It is test taking season and many of your children are preparing to take the ACT for their first, second or more time. The score your child earns on the ACT can make the difference between what school they attend to the amount of scholarship money they are offered. If you want to prepare your child to achieve their best score, an ACT prep class or workshop may be the answer. UT Martin is offering high school juniors and seniors several ACT prep classes on their satellite campuses in Jackson and Somerville. The one-day workshops are geared towards helping them prepare for taking the ACT test. It will cover all three subjects to help students prepare for the exam.

If your student has already taken the ACT, they can still benefit from both of these instructional events. Students are able to take the ACT exam more than once and may choose which score in each subject they want to use when applying for scholarships and college admission (see other benefits of taking the ACT). Attending the workshop could lead to your child scoring higher on the exam.

Although calculator use is not necessary, if your child wants to use one, it must be an approved ACT calculator.

The ACT test will be offered again this year on Saturday, December 10. The registration deadline is Friday, November 4, and late registration is November 5-18, 2016. Find a test center near you.

UT Martin Somerville
One-day Workshop
Dates: Monday, October 17, 2016
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Registration Fee: $45
Location: UT Martin Operations- Somerville/Fayette County, 121 West Court Square, Somerville, 38068

UT Martin Jackson
One-day Workshop
Date: Saturday, October 1, October 15, November 19 and December 1, 2016
Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: UT Martin Jackson Center, 3031 U.S. 45 Bypass, Jackson, 38305
Registration Fee: $45 per student

You may register online.

Call (731) 881-3510 (800) 482-5199 for more information.

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©2016 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/.

Are you still looking for something for your tech savvy child to do this summer? Check out the Apple Camp that will be held at the Apple Store in Germantown.

Kids who love tech (or may just need a spark) and have a creative streak will enjoy the “Creating Your Own Song with GarageBand” and “Designing Your Dream Park with iPad” camps that the Apple Store is offering this summer. The camps are for children, ages eight through 12, and will offer a hands-on experience for their creativity to flow. There will be four tracks that range from coding to art and design. Does that sound like fun?

Getting Creative with Apple Products

Both are three-day programs and have a special concentration:

Creating Your Own Song with GarageBand

Campers will learn how to make music with GarageBand for iPad with a focus on rhythm basics and practice making beats. They will create a melody while experimenting with Smart Instruments.

Designing Your Dream Park with iPad

Campers will design a community park from the ground up. Inspiration will be garnered from a short walk as they take photographs to study colors, materials and textures they will include in their park. Using the Procreate app on an iPad and an Apple Pencil, they will bring their park vision to life.

Campers will have the opportunity to share their projects with the group at the end of camp. All devices used in the camp will be provided. The big plus is that the camps are free! So, because of that, register soon, because spaces will fill fast.

The camps will be held on the following dates:

July 7 – July 13
July 14 – July 20
July 21 – July 27
July 2 – August 3

Hopefully, your child will be able to attend one of the camps. You will need an Apple I.D. to register for the programs. If you do not have an Apple I.D., you can sign up for one.

Apple Store, 2031 West Street, Germantown, 38138

Homeschool Roster Field Trip

Homeschool Roster will be heading to the Apple Store in August for a field trip. We are going to do “Movie Making”. Be sure to sign up for the Homeschool Roster newsletter, so you do not miss when registration opens.

Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe to the Homeschool Roster blog and get our articles in your inbox!

©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/.

Live online biology, anatomy, chemistry and Bible classes will be offered this fall through Friendship Christian School in Suwannee, Georgia. Students will be able to have live interaction with the teacher.

Classes taught include biology, anatomy, chemistry and Bible. The subjects taught will be Biblical (six-day) creation-based with moral instruction and apologetics.

The classes will be presented live via Zoom videoconference. Recordings of the classes will also be available. Students are independent of the school, so all work will be graded and scored at home by the student or parent. This will allow parents to be familiar with course content as well as aware of their child’s progress.

The price is $50 per quarter and is not due until the quester is over. Thta is a great price a well as terms.

The classes are taught by Jay Jusino, Staff Development Director, Curriculum Coordinator and Science Director at Friendship Christian School and homeschool dad (I had to throw that one in). If you would like to register or more information, you may e-mail [email protected] or call (470) 208-4988.

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©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/.

UT Martin is making it easier for homeschoolers to prepare for the ACT by offering ACT preparation opportunities in more areas. Many of your children are preparing to take the ACT for the first, second or more time. The score your child earns on the ACT can make the difference between what school they attend to the amount of scholarship money they are offered. If you want to prepare your child to achieve their best score, an ACT prep class or workshop may be the answer. Alex Beene, UT Martin Adjunct Instructor; College and ACT Adviser for Fayette County Schools, is offering high school juniors and seniors several ACT prep classes on UT Martin satellite campuses. I am glad to see the addition of a location in Bolivar. The one-day workshops are geared towards helping students prepare for taking the ACT test. It will cover all three subjects, provide tips for managing testing time and cover “some of the most commonly missed questions” – learn how to get them right!

If your student has already taken the ACT, they can still benefit from these instructional events. Students are able to take the ACT exam more than once and may choose which score in each subject they want to use when applying for scholarships and college admission (see other benefits of taking the ACT). Attending one of the workshop could lead to your child scoring higher on the exam.

Although calculator use is not necessary, if your child wants to use one, it must be an approved ACT calculator.

The ACT test will be offered again this year on Saturday, April 8. Although the registration deadline has passed, you may register late, by Friday, March 17, and a late fee will apply. The next test date is Saturday, June 10. The registration deadline is Friday, May 5, 2017 and late registration is May 6-19, 2017. Find a test center near you.

Bolivar
One-day Workshop
Date: Saturday, March 18, 2017
Time: 1 p.m. 5 p.m.
Location: Madison-Haywood Developmental Services Building, 615 Moss Lane, Bolivar, TN 38008
Registration Fee: $45 per student

Jackson
One-day Workshop
Date: Saturday, March 25 and May 20, 2017
Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: UT Martin Jackson Center, 3031 U.S. 45 Bypass, Jackson, 38305
Registration Fee: $45 per student

Somerville
One-day Workshop
Date: Saturday, March 18, 2017
Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: Fayette County Career Center, 121 West Court Square, Somerville, Registration Fee: $45 per student

You may register online.

Call (731) 881-7082 or (800) 482-5199 or e-mail Debbie Mount for more information.

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©2017 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/.

Over the past few years, “STEM education” has become the new buzz phrase, and the buzz is strong. Christian Brothers University (CBU) in Memphis held its first BUC E-Day last year with more than 50 students attending the event. A second event followed in October and again returns later this month. More students are expected to attend this event, which will be held on Saturday, October 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the school campus.

“The purpose of the event is to engage students in middle school to high school in STEM activities and to foster a love for STEM in them,” said CBU undergraduate student Trey McGinnis, who is studying Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at the school. His father, Gene, is an Associate Professor and chair of the CBU Civil & Environmental Engineering department.

McGinnis is also a member of the Theta Tau colony, a national professional engineering fraternity, aimed at developing its members professionally and socially, which is hosting the event. The colony was established last year on the CBU campus and will eventually become a full chapter.

BUC E-Day will be a day full of hands-on competition experiments; demonstrations, and interaction with current CBU students and teachers. Students will also be able to compete individually or as a team in five different competitions: Egg Drop; CO2 Car; Balsa Tower and K’nex Bridge. There will be a number of demonstrations, including the bed of nails, which is also known as the “loop of death.”

“While we aim for students in the middle school range, we have had younger students compete. We will not turn away a student based on age. Competitions, such as the K’nex Bridge and Egg Drop, are especially compatible for younger participants,” said McGinnis.

McGinnis stressed the importance of more students becoming involved in the STEM field. He noted science, technology, engineering and mathematics are fields of the future.

“If we want hover cars, we need to invest in STEM,” said McGinnis who also works in the CBU IT department as a programmer analyst. “Computers, medicines, prosthetic devices, and many more objects that enable us to live and thrive and communicate and explore the world around us are tangible payoffs of someone investing in STEM. Through exploration of our curiosity and questioning the way things are done, we will be able to create some incredible things for the future.”

McGinnis said traditionally, electrical engineering has had the highest numbers for graduates at CBU, but recently the mechanical engineering classes have been larger. More men tend to pursue STEM careers than women and McGinnis hopes that will change.

“We need to encourage high performing students, especially women, to test the limits and research possibilities,” said McGinnis. “BUC E-Day will offer a lot to students and we hope they will appreciate not only the importance of engineering, but how much fun it can be! We’re trying to encourage students interested in engineering to pursue it. Who knows what we as a people can accomplish?”

You may register for Buc E-Day 2016. A fee applies only for competition and a food pass, otherwise admission is free. The fee to compete is $15, which includes lunch, and a food pass is only $5. Contact Trey at for more information.

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©2016 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/.