Insects :: Incredible and Inspirational

EXODUS MANDATE-WV

The GOOD NEWS

THE POINT HAS BEEN POWERFULLY PROVED: HOMESCHOOLING IS GREAT!
(NO NEW ITEMS WILL BE ADDED AFTER JUNE 16, 2022.)

NOTE: This page is not limited to West Virginia good news.

Mother and Son Earn Degrees Together at Worldwide Campus Commencement

“This is a tears-of-joy and one of the highest-milestone moments for our family,” said Kevinia Pramono-Rizqi, who homeschooled her son, Nyson, for the past eight years while the family ran their business, AeroProc, which transports fuel to remote parts of the world using air tankers and transports heavy equipment using special-mission helicopters. “Walking in graduation together is a mark to ourselves — we did it! Nyson is only 18 years old and graduated with an associate’s degree in Aeronautics." Pramono-Rizqi graduated with her Master of Business Administration in Aviation degree, with an emphasis on International Business
https://news.erau.edu/headlines/mother-and-son-earn-degrees-together-at-worldwide-campus-commencement

Homeschool Grad Creating Tiny Lasers to Improve the Internet

At age 7, Ted Morin began his education at the kitchen table, with his mother jotting down teaching highlights as a reminder of what he needed to learn. Today, he’s working on his PhD. Using technology he hopes to improve—the internet… By the end of the 11th grade Ted had already taken introductory college courses through an online program offered by Stanford University… He hopes to help design more precise and efficient lasers.
https://hslda.org/post/homeschool-grad-creating-tiny-lasers-to-improve-the-internet

Homeschool Grad Creating Tiny Lasers to Improve the Internet

13-year-old Minnesota youth set to graduate from college

Elliott Tanner is maintaining a 3.78 grade point average at the University of Minnesota and is participating in undergraduate research while also tutoring classmates. He wants to be high-energy theoretical physicist and ultimately a professor of physics at the university. “I have an incredible passion for physics,” he said. “It’s been one of my favorite things to do.” Elliott's mom, Michelle Tanner, said he started reading and doing math by age 3. Following a few years of homeschooling and a high school curriculum that took him two years to complete, he began taking college classes when he was 9.
https://afn.net/ap/united-states/13-year-old-minnesota-youth-set-to-graduate-from-college/

Homeschooling and LEGO: A Conversation with Mark & Steven Erickson

Mark and Steven Erickson…won Season Two of LegoMasters…Mark & Steven were homeschooled their entire lives…These young men are articulate, caring, humble, highly creative, and joyful.
https://thebacktoschoolblog.com/2021/10/homeschooling-and-lego-a-conversation-with-mark-steven-erickson/

From Homeschooler to MIT Professor

Matthew Shoulders grew up in the Appalachian Mountains on a small Virginia farm where he and his five siblings were homeschooled… Matt spoke fondly of his homeschooling experience and how it fostered in him a love of books and pursuit of knowledge. He wanted to give back in some way. So he decided to launch a summer internship program in his lab specifically geared toward homeschooled students who were interested in chemistry and scientific research.
https://fee.org/articles/from-homeschooler-to-mit-professor/

19 Year-Old CEO is Model Example of How Homeschooling is an Effective Solution

Headed by 19-year-old Summer Day Brooks, Discovery K12 has been providing a world-class education to kids on a global scale for the last decade. As the first student of Discovery K12, Brooks is a model example of how homeschooling is an effective solution for children to learn and excel.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/24/2391564/0/en/19-Year-Old-CEO-is-Model-Example-of-How-Homeschooling-is-an-Effective-Solution.html

The Brainy Bunch! Parents whose TEN homeschooled children all started college before age 13 insist the kids 'AREN'T geniuses' - and claim anyone can achieve the same success with a few simple methods

The parents of 10 children who all started college before the age of 13 insist their precocious sons and daughters are 'not geniuses' - instead crediting their 'efficient' homeschooling regimen for their family's academic success…Those of the Harding siblings who have already graduated from college have gone on to become doctors, architects, spacecraft designers and lawyers…

Monalisa, said: 'The nature of homeschooling is so efficient - anyone can do it. 'It's just about parents dedicating the time to get it done and prioritizing their children's education above all else. 'We're not a wealthy family. We had to make sacrifices so that I had the time to teach each of them individually.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10216505/Homeschooling-efficient-say-parents-10-kids-started-university-13.html

Their strong faith in God is the foundation for their achievements, they believe; another pillar is their deep love for their children and for each other… Although strongly Christian-based, the methods defined here could work for others willing to buck convention and go the home-schooling route.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kip-harding/the-brainy-bunch/

See them interviewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWYtmH7-eg

2020 Score and Demographic Data

Annual testing scores for Mountain State homeschoolers have been climbing steadily since 2016-2017, at which time they were 15 points higher than their public schooled counterparts. Based on data from the hundreds of WV homeschooling students assessed through CHEWV’s testing program, we see WV homeschoolers currently scoring, on average, 21 points (42%) higher in the five core subject areas for the 2020-2021 academic year than their peers in the government schools.
https://chewv.org/2020-score-and-demographic-data/

Upshur student a National Merit semifinalist

Maria Gjolberg, a homeschooled high school senior in Buckhannon, has been named a semifinalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Gjolberg’s family has experience with National Merit success, as her oldest brother, Kyle Gjolberg, was a 2010 National Merit Finalist and Merit Scholar, and her oldest sister, Mercy (Gjolberg) Sullivan, was a 2015 National Merit Finalist. Maria has received recognition for her national exam scores before. She was also a 2020 Classic Learning Test Regional Scholar, which means she scored in the top 5% of her geographic region, including 12 states in the Southeast region of the United States. During her high school years, she has received gold medals for her performance on the National Latin Exam, which is administered by the American Classical League. This test is given every March to Latin students across the United States and around the world.
https://www.theintermountain.com/news/local-news/2021/10/upshur-student-a-national-merit-semifinalist/

Homeschooled student wins National Constitution Bee

A homeschooled senior from Tennessee won this year's National Constitution Bee, showcasing his superior knowledge of the nation's founding document. Braeden Farley of Spring Hill, Tennessee won the tournament's top honor of Grand Champion, as well as a $10,000 college scholarship. Farley is the second person in his family to bring home the Grand Champion title, behind his elder brother, Noah, who captured the top prize in 2017.
https://justthenews.com/nation/homeschooled-student-wins-national-constitution-bee

WVU kicker returns to his old school, Cross Lanes Christian, to talk to students

For students at Cross Lanes Christian School, the starting kicker for the West Virginia Mountaineers has a special connection - he is one of theirs. Casey Legg was a student at the school before he ever lined up to boot the ball through the goalposts at WVU. He returned Monday to speak with students at the Cross Lanes school about what game days are like and how his faith helps him get through his days on campus and the field. Legg is not just making a name for himself with his “leg.” He was a member of the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2020, nominated with a 4.0 grade point average.
https://wchstv.com/news/local/wvu-kicker-returns-to-old-school-cross-lanes-christian-to-talk-to-students

Parkersburg Catholic Elementary School first-grader wins essay contest grand prize

A first-grade student at Parkersburg Catholic Elementary School was the grand prize winner of the SMART529 “When I Grow Up” essay contest sponsored by the West Virginia Treasurer. Aurora Kibble was among 15 regional winners announced earlier this year. She was randomly selected as the grand prize winner during a live event on Facebook. Kibble wrote about her dream of becoming a surgeon… Kibble will receive $5,000 invested in a SMART529 Direct account… The regional winners, their schools and their dream professions are: Region Five: Aurora Kibble, Kindergartener at Parkersburg Catholic Elementary, surgeon.
https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/community-news/2021/09/parkersburg-catholic-elementary-school-first-grader-wins-essay-contest-grand-prize/

Zaila Avant-garde wins this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee (2-21)

Avant-garde is the first homeschooler to win the coveted prize since 2000.
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/zaila-avant-garde-wins-this-years-scripps-national-spelling-bee

FROM ABC News 2001:

Home Schoolers Lead Spelling Bee

Unlike public school students with their strict schedule of subjects, Mindy can dwell as much as she wants on spelling. Home-schooled children began showing up at the spelling bee a decade ago. And their numbers have steadily increased. Even though students taught at homes make up just 2 percent of the entire school age population, they are more than 10 percent of the finalists in this year's national spelling bee. They will make up an even higher percentage at National Geographic Society's National Geographic Bee.
https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130988&page=1

Home schooling leads to ice cream truck business

Together with her husband, Dustin, they recently purchased an ice cream truck in April. As people were already familiar with its name, “Curb Side Treats,” the Hollermanns decided to keep the name, she said. As the Hollermanns homeschool their four children, Tucker, 12, Josie, 11, Nora, 9, and Adeline, 4, they continuously look for ways to enhance their children’s education. Wanting to teach them about finance, the children are involved in everything it takes to run a business, from learning what it means to be a limited liability company (LLC) to how to manage a business bank account. “Not all classrooms have four walls. This classroom happens to have four wheels,” Angela said. https://www.hometownsource.com/morrison_county_record/home-schooling-leads-to-ice-cream-truck-business/article_411b6bf6-bf2b-11eb-aa4b-4f9eab103a0d.html

Parkersburg Catholic High School Valedictorian Joseph Ferch seeks new horizons

During the school year, Ferch would win two categories in the 2021 Wood Whispers, high school short story for “Lost at Sea” and high school poetry for “Spineless.”.. Ferch joined the tennis team on a whim for the first time in high school this past spring. Previously playing for the middle school team, Ferch did well for a newcomer at the high school level. He made it to the single’s fourth seed semi-finals at regionals…President of Interact Club, National Honor Society and religious activities coordinator on Student Council, Ferch was also his class’ valedictorian…Ferch will be attending West Liberty University in the fall, with plans to double major in cybersecurity and computer information systems.
https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/community-news/2021/05/teen-of-the-week-parkersburg-catholic-high-school-valedictorian-joseph-ferch-seeks-new-horizons/

Texas Black teen graduates from college at 15, will pursue MBA

His journey to graduating high school and undergrad early started when Schlitz’ parents pulled him out of public school and began homeschool at the age of 7. It was a move his dad, William Schlitz, said was the best option… In the Taylor Schlitz household, with parents who value education and passed it onto their children, mediocre learning inside traditional school was not an option. “My wife and I were unwilling to sacrifice our children, their mental health and well-being just so we could say we live in a good suburban district,” the older Schlitz says.
https://thegrio.com/2021/05/13/texas-teen-graduates-college-15/

This ASU student started taking college classes at 12 and now is graduating with 2 degrees

Being homeschooled from a young age allowed her to explore what she loved to learn about the most: science, Alcazar said. It also opened doors for her to explore other interests she still pursues today — music being one of them — and for her to begin her college career at age 12… Her sister, Emily Alcazar, graduated in 2019 with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering at age 17. Katie Alcazar, her youngest sister, is on her way to graduate in the next two or three years with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert-education/2021/05/03/gilbert-teen-graduates-asu-2-degrees-part-family-tradition/4898287001/

Grace Christian School holds annual 'Serve-a-Thon'

In Cabell County, dozens of students rolled up their sleeves Friday morning to help spruce up the Huntington community. Friday marked the 28th annual "Serve-a-Thon" at Grace Christian School.
https://wchstv.com/news/local/grace-christian-school-holds-annual-serve-a-thon

‘Almost Heaven’ student art exhibition winners announced

Elementary School Division
3rd Place
Kassadi McNaughton, Grade 5
Home school student, Berkeley County

High School Division
3rd Place
Abby Manzo, Grade 9
Home school student, Jefferson County
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/almost-heaven-student-art-exhibition-winners-announced/

Homeschooled en route to Harvard The reasons to homeschool are as varied as the students who do it. Some want a more experiential learning environment; others wish to customize their subjects. Still others choose to homeschool based on family dynamics. Sometimes it’s a matter of convenience. The students who come to Harvard by way of homeschooling exemplify all these reasons and more. The three profiled here share a spirit of curiosity and independence that continues to shape their education.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/02/three-harvard-students-on-lessons-of-homeschooling/

Hitting All the Right Notes: Homeschool Grad Admitted to Royal Academy of Music

One member family wants everyone to know that, based on their own daughter’s recent success, homeschooling can and will prepare students for exciting opportunities after high school. After graduating from the family’s homeschool program in Indiana, Anna (not her real name) was accepted this fall into London’s Royal Academy of Music.
https://hslda.org/post/hitting-all-the-right-notes-homeschool-grad-admitted-to-royal-academy-of-music

Soccer player turned kicker for WVU: Cross Lanes' Casey Legg lands dream in Morgantown

Casey Legg grew up a soccer player, but has suddenly found himself front and center on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Legg never played football at any level growing up. He only began kicking since February 2018, just more than two years ago. But he's now a Division 1 kicker at a Power Five school. Legg never played football at any level growing up. He only began kicking since February 2018, just more than two years ago. But he's now a Division 1 kicker at a Power Five school. Legg never played football at any level growing up. He only began kicking since February 2018, just more than two years ago. But he's now a Division 1 kicker at a Power Five school. The Cross Lanes native began playing soccer at the age of 4, but after finishing high school at Cross Lanes Christian, he decided to give football a try. So he walked on at West Virginia University…Legg never played football at any level growing up. He only began kicking since February 2018, just more than two years ago. But he's now a Division 1 kicker at a Power Five school.
https://wchstv.com/sports/top-sports/plenty-of-legg

Mom Of 13-Year-Old Who Earned His 4th Associate Degree Shares What Works For Her ‘Old Soul’ Son

Thirteen-year-old Jack Rico is a little different from you and me: For starters, he’s already got four associate degrees under his belt. He recently earned his fourth degree from Fullerton College and will very likely continue to challenge himself academically in the years to come. It turns out that both Jack and his sister are homeschooled, and his mom credits this choice as the game-changer for Jack. Ru said, “Homeschooling was never on my radar, ever,” but that in third grade, Jack was clearly growing frustrated with what school offered him, and she thought it would be worth a shot…Ru decided to homeschool Jack when he was in third grade. She explained, “Common Core was introduced and he was getting really frustrated. I knew I had to do something. I knew he was in the wrong learning environment. So one day I just said, ‘That’s it, we are gonna try homeschooling!'” She also shared that homeschooling was a great fit from the start. “On our first day of homeschooling we were learning together and there was just this moment where we looked at each other and just knew this was going to be fun. I reached across the table and grabbed his hand and apologized for not homeschooling him sooner.”… Ru said that Jack’s older sister also homeschool…As a lot of homeschooling families learn, the at-home model of instruction can definitely offer you a lot more flexibility, even in the same home…In her interview with People, Ru also acknowledged that Jack isn’t extra-smart; he’s just really focused: “Jack is not a genius, he just works really hard.
https://www.littlethings.com/thirteen-year-old-jack-rico/6

Two Southern Homeschooling Artists Built Their Dream Eco-Friendly Home Together And It’s Perfect

As “a la cart” homeschooling parents to three creative children who thrive when they’re outside and as muddy as possible, they knew that they needed something that could handle their family…The end result is pretty flat-out cool: Libby came up with a “passive solar design” home that she describes as a “simple modern ranch clad in Corten weathering steel to blend in with the natural surroundings.
https://www.littlethings.com/southern-passive-solar-design-home/?utm_medium=google

There’s a new path to Harvard and it’s not in a classroom

18-year-old Claire Dickson is entering into Harvard College this fall.What got her into the most famous school in the world, one with a record-low 5.3% acceptance rate?Homeschooling, she tells Boston Magazine.Dickson is one of the 2.2. million kids homeschooled across the country. It's a rising trend…
https://www.businessinsider.com/homeschooling-is-the-new-path-to-harvard-2015-9?op=1

Famous Homeschooling Family (The Duggans)

Are home-schooled children smarter?

Why are homeschooled kids so annoying?

Homeschool: Propaganda Vs. Reality (Shattering the myths)

The news concerning Christian schools and homeschooling is overwhelmingly good!

Below are some samples. Please send me any items you think would be good.

Homeschool Success Stories

‘We're just average folks': The family sending all ten of their home-schooled children to college by the age of 12

Florida 'supermom' of 16 homeschools kids, shuttles them to 88 sports practices weekly

2020 Golden Horseshoe Student Winners
This recognition honors students with the highest achievement in knowledge of West Virginia history and culture…The top-scoring students in each county receive the prestigious award… The exam tests students’ knowledge of West Virginia citizenship, civics and government, economics, geography, history and current events, and is considered one of the greatest honors bestowed upon students in West Virginia.
https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/more-than-200-wv-eighth-graders-named-knights-of-the-golden-horseshoe/

Karl’s notes:

At least one homeschooled child received the award, but (for some reason) the “homeschool designation was not listed.

John Summers, of Clay County, is homeschooled.

There were three Christian school winners:
Brylee Rowe, Little Kanawha Valley Christian School
Rebekah Newsome, Mountain View Christian School
Drake Odell, New Life Christian Academy

Fairmont Catholic School and Parkersburg Catholic High School each had a winner while St. Francis Central Catholic School had three winners. In Kanawha County, out of 13 winners, 11 were from Charleston Catholic High School.
source: https://wvde.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020-GoldenHorseshoe-Winners-v3.pdf

TVCS grad goes to Washington
When Lydia Sylvester walked the halls of Teays Valley Christian School for the last time in 2017, little did she dream that just two years later, she would be walking the halls of the White House. Many steps had to be taken in two years to bring this dream about, but Sylvester was up to the challenge. She completed her bachelor of arts program in political science at Marshall University in two years, earning Cum Laude honors and Dean’s List distinction. After graduation, she applied for the White House internship program… “I was placed in the Office of White House Communications and the White House Press Office,” Sylvester explains. “I assisted the staffers in executing their daily tasks more smoothly. Each morning, I would pull front pages from all across America that mentioned the Trump administration in any facet. This helped the White House know what people were talking about and why.”…Her time was divided evenly between the Communications and Press Offices. She credentialed the press for White House events. Assisted staffers during open-press presidential events. Created media trackers for official travel…These days, Sylvester is no longer walking the halls of the White House. She is still always on the go though, as a full-time Press Advance Representative for the Donald J. Trump for President 2020 re-election campaign.
https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/putnam_news/tvcs-grad-goes-to-washington/article_d215957a-423c-5449-8640-0e8f0c3e79b6.html

Putnam County 2020 Spelling Bee Results
Twenty-two talented student spellers traveled from across Putnam County to compete in the 2020 Putnam County Schools Spelling Bee hosted at Buffalo High School on Thursday, January 9, 2020. After an hour and a half long bee ending in 7 Rounds, we crowned a new PCS Spelling Bee Champion. Congratulations to Carleigh Lewis of Teays Valley Christian! Carleigh correctly spelled the anticipated Championship Word, “officiant,” receiving the title of 2020 Putnam County Spelling Bee Champion! Runner-Up for the evening was Blake Lipscomb of Calvary…
http://www.putnamschools.com/headlines_and_features/putnam_county_2020_spelling_bee_results

Senator Manchin announces service academy nominations
https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/senator-manchin-announces-service-academy-nominations/

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin says he will nominate 40 West Virginia students from 16 counties to the U.S. Service Academies.

Naval Academy
Elizabeth Kay (Charleston Catholic High School)
Chris Martineau (Home School, Martinsburg)
Kelly Martineau (Home School, Martinsburg)
Thomas Minor (Wheeling Central Catholic School)

Air Force Academy
Kaitlin Nester (Charleston Catholic High School)

Merchant marine Academy
Victoria Carson (Home School, Summersville)
Brent Robinson (Notre Dame High School)

West Point
John Rush (Notre Dame High School)

Scripps 2019 National Spelling Bee Stats

Participants: 24 Home (4.2%)

https://spellingbee.com/bee-week

Here are some that caught my eye:

Caitlin Higuchi Speller No. 6 Milpitas, California Milpitas Christian School, San Jose, California

Storrie Kulynych-Irvin Speller No. 66 Annapolis, Maryland Home School, Annapolis, Maryland

Mason Montgomery Speller No. 84 Waddell, Arizona East Valley Home Educators, Mesa, Arizona

Cole Masterman-Smith Speller No. 127 Vidalia, Georgia Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Lyons, Georgia

Karina Montoya Speller No. 222 Land O' Lakes, Florida Odessa Christian School, Odessa, Florida

Kyra Hutchison Speller No. 286 Kalispell, Montana Flathead Home Educators, Kalispell, Montana

Immanuel Soh Speller No. 299 Omaha, Nebraska Nebraska Homeschool, Omaha, Nebraska

Tyler Want Speller No. 346 Pierre, South Dakota For His Glory School, Pierre, South Dakota

Christopher Gugleta Speller No. 355 Austin, Texas Holy Family Homeschoolers, Coupland, Texas

Jaden Zhang Speller No. 369 Ontario, Canada Jenx Home School, Richmond, Ontario, Canada

Enya Hubers Speller No. 395 Ontario, Canada Hubers Home School, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Michael Kolagani Speller No. 440 Austin, Texas Brentwood Christian School, Austin, Texas

Camille Mooney Speller No. 458 Charles Town, West Virginia St. James Homeschoolers, Charles Town, West Virginia

Charlotte Walsh Speller No. 470 Arlington, Virginia Compass Homeschool Enrichment, Oakton, Virginia

Hephzibah Sujoe Speller No. 562 Fort Worth, Texas Bethesda Christian School, Haltom City, Texas

Gabriella Agunanne Speller No. 541 El Paso, Texas Faith Christian Academy, El Paso, Texas

Kieran McKinney Speller No. 521 West Salem, Wisconsin McKinney Homeschool, West Salem, Wisconsin

https://spellingbee.com/meet-the-spellers

Grace Christian School in Cabell County holds annual Serve-a-Thon
Grace Christian School is hosting its 26th annual Serve-a-Thon. Students are doing several projects throughout the area, including serving the Ronald McDonald House, Facing Hunger Foodbank and Lily's Place. The students are clearing brush, picking up trash and cleaning up to provide a service to their community. "Our shirts this year say ‘Called to serve.’
https://wchstv.com/news/local/grace-christian-school-in-cabell-county-holds-annual-serve-a-thon

2019 KCS Spelling Bee Results
Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Kanawha County Schools Spelling Bee and great job to all participants. Our winner, Jeeya Patel (JAMS), will participate in the regional bee on March 9th. Results: Jonah DiCocco (Charleston Catholic) - Runner-Up
https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/Article/4994/2019-kcs-spelling-bee-results

Basketball Award
The five-player All Kanawha Valley boy’ basketball first team included Charleston Catholic senior, Robby Williams.
Charleston Gazette-Mail 3-11-19

9-year old Putnam County boy is a published author
A 9-year Putnam County boy has done something not a lot of kids his age have done. Cole Angel is a published author…A 9-year Putnam County boy has done something not a lot of kids his age have done. Cole Angel is a published author…Cole dedicated his book to Amy Garnett, his 3rd grade teacher at Calvary Baptist Academy.
https://wchstv.com/news/local/9-year-old-putnam-county-boy-is-a-published-author

Homeschool Running Club offers training to kids and parents alike
A new Homeschool Running Club is welcoming all interested families to join them for a fun workout experience. The club meets in Teays Valley at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays at Valley Park and in Charleston at 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays at Joplin Park. The participants — kids and parents of all ages and levels — are currently training for a Marshall University 5K race in November…She also mentioned that they attend the HEAT - Home Educated Archery Team - in Nitro. Homeschooling in general is becoming more popular and advanced…(T)he contemporary homeschool system has come a long way and nowadays offers plenty of activities to help cover that. For one, the groups have formed that meet on weekly basis and provide a sound curriculum, structure and guidance to parents and children. Many zoos, museums and other establishments offer special times and rates for homeschooling groups. And a lot of parents emphasize the abundance of "field trips" and "hands-on experiences" as their favorite part of the process.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/putnam_news/homeschool-running-club-offers-training-to-kids-and-parents-alike/article_9f9c13ca-73ab-5e7f-bf61-0fbb28545b5b.html

WV Scholar semifinalists named
Fifteen West Virginia high school juniors have been named semifinalists in the 11th West Virginia Scholar program and remain in the running for a full scholarship at West Virginia Wesleyan College. The following students were named Monday as semifinalists ”
Alanna Claypool Clarksburg, WV Apostolic Christian Academy
Kameron Lucky Summersville, WV New Life Christian Academy
http://wvmetronews.com/2018/05/07/wv-scholar-semifinalists-named-2/

CLCS Moves on to State Math Field Day
Congratulations to Ryan Walker, 5th Grade, for placing 2nd in the Regional Math Field Day competition on Thursday March 15, 2018. He will move on to complete at the State Math Field Day in April to be held at Marshall University! Way to go Ryan!!
http://www.crosslanes.org/clcs-moves-state-math-field-day/

Huntington Christian school hosts Serve-A-thon
Students at a school in Huntington have been giving back to their community for 25 years. Grace Christian School is hosting its annual Serve-A-Thon event. Each year, students take a day to do projects around the school and at organizations in the area. They spent Friday morning clearing trash from Beech Fork State Park and Ritter Park or helping out at the Ronald McDonald house and the Facing Hunger Foodbank. "There's a lot of trash around here so it’s important to help out around our school to show what we really stand for," Jonathen Holderby, sixth grader, said.
http://wchstv.com/news/local/huntington-christian-school-hosts-serve-a-thon

Research on Homeschooling Tells Us Plenty
(R) esearch points to positive effects being associated with parent-led home-based education. In 11 of the 14 peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement, there was a definite positive effect on achievement for the homeschooled students.
http://archive.aweber.com/nheri2010-1/In6Zi/h/Tells_Us_Plenty_Research_on.htm

Homeschooler Edith Fuller Becomes Youngest Qualifier of National Spelling Bee
At the tender age of 5, she’s the youngest child to win a regional spelling bee. And because of this win, she will also be the youngest to ever compete in the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C… “Fuller beat kids more than twice her age at the Scripps Green Country Regional Spelling Bee this past weekend, outlasting dozens of other students and correctly spelling 37 words in around five hours of competition. Her final word, ‘jnana,’ is a Sanskrit word that refers to an elevated state of knowledge. Other words Fuller had to spell to earn her way to the national bee in Washington, D.C., include sevruga (a type of caviar); virgule (an accent mark); Nisei (a child of Japanese immigrants who is born in the U.S.); jacamar (a long-billed bird); and alim (a Muslim scholar).”… While little Edith is certainly talented, it’s unlikely this talent would have been recognized at such a young age except for one thing: she is homeschooled.
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/homeschooler-edith-fuller-becomes-youngest-qualifier-national-spelling-bee

From West Point to Points West: Alaska’s First Homeschooled State Rep.
The former soldier, high school debater, and self-described over-socialized-Southern-Californian-turned-Alaskan is carving a path as the first homeschool graduate (so far as he can tell) elected to the Alaska State Legislature… Though Eastman’s online high school program followed the classical model, his peripheral activities were more eclectic. A partial list includes academic competitions, water polo, swim team, Boy Scouts—even a state championship in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association debate league. His parents also made sure he could focus on what fascinated him the most: the story of how our nation was founded and the events that shaped it.
https://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ak/201705090.asp

Math Champion Wins With Answer About Pecking Chicks
A 13-year-old boy from Texas won a national math competition on Monday with an answer rooted in probabilities — and a dash of farming. The boy, Luke Robitaille, took less than a second to buzz in at the Raytheon Mathcounts National Competition with the correct answer…For Luke, a seventh grader from Euless, Tex., who is home schooled, the victory meant beating a teammate from Texas in the final round. As national champion, he will receive a $20,000 college scholarship and a trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala…A written test was given on Sunday to 224 contestants; the 12 highest-scoring students advanced to the final round on Monday…Lou DiGioia, executive director of Mathcounts, said the contestants’ achievements were the results of endless hours of practice and coaching and not necessarily innate math abilities. “These are not natural prodigies,” he said. “Nobody watches a basketball game and says, ‘Oh, LeBron James was born that way.’
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/math-counts-national-competition.html?_r=0

Family credits home schooling for success
The number of students being home schooled is on the rise. According to the West Virginia Department of Education for the 2015-16 school year, more than 11,000 students were home schooled, which is up from 7,000 just five years before…Arianna Smith graduated high school a year early and is now going to West Virginia University majoring in Chinese with a triple minor. Those are accomplishments she attributes to home schooling. (Her brother) Christian recently graduated from The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina.
http://wchstv.com/news/local/family-credits-home-schooling-for-success

Must 'Bee' in the family: Kelly Mills continues sisters' spelling legacy
A family legacy continued Saturday afternoon as Kelly Mills became the 2017 Gazette-Mail Regional Spelling Bee champion. The homeschooled seventh-grader from Shady Spring sailed through 14 rounds, successfully spelling "crustacean" as the winning word…Kelly's older sisters, Erin and Katie, who were the 2010 and 2016 regional spelling bee champions, respectively, sat in the auditorium watching intently as Kelly spelled forsythia, indigenous and rheumatism with ease… When they're not winning spelling bees, the Mills sisters enjoy piano, dance, skiing and reading. Debbie said they are all very supportive of one another.
http://www.register-herald.com/news/must-bee-in-the-family-kelly-mills-continues-sisters-spelling/article_e835e66e-b56c-52f5-ab03-0fccd5329447.html

Meet 5-year-old Edith Fuller, the youngest ever to win regional spelling bee
Edith beat out more than 50 other students at the Oral Roberts Global Learning Center on Saturday to earn a trip to Washington, D.C., and a spot in the national spelling bee.
“I feel thankful,” said Edith, who represented the TBC Home Education Fellowship in the competition. The spelling bee featured competitors from elementary and middle schools throughout northeast Oklahoma.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/meet--year-old-edith-fuller-the-youngest-ever-to/article_dca62a05-8062-509f-a351-a2cda66e93d3.html?mode=jqm

Homeschool team claims state title
The ‘Lectric Legends, a local high school robotics team comprised of nine home educated students, recently returned home with the highest honors from the FIRST Tech Challenge Kentucky Championship, the group announced.
The tournament, held on the campus of Owensboro Community Technical College, included teams from Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana.
http://www.theandersonnews.com/content/homeschool-team-claims-state-title

Private school, home-school students to represent Fayette in regional bee
With the calm and steady spelling of “confidence” and “sultan,” Mountain View Christian student Colby Atkins took home the mantle of top speller at the Fayette County Spelling Bee. Atkins out-spelled 32 other competitors across 15 tense rounds. Second-place speller Christopher Smith, a home-schooled student…This is the second year in a row Atkins and Smith will represent Fayette County at the Gazette-Mail Regional Spelling Bee in Charleston this March.

Atkins said he begins studying in earnest about one month before a bee, spending about an hour each day. The aspiring meteorologist said he used to be nervous before competitions but has done it so many times his nerves no longer bother him. Smith said his mom drills him on his words to prepare for the bees. As an aspiring lawyer, he said he enjoys the sense of competition and hopes his achievements at the bees will help him get into a good college later on.
http://www.register-herald.com/news/private-school-home-school-students-to-represent-fayette-in-regional/article_9e0e3789-be5c-5ee8-a6e3-77e6b2a0f2f9.html

(Regional Spelling Bee Winners)
She didn't get any surprise school cancellations. She didn't get an intercom announcement saying buses would be leaving early due to weather. She didn't get to hear her mom come into her room and whisper, “You have a snow day. Go back to bed.”… On national holidays, Debbi, Katie's mom and home-school teacher had to stand her ground. Yes, she knew that most of Katie's friends would be enjoying the day in their pajamas. But no, they couldn't take a day off…During this year's regional bee, held March 12 at Capital High School's auditorium in Charleston, Katie didn't ask for a single definition. In fact, she didn't ask the judges for any form of help. She knew the words, so she spelled them…Katie is one of five spellers competing from West Virginia. She is joined by Andrew Gould of Weston (homeschooler), Lucas Mooney of Charles Town (homeschooler), Asritha Sure of Morgantown and Mariana AlKhouri (Catholic School) of Wheeling. (Bold font added.)
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-education/20160521/raleigh-regional-spelling-winner-heads-to-national-spelling-bee

(Christian School Students are Successful Investors)
Representatives of Canyonville Christian Academy explain that the circumstances of their exclusion from the Capitol Hill Challenge, run by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association ,… The challenge is a competition in which students start with a hypothetical equity in the stock market, pick stocks to buy and sell, and tally their results according to the real results on Wall Street. Canyonville’s team won the national competition both in 2014 and 2015…While the national competition has been going for only a little over a decade, state competitions have been going on much longer, and at that level, Canyonville has virtually controlled the title, winning 26 of the last 28 state competitions…SIFMA had praised the school when it won in 2014, noting the students’ hypothetical investments started with $100,000 and ended up at $185,888.92.
http://www.wnd.com/2016/05/christian-students-excluded-from-contest-not-backing-down/

Providing Community Ade
[Caption to a large (about half-page) color picture of a boy with a green t-shirt (reading “Live-Love-Serve) sitting behind a lemonade stand on page 7A of the Charleston Gazette)
Will Conley, a student at Huntington’s Grace Christian School, offers passing motorists on 14th Street West, in Huntington, free lemonade Friday morning. The students of the school were taking part in a “serve-a-thon,” during which they provide volunteer activities for their community. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20160408/GZ01/160409580

Grace Christian named a School of Distinction
Grace Christian School was recently named a School of Distinction by the American Association of Christian Schools. The designation has been given to only two other schools in the association's membership of more than 800 schools. Grace is a regionally accredited, evangelical Christian school located in Huntington's West End… For 38 years, Grace Christian School has been providing an outstanding educational program supported by excellent test scores and over 600 graduates successful in all walks of life.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/dan-brokke-grace-christian-named-
a-school-of-distinction/article_c9707fe3-aeeb-5349-ba54-c812558ae1e4.html

Third time's the charm for championship speller
Katie Mills spelled “peccadillo” on Saturday to become the 2016 Gazette-Mail Regional Spelling Bee champion. Katie, a 13-year-old home-school student from Raleigh County, bested 37 other spellers in the hours-long bee. It was her third time spelling in the bee. She now advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will be in May…While this was Katie's first time holding the trophy, her family has experienced victory before. Katie's older sister, Erin, competed in the regional bee four times, and was the top speller in 2010. Her younger sister, Kelly, also is a speller, and competed in last year's bee as Raleigh County's runner-up.
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20160312/third-times-the-charm-for-championship-speller

FCA first-graders share ministry
When teachers of Faith Christian Academy were asked to partner with a local nonprofit, first-grade teacher Kim Pryseski had no idea how much joy this was going to bring her and her students… Burlington United Methodist Family Services is a foster care ministry that provides services to children from birth to 18 years of age. These children may have suffered from abuse and neglect and may have emotional or physical challenges or other circumstances, which make them unable to live with their family of origin. Each student was assigned a foster child and asked to provide items for them when they are taken into the foster care program. The first-grade students rallied around this organization and brought in bags of items including clothing, blankets, toiletries, journals and toys…

Faith Christian Academy is located in Martinsburg and was established in 1983. They are an inter-denominational Christian school with over 50 different churches represented. Serving Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, it offers Christian education in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The mission of Faith Christian Academy is to provide the highest quality academic and Biblical world-view training in an environment that encourages spiritual, academic, social and physical growth.
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/634947/FCA-first-graders-share-ministry.hml

Faith Christian graduates say they are ‘leaving family’
"It's an emotional time often. Many of these students we've had here since pre-K or kindergarten at the same school, the same location, so we've gotten to know them really, really well. The family atmosphere here is really important and special to us, so it is kind of like all of us graduating another member of our family," (the administrator) said… With the smaller class size, the school was able to personalize the graduation ceremony for students and parents, from displaying poster boards of the students' time at school to a "meet the graduates" senior video, he said. Kerns described this graduating class as strongly academic, earning more than $315,000 in scholarships. This is the 26th commencement ceremony for Faith Christian Academy.
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/635564/Faith-Christian-graduates-say-they-are--leaving-family-.html?nav=5006

16-year-old Illinois girl to enter Ph.D. program
Thessalonika Arzu-Embry is ahead of her class... way ahead. The 16-year-old girl, who lives with her family at Great Lakes Naval Station, has a masters degree and is now going for her doctorate. She was home schooled and started college at 11. This fall, she's starting a Ph.D. program in aviation psychology. "I feel honored for the opportunity to help others at an early age. I feel very glad to enter college and help people," Arzu-Embry said. In addition to her scholastic success, Arzu-Embry has already written three books.
http://6abc.com/education/16-year-old-illinois-girl-to-enter-phd-program/722899/
See video of her praising God.

Black Homeschool Students Outscore White Public School Students--New Study
A new study, released by the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI, www.nheri.org ), finds Black homeschool students outscoring White public school students on achievement tests.
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/5196875796.html

Lansing Homeschoolers Defeat Okemos for QuizBusters Grand Championship
In a QuizBusters championship series of games seen on WKAR-TV on Saturday, April 25, the Lansing Homeschoolers Chargers defeated the Quincy Orioles and the Okemos Chieftains to take home the title of QuizBusters Grand Champion for 2015…The two Division Championship teams each receive up to four $5,000 tuition scholarships to Michigan State University. The Grand Champion team receives five one-year textbook scholarships provided by the Student Book Store… High school students from over 60 Michigan schools have been seen competing on WKAR-TV since October to reach the QuizBusters Championship Series.
http://wkar.org/post/lansing-homeschoolers-defeat-okemos-quizbusters-grand-championship

Spelling bee to feature two Raleigh County sisters
Having had three daughters advance to the Gazette-Mail Regional Spelling Bee, the Mills family of Raleigh County knows how to spell the word “dynasty.”The family will once again be represented in Saturday’s bee by Katie Mills, last year’s runner-up, but she also will be joined by her younger sister Kelly. The two sisters turned competitors were named Raleigh County winner and runner-up in January… Perhaps the friendly atmosphere is owed to Katie, a 12-year-old seventh grader, and Kelly, a 10-year-old fifth grader, spending extra time together. The two sisters have been home schooled for the last two years.
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150314/GZ05/150319490/1101

Local Students Lauded At West Liberty Science Fair
The scientists of tomorrow showed off their knowledge this weekend at West Liberty University, as the school hosted its annual regional science and engineering fair… Marguerite Demasi of St. Vincent de Paul Parish School won the grand prize in the junior division, while home school student Luke Rapp earned runner up.
http://theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/626573/Local-Students-
Lauded-At-West-Liberty-Science-Fair.html

Putnam County spelling Bee
Kathryn Alley of Teays Valley Christian School was named the runner-up.http://www.wsaz.com/news/wvnews/headlines/Winner-Named-in-
Putnam-County-Spelling-Bee-288773671.html

Manchin, Capito announce service academy nominations
U.S. Air Force Academy: Dominic Raymond, Trinity Christian High School; Jacob Hanni, Teays Valley Christian High School
U.S. Naval Academy: Sean L. Timberlake, Seton Home Study School
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141223/GZ01/141229711/1101

Children’s theater group puts on classic story “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”
Murphy is one of only two adults in the production. Kennie Bass plays Aslan. The rest of the cast are children…“I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly talented these children are. They take it seriously. You don’t get the impression that anyone is there just because their mom wanted to see their little kids dancing around onstage,” she said…The Children’s Theater of Charleston’s production of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” opens at the Charleston Civic Center’s Little Theater.
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20141210/DM07/141219892
(Karl’s comment: According to the cast biographies in the program there were 47 children. Three attend Teays Valley Christian School, five are homeschooled, two attend other private schools, and ten did not list a school. Of those ten, one said, “I like to volunteer at church.”)

Cross Lanes Christian offers unique opportunities
The school’s campus — which includes four classroom buildings, a gymnasium and a soccer field — sits on 42 acres. 265 students, grades K-12, attend the private school. - “We’re adding Advanced Placement courses to the curriculum. We’ve added some specialty teachers, which gives us the opportunity to expand our course offerings. We’ve added an online school where students can take additional courses towards college preparatory diplomas. Our curriculum is an advanced curriculum.” 95 percent of the school’s graduates go on to four-year colleges. “Our students rank, comparatively, to their national counterparts about two years ahead on every grade level,” Riley said

“We’ve opened our doors as a service organization to home-schoolers so we can be kind of a co-op for them,” Riley said. “If home-schoolers desire to, they can come in to the school and take a couple of courses. We also have made some provisions for them to participate in our athletics and in our extracurricular activities.”
http://www.kvneighbors.com/article/20141029/ARTICLE/141029084

Bright Futures for 2013 SMART529 Contest Winners
Fifteen West Virginia school children could be on their way to a brighter future with a SMART529 college savings plan after winning regional awards in the 2013 “When I Grow Up” essay contest. The 15 were selected out of more than 4,500 entries from all over West Virginia, and each wins a $500 SMART529 WV Direct account….One of the winners: Chloe 7 Homeschool Wood Restaurant Chef.
http://www.smart529.com/cs/Satellite?c=HLI03Article&cid=1287784872114&p=
1150849293065&pagename=
College_Savings%2FHLI03Article%2FCSNewsArticle

At 23, she's youngest woman elected to Florida Legislature
Voters in the district that covers northern Orange and Lake counties answered yes at the polls, electing by six percentage points the home-schooled daughter of North Lake Tea Party founder Patricia Sullivan to a two-year term… Sullivan used the slogan "A Fresh Voice" during her yearlong campaign, which featured 20-somethings and some teens too young to vote waving her campaign signs at the busiest street corners in Mount Dora and Apopka. Many were friends from TeenPact, a Virginia-based leadership school for Christian students… She was widely viewed as the most conservative choice in the five-candidate race…Yet she won with less money and without big endorsements…Sullivan, who has worked at a blueberry farm, as a baby sitter and a waitress at a tearoom in Mount Dora, is halfway toward a college degree, taking online classes through Liberty University, an evangelical Christian university in Virginia.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-jennifer-sullivan-youngest-legislator-20140830,0,5770480.story?page=2

Friendship Christian School Receives Prestigious Apple School of Distinction
Friendship Christian School is one of 220 schools in the nation to be recognized as an Apple School of Distinction for the 2013-2015 school years…The Apple designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence and demonstrate Apple's vision of exemplary learning environments.
http://www.nationalchristian.org/school-news.cfm

Christian school dream of Pastor Everett Palmer
“The Lord had laid it upon my heart that we needed a school here,”… So he went to the members of his church, a congregation of around 30. “They were scared, but we went for it,”… And last year, the Worthington Christian School was founded. They operate out of the basement of the church. The first year, they had nine students. This year, the school has grown to 16 students. The Palmers’ three children are among the students there. Only two of the students are members of the congregation…“We’re all volunteers here. This is not a business,” Palmer said. “The little tuition we charge, we try to keep the lights on.”… At its current location in the church basement, the teachers and students have to pack up the school and move all of the desks twice a week to make room for church activities.
http://www.timeswv.com/local/x1724064344/Christian-school-dream-of-Pastor-Everett-Palmer
Pastor Palmer went on to build a one room school single-handedly.

Highschool Graduate, Business Owner, and Scholarship Recipient
At the young age of 16, Dyer, Indiana resident Joshua DeBoer is a highschool graduate, a business partner for Tech Team 911, and now a scholarship recipient… He was homeschooled at the Deboer Homeschool Academy…Homeschooling allows students to excell at their God-given talents and provides them with an uplifting, encouraging enviroment to pursue their dreams .
http://www.hslda.org/cms/?q=blog/bright-spots-highschool-graduate-
business-owner-and-scholarship-recipient

It's a tie! Two boys win 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee
For the first time in 52 years, two spellers were declared co-champions of the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday. Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, New York, and Ansun Sujoe of Fort Worth, Texas, shared the title after a riveting final-round duel in which they nearly exhausted the 25 designated championship words. After they spelled a dozen words correctly in a row, they both were named champions.
(http://www.cbsnews.com/news/its-a-tie-two-boys-win-2014-scripps-national-spelling-bee/)

Ansun Sujoe of Fort Worth, Texas is a student at the Bethesda Christian School in Fort Worth.
(http://www.stargazette.com/article/20140529/NEWS01/305290059/Sriram-
Hathwar-makes-final-run-Bee-tonight)

Sriram Hathwar attends an Alternative School for Math and Science in Corning, New York .
(http://www.ithacajournal.com/viewart/20140529/NEWS/305290052/Sriram-Hathwar-advances-Bee-final)
The tuition for ASMS is $11,500 for the 2013-2014 academic year.
(http://www.tasms.com/Home/Home)

Area DAR announces winners of Good Citizen, essay contests
The Kanawha Valley Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution has announced the local winners of the 2014 Good Citizen Award and the NSDAR American History Essay Contest. This year’s recipient is of…the American History Essay Contest for the sixth grade is Michelle Dailey…She is homeschooled.
Gazette-Mail Metro Putnam April 9, 2014, p. 10

2014 Gazette-Mail Regional Spelling Bee
(Katie) Mills, co-winner for Raleigh County, and Riffle, winner for Jackson County and last year's runner-up, battled it out until Mills took second place by correctly spelling "ghastly." Mills, a sixth grade home school student, said she was nervous during her spell off with Riffle, but was relieved when it finally ended.
http://www.thecharlestongazette.com/News/201403220082?page=1

Homeschool Students Excel in Moot Court
The annual National High School Moot Court Competition took place March 23-24. This year, homeschool students brought home top honors once again. Drawing public, private, and home school students from across the country and around the world to participate in simulate appellate court proceedings, moot court tests the students’ reasoning and oral advocacy skills, as well as their comprehension of the judicial system and Constitutional law. Around 130 students competed this year in three preliminary rounds on the Washington College of Law campus.
http://www.hslda.org/cms/?q=blog/bright-spots-homeschool-students-excel-moot-court

U.S. Department of Education: Homeschooling Continues to Grow! 9-3-13
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released an eagerly awaited report on the number of homeschool students in the U.S. The report showed that the number of homeschool students has grown by almost 300,000 since the last report in 2007. This report was first conducted in 1999, when the NCES found that approximately 850,000 students were homeschooled. In 2003, NCES found that this number had grown to 1.1 million. And in 2007, NCES found that 1.5 million students were homeschooled. The new report concludes that approximately 1,770,000 students are homeschooled in the United States—3.4% of the school-age population.
http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/2013/201309030.asp

Patrick Henry College
Patrick Henry College was officially opened in the year 2000. Although the college has been known as the “homeschool” college, Patrick Henry College is open to all students, public or private, who seek a high-quality classical education. The average SAT score of the most recent freshman class is 1313. This is a remarkable achievement for a college which has only been open since 2000. Patrick Henry College has surpassed a majority of American colleges in the quality of its students and is poised to compete with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
http://www.hslda.org/docs/hshb/81/hshb8135.asp

Teays Valley Christian School Student Receives Earth Day Award
Rachel Pence, a junior at Teays Valley Christian School. Received the Earth Day 2013 Award from the National Society of High School Scholars.cc(The completion) was open to high school students across the country…Rachel has designed six T-shirts to create awareness for the animals that need us most.
Gazette Mail Metro-Putnam June 26, 2013

Students conduct ‘trial’ at courthouse
A criminal trial was in sometimes-heated session for two hours at the Putnam County Courthouse on April 25, with Circuit Court Judge Joseph Reeder presiding. What made this particular courtroom drama out of the ordinary was the composition of the defendants, plaintiffs, attorneys and jury. They were all members of the Challenge B Classical Conversations home-school classes, on assignment in a real-life judicial setting. Classical Conversations is a home school group which offers tutor-led seminars one day per week for grades K through 12. The Challenge levels of Classical Conversations are for middle school- and high school-age students. Classical Conversations has campuses in Teays Valley, Barboursville and Sissonville.
http://www.metroputnam.com/news/201305040024

Fine Arts Festivals Awards
The Christian Home Educators of West Virginia participate yearly in West Virginia Christian Education Association (WVCEA) fine arts festivals along with Christian school students from across the state. Several “Superior” scores were received for Classical Piano, Spelling, Music Theory, and Sacred Piano.
http://www.christianhome-educatorswv.com/2013-Results.html.

2.3 Million Homeschoolers SavingTtaxpayers $16B February 15, 2013
"Families engaged in home-based education are not dependent on public, tax-funded resources for their children's education," NHERI founder Dr. Brian D. Ray states. "The finances associated with their homeschooling likely represent over $16 billion that American taxpayers do not have to spend since these children are not in public schools."
http://ww2.onenewsnow.com/education/2013/02/15/nheri-23-million-
homeschoolers-saving-taxpayers-$16b

West Virginia Homeschool Test Scores

In 2011, Christian Home Educators of West Virginia funded a research study of West Virginia’s homeschooled students. The statewide study assessing the academic achievement of homeschooled students found that “academic achievement test scores are very high” among the state’s homeschooled students. The study evaluated scores on national standardized tests in areas of reading, language, math, social studies, and science. On average, the state’s homeschooled students scored in the top twenty to thirty percent of all students nationwide in every academic area measured.

Reading ………………………… 82

Language ………..……………. 77

Math …………………………….. 70

Science …………………………. 80

Social Studies ……………….. 78

The national norm for government school students is 50.

See more good news data at http://www.chewv.org/Study_Brochure5.pdf.

Compare the above to West Virginia government school test performance.

Mountain View Christian School students honored for their academic achievements September 19, 2012
Mountain View Christian School students took part in the Fayette County Spelling Bee, Math Field Day and Social Studies Fair during the past school year. Several students won first place in the county and were able to compete in the regional and state fairs.
http://www.fayettetribune.com/local/x2056654451/Mountain-View-
Christian-School-students-honored-for-their-academic-achievements

The Best Spellers June 1, 2012
West Virginia had four students in the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Two were from Catholic schools and Thomas Aldridge of the Harrison County Homeschoolers, (Bridgeport) was the fourth participant.
http://www.spellingbee.com/about-bee-week

Careful Study Finds Homeschool Advantage April 19, 2012
Multiple studies over 30 years have consistently found positive things associated with homeschooling...(What about academic achievement?) The children who received structured homeschooling were superior to the children enrolled in public school across all seven subtests... Martin-Chang and her colleagues concluded that the “... evidence presented here is in line with the assumption that homeschooling offers benefits over and above those experienced in public school”
http://www.crosswalk.com/family/homeschool/careful-study-finds-homeschool-advantage.html

The 2012 Junior Iditarod Winner is Conway Seavey who is homeschooled and in the ninth grade.
http://www.mushing.com/articles/content.php?vw=1,,6,1141

The Great Commision Academy team was a 2012 finalist in the Team America Rocket Challenge (TARC). Team America Rocketry Challenge 2009 is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry, with co-sponsorship by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Defense Department, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and 34 AIA member companies. (http://www.rocketcontest.org/pdf/2012_finalists.pdf) The Great Commission Academy of Indianapolis, IN, is an association of home-schoolers. Nearly 7,000 students on 690 teams attempted to qualify for the Team America Rocketry Challenge.
http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/1838/125/#axzz1viLmYUhQ

Conservative Christian Schools Earn Higher Standardized Test Scores
“Statistics indicate that students in conservative Christian schools earn higher standardized test scores in mathematics, reading, science, and writing compared to their public school counterparts…” Ironically, these same schools are often criticized for using non-state certified textbooks or employing teachers that are not state certified. A recent study investigated “…the effectiveness of Christian-published science textbooks in preparing students for college-level science courses as measured by the Science Reasoning subtest of the ACT college entrance examination.” The study revealed that there was no difference the Christian high schools using Christian-published science textbooks as compared to those using secular-published science textbooks. Guthrie, J.M., (2009). The effect of the use of Christian-published science textbooks on the ACT Science Reasoning Subtest Scores of Midwest Christian high schools (Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University).
http://www.libertychristianredding.com/high-school/

Regional Christian School student wins West Virginia state award
An eighth grade student attending the Regional Christian School at Delbarton received a very pleasant surprise on Friday, when a representative of the Recycling Coalition of West Virginia announced that she was the winner of a contest that had over 6,000 entries from all regions of the state.
http://williamsondailynews.com/bookmark/17320629

Young lady, Big Impact
Lila Rose, a homeschool graduate and recent UCLA graduate, has dedicated herself to building a culture of life and ending abortion. At age 15, Lila founded Live Action, a youth-led organization which works to expose abuses in the abortion industry and advocate for human rights for the pre-born. Lila is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, including The O'Reilly Factor, The Glenn Beck Show, CNN, EWTN, and The Laura Ingraham Show. Numerous newspapers have also covered her work, including feature pieces by Reuters, the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and National Review. CNN featured Lila in a documentary, “Right on the Edge.” Lila has written for magazines and news groups including Politico, the Hill and First Things.
http://www.hslda.org/docs/hshb/108/hshbwk2.asp

2011 Spelling Bee
The second-place in the regional bee went to an eighth-grade boy from Grace Christian School. First place went to a Catholic school student.
http://wvgazette.com/News/201103121265

Math Field Day Winners
Three of the top ten 10th, 11th, and 1 th grade 2011 Putnam Coounty Math Field Day winners were from Teays Valley Christian School. The students finished in 2 nd, 5 th, and 9 th places.
http://www.dailymail.com/News/PutnamCounty/201102060799

Stats show definite climb in home schooling
"One researcher estimated that back in the mid 1970s, there were only about 13,000 home-school children in America," Ray reports. "By around 1990, it had gone up to 275,000. By about a decade ago, it was up around 1.2 million, and now we think it's around two million. So that's huge growth, no matter how you look at it."
He adds that about 15 percent of the estimated two million are minorities.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=1271214

Study Shows Homeschoolers Succeeding in College
There is a growing body of research demonstrating the academic success of homeschoolers. The most recent major study is the Progress Report 2009, which surveyed over 11,000 homeschooled students, and showed homeschoolers K–12 scoring an average 37 percentile points above the national average on standardized achievement tests. However, as the homeschool movement has grown—by 7% per year for each of the past 10 years according to the National Center for Education Statistics—there has been little research on the academic performance of homeschoolers once they reach college.
http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/201008030.asp

Home schoolers headed to world finals
Odyssey of the Mind is an educational program in which students from around the world use creative techniques to solve problems ranging from building devices to interpreting history and literature.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1953088

Homeschool boy receives congressional medals
An article in a 2007 edition of “The Home School Court Report” sent a rural Mendota boy on a path that culminated in the presentation of the Congressional Award bronze and silver medals by U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete) on Saturday. Timothy McNally, 16, independently pursued the award through a program open to youth ages 13-1/2 to 24. The award is based on personal development and public service. http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/nci/default.asp?article=20389&aname=
VIDEO%2C+STORY%3A+Mendota+boy+receives+congressional+medals

Area Homeschooled Students Are National Merit Semifinalists
Two Harrison county homeschooled students have been named semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.
http://www.chewv.org/InTheNews.html

HOMESCHOOLERS BEAT NATIONAL AVERAGE ON ACT
Homeschoolers taking the 2009 ACT, a standardized test assessing high school achievement for college admission, scored a full point higher than the national average. http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Oct09/Art_Oct09_11.html

Hurricane Home Schooler wins West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Fellowship Competition
Christian Smith, a Hurricane home schooler, won the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Andrew and Amy Vaughan Symphonic Fellowship Competition. This competition was open to all West Virginia high school students who study piano, saxophone, or an orchestral instrument.
http://www.chewv.org/InTheNews.html

12 Year Old Boy Wins NYSE Contest
A 12-year old homeschooled boy, Fabian Fernandez-Han, won the 2009 Financial Future Challenge. It was sponsored by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and K-12. Fabian and his family was just flown to New York City for a special ceremony on January 11, 2010 where he was awarded a $2,500 check. http://www.homeschool.com/news/article.asp?title=12+Year+Old+Boy+
Wins+NYSE+and+K12+Contest&p=782

Home-Educated Canadian Adults Excel
A (2009) study reveals that home-educated adults in Canada excel in all measured areas of adult life, including education level, religious observance, civic and community participation, life satisfaction, and income. t he study found that, when measured against the Canadian average, home-educated adults were more socially engaged and almost twice as likely to have voted in a federal election. Their average income was higher, with more self-reliant sources of income, such as investments and self-employment. In fact, of all respondents, there were no cases of government support as the primary source of income. The respondents were happier in their work and about their lives in general. They also have more varied recreational pursuits. The study notes, for example, that the respondents “were much more likely than the comparable population to have read books and attended concerts of classical music or theatrical performances.” Overall, when reflecting on the value of being home-educated, most felt that it was an advantage in their adult life.
html and http://www.hslda.ca/cche_research/2009StudySynopsis.pdf

Nobel Prize for Physics goes to a man that was homeschooled
The Nobel Prize Winners for 2009 were announced this past week. One of the winners of the Noble Prize for Physics was a man who was homeschooled in his younger years, Dr. Willard S. Boyle. Dr. Boyle was raised in the logging community of Chaudiere (Canada), where his father was the resident doctor. His mother homeschooled him up through the 8th grade; after which he attended Lower Canada College in Montreal through graduation.
http://www.homeschool.com/news/article.asp?p=715

Homeschooler Wins First Place in an Essay Contest
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) announced the winners of this year's high school essay contest, "Freedom in Academia", on December 15, 2009. The first place winner was (homeschooler) Nathaniel Cornelius.
http://www.homeschool.com/news/article.asp?title=Homeschooler+Wins+
First+Place+in+an+Essay+Contest&p=758

Harrison teen wins national Bible Bee
Daniel Staddon, a homeschooler from Harrison County, has never competed in a spelling bee. He's never competed in a geography bee. But earlier this month he became the first-ever winner of the National Bible Bee - taking home a sizable trophy and $100,000.
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200911260440

Homeschoolers beat average on entrance exams
Homeschoolers, who have scored an average of 37 points higher than all students on standardized tests, now have been shown to get better results on college entrance exams, too.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=108131

Home schooling up: family bonds, religion cited
According to the U.S. Department of Education's National Household Education Surveys Program, about 1.5 million children were being homeschooled in 2007, compared to 850,000 in 1999 -- a 74 percent increase.
http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=thetowntalk&sParam=31385515.story

New Nationwide Study Confirms Homeschool Academic Achievement
In short, the results found in the new study are consistent with 25 years of research, which show that as a group homeschoolers consistently perform above average academically. The Progress Report also shows that, even as the numbers and diversity of homeschoolers have grown tremendously over the past 10 years, homeschoolers have actually increased the already sizeable gap in academic achievement between themselves and their public school counterparts-moving from about 30 percentile points higher in the Rudner study (1998) to 37 percentile points higher in the Progress Report (2009). As mentioned earlier, the achievement gaps that are well-documented in public school between boys and girls, parents with lower incomes, and parents with lower levels of education are not found among homeschoolers. While it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion, it does appear from all the existing research that homeschooling equalizes every student upwards. Homeschoolers are actually achieving every day what the public schools claim are their goals—to narrow achievement gaps and to educate each child to a high level.
http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/200908100.asp

NCAA Scholarships
During the 1998-1999 academic year, the NCAA approved the academic eligibility of 49 homeschool students to receive scholarships at Division I schools and 20 homeschool students to receive scholarships at Division II schools. These homeschool athletes went on to play college basketball, baseball, volleyball, football, wrestling, track, and virtually every sport. Over the last several years, hundreds of homeschool sports leagues have sprouted throughout the states culminating in several annual national homeschool athletic tournaments. A major breakthrough for homeschool athletics recently occurred in Florida when homeschool teams were allowed to compete against public school teams.
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs34-chrisklicka.html

The news from government schools is not so good.