Homeschool HUB Weekly News--Oct. 9 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 by the Homeschool HUB. 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: Oct. 12--Homeschool soccer, Howard Park SB, 1:00, contact Tom Borek 574-302-7865 Oct. 16--Homeschool bowling, Strikes and Spares, 1:00, $5 Oct. 17--Chess at Niles library, 9:30, free Details for the following events are on the calendar at: www.calendar.yahoo.com/homeschoolhub HERE'S THE BUZZ: 1) Fall homeschool party! 2) Homeschool programs at SMC museum 3) Free Bethel College concert 4) Upcoming stage play 5) Chess tournament 6) Free days at Field Museum 7) 2010 Mid-Winter conference 8) Volunteer opportunities 9) ND admissions informational event 10) Musicians wanted 11) How about those labels? And LAST BUT NOT LEAST: classified ads and links of interest at the end of your weekly news. 1) YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR ANNUAL FALL HOMESCHOOL PARTY!!--Note: Rain date is Oct. 22. This year we will be going to AMAZING ACRES in Edwardsburg MI (18430 US 12 East) on Thursday October 15th at 5:30 p.m.. They have 14 acres of corn maze (18,480 feet of pathways; 375,000 cornstalks). Cost: $5 students, $8 adults, under 2 is free. We need to enter the barnyard as a group. We will be given clues and start our way through the corn maze at 5:45 and finish up by 7:45. At 7:45 we will have a bonfire and everyone may bring food of their choosing to cook over the fire. You will also need to bring place settings, drinks and condiments. At 8:30 we will board the wagon and take a tour of the farm, stopping long enough to pick a pumpkin. We will finish up around 9 p.m. The HUB will cover the cost of the hayride and the pumpkin that you will be able to pick out to take home. We hope that you decide that this is something you and your family would enjoy. Contact Donnelda Lohr at: lohrgalore@juno.com or 269-683-2372 before October 13th. We need to get a head count so that Amazing Acres can prepare for our coming. Hope to see you there! 2) Hello, I am director of the Museum at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac. I am happy to announce our annual Homeschool Program Days for 2009-10. Programs are listed below. Steve Arseneau Museum Director November 11, 2009, 1-3 p.m.: Keepers of the Fire This program explores the history and living culture of the Potawatomi Indians of southwest Michigan. Students will learn about traditional crafts and make a memento to keep, find out about village sites in Cass County, and learn about the Neshnabek language. April 14, 2010, 1-3 p.m.: Escape to Freedom This program demonstrates the role residents of southwest Michigan played in the Underground Railroad. Students will play the role of fugitives and follow the path to freedom from Kentucky to Canada through Cass County. They will learn songs and stories and make a memento to take home. All programs require advance registration. Programs are free, but space is limited so please book early. To reserve a spot, contact the Museum Educator at 269-782-1334 or jquail@swmich.edu 3) Dear Music Friend, Warm fall greetings to you! It is once again our pleasure to invite you and your students to this semester's educational concert at Bethel College on Thursday, November 19, at 10:00-10:50 a.m. This free concert will take place in the Everest-Rohrer Auditorium on the Bethel campus and will feature the Bethel College Percussion Ensemble and the Bethel College String Ensemble. The program will feature demonstrations of the various instruments as well as performances of music in a variety of styles. We will also include some interactive question-and-answer times, with small prizes for the winners! We think your students will find this event to be both enjoyable and beneficial. Please call or email our music department secretary, Sue Holmes (574 257 3393: holmess@bethelcollege.edu), if you'll be attending and include the approximate number of students in your group. Any interested students from your school may be included and are welcome! We're looking forward to seeing you on November 19! 4) On October 30 at 10:30 am the Mendel Center will be presenting Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. All seats are $3. Contact Diane to confirm your seats for this performance. 5) 2nd Annual Charyl Stockwell Academy Scholastic Open Chess Tournament, Saturday, November 7, 2009 K-8 Rated and K-8 Unrated Registration Deadline: October 30, 2009 Location: Charyl Stockwell Academy, 9758 E. Highland Rd., Howell, MI An OPEN chess tournament, open to any children in the community in grades K-8. This is a GREAT tournament for kids of many abilities. Beginners should be able to know all the basic moves of all the chess pieces and be able to sit through a 30 minute game. Come and enjoy a day of chess and bring your friends!! All participants will receive trophies or medals. This tournament is a great way to "stick your child's toe in the water" to see if chess is something they would like to pursue. For more information and registration material, send email to kloent@hotmail.com or hgay@csaschool.org or call (517)545-0741 Some benefits of playing chess: « improves schoolwork and grades « develops logical thinking « requires some understanding of logical strategy « promotes imagination and creativity « encourages you to be inventive « teaches independence because you are forced to make important decisions influenced only by your own judgment « develops the capability to predict and foresee consequences of actions 6) There is free museum general admission on weekdays, Oct. 8-30 at Chicago's Field Museum. For those of you who have been thinking about going to the Field Museum and don't have a membership, October has 3 weeks of free days! They are also featuring a new permanent exhibit about the body and mind called "YOU!" 7) Don't miss out on the best pricing for the 2010 Mid-Winter Home Educator's Conference. Earlybird pricing ends next Tuesday, October 13! Register at http://MidWinterConference.org/ using PayPal. Otherwise, download the conference brochure at the website, print it, fill it in and choose your payment option - credit/debit card, personal check or T.R.I.P. funds (for HSB families). Get the most for your money now at the bargain price of $35/attendee! Looking forward to seeing you there! MWC Steering Committee P.S. Please help us spread the word and forward this to all your home school friends! 8) The Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. #177 is sponsoring the 7th Annual Support the Troops Christmas Open House, Saturday November 14 from 1-4 pm Michigan Lutheran High School 615 Marquette Woods Rd. St. Joseph, MI. Help make Christmas special and a little less lonely by packing boxes to send our troops. How can you get involved? *Gather items to put in the packages like: Edibles: Individual snacks, hard candy, beef jerky, small cans of fruit, pop tarts, presweetened drink mixes, tuna pouches, cereal bars, granola bars, crackers/cheese snack packs, peanuts, gum, mints, suckers, peanut butter squeeze tubes, Pringles, small cans of soups(pop tops). Hygienic/Personal: Band-aids, hand lotion, shaving cream(non-aerosol), toothbrushes, toothpaste, chapstick, ladies sanitary pant liners, tampons, disposable razors, nail clippers, emery boards, non-alcoholic wipes, zip-lock bags, small laundry detergent packets, calendars, sunscreen lotion. Entertainment: Batteries, paper envelopes, playing cards, Sun day funnies, Frisbee, puzzle books, CD's, bubbles, disposable camera, small hand held games. *Come and pack the items on the 14th. *Prepare a card that could be received by any soldier to let them know that you are thinking of them. If you are unable to attend the event on the 14th and would like to donate, the Volunteer Center offices will receive your items and pass them on to the Blue Star Moms. Drop them off at either one of our offices located at 605 Pleasant, St. Joseph or 210 E. Main St. Suite 237 , Niles . Option #2: Volunteers and donors hope to provide a new pair of gloves/mittens and hat to the men, women and children who come to the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen on a regular basis. If you would like to donate an item or have a collection drive with friends, coworkers, or in your faith community – they hope to provide the items on November 6 – since it tends to get cold in November. Call the Volunteer Center with questions or if you need assistance with dropping off items. If you would like to donate items to a shelter nearer to your home or work place, call and I can help brainstorm options with you. Debra Panozzo Adult and Family Volunteer Coordinator Volunteer Center of Southwest MI www.volunteerswmi.org 269-983-0912 ext 303 269-683-5464 ext 322 --AND-- United Way is partnering with school districts, preschool programs and child care centers in Berrien and Cass Counties to bring in volunteers to read to children and do activities to promote literacy. Studies show that early literacy is crucial if children are going to succeed in school. The goal is to have volunteers interact with the children to get them excited about literacy. United Way is looking for volunteers willing to spend a day or a portion of their day working with children and promoting literacy through reading, activities and play. This event has been organized to be more considerate of employees and employers time in that they are focusing on specific communities on one particular day. Each school district in Berrien and Cass County has been assigned one specific day when they will have volunteer readers in their community during the dates of October 19th - October 22nd. Contact: Angela Brownie at angela.brownie@uwsm.org or 269/925-7772 ext. 12. --ALSO-- Connect to the Volunteer Opportunity that is Right for YOU! Lake Michigan College and the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan are presenting three volunteer fairs for the community. Nonprofit, governmental and faith-based agencies represented at one or more fairs include: Adult Learning Community of Southwest Michigan, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien and Cass, Hospice at Home, Lory's Place, Tri-County Head Start, Blue Stars Mothers, Representatives of Earned Income Tax Coalition, Bridges to Digital Excellence, Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, Opportunity Center, Lakeland Health Care, Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Emergency Shelter, The History Center at Courthouse Square, Berrien County Courts, Junior Achievement, the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan, the Mentoring Collaborative of Southwest Michigan and many more. For more information contact the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan at 269-683-5464 in Niles or 269-983-0912 in St. Joseph What: Volunteer Fairs featuring agencies with long term and short term volunteer opportunities in many areas of interest. Who is invited: Everyone! All ages, abilities, and skills welcome. When & Where: Monday, October 5th 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 5 - 6:30 p.m. at the Napier Campus (Benton Harbor); Tuesday, October 6th 11 a.m.– 2 p.m. & 5–6:30 p.m. at the South Haven Campus; Wednesday, October 7th 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Bertrand Crossing Campus (Niles) 9) MCA presents Mr. Gabriel Brown, Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Notre Dame. Michiana Covenant Academy is pleased to present an informational session with Mr. Gabriel Brown on November 5 at 7:00pm. We invite area homeschoolers to come join us as we hear about the requirements and admissions process for attending Notre Dame. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered by someone with first-hand knowledge about the ins and outs of the admissions process at a top-ranked university! Where: Michiana Covenant Church, 14567 Cleveland Road (between Fir and Capital) When: Thursday, November 5, at 7:00pm Who: Any homeshooling parent and/or student wishing to learn more about the Notre Dame admissions process. Cost: None Childcare is not provided for this event. 10) Homeschool high schooler would like to try her hand at directing a small group of musicians. She is looking for high schoolers with at least 4-5 years experience with their instruments. Her plan is to lead a quartet or quintet composed of flute, clarinet, violin and cello players. If interested, please contact Sara at 269-357-3848 or 269-683-7223. 11) The Homeschool HUB is continuing to collect Campbell Soup labels, Campbell's Chunky Soup labels, Campbell's Healthy Request labels, Campbell's Select harvest, Franco-American, Pepperidge Farm, Spaghettios, Swanson, V-8 Beverages, V-8 Fusion, Prego Italian Sauces and Campbell's Food Service. Give your labels to any board member or bring them to our homeschool functions. --AND-- We are still accepting Boxtops for education labels. You can find these on: Betty Crocker goods Gold Medal Flour Nestle products Cherrios Cascadian Farm products Chex Cocoa Puffs Cookie Crisp Country Cornflakes Fiber One products Golden Grahams Honey Nut Clusters Lucky Charms Oatmeal Crisps TotalTrix Wheaties Green Giant vegetables Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Totino Pizza olls Hamburger Helper meals Old El Paso Suddenly Salad Yoplait Fruit Flavored shapes Ziploc Kleenex Scott Kotex Poise Depend Hefty Nature Valley Cottonelle Huggies Goodnites Pull Ups Avery School supplies Go to Boxtops for Education.org for more info, and then SAVE SAVE SAVE those labels. Each one nets 10 cents and every 10 cents adds up. You can give them to any HUB board director or bring them to any of our functions that we will be having. Thank-you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLASSIFIEDS Check out this yard sale! Nearly the entire contents of my mother's home is in my yard. Come and take it away! There are deals-o-plenty. Fri-Sun 9:00 a.m. til ??, rain or shine, 1716 S. 3rd St., Niles. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I am writing to inform your group about our new website providing educational worksheets for children. Wondrous Worksheets is a new and rapidly growing website designed to offer quick and ready worksheets for homeschoolers, teachers and parents. Each worksheet is decorated by a childs illustration with answer sheets provided where appropriate. New worksheets are being added all the time and individual requests for particular worksheets are highly encouraged. I have also provided a free test account for your evaluation. This account will be valid for 1 week. User Name : reviewguest71 Password : worksheets71 We also have a special registration price of $9.95 for you and members of your group by entering the promotion code "worksheets" when they register. Please feel free to pass this offer on to your members. Have something for sale, free or trade? Advertise here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAST BUT NOT LEAST--LINKS OF INTEREST (links do not imply endorsement): Science toys, gifts and educational supplies: www.xump.com FREE online math video resource for homeschool students: www.brightstorm.com Chemistry experiment videos (middle and high school): http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/pirelli/index.html 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. |
Friday, October 9, 2009
HUB weekly news-Oct. 9
