Augusta County: Terry Kelley for Beverley Manor District

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Terry Kelley has no opposition for his first run for public office after his opponent dropped out of the race this summer. So why would I endorse a candidate who is not in my district, and is a shoe-in for the job?

I’ve known Terry and his family since my family moved to Augusta County 20 years ago and became involved in the local homeschool organization, Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH). His wife Denise and I served side-by-side on PEACH’s board for years, heading up field trips and meetings and consulting with new folks as they joined our ranks. More recently we both served together on the Augusta County Library Board of Trustees. Our children grew up together … their son Lee was part of the homeschool teen group that was at my house for many events, and son Tommy was a political junkie and Bill Bolling supporter when he was about 12. We’ve spent time at their house … they’ve spent time at ours.

Back in the homeschool classroom: ’50 reasons homeschooled kids love being homeschooled’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

I loved this article, “50 reasons homeschooled kids love being homeschooled,” by Kris Bales who wrote, “I asked the folks on my Facebook page to ask their kids why they liked being homeschooled and let me know what they said. I asked mine, too, and compiled the answers for you.  Some answers were heard a lot. Some were pretty unique. Some got my added commentary, and some stand alone. So, if you’ve ever wondered why homeschooled kids like being homeschooled, here are the results, in no particular order after the first two, of my really unscientific poll.”

Reading the list brought back lots of memories of the 16 years I spent schooling with my children so, after reading the list and nodding and smiling about various ones, I emailed both my kids with the link. I pointed out that my daughter would very much identify with #15: “Being able to do school with pets. Have you seen the recent studies that show that reading to dogs helps improve the proficiency of struggling readers?” Her kitty, Palmer, was often curled up beside her as she studied or read.