Virginians! Please, Please Take a Moment to Make some Calls
/Legislation We're Tracking!
Homeschool Participation in Interscholastic Sports - HB 375 - Patroned by Delegate Charles W. Carrico (R-Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, and Wythe). This bill would require the governing body of interscholastic activities for public schools to develop, implement, and enforce an exception to its rules addressing enrollment and eligibility of nonpublic school students. HEAV lobbyist Ben Lansing met with the bill's patron and provided him with research information. He also discussed HEAV's long history in appealing to the Virginia High School League and the rejection of our recent formal proposal for access.
HB 375 passed out of subcommittee with an amendment narrowing the bill to focus only on homeschoolers. Later in the week, it was opposed by the Virginia High School League in the full Committee on Education. As a result, it took an unusual turn and was returned to Delegate Fralin's subcommittee to be discussed again on Monday, January 21 at 5 p.m., in the 8th Floor West Conference Room.
As a result of this action, the Family Foundation sent out a very helpful alert to their constituents that referenced Tim Tebow, the Florida homeschooler who led his local high school football team to the state championship, and who, while playing this year for the Florida Gators, was the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
Now Is the Time to Act If you support legislation that would give homeschoolers the option to participate in interscholastic sports at public high schools, call or e-mail the following delegates on the subcommittee before Monday at 5 p.m. Ask them to support HB 375. You can also attend the subcommittee hearing. We expect VHSL to oppose the bill. If HB 375 fails to pass out of this subcommittee, it will be dead for the year.
Delegate William H. Fralin, Jr.
804-698-1017
DelWFralin@house.state.va.us
Delegate R. Steven Landes
804-698-1025
DelSLandes@house.state.va.us
Delegate C. Todd Gilbert
804-698-1015
DelTGilbert@House.state.va.us
Delegate Clifford L. Athey, Jr.
804-698-1018
DelCAthey@house.state.va.us
Delegate Brenda L. Pogge
804-698-1096
DelBPogge@house.state.va.us
Delegate James P. "Jimmie" Massie, III
804-698-1072
DelJMassie@house.state.va.us
Delegate Adam P. Ebbin
804-698-1049
DelAEbbin@house.state.va.us
Delegate Stephen C. Shannon
804-698-1035
DelSShannon@house.state.va.us
Delegate Roslyn Tyler
804-698-1075
DelRTyler@house.state.va.us
Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey
804-698-1074
DelJMorrissey@house.state.va.us
New Column
/Daisies and Violets in the New Year is up at the Herald site.
Snow days!
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We interrupt the regularly scheduled plan for a Snow Day (or two or three)! Yesterday, we had our first snowfall of the year--about 5 inches or so. Since this is Virginia and I can't count on a second snowfall of the year, I put all our regular plans on hold in order to "get real" in the snow. I think I love snow even more than some of my children (definitely more than my littlest, apparently). Must be those early years in New England--I find myself envying some people and their weather. Snow Days are extraordinary in my house. For one, they get capital letters on blog posts. And they get special foods--just like feast days.
So, yesterday, as soon as an early morning phone call confirmed that it would indeed be a snow event (it helps when one's son has godfather who directs the early news--thanks Bill), I started making lists. First, the food list, so that Michael could make a quick dash to the store:
- Pancakes for breakfast
- apple cider and mulling spices
- more milk and cocoa for hot chocolate
- mini marshmallows to make "indoor snowballs" as a snack
- ingredients for Alice Cantrell's spice cake for tea time
- big marshmallows to roast by the fire at night
- French dip for dinner
Then, we gathered some snow books, not too many, but a few favorites:
My Brother Loved Snowflakes
Snowflake Bentley
The Snowy Day
Sugar Snow
The Mitten
The Three Snow Bears
Owl Moon
And one to memorize: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Yesterday, I just let them play (and eat and read a little). Today, we'll start to think about snow. We'll peruse the links below and scamper off down trails of interest. Reading and notebooking about snow is the order of the day (and probably a few days next week). And we have company coming next week, too. So, the real life of weather and friends will push the Alphabet Path aside until the week after next. It will be there waiting for us when we have finished enjoying and learning from this unexpected gift of God.
Six-fold symmetry of the snow crystal (click here and then click on "Nature, Number, and Geometry")HT: Kim- Make a virtual snowflake
- Make a virtual snowman
- Since Daddy's in Buffalo today, we're reading about a place where it really snows:-)
- The Snowflake Bentley Website
- Physics of Snow Crystals
- How do animals keep snug in the snow?
- What color is snow, really?
- Learn some new facts about snow
- Intermediate level list to help understand winter weather
- Snow art, snow castles, virtual snowflakes, and lots of snow info
- The official site of the Snowman story , with some games
- The FEMA Winter Storm site for kids
- More snow info, including Eskimo snow words
- Jan Brett activities
Katie Did it!
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Be sure to stop by Serendipity and see the new math games Katie is playing with the gnomes!
