Welcome to HSN - West Virginia! Here you will find information about 'happenings' around the Mountain State. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 6 Oct 2009 14:38:00 -0500 Tue, 6 Oct 2009 14:38:00 -0500 HSLDA Is Coming to Oak Hill, West Virginia! Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 6:30 PM The meeting will begin at 6:30 PM and end by 9PM Special Event for Home Educators Here is an opportunity to meet West Virginia's HSLDA attorney, Mike Donnelly. He is coming to discuss issues of particular concern to West Virginia home educators. Gain insights which will enable you to better protect your right to direct the education of your children. Mike will begin by addressing issues that are confronting Fayette County home educators and could become of concern to families in other counties as well. If time permits, Mike will discuss his work with persecuted Home Educators in the Federal Republic of Germany. John Carey, Legislative Liaison with CHEWV, will also be available to answer questions. Mike Donnelly, Esq. Mike serves as Homeschool Legal Defense Association staff attorney for member affairs in the states of Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.  He also manages HSLDA's involvement on behalf of persecuted homeschoolers in the Federal Republic of Germany. He teaches constitutional law at Patrick Henry College where he is an adjunct professor of government. Location: Oak Hill Methodist Church 250 Main Street Oak Hill, West Virginia Contact Person: Agnes Casto - Phone: 304-574-3567 Email: castos5@juno. com Directions: From Beckley or Summersville take the Main Street Exit (Please note, if you are coming from Beckley the first Oak Hill Exit says East Main St; this is not the correct exit). Look for the Main Street Exit. If you are coming from Beckley, take a left at the end of the exit ramp and if you are coming from Fayetteville/ Summersville take a right off of the exit ramp. The arrow will direct you to "downtown". The church is on the left, a short distance from the exit. It is a tan brick building. There is parking on the left side of the building or along the street. This educational event is coordinated by: Heritage Communications of West Virginia Sponsored by: Christian Home Educators of West Virginia http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/733751/ Tue, 6 Oct 2009 14:38:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/733751/ A former homeschool dad will offer drawing classes for kids 6 to 12 on Thursday evenings in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and on Monday evenings in Hagerstown, Maryland. The classes will go over some basic art theory (such as drawing, shading, proportion and perspective) in a positive atmosphere with lots of opportunity to draw. Children will also do some painting. On both nights, classes will be 7 to 8:30 p.m. Each class will have six sessions. The class is $48 per student; the cost for second and third students from the same family is $36. The instructor will provide paper, pencils and erasers. Students should bring a basic watercolor pan with six to eight colors, a decent brush and a 10-inch-by-12-inch pad of watercolor paper. The Shepherdstown class will meet Thursday nights beginning Oct. 8 and run through Nov. 12. The Hagerstown class will meet Monday nights beginning Oct. 12 and run through Nov. 16. Spaces are limited for both classes; please contact dicoplio@yahoo.com to register. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/731519/ Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/731519/ The bi-annual Battle of Carnifex Ferry Reenactment will be held this weekend, September 12 - 13.  Hosted by Company A of the 36th Virginia Infantry, this event will include living history demonstrations, Union and Confederate camps, as well as a reenactment of the Federal assault on the center of the Confederate line.  The battle reenactment is held on the same ground as the actual Civil War battle. There is no admission charge for entering the Carnifex Ferry State Park nor for viewing the Civil War reenactments.  Details can be found at the Carnifex Ferry State Park website. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/724825/ Mon, 7 Sep 2009 19:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/724825/ On Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 7:00 pm  filmmaker John Grabowska will screen his film Yellowstone: Land to Life a lyrical interpretation of Yellowstone National Park in the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. People come to Yellowstone primarily because of the unusual thermal features and opportunities to view wildlife, often not realizing they are standing on one of the world's largest active volcanoes. In â Land to Life, filmmaker John Grabowska presents a lyrical interpretation of the sweeping geologic story of Yellowstone, from glaciation to mountain-building to the gigantic caldera of a supervolcano. Featuring breathtaking cinematography of this complex and charismatic landscape, Land to Life was filmed over two years in all four seasons and delves deeply into the significance behind the scenery. Key to the story is illuminating the intimate bonds between the landscape and biology -- how Yellowstone' geology influences where life exists and how it evolves. Land to Life contemplates our connection as well: humankind's relationship to Yellowstone, the world's first and most famous national park. John Grabowska has produced films from the subarctic to the subtropics. His films have been official selections of more than 30 festivals around the world, broadcast nationally on PBS and have received numerous international awards. He has presented his films to audiences at the National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian Institution and conducted environmental media workshops in Argentina and Panama. Since 1991 Grabowska has been writing, producing and directing documentary films with the Interpretive Design Center of the National Park Service, specializing in the environment and American History. The film is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required. It is part of a monthly series of "Conservation & Community" public lectures held at the National Conservation Training Center. For more information please contact Mark Madison at (304) 876-7276 or mark_madison@fws.gov or check out our web page at: http://training.fws.gov/history/publiclectures.html    The above information is from a press release written by the National Conservation Training Center. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/720152/ Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:01:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/720152/ The Three Rivers Avian Center (TRAC) will host its Birds of Prey Educational Program at various locations around the state this summer. Event summary: What bird says ‘who cooks for me, who cooks for you all?’  Don’t know!  Come to the Birds of Prey Educational Program featuring live birds of prey native to West Virginia.  Raptors including hawks and owls are part of this program. Learn about their habitat, diet and behaviors; most comment causes of injury. Open to the public.  No charge to attend. Great  family activity. The event will be held at these locations: August 7 - Cacapon State Park 304-258-1022 August 8 - Lost River State Park 304-897-5372 August 14 - North Bend State Park 304-643-2931 Contact the park for details about time and specific location.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/708363/ Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/708363/ What?  Free family dance performance from the Goose Route Dance Troop When?  Friday, July 17 - 10:30 am Where?  Men's Club Building in Shepherdstown, WV  (brick building on the corner next to the Shepherdstown Library) For more information, visit http://www.gooseroute.org/grdf_schedule.htm http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/708360/ Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/708360/ Dolly Sods Appalachian Immersion Family Camp August 3-7, 2009 Your full Appalachian Immersion "dude ranch" experience encompasses a 5-day/4-night adventure at the breathtakingly rugged Pegasus Farm in Elkins, West Virginia. Bring the whole family for a summer vacation you'll never forget. Accommodations for RV, popup, or tents, plus rental camper includes full service bathhouse with hot showers. Camp cookouts provided each night with an occasional bluegrass campfire jam; food barn available for snacks, breakfast, and lunch.  Our outdoor adventure guides, environmental scientists, and musicians lead each day's activities. We offer rock climbing, caving, tubing, and hiking. Cultural immersion activities include seminars in dulcimer making, old time singing, and traditional Appalachian dancing. Environmental awareness and outdoor appreciation classes offered with time for stream surveying and fishing, Appalachian botany studies, outdoor cooking classes, and nature art. Each day will have activities for the whole family, just the kids, or just the parents. Your choice for $700/family. Includes all campground fees*, food, activities, and instructor's fees (excluding some extracurricular activities) Register with Director Lynda Bell at LogCabinLearning via phone 301-676-7263. Lynda Bell 312 West Main Street Sharpsburg, MD 21782 PRORATED FEES AVAILABLE: Single campers: $250/week One parent/one child: $450/week Full family: $700/week OPTIONS TO STAY FOR LESS THAN FIVE DAYS ARE AVAILABLE! WE WILL PRORATE YOUR STAY BASED ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS AND NIGHTS YOU WILL BE WITH US. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE THIS AN AFFORDABLE TRIP FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. ITS AN EXPERIENCE YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS! A Day with Miss Bonnie on Pegasus Farm There is a lovely spot deep in the hills of West Virginia, in the shadow of Seneca Rocks, that immediately makes you take a deep breath, and stop and stay for a while. When you drive down the gravel lane, the first thing you see is a little white farmhouse with a dog named Zen and a kind woman with a kerchief on her hair and a smile on her face. And beside her, always beside her is a twinkling smiling man. This is Mark and Bonnie, the proud proprietors and owners of Pegasus Farm and Campground. I was very fortunate to be introduced to these two wonderful people by a good friend who told me he thought they would be interested in talking to me about sponsoring family camps on their farm. So with their generous invitation to drive down and spend the weekend with them, I packed up the car and  headed up and over the hills past the shadow of the great Seneca Rocks, and into the little valley of Elkins, West Virginia. After a fantastic weekend of Bonnie's belly warming down home cooking, a tour around the farm, visits to the Augusta Folk Art Center, the Graceland timber baron's mansion, and the Stuarts Recreation Area, we all found a common vision coming together of how to share this wonderful place with other families. I had the opportunity of going back again another weekend to work with several families who had come together for a work weekend on the farm. Some of us worked on rebuilding a stage roof on the festival grounds that had blown off in last year's big storm. I spent time with a sweet group of young children fishing in the farm pond, making flower crowns, and hunting for tadpoles. After finishing the work on the farm, we all gathered together in one of the Pegasus Farm buses and drove the crew over to Seneca Rocks for a day of rock climbing. As I rounded the corner of the trail with a group of energetic teenagers and our guide, I had to stand still for a moment and just experience the overwhelming awe that overcame us all as the shadow of Seneca loomed over us. To find yourself in the presence of such beauty and power is a moment of complete humility and perspective. To suspend yourself in space within only a crack in the rock, to wedge your fingers and toes in, to reach for the top, to test your strength is an adrenaline rush that drives you further and higher to the bright blue sky above. These are the sights, sounds, and feelings of spending time in this magical valley and the inspiring hills around it. These are the experiences that brought me to the place where I can offer you an invitation to  join us. If you are interested in spending time with us at Pegasus, take a moment and explore the Pegasus Farm website, as well as finding more camp details and contact us! We would love to hear from you and have you share your ideas of how we can tailor this experience to meet your family's needs and interests. I hope to see you soon at Pegasus Farm! Lynda http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/707344/ Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/707344/ The Three Rivers Avian Center (TRAC) will host its Birds of Prey Educational Program at various locations around the state this summer. Event summary: What bird says ‘who cooks for me, who cooks for you all?’  Don’t know!  Come to the Birds of Prey Educational Program featuring live birds of prey native to West Virginia.  Raptors including hawks and owls are part of this program. Learn about their habitat, diet and behaviors; most comment causes of injury. Open to the public.  No charge to attend. Great  family activity. The event will be held at these locations: June 12 - Twin Falls Resort State Park 304-294-4000 June 19 - Bluestone State Park 304-466-2805 June 20 - Watoga State Park 304-799-4087 July 7, 8pm - Pipestem Resort State Park 304-466-1800 July 11 - Hawk's Nest State Park 304-658-5212 July 13 - Greenbriar State Forest 304-536-1944 July 17 - Blackwater Falls State Park 304-259-5216 July 18 - Holly River State Park 304-493-6553 July 24 - Cedar Creek State Park 304-462-8517 July 25, 8pm - Beech Fork State Park 304-528-5794 Contact the park for details about time and specific location.  I'll post the locations of Birds of Prey from August onward at a later date. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/691020/ Mon, 25 May 2009 06:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/691020/ How do you combine physical education, botany, and history with a big dose of fresh air and some community service?  At Hawk's Nest's National Trails Day! On June 6 beginning at 9am, Hawk's Nest State Park will host a nature hike on the Rail Trail - an easy-to-walk, almost 2-mile trail with gorgeous waterfall views. Information from the Hawk's Nest State Park Website: June 6 National Trails Day Hawks Nest State Park Event Time: 9 AM Event Direction: Hawks Nest Rail Trail is located just off RT 60, Ansted, WV. Access to trail is by way of River Road. This is the newest trail that is shouldering our boundary and completes it travels near the park Nature Center. The 1.9 mile (one way) trail is an easy walking, gravel trail featuring two trestles and waterfall vantage points. This trail can be a circle trail using the River Road (minor vehicle traffic) or by connecting a lift on the tramway. No trail fee, tramway requires ticket purchase. No food will be provided. Box lunch can be purchased from dining room. Event Description: This event will consist of a nature hike on the Hawks Nest Rail Trail to discover the plant life (herbaceous and woody) and learn some of Hawks Nest history during the hike. We will also do some minimal litter pickup as we hike along the trail. This will consist of only papers and other small item, trash bags will be provided for those wishing to participate. Hikers should come prepared for rain and wear comfortable hiking shoes. No food or drinks will be provided.  Meet at the Main Trail Head on the Hawks Nest River Road. Contact: willagrafton@wvdnr.gov – 304-658-5212 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/691010/ Mon, 1 Jun 2009 06:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/691010/ Explore the region's Celtic heritage at Prickett Fort State Park's Celtic Heritage Day on July 11. Information from the Prickett's Fort State Park Website: July 11 Celtic Heritage Day Prickett’s Fort State Park Come celebrate the Celtic heritage of many of this region’s settlers including food, music and crafts. Regular admission applies. Contact: info@prickettsfort.org, 304-363-3030 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/691006/ Tue, 7 Jul 2009 06:03:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/westvirginia/691006/