Special Note

Welcome New Families
GSHE is thrilled to welcome hundreds of new families this summer; our primary Facebook support group, Granite State Home Educators, now has nearly 3,700 members from across the state! 

Many are considering or new to homeschooling after a difficult experience with this spring's remote learning or dissatisfaction with their local school's reopening plans. No matter what brings you to homeschooling, know you are welcome here for as long as it fits your family's needs. We have a great community that is very active, friendly, and happy to help each other have successful homeschool experiences. It's a great place to connect with other homeschoolers, ask for suggestions, and find out about educational and social opportunities and resources.

GSHE has created resources specifically for families who are new to homeschooling, including several videos and an article that addresses common concerns re curricula if you are anticipating a return to public school.

We also launched a new Facebook group specifically to help homeschoolers find like-minded families and education professionals to form homeschool "pods" and microschools; it is called GSHE Homeschool Pod Connections. If you're unfamiliar with this variation of group homeschooling, read our What's Old is New Again article and watch two interviews we had with NH DOE Commissioner Edelblut.

We continue to offer information, support, and resources for families dealing with remote learning; find us at GSHE Unexpectedly Homeschool Facebook group.

We also have a support group for families who have children with special education needs, regardless of which educational option they utilize. Join us at Families Helping Families to find resources, tips, and support for your family there.

Plug in where it fits your family's needs. GSHE has a ton of information and resources to help you work through these tough decisions and support your home education journey.
 

News and Articles

HEAC Update

A brief update on the goings on of the Home Education Advisory Council:

The Annual report was presented to the Board of Education via Zoom on July 9th and was approved. Rules were approved by the Board of Education on August 13. To the best of my knowledge, JLCAR is the next step in the process. The Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules is made up of Senators and House Representatives. There will be opportunity for public discussion later on in the process. A detailed outline of the process is forthcoming. More info on JLCAR is available here.

Read the entire update here.

Free to Customize Learning

Homeschoolers have complete autonomy to create a customized learning plan for their children. They do not have any obligation to follow the local public school’s calendar, schedule, standards, scope/sequence, attendance requirements, or any other aspects of the public education model.

That said, some families may be planning to re-enter public school at some point, perhaps when the Covid protocols change and remote learning ends. These families might be interested in referencing the state standards to use as a guideline for their children’s learning. 

Read more here.

Sophia's Story: Thriving in Home Education

Children are unique individuals and education is not one-size-fits-all. This is one reason why many families turn to home education, to provide a customized learning opportunity for their children. It may be even more applicable to children who are bullied, or have medical concerns or learning differences. Public schools are not always effective at handling bullying situations. They also must work with families if they want to pursue testing, but even services through the district are not always a good "fit" or meet a child's needs.

We respectfully share Sophia's story about her experience in her local public school and transition to home education. This is written by her mom and shared with permission. Identifying information was removed to preserve their privacy. We hope this is encouraging to others who may be struggling to support their children in their local schools and considering home education.

Read Sophia's story here.

Curriculum Tips -- Make It Work For You

"Make the curriculum work for you!" I say this a LOT! Here is an example from our homeschool:

My 13b struggles to write, especially when he is forced to. It's a very negative experience, causes anxiety and frustration for him. He has a mild form of dysgraphia.

He was assigned an essay on "Optimism" and our curriculum walks him through the steps. He was unhappy immediately, and even after we sat together and brainstormed ideas, he was still quite upset. I set him up on the computer and looked up ideas with him.

Read more about Amanda's tips here.

Hot Topic -- Advice from Experienced Homeschoolers
We will occasionally share content of hot topics discussed in our GSHE Facebook group (while preserving people's privacy). This time we initiated the conversation -- Experienced homeschoolers, you've done this before. You have gone through the ups and downs of homeschooling while still being mom/dad/grandparents. What is your one best bit of advice to new homeschoolers? You can read their recommendations here.

Making Home Education Affordable

Homeschoolers tend to be a thrifty bunch, always trying to stretch a dollar to bring great educational resources to their children’s learning. The pandemic has brought even more challenges to families' financial responsibilities. That's why GSHE has compiled many resources to help make home education more affordable. Take a look through this page to find information about the education tax credit scholarship that is available to low-income families, many free online resources including entire curricula, and teacher discounts that are available to home educators.

GSHE How-To Videos

The GSHE leadership team has been working hard to expand the resources avaiable on our website, and as part of that effort, we've created several new videos! You can find all of them on our website on the Videos page as well as our YouTube channel. We are continuing to create more video content to support your home education program - let us know if there's a topic you'd like us to cover!

• Intro to Homeschooling Series playlist
• Remote Learning vs Homeschooling
• Deschooling
• Special Education
• Special Education: Top 3 Picks
• Scheduling Tips
• Portfolios
• AMA re Homeschooling Live Event 8/4/2020
• Intro to Homeschooling Online Event 8/17/2020

Finding Education Professionals

Whether you are looking for a music teacher, a math tutor, or a certified teacher for a year-end assessment, GSHE has a compiled list of educational professionals that offer various services to NH's homeschool community. The list is not an endorsement or recommendation; It is up to each family to make their own arrangements, verify credentials, and enter into an agreement of their choosing. GSHE is not responsible.

Homeschool to College: Transcript Insight from Admission Officers
GSHE is co-hosting a virtual guidance counseling event with the NHHEAF Network (NH Higher Education Assistance Foundation) on Monday, September 14 starting at 6:30pm. *Advanced registration is required. You will be given a unique login link.* We will have college admission officers on a panel to discuss what they want to see on a homeschool applicant's transcript and how it should be presented. We have representatives from public, private, and highly-competitive private universities. This discussion is perfect for all families with high-school homeschoolers! It's not too early to think about how to prepare a transcript and plan ahead. The event will be recorded and posted to our website and social media later, but then you miss the opportunity to ask questions -- so don't miss out! We hope you can join us!

ArtistsNetwork -- Live "draw with us" programs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3:00pm EST.

FarmCamp -- Homeschool enrichment classes in Chester run by a homeschooling family! Activities include preschool science, playtime with goats, slime science, nature hikes and more!

Foster + Partners -- Architectural templates your children can print out, color and fold to create paper cities. 

Homeschool Bowling League -- Join Lori as she hosts the sixth annual homeschool bowling league! Running all year on Fridays and is at Lakeside Lanes.

Homeschool Soccer League -- Pass, shoot, score! This soccer program is a progressive program, with multiple age-specific levels. Players are taught basic game skills such as passing, receiving, shooting, footwork and dribbling. Runs through October 16th in Hooksett.

International Observe the Moon Night -- Join the US Space & Rocket Center and NASA for an online Facebook event on September 26th starting at 7:30pm (6:30pm CDT). It will include a live planetarium show with interviews with planetary scientists

The Museum of Science, Boston -- They are hosting several virtual presentations and events! Check out their FB page for a full list. 

New England Curiosities -- Join them for a virtual tour of Salem, MA on September 28th starting at 7:00pm.

New England Aquarium -- They are hosting several virtual events each week! 

ParentingNH -- Check out this list of family-friendly hiking spots across the Granite State. Such a great way to explore the beauty of our state.

Pizza Hut Book Club -- Enrollment for the 20202-2021 is open now! For students kindergarten through 6th grade (ages 5 to 12 years old) as of September 1, 2020. One order per household.

Seminary Ridge Museum -- Free online learning opportunities for middle and high school levels.

Tales2Go -- Free 30-day trial for instant access to over 10,000 audio book titles.

The White Memorial Conservation Center -- They are hosting a virtual event featuring Hand Wing Bat Conservation and Education with Maureen Heidtmann on September 26 at 10am. 



Check our article here for even more online learning resources. If you're on our Facebook group, look on the Events page for even more fun and educational opportunities coming up!