Here is a list of frequently asked questions that may help your understand about HEY and how you can get involved.

How do I get started homeschooling? If you are considering homeschooling or would like more information about homeschooling, we offer a FREE Resource and Support Group especially designed for new homeschoolers. The group meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the evenings year round. Visit the Event Calendar for more information.  What are the benefits of membership? - Monthly informational meeting -Resource and Support Group - Full access to 'Members Only' website section (post events, library, member directory, etc.) - HEY Membership card which is useful to get a teacher discount while purchasing school materials (e.g. Office Depot, Barnes and Noble, FedEX Kinko's, Hancock Fabrics, Office Max {Office Max for Teachers}, Big Lots Teacher Day, Shopko Teacher Days, Michaels Appreciation Days, Book Warehouse, Jo-Ann Store, Crafts Direct, Borders Express and Fishing Pond to name a few) - Printed HEY Members Directory - Receive emails of events in the community - As a teacher, you qualify for School Matinee discounts to GREAT Theatre shows and CSB & SJU - Get to know and form co-ops with other homeschoolers - Graduation Ceremony - Get involved with Enrichment days - HEY Fall Rally: to buy/sell curriculums, motivational speaker, energized for new year - HEY Spring Book Sale - Field Trip opportunities - Legislative Alerts - Baseball/T-ball, Basketball and Cloud Soccer Groups - Meeting people - HEY Library - HEY Theatre - HEY Project Fair - St. Cloud Homeschool Band - HEY Spring Picnic - Book It Program (for Kindergarten thru 6th grade) - Make It Plates group rates - School pictures at Group rates - Support one another and get connected - Access to testing options - Classes offered by veteran homeschoolers (writing, sewing, guitar, etc) -Homeschoolers also qualify for tax exempt status – Information and details are available on the MACHE web site: www.mache.org/LegLawSalesTaxExemptions.htm The necessary forms are also available on the: State Department of Revenue website (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)  What are the membership dues used for? HEY is a non-profit organization and all leadership positions are voluntary. This is a general idea of how the money is utilized. If you would like a detailed cash flow statement, please ask our Treasurer, Nadine Pullis. - Room/Building Rentals for: Graduation, Project Fair, HEY Picnic, HEY Theatre, HEY Fall Rally, How Great Thou Art, and Enrichment Day activities - HEY Graduation Ceremony/Reception - HEY Spring Picnic supplies - HEY Dance - HEY Library - Website - Office supplies: paper, membership cards, printed membership directories, postage, copies, printing, shipping/handling of bottle caps - Advertising for HEY functions - MACHE Leadership Conference  What is the Policy for HEY Membership? We have yearly membership dues that are due by July 31st of every calendar year. There is a membership drive on May 1st of each year. At this time, current members can renew or new members may sign up for the next school year (August Fall Rally date is start date). All members will receive their Directory at the HEY Fall Rally. You can get a printed Membership ID card during the Membership Drive period only. To get a Printed, Laminated card, please send a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) to our Membership Coordinator. There will be no pro-rating of the dues if you sign up during the year. All dues are the same if you sign up May 1st or the end of April of the following calendar year. If you sign up after the Membership Drive date (July 31st), you can become a HEY member, but the membership card and directory will be available online only. You can print them once you pay your dues. Members will have 30 days to notify the Membership Coordinator if they are not able to access the website or receive emails. If the problem cannot be resolved, the member may receive a full refund of their membership if their Member id card and directory are returned to the Membership Coordinator or President. If you have any further questions, please contact our Membership Coordinator or HEY President (s).  Where do I send my HEY Membership Dues? Your membership yearly dues for 2009/2010 are $20.00. Please don’t forget to add the extra $6.00 if you have joined the Catholic Small Group. Please make your check payable to ‘Home Educated Youth’ and mail it to: HEY Membership Coordinator 410 - 3rd Avenue North Sartell, MN 56377 This must be received by July 31st or within 30-days of joining or your access to the ‘Members Only’ section and access to the HEY emails will be suspended. The HEY membership card will be available to print off of the HEY Website after August 1st for paid HEY members. A limited amount of HEY directories will be available to pick up at our Annual HEY Rally in August. If you don't make it to the HEY Rally, you can print off a HEY Directory in August for paid members. Members who signup during the school year or members who miss the Fall Rally can print the directories and membership cards from the website. You have 30 days to pay the Membership dues or your account will be deactivated.  When do I have to start testing my child and how do I test them? In MN, you need to do yearly testing with your child from ages 7-16. Here are some of your options for testing: 1) You can go through the school system and order with them. Contact your Non-Public Liasion person. Be aware that if you order your test through the school district or the University of MN Testing Center (612-626-1803), the school district will have access to your children's scores. 2) You can have a certified Peabody Individual Achievement testing (PIAT) administer it. This test is available year round. For those who are not familiar with the PIAT, it is a standardized nationally norm-referenced test that fulfills our annual testing requirement as homescholers. The PIAT is a great test for several reasons. It can be given in about an hour (although it is not a timed test) and we go over your results immediately after the test. Please call Betsy at (320) 203-4478 for more information. 3) You can order tests through your Curriculum. 4) You can find other options in the MACHE handbook.  What are some field trip ideas? There are a lot of field trips available in Central Minnesota and the Greater Minnesota regions. There is a HUGE list of over 90 ideas on The 'Members Only' section. Please visit the 'Members Only' section for a complete list of field trip ideas.  What is a Co-op and how do I get into a Co-op? Homeschool co-ops can be a wonderful answer to prayer, or they can be a temptation to more busyness. It all depends on how God is leading you each year for each child, how the co-ops are run and what they are used for, and what your family dynamics are at this season in your life. I believe it takes prayer and wisdom every day of every year on how involved your family can or should be in anything. Co-ops are a cooperative adventure with several similar minded families. Start with a few families and see how it goes. The younger the children attending, the smaller the group numbers. The older kids, this is where the more importance the study should be. · Know your kids · Large groups need a lot more Structure · Don’t be repetitive · As a teacher, not what you know as a teacher. · Be flexible; know when things are NOT going well. Starting a new group with Parents: · Make sure each family has similar levels of commitment (not always by a subject). Find out with who desires to do what. You can pick your relationships and guidelines with one another. · Don’t make lousy, busy work! Do valuable stuff. · Young aged children, do Show and Tell. Kids need to talk about their “stuff” and it’s a way to break the ice with new faces and potentially new friends. Schools do this often, especially after a holiday break. · Find out if the kids and parents mesh together. · Put all families on a trial period of time, say roughly for 3 months. See where you and they are. This is a good way to have healthy boundaries for both families and a way to break a co-op commitment if not working out. · Ideas for young children do the board game, The Never Ending Story or other games with a group of students. · Hopscotch works well with co-op groups. · If doing fieldtrips, the person that had planned the field trip, then they have the right to discipline all of the students with them. Sometimes a parent isn’t with, then the teacher in charge of scheduling needs to know (and mom too) that the student must follow their guidelines while at a Field trip. · Negotiate · Everybody has to agree to accept all new families, UNANIMOUSLY! · Do “Baggots”-each student makes up a bag of things. The bag is then brought to the co-op group and distributed to another kid. Each child goes home with some items and then returns with more items to give to other kids. A fellow homeschooler shared an idea for Speech and Writing since this needs to be repeated, over and over. For the Writing aspect, you always need an audience so the co-op was a great option. We used Excellence in Writing; the Institute for Excellence in Writing teaches you how to become a beginning writer. Another idea we did was “Freaky Fridays”; we would do a desert together. Benefits to a co-op from homeschoolers view: · She became self-reliant. It was nice having someone else vs. always mom. · Needs to deal with things that she might not like (subjects) · Learn about herself from others · Enjoyed the stupid free play · Most helpful was writing · Learned how to work as a group. HEY does not organize co-ops, but a lot of homeschoolers are involved in co-ops. Most co-ops are by invitation only or by asking other homeschoolers if you can join their co-op. Try to find similiar families with similiar interests or age of children to start your own by looking through the HEY Directory.  What are some of the activities that area HomeSchoolers are involved with? - Sports (Homeschooled children get involved with sports at St. Cloud Christian School and other schools in the area, St. Cloud Homeschool Band, as well Cloud Soccer, Baseball/T-ball, and Basketball) - HEY Theater - Library programs: Book Buddies (every other Thursday at the Downtown St. Cloud Public Library) - YMCA programs - Homeschool Recreation (2-4:00pm on Thursdays during the school year) - Enrichment Days - Volunteer for MOPS in the MOPPETS area for childcare - GREAT Theatre productions (stage acting and ushers)  When and where is the HEY library? The HEY Library is a benefit for members only. The HEY Library contains many homeschooling help and "how-to" books, curriculum samples, games and many other items. The location and times available are listed on the 'Library' page of the Members Only section.  How can I get involved with the HEY sports? HEY offers sports to its members only. Opportunities are Basketball in the Winter, and Homeschool Baseball/T-ball in the Spring. Emails are sent out to HEY Members with all of the details to when, where, what to bring, how long, etc... These are not drop-off events, parents are expected to help supervise and coach as needed. Cloud Soccer is also available to any area homeschooler in the Fall.  What is the HEY Rally all about? Traditionally, HEY has had a Fall Rally every year in August. It is like a kick off to the school year so to speak. Please attend the Fall Rally for encouragement and to pick up a HEY Members Directory to a limited amount that will be printed. There will be a Used Curriculum sale available at the HEY Rally. Contact the HEY Presidents for more information.  I'm new to Homeschooling, what Curriculum should I purchase? There is not one Curriculum that is going to be the "perfect fit" for everyone. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can find a variety of Curriculums to fit your teaching and your child's learning style. Check out the MACHE yearly conference, Catholic Conference, or MHA yearly exhibits for ideas and vendors. Another great resource is Cathy Duffy's book, "100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style". The HEY Library has some curriculum available to review, as well as "how to" and "help" books. Attend the Resource and Support Group Monthly meetings for further discussion of this area.  What about Socialization? This is the most common question homeschoolers are asked. Here are two books that cover this topic, "But What About Socialization?" and "The Socialization Trap", which are both listed in the 'Books' page. Choose your school carefully As a nation, the public school system is failing children in America, both academically and socially. But, not all schools are the same. Some public schools have pushed back on government programs that are harmful to children and continue to teach family values and Christian character trails like, love, truth, self-respect and the value of life. Negative socialization In the last 20 years, public schools across the nation are actually having a negative impact on socialization as more and more students are showing delinquent behavior. The student body of today’s youth is increasingly riddled with violence, drugs, promiscuity, emotional disorders, crime, contempt for authority, desperate behavior, illiteracy and peer dependency. What about being the Light of the World? Some Christian parents are concerned that homeschooling would not allow their children to fulfill the great commission of sharing the gospel with non-believers. They often site Matthew 5:14-16 about being the light of the world. But this idea is flawed because bringing the gospel to the world is engaging in ‘spiritual warfare’, which children are not prepared for until they have been well trained and equipped. Even without attending a public school, foundational character traits like lying, cheating, stealing and selfishness are being questioned by neighbors, relatives, TV, Internet, etc. The idea of daily immersing a child into secular humanism that constantly disregard their belief in truth, love, God as our creator with a purpose and plan for all life, is irresponsible. Public schools love Christian children because they are some of their best students. They recognize that students with a foundational belief system have a profound effect on stabilizing the schools. Here are some excellent articles about this subject. HOME-SCHOOLING: Socialization not a problem http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/13/home-schooling-socialization-not-problem/ Socialization: Homeschooling vs. Schools http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/144135.aspx  I'm not receiving the HEY emails, what now? 1) Our email list is for HEY members only. You need to be a member first to receive emails. 2) Check the membership directory and make sure your information is correct. If there is a typo with your email address, then contact the Member Coordinator to make a correction. 3) If you are still having trouble, contact your email provider (AOL, Charter, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc..) ask for technical support, and ask them to help you change your spam filter settings to allow undisclosed emails through. Over the last few years, Spam has become a problem for all email providers. I have read that as much as 80% of email is Spam. Because of this, most email providers have added a Spam filter and most of them filter 'undisclosed emails' which are emails that are blind copied without a To: email address - because that is how most Spam is send out. This is also the way HEY announcements are emailed because it protects the members email addresses from being displayed to everyone. Spam is growing into a business, and now some Internet Service Providers are charging to let emails through their Spam filters - as detailed in this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070606/ap_on_hi_te/techbit_e_mail_fee_2;_ylt=Ag74Df4ySu.WRlc4r4ugEXME1vAI 4) If you still don't receive HEY emails, turn off your spam filter or add 'homeeducatedyouth.com' to your spam filter "good" list. If you don't know how to do this, call your email provider and they should be able to help you. 5) Members will have 30 days to notify the Membership Coordinator if they are not able to access the website or receive emails. If the problem cannot be resolved, the member may receive a full refund of their membership if their Member id card and directory are returned to the Membership Coordinator or President. 6) If you have general problems with your computer or anti-virus software or spyware, contact a computer service provider like Joe Byrne at Joe@ccSolutions.net.  Where do I sell used curriculum? Why doesn't HEY have online Classifieds? The previous HEY website had a classified section, but it was rarely used. The HEY group is not large enough to support the many different curriculums. There are a lot of other websites that have a much larger group of homeschoolers looking to buy/sell curriculum. Feel free to visit: *www.Ebay.com *market.hslda.org *www.vegsource.com/homeschool *www.HomeschoolBlogger.com *www.ThisLittlePiggyStaysHome.com *www.Homeschoolclassifieds.com *www.homeschoolchristian.com *www.myhomeschoolstore.com *www.half.com *www.ecampus.com www.abebooks.com HEY hosts 2 different booksales for homeschoolers to be involved in. The Spring Book Sale (April-May) and the Fall Rally (August) is also a great place to buy/sell used books and curriculum.  Graduation for HEY members Graduation is organized and conducted by the parents of the Graduating students. Before Graduation, the parents meet several times to decide and discuss how the proceedings are going to take place. It is up to these parents to decide and make these decisions. HEY does not manage or oversee the Graduation process. You must be a member of HEY to be a part of this Graduation Ceremony. Families who have not been members for at least 2 years will be expected to contribute the equivalent of 2 years membership at the current rate. HEY is providing each Graduate student a diploma case for their diploma.  Do my home education purchases of educational textbooks and materials qualify for exemption from the sales tax? The State of Minnesota does offer this benefit for Educators. The reason for the exemption is under Religious or educational organization. If you fill out the papers and mail then, then you will receive an official Educator number with your school. It is your ES # and it arrives in the mail. You don't pay any MN sales tax on Homeschool supplies or textbooks when you use them for education and give the place of service a piece of paper stating this. Just go to Mache's site for the forms: www.mache.org/LegLawSalesTaxExemptions.htm It was suggested to bring several copies of this form to Homeschool conventions for additional savings.  How do I send out an Announcement to all the HEY members? Only HEY Members have access to send out any Announcements via the email service. Step by step directions below: Login to www.homeeducatedyouth.com website with your personal email and password. Click the Create Announcements button. Give a certain date for the event. Enter your information into the description box. Make sure to agree to policy box by marking it. Click save If you have any problems with sending an Announcement, please let the HEY Webmaster know right away.  What percent of students are homeschooled in the area? It's difficult to give an exact number, but here is an estimate. There are about ~9400 students in the 742 St. Cloud school district and about ~700 homeschool students that are part of HEY with another ~300 homeschool students that are not part of HEY. An estimated calculation of the percent of homeschooled students in the area is 1000/9400 * 100 = 10.6 percent. The national average is closer to 6-8 percent, so the St. Cloud area has a much higher percent of homeschooled students. In part because of the strength of the HEY network.