The Race to Nowhere screening October 2nd at 10 a.m.

A group of local parents have teamed up to bring the Race to Nowhere to Oak Park.

It is a groundbreaking documentary about how the high-pressure culture that has schools and  children’s lives.

Here’s the link to the trailer (please note that while the trailer is for all audiences, the movie is rated PG-13):

http://www.racetonowhere.com/node/4494

From the website:

Director Vicki Abeles turns the personal political, igniting a national conversation in her new documentary about the pressures faced by American schoolchildren and their teachers in a system and culture obsessed with the illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform. Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

Featured in the film:

• Dr. Madeline Levine, Clinical Psychologist and author of the best-seller, The Price of Privilege
• Dr. Wendy Mogel, Clinical Psychologist and author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee
• Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Adolescent Medicine Specialist, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Dr. Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford University
• Dr. Denise Pope, Co-Founder, Challenge Success, Stanford University
• Sara Bennett, Founder, Stop Homework

The Oak Park Screening will be:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND at 10 am at the Lake Theater.

Daniel Ryan is going to participate in the Q&A after the screening.  Please forward this information to others who would be interested.

Thanks, Kimber for passing this along!

There are other screenings as well (in Chicago and Glen Ellyn) in the coming week, check out the full listing on the website for Race to Nowhere.

Many area park district’s offer educational and PE classes for homeschoolers. They are trying to reach out to the homeschool community, but often the info isn’t getting far enough. Please share this information with other homeschoolers, support groups, and co-ops. Elmhurst just canceled one due to low enrollment, and we want to make sure these aren’t just canceled because of the lack of knowledge about these events. Spread the word!

(Thanks again, Kimber, for letting us know about these opportunities!)

Elmhurst Park District
Home School Curriculum Sample

Each session is comprised of four lessons that take place over a two-week period and
include classroom instruction, laboratory and field activities, and homework
assignments to reinforce topics. Each lesson meets age appropriate state learning
standards for science and, depending on the topic, mathematics, social science,
language arts, and physical development and health are also covered.

All classes will take place in the lower level of the Eldridge recreation building. Located
in the Southwest corner of Eldridge Park, 363 Commonwealth Elmhurst, IL 60126.

Class Times:
Grades K-2 9-10:30 am
Grades 3-5 11am-12:30pm
Grades 6-8 1-2:30pm

Session Structure:
Day 1, Classroom work, In-class activities
Day 2, Review, Lab (indoor and outdoor)
Day 3, Review, Lab exercise, Classroom work
Day 4, Review, Lab, Assessment
- Homework will be assigned daily or bi-daily depending on the session.
Costs:
$30 resident/ $38 non-resident per student, per session
Based off the resident rate, students will be paying $5 per instruction hour.

This Fall we will be offering 5 sessions starting September 21, we are now accepting
online registration under the environmental heading

If you have any questions please email or call Matt Poole, program manager at:
mpoole@epd.org or 630-993-8980

Check out their brochure for more class details and further information.

Thanks to Kimber for forwarding me some great materials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. I’ll be posting it in bits and pieces throughout the week to come.

Next week we have a unique opportunity to take an electronic field trip. You do need to register in advance to join this focused learning on pollination and bees. Check out all the details:

Join PollinatorLIVE on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, for an electronic field trip to the Washington Youth Garden at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. for a series of webcasts exploring “Native Bees, Honey Bees, Gardening, and More.”  PollinatorLIVE will be webcasting from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. (EDT).

The website, for more information and to register, is Pollinator Live.

If you happen to be studying pollination or insects at any point this year, you will want to check out their site for other resources as well. They have a number of web seminars archived and available for instant viewing. They also have a place to register with their site to keep posted on upcoming events.

Your budding entomologist will definitely want to check it out.

Chicagoland Homeschool Hikers Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Hike Schedule

To join their group, just show up for a hike! All hikes are “drop-in” -
you don’t need to register! They meet at 10 am and usually hike until
around noon. Most families bring a lunch to enjoy following the hike.
All ages are welcome. To follow their group and get messages, photos, details
regarding upcoming hikes join their online community:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chicagolandhomeschoolhikers

Friday September 17 – Hammel Woods, Shorewood Illinois
http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/preserves-trails/Hammel-Woods
parking lot on Black Road (Crumby Recreation Area)

Friday October 1 – Indiana Dunes State Park, Chesterton Indiana
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/dunes_trail.pdf
parking location TBA

Friday October 15 – Sag Valley/Swallow Cliff Woods, Palos Park Illinois
http://www.fpdcc.com/downloads/swallow_cliff_pg.pdf
park in lot near 96th & 119th (see bottom of map)

Friday November 5 – Channahon State Park, Channahon Illinois
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/i&m/east/channaho/park.htm
park in lot off of Story St.

Friday November 19 – Fullersburg Woods, Oakbrook IL
http://www.dupageforest.com/media/files/cms/District_News/Multimedia_Gal\
lery/Maps/Preserve_Maps_PDFs/Fullersburg.pdf <http://www.dupageforest.com/media/files/cms/District_News/Multimedia_Gallery/Maps/Preserve_Maps_PDFs/Fullersburg.pdf>
park off of Spring Road near the Visitors Center

Friday December 3 – Rock Run Preserve, Joliet IL
http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/preserves-trails/Rock-Run-Nichols
Use Paul Nichols Access – Essington Road & Ingalls Ave.

Friday January 7 – Plum Creek Nature Center, Beecher IL – SLEDDING HILL!
- let it snow! http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/visitor-centers/pcnc
parking at the Nature Center

Friday February 4 – Monee Reservoir, Monee IL – SNOWSHOEING! Snowshoes
are available to rent -
http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/preserves-trails/Monee-Reservoir
park near the visitor center

For more information  go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chicagolandhomeschoolhikers/
and join the list to receive info on all of the hikes, including the next 6 month schedule.

We love games in our house, especially when they tie in academic subjects and can legitimately enhance our school day.

And, we also have found that speed drills rank right up there with folding laundry for activities most desired to be avoided.

Pyramath cards attack both these issues in one hit. Kids can practice their math facts in a fun way, competitive or solo with this creative deck of cards.

Product: Pyramath
Details : Pyramath is produced by I See Cards and offers a fun, easy to learn card game for one or two players. Players must use a variety of math operations and thinking skills to complete their pyramid of numbers
Price : $6.95 for one deck, also comes in various bundles with their other products

What we loved . . .

• Fun, fun, fun. Some educational games are a bit of a stretch in the fun department. Not in this case. Pyramath is simple, really does help build math skills, and is downright fun. My kids liked playing and watching, while trying to bite their tongue so as not to give away any moves that the players missed.
• Easy to learn. About all you need to do is open the box — okay, and spend less than five minutes reading the basic rules. Deal out seven cards and the game begins. Players simply flip over one card at a time from the pile and try to find a place for it by adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing any pair of numbers next to each other.
• Online version available. Don’t spend too much time there, but they do have an online version that you or your kids can play. This was a great hold-me-over while I waited for my deck to arrive.
• Reasonable price, and a discount! These cards present an affordable addition to any math curriculum, and a discount is available if you join their fan page on facebook and use the code provided there.
• One or two player. This is great for kids to pull out during a little dead time during the school day. Maybe they are waiting for you to finish with another student to give them a hand with their work, or they want a change of pace for their speed drills, or maybe they are motivated by a little competition. Pyramath fits the bill in all those situations.

Some considerations . . .

• Sometimes the cards don’t work out right. We have played MANY times and every now and then you just get stuck. Just the way the cards are dealt as the saying goes, but in this case it is literally so. No problem, just pick them up and start again. We’ve never gotten stuck twice in a row.
• Limited with younger kids. If your kids are only learning their addition or maybe subtraction facts, you will find fewer options for card placement. You can still play with them and they will likely enjoy it, but it is best used with kids already using all four math operations.

Pyramath brought us a simple solution to the continuing issue of solid math computation. The fact that kids enjoy it makes it a keeper. Loving this handy little deck of cards!

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

Disclaimer: This card game was provided to me free of charge through I See Cards 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.

Whether you school or not today, take time to learn about the holiday. So often holidays simply mean another barbecue, a relaxed schedule, or time with extended family. If you want to learn a little more behind this “end of summer” final fling, check out these links:

The Department of Labor shares some of the history behind the day.

Or, check in with History.com for some videos and more visual background of this holiday.

Create some labor related crafts — collages of people performing different jobs, a thank you card for a community helper, or make a life size outline of your child and decorate them in a favorite uniform.

The popular way to celebrate is taking some time to rest from the normal labors of everyday life.

Whether you are laboring or not today, enjoy the day. This year it is truly our end of summer as we head back to “the books” tomorrow with our first official day of school in over a month.

Summer is over, and by now I’m sure your Homeschool classes are back in full swing.  One of the best ways to reinforce what you are teaching in the home (in Science, History, Bible, and more) is to take a trip to the Creation Museum (located in the Greater Cincinnati area).

The Creation Museum presents a unique and unparalleled experience, a walk through time portraying significant, life-altering events from the past, illuminating the effects of biblical history on our present and future world.  Be prepared to experience history in a completely unprecedented way.  Our state-of-the-art exhibits, Stargazer’s planetarium, life-sized dinosaur animatronics and beautiful outdoor gardens with paved walking trails and petting zoo make this an exciting addition to every homeschool curriculum.

For the months of September and October (Sept. 7 – Oct. 28), the Creation Museum will be running a special promotion especially for Homeschool families.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday’s are Homeschool Days. Admission to the Museum is only $10 for adults (13 and up) and $7 for children (5-12).  The Stargazer’s Planetarium is also specially priced at only $4.

To take advantage of this special Homeschool offer, simply present the printed PDF form at the Creation Museum on the day of your visit.  This pricing is ONLY available with the PDF coupon.

Please pass this along to any, and all, homeschooling families you know. This is not a group rate.  It is available to ALL Homeschool families.  When you forward this message on, please be sure to include the attachment.  You can access it here: http://tinyurl.com/37z8atr

Matthew Bullington is a homeschool graduate who was paid to go to college, and has now produced a variety of resources specifically targeted to help homeschoolers prepare for college.

Along with resources, he also gives workshops.  He is going to be traveling through Illinois the week of September 20^th through August 25^th, and if I can find an interested group in the area I would be willing to give a 90 minute free workshop on one or two of the below topics of your choice:

-Earning College Credit: Details on Dual Enrollment and Credit by Examination

-Financing College: Details on How to Locate Scholarships, Grants and Alternative Ways to Reduce the Cost of a College Education

-Standardized Exams: Preparing for the ACT and SAT

-Homeschooling High-School: How to Approach College Preparation with Confidence

-The Application Process:  How to Make Yourself Marketable to Colleges and Universities

-Is College the Right Choice?  College and the Alternatives

If you would be interested or know of a group that might be interested in having a workshop and would like to know more details please contact Matthew by e-mail or cell.  Please feel free to forward this to other groups!

Contact: Matthew Bullington

Phone: 615-653-6816 (Cell)

Website: www.UniversityReady.com or www.HomeschoolCollegePrep.com

Email: Matthew@HomeschoolCollegePrep.com

“Wonderful!!! Full of information but taught with the heart of a homeschooler.  Just what our family needed to start our college prep with confidence!”

–Jamie K, previous workshop attendee

“The wealth of information that you gave that will ultimately save me boat-loads of time. Plus I feel that I got incredibly beneficial information that I wish that I had known in my highschool/college career.  Now I feel that we can get funding for college.”

–Kim A, previous workshop attendee

“Matthew Bullington, honors graduate of both his homeschool high school and his 3 1/2 years at Middle Tennessee State University, has produced an excellent and very thorough two-part DVD series giving homeschool parents and their Junior and Senior high school students step-by-step guidelines to prepare for all aspects of college.  In conjunction with the DVD series, Matthew has also developed a web site at www.HomeschoolCollegePrep.com and workshops to assist homeschool families in this journey from homeschool to college.  We highly recommend Matthew to you as an excellent coach and his DVD series as a most-helpful road map to guide you and your students alon the path to a successful transition from your homeschool to college.”

–Claiborne and Lana Thornton, parents of three, homeschooling over 25 years, President of the Tennessee Home Education Association

CHESS homeschool group is offering the following classes on CPR, First Aid, and dissection to support your homeschool.

Class size is limited ~ register early!

To register for the following classes:

email Sandi Grutzius at sgrutzius@ymail.com and designate the class and time you would prefer and then a second option if the class is full. Upon confirmation of availability, send a check made out to CHESS to Sandi Grutzius, 16620 Grant Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60467.

CPR and First Aid Training

The instructor will be Robert Niemic, father of five homeschooled children, Firefighter/Paramedic for the last 18 years, American Heart Association CPR instructor, and founder of How 2 Save a Life. How to Save a Life was created to provide CPR and First Aid training using the American Heart Association guidelines.

The CPR instruction

This class offers three hours of training in adult, child, and infant CPR. Bob will demonstrate the use of an AED or Automated External Defibrillator and will teach skills needed to help an infant, child, or adult who has stopped breathing, is choking, or has a cardiac emergency. Upon completion, students will receive an AHA CPR certification card.

CPR Class – Tuesday, October 26 9:00 – Noon, or 6:00 – 9:00.

The First Aid class

In this three hour class students learn how to handle a wide variety of medical emergencies including heart attacks, diabetic emergencies, stroke, shock, trauma, environmental emergencies and more, should you ever be faced with one. As a student you will leave the class feeling confident that you will know how to handle many difficult situations in public or at home. At the end of the class, you will receive an AHA First Aid certification card.

First Aid Class – Tuesday, October 26 1:00 – 4:00

Both classes meet on the same day, October 26. Each class has a fee of $16 for CHESS members.

After the September meeting, both classes will be open to non-CHESS members for a fee of $20.

Classes meet at Grace Fellowship Church in Oak Forest, IL and are open to ages 12 and up. Parents are welcome to certify. Payment is due upon registration

.

YUCK 103

(for Jr. and Sr. High students)

Dr. Lainna Callentine has a great love for teaching. She is a pediatrician, home school mother, and former classroom teacher with a certification and masters in elementary education. Dr. Callentine continues to have wonderment for the beauty of God’s creation in the human body. She left formal medicine in the ER to stay home and home school her three children. However, she still practices her hobby of medicine at a Christian clinic in Bolingbrook

Yuck 103 – The Circulatory System

- Young scientists will be able to experience and examine some of the vile and wonderfully disgusting elements of life. In this hands-on lab, students will study the circulatory system. Activities include dissecting sheep pluck (trachea, heart, and lung unit), blood typing, and investigating the forensic chemistry of blood types. See the fascinating innards of God’s creation. Two sessions of this 2 hour class are available.

Thursday, November 4 ~ cost $20/student for CHESS members

9:30 – 11:30 or 1:00 – 3:00

cost $22/student for non-CHESS members

Coming in 2011

- Plan to join us for YUCK 104 and YUCK 105 in the winter and spring as we investigate the digestive system and the central nervous system.

Camp Timber-Lee, located just to the North in East Troy, Wisconsin, offers a homeschool science program for the serious high school science student.

This class spans the full school year and includes time spent at camp, books to read, lab work, and written assignments. Building on Jay Wile’s well known science texts from Apologia, these experienced teachers challenge the students to grow in their faith and academics.

The early bird discount period has already ended, but it is not too late to get in on the class for the upcoming school year. Find all the details on the Timber-Lee site.