Nov 23, 2010

FYI: The Kid's Science Challenge is open for submissions now!

The Kids' Science Challenge is open to all legal U.S. residents who are students enrolled in 3rd through 6th grade at a public, private, parochial, or home school located in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. For a student to officially enter he/she must be registered with the Kids' Science Challenge and his/her submission must be uploaded, faxed or postmarked between October 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011. Limit one entry per student or group per science topic. You may submit an entry for each of the 3 science topics.


Click "Submit Your Entry!" to complete the Kids' Science Challenge entry submission process. A parent or guardian may register their child online and then complete the entry form via the Kids' Science Challenge website. Alternatively, you can download the Entry Form [PDF: 2.71] to be completed, and faxed or mailed to the Kids' Science Challenge office.

Oct 31, 2010

My 2010 Halloween Costume

A friend asked me to work at her church's annual Road Rally at their Pi Day booth.  As Pi Day (March 14th) is also Einstein's birthday...  this is the result!

Oct 25, 2010

I love this math site!

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives out of Utah State University
I have been telling folks about this site for years now, but the address is hard enough to find I think the resource is difficult to find again a month later.  Be sure to bookmark it! 

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

There are so many excellent manipulatives here - have fun exploring! 

Crystal Lake Park District late fall classes start this week!

The second session of Crystal Lake Park District homeschool classes are now open for registration.

* 10:00 - 11:30 Nature Study taught by Jess Day at the Nature Center. In this totally interactive class, the children will be exploring plant and animal life at the park, seasonal changes and much more. Ages 6-10, cost $36. Contact: leah.mikkelson@gmail.com to register.

* 10:00 - 11:00 Pen and Mouse Drawing with Julie Kukreja. Children will learn 3D drawing techniques to pop their drawings off of the page. Each session covers new ideas and concepts and artists of all abilities will be challenged and inspired! Ages 6 and up.Cost:$75 in district / $90 out of district. Class code: 4243-4

11:30 - 12:30 Pre-Algebra - Cure for the Math Curse taught by the always popular Kathy Wentz. This series of classes uses a visual and hands-on system for learning basic Algebraic concepts. This fall session will introduce variables, positive and negative integers and the basic steps needed to solve linear equations. Ages 8 and up. Cost: $51 in district / $66 out of district. Class code: 4243-5 *I am aware that this description does not match the one in the catalog that was published last summer. I was asked to offer this class instead. The description here is the correct description.

12:00 - 1:00 Karate taught by Patric Murphy of Kon Jo Karate Club in Fox River Grove. Mr. Murphy is a third degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and is a wonderful, warm instructor who encourages each of his students to do their best. Ages 3-16yrs. Cost: $50 in district / $65 out of district. Class code: 4243-1 *The time listed here is new and has been moved forward one hour from the one in the catalog to accomodate the wishes of the attendees. The time listed here will be the one followed.

1:00 - 2:00 Math and Science Club with Kathy Wentz. This is the same class which filled up with a filled wait list at the GIFT co-op! Each week students will explore a math or science topic with hands-on games and activities designed to spark interest, improve memorization skills, and increase vocabulary. Class will also include hand outs offering ways to further explore the topics at home. Ages 6-11. Cost: $51 in district / $66 out of district. Class code: 4243-3

2:00 - 3:00 Independent Homeschool Girl Scouts Group This group will be an opportunity for girls ages 6 and up who are registered as a "Juliette" or independent scout to get together for projects, outings and other activities. We are still in the planning phase of this group so please contact me if you would like to get involved. Contact: leah.mikkelson@gmail.com for more information.

All classes are on Thursdays at the park and run for 6 weeks starting October 28th. Registration is happening now at http://www.crystallakeparks.org/

Registration for the Nature Study class will be done privately by contacting: leah.mikkelson@gmail.com

Oct 8, 2010

Next Tuesday! "Homeschooling 101" at the Lake Villa Library!

Lake Villa District Library is offering an event for new and existing homeschool families on the evening of October 12, 2010. The program is at 7pm and will end at 8:30pm.  If you know of families that are considering homeschooling, please pass this information along to them. This will be a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and get real answers!
Date: 10/12/2010

Start Time: 7:00 PM

End Time: 8:30 PM

Location: Lake Villa District Library
1001 East Grand Avenue, Lake Villa, Illinois 60046
847-356-7711

Do you have questions such as: How do we homeschool within the law? How does my child learn best?

What about college? What curriculum is the best? What about testing? How can I find a lot of resources for only a little money? What does my child need to learn at each grade level? My child has special needs; can I still homeschool him/her?
If these questions are familiar, this is the workshop for you!

Here is the link for direct registration:
http://tinyurl.com/2cgk3uu

Sep 27, 2010

The Great Ground Bee Disaster of 2010


  Day 1
A nice sized hole!  But who dug it up?

Day 1
A close up shot of the lovely honey filled combs.

Day 2
Scat.  Racoon scat.  I guess we know who dunit now.

Day 2
The comb, broken and sucked dry. Poor bees. 

Sep 1, 2010

A good deal on a great Constitution resource!

I very rarely do this, so I hope I am forgiven. This is an offer for a good deal (from a very nice man) on an excellent movie about the Constitution. Many of the speeches in the movie were actually taken pretty much word for word from the minutes taken by James Madison during the Constitutional Convention. It is an amazing find and a great way of introducing first-person accounts to your visual students.

Plus - here it is for a pretty good deal. Seeing as the copy that is in the Johnsburg Library's Homeschool Resource Center is out most of the time I thought I would pass on this deal.

The study guide can be downloaded for fre at:

http://www.nccs.net/constitution-week/teacher_guide_book.pdf

U.S. History Question of the Day!

History teacher Greg Feldmeth's 2010-11 U.S. history "question of the day"
began this week. You can sign up to receive the question by e-mail every
day or you can go to his website, where the questions are archived.

To sign up for the question of the day, find the archived questions, or see
the rest of Mr. Feldmeth's teaching website, go to
http://faculty.polytechnic.org//gfeldmeth/USHistory.html

This is a terrific resource for anyone 'into' history or studying for the A.P. History exam!

Jul 29, 2010

Wednesday Classes in Cary

High School Chemistry
Based on Apologia's Exploring Creation with Chemistry, 2nd edition, this class will cover the topics covered in the text using discussion, problem sets and experimentation. Algebra 1 is a required prerequisite as Algebra is used throughout this course and we will spend a fair amount of time covering and explaining the problems. Homework will be assigned but we will not take up class time administering and correcting tests. If a family wants those given I encourage you to administer them at home. Please note: Some of the experiments listed in the book will differ from those offered through this class. Also, students need to provide their own safety glasses/goggles as I can not properly sterilize them weekly between students. Care will be taken throughout to discuss current scientific theories and methods from a Christian perspective.

Prerequisites: Students must have had Algebra I or be concurrently taking Algebra, be able to understand a high school level text, be willing to commit to several hours of homework each week, and be able to work cooperatively and safely in a lab situation with other students.

Classes will be on Wednesday afternoons from 10:30-12:00 beginning Sept. 15th, 2010.

Cost: The cost of the entire year (30 class dates) will be $375 plus $25 for lab supplies. The cost will be payable in three installments. If you need to make special payment arrangements (such as paying by credit card or making smaller, but more frequent payments) please contact Kathy Wentz directly.

Certificate: Students who successfully compete the entire year will receive a certificate indicating that they have earned one high school credit in a laboratory science at this McHenry County High School program. Grades will be given for those families who want grades. Grades will not be given for families who do not want a grade.


The Cure for the Math Curse: Algebra
Kathy Wentz will introduce her visual and hands-on teaching system for learning beginning algebraic concepts using building blocks and dice and follow these concepts through Algebra I concepts. We will cover Pre-Algebra, graphing linear equations and parabolas, multiplying polynomials and factoring polynomials and algebraic fractions. Students need to be comfortable with both multiplication and division. Homework will be assigned.

Classes will be on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:20 beginning Sept. 15th, 2010.
Cost: The cost of the entire year (30 class dates) will be $300. The cost will be payable in three installments. If you need to make special payment arrangements (such as paying by credit card or making smaller, but more frequent payments) please contact Kathy Wentz directly.


General Science

Designed for students in grades 6-8, this course will cover Apologia's Exploring Creation with General Science (either 1st or 2nd edition). We will spend 1-3 weeks per chapter and cover concepts covered in the text through discussion and experimentation. Homework will be assigned but we will not take up class time administering and correcting tests. If a family wants those given I encourage you to administer them at home. Please note: Some of the experiments listed in the book will differ from those offered through this class.

Classes will be on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30-4:00 beginning Sept. 15th, 2010.
Cost: The cost of the entire year (30 class dates) will be $300 plus $25 for lab supplies. The cost will be payable in three installments. If you need to make special payment arrangements (such as paying by credit card or making smaller, but more frequent payments) please contact Kathy Wentz directly.



Please contact Kathy for questions and Lori Anne at loriannestanger @ comcast.net (please remove the spaces - I am trying to protect her from spammers!) to register for one or more of these classes.

Jul 6, 2010

JPL Homeschool Resource Center Open House and Used Curriculum Flea Market

Well, the countdown has begun! The Open House is this Saturday. Is everyone ready???

http://sites.google.com/site/hrcopenhouse/

There are a dozen folks on the wait list for sale spaces. Be sure to cancel with me if you find you can't sell after all.

Also, there are loads of us staying for the lunch and wonderful guest speakers. Let us know if you will be joining us!