Homeschooling parents have a similar need for continuing education. Soon it will be homeschool convention time, and I encourage you to put them on your calendar now! If you don’t have a convention in your state, go to a neighboring state. Conventions can show you the newest curriculum, and you can find the resources that will be perfect for your child. Conventions provide wonderful classes that will instruct you on how to teach, or encourage and inspire you to continue along this sometimes challenging path. You’ll find educational games and activity suggestions that will spark interests in your children. Conventions aren’t 100% perfect, and I know they can be very overwhelming at times. They can also help you plan ahead, learn more, and become motivated again.

Do you live in or near Oregon? I’ll be presenting at the 17th Annual Oregon Christian Home Education Conference on June 24th and 25th! Join me at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland for some continuing education of your own.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Workshop Session 1, 9:30 – 10:30a

Finding a College

Find a college or university that will love your student almost as much as you do! Topics to be covered in this workshop include finding colleges to visit, comparing college statistics, getting to know colleges, visiting colleges, evaluating colleges and applying to colleges.

Workshop Session 2, 2:00 – 3:00p

Christian Homeschool Success in High School

What does the Bible say about homeschooling? How can Christians draw on their faith to succeed in high school? In this talk, Lee discusses all these questions as well as covers all the homeschool high school basics. Learn to prepare and not panic about high school.

Workshop Session 3, 3:15 – 4:15p

Planning High School Courses

Plan your high school courses so you are prepared for anything! This course will explain what core classes to cover every year, and what classes are required for college graduation. We will discuss how to get the core classes covered within four years, and ideas for planning your homeschool week. You will use what you know about your students and their learning styles and consider the subjects that colleges want to see.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Workshop Session 5, 11:30 – 12:30p

High School Grades and Credits

This workshop will answer the common homeschool lament, “How can I give grades when I don’t give tests?” Learn how you are already evaluating your children, and how you can translate that information into words and numbers colleges understand. You will learn “grouch-free” ways to determine high school grades, and find freedom in grading criteria and grading scales. Come and learn the many ways of determining high school credits and discover how to make mommy-grades and kitchen credits easy for colleges to understand!

Workshop Session 6, 3:15 – 4:15pm

“What’s Next?” Options After Homeschool High School

This workshop will help you plan your course of action after high school. You will learn about: CLEP, Community College, Online Classes, Working, Regular College, CollegePlus!, and Gap Years. Get prepared to discuss post high school options with your high school student.

Don’t forget to register for my giveaway gift at The HomeScholar booth in the Exhibit Hall! You’ll love this one. Want a hint? Check out the photo from a previous convention with a previous winner! We’ll also have great information available to introduce you to our Parent Training Tools, including our new Parent Training A la Carte!

I love meeting all of our homeschooling friends that we normally interact with through long-distance ways such as email, telephone consulting, or Gold Care Club webinar events. Stop by and say hi. I’d love the opportunity to meet you face to face and chat about your wonderful children (or those things that only another homeschool mom would understand!

For more information on the workshops available at the convention, be sure to check out their workshop schedule.

Till we meet in Portland!

Homeschooling is NOT the same as doing schoolwork at home.  There is LOTS of freedom!  My Gold Care Club will give you all the help you need to succeed!

MidWest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio March 31 – April 2 I’m speaking four times.  Here is the schedule of my talks

THURSDAY, 6:30PM – 7:30PM, “Making a transcript” in Duke 211
FRIDAY, 8:30AM – 9:30 AM, “High School Grades and Credits” in Duke 211
SATURDAY, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, “High School Grades and Credits” in Duke 211
SATURDAY, 4:00PM – 5:00PM, “High School Record Keeping” in Duke 211
CincinnatiHomeschoolConvention.com

Ultimate Homeschool Expo Online
May 2-6, 2011
I’m talking about “College Scholarships for High School Credit” and “Homeschool High School: The “Why and How” for Every Child” UltimateHomeschoolExpo.com .

Washington Homeschool Organization Convention in Puyallup, Washington
June 17 -18, 2011
I’ll be presenting “Homeschool High School” and “Making a Transcript” WashHomeschool.org

Oregon Christian Home Education Conference at the Oregon Convention Center
June 24-25th
I’ll be giving four presentations, but the topics are still to be determined.  Do you have a request? OCEANetwork.org

Convention in Your Home
The Gold Care Club has Monthly Webinar on a wide variety of high school topics.  There is plenty of time to ask your questions with Gold Care Club monthly webinars! Gold Care Club If you prefer getting a package in the mail, you can purchase the “Convention at Home Kit” to receive a variety of products to hold in your hands and enjoy. Convention at Home Kit.

Planning for Next Year
I would love to speak at your group!  As I mentioned, I have to carefully schedule my time around the needs of my family.  If you would like me to speak at a convention near you, please ask the convention organizer to have me speak next year.  I would LOVE to meet you!  Find me on The Old Schoolhouse Speakers Bureau at HomeschoolSpeakers.com or email me.

Do you need a speaker at your next homeschool conference?  Talk to your conference coordinator about having me come.  I would love to meet you in person!  Here is a list of my speaking topics, or you can read my profile on the Homeschool Speakers Bureau.

I already have the “Setting the Records Straight” book (and love your fun photos), but I can pass the coupon along to someone else.  I’ve talked other homeschoolers into buying this book for themselves, and actually a few other parents and I have a group where we meet once a quarter for dinner and discuss college-prep plans as it relates to home educated students.  Your book was at the top of my “must-haves” list!

You’ve been a tremendous help in getting my husband and I organized to tackle the whole college prep scenario, and your book was THE best I bought at the Midwest Convention (and I purchased quite a few!)  Thanks for all you do, and I’m looking forward to using the materials I purchased last night.  You’re awesome!

Thank you for your help to the homeschooling community!

~ Michele in Mt. Juliet, TN

This is a good opportunity to think about your own continuing education! Make sure you have plans to learn about high school.  Go to a convention, or get online training.  I’ll be speaking four times at the convention in Cincinnati this year.  I hope you’ll join me there!  Try to find the “must have” resources that will help you face the next level of homeschooling. You may not need another book on a topic you already know well, so try to get a book that will help you learn how to become an even better home educator.  If you can’t make it to convention, use online training classes for your continuing education courses.  I have 6 new online classes each month on the Gold Care Club.

Do you Twitter? Follow me here!

The MidWest Homeschool Convention is HUGE with more speakers and vendors than just about any other convention.  Some of my friends will share a hotel room with friends, and carpool to make it a fun weekend away.  It’s a great way to renew and refresh.  Plus, with this size of convention, it doesn’t matter how many children you have, or what age they are, you are bound to find support and products that are perfect for your homeschool!

You can read more about the MidWest Homeschool Convention here: www.cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com.

If you live in the West, I’ll be speaking at the Washington Homeschool Organization Convention. This convention is the largest homeschool convention west of the Mississippi!   So West coast friends, please come and see me at the Washington Homeschool Organization Convention June 17-18. Make sure it’s on your calendar, and I’ll see you there. You can read more about the Washington Homeschool Organization Convention here: www.washhomeschool.org. Please come and meet me!

If you live overseas, my Gold Care Club is a wonderful way to get the support you need, and it’s available 24/7.  No matter what time zone you live in, it’s always convenient.  Don’t feel alone – I’m there for you even if you are military, missionary, or overseas.  You can read more about the Gold Care Club here: www.thehomescholar.com/gold-care.php

If you are disappointed that I’m not at YOUR convention, it’s easy to fix that problem!  Just request that they ask me to speak to your convention NEXT year, and I’ll be glad to come!

Lisa Baughn wrote a review of myTotal Transcript Solution. She wrote, “With Lee’s help, any home educating family can create a marvelous, intriguing, scholarship-inspiring transcript.”  Read Lisa’s Review.

Getting the BIG Scholarships (Workshop “C” 10:30 Saturday)
Have you ever wondered, “what about scholarships?” Because of the wonderful benefits of homeschooling, homeschool students frequently get great scholarships for colleges. Drawing from her experiencing in helping her two children win full-tuition scholarships from their first choice university, Lee Binz, The HomeScholar will teach you how to prepare your students for scholarships, and then use marketing to position them for the best possible financial aid package.

Keys to High School Success (Workshop “A” 11:00 Friday)
You don’t need to be afraid to homeschool high school! Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, will explain why that is true. She will also give key strategies to lighten your workload, improve the quality of your children’s education, prepare them for college, help them in life, and lessen your stress level – all while staying in front of the college admission requirements.

I hope to see you there!

You can get more information on the convention and speakers here.

I have made known that our oldest is going to be homeschooled high school. I love getting the reactions from my homeschooling  friends. They are just as supportive now as they were when I told them that I was putting them in school. Sometimes I think that must drive them absolutely crazy with my back and forth nonsense.  They put up with me, though, and I love them for that.

My husband and I really thought that we wanted to homeschool high school, but it seemed like such an overwhelming task. I hear that homeschoolers get into college, but I was convinced that if I homeschooled my son I would ruin him forever. I am just very unsure of myself and need a lot of reassurance. I found Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, one night while I was searching the internet. I stayed up late into the night reading her blog and other articles that she has on her website. And she is in Washington!

My husband and I were able to set up an appointment with her for her high school crash course. Talk about hand holding! It was just what I needed to push me across the threshold of the final decision. I am not going to ruin my son. He is going to be able to go to college. I can make a transcript just like the public high school down the street. She answered all my questions about SAT, ACT, CLEP, AP, and PSAT testing. She helped me set up a plan for the next four years. It was wonderful. I still need to put it together, but the backbone is there. It was definitely three hours well spent.

The best part? My husband and I left the meeting as a team. We discussed what we were going to do together and with a feeling that this is attainable. Of course, I already knew that from friends that have been there-done that, but I needed someone to tell me how to do it for my child. That is what Lee did for me.

Even today I still feel 100% better about all of this. Maybe now I can get past all of this waffling and be commited to our decision without hesitation. With God’s help, I am in it for the long haul. It is going to be a wild ride.

This meant a lot to me because I remember feeling like I was having an “off day” that day.  Getting this encouragement reminded me why I do what I do.

I just love my job!

If you think you could use a little “High School Pick-Me-Up,”  consider signing up for my 3 hour Crash Course on Homeschooling High School.  We can do it locally or over the phone.  The results are the same.  You will leave refreshed, encouraged and empowered!

1. It’s cheaper!  Instead of buying a 3 DVD set for $75, the cost of the seminar is only $43 for non-members.
2. It has more answers!  Because this is a live presentation, you can ask questions that are unique for your situation.

The seminar is February 28th, but register now.  Registration ends on February 13th, which is coming right up.  If you’re like me, if you don’t register now, you might forget!  Click on this link to learn more and register for the event: http://www.cchomeed.org/leebinzhomescholar.php

This is a Christian group, and the seminar is open to everyone.  I hope to see you there!

Please let your homeschooling friends and yahoo groups that I have my next free newsletter coming out in two days!  We got some great Valentine’s goodies cooked up for you this month!  Sign up here!

I have an audio course on high school tests that talks about the SAT in detail.  I also discuss the SAT a lot on my blog here.

I’ll be presenting my three hour crash course “Preparing to Homeschool High School” in the evening on November 14th.  It will be in Auburn, WA, at a Christian homeschool support group.  This event is open, but you have to register in advance.  I’d love to meet you!   This event is $40 per family, saving you $135 over a one-on-one consultation. If you would like to join us, please Contact Michelle at mm_woods@comcast.net this week.  Registration ends October 31st.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I had such a wonderful time meeting with all of you who came out to the PNW Home School College Fair yesterday.  It was an amazing blessing to be able to finally meet so many of you who have been my email friends for so long.

It encouraged me to hear all of the stories of families who have been helped reading my blog and newsletter.  Sometimes the cyber-world is a lonely place and being able to get some direct feedback was really helpful.

I heard some amazing stories from families who are bravely facing the high school years with all sorts of challenges.  My message for you is “don’t become weary!”  You ARE doing good.  Someday, your children will rise and call you “blessed!”

I understand that oftentimes children don’t have the perspective to appreciate the sacrifices you are making to homeschool them.  Adults do, however.  When your children are grown, they will finally understand and that is a hope you can hang onto!  You will have raised fine young men and women who understand the value of an education and of having parents who know, love and are fully committed to them.

And that is the greatest gift you will ever give your children.

If you were wishing you could have come but couldn’t make it yesterday, we will be putting the audio of my two talks on CD.  You can also get all of my products at convention prices (and no shipping) by ordering the “Convention at Home” Kit.

I’ll be speaking at the Pacific Northwest Homeschool College Fair next Saturday! The fair is October 25th in Bothell, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.   Here is the link:  pnwcollegefair.com.  I’ll be giving a presentation at 11:00 AM called “College Preparation for Homeschoolers.”  And at 2:00 PM, I’ll be giving a brand new presentation called “College Scholarships for High School Credit.”  Please come!  It will be so fun!  And this event is free!

Preparing for High School Workshop Nov. 14

I’ll be presenting my three hour crash course “Preparing to Homeschool High School” in the evening on November 14th.  It will be in Auburn, at a Christian homeschool support group.  This event is open, but you have to register in advance.  I’d love to meet you!   This event is $40 per family, saving you $135 over a one-on-one consultation. For less than the price of my video, you can hear the information, receive a packet of resources, and get all your high school questions answered!  If you would like to join us, please Contact Michelle this week!  Email Michelle, mm_woods@comcast.net.  Act now, because registration ends October 31st.

If you have any questions about these events, please leave me a comment.