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Above: The Newsome children who have been doing the important work of helping to raise and socialize Belgian Tervuren puppies and dogs since they were all very young. Parents, Linda Newsome, RVT, and David Newsome, DVM, breed these dogs and the family live and homeschool in Oklahoma.
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From the Editor: The topic of pets comes up often in discussions with homeschooling families. Maybe it’s because I am very active with my own two dogs and a cat (who has owned various members of our family for almost 20 years.) I cannot recall meeting a homeschooling family that does not own some sort of pet. More likely than not, the children launch into great stories about their pets and even pull out pictures of their beloved family member. I believe that pets play an important role in our lives. In the day-to-day activities of homeschoolers, pets even add to or become intricately involved in the learning environment.
For example, many homeschoolers are involved in their local 4-H Club where pets of every variety are welcomed as “projects” of one kind or another. 4-Hers develop activities focusing on their pet, from training animals (dogs for instance) to equestrian studies, reptile study, raising farm animals and much more. Other families find that their pet provides a listening ear for a young reader, a fun way to engage kids in physical activity, a myriad of science and art projects, or an experience in responsibly caring for an animal.
Beginning with this issue, we will have a section devoted to homeschool families and their pets. (Note: I chose Belgian Sheepdogs only for this first issue as they are the breed our family has owned for nearly 2 decades.) You might be the proud owner of a dog, cat, ferret, mouse, bird, fish, turtle, snake... well, you get the point. However, this page called Homeschooling with Pets needs your cooperation. We need you to submit your pet’s photo and a short informational story about how your family interacts with your pet (about 500 - 600 words). Submissions should be sent to us via Email if at all possible. Color photos must be at least 200 dpi resolution; black and white photos must be at least 150 dpi resolution. These should be attached to an Email message. Your story can be included in the body of the email or attached as a text file.
Send submissions to the Editor at:
famtimes@blazenetme.net. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will receive a ‘release form’ to complete, giving us permission to use the photo. Include your name, address, phone number and Email address in case we have questions.
Read the articles in this issue to get an idea of what other homeschoolers have written and how they are enjoying Homeschooling with Pets.
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