HUB news update-August 18

Homeschool HUB News Update--August 18   Homeschool HUB phone: 269-240-6094 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: Details for the following events are on the calendar at: www.calendar.yahoo.com/homeschoolhub August 20 and 27--Bowling at Strikes and Spares, 1:00-3:00, $5/pp August 24--Homeschool HUB picnic and planning beach day at Fuller's Resort, 12:00, $1/pp August 24--Park play day, 2:00,  park at 17th and Sycamore in Niles HERE'S THE BUZZ: 1) School year kick-off picnic and planning meeting 2) Volunteer opportunity 3) Fall art classes 4) Fab Lab support group 5) Bethel College homeschool curriculum 6) Homeschool play: Annie Jr. 7) Sports classes 8) Speech class 9) Guitar lessons 10) Border's new discount card for educators 11) Miller Pads and Paper art contest 1) Homeschool HUB picnic and planning meeting Don't forget to add this to your calendar.  Come and find out about the new travel club the HUB has started.  See what is available to check out from our mobile resource library (like a laptop with the Adobe Suite on it, or wooden map puzzles of the continents -- our two newest additions). We are having our yearly planning meeting and picnic on August 24th, 2010, at noon at Fuller's Resort on Clear Lake.  Clear Lake is a beautiful lake with a quiet beach for the little ones, and a jumping platform for the older ones. There will be swimming, beach volleyball, games -- you make the fun! This is a potluck so bring your favorite dish. There are also grills if you want to bring something to throw on it. There is a snack station at the campground complete with ice cream, hamburgers, and hot dogs -- and lots of candy. Traditionally, this is a time for all of us to get together before the chaos breaks loose in September and plan for HUB activities for the upcoming year and to learn and talk about new ideas and inspiration. So, do bring: your towel, your ideas, your old curriculum/books to sell, trade, or barter, some food, laughter, and anything else that sounds interesting. Oh, and bring your best beach volleyball skills too!  Do not: sit at home doing nothing! Fuller's Resort and Campground is located on 1622 E. Clear Lake Rd west of Buchanan.  Here is their web site:  http://www.fullersresort.com Their normal entry fee is $3/adult and $1.75/student, but if you tell them you are there for homeschool day it will only be $1/person.  The HUB will provide charcoal, paper products, and punch.    2)  Volunteer opportunity Curious Kids Museum Science and Art Circus needs volunteers who enjoy having fun and learning new things.  Volunteers will serve popcorn & lemonade, assist with fun hands on projects, or help with set up and take down.  If you would like to volunteer - call the museum at:  269-983-2543 or send an email to Pat Adams, director: dir@curiouskidsmuseum.org ~~AND~~ Want to volunteer, but not sure where?  Join the Volunteer Center and a dozen nonprofits at Volunteer Day at the Berrien County Youth Fair .   WHAT:  Volunteer Day at the Berrien County Youth Fair   WHY:  Meet representatives from a dozen nonprofits and the Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan to learn about the hundreds of volunteer opportunities available to YOU!                                 WHEN:  Thursday, August 19th noon – 4 p.m.   WHERE:  Berrien County Youth Fair, USA Building, Berrien Springs 3) New Creations Offers 2010 Fall Art Classes in the Michiana Area for Students in Grades 1-12. Adults and home schoolers welcome!    Gloria Seitz, a certified K-12 art teacher, will be teaching classes on the topic of PRESSING INTO PRINTMAKING.   In this seven week class, students will be learning the history and process of printing. Many types of printing will be explored. Depending on the age group, some of the processes we will be exploring include thumb, vegetable, butterfly, string, block, stamp, blot, Gyotaku, marbleized, eraser, and solar prints.   Thursday Hobby Lobby CLASSES WILL BEGIN ONE WEEK EARLY, Thursday, September 16 and skip the following Thursday. TUESDAY CLASSES in Niles will begin on Tuesday, September 21, and WEDNESDAY CLASSES at Trinity will begin on Wednesday, September 22. There will be no classes the week of October 11. The Art Festival will be held on Friday, November 12.    Tuesdays, classes at Community Free Church in Niles are as follows:  Ages 6-10 will meet at 10:30-11:30 a.m. Ages 9-13 meet from 11:45 -12:45 p.m. and 7th -adult meet from 1-2 p.m.    Wednesday classes meet at Trinity Free Church in South Bend. Ages 6-10 will meet at 10:30-11:30 a.m. Ages 9-13 meet from 11:45 -12:45 p.m. and 7th -adult meet from 1-2 p.m.   Thursday classes meet at Hobby Lobby in Mishawaka at the following times:  Ages 6-10 will meet at 11:30-12:30 AND at 12:45-1:45 p.m.. Ages 9-13 will meet at 2-3.  7th through adult will meet from 3:15 -4:15. 8 through 13 year olds will meet from 4:20 -5:30 p.m. (Extra time at end of day to allow for cleanup!)   The cost for the seven week classes is $65 for the first child and $5 LESS  for each additional child.  You will save $5 on the total cost if you pay by September 13.  Cost includes supplies (except sketch book, erasers, pencil, rulers, and folder:  These you will need to purchase), room rental, and Art Festival.  You may sign up and print out a registration form on line at www.newcreationsart.com.  Classes do fill up, so be sure to get your registration in early.  You may reserve your spot by calling Gloria at 574-271-8069 even before sending in your reservation.    If you want to view more photos of the classes, check out New Creations Art Classes on Face book.   4) Fab Lab support There is a new group forming to provide support and guidance to the Fab Lab at LMC.  The first meeting will be on Thursday, August 26, at 7pm in the Fab Lab.  If you had students in a class there and want to help the Fab Lab thrive and grow, please come.  If you have never heard of the Fab Lab, it's a Fabricating Laboratory designed by a professor at MIT.  LMC put in the first Fab Lab in Michigan two years ago.  This fall Detroit and Flint are both putting one in.  For more info on Fab Labs go here:  http://fab.cba.mit.edu/about/faq/. If you want to help support the Fab Lab please come to the organizational meeting on the 26th. 5) BETHEL COLLEGE HAS CURRICULUM AVAILABLE FOR HOMESCHOOLERS The Bethel education resource center (used by education majors to help prep for lesson plans, etc.) is cleaning house and they have a lot of extra materials. The library staff thought the materials might be of interest to area homeschoolers.     We have close to 1,500 textbooks and supplemental materials such as workbooks, teacher lesson plans , answer sheets, CD-ROMs and test/quiz generators available from grades K-12 covering such subjects as Math, Reading, Literature, History, Science, Health, and some Art and Music materials.   All of the materials are currently sitting on tables and on the floor in the ERC. If anyone is interested, please give me a call in advance at 574.807-7001 or email me (amstutt@bethelcollege.edu) so that I can make sure I am present to assist you.  If you come, please bring your own boxes or other storage containers as we currently do not have any empty boxes on hand.  We do have some carts that you can use to transport the items out to your vehicle, and we would be happy to assist you in this manner.   We don't have prices on any of the items, but we would appreciate a small donation of your choice to the library endowment.  Checks can be made out to the "Root – Luesing Library Endowment" and we will also accept cash if you prefer.    I would like to have most of it gone by August 20, and whatever is left over we'll have to load up in our cars and take over to Better World Books (this is our last option).    Thanks, Tim Amstutz Library Assistant   The ERC is located in room B201, just down the hall from the Bowen Library (near the science building).  6) ANNIE Jr. Tickets On Sale Now!  All seats $5 Little Orphan Annie has been entertaining America since 1924, when she began her life as a comic strip character.  Then, in 1977, Annie hit the stage with the cast of characters that made up her world, and her popularity has done nothing but grow.  The Performing Arts Ministry at Grace United Methodist Church will present "Annie Jr.," a slightly shorter version of the Broadway "Annie," geared more toward children — with every part played by children & youth 8 to 14 years old. As the story goes, 11-year-old Annie (played by Jocelyn Pletcher) is in an orphanage, operated by the bully Miss Hannigan (Lilly Sheline). But the orphan girls are hopeful that they will find parents and be happy someday. Annie runs away to look for the parents she feels sure are alive and, along the way, finds a runaway dog she calls Sandy (Maggie Rogers). Annie is caught and returns to the orphanage, smuggling the dog along with her. But a stroke of luck lands her in the home of Daddy Warbucks (Bailey Bakerson), one of the richest men around, initially just for the Christmas holidays. Through a series of ups and downs — and of course, the bad guys trying to cash in — Annie eventually finds herself on the road to happiness she has always dreamed of. The cast sings and dances to all the popular songs from the hit Broadway production, including "It's A Hard-Knock Life," "Maybe," "Tomorrow" and "I Think I'm Going to Like it Here."  Come on out for a delightful evening of live theater that is fun for the whole family.  When:  Friday, August 20, 7:00 pm            Saturday, August 21, 7:00 p.m. Where: Grace United Methodist Church             501 Grant St., Niles, MI Cost:    $5, general seating.  Profits will be donated to The Methodist Children's Home of MI, a non-profit child-care agency that cares for abused and neglected children. Tickets can be purchased at:  Sweeties Sweet Shoppe, 259 E. Front St., Buchanan Niles Scrapbooking, Etc., 2830 So. 11th St., Niles Grace United Methodist Church, 501 Grant St., Niles For more information, contact Cordelia Tomasino at gracechurch-annie@att.net or 269-684-3454  7) Sports Classes in Niles This fall we're offering softball and flag football classes for kids ages 10+ (softball) and ages 12-16 (football).  Classes meet as shown below (usually Mondays and Tuesdays) from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. at the Niles Adventist School at 110 N. Fairview (just off of Grant Street) in Niles. The fee is $30 per student per class (with discounts for 3+ students per family).  Please let me know if you'd like to join us!  (Class sizes are limited.) I'll need your student's name and age as well as your home and cell phone numbers.  If another adult family member has a cell phone, please include that number, too. If there's a day that it rains too hard to play softball or football, we'll play basketball in the gym that day.  If the school closes for snow, we'll have a snow make-up day later in the semester. Dorothea Sarli Homeschool Teacher 269-684-3590 8) Speech Class This lighthearted class is offered by Bob Cashbaugh, former speech instructor for Berrien Springs school system and former Theater Director of Southwest Michigan College. Students will be involved in group reading, discussions, analysis of performances and speech-giving. Assignments will include seven speeches and will emphasize participation and performance. All written work must be typed and in proper form. Speech is offered in a casual classroom atmosphere and should be a lot of fun! Ages 12 and up. We'll start the week of September 13th and run through the week of December 13th. Date and time TBA. Class will take place in the Niles / Berrien Springs area. $30 per child with discounts for additional family members. Please contact Jane Kerr at:  sunnykerr@truevine.net or at 471-9004. 9) Imagine your child playing the guitar.  Take the next step in making it a reality.  Hugh Duncan has taught beginning lessons for many years. He's a homeschooling dad of two, an audio producer for a Bible teaching radio program and has spent many years playing guitar and bass in churches.  Lessons will be held in Buchannan and Saint Joseph.  Contact Hugh at 417-569-5216 or email hduncan@reviveourhearts.com. 10)  25% discount every day, any day at Border's for educators with the new Border's classroom discount card:  http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_teachingzone?cmpid=SA_20100812 11) Miller Pads and Paper's 2010 Art Contest We are so excited about the 2010 Art Contest!! This art contest is open to everyone ages 18 and under. There are a total of 3 categories and 3 age groups! You may enter one or all categories and you are limited to one entry per category. A single person may send in one entry for each of the 3 categories for a total of 3 entries. Theme is the students choice and art work should be no larger than 9x12". Contest  Dates: Aug. 15th to September 27th (Judging September 30th) 3 Age Groups: Age 6 & under Age 7 to 11 Age 12 to 18 3 Categories: 9x12" size or smaller & Theme is "Your Choice" Watercolor: Portrait Watercolor: Landscape or Seascape Caricatures Please put the following on each entry: Name, Age, Address, Email Address (all results will be sent via email)  Send Art Work To:  Miller Pads and Paper  c/o Art Contest  1507 Elm St.  Boscobel, WI. 53805 If you would like your entry back, please include a check or money order for the dollar amount it cost to send the entry to us and state how you want it shipped to you. (Priority mail, UPS, etc...) We realize your art work is precious, so we will take good care of it, however we cannot be held responsible for damage in shipping, so please package it carefully. Judging will take place September 30th. Our judges vary in age from 24 to 88! They are great artists themselves! There will a total of 27 prizes given out! First, Second and Third place in each category and each age level. Winners will be notified and prizes sent out by Oct. 13th. If you do not hear back from us, please contact us via email at info@millerpadsandpaper.com Put the words Art Contest Winner(s) Inquiry in the subject line. All First Place winners will have their artwork with name and age posted on our website (www.millerpadsandpaper.com) for all to enjoy. This will be our best Art contest to date, s o please get your entries in ASAP. Cut-off date is September 27th.... No Exceptions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LINKS TO SHARE:  The www.myhomeschoolworld.com website provides homeschoolers a place to go to meet other homeschoolers to get ideas, resources, support and encouragement.    This new social networking site, designed exclusively for the needs of homeschooling families, is a great way for people to connect around the particular lifestyle and educational choices that we make. Through this site, we will see that homeschoolers are not a homogeneous group of people, but rather, we are an extremely diverse and complex group, and I believe this is an opportunity to learn to appreciate (and learn from) our differences.  The site offers a place for families to create profiles, invite friends, blog, upload photos and videos, create and join groups, create and exchange ideas in forums and so much more. ~~AND~~ http://www.admissionslab.com/Blog/tabid/64/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/128/Study_Homeschoolers_Do_Better_In_College.aspx Study: Homeschoolers Do Better In College As the number of homeschooled children tips 1.5 million, it begs the question: can students who enter college after years of homeschooling do well? It's a more relevant question today since the number of college students who have been homeschooled has exploded. Back in the 1970s, only 13,000 students were homeschooled while today there are more than 1.5 million. According to a recently released study, homeschooled students enjoy higher ACT scores, grade point averages and graduation rates compared with other college students. The research, which was conducted by Michael Cogan, the director of institutional research and analysis at the University of St. Thomas, focused on the experiences of homeschooled students at an unnamed medium-sized university in the upper Midwest. Cogan's findings, published in "The Journal of College Admission" showed that Homeschool students earned a 1.5 points higher on the ACT than other incoming freshmen. They also earned 8.7 more college credits as high schoolers, earned 0.29 better GPA as freshman and 0.30 as seniors, and were about 10 percent more likely to graduate. As a side note, the study also showed that homeschooled freshmen were less likely to live on campus and more likely to identify themselves as Roman Catholic.    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  CLASSIFIEDS Have something for sale, free or trade?  Advertise here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LETTING IT RIDE: Homeschool Performing Arts 2010-2011 season presents:  Little Women--Kalamazoo Performances: December 7-11 Auditions: August 12 Rehearsals: Thursdays, 10-6 beginning September 9 Little Women the Broadway Musical is based on the life of Louisa May Alcott and follows the adventures of her family as they grow up in Civil War America. This story of the March sisters is filled with a powerful score, dancing, laughter and even some tears, touching issues that are as relevant today as they were when the original novel was written. With music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and book by Allan Knee, Little Women will remind us all of the true value of family and friendship. This show for students ages 13 and up requires a medium-sized chorus and has several lead roles for both males and females. Meet Me in St. Louis--Grand Rapids Performances: January 20-22, 2011 Auditions: August 10 Rehearsals: Tuesdays, 10-5 beginning September 7 Meet Me in St. Louis is an optimistic musical set during the 1904 World's fair.  Join the Smith family as their love and respect for one another is tempered with genuine humor during hard times. This rare treasure of musical theatre includes such familiar songs as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Trolley Song" and "The Boy Next Door." This production calls for a large cast, ages 8 and up, with limited roles for children under 13. Brigadoon--Lansing Performances: April 7-9, 2011 Auditions: August 9 Rehearsals: Fridays, 10-5, January-April  and 2-3 rehearsals per month in the fall beginning September 17 Brigadoon spins the story of a mysterious Scottish village that disappears into the Highland mist and returns onl y one day every hundred years. Worlds collide when two American tourists stumble upon Brigadoon and all its inhabitants. A lush musical score, lively dances and gorgeous harmonies help weave the story of this Highland romance. Marking the first Broadway smash hit for Lerner and Loewe, the classic story of Brigadoon heralds the ideas of love, loyalty and sacrifice, for "when ye love someone deeply, anythin' is possible". Annie Get Your Gun--Kalamazoo Performances: May 5-14, 2011 Auditions: August 12 Rehearsals: Thursdays 10-5, January-April and 2-5 on Sept. 30, Oct. 14, 28 & Nov. 11  Annie Get Your Gun, Irving Berlin's classic musical, features gunfights and glamour--old west style! Annie Oakley, a backwoods gal with a sure shot and quick wit, challenges dashing marksman Frank Butler, the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West traveling show. Sparks fly faster than bullets, but the competition ricochets romance.  Featuring great songs like:  "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Anything You Can Do," "I Got The Sun In The Morning," and "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun."  Featuring Cowboys, Indians, and a large chorus of old-west style performers, this musical is sure to hit the bull's eye!    Disney's The Aristocat Kids Lansing Rehearsals: Fridays 8:30-11:10,  beginning September 10 Performances: November 6  Auditions: August 9 Kalamazoo Rehearsals: Thursdays 8:30-11:30, beginning September 9 Performances: November 13 Auditions: August 12  Grand Rapids Rehearsals: Tuesdays 9-12, beginning September 7 Performances: November 20 Auditions: August 10  Disney's The Aristocats Kids takes audiences on a fast-paced adventure with memorable characters and jazzy songs. This 45-minute production focuses on actor development, vocals, and choreography. HPA Kids! is a great musical theatre experience for 8-12 year olds.  Sets, props and family commitment are minimal. Homeschool Performing Arts, 7995 Timpson Ave. SE, Alto, MI 49302   ---------------------------------    Homeschool high school science classes:    A deposit of $75 is required to hold a spot in either class.  Below are the age/grade levels we believe are appropriate for the courses we offer.  There are overlaps allowing for difference in maturity, science interests and math skill level prior to taking a course.                                                     Approximate Level    COURSE-Year offered            AGE range       GRADES         MATH SKILL LEVEL     1      Physical Science-11/12   13-16            8-10     Pre-Algebra or Algebra     1      Biology-10/11                            13-16            8-10     Pre-Algebra or Algebra     2      Chemistry-11/12                        16-18            10-12   Algebra or Advanced Math     2      Adv. Biology-10/11                    16-18            10-12   Algebra or Advanced Math   Courses in levels 1 or 2 can be taken in any order within that level but it is important to take Physical Science before taking Chemistry and Biology before taking Advanced Biology.   Note: It is my goal to continue offering these courses as long as they are needed but the above schedule cannot be considered a guarantee as personal circumstances could dictate otherwise.   Costs – Biology: $ 340 Tuition for the year Advanced Biology: $400 Tuition for the year   Lab costs for either class: $90 approximate for the full year. The $75 deposit goes toward these lab costs.   Feel free to contact me with any questions.             Randy Graves, M.S.                                         gravesr@andrews.edu                                      269.473.5935                                                             ---------------------------   Anthony Beer is accepting new students of all ages in the South Bend , Mishawaka , Granger and Niles area.  His studio offers a wide range of opportunities for students to excel with his/her skills at the piano. The Studio exposes each student to many different styles of music, ranging from classical, jazz, religious and contemporary music. This enhances their musical knowledge in theory,music history and their musicianship and performance skills. His goal as a teacher is to nurture each student and to help them explore the beauty and love of music. He encourages all students to support the arts in their community.   He is conservatory trained as a classical pianist and teacher and has studied at Goshen College , IUSB and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY . Contact: 574-292-2038 or email apbeer@yahoo.com ----------------------------- The Homeschool HUB is collecting used textbooks.  Contact Diane Day:  joharding_20@yahoo.com or 269-445-1900. 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! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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.