Lexington homeschool grad returns with "Seussical"

Mychal Phillips, the daughter of Mike and Debbie Phillips of Lexington, is a 2005 homeschool graduate. She is taking time off from her studies at New York University to tour with a production of the musical "Seussical", which will be presented in her hometown next Tuesday. The full story appears in the Lexington Dispatch.

SPORTS: Forsyth takes state soccer title

Forsyth Home Educators scored its third consecutive title in the NCHE State Homeschool Soccer Tournament last Saturday, defeating teams from Fayetteville and Asheville in the semi-finals in Wake Forest. FHE will compete in the National Christian School Athletic Association Tournament in Erie, Pennsylvania, later this month; they came in second place there last year.

(Winston-Salem Journal, 10/22/08)

Perdue supports homeschooling?

The Greenville Daily Reflector reported Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue gave an ambiguous answer during a campaign stop in Greenville:

Beth Sanchez, an Obama supporter and Greenville resident, was there to ask Perdue about her views on home schooling. Her two sons, 9-year-old Wesley and 6-year-old Greyson, were at her side to hear the answer.

“She's in support of all types of education,” Sanchez said, visibly pleased, after consulting Perdue on her way out.

NCEA v-p sets homeschooling against needy public schools

In a letter to the Winston-Salem Journal, Rodney Ellis, vice president of the N.C. Association of Educators, criticized the paper's endorsement of Patrick McCrory for governor.

Ellis said that "McCrory supports a transfer of $877 million from our neediest public schools to private prep schools and home schools", even though this figure has already been checked and labeled "misleading" by the Raleigh News & Observer.

N.C. Homeschool News 10/19/08

Parents Tried Public School, Found It Wanting, Chose Home Education

The New Bern Sun-Journal spoke with several parents whose children had been in the public school system, sometimes at several different schools, and finally concluded homeschooling was the better alternative.

Victoria Baldwin of New Bern made a 98 several months ago on a test about the Boston Tea Party. But when Victoria, a Craven County middle school student, took the paper home, she couldn't tell her father Gerald anything about the tea party.

"She said she thought it was about the president's wife having a party," Gerald Baldwin said. "I found out all their tests were open book. They weren't learning anything."

When Baldwin went to talk to school administrators about the tests, he said they didn't see a problem because his daughter was making A's.

"She has A's, but I'm not hearing A's," he said.

"They're preparing children for an end-of-grade test, not life. I feel like my tax dollars have been paying for an education for the world, and they didn't get it."

Gerald and Chenona Baldwin have decided to home school their daughters
this year.

...

Homeschooled competitor interviewed at the Coastal Carolina Agricultural Fair

The Havelock News featured an interview with 14-year-old Hannah Davis, a long time 4-H member and returning champion in the livestock arena:

A short distance from the Ferris wheel, 14-year-old Hannah Davis and others were preparing for the livestock exhibits, which begin receiving animals Wednesday.

Davis, who lives in the Straits community of eastern Carteret County, was joined by Jasper, a 2-week-old Angus-mix calf, who rested in a stall.

Davis is a member of the Otway Livestock Club and Newport Roadrunners 4-H. She was tending to Jasper for Kim and Russ Nead. A home-schooled ninth-grader, Davis has been a fair livestock competitor for three years, winning best in show for her chickens last fall. She also shows goats.

She has been in 4-H for nine years, but after she got involved in raising livestock three years ago, she developed a serious interest and now plans to attend N.C. State University and become a livestock veterinarian.

Graham homeschoolers interviewed at Sarah Palin appearance

"What a good field trip," their mother told the Salisbury Post:

"I try to instill in my girls that women can do anything," said Dawn Williams, a Graham mother who home-schools her three children, Caitlin, Emily and Gabe. In the hours before Palin arrived, they waited in the shade along the outfield's warning track in left field. ...

The family members said they were definitely McCain-Palin supporters and would not be attending had it been a rally for the Democratic ticket of Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Caitlin, 13, said Palin would stop illegal immigration, and Emily, 11, said Palin would try to lower taxes.

N.C. Homeschool News 10/12/08

Charlotte's Belmont Abbey College welcomes homeschoolers


Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte is enthusiastic about homeschool graduates:

We recognize the extraordinary talents and achievements that home-educated students bring to our campus. We know for example that home-educated students are excelling academically, outperforming their public school peers by 30 - 37 percentile points across all subjects. We also know that home-educated students are involved in an average of 5.2 activities outside the class. We have a great number of success stories from our home-school students ... We look forward to enrolling more ...

It probably doesn't hurt that college president Dr. William Thierfelder is a homeschooling father of ten.



Thirteen-year-old homeschooler is youngest member of Asheville jazz ensemble

Will Newman, a 13-year-old homeschooler, plays keyboard, violin, and guitar for a young Asheville band, Jazz the Ripper. "Marv D" at The Urban Music Scene gives a great review to the group, saying the five musicians, ages 17 to 13, "are beginning to make their mark on the jazz scene, and in a serious way":

For a group of young men still in high school, the rawness and freshness they bring to their own compositions is to be commended. ... [W]hatever they do, the musical possibilities are endless for them. Somehow all this talent must reach the masses.

N.C. Homeschool News 10/05/08

Perdue ad opposing McCrory on vouchers leads N&O fact check

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's ad, "Difference on vouchers" is the first on the list reviewed by the Raleigh News & Observer. She claims McCrory "supports taking 900 million taxpayer dollars away from public schools to pay for kids in private schools." The N&O points out this assumes a much broader program than McCrory supports, including vouchers for homeschoolers, and would exceed voucher programs found in any other state.

N.C. family combines homeschooling and gospel singing

Jeff and Susan Whisnant of Morganton are part of the Southern gospel quartet, "The Whisnants". Their family goes on the road with them as they sing for church events all over and recently, at the annual National Quartet Convention in Louisville, KY. Jeannie McPail, herself a gospel singer, profiles the family in a feature for the Morganton News Herald.

2008 homeschool graduate leads Greensboro College golf team

The Winston-Salem Journal reports:

Freshman Ben Nihart (Forsyth Home Educators '08) led host Greensboro to a sixth-place finish this week in the Greensboro College Invitational golf tournament at Bryan Park.

Nihart, the 2007 Forsyth Junior champion, shot 73-72 to finish at 1-over-par 145 and tied for sixth overall.