| Home Educators | |
| "Updates!" by Val Juntunen | April 18th, 2011 |
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Archive Notice: This is an archived version of the emailed newsletter: "Updates!" All contact info has been deleted for privacy sake. If you need information on any of the events/items posted on this blog please email ccheupdates@gmail.com for further information. Adopt-A-Highway – Fill Out Survey ASAPOur group has been successful in obtaining an MDOT Adopt-A-Highway route. We will be responsible for a 2 mile stretch of road on M-26 from the Snowmobile Club Rd just south of the C.C. Mall to the southern limits of South Range. The initial commitment is for 2 years but can continue as long as there is interest. There are 3 collection periods per year and for this year the dates are the following: Regular meetings of the Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange are held on the 3rd Monday of each month from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Portage Lake District Library. The next meeting will be April 18, and everyone is invited to participate. Each month features a different type of food, and April's meeting will focus on gluten-free breakfasts. Participants are welcome to bring their favorite gluten-free breakfast dish for sampling and are encouraged to share their recipes. Copies of the recipes will be made at the library. Please list all ingredients used in making foods that are shared at these meetings and identify the brand names of the gluten-free ingredients. Bringing food is not a requirement for attendance. The Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange is organized by and for those who are interested in or required to follow a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free eating requires the avoidance of all wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Most people find it challenging at first, but are excited to find recipes and foods that are fun and easy to make and tasty to eat. The Gluten-Free Recipe Exchange is an opportunity to share those great recipes and learn from others. Everyone who is interested in learning more about gluten-free eating is encouraged to attend. This program is free and open to all. For more information, please call a member of the group at 281-5216. You may also call the library at (withheld for archive) or visit www.pldl.org. Screen Free Week at PLDL – Starting April 18thEven though its computers will be available as always, the Portage Lake District Library will host two programs that encourage families to turn off all screen devices for the week of April 18 – 24. On Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m., Joseph Hernandez will present "Screen-Free Leisure and Entertainment" for families and their children. Parents and children will participate in activities that demonstrate the ease of going screen free. Families will explore alternatives to TV and other screen devices and do hands-on activities together. This event will focus on the joy and benefits of doing indoor activities as a family that include reading, game nights, crafts, dress-up, and more. Wednesday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m., Hernandez will present "Enjoying Nature: Activities to Get You Outside." This program encourages families to spend more time together outdoors during Screen-Free Week. Ideas for outdoor family activities will be shared that inspire a love for and fascination with nature. Parents and children will make seed balls and simple window seed sprouters to take home. Families are welcome to share their ideas and describe how they spend time without the interference of TV and other screen devices. "Screen-Free Week isn't just about snubbing screens for seven days," Hernandez" explained. "It's a springboard for important lifestyle changes that will improve well-being and quality of life all year round." Screen-Free Week, formerly TV-Turnoff, is an annual celebration where children, families, schools, and communities turn off screens and turn on life. Instead of relying on screens for entertainment, participants read, daydream, explore, enjoy nature, and enjoy spending time with family and friends. These programs are sponsored by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. Library Programs are free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at (withheld for archive) or visit www.pldl.org. Spring-R-Roo Gymnastics – April 18thWe are wrapping up the spring session next week. The regular class schedule that would be offered to the families would be Friday mornings 9:30 - 10:10 am for tots and pre-school ages 2-3 Pre-K & K from 10:20 - 11:10 and Grade School on Tuesday 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Please see the following link for the informational flier: Drama Club & Movie Club at Little Gem – April 19thEric (withheld for archive) (English/drama/music teacher) from the Little Gem Theater wants to see what interest there is out there among the home school families for a Drama club and a Movie Club. He will be facilitation an informational meeting on Tuesday, April 19th at 3 PM at the Little Gem Theater in Lake Linden (right across form St. Joseph's Church). Some of you may remember Eric from the Shakespeare class that he taught for homeschoolers. He is now the director of the Little Gem, and is interested in forming a theater group with homeschoolers. This initial meeting is for people of any age, skill, etc - K-Adult--all are welcome. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to work with a teacher who is also a theater professional. Questions: call or email Margo (withheld for archive). Or email ccheupdates@gmail.com. Hope to see you there! (From Val: Thank you Margo for all your work with our kids in the drama club the past three years and for helping to coordinate this with Eric.) Please pass this information on to any homeschoolers that may not be on this list. Eric would like to hear from as many homeschooling families as possible. Wolf/Moose Field Trip – April 19thThe wolf/moose field trip will be rescheduled to next Tuesday, the 19th. If we could all meet at 1:45 at the gate at the Lake Linden School Forest, and we'll take the short walk into the cabin-site where we'll learn about moose/wolf ecology. For those interested, I have a CD that we can share w/ our students to prepare them for the trip. I just rec'd it yesterday. After I am done w/ it, I will get it to Judy and from Judy, there will be a list of those I know will be attending so we can pass it around. If we all spend a day w/ it, we should have it covered by next week. Whoever has the CD, come the day of the field trip, just bring it with you for return to the owner. Of course, there is still room for more!! Discover Isle Royale Series at PLDL – April 21stThe Portage Lake District Library will host the final event for the season in its "Discover Isle Royale" series of monthly programs that are sponsored by the Isle Royale Institute and Isle Royale National Park. On Thursday, April 21, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Liz Valencia will present "Under the Inland Sea: Exploring Isle Royale's Submerged Cultural Resources." She invites participants to "jump" into Lake Superior with her to explore the incredible collection of shipwrecks around Isle Royale. These wrecks have been called one of the most intact and significant collections of shipwrecks in North America. Valencia has spent 20 summers working on Isle Royale working first as a volunteer then as cultural resources manager and park historian, and currently as Chief of the Interpretation and Cultural Resources Division. A member of the park dive team for 8 years, she has had many experiences exploring Isle Royale's underwater realm. Library programs are free and everyone is welcome. For more information, please call the library at (withheld for archive) or visit www.pldl.org. Junior Ranger Storytime at PLDL – April 23rdThe Portage Lake District Library invites all children to a special Storytime about our nation's national parks in celebration of Junior Ranger Day. Join Isle Royale National Park Ranger Valerie Martin on Saturday, April 23, at 10:15 a.m., for stories and songs about your national parks. Kids will learn about these special places and earn their own Junior Ranger badge. Library programs are free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at (withheld for archive) or visit www.pldl.org. Beekeeping – April 27thThe Portage Lake District Library invites those who want to learn about the amazing world of honey bees to an evening with local beekeeper Todd (withheld for archive) as he presents "An Introduction to Beekeeping" on Wednesday, April 27, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. His slide show will cover bee hive basics and how honey bees go about their business. Participants will learn what types of equipment a beekeeper uses, how much time it takes to maintain hives, and what the costs and rewards of beekeeping are. There will be a small, empty hive and basic tools of the trade to examine and pure Keweenaw honey to taste. Todd has been a beekeeper for 11 years. He is fascinated by the important role bees have in nature and is eager to share his knowledge and experience with others. Library programs are free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at (withheld for archive) or visit www.pldl.org. Parents' Night Out – April 28thThursday April 28th, CCHE will be holding a Parents' Night out with discussion on the benefits of attending a homeschooling conference (and other home school topics) at 6pm. This will be followed by a board meeting at 7pm that is open to the public. There are some positions that need filling, so those interested are encouraged to stay for the meeting. The location will be announced in the next "Updates!". The local Shriners' are raising money for the transportation fund that pays for kids from our area to go to the Shriners' Hospital (usually in the Twin Cities) where they receive free, advanced orthopedic, burn and cleft palette care. (From Val: My daughter, Jessica, is a Shriners' Hospital patient.) One of the many fundraisers they do to raise the needed funds is a Vidalia onion sale. You get: 10lb bag of Vidalia onions for $10. The onions have a reputation of being excellent. They come from Vidalia, Georgia. Please email me at ccheupdates@gmail.com if you are interested in ordering onions by April 28th (sorry I'm out of town the weekend of May 1st – so I need the orders in before then). You can pay when they come in – on May 16th. The onions will be available at either Bay Insurance on Sharon St. in Houghton or (if you make arrangements with me) I am willing to deliver. Raptor Migration Fieldtrip – April 29thPlease review the information about safety, items to bring and how the fieldtrip will be conducted at https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=160XJX_GbjgJaeqn5sxPGpQAemm_USD6lBLYKlhUzg96cvteomwFgNRIWJoBK&hl=en&authkey=CPnRkpkM. SKRC at PLDL – Months of April & MayDuring the months of April and May the Portage Lake District Library will host an informational display about the Sustainable Keweenaw Resource Center (SKRC) to help raise awareness about the Center and the resources it offers the community. The SKRC, located in the Jutila Center for Global Design & Business in Hancock, is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except during scheduled events. The purpose of the SKRC is to inspire and connect people with regionally appropriate resources and solutions for creating sustainable, livable communities in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The center offers a small reference library, community conference area, a few rotating exhibits spotlighting sustainable projects and resources in the Keweenaw Peninsula, and a number of online resources including the Keweenaw Green Map and Keweenaw Green Directory. The SKRC is supported and funded in-part by Finlandia University and is operated by a volunteer staff. Visit skrconline.net for more information about the Center. WPA Homeschool Conference – May 6-7thRegister now for the 28th annual WPA Home Education Conference on Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Find information on the WPA Web site http://homeschooling-wpa.org/conference/index.shtml or get a hard copy by emailing WPA at wpa@homeschooling-wpa.org or calling the WPA voice mail at (withheld for archive). Here's an overview of the conference: 98 workshops, 53 new Choosing a Curriculum • Blogging • Hands-on Science • Starting a Family Business • Homeschooling Boys • Socialization • Being a Homeschooling Dad • Homeschooling Kids of Different Ages • Baking Sourdough Bread • Kids With Special Needs • Homeschooling Without Outside Support • Dealing with Boy Energy • Homeschooling for High School • College Admission and Financial Aid • and much more Outstanding new and returning speakers Connections workshops for the whole family Ham/Amateur Radio and Weather Spotting • Bird Banding • Nanotechnology • Ground School for Future Pilots • Theatrical Techniques • Unit Origami • Taekwondo • Rock Polishing • and much more More opportunities to meet homeschoolers General session and graduation ceremony Affordable on-site housing and all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
The conference for everyone Whether you're completely new to homeschooling or a veteran; Whether your children are toddlers, teens, or grown; Whether you purchase your curriculum, create your own, do unit studies, are eclectic, or unschool; Whatever your reasons for homeschooling.
Save $15 on your conference registration fees and $7 on each WPA handbook you purchase by becoming a member of WPA.
Get a $10 WPA coupon (NOTE from Val: Holly (withheld for archive) has graciously kept us informed about the WPA conference – so if you want to credit someone it should be her) for each individual or family who did not attend the conference in 2009 or 2010 and who names you on their registration form as the one who encouraged them. http://homeschooling-wpa.org/conference/special.shtml#coupons
Thank you. The WPA Board Wisconsin Parents Association Voice Mail (withheld for archive) Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/homeschoolWI http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=185900271426517&index=1 For educators, parents, family members, policy makers, researchers, practitioners, students and persons living with ASD. Presented by Oakland University's Center for Autism, Research, Education and Support (OUCARES) and the Department of Human Development and Child Studies. 3600 Centerpoint Parkway Pontiac, MI 48341 (withheld for archive) Discounted rooms at $89. Please call the Marriott at 1-800-579-8395 for reservations. Use group code: qlcqlca.
Registration Prices: Early Bird: $175 Includes lunch and refreshments
For more information and registration: or (withheld for archive) Story Line Project Deadline – May 15thDear Homeschooling Families, Note from Val: Please contact Chris if you plan on participating in this project. Also, consider contacting me as I think this would be a great presentation for one of the "Parents' Night Out". The following links will explain more: A New Wave of Genealogists: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1lw-_1LX0N8HFhrlfF6Sl2sEyjdfd4HzRRtcztRh2L78Xm3XRAKPzbCif7toG&hl=en&authkey=CLrP_PwD Remembering the Chairs: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1doBw3Kzpr3LRKG070xTFbPPVwBlRU0ZxEgdwkOt0NwnENKOlXdmiemu2xm9v&hl=en&authkey=COme3IsJ INCH Homeschool Convention – May 20th – 21st28th Annual INCH Homeschool Convention in Lansing Michigan is May 20th – 21st. See http://inch.org/convention/ for details. CALLING ALL KIDS MUSIC THEATRE CAMP: On July 11 – 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Sts. Peter & Paul Lutheran Church will be sponsoring the Calling All Kids Music Theatre Camp. This music camp is for any interested child who has completed second – seventh grade. Throughout the week campers will be preparing the Christian musical, "American Ideal", a children's musical about humility, for a final performance in a church service on Sunday morning July 17th. Campers do not need any prior musical experience, just an interest and enthusiasm for music and performing. The cost for Calling All Kids Music Theatre Camp is $30. Each camper will receive a CD and script when they return their completed application form to Sts. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church. For more information and an application please stop by the church office at 1010 Madeleine St., Houghton or phone 482-4750.
The camp is directed by Shawn (withheld for archive), a music educator from Madison, WI. Ms. McMahon has been teaching music for 17 years and has been directing musicals for almost as long. She directs musical at her home church in Madison, WI every spring and is in demand as an artist in residence for her work with movement and music. Ms. McMahon is a native of Marquette, MI where she has also directed a week of Calling All Kids Music Theatre Camp. Stossel In The ClassroomWINNERS ANNOUNCED IN OUR FIRST ESSAY CONTEST: We were thrilled with the response to our "What's Great About America?" Essay Contest, receiving more than 7,500 submissions! Of these, 222 were selected as winners at some level. First Place went to Philip Wegmann, an 18-year-old homeschooler from Woodburn, Indiana. Second Place went to Dora Juhasz, a 14-year-old student at Parcells Middle School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Congratulations to all our winners! You can view a list of winners and read the top 22 essays at our web site: http://stosselintheclassroom.org/essaycontest.php?p=winning_essays.html Featured Streaming Video Clips: Check out our latest FREE streaming video clips, along with accompanying discussion questions. We add new videos every month. Watch videos along with your class directly from our site without having to link to a secondary media player. Stossel in the Classroom Open Swim at Finlandia's Pool, 1-2pm on Thusdays ($2 per a person; $6 for a family, with possible gym time afterwards until 2:30). Parents can swim too or enjoy some time chatting with other adults. This is an excellent way to get to know other homeschoolers while giving the kids some exercise and group activities! Remember that in order to participate in the Open Gym the child must wear clean gym shoes or socks. Per Finlandia's rules – bare feet are not permitted. Gymnastics with Jeanie- New Session Starting April 18th! The schedule offered to the homeschool families would be Friday mornings 9:30 - 10:10 am for tots and pre-school ages 2-3. Pre-K & K from 10:20 - 11:10 and Grade School on Tuesday 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Make your Amazon.com purchases through CCHE. Just go to our website at: http://www.cchomeeducators.com/store. Then you can browse some of the books we've put together or just click the "powered by Amazon.com" in the upper left and you can shop on Amazon.com just like normal. There's no added cost to you but CCHE receives a small commission from every purchase you make when you click through from our site. Thank you! My oldest son has been using this website: http://www.hippocampus.org/ to help him with his algebra. It has some great, free courses on algebra, calculus, biology, environmental sciences, psychology and other topics. Check it out. On a different note – I'm contemplating offering a free health, anatomy & biology intensive sometime this summer. I am a registered nurse with a background in cellular biology. I have some cheap microscopes and slides, as well as some other materials to make the class fun and educational. If this is something you might be interested in, please email me at ccheupdates@gmail.com. All information on topics and approaches would be given ahead of time so families can decide if the material is suitable. I would say the class would be appropriate for kids in Middle School or High School. Thanks!
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