Fitness incentive program

plunge

We all may be seeking fitness motivation that keeps our New Year’s goals rolling, and while this incentive is for the students, maybe it will help us keep our own plans in line.

Raging Waves Waterpark offers an incentive program that will really get kids moving.

From their site:

Welcome to the 2012 Plunge into Fitness Program

Children Kindergarten through 8th grade are invited to Plunge into Fitness this spring as Raging Waves Waterpark joins the battle against childhood obesity. The fitness initiative runs March 5 through April 30, and each child completing the program requirements during this seven-week period will receive a free Raging Waves full day admission pass.

The Plunge into fitness program requires a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day, which totals 25 hours for the seven week period. Any activity that increases heart rate qualifies including: walking, running, biking, playing team sports, skateboarding, swimming, jumping rope and hopscotch. For the duration of the program, each child will complete a fitness log provided by Raging Waves. Once complete, a parent will sign it and the child will turn it into his or her teacher by April 30th. All children kindergarten through 8th grade, including homeschoolers, are encouraged to join this program and earn a free Raging Waves full-day admission pass.

They even have posters to download and all the info right there on their site.  Sign in doesn’t actually start until April 30 when you may use your log in id and password they provide to upload all participating students at once. Everything must be received online only by May 15, 2012.

They say they also give you an opportunity to buy additional tickets for 25% off!

Check out all the details for their Plunge into Fitness program.

Fox Valley area Homeschool Choir

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 23rd (Jan 16th 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 1st child, $35 for 2nd child, $20 for 3rd 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!

Contest open to homeschoolers

An organization known as Creative Communication offers contests in the area of art and writing to students of various ages.

There is no fee to enter and they publish a book (which they then sell) of winning entries. This can be a fun motivator if just working toward a grade or even just to get an assignment finished is getting a little old.

From the coordinators:

We have three contests . . .  Each year we have several homeschoolers accepted in our
contests and we admire their impressive work.  The following is
information on each contest, if you have any questions please feel
free to contact me!

Here are the websites for more information:
Art Contest
www.celebratingart.com

Poetry Contest
poeticpower.com

Essay Contest
poeticpower.com

Scholastic Warehouse Sale

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Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale Event

Another great warehouse sale over at Scholastic, just in time for the holidays.

Click their link to check out a location near you with dates and more info. If you register online you also get a coupon for either $10 off $50 purchase or $25 off $100. Spending $50 is pretty easy, and gets you a ton of books to use for your home library or gifts for kids, or whatever you need them for.

The video on the site gives you an idea of what to expect if you have not been to one of their sales before. It is an open warehouse with enormous row after enormous row of books at discounted prices, aka homeschoolers’ heaven.

Guitar Lessons

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 at Burpee Museum

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

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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

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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

Brain Nutrition Lecture

The following information received via email (Thank you, Shannon, for passing this along!)

Parent Lecture:  Brain Nutrition 101 – Tuesday November 8th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

“You are what you eat” is especially true when it comes to brain
development. Explore the brain/gut relationship & what happens when
the brain becomes imbalanced. Learn about Functional Disconnection
Syndrome and nutrition’s role in correcting brain imbalances to help
children overcome behavioral, social, emotional, and academic
struggles.  Seating limited for this free event.

Please call 847-821-1328 to RSVP

Presented by Dr. Jeremy Fritz, a Clinical Nutritionist and a
Functional Medicine Practitioner with an emphasis on Childhood
Neurobehavioral and Developmental Disorders.  He is board a board
eligible Chiropractic Neurologist with the American Chiropractic
Neurology Board and the Executive Director of the Brain Balance Center
of Vernon Hills

Who:  Brain Balance Achievement Center

Where: College of Lake County
1120 S,. Milwaukee Ave
Vernon Hills,  IL 60061

Email: info@brainbalancechicago.com

Website: www.brainbalanceVH.com

Phone: 847-821-1328

Primary Contact Person: Cindy Adams

ICHE Young Adult Conference

Join us at ICHE’s

Young Adult Conference!

November 12, 2011

9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)

Fellowship Church of Carol Stream Young Adults 18 years and older
Mr. Caner

Featuring Dr. Emir Caner

Don’t miss this opportunity!  Dr. Caner is a captivating speaker with a relevant message to tell!

His topics are:

– When God Drew Near:  A Muslim’s Story of God’s Grace (Isaiah 9:2-6).

– 10 Things Every Christian Needs to Know about Islam

– Reaching Your Muslim Neighbor

This conference is just $30.00 per family.

Those 18 and up are invited to attend.

In addition to challenging sessions, the day includes times for ……..

games, fellowship, and volleyball.

Bring a sack lunch, and stay for the delicious lasagna dinner which is available for only $7.00 per person.

After dinner, the evening is full of fun opportunities you won’t want to miss.

Each year we have to shoo people out the door because they don’t want to leave.

Sign up now for this popular conference at  http://www.iche.org/forms/2011-young-adult-conference-registration-form.

You’ll be glad you did!

Location –

Fellowship Church of Carol Stream

130 Shawnee Drive

Carol Stream, IL 60188

Questions?
(847) 603-1259

Location
Fellowship Church of Carol Stream
130 Shawnee Dr
Carol Stream, IL

Homeschool speaker in Lake County

Received this info from a reader (thank you, Shannon!):

Free Lecture for Home Schooling Parents

On Monday Oct 17th at noon, Dr. Jeremy Fritz will presenting this free
lecture for home schooling families, “Home Schooling Struggling
Learners”.

Brain Balance Logo

Gain a deeper comprehension of your child’s struggles using a brain
based perspective.  Learn specific strategies that you will be able to
implement into your home school academics and activities, which will
contribute to your child’s successful development.

This free event will take place at the College of Lake County, 1120
South Milwaukee Ave in Vernon Hills.  To reserve your seat for this
event please call 847-821-1328.

Dr. Jeremy Fritz is a functional medicine practitioner with an
emphasis on Childhood Neurobehavioral and Developmental Disorders.  He
is a board eligible Chiropractic Neurologist with the American
Chiropractic Neurology Board and a certified Clinical Nutritionist.
Dr. Fritz is the executive director of the Brain Balance Achievement
Center
in Vernon Hills.

Where: College of Lake County
1120 S. Milwaukee Ave
Vernon Hills, IL 60061

Email: info@brainbalancechicago.com

Website: www.brainbalancevh.com

Phone: Cindy Adams at 847-821-1328

Carole Joy Seid Seminar

If your homeschool day could use a little less stress and a little more joy, check out this upcoming seminar:

Carole Joy Seid’s “heartfelt desire is to make your home schooling experience simple, enjoyable and affordable. At the core of her philosophy is the secret to educational success — great books, great books, and more great books.”

What: A Literature Based Approach to Education

When: November 5th 2011 Elmhurst, IL 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Where: West Suburban Community Church
825 N. Van Auken
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Cost: $45.00 online registration by October 25th
$45.00 mail-in postmarked by October 21st
$55.00 at the door

Directions:
West Suburban Community Church is located approximately three blocks south of Grand Avenue, five blocks north of the Eisenhower Expressway (290), and five blocks east of York Road in Elmhurst, IL.

Exit 290 at York Road. Take York Road north approximately five blocks to North End. Go east on North End to Van Auken. Turn north on Van Auken. You will see the church on your right.

Contact:
Michelle 630-748-1242; mlpollard7@gmail.com
Karen 630-279-2647; k.semrau@att.net

More info online: www.carolejoyseid.com