HSLDA Poetry contest

Info received from HSLDA:

HSLDA's PHOTO CONTEST

How better to celebrate National Poetry Month this April than by
giving your children a creative incentive to write a poem of their own!

HSLDA’s annual spring Poetry Contest offers all homeschooled students ages 7–19 a place to have fun practicing their poetic techniques in a creative response to one of three classic poems.

Open to HSLDA members and non-members alike and offering cash prizes upwards of $200, this contest promises to be a fun, educational experience for all!


HSLDA Contest

HSLDA--Celebrating 20 Years: Share Your Voice! Video Contest

Help us celebrate our 30th anniversary
and have some fun!

Throughout 2013 we will be holding several contests, each offering the chance to win some great prizes. You can enter as many of the contests as you like, and as a matter of fact, we hope you enter them all!

Contest #1: Share Your Voice! Video—Enter through February 28
Enter to win an HD GoPro® Hero3—World’s Most Versatile Camera.

Two ways to participate:

Submit a video

Step 1: Using your webcam or smartphone, film a 30-second response to the question “Why do you love homeschooling?”

Step 2: Upload it to YouTube.

Step 3: Fill out the contest entry form and paste in the link to your video.

Ready, Set, Vote!

Whether or not you submit a video, you can vote for your favorite videos every day until the contest ends (February 28 at 3 pm EST through March 14, 2013, at 2:59 am EST).

The top 16 finalists will be based on popular vote. From that group, a panel of HSLDA judges will select the Grand Prize Winner!

Get all the contest details here.

Free HSLDA membership wrapping up soon

Time is running out to apply for
your free trial membership.
There’s only a few days left to apply for your free three-month trial membership and see how we help protect your right to homeschool, and the rights of homeschooling families for generations to come. This offer expires March 31, 2011.

Every day, parents like you are contacted by school and government officials, simply because they homeschool their children. Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization that defends and advances your constitutional right to direct the education of your children. We give you the freedom to homeschool without the worry of facing legal threats alone.

Apply Now

Mother and child homeschooling


A Word From Our Members

Thank you HSLDA for giving me the peace of mind that I can still exercise my right to educate my own child. As primary educator of my children I feel like I should never have to give that up and I know you will be on my side if that is ever challenged.

— PL

*Offer good through March 31, 2011.

Illinois–Please Call Now to Oppose Compulsory School Age Increase

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,

A bill that would place young people under compulsory education for an
additional year is being heard in committee today in Springfield.
Compulsory age in Illinois ends at age 17 right now.  Rep. Jehan
Gordon’s HB 2985 would raise it to age 18.

The committee will probably vote on the bill within a few days.  They
need to hear from you that making an additional year of a young
person’s life subject to state mandate is not acceptable.

REQUESTED ACTION:

1. Please call your representative if he or she is a committee member
(see list below). Use our Legislative Toolbox at
http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to find out who your representative is.
Even representatives whom you think already oppose the bill need to
hear from you.

2. If your representative is not on the committee, call the
chairperson, the vice chairperson and the minority spokesman (see
below).

3. Your message can be as simple as:

“Please vote NO on HB 2985. Parents, not state officials, know whether
their 17-year-old young adult should pursue formal education or some
other preparation for life responsibilities. The additional cost of
forcing unwilling young adults into a formal school setting should not
be added to the current taxpayer burden.”

This bill would undermine the freedom of all parents.  It is not
necessary for you to identify yourself as a homeschooler.

More details and contact information on HSLDA’s website.

Potential changes to Illinois law

========================================
From the HSLDA E-lert Service…
======================================================================

Illinois:  Contact Senator Maloney to Stop Homeschool Registration

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

Senator Edward Maloney has filed a bill that would force all Illinois
homeschoolers to register. The bill, SB 136, gives the Department of
Education blanket authority to mandate what information families must
submit. SB 136 threatens to expand government power into the realm of
private education on an unprecedented scale.

ACTION REQUESTED

1. If you live in his district (Senate District 18, which includes
parts of Lyons, Palos, Worth, Chicago, and Orland Townships in Cook
County) contact Senator Maloney and ask him to withdraw his bill. You
can also use our legislative toolbox at http://hslda.org/toolbox/ to
find your Senate district. Personal visits and phone calls have the
most impact. Letters and emails are useful as well. Your firm but
courteous message can be as simple as:

“Please withdraw SB 136. Studies show that private education prepares
students for college better than public schools. There is no need for
government to expand into an area that is already so successful.
Existing mandates on private education are sufficient.”

Springfield Office:
Senator 18th District
119A Capitol Building
Springfield, IL   62706
(217) 782-5145
(217) 557-3930 FAX

District Office:
10400 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL  60643
(773) 881-4180
(773) 881-4243 FAX

Additional District Office:
6965 W. 111th Street
Worth, IL 60482
(708) 448-3518
(708) 448-3535 FAX

Home:
Edward D. Maloney
2808 West 11th Street
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 233-6638

2. After you contact him, call or email us to confirm so we can keep a
tally of how many people have contacted him.

3. Pass this message on to other homeschoolers in Senator Maloney’s
district.

BACKGROUND

Right now, Illinois homeschools are not required to register because
they are classified as “non-public” schools. Many other states
likewise do not require homeschoolers to register, including New
Jersey, Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, etc.

There is a common myth that Illinois homeschools are unregulated.
While Illinois homeschools don’t waste time processing bureaucratic
red tape, they must comply with significant substantive mandates,
including the requirement that they teach the branches of education
taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
schools, that they teach in the English language, and, if challenged,
meet the burden of showing that they have in good faith provided an
adequate course of instruction in the prescribed branches of learning.
This sensible combination of no red tape plus meaningful mandates has
protected freedom in Illinois and produced outstanding academic
results.

SB 136 would give the Illinois Department of Education literally
unlimited power to dictate what information homeschoolers must submit.
Since the Department is composed exclusively of staff who are
appointed or hired, rather than elected, they have little or no
incentive to respond to the voice of citizens. In other states, when
education departments have been given power to act against citizens’
wishes, they have sometimes brushed aside overwhelming opposition and
done as they pleased to homeschoolers.

SB 136 is the greatest threat to Illinois homeschoolers in more than a
decade. HSLDA and Illinois Christian Home Educators are united in
opposing the bill and are committed to protect your freedom. This
fight belongs to every Illinois homeschool family.

Thank you for standing with us for freedom!

Sincerely yours,

Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Senior Counsel

HSLDA sale

from HSLDA:

HSLDA: JOGO—Join for One Year, Get One Free!

Wondering if you can afford HSLDA membership? Here’s an offer you can’t afford to miss!

For two weeks only, new members can join for one year and receive a second year free. That’s two years of expert legal protection for your homeschool—along with all the other excellent benefits HSLDA offers—for less than you would pay for a just one hour of an attorney’s time anywhere else!

Click here to take advantage of this exceptional offer. But hurry—offer expires November 22!

Video contest

HSLDA holds numerous contests especially for homeschoolers. This one involves making your own video: (follow links for more details and to submit your own!)

HSLDA Video Contest

2010 Commercial Video Guidelines

Submission Dates: August 16, 2010 to November 15, 2010

Entries received before August 16 or postmarked after November 15 will not be accepted.

What

  1. Each entrant will submit a video commercial that illustrates the value of HSLDA membership to a family. Videos will be a minimum of 60 seconds and may not exceed 90 seconds.
  2. Up to two entries per person or team will be allowed.

Who

This contest is open to anyone.

Crew Guidelines

  1. Your project is to be completed by a team which may include, but is not limited to, a director, producer, writer, camera crew, actors, technical crew (lighting, etc.), and post-production crew. While there may be more than one person involved in the project, we ask that the individual taking the role of director fit into the specifications above. The director will send us the finished product, will take responsibility for the project, and will be the individual awarded at the end of the contest. A single cash prize (see prizes below) will be awarded to each winning entry regardless of the number of individuals who participated in the entry/project.
  2. Your work needs to be completely original.

Submission Format

  1. Please email your YouTube clip link to the following email address: contests@hslda.org. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number.
  2. We require that you also mail us a hard copy DVD in QuickTime format.

Fee

  1. $20 for HSLDA members
  2. $40 for non-HSLDA members

Final Checklist

  1. Entries must include a completed and signed entry form and permission form.
  2. Entries must include an entry fee (payable by check or money order only).
  3. Entries must include a YouTube link of the video along with a hard copy DVD in QuickTime format.

Mailing

HSLDA
Attn: Commercial Contest
One Patrick Henry Circle
Purcellville, VA 20132-3197

Judging

  • Video submissions will undergo two rounds of judging:
    • Round 1: By a panel of critics selected by HSLDA.
    • Round 2: The People’s Choice. The critics selected by HSLDA will make their top choices. Those choices will be put online, and made available for the people’s vote.
  • The HSLDA panel of critics will judge the videos on originality of thought, style, adherence the requirements, and production quality. The panel may be composed of both professional and amateur filmmakers.
  • Results of the contest will be released by the spring of 2011.

Prize Information

  • One “Critics’ Choice Award” in the amount of $1,000.
  • One “People’s Choice Award” in the amount of $1,000.

Other Information

By submitting a video you:

  • Grant Home School Legal Defense Association the right to publish all or part of your submission, (see permission form for more information.)
  • Agree to all rules and the decisions of the judges and sponsors.
  • Agree to not use copyrighted music or other media without explicit permission by the owner.
  • Do not hold Home School Legal Defense Association responsible for any lost, damaged, misdirected, delayed, mutilated, incomplete, illegible, or postage-due entries or mail.
  • Realize that all profits from this contest will go to the Home School Foundation’s Special Needs Children Fund.

Please contact Contest Coordinator at contests@hslda.org with any questions.

A word on taxes

If you have yet to file your taxes, you might find this tidbit helpful from the HSLDA:

From the HSLDA E-lert Service…
==============================

Illinois–Tax Credit for Homeschools

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

If you homeschool in Illinois, you may be eligible for a state tax
credit of up to $500 for homeschool education expenses.

Naturally, there are rules that must be followed.  But a very quick
summary is that you may be eligible for a tax credit of 25% of what
you spent above and beyond the first $250 for certain types of
homeschool expenses.

Check out http://www.revenue.state.il.us/Publications/Pubs/PUB-119.pdf
for an explanation.

Keep in mind that a tax credit isn’t a government aid program.  A tax
credit simply allows you to keep more of your own money. “Voucher”
programs often come with many strings attached, or soon produce
strings. But tax credits are different.  They do not create an
opportunity for the government to control your homeschool program.
Homeschoolers can confidently and safely use the tax credit to help
their family finances.

Governments tend to abolish programs that people do not take advantage
of.  By claiming a homeschool education tax credit as allowed under
the rules, you send a message to lawmakers that this helpful program
should continue.

Since the average homeschool family spends roughly $500 per student per year, you can likely take advantage of this information. More record keeping, I know, but this one might have some financial benefit!

HSLDA membership deal

Join today & get Drive Thru History for free!

Dear homeschooling friend,

For a limited time, when you join HSLDA, you will receive a free DVD set of Drive Thru History—America! Join for two years and double your family’s learning fun: you’ll receive Drive Thru History—Greece and Rome along with the America set!

In addition to acquiring free history DVDs, you’ll find that your HSLDA membership is brimming with other benefits for your family. Along with our legal services, HSLDA membership provides you with staff who can assist with your special homeschooling questions, such as homeschooling a struggling learner, a high schooler, a preschooler, or elementary and middle school students. Membership also provides access to making purchases in the HSLDA Curriculum Market and many discounts through our PerX Program. Read more about these benefits here.

To receive your free Drive Thru History DVD(s), you must use this link to submit your HSLDA membership application by midnight, March 31, 2010.

NOTE: This offer is only available to new members joining online through the link provided in this email. This offer is not available to existing members or to new members using the monthly payment plan or mailing in paper applications. It expires at midnight on March 31, 2010.

There is also a similar deal for renewing members. Check out all the details at HLSDA.org

The Home School Foundation Art Auction

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has a companion organization that comes along side homeschool families during crises and times of unusual financial need. These families might be faced with that unfathomable decision: to provide for the basic needs of their family members, or to continue homeschooling. The Home School Foundation seeks to help families to meet their financial needs and still continue homeschooling.

Right now, HSLDA is using art work from last year’s art contest as a fundraiser for the Home School Foundation. The young artists have donated their work for an auction with the proceeds going to benefit home school families in need.

Never Let Me Go

The following came via email from HSLDA:

Contributions to the Homeschool Foundation for the artwork are tax deductible and will go to support the  Special Needs fund.

The auctions end on December 31st, 2009 at 5pm EST.

To view the art and participate, visit:

http://hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=7384

If you have any questions, please contact us at: contests@hslda.org

I would encourage you to take some time to view the pieces available for auction, you just might find one that would look great on your living room or home school room wall, and in the process help a home school family in need.