Johnsburg Library Homeschool Resource Center Open House and Used Curriculum Flea Market!

Father's Day Weekend!

Homeschooling for Cheapskates - April 7th

Homeschooling doesn't need to be expensive. In fact, many find that homeschooling is virtually free! 

 Join us for a discussion with Kathy Wentz about how to homeschool using materials and resources 

available for free (or cheap) on the Internet, at the library, or in your community.

Be sure to bring your impossible dreams!

Tuesday, April 7^th from 6-8pm

Huntley Area Public Library   11000 Ruth Rd, Huntley, IL 60142

Cost: Free (of course!)

Please register in advance at:

www.huntleylibrary.org or 847-669-5386

PARCC Myths Busted!

Excellent article helping to explain current IL law as it relates to PARCC testing!

Please read!

FAQ: Johnsburg Public Library Homeschool Resource Center

As always, the library’s database is fully searchable for all items in the collection and a full list of the Homeschool Resource Center (HRC) inventory can be had just by downloading it from the library's web site <http://johnsburglibrary.org>.  There are over 2000 items though, so you may think twice before doing this on a smartphone!

Walking in for the first time is often overwhelming because of the sheer number of items. The entire room is organized by Dewey Decimal number - not by grade level.  So, all the economic books are over near the American government books and these are not near either the math or the American history books.  If you don’t know what Dewey number you are looking for, please ask a staff member. Science kits (microscopes, telescopes, chemistry glassware, vacuum pumps, etc.) are in the red and white boxes or on the upper shelves. Games and small items are on the upper shelves or in the hanging bags.

I have been working hard to keep the HRC's collection free of Common Core (CC) materials. Several of the publishers we have do have newer versions that are CC but I am not on updating any of these materials as long as they are CC compliant. I know that having some older versions is frustrating to some of you - but it is also thrilling to many more of you. If you are specifically seeking CC materials please let me know I can help you through online resources.
All materials have a 6 week check out time. Books and magazines can be inter-library loaned (ILL) or returned through ILL if you come and pick them up. Kits (including the microscopes, telescopes and games) can not be inter- library loaned. Please note: if you return items through ILL we recommend you allow two full weeks for them to get to Johnsburg before the item is actually due.

When you only have a 12' by 12' room there is only so much space. The more you check out (including through inter-library loan) the more I can keep in the collection because there simply is more room on the shelves.  Otherwise, for each new item I put in I have to pull an item from the collection.

Yes, we take donations!  Many of the items in the HRC were donated to the library and many others were sold at the annual HRC Open House and Used Curriculum Flea Market in order to raise money for new items. Only 40% of the current collection is from the original grant - so 60% of the current collection is new. Please, oh please, mark any and all donations intended for the HRC with “HRC” or I will not see them.  Lastly, be sure to get your donation receipt when you drop off your donation so that you can write off the full value of your donation. The Friends of the Johnsburg Library is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Holds may be placed on HRC items even if you have an out of district library card. Almost all Illinois library cards are valid at the Johnsburg Library. The exceptions are those of you with rural cards or those few of you who belong to non-public libraries. If none of your property tax money goes to a library district and you have not paid to upgrade your card locally, please call the library in advance to ask if you would be able to check out materials.

And, as always, I am available for free, but limited, educational consultations on Wednesday evenings from 7 -9 pm at the HRC. (I charge $40 an hour for all other times and locations but offer more services during private consultations).

New Session of CLPD Classes Begins 2/19/15!

All Classes are at the Crystal Lake Park District's Veteran Acres Park Rotary Building and will begin 2/19/15 and end 4/2/15. No classes on 3/26/15.




4442-1 Home School Karate 4-7 years 11:30-12:00


4542-5 Home School Karate 8-18 years 12:00-1:00


4442-3 Math and Science Club 7-10 years 3:00-4:00


4640-8 Math and Science Club 8-15 years 2:00-3:00


4540-4 Arts and Crafts 4-7 years 9:30-10:30


4542-4 Pen and Mouse Club 6-18 years 10:30-12:00



4540-6 Computer Illustration 8-18 years 12:00-1:00

Abe Lincoln at the Johnsburg Library

This looks like a terrific (free) opportunity for homeschoolers!

New Bill Would Change CCSS - and NOT for the Better!

I highly encourage you to please read the Common Core: Education Without Representation blog. In particular the link here. This bill will not only change the name of CCSS to CACR in an attempt to hide it but would require all states to comply with it and would require all private schools to comply with it.  Please read. Please call your congressional representatives.

CCSS - Friend or Foe?

I have been asked about the Common Core State Standards by two different people in two days so I am guessing others (once again) are thinking about them. Good! They should definitely have you thinking (and running!). 

For those of you looking into what is aligned and what is not aligned I HIGHLY recommend you look at the amazing research done by Tina Hollenbeck over at the Homeschool Resource Road Map site:  http://www.hsroadmap.org/

More specifically the page you want is:  http://www.hsroadmap.org/common-core-project/

Remember that older materials can be a real friend here. While a publisher may have recently aligned their materials the materials that are 5+ years old will not be. Buying or renting used can not only save you money but help you stay away from CCSS aligned materials. Using these used materials will also no longer financially support the publisher if that is an issue for you. 

In all honesty my bigger concern is not the CCSS materials themselves - it is the testing that is being implemented along with the CCSS. 

The CCSS materials are being widely panned because they truly are horrible. Yet, the invasive, horrible testing will probably never go away once it is established. 

If you are of a mind to fight CCSS - please do so! But please, please, fight the testing far harder than the admittedly bad materials. Fads in education have a 10-12 year life cycle but invasions of our privacy last forever. The testing will, I fear, last forever if we allow it to become established. 

To read more about it please read: 

https://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/tag/data-mining/

http://www.occupy.com/article/exposed-how-murdoch-bill-gates-and-big-corporations-are-data-mining-our-schools

Educational Alternatives in Your Backyard

Educational Alternatives in Your Backyard

WHEN Monday, January 26, 2015, 7 – 9pm WHERE Barrington Area Library EVENT DETAILS “Educational Alternatives in Your Backyard,” Monday, January 26 at the Barrington Area Library. Presenters include: • Marla Thoma from Creative Learning Montessori School (Montessori education) • Kathy Matlin from Da Vinci Waldorf School (Waldorf education) • Dawn Kapka from St. Anne’s School (Parochial education) • Kathy Wentz (Homeschooling). Public education has changed drastically since today’s parents were in school--even in the “best” school districts. Class sizes used to be smaller, suicide and mental health diagnoses were much less common, and teachers were able to teach from their own passions, not bound by a test-driven curriculum. There was more time in the school day for recess, and more room in the curriculum for the arts, thereby addressing both the needs (play, movement, and being outdoors) and the interests (music, art, drama) of more children. Children were able to come home and play and still get a healthy amount of sleep, because homework expectations were reasonable. These changes, as well as their children’s lack of enthusiasm, or downright aversion, to school have prompted more and more parents to wonder about alternatives to traditional public school. As part of School Choice Week (January 25-31, 2015), a number of schools in the Barrington area have put together a presentation and panel discussion called “Educational Alternatives in Your Backyard,” Monday, January 26 at 7:00 pm at the Barrington Area Library. Presenters include: • Marla Thoma from Creative Learning Montessori School (Montessori education) • Kathy Matlin from Da Vinci Waldorf School (Waldorf education) • Dawn Kapka from St. Anne’s School (Parochial education) • Kathy Wentz (Homeschooling). This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is appreciated. Please contact Susan Love:slove@davinciwaldorf.org or (847)526-1372.

Chicago Free Museum Days for 2015

The schedule is up! Please visit Christine Trevino's blog to see it.


Image taken from Christine Trevino's web page and
provided to her by mharrison via freeimages.com. 

http://www.christinetrevino.com/2015/01/02/free-chicago-museum-days-2015/