steals & deals fest). Guests at Paseo Nuevo will enjoy great live entertainment, and exclusive discounts at participating retailers. See www.paseonuevoshopping.com for full details. WHEN & WHERE: FASHION’S NIGHT OUT September 10, 2010 6:00pm – 9:00pm SHOP SPREE SB at Paseo Nuevo September 10 & 11, 2010 During normal center hours Paseo Nuevo Center Court 651 Paseo Nuevo Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-7147 FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, call the Paseo Nuevo Management Office at (805) 963-7147. # # #

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Volunteer Abroad for free

August 30, 2010

Many people want to give their time to help others. Most of them volunteer at home, helping in the local volunteer centres and the local organizations. Others want to take their experience to another level and volunteer in another country. They want to volunteer abroad for free. One of the assumptions many people make is that volunteering abroad is like volunteering at home in that they expect not to use any money while they are abroad. They hope not to be charged for their expenses. It is not easy to find an organization that will help you volunteer for free. There are many volunteer service organizations that charge some fees for them to plan and coordinate your volunteer abroad work. The problem comes when these organizations charge too much; they charge thousands of dollars for their services. In some cases the organizations use the money to benefit their pockets, very little or no money goes to the project you are going to volunteer in. They prohibit many potential volunteers to travel abroad. If you want to volunteer abroad without paying huge fees, search the internet for affordable volunteer abroad service organizations or travel independently. It’s a lot harder to organize everything for your volunteer abroad work program but it is possible.  Here are things to consider when you are planning for your trip to volunteer abroad for free. Independent traveler Many first time travelers assume they are independent and can travel by themselves. They don’t put into consideration that when they are out there they will be very lonely, family and friends will be very far away. When packing, take everything that you will use. Do not assume when you reach your destination you will find what you want. Carry things like sleeping bags, mosquito nets etc. Go to your local physician and ask for advice on medication and vaccination that you will need. Independent travelers should be eighteen years and older. It will also be better if you can travel with a friend or a group of friends. For more experienced travelers, being independent is easier. They know the problems that they will encounter and how to solve them. As an independent traveler, get everything that you need and try to plan for the unexpected. To enjoy your experience try to be open minded. Research This is the most important part in your planning. As you will be going to a different country without any help it is important to research. Start researching the country where you want to go to. Try to find out as much you can about the country, research about the culture, currency and language spoken. Try to find ways to orientate yourself. When you have picked the destination of your choice e.g. Kenya, start your research. Go to your laptop or computer, point your browser to Google, yahoo and AOL and research about your destination. There is a lot to plan for and you will need to research a lot for the trip. You have to search for suitable organizations where you will be working in. the best organizations, are grass root organization which don’t use middlemen to get volunteers. Identify the projects they are running and try to match them with your likes and desires. When looking for organizations, try to find out their locations, the distance from the main town and essential services like hospitals, internet cafes, and restaurants. Look for referees and past volunteers it will give you a better picture of the organizations. Accommodation and meals After you have picked the organization that you will be working in, the next thing is to plan where you will be living and eating. Some grassroots organizations will offer you accommodation at a cost. If you want to plan your stay for yourself, look for hostels, hotels and homestays. Look for hostels that are near the organization where you will be volunteering. In the hostel, try to find out about the meal times, and if they can accommodate your dietary requirements.  Most hostels offer breakfast and supper or dinner, lunch is not included. Find out also about the sleeping arrangements, if they require you to have a sleeping bag, your own mosquito net and beddings. Choose a hostel according to your budget. Many hostels can be booked online, while others you have to go there personally to book. Looking for a homestay is the cheapest option but it is the hardest to organize when you are not in the host country. Transport You should look into the transport system in the country. Try to find out what is the main means of transport. Whether taxis are available and what type of taxis they are. Find out about public transport like buses, trains and airports. You will need to know how to get to the organization where you will be working and also how to move around in the country. Some guys will rent a car for a couple of days. Communication Other things you should look into are how you will be talking to your family and friends. Try to find out how the people in the local country communicate. If they have mobile phone networks, if there are many cyber cafes available and what are the international call rates.

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Discover Santa Maria Valley

August 29, 2010

NEWS RELEASE Contact:  Kelly White O’Neill, executive director kelly@smdiscoverymuseum.org

12^th Annual Event Encourages “Discovery” of Local Food, Wine and Art

SANTA MARIA—The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is hosting its popular, and tasty annual event “Discover Santa Maria Valley” on Sunday, September 19^th from 1 to 4 pm.   Held in the air-conditioned museum, located at 705 S. McClelland, in the heart of the cultural corridor of Santa Maria, the event never fails to offer wonderful food, exceptional wines, and gorgeous art all contributed by local restaurants, wineries, and artisans.  This year, breweries join the fun along with live music from the Mark Roberts Band.  Enjoy sipping the latest creations from Autonom, Riverbench, William James Cellers, and Orcutt Brew while you nibble on treats from Central City Market, The Swiss, Preferred Jams and Jellies, to name just a few of the food and wine you can sample at this delightful event.  Signature event artist, and local legend, Nat Fast, whose specially-commissioned art work will be unveiled at the afternoon event, will also be on hand with more examples of his work. In support of the mission of the organization, to help children and families learn through the power of play and discovery, attendees will enjoy opportunities to learn by experiencing some of the museum’s exhibits and programs first hand.  In addition, a number of priceless and one-of-a-kind items will also be available to bid on in the silent and live auction.   All proceeds help to fund and support the weekly programs and ongoing exhibits that make the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum an important resource for local families. Special thanks to top-level event sponsors, The Santa Maria Sun, Local Copies, Joseph W. Slaughter, DDS, Plantel Nurseries, and RaboBank for their financial support for this event. Reservations are being taken now and may be purchased for $60.00 per person.  $50.00 per person for current museum members.  You can pay for your reservation by visiting the museum website at www.smvdiscoverymuseum.org and making a secure, online donation or by visiting the museum between 10 and 5, Monday through Saturday or until 7 pm until Thursdays.  For more information you may contact the museum at 805-928-8414 or by emailing programs@smdiscoverymuseum.org.

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Warning: Our kids are snitches

August 28, 2010

By Starshine Roshell Running for office requires a hardy hyde. Detractors lob accusations as easily as jugglers hurling torches; politicians expect it. But Oklahoma judicial candidate John Mantooth is being pelted by a particularly painful source: his own grown daughter. Jan Schill (formerly Mantooth) recently took out a newspaper ad  saying, "Do Not Vote For My Dad!" on the grounds that he's "NOT a good father, NOT a good grandfather" and would make a lousy judge. She launched DoNotVoteForMyDad.com, linking to legal documents that call his integrity into question and describing a Christmas gift she once received from her pop — a box of chocolates infested with worms and weevils. Eww. I don't care if you vote for him, but do not under any circumstances invite this guy to a Secret Santa swap. The candidate claims his daughter is embittered by his ugly decades-gone-by divorce from her mother, which may be true. But it's hard to ignore the shocking shriek of a child blowing the whistle on her own badly-behaving begetter. Cops heeded just such a shriek last week when a 13-year-old New York girl called 911 from the backseat of her mother's swerving car to report that mom was driving drunk. The good news: Troopers hauled in the besotted mama before anyone was hurt. The bad: Dinnertime conversation at their house will be awkward for quite some time. Wrong is wrong and I'm impressed that these informants were brave enough to squeal on family members who endanger other people's lives — or, you know, their digestive tracks. (Note to Mantooth's daughter: I wouldn't even open his Christmas gift this year. Seriously. And no re-gifting.) But a small part of me — the very selfish part that's not actually as small as I'd like you to believe — finds these stories a smidge unsettling, and here's why: As a child, I didn't narc on my weekend-toking parents when the sixth-grade Health teacher told us marijuana was the devil's herb. I didn't drop a dime on them when they "sampled" grapes from the market's produce section, or played hookie from work. I wasn't even allowed to contradict my mother in front of people; interruptions like, "Actually, mom, we're not late because of traffic, we're late because you were flirting so long with that guy at the bank, remember?" never went over well. I learned how the world works by watching my family move deftly — if occasionally immorally or, um, illegally — through it. What they did, by definition, seemed "right," even when I knew it was wrong. So as a parent myself now, I'm uneasy about having snitches in my midst. I'm not sure I would have taught my kids the whole "be a good citizen and stand up for what's right" bit if I had realized they could turn it against me. I'm not running for office, and I can't even FIND my car keys after a single, weak appletini. But there are myriad ways that the stool pigeons formerly known as my children could humiliate me if they were so inclined. And since they know me best — or, dear god, worst — I fear strangers might believe them. I can just see the campaigns they'd launch, exposing my secrets: "Do Not Befriend Our Mom. She checks caller ID when the phone rings and says, 'Oy, ignore it' unless it's someone with a swank vacation home who may be inviting us to use it." "Do Not Hire Our Mom. She steals pens and Wite-Out from the office supply cabinet to fulfill our teachers' Mandatory School Supplies list." "Do Not Eat Our Mom's Cooking. You know that nasty box o' worm candy the Oklahoma dude gave his abnormally resentful daughter? We should be so lucky." Starshine Roshell is the author of "Keep Your Skirt On."

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