REMINDER:

PI-1206 forms must be returned to WI DPI by Oct 15!

What are the requirements for homeschooling in Wisconsin? The main requirements are: Provide at least 875 hours of instruction each school year. Provide sequential progressive curriculum for the required subjects of Reading, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science and Health. Submit form PI-1206 to the Department of Education informing the state of your intentions to homeschool to meet the required compulsory attendance law by October 15. More information regarding the homeschool laws and requirements can be found at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Salt & Light is pleased to host an economics seminar for young people ages 12-18 on the weekend of Oct. 17-18 at Harvest.  This seminar is being put on by Mr. Greg Rehmke, part of an economics group, whose mission is to reach out to young people around the country to expose them to free market principles.  He also wrote the foreword to this year's Blue Book. He says about his seminars:

No economics background is required to attend the seminar.  To most students, the seminar won't seem like it is about economics, since we focus on current events, international issues, and the American Founder's skepticism of government and arbitrary power.

This seminar is by no means only for homeschoolers and you could feel free to invite your public and private school friends.  And don't forget that dads might really enjoy this seminar so let them know about it!

Chad James, a local Christian music artist who was awarded the WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Award for 2008 as Christian Artist of the year, will perform in concert at Harvest Community Church (Oak Creek) on October 11. Chad has opened for names such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Kutless, Ginny Owens and most recently, Jeremy Camp at our Wisconsin State Fair. His testimony is a unique one. Born with one hand, the Lord has called him into a music ministry of playing guitar, singing and song writing while giving his testimony of being an over comer through Christ!

This free concert begins at 6:00 p.m. and is just one part of Harvest Fest! The celebration begins at 4:00 with food, fun, games and an art gallery.

Check out MilwaukeeMoms.com for the "Big Calendar" of fun, family events throughout the area -- just as:

• Oct 11, 2008: Free "Day at the Rink" Open House Skating Event. Open to all GIRLS ages 5-10. This is a fun introduction to the sport of hockey with our coaches & players supervision. No prior hockey experience necessary! Bring your hockey skates & helmet (no figure skates please) or we can provide necessary equipment. New skaters welcome! The Ponds of Brookfield, 2810 North Calhoun Road,  262-786-7663
• Nov 5, 2008: The Mitchell Park Domes, 524 S. Layton Boulevard, is rolling out the red carpet to celebrate its Grand Reopening Ceremony on Wednesday, November 5th with doors opening to the public at 5pm to 9pm.
• Nov 22, 2008: This is the 82nd annual Milwaukee Holiday Parade and will feature approximately 100 units and take about one hour to pass a given point. Since 1927, the Downtown Milwaukee Christmas Parade has become a cherished Milwaukee Holiday tradition.
• The Springs Water Park is now offering a special after 5 p.m. Discount Swim on select Tuesday nights in the water park. Bring the entire family to enjoy the three person boat ride, lazy river, zero-depth entry play area, water basketball and Geyser Games Arcade. $10.00 per swimmer. The Springs Water Park at Country Springs Hotel, 2810 Golf Rd., Waukesha, (262) 547-0210

Dear Educator,

This fall Children's Theater of Madison offers an opportunity for teachers and students to slip through the Looking Glass and explore an alternate universe in James DeVita's Looking Glass Land: The
Misadventures of a Girl Named Alice. It's a universe that challenges our way of seeing and hearing and thinking about the world. The production offers educators an opportunity to:

• Introduce the writings of Lewis Carroll
• Explore nonsense poetry and wordcraft through Carroll's
  poems "Jabberwocky" and "The Walrus and the Carpenter"
• Discuss the relativity of time and the physics implied in
  alternate universes
• Examine the critical thinking and strategy required in a
  chess game
• Discuss how design and visual art conveys the ideas of a
  live performance

Celebrate the talents of a local playwright, James DeVita, and local actors. Some of the performers will be the same age as your students! Talkbacks following the performances give students a
personal connection with the actors and director.

Don't miss a chance to capture the imaginations of your students with this magical production, and extend the learning into the classroom with activities and projects from the Looking Glass Land Study Guide. Please share this information with educators in your district.

Award-winning playwright and renowned APT actor James DeVita brings Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass to new heights of fun and imagination. Through a series of fantastic encounters, Alice learns that being a queen is not all it's cut out to be — and that the real joy is in the adventure of life itself! DeVita's adaptation includes all the familiar characters and lines of the beloved tale with some
modern twists that will even hold teenagers spellbound. So hold onto your (mad) hats while we take you on this zany ride up and down and back around! Most appreciated by children age 6 and up, teens and
adults.

The first matinee is October 16th, so please reserve your tickets NOW for this delightful production. Call Education Director, Terry Kerr, at 608-255-2080 or email terry@ctmtheater.org.

We want to make your trip to CTM as affordable as possible. Student matinee tickets are $8.00. Ticket and transportation subsidies are available, so please call if your school needs financial assistance.

If you have not received our new Educator's Brochure, please use this link http://www.ctmtheater.org/EducatorsBrochure.pdf to access the Student Matinee schedule and ticket information or visit the
Education page at our new website at www.ctmtheater.org.

For some students, a class trip to see a CTM play is the first time they have set foot in a theater. They will be surprised at the power of a live production to inspire wonder and make them think and feel.
We think you will find this a great opportunity to engage your students in a new level of discussion about the ideas in the play and the very human responses of its characters.

Space is limited so please consider reserving tickets for your school today! Help students experience the power and magic of live theatre. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 255-2080 or
email terry@ctmtheater.org. We are happy to assist in any way.

All the Best,
Terry Kerr
Education Director, CTM
228 State St.
Madison, WI 53703
608-255-2080
terry@ctmtheater.org

Looking Glass Land
by James Devita
October 11 - 26 Overture Center for the Arts - Playhouse Theater

A Christmas Carol
December 12 - 21
Overture Center for the Arts - Capitol Theater

Degas' Little Dancer
March 28 - April 11, 2009
Overture Center for the Arts - Playhouse Theater

Amy Kilpatrick is organizing Art History for this year (kilpatrickpanda@wi.rr.com )  Lectures will take place at Havenwoods Nature Center Auditorium (6141 N. Hopkins Street, Milwaukee). The cost is $10.00 per family. A state park vehicle admission sticker is not required to use the park. The lectures will be at 1:30 on Fridays. 

The format is a monthly art history lesson which highlights one artist, or may highlight a theme - such as angels in art at Christmas-time. For about 45 minutes Rhea uses slides to describe the artist's life, influences, the world in which he lived, and his art. Rhea makes it clear that some artists were, or painted, immoral topics. She doesn't 'preach' but she lets the children know that even though this artist did such-and-such, it was wrong of him to do. 

Rhea loves working with the homeschoolers. She is very tolerant of little ones who sit along the carpeted edge of the auditorium and amuse themselves with something while the older siblings listen. If you are not familiar with Art History - I simply cannot recommend it too highly.

> > >September 12-PAUL CEZANNE 
> > 
> > >October 10- NORMAN ROCKWELL 
> > 
> > >December 19- MADONNA & CHILD 
> > 
> > >January 16- REMBRANDT 
> > 
> > >February 20-WINSLOW HOMER 
> 
> > >March 20- WASSILY KANDINSKY 
> > 
> > >April 24- WYETH FAMILY(N.C., ANDREW, JAMIE) 
> > 
> > >May 8- MONET 

Starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo, a powerhouse ensemble of women from the world of music and film, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES is the touching story about the need for love, sisterhood and redemption that explores the undeniable desire for a sense of belonging and the often daunting journeys that we must navigate to achieve it. Set in South Carolina, the home of the intelligent and independent honey-making Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) is suddenly thrust into upheaval with the arrival of fourteen year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson). Surrounded by the unexpected comforts, grace and deep rooted spirituality Lily (Fanning) encounters in the Boatwright home, she soon forms a maternal bond with each of these women whose unique and special gifts help reconcile the loss of her mother. Through the strength and female empowerment that embodies the Boatwright sisters, Lily ultimately comes to the realization that sometimes you must leave home in order to find it. 
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thesecretlifeofbees

Theater: Marcus Ridge Cinema
5200 South Moorland Road, New Berlin, WI 53151
Screening Date: 10-09-2008
Time: 7:00 PM

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS FREE SCREENING: http://www.gracehillmedia.com/wom/register.cfm?screening=10826

Free Lessons from The Thinking Toolbox

"Celebrate The Spirit Of America" as the White House comes to Washington County Fair Park in West Bend, Wisconsin.

This miniature architectural phenomenon was the dream child of Wisconsin native John Zweifel, and required years of painstaking research and over 400,000 man-hours to build. This exact model spans over 60 feet from its east to west wing and accurately represents the Executive Mansion as it stands today during the George W. Bush administration.

Please take this opportunity to see an unmatched historical display, as it will never return to Wisconsin. This exhibit will be permanently housed in Washington, D.C.

EXHIBIT HOURS

Weekdays, 9am - 9pm

Saturdays,

October 4, 9am - 9pm

October 11, Noon - 6pm

October 18, 9am - 9pm

Sundays, 10am - 8pm

TOURS

To schedule a school or group tour, please call WC Fair Park at (262) 677-5060.

TICKET PRICING

Adults	$13.00
Seniors 65+	$12.00
Students 11-18	$12.00
Children 4-10	$10.00
Children 3 & under	free
School Groups of 20 or more	$5.00 each
One free ticket for teacher or escort for every five paid children.
Tour groups of 15 or more	$9.00 each
Special ticket discounts for people attending programs in the adjacent hall.
Adults, seniors, students and children receive a $2.00 discount by using this promotional web site coupon. Limit one discount per person.
Coupons do not apply to school or tour groups.

ST. PAUL  — To some, the best way to learn is through hands-on experience, and this week Hannah Wahlen has received several armfuls of experience.

Wahlen, 18, daughter of Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen and his wife, Jan, was at this week’s Republican National Convention as part of an internship program provided by the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. The program is giving approximately 80 students interested in politics a chance to experience the convention from a variety of perspectives, from working with state delegations to working with broadcast outlets and print media.

Wahlen, who is interested in journalism, jumped at the chance to work with The Washington Times. But unlike being an errand runner as some of her fellow interns are doing with organizations like CNN, Wahlen is working hands on as a reporter. She has had a couple of bylined stories in the Times this week, and has assisted reporters on several others by getting quotes from those attending the convention inside and outside the Xcel Energy Center, site of the convention.

Her assignments have included covering the convention of the Libertarian-leaning Ron Paul that is going on at the same time as the RNC at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Wahlen also compiled a report on reaction to the controversy over the pregnancy of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol.

For Friday’s edition of the Times, Wahlen was assigned to gauge the impact of the Wednesday night speech by Palin in terms of whether it was the defining point of the convention. She was also to get quotes from delegates about the speeches made Thursday night, the final day of the convention.

Wahlen’s sources for the stories are everyone from people on the streets of St. Paul to delegates on the convention floor to sources reached by phone.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people from Texas because there’s so many of them (at the convention) and you can always find them in the aisles with their cowboys hats,” Wahlen said. Wahlen has also been able to experience some of the large protests and violence occurring outside the Xcel Center.

A roommate of Wahlen’s experienced tear gas and pepper spray when she ventured too far into the fray. Wahlen said she wasn’t scared, but called the experience “a little nerve wracking.”

A sophomore philosophy major at Elmhurst College in suburban Chicago, Wahlen also was confronted by what she described as “anarchist” protestors while stopping by a vegan restaurant. She said the convention credentials she wore around her neck were enough to set off the protestors, who verbally sparred with Wahlen, but did not harm her.

On the flip side, Wahlen on Wednesday had coffee with a few of the hundreds of law enforcement officers and firefighters assigned to the area around the Xcel Center. Wahlen said the officers got a kick out of her knowledge of law enforcement that comes from having a police chief as a dad. Another aspect of the convention Wahlen has experienced is the constant criticism of the media.

She said the Times, a conservative newspaper, “is more liked here than the Washington Post, which is nice when I’m interviewing.” Wahlen was nominated for the two-week, tuition paid internship with the Washington Center by her college.

The first week of the program involved introductory seminars about the process of putting on a national political convention. Speakers included local officials as well as former U.S. Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla., and Jo Ann Davidson, co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. After the convention wraps up, Wahlen will be returning to Washington, where she is working this fall in the office of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Wahlen’s responsibilities there include scheduling and corresponding with constituents. Wahlen worked over the summer in Ryan’s Racine office.

Home schooled during her high school years, Wahlen said she is considering applying to law school after she graduates from Elmhurst.

A former Miss Wisconsin Junior Teen, Wahlen also is not ruling out future pageants.

“Look at Sarah Palin. She was a beauty queen, so you never know what you can do with that (experience),” Wahlen said.

Local teen experienced convention from many angles

Check out these regularly updated web sites for various teacher freebies:

http://www.freakyfreddies.com/teacher.htm

http://www.techtrekers.com/free.htm

http://www.suelebeau.com/freetools.htm

http://web.olivet.edu/gradusers/vbohner/freebies.htm

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/links/toolbox/free.html

(I haven't checked them all out. Not sure if any/all are available for home educators)

Saturday Sept 27th (10am-3pm) Free admission

Kill two birds with one stone: Get the kids outside and teach them about hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation.

Kids can get their "Smokey On" with Smokey the Bear, go through a sensory safari, learn wilderness survival skills, and fish.

Parents will be in awe, not only of their children's new knowledge of the outdoors, but of precision archer Randy Otiker's ability to shoot five arrows into five targets at once.

Wern Valley Sportsmen Club
S36 W29657 Wern Way
Waukesha WI 53189

262.968.2400

Mark your calendars for all-around family fun! Kids of all ages pick out their pumpkins to carve, friends and families alike can enjoy the fun only a hay ride provides! Make your own scare crow, hit the lanes with Pumpkin Bowling, decorate your own t-shirts and cookies, take a ride in the Midway, stroll the Farmer's Market and finish it off with an apple or pumpkin pie. Enjoy FREE stages featuring family entertainment with local and national acts.

Friday 4-11pm

Saturday 10am-11pm

Sunday 10am-7pm

WI State Fair Park, 640 S 84th St, West Allis

Admission: free

Parking: $5

414-266-7000 or 1-800-884-FAIR

MILWAUKEE, WI Elmbrook Church College Fair
Thursday, October 16, 2008
6:30pm

More information & a list of participating schools: http://www.naccap.org/fairs.asp?mod=event&id=46

• Choosing the right college
• Paying for college, financial aid, scholarships, and budgeting
• Adapting to life at college
• Supporting your new college student
• Plus Fresh articles from Campus Life's Christian College Guide Magazine

Sign up today by entering your email address at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/lyris/subscribe/collegeguide.html

 Get 8 FREE issues of the print magazine at: https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/L2/YFG/YFG_Free_Subscription_Form.jsp?cds_page_id=49290&cds_mag_code=YFG&id=1222117522433&lsid=82661553103039308&vid=3&cds_response_key=I8B101&cds_mag_code=YFG

Carroll University Shattuck Auditorium 100 North East Avenue Waukesha, Wisconsin 53186 Sunday, September 21, 2008 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

                                                 Topics will include:

www.GMCollegeWorkshop.com