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Volume 1, Issue 4
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July/August 2004
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Jambo!
Summertime,
and the living is easy...We hope you
are
enjoying your family and making plenty of warm
memories to carry you through the winter!
At this time of year, many parents are considering
homeschooling for the very first time. As active
homeschooling parents, we are often sought out for
advice, even though we may not consider ourselves
homeschooling "experts." In the eyes of those
who are new to homeschooling, we are ambassadors
to a new and foreign land.
This issue of FUNgasa is a wonderful
resource to
share with experienced and new homeschoolers alike,
as well as relatives and friends who are curious about
homeschooling.
Learn the difference between
true homeschooling and encroaching government
programs masquerading as homeschool in "A
Declaration of Independence." Relive the
2004 African-American
Homeschoolers Family & Friends Vacation and
view the photo album in "Being The Change You
Want to See" and get ready to share your
questions and suggestions for homeschooling success
with other parents
in "Calling All African-American
Homeschoolers." Enjoy!
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A Declaration of Independence |
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by S. Courtney Walton
Unschooling,
Unit Studies, Waldorf Method,
Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Trivium, Curriculum "A,"
Curriculum "B," Eclectic. These are some of the many
learning styles and approaches to education from
which parents choose to homeschool their children.
Cyber schools, public schools with part-time
enrollment, public schools with study-at-home
programs. These are alternatives to the traditional
school environment, and are sometimes mistaken for
homeschooling but they are not. In the past, it was
fine to let politicians, media, family and friends think
that homeschooling included all of these options, but
not anymore. The blurring of these two does a
disservice to both and threatens the freedom to
homeschool.
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Being The Change You Want to See |
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Erika Davis-Pitre
I
have been an unschooler now for many years. In
those years I have belonged to many groups,
attended many workshops and I have mentored many
people as they started their own
homeschooling/unschooling journeys. But for me what
was always missing was seeing other unschoolers of
color sharing this great lifestyle choice with my
family. To live and learn in freedom--that is what
unschooling is for me--is truly one of the greatest
gifts you can give to yourself and to your family.
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Calling All African-American Homeschoolers! |
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Resource Guide for African-American Homeschoolers
Have
you ever wished there was a book that spoke
to your experiences and needs as an African-
American Homeschooler? Wouldn't it be great to have
a comprehensive resource to share with family and
friends, which highlights the diversity of African-
American Homeschoolers and the resources they use
for homeschooling success?
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Pearls of Wisdom |
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from Jacqueline M. Ward
"Home",
I thought to myself relaxing in the comfort
and familiarity of my extended family. As I joined the
other women under the Baobab** tree (well, of
course it wasn't really a Baobab tree, but on this
perfect day the oak served us just as well); We
spoke of things on high. Lifted each other up, moved
our collective agenda a little further ahead. We
congratulated ourselves (silently via the Universal
line) on having survived a challenging year of
homeschooling, internal group friction, breakups and
make-ups.
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Thinking Ahead: High School or Homeschool? |
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Monica Z. Utsey
When
I first started talking about homeschooling, my
husband raised the question of sports. So our
compromise was that I could homeschool through
high school as long as I allowed Zion the option of
attending a high school with a competitive sports
program if he so desired. See, my husband comes
from a long line of athletes. His uncle, Willie "Butch"
Utsey was one of the best schoolyard basketball
players in Philadelphia in the 1960s. My husband's
first cousin, Andre McCarter, was one of the top four
high school basketball players in the country in 1972,
eventually earning him a full scholarship to UCLA.
McCarter went on to play professional ball with
Kansas City Kings and the Washington Bullets, later
becoming the assistant coach for UCLA. My husband
Eric participated in many Sonny Hill & John Chaney
(Temple University Basketball coach) summer league
basketball clinics and was varsity point guard for his
West Catholic High School in grades 9-12. It's no
wonder my son is a basketball enthusiast! It's in the
genes.
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African-American Homeschooling Communities -- Is it
Time? |
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Veneka Smith
"An
Intentional community" is a group of people who
have chosen to live together with a common
purpose, working cooperatively to create a lifestyle
that reflects their shared core values. The people
may live together on a piece of rural land, a suburban
home, or in an urban neighborhood, and they may
share a single residence or live in a cluster of
dwellings."
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Family Profile |
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The Skylark Family of Kent Store, Virginia
Meet
the Skylarks! Making their home in the
beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, veteran
homeschooler Tajullah Skylark and her husband have
homeschooled their four girls for the past 13 years.
In this issue, Tajullah Skylark shares some of her
wisdom
with S. Courtney Walton.
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Q & A |
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with Erika Davis-Pitre
Ask
questions and get feedback from FUNgasa
Readers!
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Three To Watch |
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Back to Homeschool Sale!
Through
the month of August we're giving away 4
Cerebellum titles just by signing up with any annual
subscription. This gift, with a retail value of up to
$200.00, along with the complete library of quality
Cerebellum titles, is only offered to the general public
through our African-American Unschooling DVD
Library. With Easy Pay plans, and
access to every Cerebellum title available, we're
making preparing for Homeschooling easier then ever.
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Three to Read |
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For Your Summer Reading Pleasure
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The Marafiki Directory |
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Networking & Pen Pals
Network
with other parents and find pen pals for your
children in The Marafiki Directory!
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About FUNgasa |
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How to contact our writers and submit your articles
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Contact Information
phone:
623.205.9883
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