Hooked on Phonics for sale

Passing this along from Donna Meier, please contact her if you are interested

Hooked on Phonics is a great learn-to-read system. Both my kids learned to read using it, and now I am selling our set. The original price is $200. Our set is about 10 years old and we are asking $50 or best offer. If you are interested, please let me know. Thanks! Donna 860-794-9851 dcm111@cox.net

Homeschool Chess Club forming in Vernon

Passing this along from Ron Small  roon48@yahoo.com;  email him if you are interested

The Homeschool Chess Club will start on
 Tuesday Oct. 16, 2012

12:30pm to 1:30pm

 at Trinity Lutheran Church

 20 Meadowlark Road, Vernon, CT.

The teacher David Aldi is a skilled chess player and teacher who works with schools and homeschoolers throughout the state. He is extending a special homeschool rate to us of $10/child/session. Normally his rate is $15/child/session. We will do 10 week sessions. Parents should email Ron Small roon48@yahoo.com if they are interested so he can keep a count of the kids. He needs a minimum of 10 kids, so email him ASAP! They can bring payment and pay David directly at the first class. Coming a few minutes early to take care of that would be great.

Class description:

Learn to play the game of chess! This is for players that want to learn new strategies and ways to win as well as other chess “secrets”. Beginners are also welcome (those that do not know how to play at all).

You will learn all the basic moves of the chess pieces, their values, piece interaction, and how to win (checkmate).

Additional subject matter might include an introduction to master-level chess techniques and secrets that will

improve your chances of winning chess games in tournaments. These intermediate and advanced topics
would be the following:

 (1) Forced checkmating patterns 

 (2) How to win with just Kings and pawns on the board

(3) The concept of "Zugswang" (the requirement to move even though every move loses)

(4) Zwishchenzug (The "in-between" move that can upset the balance in a given position).

 This class will also cover "How to evaluate your game" and an "Organized thinking process" that will lead the player to finding good moves in most chess situations.

Focus will also be on recognizing critical positions during the course of a game.

Note: The 60 minute session will is broken down to an approximate 30 minutes of “instructional coaching session” and 30 minutes of play. This class is designed as to be a “chess workshop”.

Ron-a-Roll Homeschool skate

Ron-A-Roll Indoor Roller Skating Center in Vernon, CT is offering a Home School Skate discount of $5.75 per person including admission and roller skate rental if needed during their “Stop, Bop & Roll" Tuesday mornings 9:30-11:30 AM on the following dates:

October 2nd, 16th & 30th
November 13th & 27th
December 4th & 18th
January 8th & 22nd
February 12th & 26th
March 12th & 26th
April 9th & 23rd
May 7th & 21st
June 4th

Please spread the word among your Home School Friends!

Jennifer Conde, Operations Manager
Ron-A-Roll Indoor Roller Skating Center
At Exit 66 Off I-84
85 South Frontage Road
Vernon, CT 06066
860-872-8400 (press 9 to bypass automated message system)
www.ronaroll.com

homeschoolers special bowling rate

Passing on the info for those homeschoolers near the Enfield area:

Shaker Bowl is offering a special rate of $2.75 per game for homeschoolers Monday-Friday 9 am 5 pm 

Shaker Bowl
168 Shaker Road
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
413-525-7189
General Manager, Justin Godfrey

UplifT Sports is offering flag football for Boys Ages 7-12

Passing this along from Adam Recla ajr2@sbcglobal.net, please email him if you are interested

UplifT Sports is offering flag football for Boys Ages 7-12 and will run from September 15 to November 10 on Saturdays from 10AM to Noon at Pierce Park in East Windsor. UplifT Sports is a ministry of Windsor Locks Congregational Church EFCA that seeks to build faith and character by investing in youth athletes. We’ll have a lot of fun. Our typical session includes time for individual & team drills, and then a game. Boys will learn all the fundamentals of football for positions like quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back. 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 give 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. God blessed me with a High School football career that lead to being named All-Jersey Shore and recruited by Division 1 programs. Now, God has really blessed me with the chance to share my experience through coaching. The cost of the program is $27 to cover the cost of a football jersey that you will keep. All you need to bring is water to stay hydrated, and I recommend wearing cleats. To register or for questions email me at ajr2@sbcglobal.net God Bless You, Adam Recla

9th Annual Science Fair

Passing this along form Kris McCue,  email her to register at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com

Announcing...

9th Annual Science Fair

sponsored by Farmington Valley Home Educators Group

Date: Friday, November 16, 2012

Time: 6:00-7:30.

(Set up beginning at 5:45)

Location: The Apple Barn

60 Old Farms Rd., West Simsbury

Cost: --$5 per participant

(registration fee covers rental of space, pizza and beverage)

--$3 per visitor if you’d like to have pizza and beverage
--free to any visitor looking but not eating
-- those who pre-pay for pizza will be given tickets to trade in for their meal; if there is extra pizza
it will be for sale to anyone else after those who prepay have been served.
Who: Open to all home-schooled kids

To Register: email Kris McCue at fvhegroupis@hotmail.com
Please provide the following information:
Children’s names and ages or grades
How many projects your family will bring, as sometimes kids will work together on 1 project. You don’t need to tell me the nature of your project unless you need to make a special request (such as electricity needed, more space needed, etc...)
How many of you will be attending. I need to keep a head count on guests as well, as the building has an occupancy limit.
Your willingness to bring a dish to share on our buffet-counter. Finger-foods and desserts are welcome additions to the festivities.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
1 person needed to make certificates of participation for each child. These can be store-bought or made up on the computer at home. I will give you a list of names close to the date of the fair. These are presented to each of the children at the close of the fair.

A couple people are needed to arrive early (5:30) and help set up 18 tables. People will also need to stay at the end of the fair and help put way tables/chairs and run the vacuum before we lock up.

One person is needed to pick up pizzas at 5:45 at Antonio's Restaurant (located on Rt. 10 in the north end of Simsbury, about 7 minutes from the Apple Barn)

Come join the science fair for an evening of fun and learning!

Choose any science topic and research it, then make a display to show what you’ve learned.

Science fair projects should be either experimental or illustrative. They should show/use the 6 steps of scientific method where possible.

The 6 steps of scientific method are:
question - what did you want to know?
hypothesis - your guess at the answer to your question
list materials - what did you use to conduct your experiment?
procedure - how did you conduct your experiment?
observations - what did you see happen?
conclusion - what answer did your experiment give to your original question?

Kids should be prepared to explain or demonstrate their project as guests and family go around and look at the different displays. Kids will also have time to go around and learn from each other. (If your child does an experiment, they should plan to spend more time manning their display so as to show it properly, whereas if your child does an illustrative project they just need to make sure there is enough detail in order to be self-explanatory. Either way, it is nice for the kids to spend some time showing off their hard work.) Kids will each have 1/2 of a 6 foot table unless otherwise requested. This is about the space a tri-fold cardboard stand takes up. There are electrical outlets available on a first-ask, first-receive basis. We are not allowed to hang anything on the walls. Each participant should have a small booklet as part of their display, for the family and guests to write comments in. This makes a fun keepsake, and is great feedback!

I am not worried about multiples of the same project, so kids don’t need to worry that someone else will claim a topic before them. I don’t want any child to be discouraged from following what interests them.

Please keep in mind the purpose of this evening. It’s hard to believe anyone could get tired of looking at all the wonderful displays our kids dream up, but sometimes they do. At the Apple Barn there is a smaller 2nd room with couches/chairs and table/benches in case younger kids want to visit or play cards/do coloring and such.

I will respond to your emails with details of where/when to send payment for registration, as well as additional details of our using the facility, and the pizza ordering.

If you have any questions feel free to email me.

Happy inventing!
Kris McCue

Tour of CPTV next Tuesday

Passing this along form Karen Cupit....

Sorry for the short notice! Please email Karen Cupit at cupit_kj@sbcglobal.net if you’re interested in joining us.

Tour of CPTV (CT Public Television)

1049 Asylum Ave. Hartford, CT 06105

Tuesday, Sept 11^th from 1:30-2:30 or 3 PM

If any students would like to do a mock interview (even if it’s 1-2 minutes), CPTV will set up their cameras! Just let us know ahead of time so that they can be prepared.