42 AUGUST 2017 ARCAD A NEWS School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), 13,549 homeschool high school seniors participated in the 2014 SAT exam, and the group scored an average of 567 in critical reading, 521 in math and 535 in writing, compared to all 2014 high school seniors who scored an average of 497 in critical reading, 513 in math and 487 in writing. And according to the National Home Education Research Institute, most studies show the home-educated, on average, score at the 65 th to 80 th percentile on academic achievement tests, compared to the national school average of 50 percent, which is largely based on public schools. A few additional studies show home-educated students score about the same or a little better than students educated in public schools. T.J. Schmidt, staff attorney at HSLDA who serves a number of states, including Arizona, said the reason homeschool students succeed is simple – their parents are generally invested in their education. “All the research points to the fact that the regulation doesn’t have an impact on the students’ performance, because it’s the parents who are committed to educating their children at home, and that’s why the children are successful,” Schmidt said. “The same is true for public or private school students – the parents involved in the child’s education are the ones who are going to fare best.” Although Wood is a former teacher, she said it was still scary at first to be solely responsible for her children’s education. However, she uses a variety of resources, such as an art instructor who comes into the home, grade-level curriculums and a homeschooling co-op, which includes 100 families, who meet every Thursday. The co-op offers her children the opportunity to take different classes from various homeschool parents, who all bring different skills and knowledge to the co-op. It also allows the children a chance to socialize with peers. Phoenix homeschool mother, Cristen Hammel, is not part of a co-op, but does belong to a homeschool support group. Hammel, who started homeschooling her children in New York, moved to Arizona, in part, because of its friendly homeschool laws. She made the decision to homeschool her son, Bill, after second grade, because he had been excelling academically since preschool and was completing work faster than his peers and growing bored in class. The boredom and lack of activity cause behavioral issues in the classroom, which Bill did not exhibit at home, she said. Hammel, a nurse, stepped away from her career for years and today homeschools all three of her boys – two teens and one 10-year- old. She said they are studying at their grade level and calls them “low-A, strong-B students.” But that’s not her main priority. For Hammel, teaching compassion comes first. “That is the focus of our family,” she said. “We don’t hurry through the day and ignore the needs of others.” Recently, while her family was visiting relatives in California, one of her sons helped a senior citizen bring his garbage in, and the man was surprised and tearful as he expressed his gratitude for her son’s help. The experience was a proud Mom-moment for Hammel. “I would rather them be ditch diggers and help others, than neurosurgeons who are antisocial,” she said. Still, homeschooling is not without its challenges. Hammel said the hardest part of homeschooling her children is remembering to stay hands-off. “I want to be involved in every aspect, but you can’t do that,” she said. “It’s really child- directed; they are doing their own work, and you are overseeing it.” For Wood, the most difficult aspect of homeschooling her children is the responsibility of having complete control over her child’s education. It’s essentially a full-time job on top of her job as a mother. “It’s kind of like if you have your own business and you’re an entrepreneur,” she said. “You have a lot of weight (on your shoulders), but you have that freedom.” She juggles everything by remaining organized and following a schedule. She wakes up early and enjoys time to herself, before the children get up. The family eats breakfast together, cleans up and starts school work by 9 a.m. They are done by noon many days, but sometimes they work past lunch, she said. This half-day schedule is common among homeschool families. Hammel said she understands the stigma with homeschooling, because she had believed homeschool families were strange and often extremely religious before she got to know the homeschool community in New York. Today, she said it’s important for the community to understand these kids are just regular kids. “Homeschoolers are just as smart, fun and quirky as public or private school students,” she said. “They are not better; they are just schooled differently.” She added, “Homeschooling is not for everyone, but it’s perfect for us.” By Kaylee Sumpter The Girl Scouts of America has been empowering women for over a century. The “girl” in Girl Scouts stands for go-getter, innovator, risk-taker and leader. And with 800,000 adults volunteering their time, girls are making more of a difference in the world. Arcadia resident, Rebel Rice, is one of those volunteers making a positive difference in our community and world. Because of her commitment to the Girl Scouts organization, Rice was recently awarded a High Achievement Award by the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC). “Those who receive these awards have truly distinguished themselves from the rest and have gone above and beyond as a volunteer and help to fulfill the Girl Scout mission,” says Sara Goodwin, HMA Public Relations’ account coordinator. Of the four High Achievement Awards presented at this year’s ceremony, Rice was awarded the Appreciation Pin. The Appreciation Pin is to volunteers who have exceeded the expectations of their position in at least one neighborhood. The other three awards are the Honor Pin, Thanks Badge and Thanks II Badge. Rice has been going above and beyond for the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council for five years as a Girl Scout troop leader. Rice has been the leader of at least seven neighborhood events this year, which grew her service unit by more than 750 new members. Girls conventionally leave the Girl Scouts after fifth grade. However, because of Rice’s involvement, there is a booming community of older Girl Scouts. Rice has also exceeded all expectations after her planning increased attendance at neighborhood events. One of the events where Rice made a huge difference in the community was at the Girl Scouts annual hayride. During the past three years, Rice’s preparation resulted in more than 500 event attendees annually. Long-time Girl Scouts volunteer receives award Rebel Rice Homeschool Continued from page 40 “We thought, ‘We can work on what’s important to us.’” “We can overcome the sensory issues and just work on our biggest priorities.” HOMESCHOOLING TODAY  32 states and Washington D.C. offer Virtual Public Schools - free education over the internet to homeschooling families: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia (DC), Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.  4 states offer tax credits for homeschooling families: Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota.  10 states don’t require notification of homeschooling: Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas.  14 states require notification of homeschooling: Arizona, Alabama, California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Mississippi, Montana, Wisconsin, Utah, Wyoming.  20 states and D.C. require notification of homeschooling, test scores and/or professional evaluation of students: Arkansas, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.  6 states require notification of homeschooling, test scores and/or professional evaluation of students; plus other requirements like curriculum approval, parent qualification, home visits by state officials: North Dakota, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rode Island.  No Federal help is available to homeschooling families yet. The IRS says that homeschooling costs “are nondeductible personal, living, or family expenses.” FIND US ON Serving the Arcadia area since 1958        Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959                               4855 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix AZ 85018 | www.ingleside.com WE OFFER BOARDING 7 DAYS A WEEK !"#"$%!#&'()"*+%,"-&'() ."-!%*+!,%$&'()."-+%!#%+%/!--&'()-",!-0#*"2&'() HOSPITAL 602-840-3446 | GROOMING 602-952-1754 Grooming OPEN Tues - Sat

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