The Guam Home School Association (GHSA) recently held its annual Academic Fair at the Palm Ridge Inn in Barrigada. Twenty-eight students impressed the crowd with their oral presentations based on research on their topic of choice.
This fair was an opportunity for the kids to polish their skills in many areas such as research, critical thinking, organization, graphic display and communication. The fair motivated the students to do their own research, investigating a topic in great detail. This was a very positive and encouraging experience. Each of the home school students who participated worked hard on their projects and was proud to show them off. The parents were rewarded by seeing their children demonstrate appreciation and genuine interest in the sharing of knowledge.
The topics were as diverse as the kids, ranging from displays of sink holes, tornadoes, catapults and robots, to photography and Anime Art. The youngest participant, Sophie Caser, age 4 showed us some of the creepy crawly bugs she found around her yard. We learned a lot about the interaction between electricity and magnetic fields from Aric Huhne. And, if you ever thought Iceland was cold and icy, think again! Sarah Gregson, age 15, informed us that the weather there is actually quiet balmy. Ethan Mendiola, age 13, tested three hypotheses on buoyancy and impressed the audience with his combination of math, science and computer proficiency. A lot of work went into a display by 11 year old Caleb White using a cabbage leaf as a simple indicator for testing acids and bases.
Many of the tri-fold displays were full of facts and data but were also engaging. We felt the difference good insulation can make under a heat bulb (the sun) in the tropics by Evan Perez, age 9. The lever display by Christian Caser, age 9, dared the the kids to try to lift a cement brick using just their pinky finger. Donovan Nelson’s research on catapults was very quickly tested in an ad-hoc setting.
The Guam Homeschool Association has several other events planned in the coming months. A Chamorro Day event and a class with the Covenant Players drama team are in the works for March, while the International Day will be held the first week in April. A Homeschool Fair in May will allow students the entrepreneurial opportunity of selling their handcrafts or bake sale items while the parents their curriculum and books. Ending the year will be the Fine Arts Fair and Graduation Ceremonies. If you are already homeschooling and not a member or want to learn more about home schooling the GHSA welcomes new families.
The GHSA is a homeschooling support group led by conservative Christians, with a diverse group of members from other faiths, within our membership guidelines. We are not a school, nor an accrediting/regulatory agency. We are simply a group of moms and dads who seek to encourage one another as we each homeschool our children.
Our purpose is to provide the support and guidance necessary to effectively home school in accordance with Guam’s public law and within the guidelines of our Statement of Faith. Monthly, seasonal and annual events and programs, as well as special classes are made possible through the efforts of volunteer members and leaders. Members communicate through a Yahoo Groups email forum Annual events include: Curriculum Fair, Academic Fair, Book Fair, Kick-off Picnic, Ice Cream Social and Chamorro Day. As a group, we participate in the Academic Challenge Bowl, Scripps Howard Spelling Bee, Math Olympiad and miscellaneous educational classes, sports programs and related activities. For more information please contact email guamhsa@gmail.com.