DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am currently exploring the option of home schooling and specifically concerned about socialization. I would like to know if there are any home-schooling groups in Androscoggin County that include routine activities for home-schooled children.

In my limited search, this information doesn’t seem readily available. Therefore, I am hoping that either you or your readers could provide me more information. Thank you. — No Name, Auburn

ANSWER: Searching on this topic is frustrating because there is so much online that it’s difficult to weed out socialization. Sun Spots did find homeschoolersofmaine.org, whose website looks to be fairly extensive and includes a list of events you and/or your children might enjoy.

The home-schooled children Sun Spots knows socialize with other home-schoolers or via religious organizations. Similar groups of parents must exist in L-A. Hopefully parents will invite you to join them.

Another option is to have your kids participate in school extracurricular activities. Sun Spots found the following at maine.gov:

“Students receiving home-school instruction are eligible to try out for extracurricular activities sponsored by the local school unit, provided the student applies in writing, if the following requirements are satisfied.

“A. The student agrees to abide by equivalent rules of participation as are applicable to regularly enrolled students participating in the activity and provides evidence that the rules of participation are being met.

“B. The student complies with the same physical examination, immunization, insurance, age and semester eligibility requirements as regularly enrolled students participating in the activity. All required documentation must be made available upon request by the school unit.

“C. The student meets equivalent academic standards as those established for regularly enrolled students participating in the activity and provides evidence that the academic standards are being met.

“D. The student abides by the same transportation policy as regularly enrolled students participating in the activity.”

DEAR SUN SPOTS: My soon to be 7-year-old granddaughter is a budding artist. I would love to provide her with professional lessons to enhance her skills at drawing and painting. Is there anyone in the Lewiston-Auburn area who provides private lessons? — N. Simond, pnsimond@gmail.com

ANSWER: Sun Spots knows of one artist who accepts students, but Sun Spots is sending you her name privately, as she only has room for one more student. She says it can be difficult to find a good art teacher. Some retired school art teachers give lessons. Hopefully someone will offer their services.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: With you being of help in the past, I thought I would try again. I’ve tried with little success to find a public beach in the Portland area. Willard proved to be difficult to navigate after certain hours (dogs are let loose on a nightly basis). Is there not something else for those who don’t wish to swim with the dogs down there? — No Name via email

ANSWER: Maine’s rocky coast isn’t terribly conducive to beaches, so there aren’t a lot of options, but Sun Spots did find a listing (you can search by region) at www.meliving.com/beaches. She can’t swear to their quality or presence of dogs. Perhaps readers can offer some input.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The West Paris Unitarian Universalist Church members held their first rhubarb festival and white elephant sale in June. It was so successful the organizers, the Church’s Goodwill Circle, decided to add a section on rhubarb recipes to their soon-to-be-published cookbook.

The festival and cookbook are both fundraising activities. Every pie was sold at the festival and the rhubarb tonic, which was offered to shoppers, was well enjoyed by all those who tasted it.

If you would like to donate a rhubarb recipe to the cookbook project, please send it to me. — Beverly Stevens, bstevens@megalink.net.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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