Byline: CHEWV

Fine Arts Results Announced

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The 2023 Fine Arts Season closed with great representation from CHEWV students across the state. Congratulations to all that participated! You all have much to be proud of.

As you look through the list of awards, remember that elementary students receive superior and excellent ratings while Junior High and Senior High have the opportunity to place first, second, and third, in addition to superior and excellent ratings.

Elementary

Bronson French Brass Solo Superior

Solomon Jett String Solo Superior

Classical Piano Solo Superior

Sacred Piano Solo Superior

Eliana Gray Textiles Superior

Junior High

Kylie Steinvurzel Math Test 1^st place

Spelling Test 1^st place

Science Test 1^st place

Monochromatic Drawing 1^st place

Sculpture 1^st place

Finley Steinvurzel Math Test 2^nd place

Spelling Test 3^rd place

Mary French Brass Solo 1^st place

Organ Solo 1^st place

Simeon Jett String Solo 1^st place

Classical Piano Solo 1^st place

Sacred Piano Solo 1^st place

Senior High

Kate Hontz Female Vocal Solo 1^st place

Brandon French Classical Piano Excellent

Matthew Simpson Percussion Solo 1^st place

Cinema 1^st place

Landscape/Architecture/

Photography Excellent

It’s not too early to begin thinking about the 2024 Fine Arts Festivals! Browse the categories on the CHEWV website link. Send any questions to Kim Johnson, CHEWV Fine Arts coordinator at finearts@chewv.org. Dates and locations are as follows:

Senior High Festival Appalachian Bible College March 7 & 8, 2024

Junior High/Elementary Festival Lewisburg Baptist Academy April 25 & 26, 2024

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July 11, 2023
Can’t Afford to Homeschool?
Perhaps we can help! Let’s explore a few options:
1. Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool is a free and complete online curriculum. Showing you how to use freely available resources to complete all 12 grades, this curriculum was gradually developed by a homeschool mom, one year at a time, as she carved out an affordable yet effective way to homeschool her own kids at home! Now she offers it to all other families – free of charge – to make it possible for them to homeschool, too. Think you can’t afford to homeschool? This option is absolutely free!
1. Ambleside Online. Ambleside Online, another free homeschool curriculum, uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: God, humanity, and the natural world. AO’s detailed schedules, time-tested methods, and extensive teacher resources allow parents to focus effectively on the unique needs of each child.
1. Schoolhouse Teachers You can homeschool ALL the children in your homeschool for only $179 per year (regular price $269.97) when you use CHEWV’s link! Schoolhouse Teachers is a self-paced online curriculum with hundreds of streaming videos, record-keeping tools, and even a transcript service. Check it out at the above link and then purchase through this link to save! If you purchase during their Summer Shark Event (through August 31st), you’ll receive a free tote and collectible magazine edition.
So there are three great options, two of them free. However, if you want to check out further curriculum options, click here for a previous article on this topic.

And finally, there are a growing number of gratis resources available online. Although most of these are not already laid out for you by grade as are the three options mentioned above, they are invaluable resources if you take the time to gather what you need.

For example, Hillsdale College now has a K-12 initiative. PragerUKids has a whole section for homeschoolers divided by grade level. YouTube also has resources easily found via the search engine. The latter will require some level of vetting for worldview; nevertheless, quality resources are there. Google searches will also provide printables, coloring pages, math drills, virtual field trip ideas, and much, much more. Last but not lease, search for creative educational and homeschool resources on Pinterest.

If that sounds like too much work, then we’ll come round circle to the first three mentioned resources that spoon feed affordable curriculum. CHEWV’s free curriculum booklet explores many more curriculum options – without reference to cost. But if you have limited funds, be assured there’s no need for financial stress. If homeschooling is where the Lord is leading your family, please don’t let financial concerns deter you. Where God leads, He provides! Hundreds of homeschool families can testify to that!
July 11, 2023
NEW DIRECTIVE for Assessments

A new directive from the WV Department of Education relating to Hope students could also impact privately-funded homeschoolers. According to the WVDE, only “actual results from the testing company” will be accepted for Hope students taking a nationally normed standardized test for their annual academic evaluation. It remains unclear whether privately-funded students will be impacted. This past Tuesday, a representative of the WVDE advised that CHEWV’s County Report form would not be accepted for Hope students.

We do not know how easily counties will be able to distinguish between assessment submissions for Hope scholarship students versus traditional homeschoolers. However, the directive leaves room for privately-funded homeschoolers to also be affected.

CHEWV’s County Report has been accepted statewide for privately-funded homeschoolers for over 30 years. Its intent is to help families (and counties) understand whether students have made acceptable progress according to the standards of WV code. Additionally, we do not want families to have to submit more information than is required by law unless they voluntarily do so.

If you are a privately-funded homeschooler who tested with CHEWV and the county rejects your CHEWV report, please let us know.

To summarize, CHEWV reports will not be accepted for Hope families this year.

For privately-funded homeschoolers, assessments must be performed every year, but results only need to be submitted to the county for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. The submission deadline is June 30^thfor private homeschoolers schooling under 18-8-1(c)(2).

CHEWV is committed to assisting homeschool families; please contact chewv@chewv.org or testing@chewv.org with any submission questions.

June 8, 2023
Visit Living History Sites This Summer

There’s nothing quite like experiencing living history.

These hands-on immersion experiences are fantastic for learning and elicit the very best types of conversations. Whether sparking discussion about slavery, liberty, or progress, visits to the past via experiences make textbook information come alive. Movies don’t compare!

Having just returned from Colonial Williamsburg, we can highly recommend the presentations from historical re-enactors; visits to tradesmen like blacksmiths, tinsmiths, and milliners; and tours of the Capitol, governor’s palace, and other historical houses. At Williamsburg you can also pet the sheep, take a carriage ride, or even visit nearby Busch Gardens Amusement Park. Stay in an official hotel (tickets included) and use the pool, play miniature golf, or expend energy on the playground. It’s an incredible experience whatever you choose to do!

Recent world events have hit these historical sites hard. Visitors and income are down, and the pressure to rewrite history is real. There’s no guarantee that these national and state educational opportunities will always be available to our families. You can support these sites by showing up and sharing your experiences with others!

Williamsburg is but one nearby attraction. West Virginians are blessed to be a day’s driving distance from an array of historical sites! From our own Prickett’s Fort, Arthurdale and Blennerhassett Island to Jamestown, Fort Necessity, and Monticello, the possibilities are numerous. Support these incredible museums while enriching your children’s historical understanding!

Can’t travel? You can start here with virtual tours: https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/explore-from-home/

After you take your trip, send CHEWV a short piece about the fun – and why others should give it a go. You might find your story in a future newsletter!

June 7, 2023
Assessing the Important Things
In order to comply with the 18-8-1(c)(2) exemption from compulsory education in West Virginia (the path most commonly followed by homeschool families), we are simply required to file a Notice of Intent for each child we’re teaching and then complete an annual academic assessment, usually a nationally-normed standardized achievement test in five subject areas, or else a portfolio review.

Championing an Eternal Perspective

Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of our annual assessments, though, is that they cannot capture the most important measures of success. For instance, these assessments fail to measure creativity and critical thinking. Desirable qualities such as civic-mindedness, compassion, and reliability are not included. Neither are characteristics like honesty, an exemplary work ethic, or kindness.

We complete our annual assessment to follow the law – as God requires. Sure, it’s good to have a measure of our child’s academic progress in reading, math, language arts, social studies, and science, but it’s even more important to keep Biblical priorities foremost.

Did we meet character and spiritual goals?

So, let’s come at this from another angle, closer to God’s point of view. God explains that, while we look on the outward appearance, He looks on the heart. Besides our academic goals for the upcoming grade level, how about including goals like completing daily chores without complaining, having a cheerful attitude during school work, and keeping school supplies organized? Or might we consider having our students read more advanced books, complete a certain number of nonfiction works, or contribute to a book club discussion? For a believing child, we might set such goals as putting Biblical principles into action: e.g., a heart to give rather than receive, cultivating a teachable heart, or pursuing a deeper relationship with the Lord through a wholehearted prayer life.

With summer planning time on the horizon, consider spending some time discussing and praying together about each individual child. Start with a list of all the things about each child that are positive and for which you are thankful. Make this list long and praise God for His goodness! Then intentionally share this list with your child :-).

Afterward, make a short list of character areas where your child needs growth. This, then, could translate seamlessly into measurable goals, making a second, more personal yet highly meaningful year-end assessment pretty simple.

For example, let’s say you are concerned because 12-year-old Sally never reads unless required to; spends evenings on social media; rarely, if ever, helps Mom without being asked; does not make her bed or keep her clothing hung up; and argues with Dad when she doesn’t get her way.

Goals and Tools

Goals, then, for Sally this coming year could include:
1. Daily Scripture reading. Tools: Dad will give the entire family a schedule of short readings, and will try to discuss them at least weekly at the dinner table. Mom and Dad will make every effort to make this time enjoyable and pleasant with the goal of seeing Sally enjoy and engage with Scripture.
2. Read for pleasure. Tools: Go to the library every other week and allow Sally to check out two books. Require the reading of two substantial books per quarter; keep a record of titles and date completed. (Hope to see her pick up extra books on her own.) Mom and Dad will model reading in the evenings more often. At least 15 minutes daily reading required prior to internet use.
3. Participate joyfully in chores and work, initiate without being asked. Tools: Establish household routines that include Sally keeping her own room picked up daily, and require her to help Mom with daily and weekly chores. Mom and Dad will “notice” her progress and give praise.
4. Learn that nothing is gained by arguing = eventually a cooperative and respectful daughter. Tools: Mom and Dad will hold to what they tell Sally and not give in to her arguments. Disrespectful argumentation will automatically, consistently (but gently) yield one or more day’s loss of social media time, friend time, or computer/DVD time. (This will be an automatic consequence without Mom or Dad getting angry about it.) Both Mom and Dad will pray over this consistently, and also be cautious about their own argumentative attitude.
5. Cheerful and happy home life. Tools: Mom and Dad will make every effort to notice the good things Sally does and to promote a cheerful attitude in the home – while still holding firm to the things needed to help her mature.
Character Assessment Program – Gauging Progress

At the end of the year, parents can sit down and see:
1. Is Sally reading the Bible consistently by the end of the year? Does she seem to enjoy it yet? Has she done any Bible study on her own in addition to the required reading?
2. Has she read the required books? Any additional books on her own?
3. Has she established habits for daily chores? Are these being completed routinely without reminding or nagging? Does she ever help Mom without being asked? Are Mom and Sally able to work cheerfully together at least some of the time?
4. Is Sally more respectful with Dad?
When we can look back at where we started, it helps us not forget the progress made! It’s so easy to constantly notice the problems and overlook the good. Not only is this unfair, but it’s also discouraging to our kids. After all, parenting is much more akin to a crockpot than a microwave! In the midst of correcting the sons and instructing the daughters God has given you, discipline yourself to notice and celebrate each child’s slow but steady progress.

This coming year, consider preparing for an assessment that goes beyond academics!
June 7, 2023
Homeschoolers Gain Sports Access

HB 2820, sponsored by Delegate Crouse and co-sponsored by Delegates Steele, Burkhammer, Kimble, Worrell, Cannon, Dillon, Butler, Maynor, Lucas, and Pinson, officially passed the 2023 WV Legislature on March 11th and was sent on to the governor. Because he didn’t sign or veto it, it will take effect on June 9, 2023.

Here’s an excerpt:

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, or the commission’s rules, the commission shall consider eligible for participation in interscholastic athletic events and other extracurricular activities of secondary schools a student who is receiving home instruction pursuant to §18-8-1(c) of this code, is a participant in the Hope Scholarship Program, pursuant to §18-8-1(m) of this code and as provided for in §18-31-1, et seq. of this code, or participates in a microschool or learning pod, pursuant to §18-8-1(n) of this code, and who:

(1) Has demonstrated satisfactory evidence of academic progress for each year in compliance with the provisions of that subsection: Provided, That the student’s average test results are within or above the fourth stanine in all subject areas;

(2) Has not reached the age of 19 by August 1 of the current school year;

(3) Is an amateur who receives no compensation but participates solely for the educational, physical, mental and social benefits of the activity;

(4) Agrees to comply with all disciplinary rules of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission and the county board in which the student lives; and

(5) Agrees to obey all rules of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission governing awards, all-star games, parental consents, physical examinations, and vaccinations applicable to all high school athletes.

Eligibility is limited to participation in interscholastic athletic events and other extracurricular activities at the public secondary school serving the attendance zone in which the student lives: Provided, That students who leave a school during the school year are subject to the same transfer protocols that apply to member-to-member transfers. Reasonable fees may be charged to the student to cover the costs of participation in interscholastic athletic events and other extracurricular activities.

Access the entire text of the bill here.

April 6, 2023
2023 Legislative Session: Takeaways
During Home School Day at the Capitol, several CHEWV families gathered in the House Education Committee room to review how a bill becomes a law. We highlighted how difficult it is to write an effective law while avoiding unintended negative consequences. We also discussed the challenge faced by legislators as they seek to understand and evaluate hundreds of proposed laws in each annual 60-day legislative session. In fact, they rely on staff attorneys to both draft the wording as well as summarize the purpose and effect of many of the bills that they consider.

Little did we know how prophetic that meeting would be.

While all seemed quiet on the homeschool legislative front, a mere ten days later HB 3408 was introduced in the House, quickly passing through the Education Committee without discussion. According to the stated purpose of the bill – to “clean up statutory language related to the Hope scholarship program” – it was intended to fix a glitch in the wording of the law regarding scholarship funding. Sounds fine, right?

As we quickly discovered, though, HB 3408 had a number of problems, not the least of which was the serious unintended consequence of placing private homeschoolers’ hard-earned freedoms at risk. This led to a labor-intensive two weeks as we all worked together to get the bill fixed. After the bill was amended on the House floor, it then survived a rather divisive debate over another proposed amendment and passed out of the House on a rare unanimous vote, just in time to be considered by the Senate. Ultimately, however, the bill died in the Senate without being taken up in committee.

Looking back, here are some important takeaways from the 2023 West Virginia Legislature:
- The voice of homeschool families matters hugely. When we asked homeschool families to contact members of the House of Delegates to express their opinions, we heard from legislators that it was by far the most communication they received on any bill this year. They worked quickly to address our concerns, and the House then passed it on a unanimous vote.
- Don’t underestimate relationships and face-to-face contact with legislators! No legislator can ignore a family who’s stopped by to speak with them about homeschooling – your face will come up before them when they go to cast their vote. It gives your legislator a connection with you – “my family stopped by your office and met with you briefly a couple of weeks ago” is a much stronger opening to an email than “I live in your district.” Finally, you will be more comfortable contacting members of the legislature on specific issues if you’ve been able to meet and talk with them previously.
- Thank God for homeschool advocates in the WV Legislature! We used to have to almost beg to get a couple of legislators to show up at our rally at Home School Day at the Capitol. Now they are lining up to speak to the homeschool families gathered there! This is a blessing.
- Vigilance is still needed to guard our parental rights and educational freedoms! Even with a well-intended, homeschool-friendly legislature, HB 3408 illustrates that there is no such thing as an “off year” for homeschoolers at the WV Legislature. Monitoring is always necessary.
- Once a law is “opened up” for change by an introduced bill, just about anything can happen to the law. Because the wording of a bill is often very “fluid” as it goes through the whole legislative process, changes can happen quickly and at multiple points along the bill’s journey. Amendments can pop up out of the blue and be adopted quickly; or they may be debated passionately, creating unnecessary division or ill will. Multiple factors such as a busy agenda, deadlines, and last-minute conceptual agreements requiring rapid-fire translation into written amendments, can all contribute to a hurried legislative pace that leaves little time for adequate consideration of unanticipated consequences.
- God hears our prayers. Though pro-homeschool legislators are great to have and families contacting their legislators can be persuasive, our ultimate confidence rests in the “one Lawgiver and Judge – who is able to save and destroy.” He has been faithful to West Virginia homeschoolers, day after day, year after year. May we all be found faithful to Him, and the work He has given us to do!
Though HB 3408 faded away and died quietly at the end of this year’s session, some version of the bill will likely return next year. The problem with the Hope funding still remains. In order to monitor how any future proposals might affect WV homeschool families, we must remain actively vigilant.
April 6, 2023
HB3408 Simplified
HB 3408 was passed in the House today. So now what?

It moves over to the Senate. The Senate could take it up or ignore it completely. The Senate must pass it in order for it to progress toward becoming law. As it currently stands, HB 3408 is NOT law. It still needs Senate approval and the governor’s signature before it will change any laws.

(Before reading ahead, it will be helpful to remember that traditional, privately funded homeschoolers – as most of us are – normally use “Exemption c” in the current law.)

How would HB3408 change the our current law?
1. IF HB3408 becomes law, yearly assessments would still be required by “Exemption c” homeschoolers, but assessment results would not have to be submitted to the county in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11.
2. Otherwise, HB 3408 does not change the current “Exemption c” requirements in the law – except that it adds a new statement that “A child receiving home instruction pursuant to this section may also be referred to throughout this code as a ‘home school student’ or similar reference.”
3. In the current law, “Exemption m” is the Hope Scholarship exemption. This bill keeps Exemption m in the law BUT it no longer references the Hope Scholarship. Instead, it provides for participation in “AIM” – an Assembled Instructional Module. A child participating in an AIM would come under very similar requirements as homeschoolers who use Exemption c, EXCEPT annual academic assessment results would need to be submitted to the county every year by June 8th. To be clear, annual submission would only be for Exemption m students, not Exemption c students. BOTH would still have to be assessed annually. (For an explanation of assessments, click here.)
4. Exemption m (or Exemptions b, k or n) students can receive Hope Scholarship funds, if they choose to and they are eligible, but families using Exemption c cannot receive Hope scholarship funding. All homeschoolers using Exemption c remain privately-funded and under separate legal requirements from students receiving Hope funding.
In a nutshell, with the current version of HB 3408, if it becomes law:
- Hope students and privately-funded homeschoolers would remain in separate sections of the law – protecting both.
- Privately-funded homeschoolers would still be required to do an academic assessment each year and keep results on file, but they would not submit assessment results to the county.
- AIM students would do an academic assessment each year AND submit the results to the county each year – by June 8^th.
- The current Exemption m would be changed significantly. The current IIP language (for Hope recipients) would be completely removed. AIM schooling would be created and could be used as a means of home instruction by Hope Scholarship recipients.
- Learning pod and micro school students, as well as AIM students, would have equal legal rights and privileges to homeschoolers, including such things as diploma fairness, votech access, and PROMISE scholarship access.
Remember, HB3408 is not yet law. It still has to pass the Senate and then go on to the governor for his approval. Also, the language of the bill could be changed in the Senate. Stay tuned for updates on the status of the bill.
March 2, 2023
2/28/2023: Legislative Alert & Update
Update 9:35 pm: 3408 passed 2nd reading in the House tonight.

Update 8:30 pm: 3408 is on this evening’s House agenda for 2nd reading. It is expected to be voted on tomorrow, March 1st.
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HB 3408 has been substantially reworked in the past 48 hours. The new language can be read here.

This revised version is cosponsored by Kathy Hess Crouse and Joe Ellington. As mentioned in previous alerts, HB3408 was originally intended to fix some issues for Hope Scholarship recipients. This version does satisfy CHEWV’s priority of retaining an exemption specifically for privately-funded home educators.

With “crossover day” being March 1^st, this bill is likely to come up for a vote tomorrow. Here is what the current version of HB 3408 does:
- Removes language that requires homeschoolers to submit academic assessment results in grades three, five, eight, and eleven. Requirements to perform an annual assessment would remain in place.
- Keeps the other requirements of exemption (c)(2) intact for privately-funded homeschoolers.
- Maintains exemption (m) for those who are eligible and wish to participate in the Hope scholarship program; strikes the language for “individualized instructional program” and creates the new term “Assembled Instructional Module (AIM)” with requirements that mirror homeschool requirements in exemption (c)(2).
- Maintains exemption (n) for microschools and learning pods.
- Specifies that AIM, learning pod, and microschool students have “all of the educational rights and privileges this code makes available to home school students” and specifies that nothing in the (m) and (n) exemptions may be construed… as subjecting home school students to the requirements” of (m) and (n).
- Makes changes to Article 31, the Hope scholarship program, not applicable to privately-funded homeschoolers.
Given that the bill would need to pass out of the House tomorrow to remain viable, we urge you to contact your Delegates tonight or early in the morning to express your opinion about the bill prior to the House vote.
March 1, 2023
2/23/23 Legislative Report

CHEWV continues to work full-time today on HB3408. We are coordinating with HSLDA, the WVHEA, and Delegate Kathie Crouse. We have also been in contact with other delegates and House counsel.

Today’s proffered revision remains unacceptable. The 2021 legislative assurances that privately-funded and publicly-funded students would remain separate are still not satisfied. In this, we are unified with other homeschool leaders.

To our knowledge, the bill remains on the House calendar at this time – where it will not come up for second reading. However, should it be moved to the Special calendar, it can be brought forward for second reading. Discussions about the bill continue amongst House leadership.

Action on this bill can be taken until crossover day – March 1.

Please continue to pray. Unfortunately, this is not over. Pray for Delegate Crouse who may very well be the face of the battle in the House. Pray for all homeschool leaders – for wisdom as well as opportunity. Pray specifically that no law undermining parents and homeschooling will pass this session. In other words, pray for God’s favor. And thank Him for what He has already done for us in so many ways! Our trust is not in ourselves, or in each other, but in Him alone.

February 23, 2023