Monday, May 31, 2010

2nd Annual Environmental Film Festival

Schiff Natural Lands Trust (Mendham, NJ) is hosting their 2nd Annual Environmental Film Festival next Friday, June 4th. It's a wonderful fundraiser that features independent films which highlight timely environmental issues and community activism.

Hike or hayride through the beautiful Preserve to watch the films in a unique venue. Raffle. Free giveaways from national sponsors including Clif Bar, Toms of Maine and more.

Find more information or purchase tickets here http://www. schiffnaturepreserve.com/ filmfest2010.htm You may also a call with questions 973-543-6004.

National Wildlife’s 2010 Photo Contest

Invite your budding photographer to enter National Wildlife’s Photo Contest

By entering National Wildlife’s 40th Annual Photo Contest, your teen might win a cash award—and his or her photo might be published in National Wildlife® magazine. But an even more precious benefit is certain: encouraging a lifelong love of nature.

Our special Youth Division invites 13-17 year-olds to capture images of nature and wildlife (even a simple backyard bird or squirrel can make for a fascinating subject).

Your $20 photo contest entry fee lets them submit up to 25 photos. They will also receive a one-year membership to the National Wildlife Federation, which includes six issues of National Wildlife. Visit our 2010 contest page for details.

And don’t forget to enter your own best wildlife photos in the Pro or Amateur division in any of these seven categories:

  • Birds
  • Mammals
  • Other Wildlife
  • Backyard Habitats
  • Connecting People and Nature
  • Landscapes and Plant Life
  • Global Warming
With more than $30,000 in prizes, our 40th Annual Photo Contest is the most rewarding ever. Enter today!
*Current NWF members excluded.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Pearl S. Buck 2010 Short Story Contest

The Pearl S. Buck Volunteer Association is sponsoring a writing contest. The story must be original and not previously published. It must be typed and double-spaced. A submission form must accompany all manuscripts and submissions must be received by August 1, 2010. The word count must not exceed 1,500 words. For submission form email: write2b@comcast.net as you know, Pearl Buck is the 1st woman to win both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes for literature.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Old Sturbridge Village Home School Days

Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA, Home School Day Upcoming Dates:
Sept 10, November 14
(expect March, May, Sept. & Nov. dates in 2011 too)
(registration begins about a month in advance)
Check-in through the Visitor Center begins at 9:30. The Village closes at 5:00.

Visit www.osv.org for specifics of the day's programs and activities. Register online 4 weeks in advance or sign up for their homeschool email list. Their online lessons plans are posted.

Home School Days are for all school age children (ages 5 and up to 18).
During Home School Day we offer you and your children the opportunity to visit the Village and participate in hands-on activities and participatory programs. This is a great opportunity for children to gain exposure to many aspects of 1830s New England life in an interactive way. Also, special performances and demonstrations are planned for all audiences throughout the day. Specifics on the day's activities will be posted closer to the date.

Pre-registration begins four weeks in advance of the date. If you're interested in being notified about home school programs, and are not already on our email list, please contact our Education Department.

From last year: Admission is free for Members, Sturbridge residents, and children under three. We offer home school families a reduced Admission price of $7 per person on Home School Days and on most weekdays during the school year. Children are always $7 but Adult Admission is regularly $20 per person. This reduced Admission is offered on M, T, W, Th, F, and one Sat a month during
the school year. Attached is the Home Schooling at OSV Calendar. It excludes holidays and school vacations.

During Home School Day we offer you and your children the opportunity to visit the Village and participate in hands-on activities and participatory programs. This is a great opportunity for children to gain exposure to many aspects of 1830’s New England life in an interactive way. Also, special performances and demonstrations are planned for all audiences throughout the day. Specifics on the day's activities will be posted shortly. Pre-registration begins four weeks in advance of the date.

Each homeschool event in the year has a different focus and activities to take part in. You will receive an email notification approximately a month in advance of the event date that alerts you to the theme and activities and to the availability of the online pre-registration process.

From last year: Special performances and demonstrations, inspired by the Theme, are planned for audiences throughout the day in the Village. Also, visit the Village Craft Center to take part in a quick hands-on activity. For children ages 6-18. Opportunities at this location are on a first come first served basis. Activity fees are between $5-10 per activity.

Studios are age specific. Please register your child for only those Studios for which they are age appropriate. Also, we recommend that you register your child for no more than two Studios giving you time to visit and take part in the activities in the Village. For those not old enough to
participate in Studios, a Little Learner’s play area will be available for younger siblings and their parents to pass the time in the Museum Education building.

We offer home schoolers the opportunity to take part in 50-minute hands-on Studios which are taught by a Museum Teacher in the Museum Education building. A maximum of ten participants can register per Studio. We offer 8 to 12 age-based (example: Ages 5-7, 8-10, 11-14, and 15-17) themed Studios per hour. We offer 3 to 5 hours of Studios. We recommend registering for no more than two Studios per child. Each Studio is $5 per child.

Lunch will be sold at the Village Café counter. The Village Café will be serving pre- made sandwiches, hot soup, baked goods, water, juices, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Limited seating will be available. For those closer to the Bullard Tavern in the Village at lunch time, the Bullard Cafeteria will be open. For those bringing your own lunch, seating will be available in the Lunch Room at Museum Education. Please understand that food and beverages are not sold here.

Remember, included with the Admission, are many performances and demonstrations in the Village to enjoy throughout the day. Information about these activities will be listed in the email notification and posted on the website Daily Event Listing a week in advance of the event day.
Also, consider participating in a craft at the Village Craft Center which is open from 9:30- 4:30. There is an additional $5-$10 fee per activity. These activities do not take reservations but will be available to you at your leisure. This will also be posted in the email notification.

Monday, May 3, 2010

AopS math classes for HS in the fall!

In fall 2010, Art of Problem Solving's offering Algebra I and Intro. to Geometry at "Homeschool and Europe-friendly times". (Of course homeschoolers can take courses that meet in the evening, but 1pm times might be more convenient for many. The majority of AoPS courses are usually offered from 7:30 - 9pm eastern) A brief description of the 2 classes are below. )
http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/classlist.php

They also offer classes in the summer.

= = = = =
Algebra I: Fundamental concepts of algebra, including exponents and radicals, linear equations and inequalities, ratio and proportion, systems of linear equations, factoring quadratics, complex numbers, completing the square, and the quadratic formula.

Diagnostic Tests: Are You Ready? - Do You Need This?

Textbook: This course requires the textbook Introduction to Algebra. There is a discount if you buy the text when registering for the course.

September 14th, 2010 - January 11th, 2011
Schedule: Tue 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET (10:00 AM - 11:30 AM PT)
Register by: September 28th, 2010
Instructor: To be announced
Cost: Enroll $240 ($290 with books)

Introduction to Geometry: Fundamentals of geometry, including angles, triangle similarity and congruence, complicated area problems, mastering the triangle, special quadrilaterals, polygons, the art of angle chasing, power of a point, 3-dimensional geometry, transformations, analytic geometry, basic trigonometry, geometric proof, and more.

Diagnostic Tests: Are You Ready? - Do You Need This?

Textbook: This course requires the textbook Introduction to Geometry. There is a discount if you buy the text when registering for the course.

September 3rd, 2010 - March 4th, 2011
Schedule: Fri 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET (10:00 AM - 11:30 AM PT)
Register by: September 17th, 2010
Instructor: Joshua Zucker
Cost: $370 ($415 with books)