IT'S TIME FOR OUR 4th HOMESCHOOLERS LEARNING DAY !

Please scroll DOWN for some ****NEW**** info items

We had SUCH A WONDERFUL and successful day in SEPTEMBER! We are ready to get together again! We had over 30 families join us, many from the Valley and as far away as Bridgewater, Halifax and Antigonish areas!

organizers: Paula James (hurdles@ns.sympatico.ca) and Bonnie Jones (tylerbonnie3boys@yahoo.com)

YOU ARE INVITED.....
DECEMBER 1st "CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS"
9 am - 2pm at the New Minas Baptist Church
For all homeschool children in the Valley and beyond!
A fun and exciting day of activities in all areas of learning!

PLEASE INVITE ANYONE, FORWARD this email to your homeschool friends.....

Here are some of the potential activities we will have available:

arts and crafts
fitness and gym
outdoor fun
science experiments
geography
communications
card making
missions
singing and music
story time
Bible fun
drawing class
woodworking

There will be 5 different classes (with flexibility of where you would like to place your child)
1. nursery (age 0-3)
2. preschool (age 3-5)
3. early elementary (age 5-7 gr P - 2)
4. elementary (age 8-10 gr 3-5)
5. middle and high (age 11+ gr 6+)

Each Class will participate in a grand opening (and closing) session with music and singing, games, and prizes.
Each Class will have four different sessions on four different topics, and a recess and lunch.
One parent or guardian from each family must stay on site and help in several of the classes.
We have a designated teacher for each class with planned activities.

COST: nursery child $2, all other children are $5 each, with a max of $20 per family. No one will be refused because of insufficient funds (please mention in your registration if you cannot pay the full fee). The cost will cover the snacks and the supplies needed for the classes.

***NEW*** PLEASE REGISTER BY Tuesday NOVEMBER 24th, You may register up until Monday November 30th , but there will be a late registration fee of $8 a child, $30 a family. It is very hard to organize the classes if you register LATE, please try to make this easy for us.

***NEW*** We can help organize billet arrangements if you would like a place to stay the previous night if you are coming from a distance and this makes it easier for you and your children. Please email us if you would like to host a family for a night or if you need to be hosted for the Monday night.

***NEW*** We are going to have a Christmas POTLUCK lunch together in the gym. We will all eat together so please bring a dish of food to share with others. (examples: cold pasta, salad, veggie tray, fruit tray, rolls, cheese, cold meats, crackers, crockpot chili or soup or beans, or casserole)

***NEW*** We are going to have a Talent Share. Any children who would like to please sign up to share a song, instrument, story, bible verse, skit, dance, comic relief, homemade project, school project, speech, essay, poetry..... please let us know and we will schedule you in to be on stage.


HOW TO REGISTER: Please email the following information to Paula James (hurdles@ns.sympatico.ca) BEFORE TUESDAY November 24th.

Parent's Names:
Home Phone Number:
Parent's email contact:
Home Address:
Children's names and age and class you would like them to be in:
Allergies?:
Talent Share entry (name and topic):

After you have emailed Paula with this information, PLEASE MAIL A CHEQUE (to Paula James) TO COVER REGISTRATION COSTS to Paula (66 Black Hole Rd., RR#5 Canning, NS, B0P1H0)

We can't wait to hear from you!
Paula & Bonnie

SKATING REMINDER

Just a reminder that the Berwick Arena has been booked for the 3rd Thursday of every month from 1:15-2:15. Our first skate will be this week Thursday, November 19. Please plan to arrive at 1:00 so we can collect money and put on our skates before 1:15. The more families who come out, the cheaper for everyone! We may divide the rink to allow for hockey. Please bring helmets, sticks, pucks, and protective gear if you're interested in playing hockey. The arena is located in downtown Berwick at 205 Cottage Street just off Commercial Street (in behind Bargain Harleys). From Highway 101 (Exit 15), travel up Commercial Street and turn right on Cottage Street, the rink is on the left.

Homeschoolers Christmas Party

Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 10:00-2:00
Queen of Heaven Chapel, Greenwood

Spread the word! Many fun activities have been planned:
- crafts, play dough, cookie decorating, card-making, board games (?)
- sledding or outdoor play (12:00-12:30)
- potluck lunch (12:45)
- Christmas story/carols (1:00).

Please sign up before November 30 by e-mailing Brenda at nyenhuis@eastlink.ca (with a Cc to Tammy at pyettes@ns.sympatico.ca). When you sign up, please indicate # attending, ages, and what your contribution to the potluck lunch will be. Keep in mind that we will not be using the kitchen. All homeschoolers are welcome. Please bring a cash donation for the hall rental.

Observatory Field Trip CANCELLED

The technician is sick and has just cancelled this evening's tour (originally scheduled for Mon, 2 Nov @ 6:00). A new date will be scheduled and posted on this blog. If you know a family that was planning to go into Halifax for this field trip, please pass on this message. Thank you.

Outdoor Sports & Recreation at Ravenwood Park

Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.
Ravenwood Park, Kingston, NS (located at the end of Balser Drive
which runs parallel to and just south of Hwy 101)

Bring hockey sticks, basketballs, baseball equipment, ... and dress for the weather. Besides sports, there is a playground and some beautiful woods to stroll through.

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P.S. Reminder of the Astronomy field trip on Monday, November 2nd. See earlier post for details. Also coming up: Monthly skating in Berwick, a fall scenic hike at Valleyview, another Valley Homeschoolers Learning Day in New Minas on December 1st, a Christmas Party in Greenwood on December 8th, and a potential drama club starting in the new year. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details. If you want to plan a get-together of any sort, just send me something to post on the blog and the word will be out. nyenhuis@eastlink.ca
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** Email Communication not always reliable. So sorry if you have missed something. **
Note from Brenda Nyenhuis: If some of you Sympatico users have not been receiving e-mail from me (an Eastlink user), it just came to my attention that Aliant is having a problem in their server that does not allow their users to receive mail from Eastlink. They are working on this problem and hope to have it resolved soon. We apologize for any inconvenience. It is frustrating when you cannot count on mail going through.

Skating for homeschoolers at the Berwick Arena!

We have booked the Berwick Arena on the following Thursdays from 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. on:

19 November 2009
17 December 2009
21 January 2010
18 February 2010
18 March 2010

The total fee each time is $56.50 only. The more skate, the cheaper for everyone!

Observatory Tour

Saint Mary's University's Burke-Gaffney Observatory is doing a free tour for homeschoolers on Monday, November 2nd from 6-7:30pm.

The tour will consist of a 45-minute visual presentation in a classroom followed by a visit to the observatory atop the 22 story Loyola residence building. If the sky is clear, we will have the opportunity to view the Sun. If the weather doesn't cooperate, its operation will be explained.

If you or your child(ren) need a ride, please contact Angelika at angelika@ns.sympatico.ca or call 847-0222. Meeting point is in the lobby of the McNally Building at 5:45 p.m.

P.S. Don't forget about the Corn Maze outing this Thursday! (see past blog entry for more details)