Saturdays from 11:00 am to Noon on 98.7WFMT Introductions is WFMT’s newest radio series that celebrates the Chicago region’s most talented pre-collegiate classical musicians. Saturday mornings from 11:00 am to noon, soloists and small ensembles perform live, while larger bands, orchestras and choruses are recorded at their home locations.

Visit the Introductions page on Ning to join our social network.  There, you can create your own blog about your experiences in music, upload photos or videos of your ensemble, and learn all about the show.

To apply to participate go to The WFMT website or call 773-279-2019

Check out the following information from Hands of a Child co-owner Katie Kubesh:

Lapbooking LIVE on February 23rd!

With Katie Kubesh

Co-Owner of In the Hands of a Child

In Conjunction with Heart of the Matter Online

As a co-owner and writer/researcher for In the Hands of a Child, the Premier Provider of Ready-to-Assemble Lapbooks, I am asked a lot of questions about lapbooking. Many people have heard the term “lapbooking” but have no idea what it is or are overwhelmed by the entire concept of hands-on activities and unit studies. Since lapbooks are such a great way to include hands-on activities in your student’s curriculum, I will be answering the top questions asked about lapbooking and explaining the following concepts:

1. What is a lapbook?
2. How are lapbooks made?
3. What supplies are needed to lapbook?
4. I have all the supplies, now what?
5. How do I find information and activities to complete lapbook?
6. How does my student complete a lapbook?
7. How do you fold the file folder to make a lapbook?
8. How do I incorporate lapbooking into my existing curriculum?
9. What are the benefits of lapbooking?

Please join me,  LIVE… at the Heart of the Matter Annual Online Conference this year!

Have you ever wondered what a lapbook really is? Or maybe you have heard of it, but the mere thought of unit studies and hands-on activities makes you want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over your head. Don’t let your lack of understanding scare you away from this great way of enhancing your child’s curriculum! In fact, you can bring your questions to a bona fide lapbooking expert… LIVE, y’all! Katie Kubesh will be speaking LIVE and will host a Q&A session Tuesday, February 23rd at 10:00 CST.

Click here to purchase tickets and read the post in its entirety.

Katie Kubesh is co-owner and writer/researcher for In the Hands of a Child.  Recognizing that hands-on projects are essential to the learning experience, In the Hands of a Child has created Project Packs that go beyond the hands-on aspect.   They have taken the preparation time out of the parent/teacher job description with Complete Ready to Assemble Lapbook-style units that are available in Ebook, Printed Book, and CD formats. Please visit their website at www.handsofachild.com.

©2010 Katie Kubesh

Also, for those that miss out on the great deals at conventions, they have put together a deal available now:

Through our online poll we’ve learned that many of you do not attend a homeschool convention. That is why we’re declaring Feb 15^th-Feb 28^th as

In YOUR Childs Hands Season!

What does this mean for you?

Savings of course!

We want all of you to have access to our great products and we know that right now times are tough!

So, every day during In YOUR Childs Hands Season

we will post AT LEAST one unit up for discount.

Discounts only apply for that particular product (or products) for that particular day.

So be sure to check back each and every day!

This will be an excellent way to add some great

Lapbook Project Packs to your school shelves!

REMEMBER!!!  Check back each day at this link:

In YOUR Child’s Hands Season

Here you will see the unit(s) on special and find the daily coupon code.  You will also find a list of units that will be featured during this special so you can make your

wish list and plan accordingly!

Sale ends February 28, 2010

Cannot be combined with any other offer,
special, discount, coupon or sale.
Tax & Shipping not included in calculating discount price.
Not valid toward prior purchases.
No rainchecks.

The 2010 Chicago Auto show will take place at the McCormick Place from February 12 through February 21. The nation’s largest show and the nation’s longest-running show, Chicago is well regarded as the “consumer show.” (According to the CAS blog)

Regular admission to this annual event are as follows:

School groups (this would be a great field trip for your support group, co-op, or other group of homeschoolers):

Student groups of 20 or more will receive a discounted rate of $5 per ticket. This is available on weedays only. Tickets may be ordered in advance by printing out a form and completing it. You may send it via fax or regular mail.

Student and Group Ticket Sales Order Forms:

2010 School-group Ticket Reservation Form (PDF)

2010 School Ticket Order Form (PDF)

2010 Group Tickets Order Form (PDF)

Other discounts are available on certain days:

Now as for the free tickets . . . If you fill out this form from the Chevy Drives Chicago website and bring the confirmation that you then receive (either via email or printed directly from the site) into a  participating Chicagoland or Northwest Indiana Chevy Dealer, you should receive a pair of tickets to the auto show as long as supplies last.

You may know the name Marilyn Boyer. A mother of 14, homeschooling veteran of 30 years (!), with a few more still ahead of her, a writer, and a speaker at homeschool conventions.

This past weekend I joined a couple hundred other women in Oak Brook to receive encouragement and vision from Marilyn. I took many notes and came away with lots of fresh ideas and enthusiasm for loving my children and taking full advantage of the relationship we build with them through homeschooling.

Even if you could not make it this weekend, she has a wonderful gift to share on her website.

Unfortunately, I cannot give you a simple link to get there, but I can give you some directions. Go to the Boyer website, The Learning Parent, and float over the “Categories” tab. From there click on “Boyer Products” or “Boyer Resources.” These should both take you to the same place. You will need to go to the second page of resources, looking for one entitled, “Educating for Eternity.”

You can purchase this resource on CD, or you can select the downloadable version for free. It does take a while to download, and as mine is currently downloading, I can’t yet tell you the wonderful information it contains. But, knowing Marilyn, this will be a great encouragement to listen to.

In this recording you will learn:

We all want our children to catch the vision for God and grow up to serve Him. But how do we begin? Rick and Marilyn Boyer, home education pioneers of thirty years, believe the Bible contains the best plan for the upbringing of wise and competent children. Seeking wisdom from God`s Word and applying it to their own lives, they have trained their fourteen sons and daughters, some of whom are now parents and passing on the vision to their own children.

In this session you will hear Rick and Marilyn- with five of their adult children- explain the scriptural method for passing on a vision of powerful Christian living from generation to generation through family discipleship!

She has such a wonderful heart and shares so sincerely about her journey as a homeschooling mom. I would encourage you to take the time to download this resource, and to check out some of the other resources they have available.

Some other resources that have caught my attention: For You The Signed (a new one that she mentioned this weekend, about the signers of the Declaration of Independence, you’ll find this on their home page), audio books by her husband “Uncle Rick,” and many other books and audio resources for the homeschooling family — Getting it all done, homeschooling with toddlers, etc.

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association has a companion organization that comes along side homeschool families during crises and times of unusual financial need. These families might be faced with that unfathomable decision: to provide for the basic needs of their family members, or to continue homeschooling. The Home School Foundation seeks to help families to meet their financial needs and still continue homeschooling.

Right now, HSLDA is using art work from last year’s art contest as a fundraiser for the Home School Foundation. The young artists have donated their work for an auction with the proceeds going to benefit home school families in need.

The following came via email from HSLDA:

Contributions to the Homeschool Foundation for the artwork are tax deductible and will go to support the  Special Needs fund.

The auctions end on December 31st, 2009 at 5pm EST.

To view the art and participate, visit:

http://hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=7384

If you have any questions, please contact us at: contests@hslda.org

I would encourage you to take some time to view the pieces available for auction, you just might find one that would look great on your living room or home school room wall, and in the process help a home school family in need.

Last year we took a family trip to Washington DC and I found myself once again stunned at the richness of the heritage of our nation. The intentional faith of our founding fathers, the careful crafting of a new nation, the vision of hope and freedom.

American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) seeks to capture, build on, and pass along these virtues. AHEF is a “non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation dedicated to the understanding and teaching of America’s factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility among our students and citizens.” They accomplish this through, “writing, producing, and distributing FREE K-12 lesson plans to teachers, students, and families in all 50 states and through additional initiatives, programs, and partnerships.”

Product: American Heritage Education Foundation’s lesson plan CD (national edition)
Details: This CD offers lesson plans for Kindergarten through high school. The lesson plans come complete with background information, goals, activities, estimated time, and other helpful resources.
Price: FREE! (You can order the complementing binder and materials for $19.50 per level)

What we loved . . .

• The richness of our history undiminished.
• Taking a vast topic and boiling it down to memorable themes — freedom, unity, responsibility, and progress.
• Builds national pride. I feel this is important. Not that I am proud of where America is today, but recognizing what we could be, and what we have lost, renews my hope and my desire to pray for our nation as a whole, the individuals that compose it, and its leaders.
• Focus on original documents.
• Largely self contained. Lots of information and direction is contained right in the CD itself.
• Not too time consuming, so that can fit in with whatever else you might already be doing. About an hour every other week will carry you from September to May.

Challenges we faced . . .

• It is easy to get overwhelmed at first with the amount of information contained in the CD.
• Working with wide range of ages is sometimes difficult, and we faced that a bit as well here. The younger kids may not have grasped as much, and the oldest one may have been a bit under challenged, but I think the principles taught were still beneficial to all.

Of course, there is no better price than free, and this CD has something for just about everyone. I would encourage you to take a look at the AHEF website, order yourself one of these free CDs (or download the material straight from their website if you prefer) and take some time to go through the material with your kids. They have some great quotes, inspirational writings, needed reminders and teaching tools, and lessons that will build character and patriotism.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This CD was provided to me free of charge from The American Heritage Education Foundation as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

Check out this great opportunity for educators and it says it includes home educators as well. It might be good to bring some kind of card verifying your homeschool status if you have one:

If you would like more information on local history including events, museums, background information and resources, you may like to subscribe to a FREE quarterly magazine put out by the Illinois State Museum.

This colorful publication, entitled The Living Museum, packs information on the many historical monuments, museums, and sites available to you around our state. It also includes information on current exhibits at various museums so you can plan them into your schedule.

For more information about this publication, or to subscribe, check out the Illinois State Museum website, or email them at: subscriptions@museum.state.il.us

If you would like to win one of these books (a new copy, straight from the publisher) for a preschooler you love, head over to Delighting In His Richness to enter. Contest is only open until next Tuesday, so check it out soon!

Some great information from a Chicagoland area theater. Check with your local theater for the availability of educator screenings.

They offer a free screening for you and one guest. They often have snacks available as well, and lots of information on planning an outing for your homeschool group to the IMAX. Even if you cannot attend, they have some fun tips and educational activities to use with your kids.

Now Playing Directions What is IMAX®?
	You and one (1) guest are Invited to the Free Educator Screening of Under the Sea 3D and Bugs 3D. Additional guests will be charged $5.00 for each or $9.00 for both. Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15 & 16 Time: 4:00 pm-Bugs 3D , 5:15 pm-Under the Sea 3D (please arrive a half hour prior to check-in and register) Place: Randall 15 IMAX® 550 N. Randall Rd. Batavia, IL 60510 RSVP: Email or Call 630-659-6762. RSVP by noon on Monday Sept. 14th. Please leave us your first and last name, school name, date, theater, and number of people attending. If registering via email, you will receive an email confirmation. If registering via phone, you will not receive a phone call to confirm your space. Under the Sea 3D: Under the Sea 3D, a new IMAX® 3D adventure, transports moviegoers to some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on Earth, including Southern Australia, New Guinea and others in the Indo-Pacific region, allowing them to experience face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea. It offers a uniquely inspirational and entertaining way to explore the beauty and natural wonder of the oceans, as well as the impact of global climate change. In IMAX 3D, the images will literally leap off the screen and float around the theatre, putting the audience in the movie. Narrated by Jim Carrey, Under the Sea 3D is directed by Howard Hall, produced by Toni Myers, produced for Howard Hall Productions by Michele Hall and executive produced by Graeme Ferguson. This Warner Bros. film is produced and distributed by IMAX Corporation. Website Teacher’s Guide 3-5 Teacher’s Guide 3-5 Bugs 3D: Bugs are bizarre, beautiful, and an endless source of fascination. BUGS! will magnify the miniscule world of insects and explore the miracle of their success. From metamorphosis to mastery, predator to prey and community to concealment, extraordinary large-format 3D images will bring audiences face-to-face with this amazing universe of creatures. Website Teacher’s Guide Group Rates: For groups of 10 or more, $5.00 per person (Traditional 45 minute films) or $7.50 per person for IMAX DMR. Groups of 20 or more receive one free admission for a teacher or chaperone. Book a group and call Jeannette at 630-659-6762 or email jsmith@gqti.com www.GQTIMAX.comLearning to the MAX online brochure Library Film: We offer a collection of IMAX films to enhance your curriculum. From space to the prehistoric times of dinosaurs and the sea. All films have teacher guides available. Click here NOW PLAYING IN IMAX COMING SOON IN IMAX