Mid-February 2008
HEART OF TEXAS
Home Educators Alliance for Resources and Training of Texas, Inc.
MID-FEBRUARY 2008 ISSUE
Home School News and Events
Dear Home School Leaders and Friends,
We are excited to share with you some information about several events that may be of interest to home schoolers in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding North Texas region. Please feel free to pass along this newsletter to the homeschooling families in your network. If you would like for us to help you spread the news about an event or activity that your group is doing, or if you know of an event or activity that would benefit other home schoolers, please drop us a line at info@HEARTofTex.org so we can include it in the next issue of our bi-weekly e-newsletter.
We also have a “featured articles” section. We hope that you will find the articles that we will include to be informative, encouraging, and full of wisdom. If you or anyone in your group would like to submit articles, or have suggestions for future article topics, please contact us at info@heartoftex.org. We would love to hear from you!
Thanks so much!
www.HEARTofTex.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home Educators Alliance for Resources and Training of Texas, Inc., (HEART of Texas) is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to serving the home schooling support groups, leaders and families in our regional service area. Our mission is to provide leadership, training, resources and support within the home school community through communications, networking activities, and events directed at home school support groups, leaders, and families in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding North Texas region.
This information is provided as a service to our fellow home schoolers. HEART of Texas does not necessarily endorse, warrant, or represent any of the activities, events, or organizations listed, or their content, views, opinions, or recommendations. Please use your own judgment when considering taking part in or attending any of these events or activities or visiting any of the websites or links provided. HEART of Texas assumes no responsibility for the content of any ads, promises made, or the quality/reliability of the products or services offered.
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CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION
FOR NORTH TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
"An Artistic Discovery" is the annual nationwide Congressional High School Art Competition initiated by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Each Congressional District may host its own competition, and since the competition was first launched in 1982, hundreds of thousands of students have participated in over 5000 locally conducted contests.
This spring, several North Texas Congressional offices will hold contests. The winning student from each district will have his or her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex for one year! In addition, the winners and their two guests are invited to the nation's capital in the summer to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the winning artists from across the country and opening the 2008 "An Artistic Discovery" exhibition. Thousands of people visiting the nation's capitol, as well as Members of Congress and their staffs, are able to walk through the exhibit daily, viewing artwork from Congressional districts throughout the country-each piece highlighted with the name of the work and student artist.
Interested students and teachers should contact their congressional office ASAP for more information.
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 18
HOME SCHOOL ROBIN HOOD DAY CAMP AT FOSSIL RIM
Time: 9 - 4:30ish
Details: Based on Howard Pyle’s classic, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, this program combines elements of several shorter programs. Topics include European Red Deer, Horns or Antlers?, archery, poaching, How to Catch a Rhino or Other Wild Creature, camouflage, and a tour of Fossil Rim.
For more Details: www.fossilrim.com/visiting/home_school.html
To Register or Get Directions: homeschool@fossilrim.org
or call 254-897-2960 ext. 216
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 17-23
ENGINEERS WEEK
FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History red bullet National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
Engineers Week. See how much fun aerodynamics, science, mathematics and technology can be through engaging engineering activities during Engineers Week (E-Week), Feb. 17-23, 2008.
Enjoy engineering projects and challenge activities alongside engineers from Lockheed Martin and IBM and learn about careers in engineering. Activities are included with Exhibit admission.
Public Activities:
FEBRUARY 17, 1 - 4 p.m.
FEBRUARY 23, 1 - 4 p.m.
School Activities:
FEBRUARY 18 - 23, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Advanced booking through Group Services is required for school groups 817-255-9440.
For more Information: www.eweek.org
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FEBRUARY 19
DRS. PAUL AND VIRGINIA FRIESEN SEMINAR
AT VALLEY CREEK CHURCH IN FLOWER MOUND
Come hear Drs. Paul and Virginia Friesen:
FEBRUARY 19 --- So, You Want to Marry My Daughter?
(or, The Second Most Important Decision Your Child Will Ever Make!)
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Valley Creek Church
5800 Long Prairie Road
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Cost: FREE
Childcare provided- Register at www.valleycreek.org
Details: Next to your children's choice regarding Christ, who they marry will affect them more than any other of life's decisions. But, you may say my children are only 3, 5, and 8. At these early ages our children are forming impressions of what marriage is by observing us as a couple or our interactions as single parents. What they believe and their values they have will largely affect the type of friends they hang out with and will eventually marry.
Speakers: Drs. Paul and Virginia Friesen, who have been married for 31 years and are the parents of 3 grown daughters and one son-in-law, will share from scripture, observations from years of counseling and interaction with families, as well as their own parenting experience. There are no guarantees but there are probabilities in our children making wise relationship decisions as we raise them to be young men and women who love the Lord and His people.
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 21
H.S.A.A. FOOTBALL 2008 PARENT/PLAYER INFORMATIONAL MEETING
FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Who: For middle school (7-8th graders) and high schoolers (9-12th graders) interested in playing competitive football for the Fall 2008 season
Location: THEO (The Home Educator’s Outsourcing Solution)
1301 Custer Road, Suite 703
Plano, TX 75075
Details: If you are a middle school or high school student, and you’re interested in playing football in the Fall, you won’t want to miss this meeting! Come meet Michael Scott, high school head coach, and Charles Bryant (middle school head coach). Find out about Spring Training (Begins March 31), tentative game schedules, pre-season practices, player fees and more.....
Contact: High Schoolers contact Deanna Morales 972-661-2479 or dhmorales@sbcglobal.net
Middle Schoolers contact Susan Bryant at 972-754-1553 or cs.bryant@verizon.net
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 21
HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS AT MCKINNEY MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY
FEBRUARY 21, MARCH 27, APRIL 24 --- Getting to Know Your Library
Please choose one date to attend.
Grades: K-3rd
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Dulaney Room
Participate in a special program to learn more about the library and the Children’s Department.
Registration Required
Other Home School Programs:
FEBRUARY 26, MARCH 17, APRIL 29 - Using the Internet
Please choose one date to attend.
Grades: 6th and up
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Conference Room (upstairs)
Learn how to search the internet and how to evaluate internet sites to get reliable and quality information.
Registration Required
MARCH 11, APRIL 14 --- Research Gathering Skills
Please choose one date to attend.
Grades: 5th - 8th
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Learn basic research skills and become familiar with the library’s many resources.
Conference Room (upstairs)
Registration Required
Location: 101 E. Hunt Street
McKinney, TX 75069
972-547-READ
To Register or For More Information: Wendy Turner - wturner@mckinneytexas.org
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 27
REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR HOME SCHOOL DAY AT THE FORT WORTH ZOO
MARCH 6 - Home School Day at the Fort Worth Zoo
All home-schooled children, and their families, are invited to a fun-filled educational day in the wilds of the Fort Worth Zoo on Thursday, March 6. Keeper chats and activity stations tailor-made for home-schoolers will be available throughout the park. Enjoy asking keepers your best animal questions around the Zoo's world-class exhibits.
To Register: Download Zoo Home School Day Registration Form at http://www.heartoftex.org/downloads/downloads.html
Registration Deadline: February 27
Admission:
Children 2 and under - FREE
Pre-K through 5th grade - $3.75/person
6th grade through high school - $5.25/person
Adults: $5.50/person
Parking: $5 per vehicle (paid when entering park)
Wild Wonders Live Animal Programs: $2.00 per person
Lunches: $4 each
Includes hot dog, chips, lemonade, snack crackers, and Zoo souvenir pencil.
Location:
Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76110
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR CHRISTIAN HOME SCHOOL PROM 2008
Christian Home School Prom 2008 Presents . . .
Once Upon a Time... at The Adam’s Mark Hotel Dallas Ballroom
APRIL 26
This event fills very quickly! Order your tickets right away!
Location: The Adams Mark Hotel Dallas Ballroom
Prices & Registration:
$80.00- Early Registration, Feb 4-Feb 25 or the first 275 tickets
$85.00-Regular Registration, Feb 26-Mar 20 or the second set of 275 tickets
$90.00-Late Registration, Mar 21-Apr 5 or the last set of 275 tickets
We will have a drawing for a free table reservation (worth $60) for those that register on Feb 4th.
Parent Participation Required:
This is an all-volunteer, parent sponsored event. In order to register your student to attend prom you MUST select your area of volunteer service when purchasing their ticket.
For More Information: prom@christianhomeschoolprom.org
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY
HOME SCHOOL PE CLASSES AVAILABLE AT VELOCITY SPORTS
HIGHLAND PARK AND SOUTHLAKE LOCATIONS
We are very excited to announce that the Velocity Sports Performance locations in Highland Park and Southlake have partnered with HEART of Texas to offer special discounts to homeschoolers!
The PE programs at Velocity Sports are taught by trained, degreed coaches who have coached college, professional, and Olympic level athletes.
Classes are one hour long, and focus on speed enhancement, strength, power, agility, core development, flexibility, and balance. Participants can expect increased muscle tone, a higher vertical jump, better running form, reduced likelihood of injury, increased confidence and increased endurance.
Their 16,300 square foot indoor facility is climate-controlled and features turf, track, hard court, and weight areas, as well as a viewing area for parents/guests.
Please Note: Each Velocity Sports location is independently owned and operated, and offer different pricing and discount rates for their classes. Please contact the location directly for more information.
For the Highland Park Location:
Call Mark Cox at 214-739-1122
www.velocitysp.com/highlandpark
For the Southlake Location:
Call 817-416-0606
www.velocitysp.com/southlake
View Newsletter Headers
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~~What's Inside This Issue ~~
(Click on the links below)
FEATURED ARTICLES
THSC PAC Announces Effort to Restore Parental Rights by Tim Lambert
Boy Scouts of America, Longhorn Council, to Host a Two-Day, Multi-County Event for Home Schoolers by Jason Beuscher
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
LIBRARY PROGRAMS
CONTESTS/COMPETITIVE EVENTS
CIVICS/GOOD CITIZENSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
HOME SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES
BOOK SALES & HOME SCHOOL BOOK STORES
NATURE CENTERS & OUTDOOR PROGRAMS/CAMPS
PERFORMING ARTS
ART MUSEUMS
IMAX/OMNI THEATERS
HISTORICAL PROGRAMS
SCIENCE EVENTS/ACTIVITIES
HOME SCHOOL SPORTS/PE PROGRAMS
SUPPORT GROUPS
COLLEGE PREP
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
OTHER EVENTS BY DATE
Back to the top
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FEATURED ARTICLE
THSC PAC Announces Effort to Restore Parental Rights
By Tim Lambert
Some years ago THSC (Texas Home School Coalition) was contacted by a home school mom in West Texas who was desperate for help in fighting a lawsuit against her family, which had been filed by her father. The following is her story:
She was married to her second husband and had one child from the previous marriage and two by her current husband. The family was of humble means and had chosen to homeschool because they were concerned about the negative influences of their children's peers in the public school. Her parents, however, did not agree with this decision and, in fact, believed that the parents were being "overprotective"; they were especially critical of decisions related to the oldest child. During one time together with the family, the grandfather physically attacked the husband in front of the whole family. As a result, the parents sought and received a restraining order to prohibit the grandfather from being with the family.
The grandparents responded by filing suit under the Grandparent Access Statute. The grandparents' lawyer claimed that it was in the best interest of the children to have visitation with their grandfather. The children's emotional well-being, he argued, would be significantly impaired because they were being homeschooled and did not have enough interaction with other children. In spite of the history of assault upon the father, the judged ordered visitation for both grandparents. The grandparents continued the legal action against the parents for years, seeking more and more control of the children. At one point, they told the parents they would drop the lawsuit if they could have custody of the oldest child while the parents maintained custody of the younger two. After many years of litigation, the parents finally yielded and allowed their oldest child to live with the grandparents.
In a similar case, a family in Houston had homeschooled for many years, against the strong dissent of the paternal grandparents. The grandparents strongly disagreed with many of the views of the parents, including religious beliefs and educational decisions of the family, and the father told his parents at one point that if they continued to interfere and cause discord, they would not be allowed to visit the children. Then the father suddenly became ill with cancer and died within six months.
The grandparents began their attack almost immediately after their son's death. A CPS (Child Protective Services) caseworker later testified in court she was certain the grandparents had been responsible for a phony tip that the mother had made a death pact to kill herself and all her children so they could join the soul of the deceased husband and father. The grandparents filed suit for visitation, and the mother unwisely took her children and moved out of the country, without notifying the authorities. The grandparents then amended their suit from visitation to custody. In the absence of the family, a judge gave a default judgment of custody to the grandparents who then spent $200,000 to find the family. Armed soldiers forcibly removed the children, allowing the mother to accompany them, only to be arrested when she reentered the country. The mother was indicted for interfering with child custody and jailed with bonds set totaling three million dollars. She spent several months in jail, until the bond was lowered to $30,000. A court-appointed attorney for the minor children said she had interviewed each child and was moved by how close they were to their mother and by their desire to be with her. The grandparents sought joint custody and wanted to make the educational decisions for the children. After three and a half years of litigation, the mother finally regained sole custody of her children. Unfortunately, not all such cases have this positive an ending.
These kinds of stories are not unusual. In fact, recently a widow, whose husband was killed in the military overseas, was sued by the paternal grandparents within two weeks of her husband's death. Hundreds of families have lived through such nightmares. Others continue. The Texas Supreme Court has ruled in two such cases-in 2006 and 2007-in the parents' favor. In both cases, after the Supreme Court's ruling, the local judge allowed the grandparents to simply file suit again. These and many other parents face the stark choice of bankruptcy or yielding to the unreasonable demands of grandparents regarding the upbringing and education of their children.
In 1995 the Texas legislature amended the Family Code to allow grandparents to sue parents, or others who had custody, for access to their grandchildren. This type of legislation has been adopted in virtually every state in the nation, driven by powerful senior citizen groups. The purpose was to allow a means to have access for grandparents who were being kept from their grandchildren. This change has had unintended consequences that are destroying Texas families and undermining the fundamental right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. The law was amended again in 2005 to allow grandparents to sue for actual possession, in addition to mere access. The statute sets a lower standard of evidence required for access or possession than is required under other parts of the Family Code for custody. That must change. However, in the last legislative session, THSC Association supported HB 3971 by Bryan Hughes, which would have addressed many of these issues in the current law. The bill did not pass.
How do we restore parental rights in this area and stop this abuse?
We must change the law!
The first step in changing this law is to make Texas home schoolers and all parents aware of the problem and how and why the law needs to be changed. THSC will support the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA) in the legislative session next year. Please forward this information to others. The TPRRA will be modeled on HB 3971 from last session. For more information on this legislation and reasons that this law needs to be amended, read the talking points and the commentary.
The second step in changing the law is to speak now to your legislators (state representatives and state senators), while most of them are running campaigns for election or reelection. If they have contested races in the primary or general election, they will very likely be much more responsive to any questions or concerns that you have. In fact, when I asked a legislator earlier this week to co-sponsor the TPRRA, he told me that a home schooler had spoken to him a week before on the issue and that he would be glad to make that commitment. I also received a call from another legislator whose home school constituents brought her a copy of the February issue of the THSC Review magazine with an article on the issue. They convinced her to support the legislation. Those candidates whom THSC PAC has endorsed and who have committed to co-sponsoring the TPRRA will be noted on the PAC Web site. If your legislators or candidates for state House or Senate have not made that commitment, call them and ask them to do so. The more calls they get on this, the more seriously they will view the issue and the more likely they will be to sign on as supporters.
The third step in fixing this problem is to elect legislators sympathetic to our cause. We need to have a heavy voter turnout of home schoolers in the primary election on March 4. THSC PAC plans to mail this message to every household on the THSC list (almost 60,000), encouraging people to vote for candidates who support parental rights and to get their friends and family to do so as well. When candidates see and hear from many voters on this issue and have these same families support their campaigns and help them get elected, they will more likely be in favor of this issue before they even get to Austin.
In order to do the mailing, we must raise $25,000. I often tell candidates that THSC PAC is like Peter in Acts, "Silver and gold have I none." What we do have, however, is lots of home schoolers who are willing to spend their time and effort to help elect good candidates who support parental rights. When we have been able to raise the funds to do such a mailing in the past, we have always received feedback from some who tell us the only reason they voted was because they had received our mailing and knew for whom to vote. Early voting starts on February 19th, and we need to send this mailing as soon as possible. If you can make a contribution to help us accomplish this goal, it would move us much closer to amending the law and protecting parental rights to direct the education and upbringing of their children. You may contribute online. When you get to the payment screen, type "PAC Contribution" in the special instruction box. (Please note: PAC contributions are not tax deductible.) You can also send a contribution to THSC PAC, PO Box 6221, Lubbock, Texas 79493.
The fourth step is to repeat this process during the general election in November, to finish electing to the Texas legislature candidates who believe that a parent's right to direct the education and upbringing of their children is fundamental and must be protected.
Another step in this process will be participation in the interim committee study of this issue, which has been established for review in both the Texas House and Senate. We will make parents aware of the hearings that are held and encourage people who have suffered such problems to give testimony. These committees will make a recommendation to the legislature next year about changes to the law that should take place. If you are not on the THSC PAC E-Newsletter list, please register for free regular updates on this and other issues of importance to the home school community of Texas.
Next year THSC Association will lead the fight to gain support for the TPRRA at the legislature and in meetings and rallies across the state. We will also sponsor a rally at the Capitol on this issue to show grassroots support to restore parental rights.
Please pray for THSC Association and as we seek to use all the means at our disposal to restore parental rights. Time is short before the primary, but we have already seen significant movement on the part of many legislators; you can help us turn the tide in favor of parental rights with your participation and support.
With your help and God's grace, we can restore parental rights in Texas in the next two years!
In your service,
Tim Lambert
P.S. In addition to working on the TPRRA, we are also endorsing the effort by ParentalRights.org to amend the U.S. Constitution with language that would state unequivocally that a parent's right to direct the education and upbringing of his/her child is a fundamental right under the Constitution. This group has a five-year plan to amend the Constitution as a further protection of parental rights. For more information on that effort, visit ParentalRights.org.
Home Educators Alliance for Resources and Training of Texas, Inc.
MID-FEBRUARY 2008 ISSUE
Home School News and Events
Dear Home School Leaders and Friends,
We are excited to share with you some information about several events that may be of interest to home schoolers in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding North Texas region. Please feel free to pass along this newsletter to the homeschooling families in your network. If you would like for us to help you spread the news about an event or activity that your group is doing, or if you know of an event or activity that would benefit other home schoolers, please drop us a line at info@HEARTofTex.org so we can include it in the next issue of our bi-weekly e-newsletter.
We also have a “featured articles” section. We hope that you will find the articles that we will include to be informative, encouraging, and full of wisdom. If you or anyone in your group would like to submit articles, or have suggestions for future article topics, please contact us at info@heartoftex.org. We would love to hear from you!
Thanks so much!
www.HEARTofTex.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home Educators Alliance for Resources and Training of Texas, Inc., (HEART of Texas) is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to serving the home schooling support groups, leaders and families in our regional service area. Our mission is to provide leadership, training, resources and support within the home school community through communications, networking activities, and events directed at home school support groups, leaders, and families in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding North Texas region.
This information is provided as a service to our fellow home schoolers. HEART of Texas does not necessarily endorse, warrant, or represent any of the activities, events, or organizations listed, or their content, views, opinions, or recommendations. Please use your own judgment when considering taking part in or attending any of these events or activities or visiting any of the websites or links provided. HEART of Texas assumes no responsibility for the content of any ads, promises made, or the quality/reliability of the products or services offered.
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~~ February
Highlights~~
FEBRUARY
CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION
FOR NORTH TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
"An Artistic Discovery" is the annual nationwide Congressional High School Art Competition initiated by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Each Congressional District may host its own competition, and since the competition was first launched in 1982, hundreds of thousands of students have participated in over 5000 locally conducted contests.
This spring, several North Texas Congressional offices will hold contests. The winning student from each district will have his or her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex for one year! In addition, the winners and their two guests are invited to the nation's capital in the summer to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the winning artists from across the country and opening the 2008 "An Artistic Discovery" exhibition. Thousands of people visiting the nation's capitol, as well as Members of Congress and their staffs, are able to walk through the exhibit daily, viewing artwork from Congressional districts throughout the country-each piece highlighted with the name of the work and student artist.
Interested students and teachers should contact their congressional office ASAP for more information.
| Dist. | Member | Contact | Phone | Deadline |
| TX-3 | Rep. Sam Johnson | Deanna Kuykendall
|
972-470-0892 | March 12 |
| TX-4 | Rep. Ralph Hall | Natalie Raulston
|
972-771-9118 | March 12 |
| TX-5 | Rep. Jeb Hensarling | Sarah Rozier
|
214-349-9996 | March 28 |
| TX-12 | Rep. Kay Granger | Marcia Etie
|
817-338-0909 | April 25 |
| TX-24 | Rep. Kenny Marchant | Amanda Post
|
972-556-0162 | April 11 |
| TX-26 | Rep. Michael Burgess | Joan Self
|
972-434-9700 | April 7 |
| TX-30 | Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson | Peter Osborne
|
214-922-8885 | April 24 |
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 18
HOME SCHOOL ROBIN HOOD DAY CAMP AT FOSSIL RIM
Time: 9 - 4:30ish
Details: Based on Howard Pyle’s classic, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, this program combines elements of several shorter programs. Topics include European Red Deer, Horns or Antlers?, archery, poaching, How to Catch a Rhino or Other Wild Creature, camouflage, and a tour of Fossil Rim.
For more Details: www.fossilrim.com/visiting/home_school.html
To Register or Get Directions: homeschool@fossilrim.org
or call 254-897-2960 ext. 216
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 17-23
ENGINEERS WEEK
FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History red bullet National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
Engineers Week. See how much fun aerodynamics, science, mathematics and technology can be through engaging engineering activities during Engineers Week (E-Week), Feb. 17-23, 2008.
Enjoy engineering projects and challenge activities alongside engineers from Lockheed Martin and IBM and learn about careers in engineering. Activities are included with Exhibit admission.
Public Activities:
FEBRUARY 17, 1 - 4 p.m.
FEBRUARY 23, 1 - 4 p.m.
School Activities:
FEBRUARY 18 - 23, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Advanced booking through Group Services is required for school groups 817-255-9440.
For more Information: www.eweek.org
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FEBRUARY 19
DRS. PAUL AND VIRGINIA FRIESEN SEMINAR
AT VALLEY CREEK CHURCH IN FLOWER MOUND
Come hear Drs. Paul and Virginia Friesen:
FEBRUARY 19 --- So, You Want to Marry My Daughter?
(or, The Second Most Important Decision Your Child Will Ever Make!)
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Location: Valley Creek Church
5800 Long Prairie Road
Flower Mound, TX 75028
Cost: FREE
Childcare provided- Register at www.valleycreek.org
Details: Next to your children's choice regarding Christ, who they marry will affect them more than any other of life's decisions. But, you may say my children are only 3, 5, and 8. At these early ages our children are forming impressions of what marriage is by observing us as a couple or our interactions as single parents. What they believe and their values they have will largely affect the type of friends they hang out with and will eventually marry.
Speakers: Drs. Paul and Virginia Friesen, who have been married for 31 years and are the parents of 3 grown daughters and one son-in-law, will share from scripture, observations from years of counseling and interaction with families, as well as their own parenting experience. There are no guarantees but there are probabilities in our children making wise relationship decisions as we raise them to be young men and women who love the Lord and His people.
View Newsletter Headers
-------------------------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY 21
H.S.A.A. FOOTBALL 2008 PARENT/PLAYER INFORMATIONAL MEETING
FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Who: For middle school (7-8th graders) and high schoolers (9-12th graders) interested in playing competitive football for the Fall 2008 season
Location: THEO (The Home Educator’s Outsourcing Solution)
1301 Custer Road, Suite 703
Plano, TX 75075
Details: If you are a middle school or high school student, and you’re interested in playing football in the Fall, you won’t want to miss this meeting! Come meet Michael Scott, high school head coach, and Charles Bryant (middle school head coach). Find out about Spring Training (Begins March 31), tentative game schedules, pre-season practices, player fees and more.....
Contact: High Schoolers contact Deanna Morales 972-661-2479 or dhmorales@sbcglobal.net
Middle Schoolers contact Susan Bryant at 972-754-1553 or cs.bryant@verizon.net
View Newsletter Headers
-------------------------------------------------------------
FEBRUARY 21
HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS AT MCKINNEY MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY
FEBRUARY 21, MARCH 27, APRIL 24 --- Getting to Know Your Library
Please choose one date to attend.
Grades: K-3rd
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Dulaney Room
Participate in a special program to learn more about the library and the Children’s Department.
Registration Required
Other Home School Programs:
FEBRUARY 26, MARCH 17, APRIL 29 - Using the Internet
Please choose one date to attend.
Grades: 6th and up
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Conference Room (upstairs)
Learn how to search the internet and how to evaluate internet sites to get reliable and quality information.
Registration Required
MARCH 11, APRIL 14 --- Research Gathering Skills
Please choose one date to attend.
Grades: 5th - 8th
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Learn basic research skills and become familiar with the library’s many resources.
Conference Room (upstairs)
Registration Required
Location: 101 E. Hunt Street
McKinney, TX 75069
972-547-READ
To Register or For More Information: Wendy Turner - wturner@mckinneytexas.org
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY 27
REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR HOME SCHOOL DAY AT THE FORT WORTH ZOO
MARCH 6 - Home School Day at the Fort Worth Zoo
All home-schooled children, and their families, are invited to a fun-filled educational day in the wilds of the Fort Worth Zoo on Thursday, March 6. Keeper chats and activity stations tailor-made for home-schoolers will be available throughout the park. Enjoy asking keepers your best animal questions around the Zoo's world-class exhibits.
To Register: Download Zoo Home School Day Registration Form at http://www.heartoftex.org/downloads/downloads.html
Registration Deadline: February 27
Admission:
Children 2 and under - FREE
Pre-K through 5th grade - $3.75/person
6th grade through high school - $5.25/person
Adults: $5.50/person
Parking: $5 per vehicle (paid when entering park)
Wild Wonders Live Animal Programs: $2.00 per person
Lunches: $4 each
Includes hot dog, chips, lemonade, snack crackers, and Zoo souvenir pencil.
Location:
Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76110
View Newsletter Headers
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FEBRUARY
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR CHRISTIAN HOME SCHOOL PROM 2008
Christian Home School Prom 2008 Presents . . .
Once Upon a Time... at The Adam’s Mark Hotel Dallas Ballroom
APRIL 26
This event fills very quickly! Order your tickets right away!
Location: The Adams Mark Hotel Dallas Ballroom
Prices & Registration:
$80.00- Early Registration, Feb 4-Feb 25 or the first 275 tickets
$85.00-Regular Registration, Feb 26-Mar 20 or the second set of 275 tickets
$90.00-Late Registration, Mar 21-Apr 5 or the last set of 275 tickets
We will have a drawing for a free table reservation (worth $60) for those that register on Feb 4th.
Parent Participation Required:
This is an all-volunteer, parent sponsored event. In order to register your student to attend prom you MUST select your area of volunteer service when purchasing their ticket.
For More Information: prom@christianhomeschoolprom.org
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FEBRUARY
HOME SCHOOL PE CLASSES AVAILABLE AT VELOCITY SPORTS
HIGHLAND PARK AND SOUTHLAKE LOCATIONS
We are very excited to announce that the Velocity Sports Performance locations in Highland Park and Southlake have partnered with HEART of Texas to offer special discounts to homeschoolers!
The PE programs at Velocity Sports are taught by trained, degreed coaches who have coached college, professional, and Olympic level athletes.
Classes are one hour long, and focus on speed enhancement, strength, power, agility, core development, flexibility, and balance. Participants can expect increased muscle tone, a higher vertical jump, better running form, reduced likelihood of injury, increased confidence and increased endurance.
Their 16,300 square foot indoor facility is climate-controlled and features turf, track, hard court, and weight areas, as well as a viewing area for parents/guests.
Please Note: Each Velocity Sports location is independently owned and operated, and offer different pricing and discount rates for their classes. Please contact the location directly for more information.
For the Highland Park Location:
Call Mark Cox at 214-739-1122
www.velocitysp.com/highlandpark
For the Southlake Location:
Call 817-416-0606
www.velocitysp.com/southlake
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~~What's Inside This Issue ~~
(Click on the links below)
FEATURED ARTICLES
THSC PAC Announces Effort to Restore Parental Rights by Tim Lambert
Boy Scouts of America, Longhorn Council, to Host a Two-Day, Multi-County Event for Home Schoolers by Jason Beuscher
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
LIBRARY PROGRAMS
- Library Programs at North
Texas Libraries --- North Texas ---
December
Other Libraries are Welcome to Include Their Events - contact info@heartoftex.org
Bedford Public Library
Fort Worth Public Library
Hurst Public Library
McKinney Memorial Public Library
Tyler Public Library
CONTESTS/COMPETITIVE EVENTS
- BEST Robotics 2008 Preview: Just Plane Crazy! --- Texas Best
- Dallas Regional Science & Engineering Fair --- Dallas --- March 29-30
- Texas State Fish-Art Contests --- Entries Due March 31, 2008
- National Engineers Week --- Future City Competition
- National Congressional Art Competition --- Districts 3, 4, 5, 12, 24, 26, 30
CIVICS/GOOD CITIZENSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
- City of Fort Worth Youth Advisory Board --- Fort Worth
- Texas Home School Coalition Good Citizenship Award Program --- State-wide
HOME SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES
- THEO Home School Classes -- Plano
- Homeschoolers East Co-Op Classes --- East Dallas
- Tarrant County College --- High School Math Classes
BOOK SALES & HOME SCHOOL BOOK STORES
- Library Used Book Sales in
North Texas
Wichita Falls - February 2
Lancaster - February 7-9
Hurst - February 15-16
Grand Prairie --- February 16
Highland Village - February 23
Carrollton --- February 27 - March 2
- Christian Educators Resource Center -- Rowlett
- Creative Arts in Action --- Watauga
- Home Educators Resource --- Duncanville; Lewisville
NATURE CENTERS & OUTDOOR PROGRAMS/CAMPS
- Dallas Arboretum - Dallas
- Heritage Farmstead Museum --- Plano
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Programs--- State Parks in North Texas
PERFORMING ARTS
- Performances at Casa Manana
Children’s Playhouse
Junie B. Jones --- February 22 - March 9
- Performances at
CATS --- Arlington
Follow That Rabbit - Feb 22 - March 2
- Cottage Theater - Creative Arts in Action --- Watauga
- Theater Performances at
Artisan Center Theater
---Hurst
Driving Miss Daisy --- February 8 - March 1
Standin’ Tall With Love --- February 11-29
- Performances at Bass Performance Hall --- Fort Worth
- Dallas Children’s
Theater --- Dallas
Goodnight, Moon --- Jan 25 - March 2
- Plano Children’s
Theater --- Plano
Princess Bride --- February 22 - March 8
ART MUSEUMS
- Amon Carter Museum Exhibits - Fort Worth
- Dallas Museum of Art Exhibit --- Dallas
- Kimball Art Museum
Exhibit --- Fort Worth
Picturing the Bible --- Through March 2008
- Museum of Nature & Science --- Dallas
- Museum of Science & History --- Fort Worth
IMAX/OMNI THEATERS
- Shows at the Dallas Imax Theatre -- Museum of Science and Nature
- Shows at the Fort Worth Omni Theater --- Fort Worth Museum of Science & History
HISTORICAL PROGRAMS
- Programs at Log Cabin Village --- Fort Worth
- Dallas Heritage Village --- Dallas
- Ancient Treasures from the Holy Land --- Plano
SCIENCE EVENTS/ACTIVITIES
HOME SCHOOL SPORTS/PE PROGRAMS
- Maritime Merry Time Tuesdays (Open Homeschool Swim) --- The Colony Aquatic Park --- Tuesdays
- Dallas Thunder Homeschool Basketball Organization --- Registration Open
- Home School Athletic Association --- Football Players - Informational Meeting
- Junior High Girls Basketball Players Needed --- THESA Riders --- ASAP
- Home School PE Classes --- Velocity Sports in Highland Park
- Home School PE Classes --- Velocity Sports in Southlake
- Home School Fencing Classes --- Fencing Institute of Texas --- Farmers Branch
- Pop-In Playtime --- Pump It Up of Grapevine --- Grapevine
- Home School Bowling --- Irving
SUPPORT GROUPS
- Smoothing the
Way Meetings in North Texas ---
December/January
Arlington - February 26
Athens/Tyler Area - February 19
Denton - March 6
North Richland Hills -March 3
Plano - February 26
Sulphur Springs - February 19
- Keller 4H Club Meetings - Keller
- Park Day Drama Club ---- Plano
COLLEGE PREP
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
- Volunteer Opportunities Available for Home School Students in 21 Counties --- American Cancer Society
OTHER EVENTS BY DATE
- 8-Week SAT Prep Course at Creative Arts in Action ---- Watauga
- PBS Masterpiece Theater Presents The Complete Jane Austen --- Through April 3
- Christian Home School Prom --- Dallas, TX --- Register Today!
- Seminar: Helping Your Child Make Wise Relationship Decisions --- Flower Mound - February 19
- Parental Rights Informational Rally With Michael Farris --- Dallas --- March 1
- Explore UT: The Biggest Open House in Texas --- Austin, TX --- March 1
- Home School Day at the Fort Worth Zoo --- Fort Worth --- March 6
- CERC Hosting Jan Bedell: Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD - A Drug-Free Solution --- Rowlett --- March 10
- Effective Communication Course --- Dallas --- March 31-April 5
- Boy Scouts to Host Two-Day Home School Event --- 18 North Texas Locations --- April 3 & 8th
- Hella Shrine Circus at Reunion Arena --- Dallas --- April 4
- Teen Pact Leadership School Coming to Texas--- Registration Open --- April 21-25
- Home School Daze at Hawaiian Falls --- The Colony --- May 3
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FEATURED ARTICLE
THSC PAC Announces Effort to Restore Parental Rights
By Tim Lambert
Some years ago THSC (Texas Home School Coalition) was contacted by a home school mom in West Texas who was desperate for help in fighting a lawsuit against her family, which had been filed by her father. The following is her story:
She was married to her second husband and had one child from the previous marriage and two by her current husband. The family was of humble means and had chosen to homeschool because they were concerned about the negative influences of their children's peers in the public school. Her parents, however, did not agree with this decision and, in fact, believed that the parents were being "overprotective"; they were especially critical of decisions related to the oldest child. During one time together with the family, the grandfather physically attacked the husband in front of the whole family. As a result, the parents sought and received a restraining order to prohibit the grandfather from being with the family.
The grandparents responded by filing suit under the Grandparent Access Statute. The grandparents' lawyer claimed that it was in the best interest of the children to have visitation with their grandfather. The children's emotional well-being, he argued, would be significantly impaired because they were being homeschooled and did not have enough interaction with other children. In spite of the history of assault upon the father, the judged ordered visitation for both grandparents. The grandparents continued the legal action against the parents for years, seeking more and more control of the children. At one point, they told the parents they would drop the lawsuit if they could have custody of the oldest child while the parents maintained custody of the younger two. After many years of litigation, the parents finally yielded and allowed their oldest child to live with the grandparents.
In a similar case, a family in Houston had homeschooled for many years, against the strong dissent of the paternal grandparents. The grandparents strongly disagreed with many of the views of the parents, including religious beliefs and educational decisions of the family, and the father told his parents at one point that if they continued to interfere and cause discord, they would not be allowed to visit the children. Then the father suddenly became ill with cancer and died within six months.
The grandparents began their attack almost immediately after their son's death. A CPS (Child Protective Services) caseworker later testified in court she was certain the grandparents had been responsible for a phony tip that the mother had made a death pact to kill herself and all her children so they could join the soul of the deceased husband and father. The grandparents filed suit for visitation, and the mother unwisely took her children and moved out of the country, without notifying the authorities. The grandparents then amended their suit from visitation to custody. In the absence of the family, a judge gave a default judgment of custody to the grandparents who then spent $200,000 to find the family. Armed soldiers forcibly removed the children, allowing the mother to accompany them, only to be arrested when she reentered the country. The mother was indicted for interfering with child custody and jailed with bonds set totaling three million dollars. She spent several months in jail, until the bond was lowered to $30,000. A court-appointed attorney for the minor children said she had interviewed each child and was moved by how close they were to their mother and by their desire to be with her. The grandparents sought joint custody and wanted to make the educational decisions for the children. After three and a half years of litigation, the mother finally regained sole custody of her children. Unfortunately, not all such cases have this positive an ending.
These kinds of stories are not unusual. In fact, recently a widow, whose husband was killed in the military overseas, was sued by the paternal grandparents within two weeks of her husband's death. Hundreds of families have lived through such nightmares. Others continue. The Texas Supreme Court has ruled in two such cases-in 2006 and 2007-in the parents' favor. In both cases, after the Supreme Court's ruling, the local judge allowed the grandparents to simply file suit again. These and many other parents face the stark choice of bankruptcy or yielding to the unreasonable demands of grandparents regarding the upbringing and education of their children.
In 1995 the Texas legislature amended the Family Code to allow grandparents to sue parents, or others who had custody, for access to their grandchildren. This type of legislation has been adopted in virtually every state in the nation, driven by powerful senior citizen groups. The purpose was to allow a means to have access for grandparents who were being kept from their grandchildren. This change has had unintended consequences that are destroying Texas families and undermining the fundamental right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. The law was amended again in 2005 to allow grandparents to sue for actual possession, in addition to mere access. The statute sets a lower standard of evidence required for access or possession than is required under other parts of the Family Code for custody. That must change. However, in the last legislative session, THSC Association supported HB 3971 by Bryan Hughes, which would have addressed many of these issues in the current law. The bill did not pass.
How do we restore parental rights in this area and stop this abuse?
We must change the law!
The first step in changing this law is to make Texas home schoolers and all parents aware of the problem and how and why the law needs to be changed. THSC will support the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA) in the legislative session next year. Please forward this information to others. The TPRRA will be modeled on HB 3971 from last session. For more information on this legislation and reasons that this law needs to be amended, read the talking points and the commentary.
The second step in changing the law is to speak now to your legislators (state representatives and state senators), while most of them are running campaigns for election or reelection. If they have contested races in the primary or general election, they will very likely be much more responsive to any questions or concerns that you have. In fact, when I asked a legislator earlier this week to co-sponsor the TPRRA, he told me that a home schooler had spoken to him a week before on the issue and that he would be glad to make that commitment. I also received a call from another legislator whose home school constituents brought her a copy of the February issue of the THSC Review magazine with an article on the issue. They convinced her to support the legislation. Those candidates whom THSC PAC has endorsed and who have committed to co-sponsoring the TPRRA will be noted on the PAC Web site. If your legislators or candidates for state House or Senate have not made that commitment, call them and ask them to do so. The more calls they get on this, the more seriously they will view the issue and the more likely they will be to sign on as supporters.
The third step in fixing this problem is to elect legislators sympathetic to our cause. We need to have a heavy voter turnout of home schoolers in the primary election on March 4. THSC PAC plans to mail this message to every household on the THSC list (almost 60,000), encouraging people to vote for candidates who support parental rights and to get their friends and family to do so as well. When candidates see and hear from many voters on this issue and have these same families support their campaigns and help them get elected, they will more likely be in favor of this issue before they even get to Austin.
In order to do the mailing, we must raise $25,000. I often tell candidates that THSC PAC is like Peter in Acts, "Silver and gold have I none." What we do have, however, is lots of home schoolers who are willing to spend their time and effort to help elect good candidates who support parental rights. When we have been able to raise the funds to do such a mailing in the past, we have always received feedback from some who tell us the only reason they voted was because they had received our mailing and knew for whom to vote. Early voting starts on February 19th, and we need to send this mailing as soon as possible. If you can make a contribution to help us accomplish this goal, it would move us much closer to amending the law and protecting parental rights to direct the education and upbringing of their children. You may contribute online. When you get to the payment screen, type "PAC Contribution" in the special instruction box. (Please note: PAC contributions are not tax deductible.) You can also send a contribution to THSC PAC, PO Box 6221, Lubbock, Texas 79493.
The fourth step is to repeat this process during the general election in November, to finish electing to the Texas legislature candidates who believe that a parent's right to direct the education and upbringing of their children is fundamental and must be protected.
Another step in this process will be participation in the interim committee study of this issue, which has been established for review in both the Texas House and Senate. We will make parents aware of the hearings that are held and encourage people who have suffered such problems to give testimony. These committees will make a recommendation to the legislature next year about changes to the law that should take place. If you are not on the THSC PAC E-Newsletter list, please register for free regular updates on this and other issues of importance to the home school community of Texas.
Next year THSC Association will lead the fight to gain support for the TPRRA at the legislature and in meetings and rallies across the state. We will also sponsor a rally at the Capitol on this issue to show grassroots support to restore parental rights.
Please pray for THSC Association and as we seek to use all the means at our disposal to restore parental rights. Time is short before the primary, but we have already seen significant movement on the part of many legislators; you can help us turn the tide in favor of parental rights with your participation and support.
With your help and God's grace, we can restore parental rights in Texas in the next two years!
In your service,
Tim Lambert
P.S. In addition to working on the TPRRA, we are also endorsing the effort by ParentalRights.org to amend the U.S. Constitution with language that would state unequivocally that a parent's right to direct the education and upbringing of his/her child is a fundamental right under the Constitution. This group has a five-year plan to amend the Constitution as a further protection of parental rights. For more information on that effort, visit ParentalRights.org.