Subway contest, for homeschoolers too!
Enter today.

http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/kids/contest.aspx

Here are the rules and regulations from the website.

SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.
©2008 Doctor's Associates Inc. All rights reserved.

EVERY SANDWICH TELLS A STORY – SUMMER SPECIAL CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not improve your chance of winning. To enter, visit www.subwaykids.com and submit your child's story and your name, address, daytime phone number, e-mail address, your child's name and grade level. Your child must be in Grade Pre-K – 6. You can also send your child's story along with the information above to: Every Sandwich Tells a Story Contest Summer Special, c/o Scholastic Inc., P.O. Box 711, New York 10012. Contest begins July 1,2008, 12:00 a.m. EST and all entries must be received by August 31, 2008, 11:59 p.m. EST. Parents can enter only one entry for each child in the household.

2. ELIGIBILITY. Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are currently over the age of 18 and the story submitted must be by such entrant’s child in Pre-K – 6. Employees and members of their families of Scholastic and Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, Doctor’s Associates Inc., their parent organization, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion and production agencies are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

3. WINNERS. One Grand Prize Winner and Six Runners-Up will be selected by Scholastic from among all eligible entries on or about September 17, 2008 and notified by phone on or about September 22, 2008. One Grand Prize Winner and Six Runners-Up will be chosen based on the creativity and quality of their essay, adherence to the proposed theme, and use of story starters. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a Scholastic gift basket (Approximate retail value: $500), $100 Subway® Card and athletic equipment (Approximate retail value: $5000). Six Runners-Up Winners will receive a Scholastic gift basket (Approximate retail value: $100) and a $100 Subway® Card Prizes are non-transferable, non-assignable and no cash alternative will be offered except by Scholastic in the event of unavailability, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. Athletic equipment awarded to the Grand Prize Winner will be selected by Contest Sponsors. Taxes on prizes, if any, are the responsibility of the winners.

4. GENERAL. All entries will become the property of Scholastic and Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust and will not be returned. By entering, entrants agree to abide by these rules, warrant and represent that their entry is accurate and their child's original work and grant to Scholastic and Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust the right to use the winners names, information provided and likeness for purposes of advertising and/or promotion. Winners may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within ten (10) business days of notification attempt or an alternative winner may be selected. By accepting a prize, winners and family members also agree to release Scholastic, Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, Doctor’s Associates Inc., their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their advertising, promotion or production agencies from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize and/or participation in the Contest. Taxes, if any, on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Subject to all applicable laws.

5. WINNERS' LIST. The names of the Grand Prize Winner and Six Runners-Up will be available after October 8, 2008. You may request these names by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope by November 17, 2008 to: Every Sandwich Tells a Story Contest Summer Special Winners List, Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, 5th Floor, NY, NY 10012.

Contest Sponsors:
Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
SFAFT, 488 Wheelers Farms Rd., Milford, CT 06461

In many states, creating a portfolio of your child's work is a legal requirement for homeschoolers. Doing so gives the state authorities the reassurance that your child is making sufficient academic progress, as well as provides a written record for your homeschool's program. But, creating a portfolio with meaning and memories can add so much more to your family's homeschool journey. By creating one that is personalized and tailored to your child and your program, you will be creating a book that will be cherished for years to come. Additionally, a well organized, personalized portfolio will give its evaluators a better understanding of your child and your family. This way, your evaluation will be far more significant than one for a more generic or haphazard collection of your child's work.

Compiling your children's portfolios does not have to be difficult, but it can be time consuming. Here are some ways to stay on top of things, as well as ways to put your own personal mark on these "end of year" collections:

	Begin organized and stay organized. Keep a file for every subject area, for every child. You will find that just having a folder into which your children can place their work will save you hours of running around at the end of the year. Date all completed worksheets and place them in the appropriate file immediately. For books (like math consumables), you can date the appropriate worksheet and leave it in the book, tearing out examples when you put your portfolio together.
	Document everything you can. It's a great deal easier to document field trips, books read, and schedules as you are accomplishing them, then to try to reconstruct the year after it's complete. You can do this on the computer, or simply keep a notebook into which you write all relevant events as they happen.
	Write a weekly log. Writing daily lesson plans in advance can be helpful, but for most of us, schedules can change as the week goes by. Doctor's appointments, unforeseen events, needing extra time to complete an assignment or simply moving ahead more quickly can all lead to those lessons changing on a daily basis. If you keep a weekly log for what did take place in your homeschool, you will be able to provide an accurate, written account of what was covered and any special classes your children were able to take.
	Take lots of pictures! Not only do photos provide a visual aid in helping to envision your homeschool program, they also afford you the chance to record events as they happen. Pictures don't have to record only the "big" events. Doing a science experiment, curling up reading a book, playing a math game or reading a map are all day-to-day events that you will want to remember in pictures. There are many ways to document these pictures, the most popular of which is the hobby of scrapbooking. Scrapbooking materials and supplies are available from private consultants and in hobby stores. You can decorate pages with journaling, explaining what's happening in each photo, and enhance them with your own creative flair.
	Take photos of items too large to fit into the scrapbook. For example, if your child has created a number of wonderful art projects or science experiments, make sure you not only photograph your child working on them, but take ones of the finished project, as well. So many of these special "treasures" are fragile and photographing them will preserve them forever. For prolific artists, you can also assemble an art "show" monthly and photograph the group of projects altogether.
	When in doubt, keep it! It's a good idea to keep all sketches, diagrams, spelling tests, maps, current event projects, reports, handwriting samples, book reports, creative writing examples, math worksheets & tests, foreign language samples, ticket stubs to special events (such as museum trips, theater events, etc.) and map & timeline projects. You can always weed out later ! But by saving them in an organized, methodical way, you will be able to pick and choose which samples you can best include.
	Give yourself plenty of time to sort and compile your portfolio. Don't wait until the last minute ! I like to give myself some time every day for a few weeks to really create the picture of each of my children I wish to convey. Rushing will only stress you out and make you want to hurry through the process. Take the time to create organized groups for every required category and then pick the 'best' reflections for every quarter for every subject. Using a three-ring binder, I use standard section separators and create different sections for required forms given by the evaluators, book logs, field trip logs, weekly logs, calendar (attendance chart), writing samples (creative writing, as well as reports), handwriting samples, math samples (worksheets & tests), spelling (worksheets & tests), science logs, foreign language samples and photos.
	Neatness does count! To provide the clearest record, I take my scrapbook pages and take them to the local copy center and have them color copied. I also find that this presents a tidier, less bulky 'feel' to the pages in our portfolio. Additionally, this keeps our cherished family photos in the family album. Copy centers will reduce and/or resize your scrapbook pages if they don't fit onto a standard 8" x 11". I also have color copies made of my children's writing samples so I don't have to tear out samples from their "final copy" books & journals. Copy centers will do this for you for a nominal fee but some copy centers will allow you to make the copies yourself. Standard Xerox does work but doesn't look as crisp or presentable. Scanning on a high quality scanner on your own home computer might be another viable option, but may not offer you the same resize opportunities as a copy center's professional touch.
	Don't forget the basics. Make sure your child's name, address, phone number, age, grade and other relevant information is right on the front of your portfolio. It makes it far easier for evaluators to  pertinent information first thing. Additionally, it helps evaluators to know if you use a specific method in your homeschool. For example, if you employ the Charlotte Mason, unit study or Classical methods, it helps your evaluators to have that information right away so that they can best read your portfolio with that in mind.
	Have fun! Remember to look at this as your opportunity to share your year with your child's evaluators. Express your passion for homeschooling and your child's special gifts on every page. The love that you convey for your child will clearly show on the pages of your portfolio!

Editor's note: With Ellen's great ideas you can start the year off right by planning for the end of this year's evaluation today! How easy it will then be to send the portfolio to HOME for your review!

"Take It Outside" Natural History Series at the Pine Tree State Arboretum

Every Thursday in June,12:15-1pm, free (meet at the PTSA Visitor Center)

Spring Fest Saturday, May 10th at Field's Pond Audubon Center
Come to the nature center for an all ages, all day, free event celebrating International Migratory Bird Day.

7 - 8:30am Birding By Ear Walk with Bruce Barker

7 - 8:30am Bird Walk with Medea Steinman

9 - 10:00am Yoga with John Yasenchak (bring mat if you have one)

9 - 10:00am Children's Walk (parents can enjoy yoga or Birding by Ear)

9 - 11:00am Birding By Ear Walk with Steve Coleman (open to the visually impaired community & anyone interested in learning bird songs)

10 - 1:00pm NATIVE & ORGANIC PLANT SALE BY REBEL HILL FARM

10 - 4:00pm Children's Activity Area

10:30 - 11:30am Walk and Talk with Merle Hetley: Native Plants

10:30 - 11:30pm Children's Nature Exploration with Ruth Perry (parents enjoy plants walk)

11:30 - Noon Lunch Break: sandwiches, chips, cookies & juice will be for sale

Noon - 1:00pm Live Turtles with Jean Adamson

1:30 - 2:30pm Pollinators Presentation with Pat Synder: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds

3:00 - 4:00pm Music Together with Surya Mitchell (children with their parents)

4:00 - 5:00pm Hands-on Photography Workshop with Joni Dunn

4:00 - 5:00pm Children's Walk (parents can enjoy photography with Joni Dunn)

5:00 - 6:30pm Evening Bird Walk with Judy Kellogg Markowsky

Children's Activities:

9 - 10:00am Children's Walk

10 - 4:00pm Children's Activity Area

10:30 - 11:30pm Children's Nature Exploration with Ruth Perry

Noon - 1:00pm Live Turtles with Jean Adamson

1:30 - 2:30am Pollinators Presentation with Pat Synder: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds

3 - 4:00pm Music Together with Surya Mitchell (children with their parents)

4:00 - 5:00pm Children's Walk

Directions to Fields Pond in Holden: At Exit 5 from I-395, go right on Parkway South for 0.3 mile. Go right on Dirigo Drive 0.5 mile. Go right on Green Point Road 0.8 mile. Go left on Wiswell Road 1.5 miles. At Fields Pond Road, go right 1 mile. Audubon Center is on left #216.

To contact Fields Pond email htwining@maineaudubon.org or call 989-2591.

FREE

CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAM

FOR HOMESCHOOLERS

This is a government run program to help the youth of America get their career exploration and decision making done before entering college.

ONLY FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 10, 11, 12 AND THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE

It consists of a skills assessment/aptitude test; interest inventory, values determination and a giant job search using the Department of Labor’s job banks. 

This program can help students find out who they are, in what kind of environment they would feel most comfortable working, and what role personal values play in making a career choice. It will enable them to identify jobs/careers that are individualized to them and will lead to the greatest chance for success. It can help them choose the right college/technical training programs available to them for their chosen career.    

This is a two part program administered over two dates: The skills assessment, followed approximately one week later with a hands-on career workshop. 

Where & When? 

SITE #1

Blueberry Mtn Bible Camp 

716 Phillips Rd.

Weld, ME 04285

Phone:  (207) 585-2410 (WEB: www.blueberrymountain.org ) 

Part 1: Skills Assessment: May 19^th, 2008 @ 9:30 a..m.   (3-hour exam)

Part 2: Career Workshop:  May 29^th , 2008 @ 9:30 a.m.  (90-minute workshop) 

SITE # 2

Sebec Corner Baptist Church

RTE 16

Sebec

Phone: (207)  564-7308 (E-MAIL: guilfordchristianacademy@wildblue.net ) 

Part 1: Skills Assessment: May 20^th, 2008 @ 9:30 a..m.   (3-hour exam)

Part 2: Career Workshop:  May 30^th , 2008 @ 9:30 a.m.  (90-minute workshop 

Each site can hold 50 students- parents welcome to wait and a study area will be provided for siblings not participating in the ASVAB Career Program.

This field trip is being organized by Guilford Christian Academy a Non-Approved Private School for homeschoolers.
We will be meeting at Leonard's Mills on June 24th from 9-1 for a Children's Day for Homeschoolers. Children are invited to participate in period-appropriate activities to learn what life was like in the 1790's before electricity
We will have activities and demonstrations that include:
blacksmithing, cooking in the log cabin, weaving, spinning, sawmill may be running, knitting, tug-of-war, races, ball-in-cup, board games. The trails should be in good condition if groups want to take hikes on their own.
The cost is $1 per adult and $2 per child (2-12).
So, if you are interested, please send the following information to guilfordchristianacademy at wildblue.net.
Send your name and how many adults and children you will be bringing.
Please make checks out to Guilford Christian Academy.
Upon contact from you with information about who will attend you will receive and email with mailing information.

Please feel free to pass on this information to anyone/group you feel would have an interest.
The money will need to be received by June 18th in order to have time to get money to the bank and a money order made up.
If someone is interested and does not have email they may call Trisha at 564-7308. This is a business number as well so if no one answers please leave a message, we will get back to you as soon as we get it.

You may visit www.leonardsmills.com for more information on Childrens Day.
Thank you and I hope for a great turn out. If it is successful we will probably do it annually.

Summer 2008

Nature Programs

All programs will be held at the Fields Pond Audubon Center and the fee for each program is $40 per child. Attendees should bring a lunch, two snacks, a full water bottle, sunscreen, and a desire to explore! Each program is expected to fill fast so reserve a space for your child by contacting the Fields Pond Audubon Center at 989-2591 or rperry@maineaudubon.org.

Children ages 5-7

Water Bugs!

Tues., July 8, 2008 9 am - 3 pm

Learn what to look for. Then use a net to catch water bugs, learn how to identify them, and use microscopes to view them closely.

Recycling by Nature and People

Wed., July 9, 2008 9 am - 3 pm

Explore the forest to learn how nature recycles. Then do some recycling yourself as you make paper and musical instruments.

Children ages 8-10

All About Frogs & Salamanders

Mon., June 30, 2008 9 am - 3 pm

Learn how to find, identify and gently handle frogs and salamanders. Then go outside to find, catch, count, identify, examine and then release them.

Meadow Wildflowers & Butterflies

Mon., Aug 11, 2008 9 am - 3 pm

Walk the fields in search of wildflowers and butterflies to identify. Make a plant press and butterfly mobile to take home

Children ages 11-13

Orienteering and Geocaching

Tues., July 1, 2008 9 am - 3 pm

Learn how to read a compass and map to find your way through the woods. Use GPS hand-held units and compasses to locate hidden "treasure."

Canoeing Naturalist

Mon., Aug 18, 2008 9 am - 3 pm

Canoe Fields Pond and look for signs of fish, frogs, beaver, insects and osprey

Free one month trial! ALEKS Quicktables.

To view this email as a web page, go here.

 With courses from Arithmetic through Precalculus, ALEKS can provide you with the instruction and support you need to homeschool your child in mathematics.

March 20-21 storm gives N. Maine snow record

• Grand prize in the museum's Florida Getaway Raffle is 4 round-trip tickets between Bangor and Orlando on Allegiant Air. (value: $640-$2470)
• 2nd and 3rd prizes each win 2 round-trip tickets between Bangor and Orlando. (value: $320-$1235)
• 4th prize is a one-year Reciprocal Membership to Maine Discovery Museum PLUS a $50 gift certificate to the Museum Store, Too Much Fun!  AND a $50 Kravco-Simon Visa Gift Card (Total value: $225).

1. Stop by the Museum and ask at the front desk . 
2. Call the Museum (262-7200) and buy tickets using your Visa or MC. (We'll enter you in the drawing). 
3. Send a check to Maine Discovery Museum, 74 Main St., Bangor, ME 04401 . (We'll enter you in the drawing).   

We are heading out tomorrow for the 18th Annual Homeschoolers of Maine's convention.

We have two vendor halls full of great vendors and it is going to be at the very cool Samoset Resort.

It is not too late to make plans to attend, wether it be for the day or for the weekend, you will go away refreshed and encouraged.

Help support your states organization and enjoy looking at all the curriculum. Or visit the touch tank with you children and learn about becoming an oceanographer.

Blessings,

Trisha