As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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I have been debating this for a month or so now. I hate the budget issue in our state and huge cuts have been made. Class size is increasing to 34 kids for 1 3rd grade class. I'm concerned my daughter will not be getting what she needs any more going into 1st grade next year. If anyone can give me any info or advise on home schooling, its welcomed!
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Before you make the decision think about all the aspects of school, not just the academic but the programs that they offer plus the social aspect and weigh it all before you decide. In my area the schools offer so much between the academics, programs, sports team etc. that homeschooling would not be in my daughter's best interest.
They just cut library, life skills, gym, drama, yearbook, aides unless its in an IEP, counseling, all sports but 2, etc. I just don't know how beneficial it can be now. She is quite social. She plays soccer, dance. The company I would be getting her curric from has a group of home schooler members who get together for trips and activities. My mom hates the idea since she is a school teacher and I will have to fight her on this one but I am really up in the air on what to do. I feel like these kids have nothing to look forward to next year and I could atleast do things with her and still give her an education. She has plenty of neighborhood friends but I just don't know what else to do.....
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Is there a cyber charter in your area? In PA we have several fantastic cyber schools that still allow for interaction and offer a great education. They provide you with the computer/books/internet access etc. AND it has to be paid for by your district, not you
I had one child who would have loved to have been homeschooled and actually asked several times. I think that homeschooling can be successful, but many of the children I have seen are not well educated. There is a lot more to learning than completing a curriculum. It is not only the extra curriculars, but the the interaction with other students while learning-even kids in Kindergarten benefit from class discussions. Even young children exchange ideas and information.
You said one 3rd grade will have 34, but your DD is only in first grade. Unless her first grade class will be that large, it really won't have any effect on her and state and local budgets will hopefully recover.
My first born was born in a birth bubble and always had larger than average classes. His brother, who is 2 years younger, benefitted from the additional classes that were added the next year and was also in a low birth year. DS1 had 24 in his first grade class and DS2 had 16. I think my DD had 20 three years later. I really didn't notice a huge difference in outcome.
The other thing you need to consider is how her friendships could change. The other kids may be with one another 5 hours a day. She may feel like an outsider and also will not have some of the shared social experiences-school bus and playground war stories.
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Last edited by Huntermom; 04-22-2010 at 02:47 PM..
Reason: spelling
All three of mine have been homeschooled. My oldest "graduated" last year. I love homeschooling more than I can say. I wouldn't trade the time and experiences I've had with my children for a bazillion dollars.
The best thing to do is locate a support group in your immediate area. They will be the most knowledgeable regarding local laws (homeschooling laws vary by state) and things like co-op classes, book clubs, PE classes and sports teams, field trips, park days, etc. Those are just a handful of the activities my kids have participated in at one time or another.
Brent and I always say it was one of the best decision we have ever made for our family.
Our children were in private school through grades 5 and 3. We have homeschooled for 3 years. We just put our oldest in public school to prepare for high school (she's in 8th grade and they submitted next year's classes this semester). So now we've had all the schools experiences. I would love to talk to you about homeschooling-it served a great purpose! The best way to get information is by talking to others you know that do it. They can offer great advice. You can PM if you want. I know it is a very difficult decision.
I'll have to look into that. I know there are a few charters here but are in bad areas.
That's the great thing about cyber charters. Aside from a few required meetings at the home base of the school, everything is at your home! Best of luck to you!!
We have always homeschooled our 3 boys. My oldest was always curious about school and so we enrolled him in a Catholic HS this school year (9th grade). He made high honor roll the last 2 terms and will be moved up to honors level in pretty much every subject next year. My middle son will start 8th grade at the same school next fall. My youngest will continue homeschooling (he will be going into 5th grade).
I definitely think you should find a local homeschool support group. We have been in ours for about 10 years and it has been wonderful. The kids and I have made some great friends. We've done coops, classes, group lessons, play dates, park days, field trips, etc. and really had a good time. Here is a link to start with Local Homeschool.com. My kids have also participated in little league, town soccer, art classes, sunday school, etc. There are lot of social and educational opportunities out there! I know it is not for everyone, but I am so glad we are homeschoolers.
I have no opinion for or against homeschooling and can see points on both sides. I am a babyboomer and our average class size in school in the mid 60's was 30-35 kids per class, 1 teacher in the classroom. Aides were only in the kindergarten classes and maybe 1st grade. Times sure do change.
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I have no opinion for or against homeschooling and can see points on both sides. I am a babyboomer and our average class size in school in the mid 60's was 30-35 kids per class, 1 teacher in the classroom. Aides were only in the kindergarten classes and maybe 1st grade. Times sure do change.
Same here! I have several friends who homeschool and I have the utmost respect for them. I know I could not do it - nor would my kids want me to . Fortunately I am in a school district that is A rated and both of my children have less than 20 kids in each class. But these kinds of public schools are difficult to find these days. Too many budget cuts and they expect teachers to be teachers, parents, social workers, nurses, you name it
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Melinda, many parents and educators have the same fears you have right now about what next year will bring in education. Large class sizes are frightening to those of us who grew up in times that saw class sizes of 20-25 for intermediate grades and 17-20 for the primary grades. Those who went through school when class sizes were larger have seen that they can work. I think for many it is the fear of the unknown that is our biggest drawback with class sizes and cutbacks.
If you are unsure what to do for next year, I would try public school first and see how it works. Yes, I am a public school teacher so of course I am going to say this. However, my belief is that regular public school is not for every child. Some will have better success in a cyber school or homeschooled. You know your child best - how is she doing in kindergarten this year? Is it public or private? What works well for her this year in that setting? What doesn't work well? Would another setting really be what is best for her? Also, what does your DD think? Does she want to go to school with other kids or would she like learning at home? While she is still very young, she can tell you what she thinks about the idea of homeschooling.
Like a PP said, there are deep cuts every where for next year. However when the economy rebounds and more money is available to schools, programs will be put back in place. Will next year be different than this year? You bet. But change isn't always bad.
Melinda, many parents and educators have the same fears you have right now about what next year will bring in education. Large class sizes are frightening to those of us who grew up in times that saw class sizes of 20-25 for intermediate grades and 17-20 for the primary grades. Those who went through school when class sizes were larger have seen that they can work. I think for many it is the fear of the unknown that is our biggest drawback with class sizes and cutbacks.
If you are unsure what to do for next year, I would try public school first and see how it works. Yes, I am a public school teacher so of course I am going to say this. However, my belief is that regular public school is not for every child. Some will have better success in a cyber school or homeschooled. You know your child best - how is she doing in kindergarten this year? Is it public or private? What works well for her this year in that setting? What doesn't work well? Would another setting really be what is best for her? Also, what does your DD think? Does she want to go to school with other kids or would she like learning at home? While she is still very young, she can tell you what she thinks about the idea of homeschooling.
Like a PP said, there are deep cuts every where for next year. However when the economy rebounds and more money is available to schools, programs will be put back in place. Will next year be different than this year? You bet. But change isn't always bad.
Good luck!
Great post!! I think it's important to evaluate the situation each and every year.
Melinda - as the mom of four, I have had my kids in public, private and homeschool. We are homeschooling the youngest two right now.
One thing you might want to do, before you make a decision, is to get together with some of your local homeschool support groups this spring/summer and see what you think. It will definitely give you and your daughter a chance to see what it's all about and talk with a variety of families that home educate their kids in a variety of ways.
People choose to homeschool for lots of different reasons - and no matter what you decide, should the circumstances change, you can always make another decision. Kudos to you for being pro-active in your daughter's education and making sure she's getting the best education possible - whether that's at home or at a public or private school.
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. Fortunately I am in a school district that is A rated and both of my children have less than 20 kids in each class. But these kinds of public schools are difficult to find these days. Too many budget cuts and they expect teachers to be teachers, parents, social workers, nurses, you name it
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