Homeschool HUB News Update--December 3

Homeschool HUB News Update--December 3 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 December 10--Bowling at Strikes and Spares, 1:00-3:00, $5/pp HERE'S THE BUZZ: 1) Seniors - try for this scholarship 2) Scholarship contest 3) Christmas Bird Count 4) FabLab and Robotics Showcase 5) Reminder - Cincinnati Homeschool Conference 6) Gloris Seitz Art Classes 7) Niles Extended School Community Program Update 8) Volunteer Opportunities 9) Lowe's Build and Grow 10) 2011 Academy of Arts Drama/Musical Camp 11) Sears Toy Shop Challenge 12) Help Dial-a-ride Stuff a Bus for Charity 13) New Year's Eve Volunteer Opportunity 14) Homeschool HUB Board Meeting 15) Don't forget! HUB Chritmas Party and Games Night!   1) Seniors - a scholarship to try for If you are a high school senior, read this essay, then answer 10 questions (open book test).  For every correct answer you name gets thrown in the hat once.  They will have a drawing and 10 students will win a $2,000 scholarship each.  Homeschoolers are eligible.  Go to: http://www.afsascholarship.org/hsinformation.html    2) Sew a garment with wool and enter it to win a scholarship This competition is open to students ages 13 - 16 and 17 - 24 (as of December 31).  The deadline is in January.  For more info go to: http://www.sheepusa.org/MIWW_Contest_Information 3) Christmas Bird Count   Become a part of the National Audubon Society's international citizen-science project by participating in the Niles Area Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 18. The Niles Area circle extends north of the state line to south of Buchanan and from west of Buchanan to east of Niles. Birds can be counted at backyard feeders from the comfort of your home, or you can join a team in the field. For more information or to sign up, please contact Wendy Jones at Fernwood at ext. 220 by Friday, December 10. Dates for other area counts are available upon inquiry. 4) Showcase this week! Please join the students of Bertrand Crossing's Fab Lab & Robotics Classes as they showcase their projects from the Fall Semester.  Tuesday, December 7, 6:00 pm in the main hallway. Call 269.695.1391 for more info 5) Cincinnati Homeschool Conference There is a big Midwest Christian Homeschool Conference from March 30 - April 2 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  For more info go to their web site at http://www.greathomeschoolconventions.com/    6) Gloris Seitz Art Classes These classes WILL be a part of the Niles Parent Partnership, so interested families with students in 1st-12th grade could join the Niles Partnership to have the class paid for by the school. New Creations Offers 2011 Winter 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 Exploring 3D.  This seven week sculpture class is designed to give students knowledge of creating three dimensional forms using paper, paper Mache, clay, foil, wire, and other materials. CLASSES WILL BEGIN ON THE JANUARY 6 (Thursday), 11, and 12  AND END MARCH 1,2,3. The Thursday Hobby Lobby Classes begin one week early to accommodate skipping the week of inventory which will be on Thursday January 27. Tuesday classes at Community Free Church in Niles are as follows:  Ages 6-9 will meet at 10:30-11:30 a.m. Ages 9-13meet 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 6-9 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 6-9 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 3:20 -4:30. 8 through 13 year olds will meet from 4:20-5:30 p.m. The cost for the seven week classes is $70 for the first child and $5 LESS  for each additional child.  You will save $5 on the total cost if you pay by January 3.  Cost includes supplies (except sketch book, erasers, pencil and folder and canvas for older students), room rental, and Art Festival. The cost for this session has gone up to accommodate extra supply costs. The Art Festival will be held on Friday, March 4.  You may print out a registration form on line at www.newcreationsart.com beginning on December 1 or call and have Mrs. Seitz send you a form.  Classes do fill up, so be sure to get your registration in early.  You may reserve your spot by calling her at 574-271-8069 even before sending in your reservation. 7) The Niles Extended School Community Program Update   Registration is open.  Please contact Gail Bliss for further information and registration forms.  You may contact Gail at Blissfamily@gmail.com or 269-683-0439 To participate in the Niles Extended School Community Program you will need to: Register as a part time student. You will then make one selection from three seated class offerings. World Language which will bring in guest speakers, whenever possible, to talk about countries and cultures around the world.  The starting point will be with the languages that any of the students sign up for with Rosetta stone.  The second seated course offering is Speech and the third is an Industrial Arts class. All class will be open to all ages.  There will be an elementary class and a secondary class. You will then make a selection of one virtual class. Then you may select one Community Resource Class.  The Community Resource classes are as follows;  Valerie Rumpfs music classes, Art through Gloria Seitz, Krasl and the Box factory, Swim & Gym at the Niles YMCA, Life Cycle of a Farm – Bertrand Farms, Robotics, Fab-Lab, Individual Sports, Equine Science with Bittersweet Stables.  If there is a community resources class you are currently participating in and you do not see it listed here, please feel free to ask if it can be included. One Community Resource Class that is new is Equine Science.  This class will take place at Bittersweet Stable in Niles.  It is open to children ages 7 and up.  The classes will meet on Fridays from 9 am - noon starting January 28th.  This class will provide students with an introductory understanding of horse handling and safety, breed and color identification, types of riding, tack, nutrition, external anatomy, conformation and riding skills.  The class limit on this is 12 students. A second Community Resource Class that is new is Life Cycle of the Farm.  This class will take place at Bertrand Farms located at 3575 W. Bertrand Road, Niles.  This class is for grades 4 - 12. This class will meet on Thursdays 9-noon for High School students and on Tuesday from 9-noon for grades 4-6.  The classes are limited to 15 each.  The Spring semester on the farm includes the research, planning and work of growing our own food (organically).  Along with the everyday responsibilities of running the farm, students will be responsible to follow one crop from ordering supplies to harvest. 8) The Museum at SMC's Fall Homeschool Day will be held December 8, 2010 from 1pm to 3pm.  "Local Heroes:  The Pulitzer, the Pilot and America's First Spaceman" The Museum at Southwestern Michigan College welcomes our homeschool families for an afternoon program focusing on three of Cass County's Local Heroes:  Webb Miller, Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist; Leigh Wade, pilot on the first flight to circumnavigate the globe; and Iven Kincheloe, fighter ace and test pilot.   Curricula covered include reading skills, geography and maps, and the science of flight and is designed primarily for students in grades 3-5.  (Other levels are welcome, but we do not provide alternative activities.  The program is not recommended for preschool and kindergarten students.) Program starts at 1 pm.  Preregistration is required.  For more information or to reserve a spot for your homeschool student, contact the Museum Educator at 269-782-1334 or jquail@swmich.edu. 9)  Lowe's Build and Grow Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse is still hosting the Build and Grow Saturdays at their store in Niles.  It is every other Saturday, starting tomorrow, and you must reserve your spot.  You can reserve your spot by visiting the store or by visiting the website.  Lowes.com use the website search for Build and Grow. Diane Day says: My children have participated in this and it is wonderful.  They make a project right there and then get to take it home.  Great for Kinesthetic learners. 10) 2011 Academy of Arts Drama/Musical Camp Good news!  The deadline has been extended to register for the March 21-26, 2011 Academy of Arts Drama/Musical Camp!  Many have already signed up, but we have a few spots open for those who have not yet joined us.  If you are unaware of this opportunity, we bring a college group from Taylors, SC, to the South Bend area each March to work with our students for 1 week.  In that week, they teach our students all aspects of drama (acting, lights, sound, sets, makeup, etc), and prepare them to present a full length Drama (7-12th grades) and Musical (K-6th grades) at the end of the week.  While they are with us, the students and faculty of the Academy of Arts are also mentoring our students.  Each day there is a chapel service and much time for one on one or small group interaction.  This opportunity is unparalleled!  If you are looking for Drama or Speech credits for High School, this is a great way to get them!  Interested in more information?  Go to our website at michianadrama.org, or call Deb or Rebekah at 288-0394.  Hurry!  Registration ends January 15th! 11) Sears Toy Shop Challenge Sears celebrates the creativity of children by encouraging them to come up with ideas for new toys.  First prize is a $1,000 Sears gift card and a trip to New York.  Four $250 gift cards are given to the runners up.  Go to www.toyshopchallenge.com and help your child enter the challenge.   The Sears Toy Shop Challenge is open to children ages 3 to 8 at the time of entry. We recognize that they may need some assistance in submitting their entries and we encourage you to assist them with the process. The challenge begins on October 15, 2010 at 9:00am ET and ends on December 15, 2010 at 5:00pm ET. All mail-in entries must be postmarked by December 15, 2010. 12) Help Dial-a-ride stuff a bus for the Salvation Army Here's an easy way to help during this Holiday Season.  Please read and give two hours of your time if you can.  Thank you. This Christmas season Niles Dial-A-Ride, WSMK and The Salvation Army are sponsoring a Christmas Stuff-A-Bus to solicit new children's clothes and toys to be donated to The Salvation Army for distribution in the Niles area. We will have our bus located at Rural King on Friday December 10th from 10 AM to 6 PM, Wal-Mart on Saturday December 11th from 10 AM to 6 PM, either downtown Niles at the strip mall on 2nd St. and Main OR Wal-Mart on Friday December 17th from 10 AM to 6 PM and at Wal-Mart on Saturday December 18th from 10 AM to 6 PM. The items collected will be distributed to needy families in the Niles area before Christmas by The Salvation Army.   We would like to further involve our community by asking local groups and community members like you to help us staff the Stuff-A-Bus while it is out at the locations mentioned above. We would ask that volunteers sit on the bus, welcome people making donations and log the donations for us as they are given. We anticipate having volunteers sit two hour shifts during the dates and times of the Stuff-A-Bus being out.  The bus will be running and the heat will be on while it is out at the locations. We would be delighted and grateful if your group could help us with this very worthy event. If you feel this is something you can help us with please contact John Pleveich at Niles Dial-A-Ride at 269-684-5150. Have a safe and happy holiday season and thank you, John Pleveich, Niles Dial-A-Ride General Manager 13) New Year's Eve Volunteer Opportunity ♫ ♪ ♫ Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra Association will be hosting a New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball at the Shadowland Ballroom in St. Joseph , MI . If you would like to volunteer at this event contact the Volunteer Center .  Volunteers are dressing in black and white.  ♫ ♪ ♫ Volunteers will: Coat Check - 3 persons needed 6:30 PM-8:30 PM and also 11:00 PM-1:00 AM Ushers - 4 persons needed 6:30 PM-8:30 PM Auction Monitors - 4 persons needed 6:30 PM-11:00 PM Clean-Up - 8 persons 12:30-finish If you traditionally make a New Year's resolution to volunteer - you can accomplish it as we move into the New Year. You can make this your event for the evening or volunteer early and go out with friends later. Debra Panozzo Adult and family volunteer coordinator Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan 269-983-0912 ext 303 St. Joseph 269-683-5464 ext 322 Niles www.volunteerswmi.org 14) NUB Board Meeting The next Homeschool HUB Board Meeting is Thursday December 9 at 7 pm in the Niles Police Station Community room.  Everyone is welcome to share ideas, ask questions, and observe. 15) HUB Chritmas Party and Games Night! Get your mixing bowls ready!  The Homeschool HUB is having a Christmas treat exchange and a PAR-TAY! THIS SATURDAY!  Be there or be square... WHO: All homeschool families and friends, All ages WHAT: Christmas Treat Exchange and Game Party WHERE: The Niles Police Complex WHEN: 7 pm - midnight on Saturday Dec 11 WHY: Fun and Fellowship with other homeschool families HOW: Bring snacks to share, games to play, and (if you want to participate in the treat exchange) at least two dozen treats packaged in groups of six.  Take as many packages of the other treats home as you bring of yours. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LINKS TO SHARE: Life in the Middle Ages http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/ma/mahome.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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   STUDENT CELLO FOR SALE Student cello outfit $150 Includes: Student quality cello, bow, rosin, gig bag, extra set of strings, manual tuner. I believe this is the original ad for it, though I don't have the cello stand pictured:http://www.ceciliomusic.com/catalog/studentcellooutfit-p-12.html I recently purchased this from the Tribune classifieds, because the price was so reasonable and I've always wanted to learn to play cello. After 3 lessons, it's clear my arthritic thumb isn't going to allow that particular dream to come true. I just can't hold the bow without pain. The gentleman I bought it from had purchased it for his granddaughter, but she had no interest. He paid $500 for it originally. It is an acceptable quality for a student instrument, with no obvious damage. I think it's very pretty. (c: The sound post needs to be set in place, but my instructor said that was no big deal, and she was going to let me know when the gentleman who rides that "circuit"is in town to pop it in for me. If that has not been fixed when you contact me, I'll knock $20 off the price so you can have it done yourself. Please contact Laura Hollister at slhollister@gmail.com if you'd like to see it. YOUNG ACTOR'S CAMP This year, young actor's camp needs 5 children aged 10-12 years for their movie.  More info can be found at their website: http://www.youngactorscamp.com/app.htm 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.