It's That Time of Year Again!

January Meeting Announcement
We have our school & support group meeting coming up next week on Tuesday, January 24th at 1pm. This is a time when we get together and touch base. Rhonda and I will be available for questions or help of any kind. If you need an extended time to talk, try to let us know ahead of time so we can maybe meet you a little early. EXEMPTIONS: Hope's policy to exempt the January meeting is as follows ~ (1) Account in good standing (2) If you have been with Hope for 3 consecutive years and your exemption is approved, you still must have your plan book checked, either by mailing in 5 pages to the school office or getting with me or Rhonda at another time. (3) If you have been with Hope for 5 consecutive years, and your exemption is approved, you do not have to have your plan book checked.

That being said, you must email Dawn at the school office and request an exemption. I nor Rhonda can approve that. Now, if you just miss us terribly, you can come to the meeting no matter how long you have been with Hope :)

Second Semester Field Trips
Here's a rundown of the field trips for this semester. Detailed dates and times will be available after the meeting next Tuesday (I will tell you that these are all free!)

February ~ Hands-on Archive tour in Montgomery. Targeted for the 1st - 5th grade. Stop off in Grandma's Attic and then ride the Trolley ($1 cost).

March ~ Tour of the Shelby County Landfill

April ~ Historical Tour of Brierfield Ironworks Park (please note that this is not the Living History Days...see below for a chance to attend that)

May ~ Park Day

Brierfield Ironworks Park Living History Days
If you would like to attend the Living History Days at Brierfield Ironworks Park on March 16th, we would love for you to go! There are stations where actors recreate and demonstrate various aspects of life in the Civil War era. Very educational and fun! Cost is $6 per student (parents are free). Here's the catch: we need to know by end of business day THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 20th so we can make reservations. And if you make reservations, you are required to pay, even if you are unable to attend. For more info, email or call one of us!

We are here whenever you need us! Call, email, shine the bat signal in sky...whatever works for you :) See you guys on the 24th (well, most of you...lol!)

First Semester Field Trips!!!

Drum roll, please...here's the first semester field trips. Please email DonDee or Rhonda to have them put your name on the list.

September (exact date TBA) - Tour of Samford University's Theater Department
Get a backstage pass to see the props, lighting, costuming, etc that goes into putting on a college-level production. Hosted by one of Samford's best, make sure to join us for this interesting tour!

October 14th, Friday - Alabama Power Water Course, Clanton, AL - 10:30am 
The Water Course, a project of Alabama Power Company, is an educational center providing interactive exhibits and displays that teach visitors the importance of water to our state and in our daily lives. With interactive, hands-on learning, it is an awesome adventure for all ages. For more information and teacher prep materials, visit their website at http://www.alabamapower.com/watercourse/home.asp.

November 4th, Friday - First White House of the Confederacy Tour (10am) & State Capitol Tour (1pm) - Montgomery, AL
History close to home! Join us as we visit the First White House of the Confederacy & the State Capitol. We will plan to have lunch together (details a little closer to time). For more information on each of these, visit http://www.firstwhitehouse.org/ & http://www.preserveala.org/capitoltour.htm

December 5th - Blue Bell Creamery, Sylacauga, AL - 10:00am
What a way to kick off the sweetest month of the year! Join us as we tour the Blue Bell Creamery. This will prove to be a favorite! You will leave there with wonderful knowledge about the ice cream making process and even a sample or two.

The best part about these field trips is the fact that they are all FREE! So let us know what you would like to do :)

You Can Help!

How can you, a high school teen save the lives of your neighbors? Well, on
Saturday, March 5th beginning at 8am at Calera National Guard Armory on 8th Ave
you will have the opportunity to do just that! The City of Calera has named Saturday, March 5, 2011 as Neighbors helping Neighbors Day.

During this day there will be many opportunities to help in your community. But
specifically, we want to share with you one very special way you can actually
save up to THREE LIVES all while raising money for the March of Dimes!

A Calera resident has committed to making a $100.00 donation through Calera
High School FBLA to the March of Dimes IF we have 15 high school students
give blood during the LifeSouth Blood Drive on Saturday, March 5th.

Will you take 30 minutes out of your day to give blood that will save the lives of
up to three people in your community and raise money to help save the lives of
premature babies?

Instructions for Setting Up Payments

FOR DRAFTS FROM A CHECKING ACCOUNT (credit/debit card users... instructions are below**): Please send the school office a voided check if you have not already done so! Please note that this is NOT required if you have already paid the entire year up front!

FOR CREDIT/DEBIT CARD:**Important instructions for those paying by credit/debit card:

If you are paying by debit or credit card, you MUST contact me first (bsb@hopechristian.net). Your account billing type has to be changed to credit/debit card. If you try to add your credit/debit card information before I do this, it will not save your information!

FOR BOTH CHECKING & DEBIT/CARD PAYMENTS:
I've also been getting questions about setting your auto-draft date. Please be sure to email me with what date you would like (3rd or 18th). Unfortunately all the initial setup has to be done by us, but please be patient with us. I have over 650 families to setup!

To retrieve your password for the self-help portal:

1. Go to http://www.accounthistory.net
2. To the right of the "Log In" button, click the link that says "I forgot my password".
3. At the prompt, enter in your email address (the email on file with HCS).
4. Within the next 10 minutes, you should receive an email with your password.
5. Return to http://www.accounthistory.net.
6. Log In as normal with the password you received in the email.
7. Once logged in, navigate to the "Password" tab.
8. Follow the on screen instructions to change your password.

If you had a problem at step 3, this will be addressed in the FAQ.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Am I required to use the self-help portal?
A: No, however it can be useful! The most useful features are the ability to change your billing information, such as address, phone number, etc and you have a place to track all of your past and current bills!

Q: Is my personal information safe?
A: Absolutely! We will never share your information with anyone, and you will never have to provide any financial information over the internet (such as credit card numbers).

Q: When I try to reset my password, I get "Email not found in database"!
A: No problem! Just email bsb@hopechristian.net (Brandon Burchfield) with your full name and the email address you wish to associate with your account.

Q: Is there anything else I need to do?
A: Not at all! Once we have your billing information on file, the rest is completely automated.

If you have any questions at all please feel free to email me at bsb@hopechristian.net

Mom's Science Retreat

Does science give you hives? Would you rather run screaming into oncoming traffic than teach a Biology lab? This could help alleviate some of your fears.

--> Mom's Science Retreat and Workshop

When: two nights and three days in early
October - peak fall color time in the mountains

Where: Northwestern NC camp and retreat center

Available Spots: 58 on a first-come-first-served
basis

Fee: $75

For details, please visit..
http://www.homeschoolscienceacademy.com/OnlineClasses.htm
(Mom's retreat info is all the way at the bottom. Read everything you get for $75!)

There is also information on this site for classes, free 45 minute online seminars, and other info. This was sent to me from a support group member. If you have something you think would interest other members, email me!

First Semester Field Trips 2010-11

Welcome to the new school year! We are so excited about embarking on this journey with you. Here are the support group-sponsored field trips for the first semester. Many thanks to Rhonda for her creativity and diligence, offering us a great variety of opportunities!

Just a note here: We are always glad to have people from outside our group participate with us. So invite that friend, grandma, or yoga class member to join you! Be sure to make a reservation for them, though, so that they don't get lost in the shuffle.

September 24, 10 AM Calera Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Interesting look at what all goes on once we wash something down the drain! Calera has a state of the art facility and the guys there are looking forward to given us the tour! All ages, this field trip is free and there is no deadline to sign up, just meet us at the plant at 9:45.

October 15, 9:30 AM The Southern Environmental Center

Visit The Interactive Museum (TIM), a two-story environmental showcase that challenges visitors to slide down a giant Sewage Pipe, lift a week's worth of garbage, or identify the sources of air pollution on a moving city scape model.

Next, take a tour of the nearby EcoScape, a 4-acre outdoor classroom whose paths wind through a miniature Mobile Basin wetland, past Beneficial Bug sculptures and Fragrance Gardens, and along the Appalachian Trail to a 2-story treehouse. Learn about medicinal plants, edible landscapes, and sustainable landscape practices. Complete your visit by making EcoArt. Transform discarded telephone wires, bottle caps, old CDs and more into home jewelry.

This field trip is for all age children, the cost is $5 per person, the sign up deadline is Sept. 24th. Please email Rhonda at rkcracraft@yahoo.com or Dondee at osburnfamily5@gmail.com.

• Directions from the south: Take I-65 to the junction of I-20/59 and proceed on I-20 West/I-59 South (toward Tuscaloosa) to the Arkadelphia Road exit (123). Turn left and drive over the interstate overpass. Birmingham-Southern will be on the right as you top the hill. You can access Google Maps here if you want to map it from your location.
  

November 19, 9:30 AM Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.

Sloss Furnaces produced iron for nearly 90 years, which gave rise to the city of Birmingham. Now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces with its web of pipes and tall smokestacks offers us a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and our nation. This field trip is for kindergarten thru high school, you must wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather, some of this tour will be outdoors. The cost of this tour is $3 per person. Sign up for this field trip by October 20th, Please email Rhonda at rkcracraft@yahoo.com or Dondee at osburnfamily5@gmail.com. The address is 20 32nd St. North, Birmingham, Al 35222. Click on Google Maps to map it from your location. We will meet outside of the furnace at 9:30 AM.

Second Semester Field Trips!!!

Our field trip planner extraordinaire, Rhonda Cracraft, has lined up some really great FREE field trips this semester (did you hear me say "free"?). However, you MUST sign up for these trips so Rhonda can let the various venues know how many to expect. Feel free to invite friends and other homeschoolers, but know that our group will take precedence should there be a limit.

February 19th, 10:00am - Alabama Archive Building, Montgomery, AL - How to Research for grade 6 - 12. Students will learn proper research techniques, such as using primary and secondary sources, through an examination of an Alabama historical event. We will meet outside the front of the Archive Building at 9:30am. After the class, weather permitting, we will have a picnic by the Waterfront for anyone who would like to join us. Please RSVP by February 7th.

February 19th, 7:00pm - Teen Game Night, Calera Public Library.

March 26th, 11:00am - Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL - European Masterpieces Grand Tour for grades 3 & up. During the 18th century, young gentleman and young gentlewomen, along with chaparones and tutors, would embark on a long tour of continental Europe. The primary purpose of their travels was to gain a deeper understanding of the art and culture of various people and places. Join us for a Grand Tour Adventure through the English, Italian, and French galleries to discover what travellers saw and collected during their journeys. We will meet outside the art museum at 10:30am. Please RSVP by March 3rd.

April 30th, 10:00am - Auburn Extension Center, Thorsby, AL - It is fitting that the Chilton Research and Extension is located in the shadow of Clanton's famous giant peach water tower. Because at CREC, peaches rule! When the center was established in 1944, its mission was to identify superior varieties and develop new management techniques that would help Chilton County's peach producers maximize their profits. And that's still its mission today. The CREC does work with other small fruits - most notably kiwifruit - but peaches have priority. We will spend the afternoon learning to appreciate all that is around us. Please RSVP by April 1st.

The May activity is to be announced, but will probably be an outdoor party at George Roy Park in Calera. There's a playground for the younger ones, a great walking trail, and plenty of field to play football, frisbee, etc.

To sign up for any of these trips, or if you have questions, please call Rhonda at 205-739-1850 or email her at rkcracraft@yahoo.com or DonDee at osburnfamily5@gmail.com.