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Everest Academy
Sponsored by Everest Family Ministry in Graysville, Alabama
Quality Information & Support for Those Homeschooling in Alabama
Come & Join In!!!!
We always have a ton of activities being organized. Please be sure to include who & what the payment is for on the comment line of your personal checks or in the comment section when using PayPal to send money. Everest has approximately eight activity coordinators, so please make sure to pay attention to who is organizing the field trip.
Very important note!!! If you are interested in organizing a field trip, please feel free to do so! Everest would be happy to advertise it for you. The more activities we can offer to the Alabama Homeschooling community, the better!
Everest Academy Calendar
Jan. 22
Spring Street Park
in Adamsville
This park day is on 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at noon until whenever. Come on out and spend the day playing and socializing. All age children are welcome. This is an awesome park with plenty to do for everyone including a kids' playground, football field, wooded area, tennis courts, and walking track.
In addition to park day, we always invite you to bring your Free Cycle items. These items might include but are not limited to books, curriculum, toys, clothes, etc... Bring anything you think might benefit another family.
A special invite goes out to all homeschooling teens! I know many times our teens stay home because they are afraid they will be the only teens there. That is not the case at this park day. We always have a good teen crowd to show up.
Things to consider bringing: Frisbee, football, bubbles, hula hoops, jump ropes, sidewalk chalks, crafts, water, bug spray, board games, snacks, etc.
We would love to see you there!! Spring Street Park is located on Spring Street in Adamsville. Contact Debbi Spradlin at 674-6030 or everestacademy1@gmail.com
Feb. 1
Mom's Bible Study Meet & Greet
Wish you had time to escape into God's Word but busy schedules seem to dominate? Have a New Year's Resolution to read your Bible? Refresh your spirit with the new Bham Area Homeschooling Mother's Bible Study.
- Location: Homewood Starbuck's in Wildwood Shopping Center
231 State Farm Parkway (Lakeshore Drive) Homewood 35209
- Description: This is an informational meeting. Ideas and people present at the meeting will determine the course of the bible study (ex: duration, material covered, future meeting locations, etc.) Bring your ideas and suggestions, and we will see you there!
Clarissa Winchester
clarissaalphaxidelta@yahoo.com
908-5880
Feb. 4
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Givens Interpretive Center
10:00 a.m.
Wheeler NWR, located along the Tennessee River between Huntsville and Decatur, was established in 1938 to provide habitat for wintering and migrating birds. Considered the easternmost Refuge in the Mississippi flyway, this 35,000 acre Refuge attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl each year and supports the southernmost and Alabama's only significant concentration of wintering Southern James Bay Canada geese. It also serves as winter habitat for the State's largest duck population. In addition to migratory birds, the Refuge hosts 115 species of fish, 74 species of reptiles and amphibians, 47 species of mammals, and 285 different species of songbirds. The Refuge is also home to 10 federally listed endangered or threatened species.
The Givens Interpretive Center includes a Wildlife Observation Building, which offers a large, glass-enclosed room with bleachers and spotting scopes for viewing waterfowl and wading birds in the observation pond. November-February is the peak time for waterfowl viewing. The building overlooks a Backyard Wildlife Habitat Area complete with a waterfall which is maintained to attract songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Many species of birds are frequently visible here.
We will also take a nature walk on the Atkeson Cypress Trail, which begins with a 330 foot section of boardwalk through a cypress swamp. A variety of wildlife inhabits the area surrounding this 1/2 mile trail.
Bring water, snacks and a picnic lunch. Wear comfortable shoes.
Cost is $2 per person age 5 and up
FREE to members of the Outdoor Adventure Group
Please sign up with Deb Spradlin at everestacademy1@gmail.com
Feb. 6
The Relaxed Homeschooling Workshop
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(Registration begins at 8:30)
Need some help rediscovering the joy of homeschooling? Want to learn how to look more like a family and less like a school? Regain control of your children’s education through setting your own goals and letting them drive your instruction, not someone else’s ideas of “what you should teach in second grade”.
Come hear Mary Hood, Ph.D., the author of “The Relaxed Home School”, and “The Joyful Home Schooler”, a veteran mom with over 25 years of experience homeschooling her own children.
Where: New Foundations Academy, Gadsden Mall, Gadsden, AL 35904 (located on the back side of the mall, use the entrance between Sears and the movies. NFA is located in the old mall movies.)
Cost: Just $10 per person at the door or $8 preregistration due by Monday, February 1, 2010 Husbands
are welcome to come at the low price of $5!!!!!!
(Nursing babies are always welcome and free. Teens are encouraged to come. No nursery provided for the “in betweens”…and it is a long day for children to sit still, so it is probably best to leave them at home.) There will be a lunch break from 11:30-12:30, with plenty of fast food available in the area.
What will Mary cover: In the morning, she will talk generally about the concepts connected to relaxed homeschooling (which is NOT the same as unschooling!). Family-based learning, relaxed unit studies, working with various age groups, setting goals, record keeping, etc. In the early afternoon she will be talking about elementary methods, reading and writing the natural way, taking the frustration out of math, etc., Late afternoon she will be talking about middle school, high school, and preparing for college entrance.
For more information, please contact Susan Allred at gallred1@hotmail.com,
Reed Sitz at crbama7@comcast.net or Mary Hood at relaxedhomeschool@juno.com.
For information on the organization, visit www.archersforthelord.org. Please do not contact the church with any questions.
To pre-register, please send your name, address, phone, and email address, plus a check for $8 per person, made out to New Foundations c/o Susan Allred 555 Basher Drive, Gadsden, AL 35904. Registration at the door will be $10 per person. Dad’s will still be $5 at the door.
Our programs are open to all home schoolers and those interested without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin. No statement of faith is required for participants, who are expected to dress and act in an appropriate manner in the Christian environment they are entering by choice.
Feb 12
Valentine's Party
1pm to 4pm
Trussville PlayStation
Special Invite Goes Out to TEENS!!!! Come on out and join the FUN!!!
For more information, please contact Briana Moore
at self-educated@earthlink.net
All homeschoolers, far and near,
The word is out--did you hear?
Come join in the fun--it'll be great,
A special Valentines Homeschool Skate!
Bring 20 Valentines to give to an old or new friend
And don't forget snacks to munch on 'til the end.
It will be great to visit with everyone there.
What sweet fun for all homeschoolers to share!
The cost is only $3/skater!
Extra for speed skates ($2) or inline skates ($3).
No charge for non-skating adults and children under 3yo.
Here's a link to the Trussville PlayStation site for directions, etc., (the other activities are not open during this special homeschool skate session): http://www.trussvilleplaystation.com
Be sure to meet the following PlayStation Dress Code:
*No tank tops/thin strapped shirts, tube tops or backless tops
*No hats (of any kind) or headgear--includes sweat bands, bandanas, etc.
*All long shirts/jerseys must be tucked-in if they cover more than 1/2 the backside
*All skirts/shorts must be "finger-tip" length
Project Wild
Educator Workshop
Feb. 12
Huntsville
8:30 - 4:30
FREE!!!
This is a one-day workshop sponsored by Everest Academy for home educators (parents only please). Project WILD is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. It is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our natural world. Emphasizing wildlife because of its intrinsic value, Project WILD addresses the need for human beings to develop as responsible citizens of our planet.
At this lively and engaging professional workshop, participants will be introduced to Project WILD materials, activities, and strategies. Through hands-on practice, educators will gain the experience and confidence needed to work with their students and to integrate Project WILD into their teaching.
Location:
Madison County Extension Office
Click here for Directions
Space is limited! Please register with Kristen Lindelow
Feb 19
George Washington Museum / Shelby Co. Museum & Archives Tours
Join us in celebrating George Washington's birthday! We will meet in Columbiana, AL, on Friday, Feb 19, at 10:00am for a tour of the G. Washington Museum, which I've read displays the largest collection of Washington memorabilia outside of Mt .Vernon, and the Shelby Co Museum & Archives. The museums cannot accommodate very large groups, so I have arranged for our group to divide into two smaller groups to tour each museum separately--both museums are within a few blocks of each other allowing us to easily walk between the two. For those interested, we will meet back up for a picnic lunch when we're done--weather pending, of course.
The museum curators said that it is open to all ages, but it is recommended for about 4th grade and up. Most of the pieces are in display cases which may make it difficult for younger children to see them. All children will have to be very careful in the museum, and strollers may not work well inside the museums.
Sign-up is limited and will be on a first come/first serve basis, and the deadline for sign-up and prepayment is January 31. The cost is $2.00/person, which can be paid through PayPal or mail--I will provide this information upon sign-up. Please email Briana to sign-up: self-educated@earthlink.net
Note: There has been some confusion on past fieldtrips with people showing up who were not signed-up. If you do not receive a reply confirmation from me concerning sign-up &/or payment, then you are not signed-up for this trip. Please make sure that you receive confirmation from me before the trip. Thanks so much!
Feb. 25
Explore Old Cahawba
10 am – 12 noon
Come explore Alabama's most famous ghost town. From 1820 to 1826, Cahawba served as Alabama’s first state capital, built on the former site of a large Indian village. It also functioned as a thriving antebellum river town, a major distribution point for cotton shipped down the Alabama River to Mobile, a Confederate prison for captured Union soldiers, and a rural community of African American families. By 1900, however, most of Cahawba’s buildings had burned, collapsed, or had been dismantled. The stories of these people are not entirely forgotten, however, as they are written on the landscape for you to read. Take a journey into Cahawba's past as you walk with your guide among the abandoned streets and picturesque ruins, recreating the town in your mind's eye.
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Location: Old Cahawba Archaeological Park
9518 Cahaba Road, Orrville, AL 36767
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Fee: $4 adults, $2 children 18 & under, $3 seniors (age 65+), military or college students. FREE for members of the Outdoor Adventure Group.
- Deadline for sign up, payment, and cancellation is Feb. 18
- Please sign up with Deb Spradlin at everestacademy1@gmail.com

Peter Pan Appearing at the BJCC Concert Hall Friday, February 26, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. Peter Pan is a colorful fast moving ballet with upbeat contemporary rhythms that audiences love! Wendy, Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily display classical beauty and grace. Peter Pan, the Lost boys, Captain Hook and his Pirates will tickle your funny bone and delight all ages. The aerial ballet in this production is stunning!
Sign-up, payment, and cancellation deadline is Feb. 1, 2010
Show run time for the performance is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Tickets are $8 for students and adults.
Production is recommended for all grade levels.
Please sign-up with Deb Spradlin at everestacademy1@gmail.com
Don Quixote
Friday, February 26, 2010 - 10 a.m.
One of Spain's great literary works jumps from the page to the stage! Bursting with narrative detail, comic characterizations, spiffy interludes and fast-paced ensemble numbers, Don Quixote is a delight for all ages! More information at the bottom of the page.
Sign-up, payment, and cancellation deadline is Jan. 15, 2010
Sign up with Deb Spradlin
- Who: Elementary, Middle, and High School Students (minimum age is 6 - This is at Alabama Ballet's request.)
- What: Alabama Ballet’s presentation of three full-length educational performances –George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™, Don Quixote, and Rooster/Serenade.
- Cost: Students will be admitted at no charge. Adult tickets are $20.00.
- Where: Samford Wright Center, Located on the Samford University campus
- Time: 10 a.m.
March 9
FREE!!!
SCUBA Lesson
Must be age 10 or over (no exceptions)
Southern Skin Divers will again graciously allow our students, ages 10 and up (by law - no exceptions) to come by for a FREE SCUBA lesson conducted by their SSI-Certified instructors. Children will learn what all of the SCUBA equipment is for during their water session which will last approximately 30 minutes.
- Location: Southern Skin Divers Supply
4515 5th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35222
- Time: There are two sessions - 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Please let me know if you have a preference.
- RSVP: Please sign up with Deb Spradlin at everestacademy1@gmail.com.
- Please note: This is a VERY limited field trip, so please plan to show up if you sign up. Please give at least a 24-hour notice if you see you cannot come so that someone else can be offered your spot. Field trip is only open to Everest Academy students at this time.
Birmingham Barons vs. Jacksonville Suns
All schools attending will receive a special welcome over the P.A. system and video board.
You may purchase any of the following tickets to fit your family's needs:
- "The Single" $3 Includes one general admission ticket to the game
- "The Double" $7 Includes one general admission ticket and one lunch ticket (hotdog, chips and canned soda)
- "The Triple" $6 Includes one general admission ticket and one novelty coupon (novelty coupon is good for a Barons souvenir reedeemable ONLY at the special stand)
- "The Home-Run" $10 Includes one general admission ticket, one sack lunch and one novelty coupon
- Time: Game time is 11:00 a.m Meet at 10:45 next to the "Regions" sign at the executive office door before entering the stadium. I will be wearing an Everest Academy t-shirt.
- Deadline for sign-up, payment, and cancellation is Sunday April 11. Please sign up through Clarissa Winchester at clarissaalphaxidelta@yahoo.com or 908-5880.
- Send payment to Clarissa Winchester at 5027 Summer Place Parkway Hoover, Al 35244.
2009/2010
Everest Academy
Graduation & Awards Ceremony
May 22, 2010
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Agape Baptist in Pinson
Everest offers a very special Awards & Graduation Ceremony in May of every year. The Awards Ceremony is for all Everest families regardless of grade. The Graduation Ceremony is for High School and Kindergarten Graduates.
What makes this ceremony so special?
The families of course! We are homeschoolers, so we do not have to follow tradition. We can do things our own way. You can choose to present your child's award or diploma or request that the administrator of Everest do so. Your child can give a performance or a speech if they so choose. Many children bring samples of their work or experiments to put on display.
There will be a reception following the ceremony. You are welcome to bring a dish to share if you would like.
Awards Ceremony
- All Ages
- Awards: Parents may award students with up to (not exceeding) 3 awards of their choosing. Awards may consist of certificates, trophies, ribbons, plaques, or other items that represent your child's achievements. You can award your child for anything you feel they deserve recognition. All awards are provided by the parents.
- Cost: $5 per student
- Please fill out and return this form with payment by May 1.
Kindergarten Graduation
- Cap & Gowns - You can order whatever color of Cap & Gown you would
like. Last year we ordered from Graduation Source, but there are many online vendors to choose from.
- Diplomas will be provided by Everest Academy.
- Cost: $10 per student - No extra fee to participate in the Awards Ceremony (see above)
- Please fill out and return this form with payment by May 1.
High School Graduation
- Cap & Gowns - You can order whatever color of Cap & Gown you would like. Last year we ordered from Graduation Source, but there are many online vendors to choose from.
- Diplomas will be provided by Everest Academy.
- Cost: $30 per student - No extra fee to participate in the Awards Ceremony (see above)
- All High School Graduates must fill out and return the Diploma Requirements Checklist by May 1. If participating in the Awards Ceremony, please fill out and return this form with payment.
You do not have to camp to participate in the other activities!!!
June 11 - 13
Let's Have A Family Campout!!!
Camping is SO much fun with a group!!! We will be staying at Bear Creek Run. You can stay one night or both nights. We have been on several group campouts, and the kids (and adults) really get a chance to form some great friendships. This can be a leisurely weekend or a weekend jam-packed with activities. The activities are being offered for you to pick and choose what you would like your family to do.
Camping Cost:
Friday Night: $10 per tent (bring your own)
Saturday Night: FREE
*Members of Outdoor Adventure Group are free for both nights (for one tent).
Itinerary:
Friday:
- Set Up Camp: Friday we will meet at Bear Creek Campground, set up camp, and then you can either go swimming, fishing, or visit Natural Bridge. At the end of the day, we can all sit around the campfire for a weiner roast, s'mores, and hopefully we will have a good story teller among us. Make sure to bring food, chairs, coolers, mosquito spray, bathing suits, etc.
Natural Bridge is a 60 foot-high, 148-foot-long sandstone and iron ore bridge formation and is said to date back 200 million years. It is known as the longest Bridge east of the Rockies. We can hike and picnic here.
Adults: 2.00, Children 1.00
Saturday:
- Canoeing at Bear Creek Run
Canoe on this water-release creek
Fee: $20 to reserve a canoe - must reserve ahead of time to get this rate.
Canoes are normally $40 but this special rate can be offered thanks to Fresh Air Family.
Dismalites Tour:
Wait for night fall to see the rare Dismalites. Dismal Canyon is home to insect larvae that lights up at night, a rare phenomenon that occurs only there and in New Zealand. Led by Jackie Tipper, a retired educator. She is active with Shoals Environmental Alliance, Alabama Rivers Alliance, a Board Member of Alabama ARISE & Vice President of Save Alabama's Small Schools.
Dismals:
Grades 1-6: $4.00
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Grades 7-12: $5.50
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Adults: $5.50
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