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Register now for the June 5-7, 2008 ICHE Annual State Convention at Calvary Church in Naperville
Click below to see the convention portions of the Alliant magazine with all the speakers, workshops and important information! Early registration rates for the convention apply until April 26th. For All your ICHE 2008 State Convention Information, click here! Click below to see the list of Vendors who will be at the State Convention. There are NO Vendor Hall Only Passes.(see reason below) For a list of the convention vendors and contact info, click here! Click below to REGISTER ON LINE for the State Convention Tuesday May 20th will be the last day to register on line. If you haven’t registered by then, you can register at the door. We do not take Discover cards. There are no Saturday only passes, if you would like to come Saturday only, purchase a two day conference pass. For Online registration Click Here! If you would like a form to mail in or to bring to the conference, the Alliant has a form you can use. To print out a registration form to mail in, click here!
Why there are no Vendor Hall only passes: The main purpose of the convention is to instill and renew the vision of Christian home education for families desiring to pursue it. The speakers who are invited to come are sought with this in mind! The workshops set the foundation on which to build, and the effectiveness of the tools available in the vendor hall depends upon it. In order to maintain this objective, vendor-hall-only passes are not available. The vendor hall is truly an added benefit for those who attend the convention. We appreciate your desire to access the vendor hall, and encourage you to come. Below is a list of all the wonderful choices you have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks at Calvary's Cafe - without leaving the building!
CALVARY CAFE MENU
The Grill
Hamburger 2.35 Italian Station
Pizza by the Slice Create Your Own Pasta Pasta Meal w/Breadstick 6.75 Comfort Station
This station consists of homemade “comfort food”. There are two main course meat choices and various side casseroles, vegetables, etc. (i.e macaroni & cheese, sautéed vegetables, corn bread casserole, mashed potatoes & gravy, etc.) Comfort Platter 6.75 Soup & Salad Bar
Small Salad 2.25 Stir Fry Station
They get to choose their meat (chicken, shrimp, and steak), a variety of fresh vegetables, and stir fry sauces (teriyaki, orange ginger, general taos, etc). This meal is served with their choice of white rice or fried rice
Stir Fry Meal 6.50 Design a Dog
This is station of Vienna all beef hot dogs, Italian sausage, and Spicy sausages, every topping imaginable, assorted buns, rolls, and pitas. They can get their dogs & sausages any way they want them! Snacks/Desserts
Cookies & Muffins 1.50 Beverages
White Milk 0.85 All prices subject to change, verify at the convention.
The 12 Most Common “Transcript Transgressions” Committed by
By Inge Cannon, Education PLUS
All parents who home educate their children must prepare a written statement that summarizes academic achievements during the teen years. While there are no specific format requirements for the high school transcript, a little bit of knowledge about the process and necessary contents will help you avoid 12 common impediments to producing unimpeachable credentials. #12 Inattention to Graduation Date You may indicate this important date anywhere in your transcript layout, but you must not omit it. Month and year are not enough. A specific day has to be cited. If your student has not completed all the high school work by your graduation event, there is nothing wrong with adding a “summer school” session to finish up. However, if an extension of a couple of months is insufficient, then you should edit your graduation date appropriately. #11 Inadequate Validation Transcripts demand signatures in order to be considered valid. Don’t worry about the titles of “principal” or “head teacher,” but do include after your signature a designation of any degrees you have earned (e.g., John Doe, M.D., Jane Doe, B.S.N., or A.A., B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., etc.). In some cases, home school transcripts may need to be accompanied by an affidavit that certifies the accuracy of the document. Since this is not a routine requirement, however, you can wait until it is requested to produce one. The bottom line is that you should sign the document and provide current contact information (telephone number or e-mail address) in case the reader needs further clarification. #10 Incomplete Student Identification At the very minimum, you need to indicate the student’s full legal name, birthdate, gender, current address, and the names of parents or legal guardian. When you list parent names, remember to include both mother and father if both parents are living in the home. Many home school mothers make the mistake of listing o
#9 Inaccurate GPA Calculations Most of the academic world today uses a simple 4.0 scale for calculating Grade Point Average (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0). But that’s where the simplicity ends! Some schools provide an extra grade point for advanced courses (these are called “weighted” grades), and some states want grades listed numerically instead of by letters. It is not unusual for colleges to ask for both a “weighted” GPA and an “unweighted” GPA. Be sure to label which one you are providing. There is also a continuing debate about whether “plus” or “minus” grades should be treated differently from a solid letter (i.e., giving more point value to an A than to an A-). So what’s a home educator to do? Know what grade point scale is most desirable to facilitate your student’s goals, and use it consistently. Remember the basic GPA formula: multiply grade points for a given course by credit(s) assigned for that course. Add the list of grade point extensions for all courses, add the credit totals, and finally divide the grade point total by the credit total. Report your final GPA with a number that extends at least two digits beyond the decimal point.
#8 Improper Length
Many parents confuse the concepts “transcript” and “portfolio.” A transcript is actually an academic résumé—as such, it should be limited to two pages—better yet, two sides of one sheet of paper! #7 Insufficient Documentation While home schooling is a completely viable educational choice, some people in the education establishment will question student records that are completely parent-produced. Thus, anything you can do to support your claims with external evidence and careful record keeping will be helpful. Collect items such as a bibliography of all resources used for high school studies, letters of recommendation (and evaluations, if possible) from anyone who works with your child, transcripts for college courses taken during the high school years, research and writing samples, test score reports, etc. Provide a spot on the transcript where you can list the items you are sending as attachments. Whenever you claim a “weighted” grade for advanced achievement, you should have some outside corroboration, such as CLEP scores, AP evaluations, college transcripts, or at least a bibliography of college level text materials. #6 Imprecise Course Titles Since you want the reader of the transcript to know at a glance what your child has studied, create course titles that are as specific to the student’s achievement as possible. If you want to expand a World History course from one credit to two credits, don’t list “World History I” and “World History II.” Instead, use titles such as “Ancient World History” and “Modern World History.” In English classes, cite “American Literature, “ “British Literature” “Literary Genres,” “Journalism,” “Research Writing,” etc. In work study or apprenticeship areas, provide titles such as “Introduction to Carpentry,” “Finish Carpentry Skills,” “Small Engine Repair,” “Orientation to Nutrition,” or “Computer Applications for Accounting.” (Hint: Community college catalogs are a great source of ideas for course labels.) #5 Inconsistent Evaluation Because there are many learning experiences at the high school level that require subjective evaluation, the o
#4 Inflexible Rigidity Conventional schools tie the assignment of credit to spending a designated number of hours in classroom attendance and outside preparation. The formula for this requirement varies anywhere from 120-200 hours of work, depending on the definitions involved. In order to assign credits with integrity, parents have to balance the need for recognizing that not all classroom time is productive and the need to avoid inflating their own tutorial advantage. Since home schooling is not classroom-oriented in the traditional sense, it is crucial that parents apply some flexibility to their report of Carnegie Units earned. If your student finishes the “Algebra I” textbook in four months instead of taking a full school year, that “Algebra I” course still receives a full Carnegie Unit of credit. Likewise, if the student takes two years to complete that “Algebra I” course, the course receives one Carnegie Unit of credit. But tutorial life is not that easy in those subjects for which you don’t have conventional textbooks. Here you will need to have your student keep a time log of hours invested to achieve the prescribed outcomes. I also heartily recommend writing a “contract” with your student to specify what must be done by what deadline to earn an A, a B, or a C in the course. This agreement will help you tailor each credit you assign to the task list required for mastery.
#3 Irrational Fear
Have you ever thought about the fact that your success as a home educator should not be measured by how closely you imitate the educational program of public or private schools (i.e., scope and sequence, teaching methods, scheduling, etc.) The diploma you grant to your child is a certification that he/she has met your own school’s requirements for graduation, and the transcript provides the details of that process. Your child does not have to satisfy the entrance requirements of any college in order to graduate from high school—though it certai
Your family’s home school is not a satellite of the public school system. Thus, your graduation requirements do not have to duplicate the specific list of state graduation requirements. It is completely reasonable, acceptable, and desirable that your child can graduate from high school with strategic adjustments in the credit sequence that reflect talents, gifts, interests, life skills, apprenticeship, spiritual discipleship, etc.
#2 Impromptu Delivery
Procrastination—no matter how legitimate your reason—will always damage your ability to create a high school transcript that presents your student’s work in the best possible light. If you wait until the last minute, you will forget important details, forfeit crucial edits, and circumvent the creativity that should earmark the utorial lifestyle of learning that home education is all about.
#1 Irresponsible Omission The number one transcript transgression that I see far too often is not doing a transcript at all! No parent can see the future. Can you say with certainty that your children will never attend college? Will you prepare transcripts for them when they turn 40? What about the benefits you could receive even before graduation in the form of a “good student discount” on auto insurance premiums? Did you know that high school credentials are also increasingly used for security clearance purposes? Make no mistake about it—producing a high school transcript is a non-optional obligation!
© Education PLUS, A Division of The Cannon Group, Inc., 2007. All rights reserved. Inge Cannon has been in the business of helping parents translate everything they do in their home schools into “educationese” for more than 20 years. Her own background as a teacher, principal, college dean/professor, curriculum developer, and lobbyist for parental rights in education has prepared her well for the production of TranscriptPro, a special software program that makes transcript production easy and accurate. TranscriptPro will not provide you with mere templates—instead it works as a wizard to guide you through the necessary data entry process one step at a time until you reach the final goal of professional presentation. Inge’s CreditPro card system for keeping time logs will enable you to delegate important record-keeping responsibilities to your student, and if you need more help, Inge’s Transcript Boot Camp on DVD is available to answer just about any question you can imagine! Don’t procrastinate—the best time to hear this seminar is when your oldest child turns 11! Details are available at www.homeschooltranscripts.com CONVENTION UPDATES!
Update number FIVE
Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior! It’s because of Him we do what we do … change diapers, do the dishes, launder dirty socks, serve our husbands, teach our children. Weary not in well-doing!
Among our many duties as home school moms, meal planning is most likely toward the top of the list. “Give us this day our daily bread” is a prayer that has been answered in an abundant way for the convention as finding “bread” will be easier than ever! Calvary’s new addition includes not only a coffee shop but also a cafeteria! So … options aboard ship have increased:
1. Calvary’s Café – “The Gallery” – View the menu on our website! 2. Coffee Shop – “The Canteen” – Refreshments abound! 3. Bring food with you. ~OR~ 4. Choose from oodles of local area restaurants!
“Rations” can be found in the ship’s gallery – The Café! They provide an extensive, affordable menu, and time won’t need to be spent driving to find something to eat – how convenient! The “Canteen” (coffee shop) will be a sweet spot for all you coffee lovers … no further explanation needed! Several canteens will be set up throughout the building as well. Bringing your own food is also an option, and restaurants in the vicinity are numerous. Food and drinks are welcome anywhere in the church except the Sanctuary or the Seminar Room.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be ready when you are! The Gallery and Canteen will be open from dawn until dusk to accommodate those of us who need our morning cup of coffee or haven’t had breakfast … and if you plan to utilize the evening shopping hours in the Exhibit Hall, dinner won’t take any time at all! The hours for Calvary’s Café and Coffee Shop will be printed in the convention handbook for quick reference and are as follows:
The Gallery (cafeteria) will be open: Thursday: 1:45pm–3pm and 4pm–7:30pm Friday: 7:45am–9:30am, 11am–2pm, and 4pm–7:30pm Saturday: 7:30am–9:30am, 11am–2pm, and 4pm–7:30pm
The Canteen (coffee shop) will be open when registration begins until the Exhibit Hall closes!
These new additions will prove to be a tremendous blessing, especially for helping what seems like limited time together to be a little less limiting. We encourage you to take advantage of the provisions aboard ship!
Wishing you all fair weather! The ICHE Convention Committee
¨ 2008 ICHE Annual State Convention takes place June 5-7 at Calvary Church in Naperville. ¨ Register online at www.iche.org. ¨ ICHE Office: 1-847-603-1259
Update number FOUR
Dear Fellow Seamen, Do you ever ask, “Why am I doing this?” You are not alone! You may be feeling tossed about on the seas of curriculum or overwhelmed and inadequate in the ocean of home education – or point blank at the “end of your rope”. Good news! He leads us beside still waters! The Home School Oasis is a place where you can find refreshing, peaceful waters to replace the stormy gales in your home, whatever they may be. Veteran home educators who know how to read the compass of home education and are able to tell you which way is north can be found at the Home School Oasis. Get your questions answered and your discouragements dispelled! Home educating couples with a variety of backgrounds including those with large ships, small boats, or special needs vessels will be happy to take some time with you to listen and share from their experience as well as offer direction. Curriculum experts and those who have pulled their children out of the system will also be available. Maybe you know someone needing personal encouragement, too. Tell them about the Home School Oasis … it may be just what they need! The Oasis will be set apart in a quiet corner of the Exhibit Hall and ready to serve you. Come away with the confidence of knowing where to drop your anchors! Gladly swabbing the deck Your Shipmates at ICHE ICHE Office: 1-847-603-1259 Update Number THREE May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. James 1:22 says, "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only!” An added blessing of attending the convention is the Exhibit Hall. Hearing the Word of God spoken throughout the sessions will increase our faith, and the materials available at the exhibits will help us put it into action! And … being back at Calvary Church allows us to keep the workshops and the vendors in one building! Most of us can probably attest to the fact that no two children are alike! The course of study we use to teach one may not be what we need to teach another. Sometimes we don’t even know what’s available or which curriculum would be best for our family for any given topic, but seeing it can help us make these decisions! Veteran home educators who can provide you with helps as well will be in the Oasis, located in a quiet corner of the Exhibit Hall. The array of resources you’ll find at the exhibits is vast. Whatever your teaching style or your child’s learning style, whether you are looking for a set curriculum or want to create your own, you will find what you need! We encourage you to take advantage of selecting your educational materials while you are at the convention. Please keep in mind that the Exhibit Hall is open to conference attendees only. Time just for shopping has been incorporated into the convention schedule on Thursday and Friday evenings until 8:30 and on Saturday until 6 pm. We are looking forward to seeing our regular vendors and having a glimpse of some new exhibits. There are over 60 vendors! Desiring His best, Your Friends at ICHE Update Number TWO "Taste and see that the Lord is good God is good!" His faithfulness to us is evident as we see His hand at work on our behalf. This year we will be back at Calvary Church in Naperville. Over the past several years, we have missed the warm atmosphere of the church – and being under one roof! Their construction is now complete, and they are bigger and more beautiful than ever. It will be good to be back! Their new addition means many added benefits:
Come and experience the goodness of the Lord! Believing to see His goodness, Your friends at ICHE Update Number ONE Anchored in Christ, the Hope of Glory “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Hebrews 6:19a ICHE would like to invite you to come. We are vessels with many anchors, and there is security in knowing where to drop them – especially today! This convention is being planned with the purpose of causing the anchor of your home school to become more firmly imbedded in Christ, the Word of God. It is our prayer for you to hold fast with confidence your calling to educate your children. We serve a GREAT God and look forward to the great things He will do in our midst this year. Where two or more are gathered in His name, He shows up! He comes with power and salvation, faith and victory, help and hope, life and increase, wisdom and strength … His resources never end! Come with expectation in your heart to receive what the Lord has to give. A gift is unique in that you don’t know what it is until you open it. We don’t know all the details of what the Lord has in store for June, but we do know that His gifts are always good and that He has something for you. We are looking forward to coming together! Details are in The Alliant. Anchored in Christ, The ICHE Board and Convention Committee
Praise the Lord for a wonderful conference! Thank you for your support. Would you like to buy a copy of any of the workshops? One workshop on CD is $7.00 or $3.00 for a workshop on MP3. The entire conference on MP3 is $79.00. Click here to order from Best Christian Conferences.
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