NJ Resources

• WheatonArts 1501 Glasstown Road, Millville, NJ 08332, 800-998-4552
  email: mail@wheatonarts.org
  
  Artists at The Wheaton Arts & Cultural Center are creating work unlike any imagined by the first glassblowers – contemporary art using glass in unexpected and often marvelous ways. New Glass at Wheaton explores the world of the Creative Glass Center of America at WheatonArts, where fellowship artists live and work together as they pursue their creative visions. Their Education Page
  
  
• Living History Farm http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/learnerresources.html Site's Age Range: 8-11 (~4th grade) From a farm in Nebraska - but some of it is applicable to so many other sites. Fosterfields in Morristown may be the closest living history farm for many of us.
  
  
  
  "Learner Resources" include FREE lesson plans tied to the stories about farming in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and so on. They were written by teachers for classroom use, they can be modified for homeschool use.
  

Mayo Theatre "on school time" 2009-10

Mayo Community Theatre (Morristown) 2009-2010 EVENTS

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: CSI: Live and Mathemagic (plus more: from Baseball's Jackie Robinson to Dancing Dinosaurs to Classic Shakespeare)

MANY SHOWS SELL OUT EARLY. This is an easy HS field trip to run. Special School Pricing: 1 FREE ticket for every 15 purchased. Click here to download an order form

Mad Science Presents CSI: Live - Cool science!
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 10 am & 12:15 pm - Grades 3-8 - $8/ticket
Click here for study guide

The Last, The Very Last...Butterfly - Holocaust remembrance
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10 am & 12:15 pm - Grades 4 & up - $7/ticket
Click here for study guide

Most Valuable Player - The Jackie Robinson Story
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 10 am & 12:15 pm - Grades 4 and up - $7/ticket
Click here for study guide

Mathemagic - Math made fun!
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 23-24, 2010 at 10 am & 12:15 pm - $8/ticket
March 23: Grades K-3; March 24: Grades 4-7
Click here for study guide

Mammoth Follies - Featuring amazing dinosaurs
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 10 am & 12:15 pm - Grades K-4 - $6/ticket
Click here for study guide

Julius Caesar - Shakespeare's historic tragedy
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 10 am - Grades 9-12 - $10/ticket
Click here for study guide

Lord of the Flies - William Golding's classic novel
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 10 am - Grades 7-12 - $10/ticket

Order by phone - (973) 539-0345, ext. 6517

• All performances meet NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards
• Study Guides Available for all show
• Click here for more show descriptions, running times and prices
  

The Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
www.mayoarts.org

College Prof critiques homeschoolers

This article may be published on web sites and in publications as long as it's reproduced in its entirety, including the resource box at the end of the article. Thanks!

College Professor Critiques Homeschoolers
copyright 2009 by Greg Landry, M.S.

I teach sophomore through senior level college students - most of them are "pre-professional" students. They are preparing to go to medical school, dental school, physical therapy school, etc. As a generalization, I've noticed certain characteristics common in my students who were homeschooled. Some of these are desirable, some not.

Desirable characteristics:
1. They are independent learners and do a great job of taking initiative and being responsible for learning. They don't have to be "spoon fed" as many students do. This gives them an advantage at two specific points in their education; early in college and in graduate education.

2. They handle classroom social situations (interactions with their peers and professors) very well. In general, my homeschooled students are a pleasure to have in class. They greet me when the enter the class, initiate conversations when appropriate, and they don't hesitate to ask good questions. Most of my students do none of these.

3. They are serious about their education and that's very obvious in their attitude, preparedness, and grades.

Areas where homeschooled students can improve:
1. They come to college less prepared in the sciences than their schooled counterparts - sometimes far less prepared. This can be especially troublesome for pre-professional students who need to maintain a high grade point average from the very beginning.

2. They come to college without sufficient test-taking experience, particularly with timed tests. Many homeschooled students have a high level of anxiety when it comes to taking timed tests.

3. Many homeschooled students have problems meeting deadlines and have to adjust to that in college. That adjustment time in their freshman year can be costly in terms of the way it affects their grades.

My advice to homeschooling parents:
1. If your child is even possibly college bound and interested in the sciences, make sure that they have a solid foundation of science in the high school years.

2. Begin giving timed tests by 7th or 8th grade. I'm referring to all tests that students take, not just national, standardized tests. I think it is a disservice to not give students timed tests. They tend to focus better and score higher on timed tests, and, they are far better prepared for college and graduate education if they've taken timed tests throughout the high school years.

In the earlier years the timed tests should allow ample time to complete the test as long as the student is working steadily. The objective is for them to know it's timed yet not to feel a time pressure. This helps students to be comfortable
taking timed tests and develops confidence in their test-taking abilities.

3. Give your students real deadlines to meet in the high school years. If it's difficult for students to meet these deadlines because they're coming from mom or dad, have them take "outside" classes; online, co-op, or community college.

Greg Landry is a 14 year veteran homeschool dad and college professor. He also teaches one and two semester online science classes, and offers free 45 minute online seminars.
http://www.homeschoolscienceacademy.com/

HS week: Rocking Horse Ranch

Rocking Horse Ranch Homeschool Week
(600 Rt 44/55, Highland NY)
Monday, November 9 - Friday, November 13th

$149/adult and $70/child, per night. (regularly $330 and $109). The rate goes down the longer you stay.

INCLUDES food, entertainment, horseback riding, miniature golf, tennis, games, etc. They have music, magicians, etc. performing every night.

They will be opening the new indoor water park this year, too.

They currently have the following activities planned: cooking, horse shoeing demonstration, and juggling demonstration. If there are any other activities that you would like them to plan, please let me know, and I will pass it along to the general manager. We can make this week anything that we want it to be!

To get their flyer or If you have any questions, please e-mail Cynthia at amazzingpet @ aol.com (no spaces).

For more info about the ranch in general: visit http://rhranch.com/

To reserve your spot, call (800) 647-2624 Don't miss out on this great opportunity.

Here are some answers to some common questions:

1) Do we have to stay the whole week

No. You can stay for just one day if you would like. We have been up there a ton of times, and I would say that it would be best to stay a minimum of 2-3 nights, to fully enjoy the experience.

2) Do I have to like horses to go?

There is fun to be had all day long and all night long. You can do there scheduled activities all day (crafts, games, workshops, etc) and/or go riding. There is miniature golf, tennis, rock climbing walls, trails to walk on, water park, pool, volleyball (indoor if it rains), game room, etc, etc. You do not have to ride horses to enjoy the experience. You can just chose to go for a walk on a horse. They will have a "how to ride" demonstration in the morning, so that you feel comfortable before you get on the horse.

There are different entertainers every night from music, to magicians, to comedians, etc. The indoor pool is so relaxing and fun to throw balls in the dumping buckets. There is tons to do!

Fall HS conference

"Class is cancelled" fall conference in Lancaster, PA, October 1st-3rd

If you want to learn more about the conference and what is going to be offered, please check out the website at:
http://classiscancelledforever.weebly.com
Or join the yahoo group;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/classiscancelled/

METC Kids' Club (Madison)

Kids' Club

3:30pm - 5:00pm

Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, 9 Main Street, Madison NJ 07940 <www.metc.org>

Kids' Club is a bimonthly after-school activities program for children ages 6-11. Each session is different and includes tours of relevant areas of the Museum, mini-history lessons and a craft to take home. Space is limited. Advance registration required. Call for more information, 973-377-2982 x12.

Members: $18 for any 1 session and $40 for any 3.
Non-Members: $20 for any 1 session and $50 for any 3.

Session Schedule:

October
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Early American 3 R's -Tuesday, October 6th
Learn how Colonials didn't waste a thing, reusing supplies efficiently. Create a unique wastebasket.

Boo! -Wednesday, October 21st
Get into the Halloween mood and make spooky masks.

November
Picture Perfect -Tuesday, November 3rd
Explore the art of silhouette making and create some of your own.

Giving Thanks -Tuesday, November 17th
Get ready for Turkey Day with a pine cone turkey craft project. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, bring in a food item to donate to the local food bank.

December
Happy Holidays - Wednesday, December 2nd
Start off the holiday season with some festive Christmas and Hanukkah crafts.

Decembrrrrrrrrrrr! - Wednesday, December 17th
Welcome winter with a sled craft project.

January
Happy New Year -Tuesday, January 12th
Begin the new year on a high note with a home-made calendar craft activity.

February
Be My Valentine -Thursday, February 4th
Make old-fashioned Valentines and share them with someone you love.

Hail to the Chief -Wednesday, February 17th
Learn about our Nation's Presidents and design an Abraham Lincoln Bank to
take home.

March
Here's Lookin' at You! -Wednesday, March 3rd
Make a pair of wacky glasses to take home. Participants are encouraged to bring in a pair of old glasses to donate to New Eyes for the Needy.

Spring Holidays -Thursday, March 18th
Create festive spring placemats to set the table for Easter or Passover.

April
Fabulous Fabric -Wednesday, April 7th
View METC's textile collection and make a fabric collage craft project.

Food Art -Tuesday, April 20th
Learn about how food can be used in art and make a unique dried bean box.

May
Mother's Day -Thursday, May 6th
Honor Mom with a Mother's Day theme craft activity.

Treasure Discoveries -Tuesday, May 18th
Be a treasure detective and learn how to use found objects to create art.

June
You've been Framed -Wednesday, June 2nd
Learn how frames enhance a picture, especially a picture of you as you decorate a frame to take home.

Father's Day -Thursday, June 17th
Honor Dad with a Father's Day theme craft activity.

Poe Evermore

Poe Evermore at the Mt. Hope Winery (same place as Renaissance Faire)

2775 Lebanon Road * Manheim, PA 17545

11/09/2009 - 1:00 PM

students/chaperones @ $14.00

To learn more about Poe Evermore, please go to;

www.PaRenFaire.com

If this sparks interest, there is also the Edgar Allan Poe house in Philadelphia.

Kennedy Space Center - Homeschool Days 2009

45 minutes from Orlando theme parks, but a world away. . . Homeschool students, families and teachers: be our honored guests for full-day access to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex shows and exhibits. You'll get the chance to take a bus tour of KSC, participate in special hands-on activities, learn about the latest NASA accomplishments, strap in to the NEW Shuttle Launch Experience and even come face-to-face with an actual astronaut. Homeschool teachers, pick up a packet of NASA education materials and help your students reach for the stars.

Florida Homeschool Field Trip 2009 Dates:

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Times: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

2009 Tuition: $31.50 per person (plus tax)

To plan your trip or request more information, click here or call 321-449-4400.

Thanks to Mary Lee for spotting this one!

State Theatre 2009-10 - Sneak Peek!

State Theatre (New Brunswick, 2009-10 season includes: Mayhem Poets, The Nutcracker, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Grapes of Wrath and many others.)

Educators: Get a Sneak Peek!
Calling all teachers, school administrators, curriculum specialists, and PTO/PTA representatives! Be our guest at the State Theatre for a multimedia preview of our 2009-2010 Performances for Schools. The event is free and includes a backstage tour, prize drawing, and light refreshments.

When: Monday, September 14, 2009, 4:30-5:45 pm
Where: State Theatre, Heldrich Room (upstairs lobby)
RSVP: Jennifer Cunha - jcunha@statetheatrenj.org • 732-246-SHOW (7469), ext.545

The Growing Stage, 2009-10 classes

Fall Classes at the Growing Stage in Netcong:

• CREATIVE DRAMATICS  September 19 - December 12 (12 Weeks): Creative Dramatics serves young people pre-school through 3rd grade with an exposure and participation program in the performing arts. Through theatre, children sharpen their creativity, improve their self-confidence and learn the importance of teamwork. Above all, children enjoy being part of the magic that they create on the stage. This program is designed to offer an introduction to many aspects of theatre arts through creative games, story dramatization and improvisation. The pre-school program requires that the children are kindergarten eligible in the Fall of 2010.
  
  
• PERFORMING ARTS WORKSHOP  September 19 - December 12 (12 Weeks): Performing Arts Workshop is for young people in grades 4 through 8 who have either experience on the stage and have a strong interest in improving their skills, or who simply have a desire to participate in the performing arts. For grades 4 - 6, students learn the basics of acting for the stage, including warm-up techniques for both voice and body, improvisation, theatre games, stage direction, and solo and group scene work. For grades 7 - 8, young performers continue to hone their stage skills with in-depth scene study, character development and line memorization. While more intense, this program still offers significant opportunity for the first time student.
  
  
• THE ACTOR SPEAKS  September 19 - December 12 (12 Weeks): The Actor Speaks offers students in grades 7 through 9 an opportunity to express themselves and to grow as writers and performers. They study the basic elements of playwriting: setting, plot, and character de-velopment. They explore and hone their acting skills as they rehearse and prepare to perform their origi-nal work for guests during the final class session.
  
  
• MUSICAL PERFORMANCE LAB  September 19 - December 12 (12 Weeks): Musical Performance Lab is designed for students interested in musical performance. Students will focus on technique, including breathing, warm-up and vocal production as well as song interpretation, move-ment and performance. The lab will culminate in a ‘show and tell’ lab where parents will be invited to attend, giving students the opportunity to perform before a live audience. The lab is offered to stu-dents 4th through 6th, and 7th through 9th grade.
  
  
• BLACK LIGHT PUPPETRY  September 19 - November 21 (10 Weeks): During the course of this class, students will adapt a piece of mythology into script form,create a storyboard, construct two-dimensional puppets of cardboard painted with fluorescent paint, and learn how to operate the puppets. This ninety-minute class for students 9th through 12th grade will culminate in a presentation of the created work for invited family and friends.
  
  
• YOGA & ME  September 19 - December 12 (11 Weeks): Whether you are new to yoga or have already been practicing, this multi-level Vinyasa yoga class will focus on postural alignment, breathing techniques and meditations to focus on relaxation. Yoga is a great way to strengthen and stretch muscles in a positive, safe, and relaxing environment. This program is taught by our certified Yoga Instructor, Lea Antolini-Lid. Registrations available for the entire 11 week program at $ 150 or you can drop in for a per class fee of $ 20. This program is for adults only and will coincide with our programs for students. So now you can truly stretch out and relax while your children are in class.
  
  
• YOGA & ME Sept. 19 - Dec. 5 (11 Weeks) : Adults Only! :9:30 - 10:30 am : $150

For more info, or to register online, register online at: www.growingstage.com Questions?
Call Lori B. Lawrence, Education Director at (973) 347-4946 or email her at eddir@growingstage.com

National Aviation Day

National Aviation Day is August 19th.

Certainly there have to be dozens of interesting ways to combine fun and the science of aviation!

Darwin

In this Year of Darwin, the world celebrates the bicentennial of the birth of English naturalist and author Charles Darwin, and the 150th anniversary of his most famous work, The Origin of Species.

Homeschool Days - New England

Plimoth Homeschool Day (Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, MA):

Friday, September 18, 2009
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Are you a Homeschool family? Join us for an open house at Plimoth Plantation to learn more about our Colonial and Wampanoag educational programs and explore our museum’s sites. Homeschooling families receive reduced admission for the day. Enjoy hands-on activities on our Wampanoag and Colonial education sites and take advantage of discounts on membership and in the museum shop.

Admission is offered at the group rate of $19.60 for adults, $11.50 for children 6-17, and under 5 are free. This combination rate includes admission to all sites, including Mayflower II.

The 2009 program may be similar to the 2007 schedule. For more information, call 508-746-1622 ext. 8359 or email programservices@plimoth.org.

Museum of Natural History and Planetarium (Providence, RI) seems to have a homeschool adventure almost every month. Advance registration required.

Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (Mystic, CT) has homeschool classes sometimes. Check for them in the Mystic Events listing or call (860) 536-1216 for pricing and to register. Example:

• Thursday, September 4, 2008, 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center.
  Homeschool Class – Insects. Designed for children ages 5 – 7.
  Learn about the characteristics that define insects, and how scientists group them. We will head out to the field to see which ones we can catch.
• Date: Thursday, September 4, 2008, 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
  Homeschool Class – Map & Compass Reading. Designed for children ages 8 – 12.
  Learn the basics on how to read a map and use a compass to find your way around the Nature Center. If you have your own compass please bring it.
• Saturday, September 20, 2008, 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
  Homeschool Class - Insect Field Day
  Spend the afternoon catching insects with your family and friends. We'll take a closer look at the unique adaptations and see how many different species we can find before releasing them back into the wild.
  

Mystic Seaport Educators' Weekend: usually in April - Educators and their families (up to four people total) are admitted free to Mystic Seaport – The Museum of America and the Sea – as part of Educators' Weekend sponsored by the Museum. Teachers, administrators and support staff are welcome. Free admission will be granted upon presentation of a school or union ID card or a copy of school letterhead.

and from the seller of Christian homeschool curriculum, some nice lists of Museums:

• Museums in Rhode Island for Homeschoolers
  http://www.thejubileeacademy.org/articles/museums_in_rhode_island_for_homeschoolers.html
  
  
• Museums in Massachusetts for Homeschoolers
  http://www.thejubileeacademy.org/articles/museums_in_massachusetts__for_homeschoolers.html
  
  
• Museums in Connecticut for Homeschoolers
  http://www.thejubileeacademy.org/articles/museums_in_connecticut_for_homeschoolers.html