HOMESCHOOLERS OF MAINE - Virtual Conference 2021 With Keynote Speaker Connie Albers
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HOMESCHOOLERS
OF MAINE
Virtual Conference
2021
March 18, 19, & 20
With Keynote Speaker
Connie Albers
Welcome!
We are grateful to you for joining us for this virtual event!
Before we begin, please take a look at the following information.
Attendee Etiquette
(Disclaimer: The sessions may be recorded. However, if we use the recordings for
promotion, all guests and questions will be edited out of the recording before sharing,
unless we have your express permission to share.)
1. Webcam Etiquette: We love to see your smiling faces, so we are asking that you
please keep your camera on during the event (if you have one.) But also, be aware of
your surroundings. If there are pets, children, or other things moving in the back-
ground, it may be distracting to other guests.
2. Be present: Use your emoji paddles to show appreciation, raise your hand for a
question or give a thumbs up. Let the speaker know you are listening and that you val-
ue what they are saying.
3. Audio: Please keep your mic muted during the entire presentation. If you raise your
hand for a question, please wait to be acknowledged before unmuting.
4. Breakout rooms: Our purpose for the breakout rooms is to create a sense of
community. Share openly. Others may need to hear what you have to say so that they
don’t feel that they are alone. Use this time to take note of others who you might want
to connect with. Feel free to send them a private message in the chat to share contact
information. You can do this by clicking on chat, then send message to and choose the
person’s name who you want the message to go to. Be respectful. Keep your comments
to the time limit so that everyone has an equal opportunity to share.
Homeschoolers of Maine
ShinE the Light on
Homeschooling
Virtual Conference 2021
Featuring
Keynote Speaker
Connie Albers
With Special Guests
Messiah’s Choir
Erica Huber
Jonathan Brush
Kathy Kearney and Joanna Martel
Session Schedule
* Music throughout the event will be provided by Messiah’s Choir.
* Each session will be followed by a time of discussion, questions and answers.
DAY 1:
Becoming Equipped for Our Times
Session 1, 10:00am: Help for Modern Day Mompreneurs
The rise of Mom-Preneurs in the homeschooling community requires the active pursuit of a healthy balance between
their homeschooling, work, and family needs. As a mother of five, active volunteer, business owner, and veteran homes-
chooler, Connie Albers discusses how to delegate efficiently, set realistic goals, and find work that fits the homeschooling
lifestyle. During this presentation, she will share how to manage your homeschool and evaluate your workload so your
family runs smoothly. Come and learn from a mom who has lost the balance battle many times, but her resilient spirit
and desire to finish well and not short her family will help you in your mompreneur journey.
Session 2, 2:00pm: How to Sail Through Life’s Storms
Let’s be real. Life is full of storms. Sometimes it can feel like you’re trying to survive each day. Living beyond survival
mode requires being honest about the issues that your family faces and being reminded of the power that comes from
the One who can help you sail through them. Learning to navigate stormy waters requires uncommon bravery. We watch
how others turn around and get tossed back and forth with every crashing wave. But when faith finds its feet in the hearts
of women, Connie believes we will stop merely surviving and start sailing through each storm with confidence. Getting
to the heart is one of the key strategies for developing the bravery needed to sail slow and steady. Could you use some
encouragement for the assignment God has given you? Join us as we learn how to stop living in survival mode.
Session 3, 4:00pm: The Life of a Butterfly (Family Interest)
(Featuring Erica Huber from the Maine Botanical Garden)
In this session, Erika Huber, Youth and Family Program Manager at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, will talk about
the important role pollinators play in nature and their flower preferences. She will also go over the parts of a flower and
discuss the process of pollination as she dissects a flower. Participants are encouraged to dissect a flower right along with
Erika during this session if they are able to get a flower beforehand. Tulips or daffodils from the grocery store are great
flowers for dissection and are for sale in March.
Session 4, 7:00pm: Resilient and Resourceful: Keys to Affording the Homeschool Lifestyle
After homeschooling five children, getting each one through college, and managing to build a retirement fund in the
process, Connie shares her secrets. She knows homeschooling isn’t cheap. But it doesn’t have to break the budget. She
knows rising costs, tough times, and financial shortfalls are common to families. And, indeed, your money doesn’t seem
to go as far as it once did, but it is possible. This presentation is packed full of practical information to help you continue
your homeschool journey without going broke.
DAY 2:
Homeschooling - The Nuts and Bolts
Session 1, 10:00am: Help! I Don’t Know What I am Doing
I’m a smart person, so why is this so hard? We place so much pressure on ourselves to know everything before we begin.
We feel we have to pick the perfect math, literature, science, art, and planner to believe we are a successful homeschool-
er. Stop stressing out! Motivating children to learn, love, and listen isn’t as hard as we think. After teaching five children
from K-12, Connie relates to how you feel. She was there, many times. Join her as she comforts your weary heart and
reminds you that you are smart!
4
Session 2, 2:00pm: From Notebooking to Online Classes
Connie has navigated the seasons of homeschooling for 25 years. Her knowledge of teaching children according to their
strengths and learning style and understanding your teaching style make her a conference favorite. This presentation ad-
dresses how to assess what is best for your child and your family from the experience of a mom of five homeschool grad-
uates. She shares stories from what her kids taught her about what worked and what didn’t. Hint: every child is different!
Session 3, Special Double Session for Teens! (Teen and Parent Interest)
4:00pm: Out of the Box Credit: Where Passions Matter
(Featuring HOME Leaders Kathi Kearney and Joanna Martel)
Give yourself and your student credit for learning outside-the-box! Kathi and Joanna team up to share ways you can give
and get credit for middle to high school student learning experiences that don’t look like traditional, behind-a-desk learn-
ing. If your student spends a great deal of time serving others, working in the woods, building, organizing projects, and
in self-directed learning, we have some tools and ‘tricks’ that can help you quantify and qualify their learning. Parents,
teachers and students will enjoy and find inspiration in this session!
5:30pm: What You Really Need to Know - What a Student Should Learn Before They Launch
(Featuring Jonathan Brush, President of Unbound)
Why is it that almost half of college graduates can’t find a job? What’s missing? What does a student really need to learn
between the ages of sixteen and twenty two to be ready for “real life”? Everyone focuses on academics, but you need more
than academic ability to be fully equipped for the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood. In this session Jonathan
will guide you through the seven essential skills and abilities that are crucial for successfully launching into adulthood.
This time of life is a unique time, offering amazing possibilities. Come learn how to maximize this time, focus on the es-
sentials, and be prepared and equipped for extraordinary success!
Session 4, 7:00pm: Cultivate Creativity, Exploration, and Innovation in Your Child
Every child is born with a desire to create and innovate. But that can quickly disappear when formal education begins if
parents aren’t careful. How can homeschool parents cultivate their child’s natural curiosity throughout the day without
causing chaos? Please grab a cup of coffee and join Connie as she shares how to discover and develop creativity and in-
novation by helping your child understand their unique skills, strengths, and talents while building close relationships.
DAY 3:
Sharpening Our Parenting Skills
Session 1, 10:00am: Raising Godly Children Amid Cultural Chaos
How do we raise children in a culture of chaos when confusion and strife surround us? And how do we remain steadfast,
while adjusting along the way? While the culture is in chaos, you can tune out the turmoil and provide stability in your
home. As the culture shifts, God’s Word provides the answers we need to navigate this season knowing we are equipped
to lead our family. Whether you are new to homeschooling or a veteran, you can raise your children through it all.
Session 2, 2:00pm: Rules Minus Relationship Equals Rebellion
Have you made a list of rules only to get discouraged when your teen doesn’t follow them? Do you feel your attempts to
create close relationships feel one-sided? Rest assured, mom; you aren’t alone. While every family needs rules, limits, and
boundaries to help protect your child and keep order, they cannot come at the expense of your relationship. It’s not the
rules that cause our child to rebel. Often something is missing. Connie Albers, the mother of five adult children, shares
how to create rules, build a relationship, and reduce rebellion.
5
Day 1, Session 1
Help for Modern Day Mompreneurs
What tools?
Thoughts
Know Yourself
Vision
Plan: How to Structure Your Day
Pivots
Goals
What can you do when life gets out-of-balance?
What safeguards do you need to put in your life?
What is non-negotiable?
Thoughts to consider
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
6
Day 1, Session 2
How to Sail Through Life’s Storms
What to ask?
What to Let Go
How storms strengthen your family?
Opportunity to Serve
Focus
Remember
Thoughts to Ponder
Malachi 3:6, God reminds us of this truth. “For I, the LORD do not change; therefore you, O
children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
Storms cause?
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
7
Day 1, Session 4
Resilient and Resourceful:
Keys to Affording the Homeschool Lifestyle
Analyze
Aware
Adapt
Meal planning
Provision
Thoughts to Ponder
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
8Day 2, Session 1
Help! I Don’t Know What I am Doing
Consider
Starve the Fear
I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of sound mind
Choose
Words matter
Tell yourself the truth
Avoid these…
Stop doing this…
Negative thinking
Put
Put it in Perspective
Give
Give yourself permission to change
Truths from God’s Word
Thoughts to Ponder
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
9Day 2, Session 4
Cultivate Creativity, Exploration, and
Innovation in Your Child
What to know?
Four Core Needs
Tips to Develop
Think
Protect
Provide
Allow
Create
Experience
Thoughts to Ponder
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
10Day 3, Session 1
Raising Godly Children Amid Cultural Chaos
Christian Kids Under attack
What role does culture play?
Religion vs. Relationship
Thermostat vs. Temperature
Paint Pictures of Possibilities
When Your Child Struggles
How to Guide Your Child
Thoughts to ponder
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
11Day 3, Session 2
Rules Minus Relationship Equals Rebellion
What happens when the emphasis is on the rules?
List some reasons a parent should consider adjusting the rules?
Three specific areas to adjust.
How to identify what isn’t working.
How pivoting can save your relationship.
How can you adjust without causing chaos in the family?
Non-negotiables!
©ConnieAlbers2021. All rights reserved.
12Notes
13Now What?
Our convention has come to an end. We hope that the sessions have been encouraging
and informative for you!
Now what will you do with what you have learned?
Here are a few suggestions:
Visit our Virtual Vendor Hall
Your resource needs are important to us! In our virtual vendors hall, we have gathered together a
number of retailers that provide helpful resources specifically designed with homeschooling families in
mind. Meet some of your favorite vendors, and discover products and services that are exciting, unique,
and of interest to parents, teachers and the homeschool community! Remember to check out any spe-
cials or discounts, too! For links to all these retailers, go to our website at this page:
https://www.homeschoolersofmaine.org/events/2021-online-conference/virtual-vendor-hall/
HOME Auction Fundraiser
Donate, Bid and Support HOME!
This lively fundraiser is a traditional favorite held during HOME’s Annual Convention at the Samoset Resort in
Rockport. Our 2021 auction will look a little different, but will include all the great items you have come to expect.
As in 2020, this year’s event will be completely online. Be sure to register to participate, and then come back to
bid March 18 - 20, 2021 during our online conference. Go here for more information and to view the items avail-
able for bid: https://www.homeschoolersofmaine.org/events/2021-online-conference/2021-annual-auction/
Connect with your Regional Representative
Reach out to a veteran homeschooler in your area!
HOME Regional Representatives are experienced homeschoolers who bring the ministry of HOME closer to
homeschooling families in every area of the state. Regional Reps provide a HOME presence within their region
that is informative and encouraging. They are often the first friendly voice for a new homeschooling family. For
a complete listing with contact information, visit this page:
https://www.homeschoolersofmaine.org/encouragement/home-regional-contacts/
14Join us for . . .
Home Education Week & Capitol Day
May 2 - 8, 2021
Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate!
It’s an educational event for the whole family! Maine homeschoolers have worked hard over the years
to raise public awareness and strengthen homeschool freedoms. Traditionally, Maine Governors have
designated one week each spring as Maine Home Education Week. Since 1987, Maine homeschoolers
have gathered during this special week to celebrate and thank God for the freedoms we enjoy.
While there may be no proclamation issued by the current Governor, 2021 will be no exception to
our coming together! During the week of May 2nd - 8th, 2021, homeschoolers will celebrate the 34th
Annual Maine Home Education Week. To mark the occasion, homeschoolers will gather virtually on
Wednesday, May 5 for a day of celebration!
VIRTUAL CAPITOL DAY EVENT INFORMATION
Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Theme: Courage
Location: Zoom
Cost: FREE!
To register, visit https://www.homeschoolersofmaine.org/events/homeschool-day-at-the-capitol
15Homeschoolers of Maine
would like to thank the sponsors of this event:
Classical Conversations
Gordon College
HSLDA
Roots by the River
SchoolhouseTeachers
Sonlight
Their support has helped to make this conference possible.You can also read
