Comments on: More Reasons to Homeschool http://www.anwyn.com/2006/10/09/more-reasons-to-homeschool/ Sometime editor, all-the-time mother, delivering facts, reviews, commentary, and rants. Occasionally in that order. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:47:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anwyn http://www.anwyn.com/2006/10/09/more-reasons-to-homeschool/comment-page-1/#comment-498 Anwyn Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:54:38 +0000 http://www.anwyn.com/2006/10/09/more-reasons-to-homeschool/#comment-498 Twenty kids in a choir was a random figure pulled from my teaching days when I had 20 or less in one of my choirs--if five refuse to sing something, the choir falls apart, and 20 isn't a healthy number for a high school choir to begin with. And my point was not to suggest that they would (or should) become praisers; it was that they would come to view the church music for what it is in that setting--musical expression, and not take it to the point of being offended by singing it. True story from when I was teaching: I gave the show choir "Bohemian Rhapsody." There were a few kids who were of the "pray/hold Bible study at lunch" variety of generally obnoxious teenage Christians. They refused to sing the line "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me-e-e, for me-e-e, for MEEEEEEEE!!!" Of course, they did it because they were rebellious little brats trying to make trouble for me, and not out of any real Christian conviction. And yeah, the big bugabear of homeschooling is group activity that I favor, including music. Twenty kids in a choir was a random figure pulled from my teaching days when I had 20 or less in one of my choirs–if five refuse to sing something, the choir falls apart, and 20 isn’t a healthy number for a high school choir to begin with.

And my point was not to suggest that they would (or should) become praisers; it was that they would come to view the church music for what it is in that setting–musical expression, and not take it to the point of being offended by singing it.

True story from when I was teaching: I gave the show choir “Bohemian Rhapsody.” There were a few kids who were of the “pray/hold Bible study at lunch” variety of generally obnoxious teenage Christians. They refused to sing the line “Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me-e-e, for me-e-e, for MEEEEEEEE!!!”

Of course, they did it because they were rebellious little brats trying to make trouble for me, and not out of any real Christian conviction.

And yeah, the big bugabear of homeschooling is group activity that I favor, including music.

]]> By: Allen http://www.anwyn.com/2006/10/09/more-reasons-to-homeschool/comment-page-1/#comment-496 Allen Tue, 10 Oct 2006 07:51:16 +0000 http://www.anwyn.com/2006/10/09/more-reasons-to-homeschool/#comment-496 The principal is confused. The parent complaining about religious penguins is also confused. The principle and the anti-Penguinist parent have issues that go deeper than misunderstanding the Establishment claus(e). Not many people know this but penguins have non-religious meanings in many cultures outside of St. Lucie County. Fact. You can look it up. Nevertheless, if a penguin-worshiping student wanted to sing a song about penguins, she should not be prevented from doing so. Student-initiated religious expression is protected. If on the other hand the choir director wanted to do an “all-penguin sacred selections pageant,” the penguin objectors should be given an opportunity to do some other assignment. Depending on the assignment, I agree with you that students would become penguin praisers (albeit insincere ones) in short order -- although I doubt that as many as 20 students would opt out regardless of the material. I’m uncertain where the 20-student figure came from. Of course if you decide to home school, your choral group will necessarily be smaller than it would be at public school. With regard to the rest of the “War on Santa/Christmas/Penguins” meme… for <strike>Chri</strike> Rudolph’s sake, it’s only October! This is going to be a long freaking winter. Blessed be the Penguin. The principal is confused. The parent complaining about religious penguins is also confused. The principle and the anti-Penguinist parent have issues that go deeper than misunderstanding the Establishment claus(e). Not many people know this but penguins have non-religious meanings in many cultures outside of St. Lucie County. Fact. You can look it up.

Nevertheless, if a penguin-worshiping student wanted to sing a song about penguins, she should not be prevented from doing so. Student-initiated religious expression is protected. If on the other hand the choir director wanted to do an “all-penguin sacred selections pageant,” the penguin objectors should be given an opportunity to do some other assignment. Depending on the assignment, I agree with you that students would become penguin praisers (albeit insincere ones) in short order — although I doubt that as many as 20 students would opt out regardless of the material. I’m uncertain where the 20-student figure came from.

Of course if you decide to home school, your choral group will necessarily be smaller than it would be at public school.

With regard to the rest of the “War on Santa/Christmas/Penguins” meme… for Chri Rudolph’s sake, it’s only October! This is going to be a long freaking winter.

Blessed be the Penguin.

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