Monthly newsletter packed with info on free and paid resources for homeschool parents wanting to prepare their children well for college and careers.
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Breakout Deal, Teacher Spotlight, ACT Bundle, and More in February's Newsletter!
Published 3 months ago • 6 min read
This month we introduce a new feature: Teacher Spotlight. We want to give you the opportunity to get to know our teachers! In addition, if your family loves escape rooms, you will like our deal this month so scroll on down! And don't miss our other regular features! The AI tip will be really helpful if you don't know where to start with AI in your homeschool.
Teacher Spotlight
El Zócalo in Mexico City on Día de los Muertos
Suzette Laporte-Ayo
Suzette was born and raised in Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. She went to a bilingual school in Mexico where she learned English by total immersion. Suzette now uses some of the methods she learned at that school when teaching Spanish.
Suzette earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona, but her true passion is teaching Spanish to people of all ages. Suzette has been teaching in the homeschooling community for 25 years.
Suzette loves to dance, travel, and spend time with family and friends. And if it can all happen at the same time, it is her best life! She has taken groups of students and her now adult children to Costa Rica and Spain. Recently she has been traveling through Mexico quite a bit and thinks she feels a student trip to Mexico brewing in her. Stay tuned…
You can find Suzette on
Instagram: @SpanishFunWithSuzette LinkedIn: Maria Suzette Laporte-Ayo
"Spanish 2 with Ms. Suzette has been great! She is such an amazing teacher and is always free to answer questions or help you when you struggle! The homework is not difficult but if you move on without understanding it or cheat it will definitely hurt you later. I recommend taking this class! It is enjoyable, fun, and you learn so much about the Spanish language and culture. If you put in effort you will reap the rewards!!"
--M. Smith
JUST FOR YOU:
February Deal
Escape Rooms are a lot of fun - but they are expensive! Digital breakouts are the next best thing but much cheaper. Expect all the problem-solving and critical thinking as you work together to solve the puzzles but you get to do it at home in front of a computer.
FundaFunda currently has 3 and until the end of the month, they are on special for just 99 cents each!
Love them? Leave a review so we know and we can create more!
FundaFunda Digital Breakout
Choose any one of our three digital breakouts for just $.99. (regularly $3.99)
Our regular and mini unit studies are available throughout the year, and many of them are currently 1/2 off!
Unit studies are great for filling in gaps (the last couple weeks of the year, that time right before or right after a holiday break, etc.). You could also use them to keep one child busy while you are working with another child. Perhaps you're helping care for an elderly parent and you have lots of doctor visits, etc. A unit study can help fill that "downtime".
No prep is needed with unit studies, you just open them up and go!
All unit studies are self-paced and can be used by all the children in your family because they come with lifetime access.
MINI UNIT STUDIES (4th-8th)
Each of our mini unit studies consists of one module designed to be completed over a period of one to two weeks.
The Gallery Collection is running its 18th Annual $10,000 Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship!
The contest is open to high school and college students ages 14 and up.
Contest participants should complete the online application. The application must include an original work of art or photograph along with other biographical information.
The contest is limited to one entry per person. If a person enters multiple times, all of their entries will be disqualified.
The contest ends at 11:59:59 EST on March 3, 2025.
AI Tip / Resource of the Month
Are you struggling with prompts when using ChatGPT? Download our (free for subscribers) PDF of 20 ChatGPT Prompts. Just cut and paste a prompt into ChatGPT to help you homeschool in a more effective and engaging way.
February is a great month to play board and card games, especially since Punxsutawney Phil predicted we're in for a few more weeks of winter weather. Explore these cool links to find fun and educational games to play while you wait for spring to arrive!
Check out FundaFunda's Amazon page for some great game suggestions from geography to strategy and everything in between!
Drawasaurus is a free online game similar to Pictionary. You can join a private room to play with family/friends or play with people from around the world.
ABCya! was created by school teachers and offers educational online games for students in Pre-K through 6th grade. Games are categorized by subject and grade. The topics covered include typing, multiplication, parts of speech and much, much more. The free version allows subscribers to save 3 favorite games, unlock all Premium Printables, receive the Game of the Week email newsletter, and get exclusive emails about everything new on ABCya.
ACT CORNER
Test Info and Updates Fast Facts
Next test date is April 5, 2025. (The first to offer the new format--online testing only)
Regular registration closes February 28, 2025.
Late registration closes March 16, 2025.
ACT My Answer Key (formerly known as the TIR) can be purchased for up to 6 months after your test date if you took the September 2024, December 2024, and/or February 2025 test.
Future ACT test dates are April 5, June 14, and July 12, 2025.
ACT BUNDLE
Get two ACT
tests for $99! (regular ACT test price is $65). Register for the April, June, or July ACT test by March 16 and get a voucher for a second test anytime through summer 2026.
In our Homeschooling with Technology podcast, we explore new and different ways of using technology in homeschooling. There is an episode released every week!
You can start listening at any time. Just click on a link to listen in a browser, or find the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Email me if you need help! We have a tab on our website to browse through all our past podcast episodes easily. Check it out!
This episode is all about prompting. If you're new to AI tools like ChatGPT, we recommend you start with Episode 306, where you'll be introduced to the basics.
It’s clear that AI is set to continue transforming our world—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. In this episode, we’re diving into how you can begin integrating AI into your homeschool. Whether you’re completely new to AI or feeling a bit overwhelmed, this episode will give you practical steps to get started.
Free Resource Library for Subscribers
Access the Free Resources Library HERE. Password: edufun
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