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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are about 96% sure we will be homeschooling our children next year. (That percentage seems to keep climbing everyday. Today my daughter's kindergarten teacher was 20 minutes late...for the 6th time since December...and showed up wearing shorts with a 1 1/2-2" inseam!)
We never intended to be homeschooling parents, but in light of the state of the Hawaii DOE, it seems to be inevitable. I've heard so many parents who are visibly angry about what their kids have experienced here, but then shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh well, we'll figure out if they need to be held back when we move." :
Piecing everything together and actually making that leap is very intimidating...so I'm just wondering if there are any experienced homeschoolers out there who have any wisdom to share.
I'm not a homeschooler, but we seriously thought about it for a while.
There are a lot of people on PP who are homeschoolers and seem to all be doing so successfully, so I'm sure some of them will be along soon to tell you how they do it.
I have some friends and relatives who have done it, and I've got to tell you there is a huge difference in styles. The biggest thing I think I've noticed: if you don't have an education (and I mean either an excellent High school or even college education), you may not be qualified to teach kids. Teaching is an artwork and while it seems it might be easy, it's not.
The most successful "teachers" I've seen are the parents who utilize a proven system - there are a lot of them available through colleges and even the state school systems of some places.
Can you talk to someone at your DD's school to complain about the teacher???
I'm not a homeschooler, but we seriously thought about it for a while.
There are a lot of people on PP who are homeschoolers and seem to all be doing so successfully, so I'm sure some of them will be along soon to tell you how they do it.
I have some friends and relatives who have done it, and I've got to tell you there is a huge difference in styles. The biggest thing I think I've noticed: if you don't have an education (and I mean either an excellent High school or even college education), you may not be qualified to teach kids. Teaching is an artwork and while it seems it might be easy, it's not.
The most successful "teachers" I've seen are the parents who utilize a proven system - there are a lot of them available through colleges and even the state school systems of some places.
Can you talk to someone at your DD's school to complain about the teacher???
Good luck, and many pixies!
The problem is that it does no good. The principal just sort of stands there and nods. Unfortunately, through talking with other parents, I am not optimistic that this is an isolated experience with this teacher. My daughter frequently comes home from school saying things like, "Well, we went to art class, and we waited, but the art teacher never came, so we went back to the classroom and cut paper for a while." Art class (along with gym and library) is only offered twice a month anyway.
One day I arrived at school early for a pickup. About twenty minutes before dismissal, I watched her teacher leave the classroom, run to the fence around the perimeter of the school, makeout with her boyfriend for probably 30-45 seconds and run back into the classroom like a giddy school girl. There were no other teachers in the classroom. Aside from the obvious issue at hand, this made me wonder, "How did she know he was there?" I had been told that the teachers did not have school email accounts, so the next logical thought is that she got a text. So I asked my daughter if she ever sees her teacher with her phone. She said that yes, while they do worksheets she, "must be sending messages like mommy does."
I truly appreciate a good teacher. I still keep in touch with her preschool and kindergarten teachers from Nebraska and they have been extremely helpful! Knowing our family and most importantly, Emily, they whole-heartedly agree with our decision. I am not a trained educator, but I am a college graduate and well, not to toot my own horn, but I'm good at teaching them. I'm the kind of parent who buys Christmas presents at the teacher supply store...and I love it. I get excited about new things I find that can help them grasp a concept.
Part of the problem is that Emily doesn't need extra help and attention, so she doesn't get it. In the past, it was always more of a cooperative effort with the teacher to establish goals specifically for Emily. Here, we get a report card that states she has "mastered with proficiency" all of the Hawaii standards and one sentence from her teacher that said, "Emily reads well."
Now, I do get that this is kindergarten...BUT, she's so enthusiastic and has so many questions. Honestly, it just seems as though sending her there is a waste of time. I know there are many children in her class (25 kindergarten students and 1 teacher who refuses help from parents) who require a significant amount of extra attention. Aside from the standard behavioral issues and the handful that do not have parents that prepared them for kindergarten, there are two children that barely speak English. So, I get it...she has GOT to be swamped...but why does it have to be at my daughter's expense? I overheard another mother offer help to a neighboring kindergarten classroom and the response from that teacher was, "Why would you say that?" I heard the whole thing...it sounded like a genuine, sincere, "If there's anything we can do, let us know." There may be more to that story, but it sounds very in line with what other parents have been complaining about. There's a lot of anti-mainland attitude and it seems that when military parents make mention of deficiencies in the schools, it is taken as putting down the culture...and maybe it is. There's a lot going on underneath the surface.
Unfortunately, as the school district in Hawaii covers the entire state, there is nowhere to move into a "better" district. Emily's school boasts an "outstanding" 38% meeting or exceeding standards in math and 42% meeting or exceeding standards in reading on the most recent state exams. Seriously, there are banners outside the school bragging about this. It is not uncommon for military children to return to the mainland, only to be placed as far as two years behind their grade level in Hawaii. (Which, clearly shows neglect on the part of the parents who SHOULD be aware of the problem, knowing that they'll be sent back to the mainland at some point.)
I know there are a lot of anti-homeschoolers out there. I agree that in most situations, there are some positives that come out of traditional schooling that can not be replicated in a homeschool setting. I also understand that some parents simply do not have the patience or resources to make it a positive experience. I have no desire to hear about how BAD homeschooling is and how parents are not able to adequately teach their children. Both of my children are reading and doing math skills that are significantly beyond their peers. Not to get too defensive, I just know how some of these conversations turn. I simply wanted to seek out some fellow PPers who may have some homeschooling experience and wisdom to impart on us.
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I work with a woman who homeschooled her children up until high school. Both her children are bright and finished at the top of their high school classes. I know that there are a lot of homeschooling resources out there. Good luck with your decision, I think you're going in the right direction.
I work with a woman who homeschooled her children up until high school. Both her children are bright and finished at the top of their high school classes. I know that there are a lot of homeschooling resources out there. Good luck with your decision, I think you're going in the right direction.
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I'm in the same boat - I'm looking into school choice or homeschooling, because my daughter isn't getting any kind of sufficient education. Our school system is rated somewhere in the bottom 10% of the state, while the district next door (a five minute drive to the elementary school) is in the top 20%. I'm really hoping to be able to send her there, because she enjoys the social aspects of school, but if it comes to it, she will stay home.
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Heather ~ Peanut's Mommy!
Member of The Mickey Milers
emilyandlogans mom - based on your post, I don't think there is any reason to feel the slightest bit of apprehension about homeschooling. Obviously the public school system is not doing a good job and your children will be much better off academically being home schooled. If the academics were just a bit lacking I would say you could keep them in public school and just subsidize with doing things at home, but I don't think I would be comfortable having my child in a school with a teacher like that - who doesn't seem to take her responsibility seriously. I agree with Teresa's comments about using a proven program. I think the only problem with homeschooling is when people who really have no education themselves decide to home school.
I have no experience with homeschooling. But on the Pioneer Woman site she has a whole section on homeschooling. It looks like some great material and you could probably talk to some of the families there to see which programs they use. HTH!
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I am anti homeschooling. That being said if you are only in Hawaii temporarily while your husband is stationed there and your young children run the risk of being held back when you return to the mainland perhaps it would be the best option for 1 or 2 years while they are still in elementary school in Hawaii. Perhaps there is a cyber school you could get into which helps with cirriculum and materials. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I was a teacher (now a SAHM), and I would NEVER home-school my kids. But, we live in a good district and that doesn't mean that YOU won't be a good homeschooler.
Considering your kids' ages and what is going on in your school, I say go for it. There are a lot of on-line resources. Surround her with learning oppurtunities and she will blossom.
We are a homeschooling family (5 years now) and I wouldn't have it any other way. If you are going to commit to homeschooling, make sure you know in your heart and head why - and that your whole family also knows the reason why.
You will be questioned or asked why you are doing it. Although homeschooling is getting more and more popular, we are still in the minority.
It is a big committment, just like any school, public or private is a big committment. Homeschooling is a lifestyle - a lifestyle that I love and adore, but
check into your state's requirements, see if there is an umbrella program near you. Our church has a very large oversight program from nursery to high school. I find that many of the kids are very bright and thier curiosity and questions might not be able to be addressed in public school, simply because of time constraints. For example, if there is a subject that your children love or are having trouble with, you can spend all the time you need to focus on that one subject. For example: math is all around us. For math one day, you can be in your back yard or grocery store and make a counting and comparing lesson out of the things around you until they understand it.
There are so many different styles of curriculum - we use Sonlight, which is a literature based curriculum. Check out the local library for books on homeschooling. If you can, get the book, "The Way They Learn", by Cynthia Tobias. Sorry this is so long, but I am so happy with our decision to homeschool and I want you to have an informed opinion.
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I heard the whole thing...it sounded like a genuine, sincere, "If there's anything we can do, let us know." There may be more to that story, but it sounds very in line with what other parents have been complaining about. There's a lot of anti-mainland attitude and it seems that when military parents make mention of deficiencies in the schools, it is taken as putting down the culture...and maybe it is. There's a lot going on underneath the surface.
The first two paragraphs were a response and then I started to rant/vent. Sorry! 
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