It's Graduation Time

Homeschool graduations are as unique as each family and even as unique as each student.

There are several ways to support your families during this time of celebration and transition. Your group can help to honor the graduates (elementary or secondary) in small or big ways. Honoring the graduates may be as simple as a small gift for each of the students or hosting a graduation event.

One year our homeschool group gave graduation cards with a small gift card inside to each of the senior graduates. Another year our group hosted a graduation ceremony for the fifth graders who were going into sixth grade. It was complete with cap and gown, awards, diplomas, and a reception. For the reception, one of the fathers had created a dvd of the students' childhood photos set to music. We had plenty of Kleenexes in the room!

Today we wanted to give you some resources to help you prepare your families in your group for this important and exciting time:

Here are some great articles, ideas and diplomas:
http://www.homeschooldiploma.com/linkstograduationideas.htm

We had success with this company:
http://www.capsngowns4less.com/

This is a personal graduation story that can give you some encouragement:
http://www.homeschooloasis.com/art_torys_grad_story.htm

Graduation is a time when you can highlight the accomplishments and hard work of those in your group, when you may be the only source of support that they have. You have the unique opportunity to praise, reward and publicize the benefits and blessings of homeschooling. Your efforts can deeply encourage those families who have selflessly journeyed this less traveled road.

You are doing a great job!
Kristen & Denise
www.homeschoolgroupleader.com

Free Gifts from The Old Schoolhouse

The Old Schoolhouse has been one of our favorite resources over the years for homeschooling families and group leaders.

TOS offers great incentive packages for subscribing to their magazine. And the magazine delivers! It is one of those jam-packed, uplifting reads that cannot be completed in a day. One thing we've been impressed with is that TOS really tries to connect with the homeschooling community, trying to better know who we are and what our needs are.

And TOS is trying once again to connect with us--they are seeking homeschool group leaders of 40 or more homeschooling families to help them get the word out about their magazine. For the first 750 group leaders who do this and contact them, TOS is offering a pink tote bag full of curriculum and stuff for support group leaders and the opportunity to register to win a Dell laptop.

Hurry, the no-obligation, no-committment single drawing for the laptop will take place on May 30th at 5pm CST. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY and no strings attached. ONE OF YOU is going to win this laptop! TOS guarantees it!

Click here to get the details of the exciting promotion.

The above link will show you the pictures of your free gifts, plus gives you all the details - it's over $500 worth of FREE curriculum items for you when you subscribe. The magazine sold out two months early last promo. Last year you had to buy a two year subscription to get the gifts - this year you pay less - just a one year sub gets you IN. Hurry if you want to claim your stuff! The promo started out with 3,000 packages, 1/3 are sold.

The deadline is coming up fast, so thanks for helping to get the word out to your groups! You leaders are doing a great job.

Blessings,

Kristen and Denise

www.homeschoolgroupleader.com