Homeschool HUB Weekly News--April 3 Homeschool HUB phone: (269)362-0651 email: homeschoolhub@yahoo.com website: www.hshub.org Editor: Annette Ernsperger The information below is offered to you as a service. Please research and decide for yourself the value to your family. The Homeschool HUB does not endorse any programs or services other than those offered at the Homeschool HUB resource center. Send information to be added to the update no later than the Thursday before the week you want it to appear: homeschoolhub@yahoo.com ON THE CALENDAR: Details for the following events are on the calendar at: www.calendar.yahoo.com/homeschoolhub Apr. 7--Homeschool hangout, Clay Firehouse Youth center, 2-4 pm, free (CANCELLED for SPRING BREAK!) Apr. 10--Homeschool bowling, 1:00, Strikes and Spares, Mishawaka, $5 HERE'S THE BUZZ: 1) Homeschool day at Michigan state capitol 2) Drivers education classes 3) Stage performance 4) Spring prom 5) Got nest boxes? 6) Homeschool used book and curriculum sale 7) 12 new half-ride scholarships available at SMC And LAST BUT NOT LEAST: classified ads and links of interest at the end of your weekly news. 1) Dear Homeschool Family: We are pleased to announce the opening of Registration for the 2009 Homeschool Family Day at the Capitol. Once again, all registration will be done through the Home Education League of Michigan (HELM) website ( www.HomeEdMI.net). We are grateful to our co-sponsors , Sen. Allen Cropsey and past representative Jack Hoogendyk, who are helping to make this day possible. We are sure you will enjoy the past favorites, including James Muffett (CTV), Professor William Wagner, Tours of the Capitol, and visits to Representatives and Senators. Please realize that the right to homeschool is being challenged at the state and federal levels. Thomas "TJ" Schmidt of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) will discuss the need for vigilance and will update us on the current efforts to secure parental rights. We look forward to joining you at the Capitol to learn, and to show those who govern Michigan that Homeschooling matters. For complete information about the day, please go to www.HomeEdMI.net. 2) Driver's education classes: Express Driving School in Edwardsburg is offering a $100 discount per student if a minimum of 6 students enroll. We already have 3 students ready to go. Even if you live in Niles or Buchanan, consider these classes as carpooling can be discussed. Classes begin in May. Call Donnelda for all the details and to sign up: 269-683-2372. 3) News from Diane Day: I will be reserving seats for our group for the 2009/2010 theatre season which promises to be a family friendly line up of at least 1 old favorite. Check back for updates. Dessert theatre at Bethel will be performing "Dearly Beloved". It will take place in July. I will be getting back with details. I will not be reserving seats for this performance. 4) Spring Prom: "Heaven's Gate" Saturday, May 2 If you are interested in attending the spring prom, mark the date of May 2nd on your calendar. It is our hope to make a fun evening for high schoolers in a safe environment. Yes, food will be part of the night! Dinner will include your choice of lasagna or chicken, salad bar, many tasty desserts, and our very own chocolate fountain. We will also have a professional Christian DJ, music for dancing, games, and maybe some giveaways. No date is needed—come with friends if you want and yes, Dads can be the dates, too. This event will be open to other home school groups in the area. It will be held at Evangel Heights United Methodist Church at 114 N. Ironwood, South Bend. Cost per ticket is $20 for an individual. We would like to request that guys wear a dress shirt and tie and ladies wear dresses that are modest (just use the "if in doubt, probably not" motto as a guide). Pictures will be offered that night as well. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the event ends at 11:00 p.m. Please mail your payment and registration to Dana DoBrodt at 58896 Elm Rd., Mishawaka, IN 46544. Your payment must be postmarked by April 20th. If you are a senior, please send a few pictures of yourself. If you have questions, please email me at hiddeneagles@att.net. Spring Prom Registration Form Name________________________________________________________ Grade_________ Address_____________________________________________________________________ Phone_________________________________ Are you with a homeschool group? yes no If yes, name of homeschool group________________________________________________ Guest name (if bringing one)____________________________________________________ Guest age______________ Mail this registration form with your check payable to Dana DoBrodt for $20 per ticket. Send it to the following address (make sure it is postmarked by April 20th): Dana DoBrodt 58896 Elm Rd. Mishawaka, IN 46544 5) Got Nest Boxes? If you do, you have a front-row seat on the miracle of birth and renewal in the bird world. If you don't, now is the time to set one up. You can also help scientists learn more about bird families and how they might be affected by climate change. You're invited to register your nest box (or boxes) with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch program (www.RegisterYourNestbox.org). It won't cost you a thing but it does yield valuable information about breeding birds and how their natural rhythms may be changing. NestWatch is easy and fun for adults and children. It helps all of us reconnect with nature, which is good for our health and well-being. NestWatch is a great activity to do on your own, in a classroom, or as a homeschool project. Here's why it's so important to gather this information: Studies are showing that some birds are laying their eggs sooner than they used to--as much as nine days earlier in the case of Tree Swallows. That could spell trouble if the eggs hatch before a steady supply of insects is available for feeding the young. As a NestWatch participant, you'll visit nests once or twice a week and report what you see: Which kinds of birds are using your nest boxes? When were the first eggs laid? How many eggs were laid and how many actually hatched? Everything you need to register your nest box and get started with NestWatch is available online, including directions on how you can monitor nest boxes without disturbing the birds. If you have a blog, you can link to the NestWatch site using the web button we provide below. Don't have a nest box yet? Find out how to provide the best and safest boxes for bluebirds, swallows, chickadees, and other cavity-nesting birds online. If you like, you can also monitor the nests of backyard birds that don't use nest boxes, such as phoebes, robins, and goldfinches. By the way, the hugely popular NestCams are back in action—peek into nests and nest boxes across the country via live cameras focused on Eastern Bluebirds, Barred Owls, Wood Ducks, Barn Owls and more. Keep watching and see what hatches! The more NestWatchers we have the better the information we can gather about our bird friends. Feel free to download this NestWatch flyer(PDF) and post it anywhere you feel is appropriate. As a citizen scientist you have the power to really make a big difference. Thank you! Tina Phillips, Project Leader NestWatch P.S. Check out the "Early Birds and Spring" video about the NestWatch project now posted on the ScienCentral web site! 6) Home School Used Books and Curriculum Sale--Everyone is invited! When: 10:00 am–2:00 pm , May 16, 2009 Where: Michiana Covenant Church 14567 Cleveland Road Granger, IN Sellers: ·Rent a six foot table to sell your used Homeschool books and curricula. ·Tables available by reservation until we run out. ·Reservations need to be made prior to May 13. ·Sellers are responsible for all of their own sales. ·There is no fee to browse. Please invite everyone that you know. ·We will be placing/sending ads out to e-mail lists and local garage sale postings. You may forward our ad to any lists that you belong to. Reserve Now: Contact Ninette at ndtd@juno.com or (574) 273-3149 to reserve your table now. Cost: Your "rent" or fee for the table will be a donation to Michiana Covenant Academy collected at 1:00 pm--hopefully after you have made many sales. There is no suggested donation amount. Free: We will also be having a free table for you to add to and/or to take from. Food: A youth organization will have food available for sale Questions: Contact Ninette at ndtd@juno.com or (574) 273-3149. 7) We have just been notified from the administration that we have TWELVE new half-ride scholarships available. Six = Business and Six = Creative Writing. I have attached the scholarship applications for you and will mail hard copies to you ASAP. If you have any good students who would be interested - we would love to have them apply. Cindy Soltys Southwestern Michigan College Outreach Coordinator 269-782-1309 269-782-1371 fax ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOTAL RECALL (These items will run until their pertinent information expires) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLASSIFIEDS Have something for sale, free or trade? Advertise here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAST BUT NOT LEAST--LINKS OF INTEREST (links do not imply endorsement): From a HUB update reader: Green Expo 2009 Thursday April 30th 2009 The Century Center 120 South Saint Joeseph Street South Bend, IN Check web sight for details--all exhibits are open to the public from 11:30am-7:00pm: http://www.wnit.org/green/ Follow Rita the manatee: http://www.seaworld.org/tracks/rita/index.htm Do you have any favorite websites? Send them to us and we'll share them! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DISCLAIMERS: While the Homeschool HUB believes that these events or opportunities may be of value to home educators, announcements do not constitute an endorsement by the Homeschool HUB, or its Board of Directors. It is the responsibility of individual parents to determine the appropriateness of any event or opportunity for their children. Participation in any event is voluntary and the participant assumes complete responsibility and liability for themselves, their family, anyone accompanying them, and their personal property.