Amanda's Corner
Dear Friend,
I hope this note finds you warm and enjoying a winter that has included some very unique weather! The weather out west has been devastating and so unpredictable, and the weather here in the South has been unseasonably warm. In the meantime, our mailbox has been overflowing with seed and garden catalogs which are thoroughly enjoyed here. Cabin fever is spreading, according to my emails, so I’ve included some fun links and ideas to help with this fever later in this newsletter. Make sure to check out the Tortilla Snowflakes!
We’ve got big news here at the Bennett house. This spring, we have two children graduating from college – one receiving his degree in business and one receiving her doctorate in veterinary medicine. What an exciting time for our family, and you can just imagine how proud we are of these kids and their commitment to follow God’s will in their lives.
The most amazing thing about these graduations is that it seems like only yesterday we were planning their early school years, teaching them to read and write and count. Then of course, there was long division and times tables, science experiments and so many adventures. As time went by, we learned to stress less over the small things and focus on the BIG picture – discovering their unique gifts and talents that God placed in them from the very beginning.
We, the parents, had to learn how to follow what God had placed in them, instead of our early plans to send them to Harvard. J With one young teen still being homeschooled, we continue to stay focused on God’s plan for his life, not our what if’s and maybe’s. His will, not ours – you’ve got to trust Him where you can’t trace Him!
Love,
Amanda
Easter Unit Study On Sale Through
From now through midnight, January 31, 2007 – the Easter Unit Study is on sale for only $10.95 on CDROM, and includes the Easter Unit Study Notebook Pages as a free bonus! Easter falls on April 8, 2007 – so plan to begin this four-week study in March!
Easter Unit Study
Sale Price Through January 31, 2007
$10.95
For all of you that have baseball players in the house, I have made a discovery that I can’t wait to share! There is a Christian organization that was developed to help homeschool students play competitive baseball, with teams in nine states. I have met many families whose sons participate in this program, and have heard wonderful praises about their experience with this organization.
Here’s their website:
Homeschool World Series Association
If you are interested, click on the various teams and locations listed at the bottom of the page to learn more about what is available in your area. For many of us, long drives to practices and games are a part of our lives since we don’t live in some of the cities with teams, but these drives are well worth the time and effort! They also provide a welcome opportunity for study and conversation.
You might have read about this league in a recent issue of HSLDA’S magazine, describing a young player that had been recruited by the MLB – the Minnesota Twins. Here are links to two of their articles:
I hope that this helps some of you, and if you do join in – I hope to see you out there, watching them play on the field of their dreams!
Getting Started Package
For those of you who have been considering using unit studies, but wanted to learn more about them first – here is a package developed just for you and here’s what is included:
Unit Studies 101 – In this tell-all book, Amanda Bennett offers her world of knowledge on the basics of unit studies, how to research and create your own unit studies, how to use unit studies effectively, and much more…
Unit Study Journal – This unique journal has been developed just for you, and you won't find anything else like it! Simple to use, it will help you develop and record a well-rounded unit study, and…
Birthday Unit Study – Imagine -- spending a whole week to celebrate each child's birthday and help them see just how special they are to us! What a precious gift for our children...
Getting Started Package Sale Price $ 34.95
Scroll down through the specials to the Getting Started Package
Sale price good through midnight January 31, 2007
Package Retail Value is $ 54.85 if items purchased separately
Brand new this month from Amanda – American History Stories!
American History Stories
From the Revolution
through the Civil War
Enjoying the history of America
the way it was meant to be shared!
Jump right into American history feet first and head for an adventure that is much more memorable and interesting than dry condensed, and predigested textbook material. Launching into the era of colonial America, we first learn about King George and his decision to burden the American colonists with the Stamp Act, raising taxes for his kingdom. The war with the French had put England in great debt, and now King George needed a way to raise money quickly. You might know that Americans hated the Stamp Act and that it was this act that began the American Revolution against England, but did you know that the colonists could only buy the goods they needed from England, and that it illegal for them to sell the products produced in America to any country but England? People like Patrick Henry helped change the course of America with his brave words and deeds to win our freedom, but wait until you read about all of his misadventures along the way!
Written to convey the feelings and ideas of the people of those times, these stories tell us about American history and hold our interest with chapters on Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Nathanael Greene, John Paul Jones, Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark, John Sevier, Robert Fulton, and more. The topics covered include the Revolutionary War, the expanding frontier, the Wilderness Road and the Erie Canal, along with the coming of trains and railroads and Samuel Morse and the telegraph.
This book makes an excellent follow-up to the American Hero Stories by Amanda Bennett. With 210 pages, there are sixteen illustrated chapters. Each chapter concludes with a series of questions for the students to answer, along with Internet resources for the material. Grades 4 - 8. This new book can be purchased either on CDROM or in downloadable format!
American History Special Package
Cabin fever? Why not take a journey back in time to those that lived in cabins? Winter is a great time to jump into learning about the early pioneers of America – those who took on the frontier and helped establish our country, setting examples of courage and faith that are still being passed down through generations of young Americans. While many of the modern books being written about American history are being rewritten to be politically correct, these two books on American Heroes and American History Stories were originally written almost 100 years ago, at a time when history was shared by the stories of the people – their trials and tribulations, hard-fought battles and blessed accomplishments.
In this special American History Package, you will receive the Pioneers Unit Study,
American Hero Stories, and American History Stories
Regular price for all three on CD would total $ 44.85
Sale price for this package is only $29.85
Scroll down through the specials to the American History Package
Saving 40% off the regular price!
Includes as a bonus – notebooking pages
for each of these titles!
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This New Season of Faith, Lessons to be Learned
In the midst of winter, we begin to look forward to longer and brighter days, the first green shoots of grass and the colors of the daffodils and crocus as they begin their new cycle of life. As Christians, we look forward to the celebration of what I look at as THE most important event in the history of the world – the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Some Christian denominations observe the approach of Easter with observance of Lent, similarly to the way that many observe the season of Advent with the approach of Christmas.
With all that we do as homeschooling parents, it is so easy to overlook the obvious in the midst of the day’s most pressing fires. Consider setting a few simple goals as we approach this season that is so important to our Christian faith. Perhaps this month, focus on having everyone learn the Lord’s Prayer or the 23rd Psalm. Building faith in our children is what I consider to be our most important mission here on Earth as parents. Teach them, taking it one step at a time.
Fun Learning Links:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Martin Luther King Jr. Printables
Print and Color Calendar Pages for 2007
Printable Calendar Pages – Add Your Own Art
Valentines Day Crafts and Ideas
Camo Communique - Also Known as Camouflage Valentine! J
Loving Hands Valentine Card Craft
And of course, there has to be chocolate:
In closing, I would like to share a favorite quote of President Ford, remembering his service to our country:
“As we continue our American adventure…all our heroes and heroines of war and peace send us this single, urgent message: though prosperity is a good thing, though compassionate charity is a good thing, though institutional reform is a good thing, a nation survives only so long as the spirit of sacrifice and self-discipline is strong within its people. Independence has to be defended as well as declared; freedom is always worth fighting for; and liberty ultimately belongs only to those willing to suffer for it.”
President Gerald Ford
Bicentennial Remarks at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
July 4, 1976
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."
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