Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Beach Day at Rocky Neck Beach



Rocky Neck State Park
Rte. 156
East Lyme, Ct.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
12noon - 5:00 pm

Come join us at the beach while everyone is at school! We will meet at the East Beach side. Low tide is around 2 pm and it is a really good time to go and walk out in the water looking for hermit crabs and other creatures! There is no fee since it is after Labor Day. Here is the link for info and directions: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325256&depNav_GID=1650

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Fall Group Golfing Lessons

Passing this along from Holly Klein, her boys(9 & 6) took these lessons last spring in Cromwell & they were wonderful!





Classes begin on Saturday, September 10th! There are still spaces available in many of our sessions at the Learning Links in Cromwell. For those of you who haven't signed up yet that means you still have plenty of choices for days and times. The class schedule with instructors is listed below and you can visit www.thefirstteect.org to register. If you have issues with the online registration, please call our office, (860) 882-1660. The staff of The First Tee of Connecticut is always happy to help!

Classes are $35/student for each 7 week session.

We hope you have enjoyed your time with The First Tee of Connecticut this spring/summer and look forward to seeing you this fall for another great session!
Saturdays - Par LevelSeptember 10th - October 22nd (Rain Date - October 29th)

9:00 - 10:20
10:30 - 11:50
12:30 - 1:50
Instructed by Mike Packard, PGA and Chuck McCollough, PGA
Sundays - Birdie, Eagle and Target LevelSeptember 11th - October 23rd (Rain Date - October 30th)

12:30 - 1:50 Target (Session Full)2:00 - 3:20 Target
3:30 - 4:50 Target
Instructed by Meghan Doherty, Assistant Program Director
12:30 - 1:50 Birdie
2:00 - 3:20 Birdie
3:30 - 4:50 Eagle
Instructed by Kevin Tierney, PGA
Tuesdays - Par LevelSeptember 13th - October 25th (Rain Date - November 1st)

4:00 - 5:20
5:30 - 6:50
Instructed by Kevin Tierney, PGA and Vic Svenberg, PGA
Wednesdays - Par LevelSeptember 14th - October 26th (Rain Date - November 2nd)

4:00 - 5:20
5:30 - 6:50
Instructed by John Vitale, PGA and Mike Buckley
Thursdays - Par and Birdie LevelSeptember 15th - October 27th (Rain Date - November 3rd)

4:00 - 5:20 Par
5:30 - 6:50 Par
Instructed by Vic Svenberg, PGA
4:00 - 5:20 Birdie
5:30 - 6:50 Eagle
Instructed by Lindsey Hansen, PGA
Fridays - Par and Target LevelSeptember 16th - October 28th (Rain Date - November 4th)

4:00 - 5:20 Target
5:30 - 6:50 Target
Instructed by Meghan Doherty, Assistant Director of Programs and Vic Svenberg, PGA
4:00 - 5:20 Par (Session Full)5:30 - 6:50 Par (Session Full)Instructed by George Claffey, USGTF
GET GOLF READY
For parents that are interested in taking up the game of golf, please visit www.playgolfamerica.com to learn more about the "Get Golf Ready" program that the TPC Professional staff will be running this fall. Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings at the TPC practice facility to expose adults to the game of golf in the same manner that The First Tee of Connecticut uses to introduce the game to its participants.



Friday, August 26, 2011

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS EXHIBITION COMING IN SEPTEMBER


A special Library of Congress traveling exhibition - mounted in a customized 18-wheel truck - will be set up in the parking lot of the library on Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days. The "Gateway to Knowledge" exhibition will bring high-quality facsimiles of many of the Library's top treasures, and information about the millions of resources in the Library's unparalleled collections to communities across the country. The stop in East Hartford is the only stop in Connecticut.
The exhibit will include programming especially for teachers and students. There will be several areas of museum-style exhibits including a welcoming multimedia display and computer terminals displaying Library of Congress websites. The websites will include the main site, www.loc.gov, the Center for the Book/Literacy Programs site, www.read.gov, and sites pertaining to U. S. collections and exhibitions. There will also be a special site for use by teachers. http://www.loc.gov/gateway/resources.html
Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity, and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibits.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Old Sturbridge Village Home School Day - Registration Open


 For more information and to register click on this link: http://www.osv.org/orders/listprograms.html?ID=14&G=T

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Writing and Literature classes in Simsbury

 Passing this along from Kris McCue, email her at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com if you are interested........
There is still room in the writing and literature classes I have set up in Simsbury for this year. See course descriptions below; elementary-middle school age is listed first and teen/high-school level is below that. The spaces still available are in red.
For those of you who are signed up for the first session I have not automatically registered you for successive sessions as well. If you intend to keep your kids in the classes for more sessions you might want to let me know to factor you in now. Some people are signing up for the whole year's worth of sessions, and others are picking one here and one there.
Hope you are all enjoying your summer!
Kris McCue
Creative Writing for Kids: SESSION 1 4 spaces left
elementary grade-level
First 4 week session: Fridays, September 2, 9, 16, 23 from 3:00-4:00
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This is an introduction to creative writing for writers who just picked up the pencil. The class will focus on fun writing exercises, oral exercises, and group activities. Prerequisites - The ability to write. This will be geared for the elementary crowd.
class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies Needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil
To sign up RSVP to Kris McCue at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com, payment confirms your space in the class, when you rsvp to me I’ll tell you where to send payment to Austin.
This class will run from September 2011 through May 2012 in 4 week sessions.
Session 2: Fridays, September 30-October 21
Session 3: Fridays, October 28-November 18
Session 4: Fridays, December 2-23
Winter/Spring sessions TBA
Creative Writing for Kids: SESSION 2 9 spaces left
elementary grade-level
4 week session: from 3:00-4:00 Fridays, September 30-October 21
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This is an introduction to creative writing for writers who just picked up the pencil. The class will focus on fun writing exercises, oral exercises, and group activities. Prerequisites - The ability to write. This will be geared for the elementary crowd.
class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies Needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil

Creative Writing for Kids: SESSION 3 15 spaces open
elementary grade-level
Fridays, October 28-November 18
4 week session: from 3:00-4:00
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This is an introduction to creative writing for writers who just picked up the pencil. The class will focus on fun writing exercises, oral exercises, and group activities. Prerequisites - The ability to write. This will be geared for the elementary crowd.
class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies Needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil




Creative Writing for Kids: SESSION 4 15 spaces open


elementary grade-level
4 week session: from 3:00-4:00 December 2-23

Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This is an introduction to creative writing for writers who just picked up the pencil. The class will focus on fun writing exercises, oral exercises, and group activities. Prerequisites - The ability to write. This will be geared for the elementary crowd.

class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies Needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil




Creative Writing for Kids: Winter/spring session TBA

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

American Literature: Short Stories 7 spaces left
age 13 and up
First 4 week session: Fridays, September 2, 9, 16, 23, from 4:00 to 5:00
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This class will explore short stories written by American authors beginning with the creation of the Union through Present day. The class will be broken up into six week sections, each section covering a different literary period and genre. This class is designed as a college preparatory course, thus the literature and classroom discussion will be focused on older students who desire to pursue higher education. Book list is in progress and will be ready for those who rsvp.
class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil
To sign up RSVP to Kris McCue at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com, payment confirms your space in the class, when you rsvp to me I’ll tell you where to send payment to Austin.
Session 2: December 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2011
Session 3: February 3, 10, 17, 24 of 2012
Session 4: TBA
Modern Author Book Club 6 spaces left
for high school level readers/ young adult books
Last Friday of each month from 5:00 to 6:00, beginning September 30th
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
$10 per month for the book club
This will be a book club that meets once a month and focus primarily on authors who are living, or only slightly dead. We will read one book monthly and then have a lively discussion at our meeting. Book list is in progress and will be available shortly. Sign ups for this class are month to month, you can sign up for the individual months that you’d like, but you must give enough notice so the teacher knows if there will be enough students to hold a class.
To express your interest in this class RSVP to Kris McCue at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com. You will receive a list of the titles to be read and discussed as soon as Austin gives them to me.
British Literature: Short Stories 9 spaces left
age 13 and up
Fridays, September 30, October 7, 14, 21 from 4:00 to 5:00
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This class will explore short stories written by British (and some European) authors from 1700 - Present Day. The class will be broken up into four week sections, each section covering a different period and genre of literature. This class is designed as a college preparatory course, thus the literature and classroom discussion will be focused on older students who desire to pursue higher education. Book list is in progress and will be ready for those who rsvp.
class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil
To sign up RSVP to Kris McCue at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com, payment confirms your space in the class, when you rsvp to me I’ll tell you where to send payment to Austin.
Session 2: January 6, 13, 20, 27 of 2012
Session 3: March 2, 9, 16, 23 of 2012
Session 4: TBA
International Short-Short Story 9 spaces left
age 13 and up
Fridays, October 28, November 4, 11, 18 from 4:00 to 5:00
Teacher: Austin Roberts
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 7 Wescott Road, Simsbury
This class will be a study of short-short fiction, also known as flash fiction or 55's, from around the globe. The class is a combination literature and creative writing class where students will read a short story and then practice 'imitation' (taking the work of a 'master' writer and using the structure and patterns as a form to learn how to improve one’s own art). Book list is in progress and will be ready for those who rsvp.
class size: 6-15 students
$30 per student for the four week session
Supplies needed: A composition notebook and Pen or Pencil
To sign up RSVP to Kris McCue at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com, payment confirms your space in the class, when you rsvp to me I’ll tell you where to send payment to Austin.
This class is 1 session at present, but with enough interest we could run another 4 week session in the spring.
Session 2: TBA

Monday, August 15, 2011

Flag football for Boys Ages 7-12


Passing this along from Adam Recla....


UplifT Sports is offering flag football for Boys Ages 7-12 and will run from September 24 to November 12 on Saturdays from 10AM to Noon at Reed Park in Windsor Locks.
UplifT Sports is a ministry of Windsor Locks Congregational Church EFCA that seeks to build faith and character by investing in youth athletes. This is our second year of football and we had a blast last year.
In my life, I have seen God teach me many lessons of faith when playing sports. Athletic competition and practice provided me with a proving ground for applying God’s word in areas like teamwork, integrity, God-reliance, respect for others, trust, keeping hope, and giving encouragement. There is an element of training hard and competing that helps us see our need for God. In getting feedback from a coach and striving for excellence on the field, athletes learn to be a winner by giving their best for the Lord and their teammates.
When athletes see their faith in action, they can translate this trust in God toward much more important areas of life.

We’ll have a lot of fun, run through some drills for skill building, and play some games.
All you need to bring is water to stay hydrated.
Please sign up by contacting Adam Recla at ajr2@sbcglobal.net

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Homeschool Astronomy Class @ Travelers ScienceDome Planetarium


The Travelers ScienceDome Planetarium at The Children's Museum in West Hartford is pleased to announce its new Homeschool Astronomy Class. Join us in Connecticut 's largest digital planetarium for a special eight week class about the Solar System. Our class is designed for home-schooled children between the ages of 10 and 14. The class will meet once per week on Wednesday afternoons between 1:00 and 3:00 PM starting September 28th. Each class will consist of one hour of lecture inside the planetarium; lecture will be accompanied by use of the planetarium dome/projector to illustrate concepts. The second hour will consist of a lab/activity period where the students will see special science demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities relating to the topic of the lecture. The main focus of this class is Solar System Astronomy. Students will learn key concepts and terminology used by astronomers. Within each class the students will also learn applications of chemistry, physics, geology, and meteorology.
Week 1: Our Solar System- This introductory class will take students on a journey from the creation of our solar system to the present day. Learn how our sun and planets formed, how we measure outer space, and the structure of our solar system. Students will act out the Solar System to help them understand how immensely far apart the planets are.
Week 2: Our Sun- What powers the Sun? This class will provide an introduction into nuclear fusion, properties of the fourth state of matter, as well as the structure and composition of the Sun. Also, learn about the many ways that our star affects our solar system.
Week 3: The Rocky Inner Planets- Explore the four inner planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are four very different and interesting worlds. Learn about the formation and characteristics of rocky planets. We will visit each rocky planet in the planetarium and learn about its unique environment.
Week 4: The Gas Giant Outer Planets- Discover the four outer planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are balls of gas hundreds of times the size of our Earth. Learn about the bizarre weather patterns that rage in their cold atmospheres. There is much to learn and much still to learn about these ever-changing worlds.
Week 5: The Moons of Our Solar System- Our moon is the only place in space that humans have visited, so far. Learn about where our moon came from and what Earth would be like without it. Then we will explore some of the other planets' moons. Discover frigid oceans, ice volcanoes, and more on the moons of the Gas Giants.
Week 6: Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets- There has been a lot of buzz lately in the astronomy community about the smaller objects in our solar system. Learn about Pluto and what scientific discoveries lead to its reclassification as a Dwarf Planet. Explore the outer reaches of our solar system where comets come from.
Week 7: Exploration of our Solar System- Learn about the past, present, and future space missions. See the planets through the eyes of the many orbiters and landers we have sent into space. Also learn about the history and future of human space flight.
Week 8: Could We Terraform Mars or Venus? Terraforming is the idea of using science and technology to transform the landscape and atmosphere of an inhospitable planet to make it more like Earth. Right now, this idea is purely science fiction; however, there are some people who think it might be possible to transform our nearest neighbors, Mars or Venus. The students in this final class will work in groups and use what they learned about the planets, the sun, and the rest of the solar system to decide if some day we could transform these planets.
Telescope Night: Included in this class is a telescope evening. The date of this night is still to be determined and will be based on weather and student availability. Planetarium staff will show students how to set up and use a telescope. Students are welcome to bring their own 'scopes if they have them or use ours.
Cost for the whole course is $120 for the first student and $100 for additional students in each family. There is also a $20 per student materials fee. This cost includes all eight weeks plus the telescope night. There is no refund for missed classes. Parents are welcome to audit the class for a fee of $50. Parents with smaller children are welcome to tour the museum for free during the class time; however younger children are not allowed into the planetarium during the class period.
For more information about our Home School Astronomy Class please contact Assistant Planetarium Director, Kyra Elliott at 860.231.2824 x24 or kelliott@thechildrensmuseumct.org
To register for this class please call 860.231.2824 x44 or email Registration@TheChildrensMuseumCT.org
Kristie M. Mazzoni
Planetarium Director
Travelers Science Dome
The Children's Museum
950 Trout Brook Drive
West Hartford CT 06119
860-231-2830 x40

Lego Engineering classes

Passing this along from Karen Cupit, contact her if you are interested.


Lego Fundamentals is again offering classes! Levels 1 and/or 2 can be offered.
Please contact Karen Cupit ASAP if you are interested at 860-895-1134 or cupit_kj@sbcglobal.net. We will set up a class according to interest. Classes will start in mid to late September.
Location TBD, but I will try for Whiton Library in Manchester again.
For more information go to Play-Well’s web site: http://play-well.org/classes/

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Used Curriculum Sale

Passing this along from Regina Sanchez ESTHERSOS@aol.com


USED CURRICULUM SALE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13TH
11 AM - 3 PM
402 POND BRIDGE ROAD, WINDSOR
Come and make your last minute purchases as you begin to prepare for the next school year.
Books by Apologia, Abeka, Bob Jones, Saxon, and many reference books ... to name a few!
Come for some friendship, encouragement, guidance, suggestions and ice tea!

FIELD TRIP to the Massachusetts Tower Hill Botanical Gardens

Passing this along from Diane Connors.......





FIELD TRIP to the Massachusetts Tower Hill Botanical Gardens
11 French Drive
Boylston, Massachusetts

Thursday, September 29, 2011 (deadline is 9/14 for payment receipt & completed registration)
arrival meeting time: 10 – 10:10 AM


General Admission Fee: $7/adult, $3/child, 5 & under are free

Rain or shine? Yes. This trip is partially outdoors, mostly indoors.

Class Admission Fee: The rate for those children participating in a class program (1-2 hours) would be $7/child (includes admission). They are also welcome to tour
the inside/outside grounds, too. There are no refunds as monies are committed to paying for the given headcount.

Time: Please leave wiggle room for traveling time and plan to arrive before 10 AM.

Description: For this trip families have the option of registering for the general admission or the classes. The self-guided tour is quite impressive.
Scavenger hunts are available for children who are viewing the gardens, and there are maps for everyone to use for visiting.

There will be 3 classes that will be custom designed for the grade levels for the children, and size is limited to ten. DRESS FOR THE WEATHER as portions
of the class time will be spent outdoors. The first paid registrants will get the spaces and the fee will be committed to the organization so there will be no refunds.
I’ll be asking for one chaperone
for every ten children registered for a class, as well as an alternate in case one is needed. The person that actually is
the chaperone will have their adult admission refunded to them at the event.

The Gardens are inside and outside and include many acres
of floral beauty. You can see the varied gardens listed here to the right of the photo: http://www.towerhillbg.org/thwebgar.html
There is also a gourmet café and a Gift Shop. http://www.towerhillbg.org/thwebsvectwigs.html
Facts about Tower Hill here: http://www.towerhillbg.org/TH_SEVCstats11.pdf

Make & Take Worm Composting
CLASS 10:15 AM – 11:15
for children entering grades 3-5 (15 max)

Tree Identification
CLASS 10:15 AM – 12:15
for children entering grades 6-8

Plant Classification in the Systematic Garden
CLASS 10:15 AM – 12:15
for children entering grades 9 - 12 (10 max)

FOR REGISTRATION: Print out TWO copies of *this page* - one for you (so you remember you signed up!) and one for Diane, and follow mailing and payment directions.(cut and paste this portion of the post into a WORD document)
Incomplete registrations will be returned to the sender - please proofread. MARK YOUR CALENDAR, please !

PAYMENT & MAILING: On this date___________________ I sent a check made out to Diane Connors, to pay for
admission for ____________ paid adults and ____________________ paid children, and _________ free
children, to attend the above event. The amount of my check is _____________________________ and
the check number is __________________. I understand there are no refunds and monies are committed
to the above facility as part of the total trip headcount.

Register the following PAID children for the following classes (write out the info): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mail a copy of this form & check, to: Diane Connors, P.O. Box 629, Columbia, CT 06237.

PAYMENT CONFIRMATION: Diane will confirm our paid space for this trip
by emailing this address (print neatly, I'm old =-)

_________________________________________________________________________________
If the trip is full, checks will be returned to their owner.
If there is a wait list appropriate for this trip, Diane will contact you. If you have questions, EMAIL me at: DrMomOfTen@hotmail.com & give me a few days to reply, though I'm usually more prompt.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Just Between Friends Consigment sale Aug.19

Passing this along from Karen Cupit..........


Just Between Friends is the nation's leading children's and maternity consignment sales event, offering a Spring and Fall event each year. It is community-based and allows individuals the opportunity to participate as consignors, shoppers, volunteers - or all three. Consignors prepare their "gently-loved" kids clothing (sizes preemie - juniors), toys, equipment, baby items, maternity items and accessories, and price them for sale.

Participating consignors can earn 65-70% on their items. Shoppers get great deals on thousands of items and volunteers help with all aspects of running the sale...as well as get the chance to shop the presale.

Even better, each JBF sale gives back to the community by partnering with local charities to help neighbors in need. Our event will benefit My Sister's Place.


When and Where: The Fall event for the Hartford Area will be held at East Catholic High School in Manchester on August 19 - 20th, 2011. There will be a presale on August 18th for volunteers, consignors, first-time moms and teachers! We will be extending the presale to homeschool parents as well and hope it will be a great way to get ready for Back to School!


For more information contact Andrea DiSalvatore:

(203) 258-1209


www.jbfsale.com (Select "Hartford")


Friday, August 5, 2011

Homeschool Day at The Children’s Museum

Homeschool Day at
The Children’s Museum
Tuesday, September 27, 2011


950 Trout Brook Drive
West Hartford, Connecticut 06119 1437
860.231.2824


Welcome to the start of another great year for our popular Science Education Days dedicated to homeschool families. As supporters of your family’s choice for self-directed, home-based education, we invite children who are homeschooled to visit the Museum, tour our exhibits, and take part in classroom and planetarium programs. Our workshops and planetarium shows are appropriate for children from five to thirteen years old.

Because of the popularity of our Homeschool Days, this is just the first of three homeschool days for your family this fall. Be sure to watch for upcoming dates: October 25 and November 29. We also have planned an additional three days after the New Year.

 
View the program schedule to make the best choice for your family. It is our goal that your children receive the maximum learning enjoyment from our variety of programs. We have structured the schedule so you can select up to three different classes. For the September session, we have chosen a theme about “building” and each program will be held in one of our classrooms. The youngest students can be simple engineers, pack, design, and build for the future as they learn what it is like to live and work in space, and study and build habitats for animal survival. Children in the third through fifth grade-range create an eco-friendly habitat, and learn about aerodynamics as they design and build a rocket for future space travel. Older children design and build a lunar base, learn about the human impact on wild habitats and challenge themselves with their knowledge of energy, forces, and motion to make the best selection for your family.
For more info and to register please check out this link: http://www.thechildrensmuseumct.org/homeschool_day.php