You can access our course catalogue from our home page.  Please let us know if you have any questions about it.  Email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.

You can access our course catalogue at http://homeschoolconnectionsonline.com/wp-content/themes/church_20/Document/Homeschool_Connections_Catalog_Final.pdf

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1. It’s Catholic. Genuinely Catholic, not pretending so they can get an agenda across, just lovingly, happily, Catholic.
2. The teacher, Alecia Rolling, seems to genuinely enjoy working with the kids. She made the class fun and Dd#1 really appreciated her encouraging feedback.
3. The way the kids can interact with each other using the rolling text chat helps them tease, have fun and get to know each other. Within the first few classes, we were tossing around names of kids whom I’d never met, but with whom Dd#1 seemed to have made a connection. (a “homeschool connection”)
4. She learned a TON and I DIDN’T have to disrupt anyone else’s school and I DIDN’T have to get everyone out of the house (it can be like herding cats) and I DIDN’T have to drive around town and I DIDN’T have to waste time in the car and I DIDN’T have to pay for gas….so many things about this work for me.

Click here to read more about the experience — http://myhomeschool101.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-of-best-resources-for-catholic.html

And don’t forget that our early registration discount ends August 1st.

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We look forward to a great year with you and your students!

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We are offering a two-part series. You can take Prep I for an introduction or take both Prep I and Prep II for an in-depth study that will fully prepare you for both the SAT and ACT. The maximum number of students for Prep I is 30 and the maximum for Prep II is 20 so seating is limited and you should register as soon as possible.

Please see below for full descriptions of both courses as well as links to register:

Equipment requirements:
Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone.

Misc:
Mr. Rolling will be available via email in between classes for questions and comments.
Recordings of classes are provided to students within 24 hours and available for 6 months.
Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping services.

SAT & ACT Prep I: The Test and the Strategies

Class dates: Monday & Thursday—July 19, 22, 26, 29
Total classes: 4
Starting time: 7:00 pm Eastern Time (6:00 pm Central)
Duration: 2 hours
Fee: $80 for entire 2-week course.
Instructor: Kenneth Rolling
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 10th, 11th, and 12th grade

Course description: This course aims to provide the student with a thorough introduction to the format and content of the SAT and ACT as well as to introduce him to the key strategies to use when approaching the various types of problem that he will encounter. The course will be intensive, requiring a significant amount of work outside of class (1–2 hours per day). Class time will involve the systematic presentation of test sections and the strategies necessary for them followed by limited practice problems as time allows. Methods will include everything from solving the problems using traditional means to the various ways of “gaming” the questions, answering using strategies that are more cognizant of the special format of the tests. Homework will include practice problems and vocabulary acquisition. Once completed, the course will provide the student with a thorough knowledge of exactly what is on the test and the various theories to use in approaching the test.

Course outline: (Tentative)
Session 1: Overview, Essay Writing, Science Section
Session 2: Math Section
Session 3: Reading Section
Session 4: Writing Section
Homework: Practice Problems and Vocabulary
Course materials:
ACT: The Real ACT Prep Guide, 2nd edition, 2007
and
SAT: The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd edition, 2009
Available new and used through many providers, or your library.

SAT & ACT Prep II–Practicum

Class dates: Monday & Thursday—August 2, 5, 9, 12
Total classes: 4
Starting time: 7:00 pm Eastern Time (6:00 pm Central)
Duration: 2 hour
Fee: $90 for entire 2-week course.
Instructor: Kenneth Rolling
Prerequisite: SAT & ACT Prep I
Suggested grade level: 10th, 11th, and 12th

Course description: This course aims to provide the student with extensive practice in the use of strategies introduced in part one. The course will be intensive, requiring a significant amount of work outside of class (1–2 hours per day). Class time will be spent working through problems as a group, especially those that have proven troublesome in the homework prepared for the session. Methods will include everything from solving the problems using traditional means to the various ways of “gaming” the questions, answering using strategies that are more cognizant of the special format of the tests. Homework will include practice problems and vocabulary acquisition. Test sections will be graded by the students; those problems that the students miss will be communicated to the instructor prior to class to aid him in preparing. Two practice essays will be graded by the instructor. Once completed, the course will provide the student with a real, hands-on familiarity with all of the content and strategies involved.

Course outline: (Tentative)
Session 1: Science and Math Sections
Session 2: Math Section
Session 3: Reading Section
Session 4: Writing Section
Homework: Practice Problems and Vocabulary
Course materials:
ACT: The Real ACT Prep Guide, 2nd edition, 2007
and
SAT: The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd edition, 2009
Available new and used through many providers, or your library.

Instructors biography:
Kenneth Rolling has taught SAT, ACT, and GRE test preparation courses for several tutoring agencies specializing in test prep. He is a graduate student at the Catholic University of America pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy. Mr. Rolling earned an M.A. in Classics, specializing in Greek, from the University of Nebraska in 2008 and a B.A. in philosophy from Benedictine College in 1999. At times working in the university system, tutoring centers, and the homes of families, he has taught courses and tutorials on subjects as diverse as musical performance, Classical mythology, philosophy, literature, and standardized test preparation. Currently, he is the managing editor of the Review of Metaphysics, and he does research on the ideas of education and beauty.

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Here is the page with more information.  We will eventually have a new site committed to the exciting new offerings!

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Please listen to this interview with Walter Crawford, Founder of Homeschool Connections, with Tony Labarbara with Guadalupe Radio Network. 

The interview begins about 14 minutes into the recording.

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We are very excited to offer homeschool families a low cost yet effective service towards improving your student’s homeschool experience.  With a simple click of a button your student or even you as an instructor can have access to all of our previously live courses including the material the instructor provided during the live experinces.  The benefits to you are…

• Time saver–Saves you time since these classes are available according to your schedule
• Expertise–Provides your student insights from the experts
• Affordable–This is a perfect solution for families schooling on a budget

Click here to learn more about this exciting and valuable service!

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In his lecture notes concerning his most profound work, “Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain notes that “a sound heart is a surer guide than an ill-trained conscience.” One of the most beloved American novels written, this story of a young Odyssean wanderer discovers friendship and loyalty through the the runaway slave, Jim, and discovers a profound lesson in trusting in the worth of a another human being over and against the societal prejudice of the time. Though the work can often be taught as a study on American racism, this course will mostly focus on themes of friendship, loyalty, and the value of the human heart. Students at this age enjoy the masterful plot of this story and will be thoroughly challenged through it’s reading and lectures. Vocabulary and grammar will be reading based and the paper written will cover a particular theme of the work. The first three lectures will cover the work and the final three lectures will concern the writing.

 Cost: This course is $70 if you sign up before June 1, 2010; $80 thereafter

 Six-Class Schedule

Session One – Introduction to Huckleberry Finn and the American Novel (please have read Ch. 1-5 for the first session)

Session Two – (Ch. 6-20); Vocabulary due

Session Three – (Ch. 21-35)

Session Four –  (Ch. 36-End); Character map due; Writing about a theme

Session Five – Lecture; Editing the rough draft

Session Six- Lecture; Final paper

Miss Brock will provide vocabulary, reading quizzes, essay assignment and instructions, and a Final Exam. Answer keys will be provided for parents to grade.

She will use the Penguin Classic of Huckleberry Finn

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143105949/ref=rdr_ext_sb_pi_hist_1

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Penguin Classics; Deluxe edition (October 27, 2009)

Language: English

 ISBN-10: 0143105949

ISBN-13: 978-0143105947

You are free to use any edition you like, but for better ease of reading along with the teacher, the student would be best served if the page numbers correspond with the teacher’s edition.

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Additionally, we have the pleasure of hosting Katherine O’Brien, M.A. C.C.P.S.,  with Celtic College Consultants to provide you with optimal college planning strategies.  Please see below!

As usual if you are unable to make the live event or it happens to fill up, by signing up for our newsletter you can receive the recorded events.  So please join us by enrolling in our upcoming Catholic College Meet n Greets.

• How to build a legacy of love and learning: a webinar on grandparents and college funding with Katherine O’Brien–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• How To Pay For College Without Breaking Your Bank with Katherine O’Brien–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• Franciscan University of Steubenville on October 21 @ 3 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• Wyoming Catholic College on October 28 @ 8:30 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• Ave Maria University on October 29 @ 7 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• Thomas Aquinas College on November 3@ 8:30 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• University of Dallas on November 9 @ 7:30 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas on November 10 @ 8:30 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• Texas A&M University–Meet St. Mary’s Student Center on November 17 @ 4 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
• Introduction to Benedictine College on December 10 @ 8:30 p.m. ET–PREVIOUSLY RECORDED

Also, please let us know what and when you want to hear from these great institutions by filling out this anonymous survey.  Please click here to participate.

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• MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Going forward all of our classes are 100% money back guarantee after the first session only.  So, if you or your student does not like the class then please let us know and we will reimburse your entire payment or if you prefer we can offer you a credit towards another class for the same amount.
• COME VISIT THE TOP CATHOLIC COLLEGES IN NOVEMBER. Catholic College Month is here!  Come meet the best Catholic college representatives and what they have to say about their schools.  It is happening now!!  Be on the look out under the Catholic College Month tab .
• COURSES FOR PARENTS.  We want to help parents anyway possible.  We are now offering courses for parents. 

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