Busy doesn’t come anywhere close to describing my schedule lately!  I don’t like to say all that I’m doing because as long as I don’t think of everything I’m doing at once, I can tell myself it’s manageable.  Call it a survival strategy, but whatever it is, it keeps me from being totally overwhelmed  😛

One of the things I’ve been working on has been organizing the Torah Home Education Conference this year.  Honestly, I had decided it would be asking too much of myself to take this on at this point with the many other big things on my plate, but at the same time, this might possibly be the last chance that I’ll have to do this chesed (act of kindness) for the Orthodox community.  I really feel it’s important that Jewish families have a place to connect, get information, and most important of all, get inspiration and encouragement regarding home education – because all of that is sparse for most Orthodox home educators.

So here are the details!  The Third Annual Torah Home Education Conference will be held in Baltimore, MD on May 29, 2011, from 8:15 am – 5 pm.  The conference will once again be held in the Park Heights JCC, in the conference rooms on the second floor –  5700 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215. We have a fantastic schedule planned to encourage, inspire, and educate you – whether you’re at the beginning of your search for information about homeschooling or a veteran homeschooler, you’ll find something to interest you!

For details about pricing and registration, go to http://torahhomeschooling.com/conference-details.  For questions about child care, please contact Alisa  at 410-963-2977 or apmandel@yahoo.com after Pesach.

Below is a list of the speakers and topics:

– Homeschooling The Young Family – Mrs. Rebecca Masinter

– ADHD: Who Says? and So What? A Discussion about ADHD as a diagnosis, and how it may impact our families. – Dr. Hadassah Aaronson

– Choosing to Homeschool: A second generation perspective – Mr. Isaiah Cox

– Nuts and Bolts of Homeschooling: Getting Started – Mrs. Ahuvah Feldman

– Facilitated discussion – topic to be announced

– The Monster in the Mind- Acknowledging and Dealing with Burnout – Mrs. Avivah Werner

– Homeschooled Teen Girls Share – panel discussion

– Homeschooling Your Teenager – Capturing the Opportunities and Handling the Technicalities – Mrs. Viva Hammer

–  The Virtual Jewish Homeschooling Community: Accessing the internet for learning, friendship, and support – Rabbi Yosef Resnick

– “Children in a Homeschool Environment: Socially Deprived OR Selectively Engaged?” – Dr. Hadassah Aaronson

I hope I see lots of you at the conference!

Avivah