SPORTS: Wake Forest Basketball Teams Honored

The Lighthouse Eagles basketball program in Wake Forest celebrated its season at their annual awards banquet last Friday night. The full write-up with team pictures is on the Learning Together blog.

Like the Surry Runnin' Patriots, the varsity teams will be competing at Liberty University later this month.

SPORTS: NCHE Champions Travel to Tennessee

The Surry Runnin' Patriots girls basketball team, fresh from their NCHE title win, traveled to Knoxville to compete against two Volunteer State teams last weekend.

Surry beat Nashville Home School 50-35 before a one-point loss in double overtime against Knoxville Home School, 65-64.

The team will next go to the east coast homeschool tournament at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

The complete write up appears in the Mt. Airy News.

SPORTS: Surry Places Six on NCHE All-Conference Teams

From the Mt. Airy News:

The Surry Runnin’ Patriots are cashing in on the payoff of a couple of stellar seasons.

Surry placed a total of six players on the North Carolina Home Educators [sic] all-conference team.

The girls team saw four players make the cut: Becca Tomkins, Sally Ann Edwards, Molly Hamilton and Hannah Tomkins. Becca Tomkins, Edwards and Hamilton are co-captains.

“They each bring something to the table,” Surry girls coach Glenn Edwards said.

The boys’ Luke Hamilton and Daniel Sheaffer were also voted to the
all-conference team for their performances in leading Surry during the season.
Surry boys coach Lin Hamilton was pleased the other coaches noticed what he had seen all year long from his star players.

“I was glad because it was chosen by the other coaches in the league,” he said. “It makes it that much better.” ...

SPORTS: Surry Scores "Lopsided" Wins Over Davidson, Oak Level

From the Mt. Airy News:

The Surry Runnin’ Patriot girls picked up a lopsided win Thursday, defeating Davidson Home School 76-23, in a tune-up game for the Runnin’ Pats
upcoming conference tournament.

The outcome of Thursday’s contest was never in doubt, with Surry jumping out to a 14-7 first quarter lead, then outscoring Davidson 18-2 in the second quarter. ...

The Surry Runnin’ Patriots boys basketball team lived up to its moniker by outgunning Oak Level, 75-45, Thursday night.

The key to the offense, coach Lin Hamilton said, was beating Oak Level down the floor.“We did a much better job getting on the break,” Hamilton said. “We got open looks, my team passed the ball to the open man and we had 20 assists.” ...

SPORTS: Forsyth Over Cabarrus-Rowan

From The Salisbury Post:

The Cabarrus-Rowan Stallions varsity boys basketball team lost to Forsyth Home Education 80-60. K.P. Hicks (19), Christian Hicks (17) and Caleb Dietz (10) scored in double digits for the Stallions.

SPORTS: Private school star to be homeschooled

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Allen Ebert, a senior forward for Veritas Christian Academy's basketball squad, will be homeschooled next semester. Ebert, a 6'7" guard, has averaged ten points and four rebounds per game, according to the C-T.

SPORTS: Lighthouse falls to Cary Christian

Lighthouse Homeschool boys' basketball (Wake Forest) was defeated by Cary Christian this week, as briefly reported in the Southwest Wake news blog (Raleigh News & Observer) -- final score 84-43.

SPORTS: Cabarrus-Rowan scores against private schools

The Salisbury Post reports that the Cabarrus-Rowan Homeschool Stallions scored three decisive basketball wins this week. The varsity boys team defeated Grace Academy 86-76; varsity girls beat Grace girls 35-23; and the middle school boys won against St. Ann's Catholic 40-16.

See the article for stats on individual players.

Gardner-Webb recruits homeschooled athletes

The Charlotte Observer reports:

Benji Jackson, a home-schooled student who played outfield for the Cabarrus-Rowan Stallions last spring, signed with Gardner-Webb.

GWU also attracted Kimberly McKenney of Flint, Michigan, for the women's basketball program. Kimberly was MVP of the Michigan Homeschool State Championship, according to GWU's press release, and is a "very talented" player for "one of the top AAU teams in the country", Faith High.

Surry wins regional preseason competition

From the Mt. Airy News:

GREENSBORO — The Surry Runnin’ Patriots got 10 points from a trio of players in a 50-27 victory against Wake Forrest in the championship game of the North Carolinians for Home Education Athletic Conference’s East Coast Tip-Off Classic played at Greensboro College Saturday night. ...

The championship win by the Runnin’ Patriots marks the third straight year the team has captured the preseason tournament title.

The tournament included teams from as far away as Charleston, S.C., and Atlanta.

N.C. Homeschool News 9/21/08

Perdue ties McCrory to homeschool vouchers; McCrory denies

At a debate on education Friday, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue attempted to define Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory's support for vouchers as a program intended for homeschoolers (among others).

In a question about private school vouchers, McCrory said he supports their selected use, especially for children with disabilities or special needs where private education may be more suitable. Perdue has said his plan would cost $900 million, which he denies.

"I believe in changing the status quo of our educational system," McCrory said. "But I've never recommended an across-the-board voucher system because the state's broke and couldn't afford it anyway."

Perdue responded by reading quotes and responses to voter questionnaires saying he supports vouchers for private and home school children and suggested he's more ardent about talking with them to conservative groups.

"I'd like to know what he's talking about," Perdue said.

(Associated Press in Education Week)

The Raleigh News & Observer points out that Perdue's ad claiming a voucher program would cost $900 million annually assumes every non-public student in the state would receive one. However, they also noted that McCrory did, in fact, indicate support on the survey by the N.C. Family Policy Council, answering "Yes" to the question, "Should parents who choose to educate their children in private, religious, or home schools receive a voucher or tax credit from the state?"

Libertarians reaffirm support for homeschool tax credit, vouchers, lighter regulation


Duke Professor and gubernatorial candidate Mike Munger, not included in the recent education debate, again stated his support for tax credits for homeschool families.

Phillip Rhodes, the Libertarian candidate for N.C. lieutenant governor, used his time in a debate on Tuesday to call for lifting "burdensome" regulations on homeschooling. He also expressed support for vouchers to increase competition in the school system and even suggested ending government-operated schools "altogether".

Homeschooling family chosen for next "Habitat" home

The Dunn Daily Record reports that Donna Smith and her daughter Kaitlyn will be the owners of the next home built by Harnett County's chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Construction on the home, just started, will be completed in early 2009.

Asheville homeschooler helps organize peace march

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports a group of "about 50 people ... marched through downtown Asheville Saturday to promote the cause of peace.":

"This would make peace and peacemaking a national priority,” said Daniel Pinelli, 16, a home-schooled student from Asheville who helped organize Saturday’s walk.

“The current situation in our world is one where violence is a cure-all, and I think until we see peace as a valid means of conflict resolution, we’re not going to get anything done.

“I am doing this for all of the kids my age throughout the world who need peace in their mind, peace in their heart and peace in their world, but do not receive it.”

The push to create the Department of Peace is championed by The Peace Alliance, a national organization with chapters across the country. A Cabinet-level secretary of peace appointed by the president would head the department.

The House bill, H.R. 808, has 70 cosponsors, although none are from North Carolina. All but one of the cosponsors are Democrats. The legislation was
first introduced in 2001.

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler [D-NC] said he couldn’t support the legislation.

Shuler represents the 10th Congressional District, which includes Asheville.


Fayetteville mom homeschools in protest over school bus

Tammie Neiss-Mote told the Fayetteville Observer that she had been homeschooling her 4-year-old son because Ft. Bragg schools "have to be out of their mind if they think my son will be getting on that bus." Neiss-Mote had questioned the practice of mixing younger and older students on the same bus without monitors, seat belts, or car seats. She said her son weighs 36 pounds, which is well under the 8 year old, 80 pound requirement to ride without a booster in a private vehicle. School officials responded that safety is "an important factor" to them but N.C. public schools operate their buses the same way.


CDC says U.S. measles resurgence due in part to homeschoolers

Dr. Jane Seward of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention told National Public Radio that the return of significant measles outbreaks in the U.S. is "mainly children whose parents have chosen not to vaccinate."


"A high proportion of those children are home-schooled. In Illinois, pretty much all of the new cases of measles were among home-schooled children — and none of them were vaccinated," she says.


SPORTS: Euroclydon defeasts Westover Christian

From the Madison Messenger, Danville, VA:

ROXBORO, N.C. — Westover Christian fell to Euroclydon Home School in four games 26-24, 25-22, 17-25 and 25-22 on Tuesday. Peyton Parrish led the way for the Bulldogs (6-3) with 16 points and 10 digs. Donna Motley had eight points and six kills and Brook Grant had nine points and three aces.

In junior high action, Westover defeated Euroclydon in three games 20-25, 25-13 and 25-21. The Bulldogs (7-0) were led by Natalie Petrovich with 17 points and three kills. Sydney Bowles added nine points and four assists.