There is something to be said about a new beginning. It is a chance to start from the beginning and do it better than you ever did it before. Of course there will be failures, but there will also be successes. That is pretty much how your homeschool year is going to happen. So realize it, stay encouraged, even when you feel like you are drowning, and push through. August 1 is one of those type of days. It is a new beginning with many exciting opportunities happening for homeschoolers.
Homeschool Roster
We have a lot of cool happenings at Homeschool Roster. You may read about the changes being made, which will make this one of our best field trip seasons. We now have a Homeschool Roster field trip and event website. Join and become a member, so you may see all of the field trips we already have scheduled and make plans to attend. Registration for some of our upcoming field trips are already open. Although August 1 is our first official day of the season, we have already enjoyed three Back-to-Homeschool Splashes this month. We have three more scheduled in August. After that, we continue with a full calendar in August all the way through to May.
Don’t Miss Out!
Catch the news at the Homeschool Roster website, a free online resource for homeschool families, bringing news and information that is of interest to homeschoolers. Although our focus is West Tennessee, we also share homeschool news that has been helpful to all homeschoolers.
Homeschool Registration
For many homeschool families, August 1 is the first day of school. If you have not already registered to homeschool with your local school board or an umbrella school, submit that application. If going the school board route, you must register with your local school board by the first day of school in your county. If going the umbrella school route, be sure to register by July 31. Most umbrella schools increase their fees on or after August 1. Register early, so you do not get penalized with late fees.
Public School Sports
If your child plans to play sports at your local public school, the letter of intent to homeschool is due by August 1. You may e-mail, fax or hand deliver the paperwork to the school board. I suggest you hand deliver and send an e-mail, because you will not be given a “receipt”. The next step is to notify the school principal and coach of the team for which your child would like to play, by August 15. A try out does not guarantee your child will be accepted onto the team, but they do have the right to try out, even as a homeschooler. If you are with an umbrella school, you may also maintain that coverage.
TN Promise
The Tennessee Promise application opens on August 1. What is that you ask? Well, if you have a graduating high school senior, they may apply for the Tennessee Promise scholarship, which provides seniors two years of free tuition at Tennessee community colleges, technical schools and some four-year instituions. Over the two years, students may earn an associate’s degree and, if desired, continue to a four-year institution to further their education. If your senior is graduating this school year, be sure they apply for the TN Promise. Even if they have already decided they will not attend a TN Promise technical school or college, they may change their minds. Believe me, it happens too often and the scholarship opportunity is no longer available to them. With the TN Promise, you do not have to use it, but once the deadline has passed to apply, there is no second chance. Students have only one opportunity to apply for this scholarship, which is during their graduating senior year. The application closes on Friday, November 1, and they ain’t playin’!
FAFSA
Does your child need money for college? Check out FAFSA! The FAFSA application opens for the 2020/2021 school year on October 1, but go ahead and create an account, so you are ready to apply. If you have a child who will be entering college next fall or one who will be returning, be sure to get that FAFSA application completed. The financial aid is granted on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get started on completing those applications and do not wait until the last minute. The submission deadline is February 1
Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe to the Homeschool Roster blog and get our articles in your inbox! Sign up for the Homeschool Roster newsletter.
©2019 Homeschool Roster. Article by Jennifer Smeltser. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publisher https://www.homeschoolroster.com/.
Leave a Reply