SKS Science: Science Supplies for Homeschoolers
2 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 2:05 PM.
Many of us shudder at the prospect of teaching laboratory sciences to our kids. I know I am guilty of this. In my mind, I remember the chemistry lab at my high school. Rows and rows of cabinets full of glassware and plastic bottles, Bunsen burners, sinks, and a back room full of bottles of powders and liquids. Thinking of trying to reproduce that at home is frankly overwhelming, and I think it is for a lot of homeschoolers. But here are a couple of things to remember:
1. The stuff that requires beakers and flame, gloves and goggles, and dangerous chemicals? That is the COOLEST stuff. That is the stuff that makes balancing equations bearable! Kids all love to measure and pour, combine, make things fizz and pop. This is why chemistry sets have been a toy drooled after by generations of children. So saying "I can't manage it" means that you're foregoing a major part of what makes science awesome for kids.
2. You don't have to stock your lab all at once. Think of your kitchen. When did you acquire your pots and pans? You probably accummulated things over a long time, as you needed it. A set here, a piece there, a collection over here, until you filled your cabinets. Now you have everything you need, but you didn't have to go to the "buy a whole kitchen" store and in one step anticipate every single thing you'd need for a lifetime of cooking. Supplying your home science lab can be the same slow process.
SKS Science is a supply company that sells home science supplies to homeschoolers, teachers, schools, labs, and whoever needs a quick beaker or a sudden petri dish. Their prices are very reasonable, their site is logically organized by brand, by type of science, by product. They have everying you need and even stuff you didn't need. But the best part of their site, in my opinion, is the section of the site where they suggest science experiments and list exactly what you need to do each one. There's a pH indicator experiment (with photos, video instruction). There's an experiment to test the porosity of membranes. Along with each experiment you get a supply list, so you will accumulate your equipment bit by bit.
Yes, you can muck along through homeschool science using mixing bowls and coffee mugs. You can measure stuff in your plastic measuring cups and stir with a salad fork. But if you're serious about science (and you better be), with a small investment in proper tools you can inspire your kids! Can you make a shelf in your cabinet for some graduated cylinders and transfer pipettes? If you grow your collection little by little, I think you'll find your home science lab will be far less painful to construct than you (or I) originally thought.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool science, science, sks science
Green Olive Tree: Reliable Web Hosting
0 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Saturday, December 05, 2009 at 3:31 PM.
In most homeschooling families I know (including mine) the dad works and the mom schools. In fact, I know a lot of moms very well but would probably pass their husbands on the street without recognizing them because I hardly see them. Not that there is anything wrong with this -- I and my other mom comrades are very glad we're able to homeschool because our husbands work. However, I always find it very cool when I see a dad that's involved with his kids' activities and present for the school aspects of his kids' lives. One way that homeschool families sometimes work this out is by engaging in entrepreneurial ventures like owning their own business.
Green Olive Tree is an internet company owned and operated by a homeschool family here in Portsmouth, VA. I know both the mom and the dad in this family/company equally well! Running their business takes a lot of their time, but when they come to the park, or to co-op, or to another event, they are often together, or they're taking turns doing the leg work. Dad is there with the kids -- yes, often on his laptop or phone, but still there -- and that's very cool. This is a family who has found a way to prioritize their children *and* run a very successful business -- an amazing balancing act. So I was happy when Green Olive Tree sponsored the science fair, so that we could spend some time promoting the company.
This web hosting company also provides all kinds of server management, virtual server solutions, and dedicated servers. If you need complicated internet stuff, they are your answer. Don't go with a big company that treats you like a number -- Green Olive Tree's customer service is unparalleled and their record is spotless. Even if you're just looking for reliable web hosting, and you don't want to pay a lot of money, how about this: $25 a year for web hosting for a personal site. That's wicked cheap. Find out more about their web hosting plans and prices here.
If you're reading this and you appreciate their support of our science fair, their support of their kids, and their involvement in the community, please follow their Twitter feed and fan them on Facebook. These are good people, doing a great job raising their children (yes, their daughter Sarah is in my co-op classes and I adore her!) and making an exceptional business out of hard work and excellent service.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool businesses, homeschool dads, working homeschoolers
GUESS Homeschool Science Fair: How Can You Help?
1 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 7:46 PM.
Thank you for participating in the science fair this year! It was a great day, and you and your children helped to make that happen!
It’s time to look ahead to next year, and part of that is thanking our sponsors so that they’re happy to help us out again in the future. There are several ways you can help us do this and also spread the word about our fair.
1. Do you have a blog? Go to this post: http://www.littleblueschool.com/2009/11/please-steal-this-post.html You’ll find instructions on how to copy and repost that information, spreading links to our sponsors’ web sites and improving their Google ranking.
2. Do you have Twitter? Here is a list of our sponsors that have Twitter accounts. Please follow them, retweet them when you can, promote their feeds:
http://www.twitter.com/RobertKrampf (The Happy Scientist)
http://www.twitter.com/esciencelabs (eScience Labs)
http://www.twitter.com/brookssystems (Brooks Systems)
http://www.twitter.com/greenolivetree (Green Olive Tree)
http://www.twitter.com/folkmanis (Folkmanis Puppets)
3. Do you use Facebook? Here is a list of our sponsors that have Facebook accounts. Please join their groups, become fans, link to their pages on your wall:
http://www.facebook.com/TheHappyScientist (The Happy Scientist)
http://www.facebook.com/eScienceLabs (eScience Labs)
http://www.facebook.com/vascnews (Virginia Air and Space Center)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131416466288 (Green Olive Tree)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1184826284 (Folkmanis Puppets)
4. Did you receive a prize specifically from one of these donors? It would be great if you wrote a thank-you note to the donor. It would be even better if you blogged about the donor. It would be even better if you blogged with pictures! For example, if you received a bookstore certificate from Book Exchange, can you take a picture of your child with the books they choose? If you received a puppet, can you snap a photo of your child with his/her puppet? Maybe you took a picture at the fair with the puppet – Folkmanis would love to see it.
5. Visit all the science fair sponsors here: http://www.guesshomeschoolsciencefair.com/sponsors.htm Click around on the links and investigate these homeschool-friendly businesses, and let them know that we are grateful for their support.
Thank you so much for helping us out as we wrap up the fair. We really appreciate YOUR support too!
Best,
Lydia and Shez
It’s time to look ahead to next year, and part of that is thanking our sponsors so that they’re happy to help us out again in the future. There are several ways you can help us do this and also spread the word about our fair.
1. Do you have a blog? Go to this post: http://www.littleblueschool.com/2009/11/please-steal-this-post.html You’ll find instructions on how to copy and repost that information, spreading links to our sponsors’ web sites and improving their Google ranking.
2. Do you have Twitter? Here is a list of our sponsors that have Twitter accounts. Please follow them, retweet them when you can, promote their feeds:
http://www.twitter.com/RobertKrampf (The Happy Scientist)
http://www.twitter.com/esciencelabs (eScience Labs)
http://www.twitter.com/brookssystems (Brooks Systems)
http://www.twitter.com/greenolivetree (Green Olive Tree)
http://www.twitter.com/folkmanis (Folkmanis Puppets)
3. Do you use Facebook? Here is a list of our sponsors that have Facebook accounts. Please join their groups, become fans, link to their pages on your wall:
http://www.facebook.com/TheHappyScientist (The Happy Scientist)
http://www.facebook.com/eScienceLabs (eScience Labs)
http://www.facebook.com/vascnews (Virginia Air and Space Center)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131416466288 (Green Olive Tree)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1184826284 (Folkmanis Puppets)
4. Did you receive a prize specifically from one of these donors? It would be great if you wrote a thank-you note to the donor. It would be even better if you blogged about the donor. It would be even better if you blogged with pictures! For example, if you received a bookstore certificate from Book Exchange, can you take a picture of your child with the books they choose? If you received a puppet, can you snap a photo of your child with his/her puppet? Maybe you took a picture at the fair with the puppet – Folkmanis would love to see it.
5. Visit all the science fair sponsors here: http://www.guesshomeschoolsciencefair.com/sponsors.htm Click around on the links and investigate these homeschool-friendly businesses, and let them know that we are grateful for their support.
Thank you so much for helping us out as we wrap up the fair. We really appreciate YOUR support too!
Best,
Lydia and Shez
Labels: guess sponsors, science fair
The sponsors of our 2009 GUESS Homeschool Science Fair generously provided our young scientists with exciting prizes for the winners. Their donations also allowed us to underwrite the cost of all the kids' science fair day at the VASC, including an age-appropriate science class, an electricity demo, and an IMAX movie. Part of what we do to thank our sponsors is generating links for them on homeschool blogs and sites, pointing to their web presence from descriptive anchor text, to boost their Google ranking on those search terms. That's where this post comes in!
We need your help to spread these links across the internet, to say thank you to these businesses for supporting our young homeschooled scientists. If you have a blog, or site, and you can help us, please steal this post! For maximum impact on search engines, it's very important that the links go along with the post, attached to the appropriate text, so if you need the plain HTML to put into your blog, click here for a .txt file.
So, how can you help the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair?
1. Copy this post, or the .txt file with the HTML.
2. Post it to your blog.
3. Let us know when you've done it so we can link back to your blog!
Here's the part of the post we want you to "steal":
Thank you to the following homeschool-friendly businesses for supporting the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair and the young scientists of Hampton Roads!
Green Olive Tree is an internet company based in Portsmouth, Virginia and owned and operated by a homeschooling family. They offer a broad range of internet services, from reliable web hosting to corporate infrastructure solutions and server administration.
SKS Science supplies homeschoolers and other educators with all the science supplies you need to turn your dining room table into a proper laboratory. Browse their site for test tubes, bottles, face masks and other lab supplies and books.
Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books. There's always an interesting curriculum find on these shelves!
Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa's workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.
The Happy Scientist, Robert Krampf, hosts an online wonderland for budding scientists. With online science lessons, experiments to try at home, a science photo of the day, and new content added all the time, you'll love setting your kids loose on this site.
Mad Science is Hampton Roads' premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include "Crazy Chemistry" and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.
Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.
Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it's a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!
Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.
Virginia Air and Space Center was host to the homeschool science fair this year, and delivered awesome science classes for homeschoolers from their education department. The VASC is the educator resource center for the NASA Langley Research Center.
We need your help to spread these links across the internet, to say thank you to these businesses for supporting our young homeschooled scientists. If you have a blog, or site, and you can help us, please steal this post! For maximum impact on search engines, it's very important that the links go along with the post, attached to the appropriate text, so if you need the plain HTML to put into your blog, click here for a .txt file.
So, how can you help the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair?
1. Copy this post, or the .txt file with the HTML.
2. Post it to your blog.
3. Let us know when you've done it so we can link back to your blog!
Here's the part of the post we want you to "steal":
Thank you to the following homeschool-friendly businesses for supporting the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair and the young scientists of Hampton Roads!
Green Olive Tree is an internet company based in Portsmouth, Virginia and owned and operated by a homeschooling family. They offer a broad range of internet services, from reliable web hosting to corporate infrastructure solutions and server administration.
SKS Science supplies homeschoolers and other educators with all the science supplies you need to turn your dining room table into a proper laboratory. Browse their site for test tubes, bottles, face masks and other lab supplies and books.
Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books. There's always an interesting curriculum find on these shelves!
Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa's workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.
The Happy Scientist, Robert Krampf, hosts an online wonderland for budding scientists. With online science lessons, experiments to try at home, a science photo of the day, and new content added all the time, you'll love setting your kids loose on this site.
Mad Science is Hampton Roads' premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include "Crazy Chemistry" and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.
Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.
Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it's a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!
Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.
Virginia Air and Space Center was host to the homeschool science fair this year, and delivered awesome science classes for homeschoolers from their education department. The VASC is the educator resource center for the NASA Langley Research Center.
Labels: guess sponsors
When Shez and I first talked about organizing a science fair for homeschooled kids, we were actually sitting in a bowling alley. Our kids were in a homeschool league, which they loved, and we were suffering through waiting out the bowling, which we did not love. Being the supportive homeschooling moms that we are, we drove the kids to bowling on a weekly basis, and as we sat there, nodding and smiling and not really looking up when one of the kids would say "I got a spare!" we hatched this idea for the science fair.
On Monday, November 9th, my children, and Shez's children, and about sixty-five other children, were again engaged in something they really love. The cool thing is, it was something that I love too: thinking, questioning, reasoning, testing, finding out. In short, science! So instead of being the nice supportive mom and nodding mildly while the kid scores a point in sparring, or draws a comic, or climbs a pole, I can listen to my five-year-old talking about her control group, my nine-year-old defining his constants and variables, and let me tell you, *that* is something that gets me excited as a homeschooling mom!
Here's Sadie talking to the judges:
Here's Benny, very proud of his work:
A lot of people have thanked us for doing the work that went into turning out the science fair this year. It was a lot of work, but the excitement in our own kids' faces, and in all the other kids' faces, as they were rushing around from the classes to the judging to the movie, standing proudly beside their projects and explaining their work so articulately to the judges, chattering to each other about the details of their work... made it very worthwhile. Some people are inspired by athletes, artists, musicians. Of course, I'm inspired by those things too. However, I find myself getting really choked up, emotionally touched, at spelling bees, geography bees, and science fairs, than at anything else. The earnest, uncensored nerdiness; the fact that these kids are oblivious to the fact that their interest in science might be considered nerdy; the degree to which these really young children have immersed in their ideas... is very awesome to see!
That being true, I have to say, we absolutely loved every minute of the science fair! We were very lucky to have over a dozen excellent judges, both museum docents and community volunteers, the hospitality of Virginia Air and Space Center staff, who set up really engaging classes and a very cool movie, and generous sponsors who provided great rewards to the kids.
Here's a look at the third and fourth grade projects, as seen from above:
Here are some links where you can find out more:
Our updated web site, where you can find all the results, pictures, links, and info you can handle: GUESS Homeschool Science Fair.
Our Flickr photo pool, where you can see pictures from all angles, from five different moms. GUESS pictures on Flickr.
Our sponsors:
Green Olive Tree
Book Exchange Norfolk
Mad Science of Hampton Roads
eScience Labs
Norfolk Karate Academy
Moore Expressions
Folkmanis Puppets
Brooks Systems
The Happy Scientist
SKS Science
Mariner's Museum
Virginia Air and Space Center
There will be many ways that you can help us bring about GUESS 2010, so stay tuned on the web site and on our blogs for more information.
On Monday, November 9th, my children, and Shez's children, and about sixty-five other children, were again engaged in something they really love. The cool thing is, it was something that I love too: thinking, questioning, reasoning, testing, finding out. In short, science! So instead of being the nice supportive mom and nodding mildly while the kid scores a point in sparring, or draws a comic, or climbs a pole, I can listen to my five-year-old talking about her control group, my nine-year-old defining his constants and variables, and let me tell you, *that* is something that gets me excited as a homeschooling mom!
Here's Sadie talking to the judges:
Here's Benny, very proud of his work:
A lot of people have thanked us for doing the work that went into turning out the science fair this year. It was a lot of work, but the excitement in our own kids' faces, and in all the other kids' faces, as they were rushing around from the classes to the judging to the movie, standing proudly beside their projects and explaining their work so articulately to the judges, chattering to each other about the details of their work... made it very worthwhile. Some people are inspired by athletes, artists, musicians. Of course, I'm inspired by those things too. However, I find myself getting really choked up, emotionally touched, at spelling bees, geography bees, and science fairs, than at anything else. The earnest, uncensored nerdiness; the fact that these kids are oblivious to the fact that their interest in science might be considered nerdy; the degree to which these really young children have immersed in their ideas... is very awesome to see!
That being true, I have to say, we absolutely loved every minute of the science fair! We were very lucky to have over a dozen excellent judges, both museum docents and community volunteers, the hospitality of Virginia Air and Space Center staff, who set up really engaging classes and a very cool movie, and generous sponsors who provided great rewards to the kids.
Here's a look at the third and fourth grade projects, as seen from above:
Here are some links where you can find out more:
Our updated web site, where you can find all the results, pictures, links, and info you can handle: GUESS Homeschool Science Fair.
Our Flickr photo pool, where you can see pictures from all angles, from five different moms. GUESS pictures on Flickr.
Our sponsors:
Green Olive Tree
Book Exchange Norfolk
Mad Science of Hampton Roads
eScience Labs
Norfolk Karate Academy
Moore Expressions
Folkmanis Puppets
Brooks Systems
The Happy Scientist
SKS Science
Mariner's Museum
Virginia Air and Space Center
There will be many ways that you can help us bring about GUESS 2010, so stay tuned on the web site and on our blogs for more information.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool science, science fair
Folkmanis Puppets: The Best Educational Toys
1 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 8:16 PM.
We have always loved Folkmanis puppets. I'm convinced Folkmanis makes the best stage puppets, the best animal puppets, the best finger puppets, in the world. They use really interesting fabrics, very realistic designs, and somehow their puppets work as stuffed animals as well as puppets. All six of the puppets that live in our house are engaged regularly as denizens of the children's imaginary world. They are never relegated to puppet shows or ventriloquism.
You may remember that last year Folkmanis sent us a big box of puppets to give away at the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair. This year they did the same. My children gleefully watched while I unpacked the box, delighted over all the new puppets -- the woolly mammoth, the eagle, the iguana. There was even a nest of little birds you could animate with your hand. I felt very conflicted about letting my own children win these puppets, though! I knew that it wouldn't be fair for my own kids to win the most coveted prizes at the fair that I helped to organize. So, I told the children they could go to the Folkmanis web site and pick out whichever puppet they wanted for themselves, then at the fair the puppets in the box would go to other kids and they had to agree not to be sad. Sad? They were DELIGHTED. So, here are the puppets they "won":
Sadie chose the Chihuahua puppet.
Benny chose the dragon shoulder puppet. It has a stick that goes down behind your back through your shirt, so you can operate it surreptitiously with one hand while it appears to work on its own. VERY COOL! He had no problem figuring out how to work it immediately.
You may remember that last year Folkmanis sent us a big box of puppets to give away at the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair. This year they did the same. My children gleefully watched while I unpacked the box, delighted over all the new puppets -- the woolly mammoth, the eagle, the iguana. There was even a nest of little birds you could animate with your hand. I felt very conflicted about letting my own children win these puppets, though! I knew that it wouldn't be fair for my own kids to win the most coveted prizes at the fair that I helped to organize. So, I told the children they could go to the Folkmanis web site and pick out whichever puppet they wanted for themselves, then at the fair the puppets in the box would go to other kids and they had to agree not to be sad. Sad? They were DELIGHTED. So, here are the puppets they "won":
Sadie chose the Chihuahua puppet.
Benny chose the dragon shoulder puppet. It has a stick that goes down behind your back through your shirt, so you can operate it surreptitiously with one hand while it appears to work on its own. VERY COOL! He had no problem figuring out how to work it immediately.
The GUESS Homeschool Science Fair is so grateful to Folkmanis for their continued support of our event. The youngest scientists were very very happy to take home fluffy friends. And parents everywhere are grateful to Folkmanis for making such delightful toys. The best educational toys are open-ended, lending themselves to many uses, letting the child's imagination take over. Among the best in this category, I'd count Legos, paper and pencil, and puppets. And when it comes to animal puppets, Folkmanis truly is in a category all by itself.
Labels: animal puppets, folkmanis, guess sponsors, puppets
Science of Cooking at Young Chef's Academy
0 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Friday, July 11, 2008 at 8:26 AM.
One of the prizes at the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair was a class at the Young Chef's Academy in Ghent. Sarah Horne at YCA donated a "Science of Cooking" class for the 10 winners of the Emil Fisher Award for Sweet Experimentation.
I must admit I had a few misgivings about the wisdom of teaching all those age groups together -- she had a 4-year-old all the way up to an 11-year-old. I was also wondering how she could keep ten kids in their seats, safe, patient, and engaged with such a personal, hands-on thing as cooking. The parents were encouraged to drop off and come back later, but I stayed to take pictures of the class and also to help if needed. I was sure I would be needed.
I did NOT need to worry like that! Sarah Horne is a BRILLIANT, GIFTED teacher. Her deft handling of the activities and the students was incredible to watch. I ended up being richly entertained during the hour I spent watching her teach, and completely indelibly impressed.
In my experience, there are two types of "funny" teachers -- the type who are actually engaged with the kids, and the type whose true audience are the parents watching. Sarah played straight to the kids, and they found her completely hilarious.
One of the students, Michael, was so totally informed on all the issues she discussed (floating eggs and active yeast, among other things) that he was answering all the questions. He even knew what albumen was. Shocking. She teased him mercilessly but affectionately, and he spent the class modestly pleased with himself. Another teacher would have felt annoyed or intimidated by a kid who knew the answers before they came out of her mouth -- Sarah just worked him into her act. It was a beautiful thing.
I highly, highly recommend the Young Chef's Academy in Ghent -- a master teacher in her element is a sight to behold. Your children WILL have a fantastic time, and there is still time to get in on their Olympic-themed summer camps.
You can see all my pictures and another video in my YCA Flickr Set.
I must admit I had a few misgivings about the wisdom of teaching all those age groups together -- she had a 4-year-old all the way up to an 11-year-old. I was also wondering how she could keep ten kids in their seats, safe, patient, and engaged with such a personal, hands-on thing as cooking. The parents were encouraged to drop off and come back later, but I stayed to take pictures of the class and also to help if needed. I was sure I would be needed.
I did NOT need to worry like that! Sarah Horne is a BRILLIANT, GIFTED teacher. Her deft handling of the activities and the students was incredible to watch. I ended up being richly entertained during the hour I spent watching her teach, and completely indelibly impressed.
In my experience, there are two types of "funny" teachers -- the type who are actually engaged with the kids, and the type whose true audience are the parents watching. Sarah played straight to the kids, and they found her completely hilarious.
One of the students, Michael, was so totally informed on all the issues she discussed (floating eggs and active yeast, among other things) that he was answering all the questions. He even knew what albumen was. Shocking. She teased him mercilessly but affectionately, and he spent the class modestly pleased with himself. Another teacher would have felt annoyed or intimidated by a kid who knew the answers before they came out of her mouth -- Sarah just worked him into her act. It was a beautiful thing.
I highly, highly recommend the Young Chef's Academy in Ghent -- a master teacher in her element is a sight to behold. Your children WILL have a fantastic time, and there is still time to get in on their Olympic-themed summer camps.
You can see all my pictures and another video in my YCA Flickr Set.
Labels: guess sponsors, young chef's academy
G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair Sponsors: Please Steal This Post!
0 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 5:57 PM.
The G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair took place on May 5th in Norfolk VA, where smart young scientists shared their research and conclusions with their peers, their families, and the judges. Fun was had, friends were made, hypotheses were proven, and prizes were awarded! Thank you to all the sponsors of the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair!
If you would like to help thank these generous sponsors by boosting their links on key search words, please steal this post, links and all, and republish it to your blog. When you've done this, email guess@littleblueschool.com and let us know, so that we can add you to our "Science Fair Bloggers" and give you some links and traffic too! You'll get a link on Little Blue School, Homeschooled Twins, and on the homeschool science fair web site.
Need the code? Click here to get the .txt file with all the links in place. Just put it into your blog's HTML editing field, and you're ready to go. If you have trouble posting, and you need help, email us.
Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.
Art of Dance Academy is a dance and theater school on the border of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. They offer "Tiny Tots" toddler dance classes, youth classes for ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop, and adult classes too. Most importantly, the host the famous summer princess dance camp.
Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it's a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!
Nauticus is Norfolk's maritime museum and home of the USS Wisconsin battleship. The hot new exhibit is Seabots: Pilots of the Deep! Have you seen it? Nauticus is in the process of setting up a Homeschool Advisory Group to talk about homeschool science programs at the museum.
Mariner's Museum has amazing programs for homeschoolers learning about maritime science, history, and even pirates! Their next homeschool open house is on May 15th and features a class in pirate lore. Visit Mariner's Museum for historical exhibits and educational programming.
Homeschoolingbooks.com offers homeschool curriculum packages to take the guesswork out of selecting materials that compliment each other to create a whole year of learning for your homeschooler. Three collections are available for each level, and individual books are for sale too.
Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.
Dr. Bernard Nebel has written two books to help homeschool teachers integrate learning in different areas of the curricula into one living breathing learning experience. His new book, Building the Foundations for Scientific Understanding, is a science curriculum for K-2.
Young Chef's Academy is a marvelous kitchen classroom with amazing cooking classes for kids. Go ahead - cover yourself in flour! Most amazing of all: their summer camp offerings are themed around the Olympic Games. Cook for the Gold with Camp Can-I-Cook in Norfolk this summer.
Mad Science is Hampton Roads' premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include "Crazy Chemistry" and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.
eScienceLabs creates boxes of joy for science loving homeschoolers. In each kit is a complete science experience -- from individual lessons to full years of high school labs. Hands-on science kits are the answer to your laboratory woes. Everything is in there: test tubes, goggles, and fun.
Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa's workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.
Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books.
Thank you for your help in promoting these homeschool-friendly sites. They took a risk on sponsoring us in the first year of our science fair, and we appreciate their support.
If you would like to help thank these generous sponsors by boosting their links on key search words, please steal this post, links and all, and republish it to your blog. When you've done this, email guess@littleblueschool.com and let us know, so that we can add you to our "Science Fair Bloggers" and give you some links and traffic too! You'll get a link on Little Blue School, Homeschooled Twins, and on the homeschool science fair web site.
Need the code? Click here to get the .txt file with all the links in place. Just put it into your blog's HTML editing field, and you're ready to go. If you have trouble posting, and you need help, email us.
Moore Expressions is a homeschool bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They sell used and new homeschooling curriculum, host a support group, and publish a newsletter called the Bayith Educator. They are the premier source for homeschooling books in the Hampton Roads area.
Art of Dance Academy is a dance and theater school on the border of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. They offer "Tiny Tots" toddler dance classes, youth classes for ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop, and adult classes too. Most importantly, the host the famous summer princess dance camp.
Norfolk Karate Academy offers classes in Tang Soo Do (Korean karate) and Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian grappling and self-defense). With classes for children, teens, and adults, it's a great way for anyone to get in shape and kick things in a socially acceptable way!
Nauticus is Norfolk's maritime museum and home of the USS Wisconsin battleship. The hot new exhibit is Seabots: Pilots of the Deep! Have you seen it? Nauticus is in the process of setting up a Homeschool Advisory Group to talk about homeschool science programs at the museum.
Mariner's Museum has amazing programs for homeschoolers learning about maritime science, history, and even pirates! Their next homeschool open house is on May 15th and features a class in pirate lore. Visit Mariner's Museum for historical exhibits and educational programming.
Homeschoolingbooks.com offers homeschool curriculum packages to take the guesswork out of selecting materials that compliment each other to create a whole year of learning for your homeschooler. Three collections are available for each level, and individual books are for sale too.
Brooks Systems offers standalone software and web applications that check legal compliance in all municipalities in all fifty states, and create truth-in-lending documents for residential lenders. Using Brooks for your automated mortgage compliance, you can be sure your loans are safe.
Dr. Bernard Nebel has written two books to help homeschool teachers integrate learning in different areas of the curricula into one living breathing learning experience. His new book, Building the Foundations for Scientific Understanding, is a science curriculum for K-2.
Young Chef's Academy is a marvelous kitchen classroom with amazing cooking classes for kids. Go ahead - cover yourself in flour! Most amazing of all: their summer camp offerings are themed around the Olympic Games. Cook for the Gold with Camp Can-I-Cook in Norfolk this summer.
Mad Science is Hampton Roads' premier provider of science enrichment classes for children. Summer classes include "Crazy Chemistry" and a space camp developed with NASA! New homeschool science classes are being offered in Norfolk and VA Beach, with more planned for fall.
eScienceLabs creates boxes of joy for science loving homeschoolers. In each kit is a complete science experience -- from individual lessons to full years of high school labs. Hands-on science kits are the answer to your laboratory woes. Everything is in there: test tubes, goggles, and fun.
Folkmanis Puppets makes the most delightful animal puppets available outside Santa's workshop. Meet their most unusual creations like llamas, Chinese dragons, ostriches, flying squirrels. Unusual materials create realistic textures, and they all move in very realistic ways. Irresistible.
Book Exchange is the largest used bookstore in Eastern Virginia. Unlike most musty and confusing used stores, this one is clean, bright, inviting, and has a huge selection of used homeschool books.
Thank you for your help in promoting these homeschool-friendly sites. They took a risk on sponsoring us in the first year of our science fair, and we appreciate their support.
Labels: guess sponsors, steal this post
Homeschool Advisory Group at Nauticus Museum
0 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 1:07 PM.
Not only is Nauticus hosting a bangin' science summer camp season this year, but they're also creating a Homeschool Advisory Group to get input from our community on exactly what we'd like to see the museum offer to homeschoolers in the future. Are you kidding me? How many times have I sat around at park day or during some karate class or violin recital and made wish lists with other homeschool moms for what we could get the local museums to do for our children? Homeschool science classes? Science enrichment programs? Now those wish lists can be shared with people who are prepared to do something about them, in fact they are actively soliciting our ideas and desires! Here's the info:
When: Meetings are on Tuesdays from 2-4 pm on the following dates:
May 20
June 17
July 15
August 19
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 16
How: Reservations are required as space is limited.
Please RSVP to Jennifer Kodolitsch at:jennifer.tabor@norfolk.gov or (757) 664-1044
And yes, bring the kids! They'll have fun with a free workshop style experience.
Refreshments and parking are also free.
Did I fall asleep? Am I dreaming? If we don't pack these sessions with interested and active homeschool families we deserve to spend three solid years in "homeschool story time" at the library. I can't wait to discuss what Nauticus can do for us and how we can support the museum.
Now, about that science summer camp. Here's the info:
Explore the Ocean and More! Camps - Come join us for a fun-filled week at Camp Nauticus! Explore the ocean ecosystem, predict the weather, get messy with chemistry, tour the Battleship Wisconsin, and much more! Enjoy science experiments, craft make-n-takes, behind-the-scenes tours, and even a field trip to the Portsmouth Lightship Museum!
Cost: $155 Nauticus members; $180 Non-members; $10 per day for extended care
Hours: Regular Hours - 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Extended Hours - 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Ages/Dates:
Early Explorers (Ages 4-5): July 7-11, 2008
Junior Explorers (Ages 6-9): June 30-July 4, July 14-18, or July 28-August 1, 2008
Senior Explorers (Ages 10-12): June 23-27, 2008
Girl Scouts - Earn Your Brownies Science In Action Try-It or Junior Science Discovery Badge!
Water Scholars Oceanography Camp - Enjoy the science of Oceanography while learning about watersheds, sea star anatomy, water chemistry, navigation, and careers in Oceanography. Your child will explore the Elizabeth and York Rivers by boat and kayak, build an ROV, dissect a sea star, tour a research vessel, and even spend the night at False Cape State Park!
Cost: $225 members and City of Norfolk Employees; $250 non-members; $10 per day for extended care (Monday through Wednesday only; Overnight will be held on Thursday)
Hours: Regular Hours - 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Extended Hours - 8:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Ages: 11-14 year olds
Dates: August 4-8, 2008
Girl Scouts 11-17 - Earn Your Studio 2B Making Waves Charm!Boy Scouts- Earn Your Oceanography Merit Badge!
Labels: guess sponsors, nauticus, science camps
On May 15th, the Mariner's Museum will open its doors to homeschoolers with amazing programs and learning opportunities for adults and children alike.
Check out these programs:
Discover the Possibilities: Complementing Your Education @ The Mariners’ Museum: Learn how your family can utilize the artifacts, galleries, programs, and other resources at The Mariners’ Museum to complement your students’ historical and scientific studies. These 20-minute presentations are limited to 40 adults per session.
Pirates! The Love & Lore: This sample program introduces young students to the lives and adventures of pirates. Typical pirate weapons and examples of the money in use during that time are presented, as well as slides of the pirates and their signature flags. This program is offered every hour, on the half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and is limited to 30 students each. Appropriate for K-4th graders.
Fact or Fiction? Hollywood’s Take on Historical Piracy: Educators examine the ways in which film producers interpret piracy, as well as compare and contrast their inaccuracies to the lives of historical pirates. Older students will examine some of the reasons for piracy and the myths surrounding their lives. This sample program is offered every hour, on the half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and is limited to 30 students per program. Appropriate for 5th-12th graders.
Are these awesome offerings or what? I hope all my little pirates from my pirate class are going to be able to make it. Bless their little deck-swabbing hearts. The Mariner's Museum has shown remarkable interest and commitment to developing value for the homeschooling community, in providing history enrichment, science enrichment, and of course pirate lore! Here's just one example of the museum going an extra mile to facilitate curriculum integration:
The Age of Exploration exhibit comes with a complete online curriculum guide. There's a vocab list, biographies of important players, and check out this activity list with lesson plans and student guides:
Activity One: Create a Compassteachers students
Activity Two: Create an Astrolabe teachers students
Activity Three: Create a Quadrantteachers students
Activity Four: Identify Navigational Instruments teachers students
Activity Five: Identify the Parts of a Shipteachers students
Activity Six: What Would You Take to Sea? teachers students
Activity Seven: Biography Crossword Puzzle teachers students
Activity Eight: Vocabulary Word Searchteachers students
Activity Nine: Create a Globe teachers students
Activity Ten: Latitude and Longitudeteachers students
Activity Eleven: Starving Sailors teachers students
Activity Twelve: Sores, Scabs, and Scurvy teachers students
Activity Two: Create an Astrolabe teachers students
Activity Three: Create a Quadrantteachers students
Activity Four: Identify Navigational Instruments teachers students
Activity Five: Identify the Parts of a Shipteachers students
Activity Six: What Would You Take to Sea? teachers students
Activity Seven: Biography Crossword Puzzle teachers students
Activity Eight: Vocabulary Word Searchteachers students
Activity Nine: Create a Globe teachers students
Activity Ten: Latitude and Longitudeteachers students
Activity Eleven: Starving Sailors teachers students
Activity Twelve: Sores, Scabs, and Scurvy teachers students
This is insane! Who does this kind of thing!? I'm just blown away by the materials available to make connections between the schoolwork the child is doing and the exhibits at the museum. Amazing, intelligent, thoughtful work. Thank you so much, Mariner's Museum, and we'll see you at the homeschool open house!
Labels: field trips, guess sponsors, homeschool programs, mariner's museum
Moore Expressions: Virginia Homeschoolers' Favorite Store
1 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 4:37 PM.
Moore Expressions is a homeschooling bookstore in Virginia Beach, VA. They carry new and used books, curriculum, literature, homeschooling workbooks, test prep materials, unit studies -- pretty much anything you could ever imagine that would help you homeschool and is manufactured by a publisher is in that store. The store is huge: 4000 square feet. It is state-of-the-art, meaning you can view their store inventory online in real time and make purchases from your computer. Take a look at their "about" page and see for yourself what this store, owned and operated for and by homeschoolers, is all about. Within their store is also a rental resource where you can check out games and science equipment, and these amazing people also publish the Bayith Educator, our regional homeschooling magazine. Moore Expressions is a wonderful, wonderful resource. Anyone who lives within driving distance and hasn't visited must be out of their homeschooling minds.
I'm lucky enough to live close and I have visited the store on many occasions. What's it like to go shopping at Moore Expressions? Fun. Productive. Enlightening. From floor to ceiling there are curriculum materials of all shapes and sizes, all types of methods and philosophies, from Rosetta Stone to Bob Jones to math manipulatives, literature texts, story of the world, used homeschool books, Evan Moor workbooks, YOU NAME IT. The store is quiet, the aisles secluded, so you can really think and make decisions and explore the materials. I love this store! Let me put it this way: I have never walked out of Moore Expressions empty-handed. Never.
As if that wasn't enough to make it worth the drive over, there are bins of free books outside the door. You can bring your unwanted books -- if Moore doesn't buy them from you, you can leave them outside in these bins for whoever wants them. And the books you will find in these bins! WOWZER. Once I found about three years worth of Kids Discover magazines. What a find -- I almost screamed with joy. I've found (and donated) all kinds of stuff to those bins -- they are almost my favorite part of the store. It's like an ongoing swap meet for homeschoolers, right on the doorstep of the best bookstore in town.
Moore Expressions sponsored our Homeschool Science Fair this year, and made it possible for us to hire professional judges, which we and the children really really appreciate. The value of this enterprise to homeschooling community in Virginia, between the bookstore, the magazine, the support group, and everything else they do, is monumental. Thanks for the sponsorship, Moore Expressions, and thanks for providing such an amazing resource to families homeschooling in Virginia.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool bookstore, homeschooling, moore expressions
It started years ago in South Carolina. Every time we'd visit the sleepy little coastal town of McClellanville we'd go to this little gift shop that had them most amazing puppets. Shockingly good puppets. The first one we saw was a grey tabby cat that was posed as if it were a real cat sitting in the window. We left with that puppet and also a black and white rat for it to chase. The next year we got the jack rabbit puppet and the llama puppet. The llama pupppet has always been my favorite. Just look at its tassels:
One day Sadie had set up a little tea party for her Folkmanis puppets and was happily, charmingly playing away with her llama and rabbit, etc. I took some pictures and sent them in to the company, with a thank you for making such a nice product. This led to an email conversation over the course of a couple of years with Folkmanis, and when I asked them to sponsor our homeschool science fair, they sent us a big box of puppets. HOW WONDERFUL. I was completely enchanted. Here are the prizes we were able to give, thanks to their generosity:
The Owl Prize for Nocturnal Studies
The Little Pink Noses Award
The Louis Pasteur Prize for Kindness to Sheep
The Flying Squirrel Award for Unusual Thinking
The Red Fox Honor for Colorful Work
The Grey Squirrel Award for Tireless Data Collection
You get the idea. The children were THRILLED with their puppets. Check out how they looked on the prize table:
Awesome, right!? Sadie won the Little Pink Noses Award. Alright, the kind lady at Folkmanis, who first responded to my tea party pictures, had sent the angora rabbit puppet specifically for her! So that was a bit of a foregone conclusion, but she loves her puppet:
Folkmanis Puppets have by far the best animal puppets I have ever seen. They also have character puppets beyond compare. So unusual, so interesting, such an incredible variety, such rich imaginative potential in each one. Big thanks to Folkmanis for sponsoring our fair, and making our youngest scientists so very happy to be involved!
One day Sadie had set up a little tea party for her Folkmanis puppets and was happily, charmingly playing away with her llama and rabbit, etc. I took some pictures and sent them in to the company, with a thank you for making such a nice product. This led to an email conversation over the course of a couple of years with Folkmanis, and when I asked them to sponsor our homeschool science fair, they sent us a big box of puppets. HOW WONDERFUL. I was completely enchanted. Here are the prizes we were able to give, thanks to their generosity:
The Owl Prize for Nocturnal Studies
The Little Pink Noses Award
The Louis Pasteur Prize for Kindness to Sheep
The Flying Squirrel Award for Unusual Thinking
The Red Fox Honor for Colorful Work
The Grey Squirrel Award for Tireless Data Collection
You get the idea. The children were THRILLED with their puppets. Check out how they looked on the prize table:
Awesome, right!? Sadie won the Little Pink Noses Award. Alright, the kind lady at Folkmanis, who first responded to my tea party pictures, had sent the angora rabbit puppet specifically for her! So that was a bit of a foregone conclusion, but she loves her puppet:
Folkmanis Puppets have by far the best animal puppets I have ever seen. They also have character puppets beyond compare. So unusual, so interesting, such an incredible variety, such rich imaginative potential in each one. Big thanks to Folkmanis for sponsoring our fair, and making our youngest scientists so very happy to be involved!
Labels: animal puppets, folkmanis, guess sponsors, puppets
Benny has been a student at Norfolk Karate Academy for years. Almost since the month the school opened. Benny is a long term project for the patient teachers at NKA. I have already written at this blog about how much I respect and admire Mr. Odom and his amazing teaching of karate for kids. Now I want to sell you, the mom or dad reading this blog, on the idea of karate for yourself.
When I first started sitting through children's karate classes at NKA, watching Benny do this punch and that kick and that form and this self-defense move, I often sat next to one particular mom with kids in the program, and we'd talk. We talked about our kids, our lives, and about karate and how fun it looked. One day she turned to me and said, "We should do this. We're sitting here anyway. Why don't we do this!?" I said, "I will if you will." The idea was hatched. We went to Mr. Odom and asked if we could join the class. Not the adults class -- the kids class. He, being a reasonable sort of person, with an open mind and a willing spirit, welcomed us enthusiastically. I trained in the kid class until Benny and I both got our yellow belts, at which point I switched over to the adult class.
In fall of 2006 I started getting serious about my kicks and punches, and eventually I had my green belt. Since then I've had a problem with aggravating my herniated disk, and I've had to stop training. It makes me very sad. There are more karate moms than you may realize, and it's for a good reason. Karate is a *great* way to get exercise, have fun, learn something, and work out your aggression and irritation with life and traffic. If I could start up again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. At the Norfolk Karate Academy, you can learn Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Tang Soo Do, self defense, and you can have a lot of fun doing it. Not just your kids, but YOU. Put on a gi, stretch out your muscles, and kick the crap out of something!
Norfolk Karate Academy has sponsored one winner at the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair, with a free gi, t-shirt, start-up kit and one month's free training at their huge and airy Norfolk studio. The winner of the Isaac Newton Award for Hard-hitting Research is Shannon, who will be enjoying her new karate skill soon! Congratulations Shannon, and thank you to the Norfolk Karate Academy.
When I first started sitting through children's karate classes at NKA, watching Benny do this punch and that kick and that form and this self-defense move, I often sat next to one particular mom with kids in the program, and we'd talk. We talked about our kids, our lives, and about karate and how fun it looked. One day she turned to me and said, "We should do this. We're sitting here anyway. Why don't we do this!?" I said, "I will if you will." The idea was hatched. We went to Mr. Odom and asked if we could join the class. Not the adults class -- the kids class. He, being a reasonable sort of person, with an open mind and a willing spirit, welcomed us enthusiastically. I trained in the kid class until Benny and I both got our yellow belts, at which point I switched over to the adult class.
In fall of 2006 I started getting serious about my kicks and punches, and eventually I had my green belt. Since then I've had a problem with aggravating my herniated disk, and I've had to stop training. It makes me very sad. There are more karate moms than you may realize, and it's for a good reason. Karate is a *great* way to get exercise, have fun, learn something, and work out your aggression and irritation with life and traffic. If I could start up again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. At the Norfolk Karate Academy, you can learn Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Tang Soo Do, self defense, and you can have a lot of fun doing it. Not just your kids, but YOU. Put on a gi, stretch out your muscles, and kick the crap out of something!
Norfolk Karate Academy has sponsored one winner at the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair, with a free gi, t-shirt, start-up kit and one month's free training at their huge and airy Norfolk studio. The winner of the Isaac Newton Award for Hard-hitting Research is Shannon, who will be enjoying her new karate skill soon! Congratulations Shannon, and thank you to the Norfolk Karate Academy.
Labels: guess sponsors, jiu jitsu, karate, norfolk karate academy
Do you have an aspiring ballerina at home, like I do?
Do not delay. Sign your small ballerina up for Princess Camp at the Art of Dance Academy while there are still spaces open! Art of Dance Academy puts on six sessions of princess dance camp every summer, and they are excrutiatingly popular. Why so popular? I'll tell you why.
The girls arrive dressed up as their favorite princesses. They do ballet, tap, jazz, pretend play, art, and music. At the end of the week, they put on a DARLING little show for the parents, in all the dance styles plus gymnastics! The energy in the studio during princess camp is amazing -- all these little girls butterflying around, chirping away in their tiny little girly voices, swooping around the dance floor, bouncing on the trampoline, tapping in their little black patent leather tap shoes. It is ADORABLE -- you can hear the dreams coming true.
This year the Art of Dance Academy sponsored our Homeschool Science Fair by donating one week of princess dance camp and a pair of ballet shoes. The lucky winner of the "Marie Curie Prize for Elegant Hypothesis" will be tappytapping away with the rest of the happy little girls this summer. Here she is; isn't she cute?
Have fun at princess camp Olivia! Who knows what Miss Monique has cooked up for this fantastic princess dance camp this year? I know Sadie will be there, sparkles and bows in place, ready to prance around and live out her fantasies for one magical week.
Do not delay. Sign your small ballerina up for Princess Camp at the Art of Dance Academy while there are still spaces open! Art of Dance Academy puts on six sessions of princess dance camp every summer, and they are excrutiatingly popular. Why so popular? I'll tell you why.
The girls arrive dressed up as their favorite princesses. They do ballet, tap, jazz, pretend play, art, and music. At the end of the week, they put on a DARLING little show for the parents, in all the dance styles plus gymnastics! The energy in the studio during princess camp is amazing -- all these little girls butterflying around, chirping away in their tiny little girly voices, swooping around the dance floor, bouncing on the trampoline, tapping in their little black patent leather tap shoes. It is ADORABLE -- you can hear the dreams coming true.
This year the Art of Dance Academy sponsored our Homeschool Science Fair by donating one week of princess dance camp and a pair of ballet shoes. The lucky winner of the "Marie Curie Prize for Elegant Hypothesis" will be tappytapping away with the rest of the happy little girls this summer. Here she is; isn't she cute?
Have fun at princess camp Olivia! Who knows what Miss Monique has cooked up for this fantastic princess dance camp this year? I know Sadie will be there, sparkles and bows in place, ready to prance around and live out her fantasies for one magical week.
Labels: ballet, dance, guess sponsors, princess camp
Standing in the middle of a curriculum fair, looking around at all the vendors, picking up this colorful workbook here and that heavy textbook there, deliberating, comparing... it can be a little overwhelming. Add the vast chaotic marketplace of the internet, and you might find yourself starting to cry and suck your thumb. Maybe you're new to homeschooling and want some help navigating the choppy waters of curriculum selection, or maybe you have multiple children and don't feel like teaching cafeteria style for each individual. For complete curriculum packages for homeschooling, check out Homeschooling Books.
One big box delivered to your door contains everything you need for a whole year of teaching. There are three different levels of these curriculum packages: comprehensive, basic, and a third level for non-university-bound students. Homeschooling Books also offers Switched-On Schoolhouse, LIFEPAC, and custom curriculum packages to suit your child's needs.
Homeschooling Books is a sponsor of the GUESS Homeschool Science Fair and we're thankful for their support of our efforts.
Labels: books, guess sponsors, homeschooling
Young Chef's Academy in Norfolk: A Cooking Party for Kids
0 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Friday, May 02, 2008 at 10:06 AM.
I had heard about the wild popularity of the Young Chef's Academy from friends of mine who loved the fun cooking birthday parties, the interesting classes, the warm friendly teachers, and the real life skills their kids learned in the Young Chef's kitchen. When we asked the Ghent branch to sponsor our homeschool science fair, the Ghent Young Chef's Academy decided to throw a "Science of Cooking" party for ten of our participants. How awesome! They're going to talk about yeast, baking soda, and some of the other parts of cooking that look a lot like chemistry. So, ten lucky winners of the "Emil Fisher Award for Sweet Experimentation" will be going to a party at the Young Chef's Academy in Ghent.
Here we are picking up the class certificate from Chief Wisker Sarah Horne:
Here's what I love best about Young Chef's Academy: their wonderfully imaginative ideas for cooking summer camps. You know how this year is the summer olympics in China, right? Well, check out their summer camps offerings. I just *love* these creative ideas:
We are gearing up for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. COOKING FOR THE GOLD will explore cuisine from 6 continents, while also including some history, math, world geography, health, culture, literature, and science. Each camp session will conclude with "Recipe Trials" in which young chefs will apply skills and knowledge from previous days to create new recipes.
These are 3 day mini-camps (Tues, Wed, & Thurs) 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm
$150 per child 25% off siblings Members receive 10% off
Go Team USA ! June 17, 18, & 19
We’ll warm up with fun foods from home. With these American favorites,
we’re sure to win Gold!
Go Greek June 24, 25, & 26
Journey back to Olympic roots in Greece . Besides learning about the origins of the Olympics, students will prepare amazing Greek dishes.
The Champions’ Table July 1, 2, & 3
Ever wonder what famous athletes enjoy cooking in their own kitchen? How does the Olympic Village feed all of those champion athletes?
Melting Pot of Nations July 8, 9, & 10
As the Olympic torch passes through 6 of the 7 continents, how about making Cinnamon Crepes with Peaches & Cream while passing through France .
Athletes in Training July 15, 16, & 18
Athletes stay fueled by eating the right foods for their sport. What gives you more stamina? What gives you more power? How do you re–fuel after a workout?
A Day In Beijing July 22, 23, & 24
Welcome to the destination of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Explore the culture, cuisine, & cooking techniques that make Chinese food so delicious.
Kitchen Olympics July 29, 30, & 31
This camp will venture into the world of the culinary Olympics. It’s all about presentation, garnishing, & display…...of cold & hot foods.
Closing Ceremonies August 5, 6, & 7
This will be the last camp celebrating the Summer Olympic Games. We will be serving up the highlights from “Cook for the Gold”
That’s Italian (always a favorite) August 12, 13, & 14
Homemade pasta...fresh sauces...crusty bread and rich deserts...Our look at Italian cuisine is always a favorite with our young chefs!
Back By Popular Demand August 19, 20, & 21
The recipes in this camp are all time favorites from our Summer 2006 & Summer 2007. While we travel across the US we’ll make special treats to beat the heat!
From Sea to Shining Sea August 26, 27, & 28
This camp is a combination of the best recipes from our classes all summer long. We will choose the favorites from coast to coast.
Having visited the kitchen and spoken to Sarah I can tell you that your children's experience at YCA in Ghent will be a whole lot of fun. The kitchen is huge, bright, happy, and engaging. My kids wanted to jump RIGHT in and start banging pots and slinging wisks. On the recommendation of my friends, the impressions I got from my visit, and the incredibly cute and inventive visions they have for their Olympics-based summer camp, I am happy to recommend Young Chef's Academy in Ghent for summer camps, cooking birthday parties, and all their regular classes. This is a winner.
Here we are picking up the class certificate from Chief Wisker Sarah Horne:
Here's what I love best about Young Chef's Academy: their wonderfully imaginative ideas for cooking summer camps. You know how this year is the summer olympics in China, right? Well, check out their summer camps offerings. I just *love* these creative ideas:
We are gearing up for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. COOKING FOR THE GOLD will explore cuisine from 6 continents, while also including some history, math, world geography, health, culture, literature, and science. Each camp session will conclude with "Recipe Trials" in which young chefs will apply skills and knowledge from previous days to create new recipes.
These are 3 day mini-camps (Tues, Wed, & Thurs) 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm
$150 per child 25% off siblings Members receive 10% off
Go Team USA ! June 17, 18, & 19
We’ll warm up with fun foods from home. With these American favorites,
we’re sure to win Gold!
Go Greek June 24, 25, & 26
Journey back to Olympic roots in Greece . Besides learning about the origins of the Olympics, students will prepare amazing Greek dishes.
The Champions’ Table July 1, 2, & 3
Ever wonder what famous athletes enjoy cooking in their own kitchen? How does the Olympic Village feed all of those champion athletes?
Melting Pot of Nations July 8, 9, & 10
As the Olympic torch passes through 6 of the 7 continents, how about making Cinnamon Crepes with Peaches & Cream while passing through France .
Athletes in Training July 15, 16, & 18
Athletes stay fueled by eating the right foods for their sport. What gives you more stamina? What gives you more power? How do you re–fuel after a workout?
A Day In Beijing July 22, 23, & 24
Welcome to the destination of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Explore the culture, cuisine, & cooking techniques that make Chinese food so delicious.
Kitchen Olympics July 29, 30, & 31
This camp will venture into the world of the culinary Olympics. It’s all about presentation, garnishing, & display…...of cold & hot foods.
Closing Ceremonies August 5, 6, & 7
This will be the last camp celebrating the Summer Olympic Games. We will be serving up the highlights from “Cook for the Gold”
That’s Italian (always a favorite) August 12, 13, & 14
Homemade pasta...fresh sauces...crusty bread and rich deserts...Our look at Italian cuisine is always a favorite with our young chefs!
Back By Popular Demand August 19, 20, & 21
The recipes in this camp are all time favorites from our Summer 2006 & Summer 2007. While we travel across the US we’ll make special treats to beat the heat!
From Sea to Shining Sea August 26, 27, & 28
This camp is a combination of the best recipes from our classes all summer long. We will choose the favorites from coast to coast.
Having visited the kitchen and spoken to Sarah I can tell you that your children's experience at YCA in Ghent will be a whole lot of fun. The kitchen is huge, bright, happy, and engaging. My kids wanted to jump RIGHT in and start banging pots and slinging wisks. On the recommendation of my friends, the impressions I got from my visit, and the incredibly cute and inventive visions they have for their Olympics-based summer camp, I am happy to recommend Young Chef's Academy in Ghent for summer camps, cooking birthday parties, and all their regular classes. This is a winner.
Labels: cooking parties, cooking summer camps, guess sponsors, young chef's academy
Lots of homeschoolers think that when their kids get to high school level science, they have to go to traditional school so that they won't be missing out on labs. I have to admit that I've said stuff like this myself! It's hard to get over the idea that standing in an "official" laboratory with a teacher in a white coat and goggles, among 25 other children who are each holding the same test tube and distilling the same compound, is a necessary experience for a teenager doing science.
1. Everything is divided up meticulously into separate little baggies and boxes, so the experiments and materials are clearly distinguishable and identifiable. This would be on my mind, if I were ordering one of these kits, because I as a homeschool teacher am not necessarily familiar with all the little pieces and parts, and having them separately packaged and labelled is a big relief.
2. They've really thought of everything. From the little connecting beads to make molecule models to the slides and test tubes and little bottles of different chemicals, it looks like all you have to add is the child's brain. Real test tubes, lots of measuring stuff, pipettes, goggles, latex gloves -- it's all in there.
For a science gift or a homeschool science curriculum, eSciencelabs.com has a great selection of hands on kits that will make science fun for your students and make you feel better about creating a real "lab" experience right at home.
Official Product Photo
1. Everything is divided up meticulously into separate little baggies and boxes, so the experiments and materials are clearly distinguishable and identifiable. This would be on my mind, if I were ordering one of these kits, because I as a homeschool teacher am not necessarily familiar with all the little pieces and parts, and having them separately packaged and labelled is a big relief.
2. They've really thought of everything. From the little connecting beads to make molecule models to the slides and test tubes and little bottles of different chemicals, it looks like all you have to add is the child's brain. Real test tubes, lots of measuring stuff, pipettes, goggles, latex gloves -- it's all in there.
All packed into the box
For a science gift or a homeschool science curriculum, eSciencelabs.com has a great selection of hands on kits that will make science fun for your students and make you feel better about creating a real "lab" experience right at home.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool science, science kits
Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding: A Science Curriculum for K-2 by Dr. Bernard Nebel
1 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at 5:45 PM.
Learning science in kindergarten is a privilege that most public school students do not enjoy. Teachers have enough to do teaching them to read and do math and stand in line and answer to bells and wait their turn to speak and print their names properly and wait for paste and line up their crayons in a row. Ironically, the kids probably get more science education in preschool when they do themed unit weeks like weather week or ocean week than they do in the early elementary grades.
That's the kind of science little kids get, when they do get it: topical stuff. Let's learn about fish. Let's learn about plants. We'll learn about fish this week and plants next week, but we're not going to learn about what connects fish to plants or how the sun is connected to both fish and plants, because little kids don't typically get trusted with that kind of information. They aren't asked to see the big picture, draw lines between their thematic units, understand science as a whole, as a system of interconnected disciplines. A privileged first-grader who's getting a bigger-than-average helping of science is going to know the names of the planets and how bees make honey and that their eyes allow them to see, but that's where it stops. I can't honestly say that I've ever seen a whole-world approach to teaching science to young children until I saw Dr. Nebel's books.
His first book was a how-to manual addressing all aspects of elementary education, not just science. As an elementary level homeschool curriculum, it doesn't provide a box of workbooks, but teaches a philosophy of teaching and learning. It's called "Nebel's Elementary Education." Here's a summary, from the web site:
This single book (8 1/2 x 11, 450 pages) contains approaches and actual subject matter for delivering the entirety of a superior K-5 education. It describes not only WHAT to teach, but also HOW to teach it using hundreds of hands-on activities, and much more.
Most distinctive is the organization. Typical elementary curricula consist of an array of stand-alone units, which kids readily forget, confuse, and from which they never gain a full picture. In sharp contrast, Nebel lays out each subject (K-5) as a seamless continuum of lessons integrating different subjects along the way. Simultaneously, Nebel shows you how to guide your children along this pathway in a way that builds logically and systematically toward a broad, comprehensive, holistic understanding. The result is achievement of knowledge, skills, understanding, and problem-solving ability that will provide a solid foundation for all further learning.
The book is in total harmony with modern research concerning the most effective and efficient teaching techniques that bring children to become joyful, self-motivated learners. In short, this book may be considered a breakthrough in translating theory-what leads to the most effective and efficient learning-into a practical curriculum addressing all subjects.
His new book focuses just on science, and is called Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding: A Science Curriculum for K-2. I can't think of a reason why five-year-olds cannot begin to learn and understand science in context, just like they can start learning history at this age, not that they get that in public school either. Dr. Nebel has sponsored the G.U.E.S.S. Science Fair and we're proud to have him on board. We get to give away four copies of his books as prizes at the fair. If you appreciate Dr. Nebel's contribution and want to help spread the love, feel free to snag these images, link to his site, at http://www.pressforlearning.com, or drop him an email to say thanks. Homeschoolers have a special opportunity to start their children on the right path in science education, and Dr. Nebel can help.
That's the kind of science little kids get, when they do get it: topical stuff. Let's learn about fish. Let's learn about plants. We'll learn about fish this week and plants next week, but we're not going to learn about what connects fish to plants or how the sun is connected to both fish and plants, because little kids don't typically get trusted with that kind of information. They aren't asked to see the big picture, draw lines between their thematic units, understand science as a whole, as a system of interconnected disciplines. A privileged first-grader who's getting a bigger-than-average helping of science is going to know the names of the planets and how bees make honey and that their eyes allow them to see, but that's where it stops. I can't honestly say that I've ever seen a whole-world approach to teaching science to young children until I saw Dr. Nebel's books.
His first book was a how-to manual addressing all aspects of elementary education, not just science. As an elementary level homeschool curriculum, it doesn't provide a box of workbooks, but teaches a philosophy of teaching and learning. It's called "Nebel's Elementary Education." Here's a summary, from the web site:
This single book (8 1/2 x 11, 450 pages) contains approaches and actual subject matter for delivering the entirety of a superior K-5 education. It describes not only WHAT to teach, but also HOW to teach it using hundreds of hands-on activities, and much more.
Most distinctive is the organization. Typical elementary curricula consist of an array of stand-alone units, which kids readily forget, confuse, and from which they never gain a full picture. In sharp contrast, Nebel lays out each subject (K-5) as a seamless continuum of lessons integrating different subjects along the way. Simultaneously, Nebel shows you how to guide your children along this pathway in a way that builds logically and systematically toward a broad, comprehensive, holistic understanding. The result is achievement of knowledge, skills, understanding, and problem-solving ability that will provide a solid foundation for all further learning.
The book is in total harmony with modern research concerning the most effective and efficient teaching techniques that bring children to become joyful, self-motivated learners. In short, this book may be considered a breakthrough in translating theory-what leads to the most effective and efficient learning-into a practical curriculum addressing all subjects.
His new book focuses just on science, and is called Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding: A Science Curriculum for K-2. I can't think of a reason why five-year-olds cannot begin to learn and understand science in context, just like they can start learning history at this age, not that they get that in public school either. Dr. Nebel has sponsored the G.U.E.S.S. Science Fair and we're proud to have him on board. We get to give away four copies of his books as prizes at the fair. If you appreciate Dr. Nebel's contribution and want to help spread the love, feel free to snag these images, link to his site, at http://www.pressforlearning.com, or drop him an email to say thanks. Homeschoolers have a special opportunity to start their children on the right path in science education, and Dr. Nebel can help.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool curriculum, homeschool science, science education
Mad Science: Science Classes, Enrichment, and Fun
2 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 1:38 PM.
Last week we went to a summer camp expo at Newcastle Elementary down in Virginia Beach. We were invited to come and play and dance and dress-up to support the promotion of the Art of Dance Princess Camp. Sadie wore a princess outfit, Benny wore his prince costume, and both kids played the violin and passed our brochures for Miss Monique. Cuteness:
The act that stole the show, however, was Mad Science. This showstopping pair of test-tube-clinkers drew the biggest crowd, wowed the most kids, and created the biggest dry-ice-related spectacle. They were bigger than the live rabbit, better than the peacock feathers -- I think they would have even outshined a free cupcake table. Benny was riveted:
I had never heard of Mad Science until I approached them as a sponsor for the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair. Before I met them, I wasn't sure what they did or why kids would be interested. After I saw their display and watched the children gather, it took about 30 seconds for me to start nodding my head -- I got it. All the children at the expo were gathered around, cheering for the experiments, wanting to get a "vapor shower" and hanging on every word of the pair in the lab coats.
Jen and Heath Marcus are funny, charming, and really knew their stuff. I can't imagine a child being immune to the draw of the oversized beakers, the interesting substances, and the spectacular visuals. So, wonder of wonders, joy of joys, I discovered this week that Mad Science is having a homeschool science class at the Kempsville Library. Of course, after investigating the schedule, I found it's during our ballet class, so we can't go! But you can!
To find out more about it, click here for the flier. This six week class is only $80 and meets on Thursdays from 10:30-11:30. If we weren't in ballet class, we would be there. We will definitely be checking out their offerings for fall and for chemistry summer camp and NASA summer camp. They also do science birthday parties.
Mad Science will be coming to our science fair to do a short demo of their show while the judges deliberate. I can't wait. I'm sure it will be a hoot.
The act that stole the show, however, was Mad Science. This showstopping pair of test-tube-clinkers drew the biggest crowd, wowed the most kids, and created the biggest dry-ice-related spectacle. They were bigger than the live rabbit, better than the peacock feathers -- I think they would have even outshined a free cupcake table. Benny was riveted:
I had never heard of Mad Science until I approached them as a sponsor for the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair. Before I met them, I wasn't sure what they did or why kids would be interested. After I saw their display and watched the children gather, it took about 30 seconds for me to start nodding my head -- I got it. All the children at the expo were gathered around, cheering for the experiments, wanting to get a "vapor shower" and hanging on every word of the pair in the lab coats.
Jen and Heath Marcus are funny, charming, and really knew their stuff. I can't imagine a child being immune to the draw of the oversized beakers, the interesting substances, and the spectacular visuals. So, wonder of wonders, joy of joys, I discovered this week that Mad Science is having a homeschool science class at the Kempsville Library. Of course, after investigating the schedule, I found it's during our ballet class, so we can't go! But you can!
To find out more about it, click here for the flier. This six week class is only $80 and meets on Thursdays from 10:30-11:30. If we weren't in ballet class, we would be there. We will definitely be checking out their offerings for fall and for chemistry summer camp and NASA summer camp. They also do science birthday parties.
Mad Science will be coming to our science fair to do a short demo of their show while the judges deliberate. I can't wait. I'm sure it will be a hoot.
Labels: guess sponsors, homeschool science, mad science, science
Book Exchange in Norfolk: A Great Place to Browse
2 CommentsBy Lostcheerio on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 7:31 PM.
Here are the kids outside Book Exchange. They love to go to this store because of the eclectic selection of children's books, the comfortable chairs to lounge in, and the fact that I always find something interesting to augment whatever we're studying.
Book Exchange is a used bookstore -- so you never know what you're going to find. On our last trip we found a British edition of Peter Rabbit with a sweet inscription and all the original formatting -- now much beloved and in a place of honor on Sadie's bedside table. I've found tons of used Usborne books there, lots of DK books, and just a very interesting mix on their homeschooling shelves.
Book Exchange is located at Wards Corner, in Norfolk, on the Northeast corner of the intersection, next to the Payless Shoes. Their policy, from their web site: "We sell all books for 50% off the retail price. VHS & CD's sell for $5 each or 3 for $12. DVD's sell for $9 each or 3 for $24. We give half this amount in trade credit for the items you bring in that we accept. We're always happy to look at what you want to trade at any time. Our trade policy is customer friendly. There are no hidden fees and you can use your credit toward the purchase of anything in the store at any time."
Above you'll see Book Exchange owner John Knight shaking hands with happy homeschooler Benny. :) Book Exchange is sponsoring the G.U.E.S.S. Homeschool Science Fair this year with prizes for the children. Our eternal gratitude to a very homeschool-friendly business!
Labels: bookstore, guess sponsors, homeschool friendly businesses, used bookstore
