Mark your calendar for Legislative Days!

ICHE Legislative Days March 19 – 21, 2013

Capitol Day on Wednesday March 20

Come be a part of making homeschool faith and freedom history in Illinois!

A Call to Faith and Freedom

Come to Springfield and learn how your state government works AND meet your local representatives. “Legislative Days” is a great opportunity to show government officials the many beautiful faces behind homeschooling. We’re the only group that comes to Springfield and ASKS FOR NOTHING except to be left alone! Plan to come and make your homeschooling presence known!!!!!

Wednesday, March 20, will be “Capitol Day” with singing and prayer IN the Capitol building Rotunda at NOON. Bring cherry pies which will be delivered in the afternoon to senators and representatives. This year, homeschool families will have the opportunity to have display boards for the day in the Capitol Building. The theme is “Faith and Freedom,” what homeschooling does to strengthen families, communities, and the state of Illinois.

On Tuesday and Thursday, March 19 and 21, there will be workshops in the Capitol and tours of the highpoints of Springfield. This will be a great learning field trip with plenty of time for fellowship. Come one, two, or all three days!

More details coming soon!

www.iche.org

info@iche.org

(847) 603-1259

Free talk on Applied Evolution

Applied Evolution: Implications in Law and Medicine

When: Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Refreshments:

6:45 – 7:00 pm

Presentation and Q&A:

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Presented By:

Richard Marrano

Where: 25 W 560 Geneva Road, Carol Stream

The entryway is just west of Gary Avenue on Geneva Road, on the north side of the street.  Enter the drive just east of the sign (next to Slide Chart Company), and park behind the building.  Enter through the rear door.  Handicapped parking is in front, with entrance through the front door.

For more information, visit: www.midwestcreationfellowship.org,

Free admission and refreshments, but donations are welcome

Sponsored by the Midwest Creation Fellowship

www.midwestcreationfellowship.org

Science math learning opportunity in Elgin

Received this via email from Dr. Figgins:

A Special Invitation!!!

Dear Parents of Home School Students:

I am an instructor in the Teacher Education Department at Judson University
and would like a pre-service teacher that I am instructing to have an
opportunity to work with a multi-age group of students. I would like to invite
you and your second through sixth grade home-school students to come to
four special science/math learning experiences.

Karlee Westra and I will be preparing four hands-on integrated science,
mathematics, and language arts experiences. There would be a one time
charge of $5.00 per student to cover the cost of materials. Parents must
attend with their students. (Please do not bring children who are younger than
second grade.)

Where: Judson Teacher Education Building – (Creekside)
Located at the bottom of the hill on Jerusha Street, Elgin, IL

When:

Tuesday, February 26 — 9:00-11:00 — Physical Science
Tuesday, March 19 — 9:00-11:00 –Fraction Fun
Tuesday, April 2 — 9:00-11:00 — Life Science
Tuesday, April 9th  — 9:00-11:00 — Geometry Fun

Please RSVP at lfiggins@quixnet.net. I need to know the dates you can
attend and the number and grade levels
of the children who will be
attending with you. It is not necessary to attend all sessions but I think the
experiences would be very beneficial for all learners. (Please include the
names of all participants as well as a phone number
.)

Feel free to call me with any questions of clarification.

Dr. Linda Figgins
630-319-7913

Free Museums again this month

If the free days last month didn’t quite fit with your schedule you get a do-over this month. Lots of opportunity to enjoy free days at Chicago museums:

The Adler Planetarium:February: 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28Free-Chicago-Museums-Feb-2013

The Art Institute of Chicago

  • February: Winter Weekdays Promotion: Every Weekday to February 13.
  • NEW –  Free Thursday Evenings – Beginning February 14, 2013, admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is free to Illinois residents every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Chicago History Museum Monday, February 4–Thursday, February 28

Clarke House Museum – CHICAGO’S OLDEST HOUSE – Wednesdays

DuSable Museum of African American History – Sundays

Field Museum – February 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28

Glessner House Museum: – Wednesdays

Museum of Contemporary Art – Tuesdays

Museum of Science and Industry – February 6, 13, 20, 27

Museum of Surgical Science – Tuesdays

The National Museum of Mexican Art – Free Tuesdays to Sundays

Notebaert Nature Museum – February 7, 14, 21, 28

Shedd Aquarium –  February: 4, 5, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26

Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago – Free every day

Swedish American Museum – Second Tuesday is Free – February 12

Review and Giveaway: Abel’s Field

We have a winner from Random.org — #3 Becky, Congratulations. 🙂

New family film! Read on and leave a comment to enter for a chance to win your own copy.

Website: http://www.abelsfield.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbelsField

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbelsField

About Abel’s Field

Left motherless by tragedy and abandoned by his father, high school senior Seth McArdle (Samuel Davis) faces enormous pressure as he strives to support his little sisters. At school, he endures the daily bullying of the football team. But fighting back only finds him singled out for punishment and assigned to an after-school work detail under the supervision of the reserved groundskeeper, Abel (SOUL SURFER’S Kevin Sorbo). Much to his surprise, Seth discovers that Abel may be the only one who truly understands his struggles. As dark times lure Seth toward desperate measures, the reluctant Abel may be the one person who can point him back toward the light.

This fast paced film draws you in quickly and keeps you cheering for Seth to make the right choices even while you ache alongside him for the enormity of the struggles life throws at him. The cast is full of dynamic actors and Seth’s younger sisters are adorable. As a family we appreciated the message that despite difficult times you need to make the right choices. People will die, money will fall short, and the wrong choice sometimes seems like the only one, but there is always hope to be found in others and in God.

We enjoyed this film with our whole family and although some of them prefer movies with more humor, they all kept interested in the ever evolving story line. I did feel that at times they were trying to pack in too much action and had to leave out some scenes or information that would have given the film a little more cohesion. We still understood what was going on, but sometimes we were left to fill in the gaps, or finish piecing it together at the end. Especially the character of Abel. He had a dark secretive past that you don’t fully understand until he writes a letter at the very end, and even then I felt I knew barely enough.

There are some fistfights and some intense moments, but nothing we found overwhelming. The only somewhat suggestive scene involves a convenience store clerk and Abel.  She makes joking references to having to stop meeting like this and not letting her  husband find out, but the conversation is limited on his part and the interaction brief.

Loved having a film that we could enjoy with pizza and have some conversation based on as well. Entertaining, a little heart wrenching, and lots of character building from seeing it.

If you would like your own copy of this movie, please leave a comment. I will choose a winner on Thursday evening February 7. You may leave extra comments for additional entries by sharing about this giveaway elsewhere (facebook, twitter, email, etc.)

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”