Six Flags Home School Day

From their website:
Six Flags hosts the 17th annual Home School Day event on August 27. Enjoy a fun filled day at the park with your family and friends. A special all-you-can-eat Home School Day picnic is also available in our private picnic grove. Contact SFGAMspecialevents@sixflags.com for additional information.

Make Six Flags Great America your outdoor learning lab. We offer teachers and students curriculum guides to make the day an educational experience. Learn More about our Educational Tools.

More details from a mailing I received:
When: Monday, August 27, 2012, 10-6 are the regular park hours. 6-8 is exclusive ride time for those that purchase the Home School Day ticket, good on certain rides. Hurricane Harbor is closed by this point in the season.
Where: Six Flags Great America
1 Great America Parkway
Gurnee, IL 60031
Located on I-94 at Route 132 (Grand Ave.)
Cost: Kids 2 and under are free.
Everyone else — $28 each with promocode HOMESCHOOL
Also, if you are coordinating for your group you can earn one free ticket per 20 purchased.
Parking — $20
Picnic Grove Meal — $11.50 each (available from 4-5pm
Processing Fee — $10
Tickets must be ordered in advance
If you have questions or need more info  call: 847-249-1952 or email SFGAMspecialevents@sixflags.com

SciTech needs

Received this via email (maybe you have some items that need a new home, and what better place to donate them?):

SciTech Logo PNG

SciTech Needs Donated Items! 

Oops, our last email was a little confusing!  We have rearranged the list so that you can understand our needs better!

Here’s a wonderful way to help the SciTech Museum and put those unused shop items to great use!  The SciTech Museum is rebuilding exhibits and you can help!  SciTech is a 501c3 charity looking for the following items:

  • 10 inch compound miter saw
  • 10″ circular saw blades with carbine tips for all materials
  • 3 cordless drills
  • 2 pistol cordless screwdrivers
  • Wood lathe
  • Metal lathe
  • 48″ metal brake
  • 2×4 wood
  • 1×1 – 1×10 wood
  • Plywood sheets
  • Medium Density Fiberboard sheets 1/2″ to 1″ thick
  • 2 sets of wood working chisels
  • 1″ to 3″ in diameter clear Plexiglas tubing – all lengths
  • Clear and colored lucite sheets
  • Plastic drain pipes in different sizes
  • Wet/dry sandpaper (extra fine – course)
  • 1/2″ & 3/4″ electrical pipe
  • Electrical rough-in boxes for single and double gang
  • Electrical switches
  • Electrical Outlets
  • 12 & 14 gage electrical wire (different colors)
  • 1/2″ & 3/4″ copper piping Flexible vent lines – 4″ and 6″
  • Sloan Valves
  • Copper fittings, connectors, elbows, caps, valves
  • SOS Pads
  • Shop rags/towels
  • Picture hanging supplies
  • Transformers for fluorescent lighting
  • LED lights
  • Multiple drawer tool cabinet on wheels with extension drawer guides
  • Spray Paint of all colors, Paint Primer, Paint Brushes, Paint Rollers, Paint Sprayer with compressor
  • Paint Spray Booth
  • Two shelf plastic service carts 38″x26″ with flat top shelf and 3 1/2″ top tray
  • 18 Gauge Brad Air Nailer for 3/4″ to 2″ long brads & assortment of Brads Up to 12
  • Air Brush Gun with Air Brush Compressors
  • 1/2 HP Deep Well Jet Pump
  • Flat screen monitors of all sizes
  • 28V Cordless Combo Tool Kit with a drill, circular saw, reciprocating saw
  • Spray rubber cement adhesive
  • 1/2″ to 2″ pvc pipe
  • Foam Board and Gator Board Sheets
All items need to be in good working condition.  Please contact: Gloria at:  630-859-3434 x214 or at scheduling@scitechmuseum.org
Thank you!!
The SciTech Museum Team

Ballet classes in Frankfort

Received this info via email:

My daughters attend an amazing Christian ballet school,
Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts. It’s located in Frankfort/
Mokena area. My daughters LOVE it!! We have been very
happy there. The School Principal/Artistic Director is a
member of our church and she herself comes was home
schooled K-12.

The school not only provides excellent high level instruction,
but great mentorship as well. See info below on there
upcoming Open House and Fall Class Schedule.

Ballet 5:8

Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts, formerly Turning Pointe School of Dance, is a
Christian based, pre-professional ballet school located in Frankfort, IL. The
goal of the school is to provide quality dance education in a nurturing and
uplifting environment. Along with quality dance training, each year the school
performs in two story ballets based on biblical themes. We offer classes for
students ages 2 through adult.

Special discounts available for new students.

9645 Lincoln Way Lane Suite 104
Frankfort, IL 60423
708.329.8773

Fourth of July at Sci Tech

1/2 off Admisson on

July 4th 2012!

July 4th is 1/2 Price Day!

Come for the parade and stay for the fun at the SciTech Museum- just  ½ price for admission (and children under age 3 are free!

Here’s the Parade Details:

  • 9:15 a.m. – Independence Day pre-parade ceremony
  • 10 a.m. – Independence Day Parade in downtown
  • The Independence Day event will start with a patriotic ceremony at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, July 4 outside the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. The parade will step off at 10 a.m. at the corner of Benton and River streets, marching east to Broadway Avenue, north to Galena Boulevard, west to Hoyt Place, south to Downer Place and conclude heading west to Middle Avenue. The event is sponsored by the Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84 in partnership with the City of Aurora.

SciTech will be open from 10 am to 3 pm on Independence Day, July 4th 2012!  Enjoy 3 floors of over 200 “hands-on” science-fun exhibits. Experience free demonstrations and shows and the amazing outdoor science park will be open- where you can ride a bike on a rope and so much more.  Enjoy cold drinks and snacks at the museum café and explore the science gift shop as well!

IEW webinar

The more I use IEW the more I absolutely love it.

As part of a yahoo group related to Institute for Excellence in Writing I received this notice:

Tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 7pm Central, I’ll be a guest of Mark Hamby
<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747159042> , doing a webinar
entitled “Stories and the Moral Imagination.” It’s free and open to anyone.

I love Mark and know we’ll have a great discussion. Join us!

Register here:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/971474903-so
<https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/971474903-so>

Andrew Pudewa
Institute for Excellence in Writing
8799 N 387 Rd., Locust Grove, OK 74352
Tel. 800-856-5815 ext. 5001
Fax. 603-925-5123
andrew@excellenceinwriting.com
www.excellenceinwriting.com

Journalism camp in MI

Received this info via email:

I am in charge of the journalism program at a Christian university in Michigan.

I was wondering if you might be able to help me communicate an opportunity regarding a residential summer high schoolers’ journalism/writing camp at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., with Illinois Christian home schooling parents with whom you might be acquainted in your group?

It is the 10th annual Cornerstone Journalism Institute, which runs from July 22-27. During the camp students:
•             Learn how to interview for a story
•             Learn how to write a human interest story
•             Then actually write one or more stories
•             Learn the basics of digital still camera photography
•             Actually take photographs to illustrate the stories

Students who were 8th-, 9th-, 10th- 11th- or 12th-graders this past school year are eligible to apply to attend the 10th annual Cornerstone Journalism Institute.

More institute details can be seen at: www.cornerstone.edu/events/cji

At the end of the week, students’ articles and photographs are compiled into an actual newspaper that rolls off of a printing press; and students bring a bundle of newspapers home to show proof of their work to family, friends and schoolmates back home.

One of our institute’s instructors, a dedicated Christian, Russ Pulliam, has home-schooled his children with his wife, and he himself is associate editor/columnist for the Indianapolis Star. He has been coming up to Grand Rapids, Mich., for several years now to lead a couple of the writing sessions and is very good at it.

If you provide me with your email address, I can email you more information about the camp.

We typically have a number of home school students attend our institute and many years we have had students from Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, California and Michigan. I would love to have a good contingent of home schoolers attend from Illinois this summer.

While the regular camp cost is $325, I am offering a special discounted rate of $275 to any Illinois home school student who registers and pays in full by/before July 6, 2012.

In the past, some families have driven their child to our institute, got them settled and unpacked in the dormitory and then went camping themselves while their child enjoyed CJI. Just an idea. We provide 24-7 adult oversight of the students in our charge during the week of camp.

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have … I’m most easily reached by email or by cell at: 616.835.5574, as I’m not in my university office very much during the summer.

Can you help spread word of this camp with your fellow home school families in your region?

In Christ,

Alan D. Blanchard, A.B.D.
Executive Director CJI |Assoc. Professor/Director Journalism Dept.
Cornerstone University Journalism Institute
1001 E. Beltline Avenue NE |Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone 616.222.1504 | Fax 866.910.7320
www.cornerstone.edu/events/cji
10th annual CJI – July 22-27, 2012 |writing and photography high school summer camp

ICHE summary

Homeschool conventions have an amazing way of exhausting and exciting me at the same time.

Wanted to share some of the great resources and speakers I enjoyed this past weekend.

Not to overwhelm, we’ll tackle excerpts from two of them today.

First, the College Board rep gave a little lunch time talk on CLEP tests.

She offered lots of helpful info on CLEP exams that made them seem a little more within reach.

CLEP:

– offers huge savings over paying for college, even community college, tuition

– Recommended the book College without Compromise and the CLEP official test book that comes out each year and is available for Amazon.

– No penalty for wrong answers.

– No age restrictions (her kids have taken them as early as 7th grade — earning college credit in middle school!)

– Immediate results. Because it is computer based and you can take it at a variety of times throughout the year, you get an immediate result and know if you pass or not before heading home.

– accepted at 2900 colleges. However, as I was looking at some local ones, the extent they accept them does vary a bit. Some will only accept some of them as elective credits. Others require a higher score than the minimum. So, if you are CLEPping specifically to save on college tuition, do your homework ahead of time with potential colleges.

She gave great tips on actually taking the test including using the practice tests after you have completed high school course work in the subject area. She recommended when practicing to make sure to get two tests in a row with scores in the high 50’s before you attempt the actual test. And, celebrate pass or fail, your kids deserve a reward for all the hard work.

She has a website of her own as well, Credits before College

The official CLEP website has lots of info, or course.

***************************************************

Another speaker, Janice Campbell offered some great insight into grading pieces of writing.

Her website has a number of great resources that you might find helpful, especially in teaching junior and senior high students. She had tips for teaching writing as well as some general teaching tips.

Check out all her info and resources at Everyday Education.

Here are a few of the points that I appreciated from what she had to say:

– In order to evaluate and encourage better writing in your student you need a rubric (which you can find at her site when you give your email), a handbook (to reference specific rules that the student needs to work on), a thesaurus, and a dictionary

– When grading the rough draft you first grade only content. Don’t get bogged down in specific words and mechanics. The rough draft first needs to be adjusted to get the information in an orderly format that completes the assigned writing task. Later revisions will get into the details of style.

– The goal is to teach the student to edit and evaluate themselves (a rubric helps significantly with this because it makes grading so much more concrete).

She shared many more specifics about evaluating writing, but those were the big ones that stuck with me and will have a great impact on how I read and evaluate my kids’ writing.

Did you go to ICHE? Have a favorite workshop?

Resources from ICHE Preschool Panel

Welcome, parents of preschoolers! Here you will find the list of some resources that those of us on the panel have used and enjoyed with our preschoolers. Please feel free to share these and ask any further questions you may have! Praying for you during this exciting and exhausting season in life.

Resources for the Preschool Years

Books / Curriculum/Media Resources

Reading – Sing, Spell, Read and Write; www.singspell.com

– Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Engelmann

Math – Abeka Arithmetic Workbooks; www.abeka.com

Character – Character First! Resources; http://www.characterfirst.com/aboutus/students-families/

Development – Slow and Stead, Get Me Ready by June Oberlander

Choosing Books – Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt

Curriculum – Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert; http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html

Montessori – “Bringing Montessori Home” DVD – Rose Clancy; www.tacklemedia.com

Bible – The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes by Kenneth N. Taylor

– Leading Little Ones to God by Marian M. Schoolhand

Websites

www.christainbook.com – homeschooling books and resources

http://www.rainbowresource.com/ – more homeschooling books and supplies than you can even imagine

www.education.com – Worksheets and activities searchable by grade level.

http://homeschoolshare.com/ – This site has numerous unit studies and lapbook resources, specifically ones related to Before Five in a Row and Five in a Row

http://www.starfall.com/ – Games for preschoolers to play. Especially at
the preschool age, I don’t let my kids sit and play on their own, but these
might be a fun addition to time you spend with your preschooler

http://www.homeschoolcreations.net – This is a website I find helpful for kids of all ages. A homeschool mom of 4 has shared all her printables and many plans and ideas from throughout her homeschooling time. She has focused a lot on the preschool years in particular.

Other

Local Public Library- Swan Library System – allows you to search for desired books through multiple library systems and have books delivered to your local library.

Museum Adventure Pass: from your library you can get free or reduced admission to various museums. This is for the Chicago area, but other states have similar programs.

A CD called Sounds like Fun from Discovery Toys (http://www.amazon.com/Sounds-Like-Fun-Discovery-Toys/dp/B0012NBP4E) is a great compilation of songs that cover early math, letter sounds, opposites, manners, nursery rhymes and even some Spanish sung to some classical guitar. Useful quiet time CD.

Games are an engaging way to incorporate learning fun at the preschool age and beyond — Zingo can develop basic word and sound recognition; Candyland for colors; Junior Monopoly for counting (and many other “junior” versions of favorite classics); Legos and Playmobile; other educational boardgames (great gifts for Grandparents to give if they are asking for ideas) like Sunken Treasure (http://www.amazon.com/Sunken-Treasure-Adventure%C3%83-Phonics-Beginning/dp/B00004TDTN)

Learn through work: sorting socks and other laundry is an effective early math exercise as is cooking and baking together (math and health lesson there); plant a garden; talk about money, checks, credit cards (never too young to learn healthy money habits)

A favorite pre-reading activity we have used: write large letters on pieces of paper spread around the room or with chalk on ground outside. Say a letter sound and have kids run (or hop or crawl) to the letter they just heard. Use capital or lower case or both depending on what they are learning.

Let kids “write” in salt or sand in a pie tin or plate, pudding (or whipped cream or shaving cream) in a sealed plastic bag is great messless finger painting or water and a paintbrush on the ground outside. Also make letters with playdough, pipe cleaners, sticks, fingers or their whole body.

Field trips – http://chicagolandhomeschoolnetwork.com/fieldtrips/

Recipe for Kool-aid Playdough (large batch)

5 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 pkgs kool-aid, any flavor

1/2 cup oil

3-4 cups boiling water (start with 3 and add more until kneadable)

Staycation 2012 full list

Whether you are staying in the area or traveling this summer, here are some great links to check out and share with friends. Hopefully we can all discover something new to keep our summer sizzling.

Mid-Atlantic

Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York :: Coupons, Deals and More
Central New Jersey :: Philzendia (formerly Oh diane)
Erie, Pennsylvania :: Growing Kids Ministry
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania :: Family Balance Sheet

Midwest

Black Hills, South Dakota :: Little House Living
Central Indiana :: In Good Cents
Chicago, Illinois :: Chicagoland Homeschool Network
Cincinnati, Ohio :: Savings Lifestyle Cincinnati
Dayton, Ohio :: Savings Lifestyle Dayton
Kansas City Area :: Kansas City Mamas
Mansfield, Ohio :: The Traveling Praters
Metro Detroit, Michigan :: Saving Dollars and Sense
Mount Vernon, Ohio :: Living Better One Day at a Time
North Central Indiana :: Parenting Miracles
Oakland County, Michigan :: Bargain Shopper Mom
Omaha, Nebraska :: Mom Endeavors
Oshkosh, Wisconsin :: A Little Bit of This and That
SE Minnesota :: Everyday Notions
Springfield, Missouri :: Getting Freedom
springfield, Missouri :: I Think I can, I think I can
St. Louis, Missouri :: Our Four Letter Words

South Central

Arlington, Texas :: Grocery Shop For FREE
Dallas, Texas :: Surviving The Stores
Grapevine, Texas :: My Crazy Savings
Houston, Texas :: MomsTravelTales

South Atlantic

Baltimore, Maryland :: The Happy Housewife
Charlottesville, Virginia :: How to Have it All
Jacksonville, Florida :: Saving The Family Money
Orlando, Florida :: Orlandos Best Deals
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia :: Life Your Way
St. Augustine, Florida :: Jypsie Visions
Washington, DC :: Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling

Mountain

Arizona (all) :: Mom Endeavors
Colorado Springs, Colorado :: Springs Bargains
Denver, Colorado :: Denver Bargains
Phoenix, Arizona :: Saving For Someday
Tucson, Arizona :: Desert Chica Ramblings

Pacific

Portland, Oregon :: Frugal Living NW
San Diego, California :: Life as MOM
San Diego, California (The Eating Tour) :: Good Cheap Eats
Seattle, Washington :: Queen Bee Coupons