I received the following information via email. Please contact the teacher at the bottom of the invitation for more information.

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.

Mr. Matt Langston and I will be preparing four hands-on integrated science,
mathematics, and language arts experiences. There would be no charge for
the lessons but 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: 8:30 – 10:30 Monday, February 13

8:30 – 10:30 Monday, February 27
8:30 – 10:30 Monday, March 19
8:30 – 10:30 Monday, March 26

Thinking Like a Scientist – Process Skills
Ramps and Rollers – Physical Science
Fractions and Geometry
Height and Hands – Life Science

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

This past Fall, 20 students participated in the kick-off semester of the Fox Valley Homeschool Choir under the direction of Marketo Griffin and Hannah Gerrity.  There were Sopranos, Altos, Tenors and Basses all lifting their voices in praise to the Lord culminating in a wonderful Christmas Concert!

The second semester of the Fox Valley Homeschool Choir will begin Jan 23^rd (Jan 16^th for new members) with a Spring Concert scheduled for late April.

CHOIR DETAILS

New Member Start Date: Monday, January 16, 2012

Rehearsal Dates: Mondays, January 23, 2012 – April 23, 2012 (No rehearsal on 2/20, 3/26, 4/9).

Time: 3:00-4:15pm

Place: Union Congregational Church Sanctuary

405 West State Street, North Aurora, IL

REGISTRATION

Student Ages: Ages 14-18 may join without audition **

Ages 12-13 must audition to join **

Cost: $75 for 1^st child, $35 for 2^nd child, $20 for 3^rd child (and beyond)J

Registration: Now through January 30, 2012

To register please email the Director, Marketo Griffin @ lessons@marketochristine.com

** Marketo will listen to all new students privately for part assignments (SATB)

About the Director:

Marketo heard the Lord’s call into music and ministry over five years ago while working as a civilian air traffic controller on a remote airfield in the Kuwait desert! She entered Wheaton College just over a year later and recently finished her studies with a Bachelor Degree of Music in Voice Performance.  At Wheaton College, she served as Honors Conductor of the Wheaton College Concert Choir, Director of the Wheaton College WOW Worship Team, and Honors Conductor of the Wheaton College Women’s Chorale.   Marketo is currently serving as the A Cappella Ensemble Director at DuPage AME Church and as the Coordinator of Contemporary Worship at First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton.

About the Assistant Director/Accompanist:

Hannah Gerrity will be serving as the Assistant Director and the Accompanist.  She graduated from Wheaton College in May with a BS in Voice Performance.  While she was a student at Wheaton College, she served as Honors Conductor and President of the Wheaton College Concert Choir. She is also a very gifted pianist and accompanist.  Hannah is passionate about choral singing, homeschooling and loving Jesus with all her heart!

Piano Instruction for $15 per Half Hour Lesson -

Stephanie Dean has 24 years of instruction and teaching experience
with a BA in Elementary Education and a MA in Teaching and Leadership.

She was also a 2004 nominee for Kane County Teacher of the Year.

Stephanie Dean’s Piano Instruction
219 Rainmaker Run
Lake in the Hills, IL 60156

For more information contact:

Phone: 847-854-4185

Email: sbdean1@gmail.com

Guitar Fundamentals is a leader in providing group guitar lessons for park districts and after school programs for the Chicagoland area.

They are interested in offering classes to home schoolers in the area as well.

For more information . . .

Call:  630-664-1504

Email: smathison2@comcast.net

Or check out their webpage: www.guitarfundamentals.org

Homeschool classes coming up in Rockford. They have these available each month, and look like some great topics. I like that the teacher is a former homeschooler as well. You’re not stepping into a class with a teacher that doesn’t understand where you or your kids are coming from. That’s a great plus!

From the Burpee Museum website:

Education : Home School – Fall 2011

Burpee Museum has been offering classes for students who are home schooled for over 9 years. The current teacher home schooled her own four children, has extensive experience as a teacher in a local home school co-op, and has been on the education staff at Burpee for 7 years.

Classes are for 9 – 13 year olds and Workshops are for 6 – 9 year olds. Participants can sign up for the entire month, or pick and choose which classes to attend. These classes are inquiry based; hands-on activities and experiments are the core of all classes. The curriculum is based on the AIMS (Activities Investigating Mathematics and Science) and GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) curriculums. Students will measure, estimate, observe, predict, classify, and gather and record data.

Burpee Museum reserves the right to limit enrollments or cancel any class. Every effort will be made to notify registrants when a class is cancelled.

November

When: Tuesday 11/8 2.00– 4.00 pm

Cabbage Chemistry

For 9 – 13 year olds
Students delve into proportions working with cabbage juice to study chemistry.
Pre-registration and payment is required
Call Education Department 815 965 3433 ext 1020 to register
Fees: $12 per child members, additional siblings $9 per child
$16 per child non members, additional siblings $13 per child

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

Tuesday11/22 2.00– 4.00 pm

Household Mysteries: What’s Lurking in Your Cabinet?

For 9 – 13 year olds
Students bring household chemicals from home and determine if they are acid or base, to develop a new understanding of chemistry.
Pre-registration and payment is required

Call Education Department 815 965 3433 ext 1020 to register
Fees: $12 per child members, additional siblings $9 per child
$16 per child non members, additional siblings $13 per child

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

Tuesday 11/29 2.00– 4.00 pm

Become a Field Biologist

For 9 – 13 year olds
Experience field biology techniques and data collection to study animal behavior.
Pre-registration and payment is required
Call Education Department 815 965 3433 ext 1020 to register
Fees: $12 per child members, additional siblings $9 per child
$16 per child non members, additional siblings $13 per child

I received a special invitation to extend to area homeschoolers for the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, coming up October 22-30.

This looks like an absolutely fabulous time. Workshops, movies, and tons of activities packing the school days as well as evenings and on the weekend. So, if you want to make this a field trip, jump at the chance! Or, if your school days are too full to take a break from right now, check out some of their evening and weekend events.

For school day events (special targeted activities for kids from preschool through high school at various times) check out their school and special groups info.

Or, take a look at their evening and weekend schedule;

Or, maybe you want to check out the workshops.

And, of course if nothing else, check out their facebook page.

Main website: cicff.org

And, the invite from the festival itself:

The Chicago International Children”s Film Festival is the oldest and largest film festival in the world. The Festival would welcome HomeSchool Children to experience the best in multicultural film from around the world. Filmmakers attend screenings and speak of the messages in the films. The Festival takes place from October 22nd to the 30th. The schedule is on-line at http://www.cicff.org. Come see the best in international film that opens young eyes and minds to new worlds, new cultures, and new ideas!

It looks like it runs about $7 a piece if you are coming with a group under 25 people. Knock another dollar off if you get together a group over 25.

Doug Newton is the man to talk to with all the group info though,  so check with him:

Contact: Doug Newton
Group Sales Coordinator
773-281-9075 ext. 3009
fldtrips@facets.org

The following information is from the Food Day website:

Back to Nature FOOD DAY Fair
Transitioning to a Sustainable Food Way

Movies, Information & Local Organic Food and Drink Tasting
2-Day “Food Day” Kick off & Community Awareness Celebration
Celebrate the first National
Food Day in beautiful and historic downtown Elgin.

When: Saturday October 22nd
10:00 – 3:00 pm
and Sunday October 23rd
Noon- 5:00 pm

Hosted by Elgin Green Drinks
Where: Simple Balance Holistic Center
221 E Chicago Street
Elgin Illinois, 60123

We will be showing 2- new films  Saturday “Ingredients” and Sunday  “Forks over Knives”
and Dr. Jaena Stanley Gonzaga will give presentation on her 8 part webinar series
“A Simple Food Curriculum” Back to the Healing Powers of Nature

You’ll also get a chance to meet your local organic farmers and taste their delicious healthy fare.
Elgin Garden Network Display and Information
ECC, Organic Garden and Culinary Display
Erehwon Organic Farms (tasting)
Troggs Hollow Organic Farm (tasting)
Brons Bees Honey (tasting)
Heritage Prairie Farms (tasting)
Limerock Cheese (tasting)
Hasselman Farms Grass fed Beef (tasting)
Tomato Mountain Organic Farm (tasting)
Raw Food Healing Smoothies (tasting with AJ)
Slow Food Usa, display and information
Traditional Nutrition-information
Aquaranch–tasting
Feeding Greater Elgin
Raw Food Cooking display (tasting)

Thanks to Michele for forwarding this tidbit from the Tree Line publication of the Kane County Forest Preserve:

Homeschool Explorations

Join us for this nature program series designed for homeschool families. Each month, the program focuses on a different topic at a different forest preserve. Activities this fall include searching for insects, identifying trees, and observing squirrels. All ages are welcome, but the activities are designed for ages 5-10.

Insects

Tuesday, Sept. 13; 10-11:30 a.m.
LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve
37W370 Dean St., St. Charles
Fee: $2/person or $8/family of 4 or more

Trees

Monday, Oct. 24; 10-11:30 a.m.
Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve
Merrill Road, 1 mile east of IL Route 47,
Sugar Grove
Fee: $2/person or $8/family of 4 or more

Squirrels

Wednesday, Nov. 16; 10-11:30 a.m.
Jon Duerr Forest Preserve
35W003 IL Rte. 31, South Elgin
Fee: $2/person or $8/family of 4 or more

Gym and Swim classes are enrolling around the Chicagoland area in preparation for the upcoming semester.

Please share if you know of one that is not listed here:

Naperville: YMCA

Meets on Fridays from 1-3:15

Age: 6-16
In the pool, children will be split up according to age and ability level which can range from beginner to competitive. We will cover the five components of YMCA swim lessons, which are personal safety, personal growth, water sports & games, and rescue to give your children a well-rounded aquatic lesson.

In the gym, children will be split up according to age. The younger group will be given a more traditional gym class that will teach the fundamentals of basketball, soccer and other group sports. The older group will be more focused on fitness, stationary cycling and group fitness.

Session: 11SEP (Sep 6-Oct 22) 1 day a week for 7 weeks

Session: 11OCT* (Oct 23-Dec 17) 1 day a week for 7 weeks

Elgin: The Centre

These classes are available Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 1-3. They have been known to fill up, so register soon!

If you’re home schooled, come out to The Centre and have some fun!! Our Gym and Swim program features a one hour swim lesson and a one hour physical education class each week. A variety of sports including basketball, soccer, and floor hockey will be played in our gym and kids will get some free time to swim in our awesome Adventure Island at the end of their swim lesson. The program is for all home schooled 5-15 year olds, and there are sessions offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Children may be registered for multiple sessions. Each session is ten weeks long, the first beginning on Tuesday, September 13. Come to The Centre to register today!! $54/R $64/NR

The Centre Front Desk is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, please call Brett Lind, Youth and Teen Coordinator, at 847-531-7017.

I know there used to be one in Schaumburg, but could not find any current info on it, but I did come across this about homeschool programs at Spring Valley.

There’s got to be more gym and swim classes, but that’s all I can come up with right now. If you know of one or participate in one, please share!