Homeschool HUB News Update--October 1

Homeschool HUB News Update--October 1 Homeschool HUB phone: 269-240-6094 email: homeschoolhub@yahoo.com   website: www.hshub.org Editor: Andrea Bikfalvy   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 Oct. 8--Bowling at Strikes and Spares, 1:00-3:00, $5/pp HERE'S THE BUZZ: 1) Meet Rosemary Wells 2) Game Night 3) Word-Up Vocabulary Lists 4) PSAT Registration & Dates 5) Homeschool History Club 6) Bethel College Play 7) Spelling Bee 1) Meet Rosemary Wells The Open Book Family Fest Committee of the St. Joseph County Public Library (SJCPL) is proud to announce that Rosemary Wells, our headline children's author and illustrator for our Open Bookl, will be doing a free 60-minute presentation for adults only about writing and illustrating children's books.  We know that many of your teachers and staff will be excited about this opportunity.  Rosemary's presentation requires registration and spots are limited, so we encourage you to register online or call us soon at (574) 282-4607 or (574) 282-4648.   Main Library 304 S. Main St., South Bend Colfax Auditorium—Lower Level SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2010 10:00-11:00 a.m. Award-winning author/illustrator Rosemary Wells talks about her life creating art and literature for children and young people. For adults only; this presentation is aimed at adult teachers, educators, librarians and interested parents. Ms. Wells' presentation in the afternoon is designed for children and families. Registration is required. Call 282-4607 or 282-4648 for more info. Open Book Family Fest program. 2) Games Night becoming a regular event The games nights are such fun that we are setting them up on a regular basis, so you can put them on your calendar further ahead.  Starting next Friday, Oct 8, games night will be the second Friday of every month in the community room at the Niles Police Station.  The time will be from 7pm to midnight.  There is no charge, just bring a snack and/or drink to share along with your favorite games.  The HUB provides the paper products.  All ages are welcome, and it is open to any homeschoolers. We have also been designating a table where people can put educational "stuff" they are through with for everyone to peruse and take whatever they find useful.  No sales, just a place to give what you are done with in order to bless someone else.  Anything not taken at the end of the night you can take back, or we will take it to Goodwill. 3) What Vocabulary Words Do You Teach? The Word Up Project teaches students words that are likely to encounter on high-stakes tests. Flocabulary's research team created these word lists by first compiling words from grade-appropriate novels and basal readers (with an emphasis on Tier 2 words). The researchers then analyzed how often these vocabulary words appeared on state tests. The words that appeared most often are the ones taught in The Word Up Project. For each reading level, our researchers looked at state tests at that level and two grade levels above. So the words taught in Level Indigo (grade 5) are those words that are both found in 5th grade reading material and are most likely to appear on state tests in 5th, 6th and 7th grade. The Complete Word Up Project Word List (organized by level) http://www.flocabulary.com/pdfs/Word_Up_Word_Lists.pdf 4) PSAT Registration & Dates If you have a student in 10th or 11th grade, now is the time to contact your local public high school to sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT test.  Students in 11th grade who score extremely well on the test (about 97 percentile and above) can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship program.  It's good practice for taking the SAT, and especially important if your student usually scores well on standardized tests, because they may qualify for a National Merit Scholarship.  Students in 10th grade would be practicing and cannot qualify for the National Merit Scholarship.  They would have to take it again in 11th grade for that purpose. Here is some info from the web site at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html The 2010 PSAT/NMSQT test dates are Wednesday, October 13 and Saturday, October 16. You must sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT at your local public high school. This test is administered by high schools, not through test centers. Online registration for the PSAT/NMSQT is not available. Please note that each high school chooses only one October test date. If you would like to take the PSAT/NMSQT, contact your high school counselor or principal to find out about registering for the test, paying the test fees, and learning the correct date, time, and location that your school will give the test in October. Also, contact your guidance office for a copy of the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT to help you prepare before test day. If you're a home-schooled student, your PSAT/NMSQT score report is sent directly to your home address. On the test day, when completing the basic information on the answer sheet, be sure to enter your state's home school code in the "school code" section. The test supervisor will provide this for you. 5) Homeschool History Club New Home school Club for 12 to 17 year olds - Junior Historians of Niles!  First meeting is on Tuesday, October 5th 3 to 4 p.m.  Flyer attached. 6) Bethel College Play Bethel College has graciously extended a homeschool discount to us for their upcoming performance of Lost in Yonkers. The date of this performance will be Thursday, October 7, 2010 @ 7PM. Tickets are $7. Lost in Yonkers is a Neil Simon play and its themes are geared primarily toward Jr, Sr High School students. Please keep that in mind when ordering tickets. Please contact me with questions or reservations. All tickets will need to be paid for by September 30. Diane Day 269-370-4589 7) Spelling Bee It's that time of year again! Scripps Cloverleaf Spelling Bee is under way. Word lists are available now. What a great oppprtunty to hone and test spelling skills. Our local competition is January 21, 2010. The regional will take place February 9. That means that the top 3 spellers will go on to compete at the regional. Sign up now. There's still plenty of time to study! Cost is $12.50 to help offset costs of entry fees. Contact Diane Day with questions and sign up. 269-370-4589 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LINKS TO SHARE:   Current Events Articles and Questions for Discussion http://www.izzit.org/events/index.php ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLASSIFIEDS Looking for a group?  Join the HUB! There are several benefits of membership including a travel club and a resource library. Members receive first chance at events and classes when availability is limited.  The cost of membership is only $24/year.  Information about becoming a member is on the website www.hshub.org   PIANO LESSONS I am a piano teacher located in Buchanan, MI.  I grew up a home schooler, graduated a home schooler, and returned from college with a degree in Music Education and have been teaching private piano and violin students ever since -- mainly to homeschoolers. I currently have morning and early-afternoon slots in my studio that are available for new students and wanted to inquire whether your group had any members interested in lessons.  I have had over 10 years of teaching experience and charge $13 a lesson.  I am looking for students who are able to practice consistently and make a commitment to attending weekly lessons. For more information on my studio, you can go to my website:  www.pianobysarah.com   Have something for sale, free or trade?  Advertise here! Homeschool groups are welcome to advertise their group, too.  It's free! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LETTING IT RIDE: 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 many products. 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.