Homeschool Your Kids - Forbes

Homeschool Your Kids - Forbes:

The swelling legions of homeschoolers poke a subtle rebuke at America’s ever expanding nanny state. Under both parties, Washington has systematically invaded private spheres and co-opted public services historically performed by local bodies. But a spontaneous groundswell of freedom minded folks has continued America’s rich inheritance of rugged individualism.

The God-fearing, flag-waiving, gun-toting homeschool crowd embodies the American spirit of mutual self-reliance. You won’t encounter a more neighborly bunch. Their children thrive without government “help.” Their support networks blossom sans the state’s sanction. Meanwhile, taxpayers waste a fortune securing abysmal academic results. In 2012, SAT scores fell to their lowest level since tracking began. As spending soars, assessment scores plummet.

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The modern homeschool movement comes largely by Christians aghast over an academic establishment overrun by progressives. Schools long ago became laboratories for instilling statism and distilling politically correct groupthink. Values clarification anyone? With public education increasingly geared toward multicultural agitation against America’s godly heritage, many parents resolved to safeguard the hearts, souls and minds of their young.

At least 1.5 million students receive home-based academic instruction. The ranks of homeschoolers are rising rapidly across every social strata, faith and ethnicity. While many families lack sufficient means for someone to stay home, it’s not generally those affluent enough to afford exclusive parochial education. The highest homeschool participation appears in households with incomes ranging from$25,000 to $75,000. The homeschool community reflects a cross-section of Americans; the children of truck drivers and lawyers, whites and blacks, rich and poor, Christians and unbelievers.

What is civilization save passing to posterity the accumulated prosperity, cultural achievements, customs and mores of our forbearers? In the American context this includes self-reliance. Parents are the primary medium for rearing children. Should liberty endure, America must restore her multi-generational perspective, lately befuddled by Leviathan permeating life.

We have two principle tutors, lessons learned via individual experience and the wisdom amassed by our ancestors. Progressives have purposely uprooted America’s multi-generational perspective for many decades. Woodrow Wilson, who prior to the White House presided over Princeton, wrote, “The use of a university is to make young gentlemen as unlike their fathers as possible.”

'via Blog this'

How You Can Help the Ecclesia College Blogs Grow in Outreach

"Please help a small blog trying to grow up and become global."

We are enjoying a good start in blogging. These three blogs, linked together, have about 3,600 page-views, after five weeks. People from 11 countries are reading the posts. You can see them near the bottom of the page on the Feedjit map.

This is the main blog in this group - Ecclesia College in Springdale, Arkansas.

This blog is designed to emphasize the arts at Ecclesia College.

This blog emphasizes features about sports at Ecclesia College in Northwest Arkansas.

America is losing the concept of literacy,
when tutoring is spelled this way on a sign.

When you click on any particular blog post, you are helping to increase its visibility on the Internet.

Regular readers mean that the search engine results will be high for any given topic associated with Ecclesia College:

• The Christian faith, 
• The Scriptures
• Location in Northwest Arkansas, 
• Twila Paris, 
• Dave Barton, 
• Low graduation debt, 
• Homeschooling, 
• Scripture, and 
• College sports.

If someone wants to attend college where people understand and support homeschooling, a search will lead to Ecclesia College.

President Oren Paris is quick to say, "Homeschooled students are among our best."

The blogs are designed to lead people to the Ecclesia College website.

Below each post is a row of buttons for sharing across the Internet. If you wish to use them, you can email the post, Facebook share it, Google Plus share it, Tweet it, and Blog This! it.

One example is below.

+1   Recommend this on Google

You can also copy the URL (link) to your Facebook page. We all have from 50 to 1500 friends on Facebook. Some of them overlap, but many do not. And they have friends, too. It does not take long for Facebook sharing to increase regular readership.

Computers are sometimes misunderstood.

If you have a blog or website, please consider linking the  Ecclesia College blogs on your site. Linking the Ecclesia College website also helps.

Broadcast is a term first used for sowing seed. We began using it for radio and TV, but now it is returning as a way to spread the Word of God across the world, following the Parable of the Sower and the Seed (Matthew 13 and Mark 4).

Isaiah 55 is clear. God's Word is never broadcast in vain. The Word always accomplishes His divine purpose. The Holy Spirit always accomplishes His purpose and always prospers His work through the Word.

The Great Commission by Norma Boeckler

Homeschooling Was Our Choice, 30 Years Ago - Ecclesia College in Northwest Arkansas Supports Homeschoolers

Martin and I were looking at my Greek New Testament in the pastoral study.
Later I tutored him in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

I grew up among teachers in the Illinois public school system. I was often surrounded by my mother's colleagues and attended many PTA meetings, where I majored in dessert. My wife Chris was trained and certified as a teacher. My sister, aunt, and many friends became teachers.

I read to him every night, so we still laugh over our favorite passages,
such as Merlin causing bricks and mortar to fall for several weeks -
Mark Twain, Connecticut Yankee.

We had mixed experiences with our son at various schools. Some public school teachers were excellent. Some parochial teachers were among our favorites. One public school teacher said he gave information about illegal drugs if his students asked - he did not want to be judgmental! Two

parochial school teachers were unfit to teach anyone. We gave up on most public and private schools, 30 years ago.

We decided to homeschool, long before most people accepted  that departure from the norm.

Many asked, "How can you do that?" I said, "My wife is certified to teach in this state, and I have a PhD. I think we can manage."

Some questioned its value. I asked them, "How are the children of rich and powerful people taught?" They had to admit than many were tutored at home. I added, because a nearby teacher was dealing drugs at school, "We do not sell drugs to children."

The hostility and the doubts were ongoing. "Does the school system know?" I said, "We met with the school's supervisor and gave him a complete lesson plan." In fact, a teacher in that system gave us a complete plan to use. When I handed the enormous notebook to the supervisor, his mouth closed shut.

My wife worked at home, except for a little part-time teaching. I had an office at home and at church, so I was available.

Our system quickly moved to a seven-day program, because Martin asked for no vacations. I remember tutoring him in Latin on our trip to Washington DC.

That year we:

1. Began Latin and translated the entire Gospel of John from Latin to English. No words were written above the Vulgate text and a translation was used only in emergencies to help with a phrase.

2. Read the classics of literature, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. On the DC trip we were downstairs at a Yale professor's home; we heard Martin chuckling upstairs over his reading in the Odyssey.

3. Started algebra using the Saxon books.

Martin was accepted at a residential Lutheran prep school, and he wanted to attended. I really hated to give up the time we had together. He began there early by tutoring the football team in Latin, a required course at the school. Later, after I took him through the Fourth Gospel in Greek, he tutored the college students, because they were failing Greek. One of those students recommended him for a job as a specialist in the Unix operating system.

Homeschooling creates a closeness between parents and children that cannot be matched. The teaching can be adjusted to the child's needs and abilities. Best of all, life is a seamless experience of learning. 

We attend business meetings together and share many of the same hobbies.

Ecclesia College, Springdale, Arksansas, Supports Homeschoolers
My wife and I were pleased to learn that Ecclesia College, in Northwest Arkansas, actively supports homeschoolers. That was almost entirely missing in the 1980s.

Ecclesia Prep has programs for homeschooling parents. President Oren Paris III says, "Many of our best college students come from homeschooling."

Ecclesia Prep - Enrich

Ecclesia Prep offers academic, social, artistic and spiritual enrichment opportunities for Christian homeschool students at every level. Our growing schedule of classes ranges from Choir, Art and Theater, to History, Science, English and much more.


Ecclesia Prep - Engage

Ecclesia Prep offers a Christ-centered environment where homeschoolers can connect with other families whose life and educational values are similar to theirs. This is a place where lifelong, positive friendships can be formed.


Ecclesia Prep - Enjoy

Sing in a choir, take an art class, join a casual game of touch football after class, or just enjoy being with friends. Ecclesia Prep has become a high point in the weekly schedule for many homeschooling students and families.

Read about the Ecclesia Prep Faculty here.

A Note From Twila Paris

Dear Homeschool Student,

I know you must be deeply grateful to your parents for their commitment to providing a Christ-centered education for you.  I believe it will positively affect your ability to find and fulfill God’s calling on your life.  My husband and I have also chosen to homeschool our son.

Soon you will be entering a new phase of your education, and you have a big decision to make—where to attend college.  As you weigh your many options, I invite you to consider Ecclesia College.

Ecclesia is a work learning college, which, along with financial aid and deep scholarships, enables the institution to offer private, Christ-centered higher education for the same (or lower) out-of-pocket costs as a secular state school.  Along with high academic standards, they also place a heavy emphasis on discipleship, Christian mentoring, and a Biblical foundation for learning. As you may know, the word  “Ecclesia” is Greek for “called out ones”.       

Because Ecclesia is a small and friendly school, determined to prepare students to stand firm in their faith and truly be salt and light in their chosen fields of vocation, it has proven to be an ideal choice for a growing number of homeschoolers.

Wherever God leads you, I pray for and expect great things as you continue to grow in following Him.

Blessings,
Twila

Twila Paris serves as a member of the Ecclesia College Board of Regents, along with David Barton, Eric Metaxas, and other Christian leaders.

Ecclesia College Supports Homeschooling. Homeschooling Links for Arkansas

Ecclesia College is located in the northwest corner
of Arkansas, about two hours from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Northwest Arkansas is home to the headquarters of
Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J. B. Hunt.

Homeschoolers

Ecclesia College has a special heart for Christian homeschoolers.  A significant number of our faculty and staff homeschool their children, including College President, Oren Paris III.  Since 2008, we have hosted Ecclesia Prep, which offers elective classes and activities to supplement the curriculum of homeschool families in the Northwest Arkansas area.

Here at Ecclesia we believe that all truth is God’s truth and Biblically consistent, including theology, the arts, sciences, etc., and should, therefore, be mutually integrated with the principle approach to education from the Biblical perspective.  You may click here to view the entire Educational Philosophy.

Scholarships 

The vast majority of Christian homeschool families have made the intentional choice to live on a single income in order to focus on God's imperative to "train up a child..."  Because of this the scholarship and work learning opportunities at Ecclesia College can be of particular benefit to homeschoolers.

Ecclesia College has abandoned "old school" limitations.  While higher education prices sky-rocket all over the nation, this unique institution is committed to make a high-quality, Christ-centered education possible to all qualifying students.

Ecclesia consistently offers scholarships (some partial, some full) to 100% of its student body while maintaining rigorous academic and work learning programs.

To learn more about SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES in your sport or other area of interest, click on the contact information provided below.

Performing Arts Scholarships

Music/Choir Contact: Donna Brown
Theater Contact: Mike Novak

Ecclesia Royals Athletic Scholarships 

Men's Basketball Contact: Coach Burnett
Women's Basketball Contact: Assistant Coach Snowden
Men's Soccer Contact: Coach Keith Luecht
Women's Soccer Contact: Coach Dean Skinner
Baseball Contact: Assistant Coach Knight
Softball Contact: Assistant Coach Suarez
Shooting Sports Team Contact: J.W. Wadkins or call 479.790.2981

If you're not sure you want to try out for anything, but definitely want to visit the College, call the Admissions Office now! 479.248.7236

or Email us!

Click here to learn more about our campus.

Click here for written directions.

A Note From Twila Paris

Dear Homeschool Student,

I know you must be deeply grateful to your parents for their commitment to providing a Christ-centered education for you.  I believe it will positively affect your ability to find and fulfill God’s calling on your life.  My husband and I have also chosen to homeschool our son.

Soon you will be entering a new phase of your education, and you have a big decision to make—where to attend college.  As you weigh your many options, I invite you to consider Ecclesia College.

Ecclesia is a work learning college, which, along with financial aid and deep scholarships, enables the institution to offer private, Christ-centered higher education for the same (or lower) out-of-pocket costs as a secular state school.  Along with high academic standards, they also place a heavy emphasis on discipleship, Christian mentoring, and a Biblical foundation for learning. As you may know, the word  “Ecclesia” is Greek for “called out ones”.  

Because Ecclesia is a small and friendly school, determined to prepare students to stand firm in their faith and truly be salt and light in their chosen fields of vocation, it has proven to be an ideal choice for a growing number of homeschoolers.

Wherever God leads you, I pray for and expect great things as you continue to grow in following Him.

Blessings,
Twila

Twila Paris serves as a member of the Ecclesia College Board of Regents, along withDavid Barton, Eric Metaxas, and other Christian leaders.

Click here to learn how you can earn college credit while finishing high school!

Congratulations to Northwest Arkansas homeschooler, Kale McClarty who won first place in the first round of the Rotary 4 Way Test Speech Contest!

Kale presented his poignant speech titled “True Love“ before approximately 150 Northwest Arkansas professional and community leaders, and made an impression as a thoughtful young Christian, convinced by faith that Jesus demonstrated the ultimate proof of love and service when he laid down His life for us. Beautifully executed, and with the backdrop of the Rotary Club’s purpose—providing loving service to local communities—Kale’s talk was well-received.

Jennifer Hutchins, who teaches English at Ecclesia College and Ecclesia Prep, coached Kale and celebrated his victory along with his fellow Prep students. (Ecclesia Prep is a service of Ecclesia College, offering classes and activities to area homeschoolers.) Pictured above are Jennifer Hutchins, Kale McClarty and Oren Paris III, President of Ecclesia College. Kale will be competing in the next level of the competition on February 27th at the University of Arkansas.

Special recognition goes to 2nd place winner, Payton Hanby and 3rd place winner, Abby Rice. Springdale professional leaders involved in the facilitation of the Rotary 4 Way Test Speech Contest include Rotary President, Rolf Wilkin, Contest Co-chairs, Oren Paris III and Julie Olsen, HarBer speech coach, Ta-Neisha Marshall, and SHS sponsor, Cliff Langford.

Arkansas Homeschooling Links

Education Alliance

Time 4 Learning

Homeschooling Legal Defense Arkansas

Homeschooling in Arkansas

Central Arkansas Homeschoolers

PS - Send a link as a comment to add your Arkansas homeschooling links to this initial list.