Hi there everyone!

How exciting – homeschool Group is starting THIS week with so much that is NEW!!!

This Term we are changing our venue – to The Narrows Park, Hamilton, on Airport Road.

Al and Dot Belcher run this camp now and are homeschooling themselves, so have offered this venue to us, which will make a nice change.

The Dates for Homeschool Group this Term are Wednesdays: May 8^th,22^nd, June 5^th 19^th, July 3^rd.

Attached is the Class Option List for Term 2.

Important! (Registrations now Closed).

Here is the Daily Plan:

Arrive 10am to set up.

10:15 Announcements.

Classes will start 10:30 sharp.

11:30 Change over classes

12:30 Lunch

Fellowship time

Clean up

So looking forward to seeing you all there!

Our mid-year terms provide such great opportunities for making and growing friendships, and for support in your Homeschooling journey.

As well as the great opportunities for our children to learn new skills in these classes!

May God bless you all,

Jackie, Charleen, Rochelle and Mary

Session One 10:30-11:30am

Creche / M&M’s 0-6yrs No limit. Theresa Shephard & mother helpers - Music & Movement.

Out Door Sports Open Ages No limit Charleen + Helper pls

Art Lessons 6-10yrs Max 6 NEW CLASS!!! Michelle Dyman Using the Faber Castell DVD

Beginner Ukelele Lessons 8yrs+ Max 10 NEW CLASS!!! Rosalie Welch (Practise will be necessary) – at least 3x per wk.

Maori Language/Weaving Open age No limit Marietta - see notes for more info... Helper pls

Cooking 7yrs + Max 10 COST Mary, Chris Bovill, & Monique. See notes below...

Downhill Trolleys & BMX Bikes 8yrs+ Wendy & Jo Daczo (BYO bikes or use the Narrows’) Bikes cost $3 per person for using Narrows Bikes, there are 6 of them suitable up to about age 10

Tivaivai Quilting 9yrs+ New Class!!! Grace Meneer Helper pls Girls must be able to hand sew . See notes for more info...

Basic Machine Sewing (BYO machine & item to make) 10+yrs Max 5 NEW CLASS!!! Rochelle will teach & supervise. Choose a basic item to make & bring it to cut out on first wk

Creative Writing Lessons 8-12yrs Max 20 NEW CLASS!!! Cost Luke Williamson English tutor (see attached info).

Computer 10yrs+ Lynda Flavell Microsoft Office class - Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Valuable life skills. Laptop & Microsoft Office needed. Helper pls

Outdoor Adventure Activities 10 yrs+ No limit Includes Archery/Shooting/Go-Carts/Orienteering/Burma Trail/team Building Games & more (See notes below) Cost $11 per person per term for everything. Dot Belcher , Jackie & Helper pls

Session Two 11:30-12:30pm

Creche/Story time/Singing/Craft 0-6 yrs Sheena/Charleen

Fun Games 6-7 yrs (Max 8) NEW CLASS!!! Debra & Helper pls Educational maths & literacy games

Computer 5-9yrs Lynda Flavell Using Word Pad Mouse/Keyboard skills and Paint. Fun class! Laptop required Helper pls

Maori Language/Weaving Open age No limit Marietta - see notes for more info... Helper pls

Cooking 7yrs + Max 10 COST Mary, Chris Bovill and Monique. See notes below...

Downhill Trolleys & BMX Bikes 8yrs+ Wendy & Helper pls (BYO bikes or use the Narrows’) Bikes cost $3 per person for using Narrows Bikes, there are 6 of them suitable up to about age 10

Beginners Crotchet 8yrs + Max 10 NEW CLASS!!! Jo Daczo & Helper pls

Art Lessons 6-10yrs Max 6 NEW CLASS!!! Michelle Dyman Using the Faber Castell DVD

Photography 12 + yrs Max 6 Colleen & Jann

Drama 10-17yrs (No limit) Cost NEW CLASS!!! Luke Williamson English tutor (see attached info).

Notes for more information on the classes offered...

Firstly we are very glad to have Mr Luke Williamson, come to teach us English and Drama. It is always a blessing to be able to supplement and complement our homeschooling with input from someone else! At the planning meeting we asked the Mums what they felt would be their children’s greatest need as far as English tuition was concerned, and then also, what they felt their children would most enjoy learning! To provide for both of these needs, Luke is offering two different classes – both will be fun and full of variety!

The cost of the lesson will depend on how many students in the class – but will probably be somewhere between $3 and $10 each. Obviously the more students in the class the better! We would like to see his classes very well attended as this is a wonderful opportunity for your children to grow their English skills! Here is a note from him regarding ideas for the first 3 classes in Creative Writing...

Writing lesson 1 Repetition in Storytelling - Students will write the Puss in Boots story based on a simple visual prompts with scope for creativity.

Writing lesson 2 Fables/Proverbs.

Starting with a moral idea and letting writing techniques serve it is sadly lacking in our sensation-loving culture.

Students will choose from three or four simple, vivid Biblical proverbs and write a story to illustrate the point.

Writing lesson 3 Rhyming etc.

What is it about? Language has a sort of music to it. This lesson is about the ways in which words can match, such as consonance. We will look at some simple poems with a high level of consonance etc. Then the students will create their own list poems. Co-operation will be an option.

For the writing lessons, I would love for the students to present their work for each lesson at the start of the following lesson. However, depending on how many students there are, this may take a lot of time. Perhaps this could be done outside of lesson time? Or perhaps the students could be satisfied with presenting their work to me and to their families at home?

And his Drama classes:

Each session will begin with a session of easy theatre sports (drama practice activities). Then we will practice a drama. Emphasis will be on expression, actions, and being visible and audible to an audience. There will be ample feedback and tips to help each student take that one step further. Learning lines will be kept to a minimum and there will be a fresh start and a fresh drama each session. The aim is to build the students’ confidence and help them to not merely speak and do things but act and perform. The dramas chosen have plenty to do for all participants. I will write a few comments on each student after each class so that there is something to perform for apart from me watching. If any parents or other people could watch the final performance at the end of each class or even video it, that would make it even better.

Also we have Rosalie Welch offering to teach Ukelele lessons . Here is her note...

I thought I'd better write to tell you about what I want to do for the ukulele lessons next term.

The children will need their own ukulele to practise on at home and bring to lessons -although I do have one extra one that I can lend out and I am always considering buying more -such great instruments... For the actual lessons, I do have two extra ukuleles that I can bring along for playing on during the lesson. The lessons are quite short, although by the time everyone is tuned up and has had a go at all the chords and strums, they can easily take 40 mins. Most recently I taught my three nieces (Jessica Darlington's girls) and because they had practised, and there were only three of them, we got through in only 15 mins. And, I can pad out the lesson with some singsong at the end, it can probably give them an idea where to go next after their lessons. Also, I would like it if each family bought -or I can buy them if reimbursed -a clearfile book for the music handouts. I think they are easy to find at most $2 stores. It would need at least ten pages -each lesson has 4 sides you see and if I continued in term 3, another set of 5 lessons with 4 sides per lesson adds up to a 20 page book.

Making a Tivaivai Quilt. Grace Menneer.

We will work together to make a tivaivai quilt that Mr Seuli will take to Samoa and give to someone recovering from the cyclone that hit there last year. If you would like to see what a tivaevae looks like go to www.atiu-fibrearts.com/catalogue for some examples. Each student will make their own design to add to the whole. This is a ‘missions’ class in the sense that it is to give away to those in need. Materials provided but you are welcome to contribute if you like.

BMX BIKES and Downhill Trolleys 8yrs+ - Wendy & helper please for session 2. The BMX bikes cost $3 per person for using Narrows Bikes, there are 6 of them suitable up to about age 10. If everyone brings their own bikes they can do it for free :) Any age can ride around the park on their bikes, the older kids might like to go down some of the bigger hills and sheep tracks, the younger ones (10 and under) would be best suited on the BMX track.

From Dot and Al – who run the Narrows park...

“The archery and air rifles could be run together, that would be fine. There are usually 4 people shooting bows at a time and 4 people shooting air rifles at a time.

Keep in mind we'd have to pay for any equipment if it was damaged (ie. broken arrows cost $10 to replace)

The downhill trolleys are suited to all ages from 8 up. They can push them around on the flat as a team game, they could then go up the hills. If the older ones find it easy they can go to the top of the hill (which is pretty high) and try different tracks. Most school groups would use them for 30-40min. I think we'd need to come up with 2-3 type games with them to fill an hour. eg. down the hill, racing around obstacles against the clock?

All of the Narrows Park Activities (the paid for ones) are taught to our adults to supervise by a Narrows Park staff member first. Once we are confident with them then we can run them ourselves but they say to keep the same trained adult on the same activity.”

Outdoor Adventure Activities We will select a variety of activities from this list – something different each time. The $11 charge covers the Go Karts/ Archery and Shooting for one person for the whole term.

Free

Orienteering

Burma Trail

Field sports like soccer, volleyball, cricket

Team building type games - eg. there are hoops, "snow shoes" which are planks with 3 sets of foot holds for 3 people to walk together on, rope swing onto pallet towers,

Bivouac making (constructing huts from Bamboo poles and twine or flax)

There's also a medic game using the same materials to make a stretcher and carry a team member to a chosen location. skills like knots, construction and the ability to work as a team to carry someone.

We could also do a pond study or eeling

Build little outdoor fires and cook damper or marshmallows

Maori Language Classes – From Marietta: I can include a little bit of flax work while we learn the Maori names for these things and perhaps even learn a popular Maori song and/or a stick game. We could learn to make poi too. Oh so much we could do. One of those things each week would actually fill the weeks very well. It would of course be basic stuff, like counting, vowel sounds, greetings and learning nouns.

Cooking The 22^nd May and 19^th June the children will be cooking a hot meal for everyone at Homeschool Group Catering Style– available to buy for a small cost. A wonderful learning experience for the children, and such a blessing for all of us as we get a yummy hot meal for lunch! The other weeks the children will get to take home their cooking.

Photography - Please bring your own camera, with charged batteries and sufficient space on memory card to take photos. Also bring a USB stick that we can copy notes onto for you.

T.H.E.N. Homeschool Conference

Saturday 11 February 2012

Hillcrest Baptist Church

Corner of Clyde St and Knighton Rd
Hillcrest

You are invited to a day of encouragement, innovation and information for your homeschooling journey. T.H.E.N. is sponsoring another Homeschool Conference in February next year. There will be 3 sessions, each with 3 separate workshops, held over the day.

Morning and afternoon tea is provided and there is a shopping centre 2 minutes walk away for those that wish to buy their lunch.

We have a selection of curriculum vendors attending for the day and you are able to purchase all through the conference until 4pm.

To encourage the men in our families to be involved, a special price of $30.00 for couples is being offered to THEN Members.

Costs for registrations prepaid by 27 January 2012

$20.00 per person - THEN Members

$30.00 per couple - THEN Members

$35.00 per person - non Members

Cost from 28 January 2012 and on the day - $40.00 per person THEN member or non member.

Registrations are now open.

THEN Homeschool Conference

February 11^th 2012

Hillcrest Baptist Church
Corner of Clyde St and Knighton Rd
Hillcrest

Programme

09:00am Open for Registration

09:30 - 10:00am Morning Tea (Provided)

10:05am Start and welcome

10:10 – 10:30am Keynote Address – Cynthia Hancox

10:45 – 11:45am Session 1

Goodbye Chaos, Hello Peace	Cynthia Hancox
Getting Started	Christine Cave
Secondary School Options	CUPS, CIE, Correspondence School, ACE
Reluctant/Later Readers	Cally Brown

11.45am - 12.30pm Lunch (Tea/coffee provided)

12:30pm – 1:25pm Session 2

Cambridge Intrernational Exams	Erena Fussel/Judith Tizard
Christian Worldviews	Gladys Billing
Keeping It Simple	Margaret Evans
Ideas For Dads	Nigel Taylor
Meet & Chat	Cynthia Hancox

1:30pm – 2:30 pm Session 3

Food Intolerance & Its Effects On Learning	Cynthia Hancox
Unschooling	Cally Brown
Lapbooking/Unit Studies	Johanna Whittaker
Alpha Careers First	John Oehley

2:30pm – 2:45pm Afternoon Tea (Provided)

2.45pm – 3.15pm Session 4 Panel

Homeschool graduates and homeschooling parents

Auditorium

Close and thanks.

Vendors stalls open until 4pm

WaiCHE - Waikato Christian Home Educators

Friday, 10 May 2013

Sunday, 5 May 2013

Term 2, 2013

Friday, 20 January 2012

Homeschool Group Annual Swimming Sports Day

Term Dates and Events

Monday, 16 January 2012