Got a writer or artist in your home? Well, the perfect kind of publication is self-publication. An area homeschooled girl is starting her own zine and looking for submissions. Here’s the details from her mother:

Are you a homeschooler looking for a creative outlet?  Abi, a
12-year-old homeschooler, is starting a zine just for you!  She is
looking for submissions of poems, short stories, serials, comics,
artwork, photography, and anything else that’s creative that can be put
in a Zine.  Any homeschooler may send submissions, from a toddler’s
scribbles on up!
Submissions will be due on the 9th of each month, beginning in August,
with the Zine being emailed to these groups (LakeCo_HS, ILHS Announce,
Illinois HOUSE Party) on the 16th.  Abi will publish the Zine, but will
not do any editing of material.  Please edit before submitting!
The working title of the Zine is “Creative Pursuits”, but Abi would like
your input.  Please submit alternate title suggestions, or let her know
that you like this one.
Please email all submissions and title suggestions to Abi at
homeschool-zine@sbcglobal.net
She’s hoping to hear from you soon!!
Sheri Blome, mom to Abi

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Remember the good old days when I used to podcast too? Well, this time I’m trying it again, except without all of that production process which burnt us all out. This time I’m starting a radio program called Relaxed Homeschooler on Blog Talk Radio.  I will have episodes available here as well as at Blog Talk and probably also in the podcast section at the apple store. Meanwhile, you should consider being a guest speaker, or a caller with a question. The first show will be Monday at 10am for folks who want to call in. Here’s the number to call with your comments or questions, (347)633-9765. When you call, just hold on the line for a few minutes and I will answer up until about 10:30am central. This just in, my guest speaker will be Diane Flynn Keith of Homefires, Clickschool and Carschool fame. She’ll share with us her journey from prepackaged curriculum to more unschooly type living and her latest projects!

Here’s my intro over at Blogtalkradio:

I’m pretty excited about this. Are you gathered around, reporters? No? Well, who cares. This is for the little people anyway. The ones who unschool/homeschool their kids. We do read the papers, but we get most of our information elsewhere. From word-of-mouth I’d say. Like most parents, we’re a resourceful bunch but we are compelled to share every resource to the point of compulsion.

As in :”Hey, there’s a new park district piano class that only costs $15 a semester on Thursdays and it is right near that ice cream shop that has half off cones on weekdays.”

Or, “Check it out, Milo loves these fiction books that teach geometry concepts.!”
Or, “I don’t give a crud what they say about reading, I am not offering my daughter free pizzas if she reads 15 books this summer. Reading is its own reward.”

Etc…..So, the new resource in town is Relaxed Homeschooler, a twice a month radio show that you can call in for or download to your MP3 player. The main point is that you will finally have a public venue to vent your woes, be they whiny children, whiny in-laws, curriculum confusion, burn-out, over-eagerness, or juggling -to-muchedness. On the other hand, you can call in to tell us what you love the most about homeschooling as well.  We need good bolstering stories to give us all courage. Like last week, when my newly turned 8-year-old who has generally avoided reading picked up a graphic novel and read 13 pages. Now he’s on book two. As if it were no big thing. I’m screaming with joy inside! And I didn’t even stress out like I did for the first kid who waited until she was 9 and a half to lock on to reading as an awesome thing. So, if you’ve got late readers for example, you are at the right place.

Okay, I should tell you a bit about the host. I am Kim and I have formerly co-hosted the podcasts Homeschool Habitat and Shakespeare Souffle with Ken and our kids. We so enjoyed podcasting and were deeply amazed by the community. I have two blogs Relaxed Homeskool my family blog and Chicago Homeschool Habitat which is about the local happenings for homeschoolers in the Chicago area. This show, Relaxed Homeschooler is for homeschoolers and unschoolers everywhere on the globe and I look forward to getting to know you and the guestspeakers I hope to dig up and convince to join in.

It will probably take a few hours after that to post the show to the site, so look Monday night to listen. Also, I believe the first show will be rather short, seeings as how I will have no huge fan base to call me up.

This is a message from Carla. Her email is listed below. Please contact her directly with questions:

The Northwest Suburbs is getting a new Homeschool co-op!

Funschool Co-op is a fee based co-operative offering field-trips and classes

to homeschool families in Illinois. Funschool Co-op is open to everyone

regardless of their homeschooling style or religious beliefs. Funschool

Co-op uses the negotiating power of gathering large groups of homeschoolers

together for discounts and learning opportunities that may not otherwise be

available to smaller homeschool groups.

Funschool Co-op is putting the final touches on the fall session and

registration will be opening soon. If you are interested in classes or

field trip opportunities, please contact Carla Gibson directly at

cjgibson@owc.net to be added to the newsletter list. Registration will be

open to the members of this list FIRST before we advertise the available

classes to the other homeschooling lists and special discounts will be made

available to our charter members.

Not sure you’re interested in the co-op? Here is a sneak peak of what we

are planning:

“Funschool Families Fall Campout”

12 weeks of classes held in Crystal Lake, IL:

Morning classes on Wednesdays beginning at the end of September - Ceramics,

Sign Language, Exploring Our World, Magic Performance, Beginning Chess,

Teens Finding Mentors Workshop, Writing and MORE!

Monday Evening Classes taught by passionate Homeschool dads for Middle/High

School aged children in the areas of American History and Literature

Field Trips organized to take advantage of group discounts and school group

specials

Special one day workshops by area organizations and talent

Parents are not required to teach and there will be fees and “tuition” for

the classes.

Age ranges will be provided so that parents know what level the teachers

have in mind when they plan their classes. However, in our co-op, any child

who has an interest, can attend the class without causing a disruption (this

can be with parent support, parents are always welcomed in any class) and is

willing to pay the fee, can take any class, no matter how they fit into the

age range specified.

This weekend if you can’t make it to the NUG annual family camping trip , you might want to scoot on up to Johnsburg and get your hands on some amazing used curriculum or maybe visit the free open house that follows and check out the extensive homeschoolers library. Yours truly will be there with a big pile of stuff you’ll want to add to your resources at home.

This is a copy of the flyer:

Homeschool Resource Center
Open House and Used Curriculum Flea Market
Sat., June 14, 2008
This is the perfect opportunity for current homeschoolers to get re energized
and for those thinking about homeschooling to ask questions and get REAL
answers!
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Used Curriculum Flea Market
Sell some stuff, buy some stuff, ask lots of questions.
A limited number of tables and half tables are available by advanced reservation only.
Each seller is responsible for pricing and selling his/her own materials.
To reserve a space (free!) to sell at the used curriculum flea market please contact:
Karen Doane at 847-566-1694 or k.doane@sbcglobal.net
12:00 - 1:00 p.m., Eat, Meet and Greet
For those wishing to join us, bring a lunch and pull up a chair!
1:00 - 2:00 p.m., Open Forum Q&A

Ask questions and hear real answers about the different homeschooling styles, curriculum
choices, what has worked (and what hasn’t!), legal information, where to find resources,
and much more!

2:15 - 4:00 p.m., The Cure for the Math Curse with Kathy Wentz
Math, the subject most of us freak out about the fastest. How can we ensure our children LOVE
math and are good at it when we don’t like it ourselves? Learn how to break the mold of math
anxiety by breaking the bad teaching habits that create it, and learn new ways of approaching
math to replace the old fear-inducing habits. (Note: Because of its length, the workshop packet
for this is distributed as a .pdf file sent directly to your computer unless requested
otherwise.)
This event is FREE.
Children are, of course, invited to attend but we do not have room for child care and any
noise must be kept to a minimum.
To reserve a space (free!) to sell at the used curriculum flea market please contact
Karen Doane at k.doane@sbcglobal.net
If you have any questions about the event itself, please contact:
Kathy Wentz at kwentz8992@comcast.net
Homeschool Resource Center at the Johnsburg Public Library
3000 N Johnsburg Rd, Johnsburg, IL 60051
(located on Johnsburg/Wilmot Rd. - 2 blocks north of Chapel Hill Rd.)
815-344-0077
www.johnsburglibrary.org

It may not technically be summer yet. The public schools have one more week but the city is ramping up its free activities schedule for the sudden population explosion that will occur as a result. Far be it for homeschoolers to skip a fun free thing. We’re on a budget too!

Mosey on down:

Movies in the park has all of last years hits, plus a few classics…bring your own blanket and some snacks.

Pools. Chicago has over a hundred public pools, all of which have arcane schedules which don’t usually allow multi-aged siblings to swim and play together for whatever bizarre reason-until about 5pm,which in our arcane schedule book is dinnertime! Anyway, when it is hot we will sometimes suffer the crazy schedule.

June events are usually free too and can be browsed by date.

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI to us townies) is celebrating its 75th year and offering free days from June 17-22 with a whole lot of special activities inbetween. Check here for details.

A message from Lynn:

Here’s a great opportunity for kids to get outside and learn a new skill

Homeschool Outdoor Climbing Trip:

Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Devil’s Lake, WI
$75 per person - This introductory lesson will teach you the basics of outdoor rock climbing. Topics covered include: knot tying, belaying, terminology, equipment use and climbing techniques with a strong emphasis on safety. This popular course is a great way to experience outdoor climbing for the first time.

No previous climbing experience is required. Ages 10 and older - 10 person minimum

Vertical Endeavors is located in Warrenville and operates Homeschool Programs during the year - their phone number is 630 - 836 - 0122. Hope to see some of you there!!!!

Lynn Langton

New & Used Curriculum Sale - Plainfield IL

PLAINFIELD HOMESCHOOLERS HOST CURRICULUM SALE PLAINFIELD–

Plainfield Homeschool Group, a non-denominational
homeschool support group with over 80 member families in Plainfield
and surrounding areas, will hold its new and used homeschool
curriculum sale on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, from 9:00
am - 1:00 pm. The sale will take place at 16038 S. Legion Court,
Plainfield, in Lewood subdivision. Materials from many families
include new and used educational items from preschool through high
school. Homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers are welcome to attend.
In the event of rain, the sale will be held the following weekend, June
27 and 28. For more information, contact Plainfield Homeschool Group
at slw4@earthlink.net.

*** Kiddieland ***

**********************************

not just for kids

group rate discount available to homeschoolers/unschoolers

saving of $3.50 per adult and .50c per young child

Monday, June 9, 2008

$19.50 per person

all money should be sent to Pamela by Monday, June 2, 2008

include:

 your name, how many tickets, and an address of where to mail the tickets and a park map to

checks made payable to: 

  Pamela Hiser

mail to:  

Pamela Hiser

PO Box 564412

Chicago  IL  60656-9998

any questions, e-mail Pamela at hollyhobbiegal@yahoo.com

Grown homeschoolers  share what it is like to transition in to college at U of C. Apparently, they are well equipped to deal.