This is an emphatic plea for support group contacts from all over our fine province. I'm talking about all those little and large coffee support/CoOp groups. I'd love to make a listing available on this site for each region. Will you help me? Please respond as a comment to this entry with contact information about your group and general area.
Thanks!
Giselle
PS There may even be a special surprise gift instore, just for responding, for one of you!
With a Canadian Federal Election around the corner, it's a wonderful time to do a unit study or share a learning day with other families about Canadian politics.
Civic responsibility is both caught and taught. Don't let any opportunity to stress the importance of an educated, thought through decision learning opportunity pass you by. The headlines in the daily papers and all the propoganda and advertising leave room for plenty of discussion. Why not have your students create an advertisment or speech for their favorite candidate? Have fun with this!
Some may believe that the messy days of art projects should be left behind after elementary school. May I suggest that you pursue art still. There is wonderful curriculum out there to help teach classical art. For example: How Great Thou ART by Barry Stebbing gives wonderful instruction on colour and technique for all ages. You can find a wonderful FREE art resource newsletter to subscribe to at his site: http://www.howgreatthouart.com/news1.htm as well as samples of other homeschooled students work to inspire your child.
With the awesome resources available on the net, peruse some sites for FREE ideas on high school age appropriate projects - all instructions included. Turn off the TV and the gaming systems and get creative! Many of the ideas can be used in conjunction with other subject area studies. Please, please, do not ignore offering creative outlets for your children at any age. The stirring of imagination, the brain connections made and time spent is all reason enough to explore this area. Here are some high school specific sites to get you started:
Rally a few fellow homeschoolers or bring your support group onside and have a Gallery Evening when your students can exhibit their creations - perhaps with dessert and punch. Students are apt to put more energy into projects for display or gift giving. So, a timeline may help. Perhaps you could arrange a display day once or twice a year or plan to give as gifts to family this Christmas.
I'm just waiting for the leaves to change colour around here, before we head outside for some photos of the kids. The changing leaves always add a nice natural touch. I LOVE using our digital camera for this. Nowadays, there is so much more you can do and edit before you print. There are many online sites that can be a help in developing your camera skills. Here are a few:
Be sure to have the camera handy all year as you study and go about "normal life". Afterall, what you do today will be what they remember. Why not let your students have a try? It's also a great way to develop (no pun intended-but funny eh?) a photography unit or study.
Remember everyone, you are not in this alone! Connect with a local support group now to ensure you have friends to help you keep everything in perspective and for fun and fellowship. Keep sharpening the saw of life experience and learning!
"Access.ca introduces a new way to find lesson plans, articles, visual
and multimedia resources to support Social Studies teachers in all parts
of Canada. Connecting to an ever-expanding group of contributing
organizations, Access.ca eliminates the frustration of searching for
relevant resources through general web browsers." http://access.
The Manitoba Living History Society invites everyone to its Third Annual Fall Gathering at Fort Gibraltar on the weekend of 5-7 September 2008. Step back in time and visit the People of Red River, as they would have appeared circa 1815.
Available on site will be tours of the Fort and encampment, ongoing fur-trade era demonstrations (Blacksmithing, Paddle Making, Military drills, musket demonstrations, bannock making etc...), cooking on an open fire, workshops, presentations and games.
All participants must register in advance and appear in appropriate 18th or 19th century costume; these stipulations of course do not apply to members of the public who are welcome to observe free of charge (between the hours of 10:00 am to 5:00 pm) and are indeed encouraged to ask questions and take tours.
The event starts at 6:00 pm Friday and participants are welcome to camp in Whittier Park until 4-5:00 pm on the Sunday. Please inform us if you plan to camp overnight and what type of accommodation you'll be staying in. If you do not own a historical tent, please advise us ahead of time so we can allot room for you in the designated modern camp.
Events (subject to change):
tour of Fort Gibraltar
military drills
fencing demonstrations
blanket trading
camp prizes
blacksmithing
bannock making
butter churning
paddle making
settler skills competitions
musket reliability competition (no live fire, $5.00 per person for powder, cartridges, and a prize)
dessert competition
activities for children
All participants are invited to participate in the St. Andrew's Society parade in honour of the Selkirk Settlers on Saturday.
Saturday evening supper and dance at 5:30 pm: soup, meat and bread provided.
Workshops:
Friday afternoon: Setting up a teepee
Friday 8:00 pm: Say it ain't so - myths of the fur trade
Saturday 9:30 am: Using a draw knife
Saturday 10:00 am: Bread making
Saturday 1:00 pm: Doll making (make your own Selkirk Settler soft doll. Dolls are ready to stuff, add hair, face, clothes. Ideas and materials provided)
Saturday 2:30 pm: Fire making with flint and steel including pipe lighting
Saturday 5:00 pm: Dessert making judging
Sunday 9:30-10:00 am: Non-denominational service
Sunday 10:30 am: Leggings (bring your own melton cloth or buy on site for $10.00)
Sunday 10:30 am: Blacksmithing (learn basic techniques and make a hook)
No modern camping on site. Wood, water and indoor washrooms provided. Bring ironware for cooking.
Setup Friday, noon to 8:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, no vehicles after 9:00 am. Take down Sunday, 4:00 pm.
To register, complete a registration form (PDF form) and send with payment to:
Carol Douglas
Box 675, RR 1
Dugald, Manitoba R0E 0K0
Canada
Email: ceilidh32@hotmail.com
The cost is $20.00 per family, $10.00 per individual (members), or $20 per individual (non-members). Fee includes camping, wood, modern washrooms, demonstrations, workshops, and Saturday supper. Please bring a vegetable/salad dish for Saturday supper. No alcohol permitted.
Free admission, free shuttle bus, free live stage entertainment, free hot buttered corn-on-the cob, free apple cider and free bus
tours. Also a midway, crafts, dances and gospel stage on Sunday
Morden August 22-24, 2008
I cannot stress enough how important it is to PREPARE . I believe overplanning is key - especially for young ones. I find it helpful to have many activities ready to go for my tot. That way he is readily active. It has blessed me tremendously this week to have a planning sheet complete for his day too. Not only does this ensure that he completes meaningful activities each day, but it is mindless for me (I can direct an older sibling to the sheet at centre time for the suggested activity) and I have pre-thought through activities readily available. This makes for lots of variety for everyone. Try it - I think you'll be pleased. Don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed. There is nothing you need to purchase, just thoughtful planning. More specifics on this another day.
Well, it's that wonderful time of year! I just love perusing the office supply stores and scouting out the supplies we'll pick up at the clearance sale after the back to school sale ~lol~. So much fun! We're gearing up to start again. Everyone around here is ready! It's such an encouragement to know I have a plan for what we're going to study, supplies are ready and I've taken the time to breathe prayer into the children's life and our school year. I'm giddy with excitement about what God has in store for us this year. I want to encourage you to build some excitement into your planning!
Represents cultures from around the world
in a two-week extravaganza full of ethnic richness and traditions in culture, food and art. With over 40 pavilions, this multicultural event is held throughout the city.
Winnipeg August 3-16, 2008
An absolutely essential resurce element to my homeschool is my This Old Schoolhouse Subscription. Please be sure to check out their new digital version:
We’re excited about our new planner and know that you will be too! We have taken ALL of your suggestions and ideas and compiled them into ONE fantastic planner, so that everything you need to plan in your life can be in one place, making your busy life as a homeschool mom just a bit simpler! In The Schoolhouse Planner, you can expect to find:
• Calendars in various forms – yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily
• Lists of holidays and places to record special days in your family
• Planners for your homeschool – in various styles to meet your individual needs
• Pages for both long-term and short-term homeschooling goals
• Curriculum planning forms
• Evaluation forms and test score recording sheets
• A through-the-Bible in a (school) year schedule
• Forms for recording Bible memory and other memory work
• Logs for recording books read, movies and documentaries viewed, etc.
• A field trip planning form and recording log
• A sample science lab sheet and nature study sheets
• A place to record extracurricular activities
• Outside classes, co-op, and support group information and recording sheets
• Household planning forms
• Daily, weekly, and monthly household schedule charts
• Grocery, menu-planning, and food logs
• Various budget and financial planning forms
• Garden planning sheets
• An appliance and electronics inventory sheet
• Vacation planning ideas
• Address and telephone records
• And much, much more!
And, if that’s not enough, we’ve also included:
• 12 “homeschool must-know” items, one for each month of the year
• 12 essays from some of our favorite authors in the homeschool community – you absolutely won’t want to miss these!
• 24 easy main-dish recipes from some top homeschoolers around the nation
• Forms that are appropriate for preschool – graduation
• A 12-year planning form, so that you can plan your child’s school career from beginning to end!
• 2-page monthly calendar with BIG blocks, providing lots of room for writing in details each day
If all of that isn’t enough to entice you, each month throughout the year, we will also be offering “planner supplements” that you and your kids will love! Our first monthly module will be available in July and will include all kinds of interesting information about popular holidays. These will not only be filled with great information that you will love including with your planner, but they will also be extremely affordable!
What do the developers of the TOS Schoolhouse Planner have to say?
Kris says: “Just this year, I had FIVE planners in my home and NONE of them had all of the forms that I needed to keep me organized for the year. When the chance came to help create a planner that would try to meet ALL of the organizing needs of ANY homeschooling parent, I jumped at the opportunity! I feel that we have created an incredible product: a planner that includes forms to help organize BOTH the "school" and "house" parts of the home. Of course, we couldn't have done this without the outpouring of ideas that came from our customers. Each email was read carefully, notes were taken and then Heidi and I spent hours and HOURS working to create over 85 forms, all available in ONE product that is easily downloadable from anywhere in the world! You can buy The Schoolhouse Planner and begin using it the same day! I hope our customers are as pleased with it as I am!”
Heidi says: “I was so thrilled when I first saw the announcement that TOS was going to create a planner. To say that I was even more thrilled when I was asked to help create this planner would be an understatement. For years, I have looked for ‘the ultimate homeschool planner’, only to be disappointed by what is available on the market. I have continually made my own planning sheets to suit my needs. Now, not only were Kris and I given the opportunity to create what WE thought was the ultimate planner, but what YOU asked for in a planner as well. I’ve seen a lot of planners, but none with this amount of content. I am passionate about E-Books, so I’m thrilled to have this planner available in E-Book format. You might choose to print the whole planner, or maybe you will just want to print certain pages; it’s totally up to you. No two people’s planners will be alike; but each one will suit its owner’s needs. It is my hope that each one that purchases The Schoolhouse Planner will be as happy with it as I am, and will recognize the hard work and the heart that went into the creation of (what I like to call) ‘the Cadillac of planners!’”
Saturday, June 21st
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Parking Lot 5:
Plover Spotting – Seven endangered PipingPlovers have been spotted along the shores of Grand Beach. Stop by parking lot 5 to get a closer look at the birds and their nests.
Saturday, June 21st
9:30 p.m.- 10:30 p.m.
Amphitheatre
In Danger! – The Plains GrizzlyThe Plains Grizzly and many species of animals have gone extinct in Manitoba, and others are at threat of disappearing forever. Discover what brought these creatures to their downfall and learn what we are doing today to prevent it from happening in the future. Join us for a movie afterwards about the majestic Peregrine Falcon.
Sunday, June 22nd
10:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
Parking Lot 3
Plover Stroll – Stroll along the beach with the Interpreters to get a closer look at the endangered Piping Plovers and their nests. Please wear appropriate footwear, bring a bottle of water and wear a hat.
Last Night our local home school support group held an Achievement Award Night. It was a wonderful celebration of what our children individually and families collectively accomplished this past school year inspite of situations and ourselves ~smile~
I encourage you to do the same. Gather a few homeschooling friends, some fun food and some paper (great for the portfolio) awards and recognize achievement and celebrate together! You'll be glad you did.
Our family has been "done" our official book work for some time, although the learning continues :-)
It's time to see how far we've come. I think this is such an important step in the whole scheme of things. It's always neat to hand out the blamk blacline map of the world and a-z list to be filled with things they've learned through the year. It's time to take pictures of their projects and tuck their favorites into their annual portfolio collection. In a few days it will be time to celebrate their accomplishments with our home school group. More on that later :-)
In the mean time there are wonderful resources online and in print to help you assess where your kids are at.
WANTED: some good reporters to write stories about news and weather for our Martian Sun-Times. Are you up to the challenge? Check out this fun developed as a part of NASA's Science Online Project:
Students will become weather reporters for the Martian Sun-Times newspaper. They will gather, interpret and compare current weather information for Mars and Earth.
Blog Archive
Our e-Newsletters give you wonderful, informative information about homeschooling, news bits, contests and PRIZES for homeschoolers, articles to encourage you, calls for writers, free unit studies and lesson plans, and just a lot of FUN. Bring the community to your inbox – and no worries, we never sell, trade or give your email or any other information out to anyone.
Come join the homeschool party!
