New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition Spring Workshop Coming June 17!
Please join us for the New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition Spring Workshop, Saturday, June 17, at the Nackey Loeb School of Communications in Manchester. This year’s workshop will include an overview of New Hampshire homeschooling law, followed by two discussion panels. This will be a great introduction for those who are new to homeschooling and eager to learn the basics. Veteran homeschoolers will also enjoy dialog with workshop panelists, learning about different methods and materials, and exploring the details of homeschooling through high school. Workshops are a good opportunity to meet with local Coalition representatives and connect with other homeschoolers.
The panel discussions will run simultaneously, so you can choose the panel most appropriate for your family:
The “Homeschooling Sampler” panel will consist of experienced homeschoolers who will describe how homeschooling works for their families. You will hear about various types of curriculum, different teaching and learning styles, ways to keep students motivated, and have a chance to ask your own questions.
The “Homeschooling High School” panel features home-educated students and parents discussing high school, college, and beyond. They will discuss covering high school work at home, in group classes, online, and at community college, as well as preparing transcripts and setting goals.
Registration is at 9:00 AM, and the workshop runs from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM. Admission is $10. For more information go to www.nhhomeschooling.org or call 603-539-3551. Pre-registration will open in mid-April.
Homeschool Family Camp at Camp Sentinel in Tuftonboro
Monday May 29, 3 p.m. – Wednesday May 31, 10 a.m.
Homeschool families are invited to enjoy camp activities like canoeing, archery, swimming, hiking, crafts, zip-line, rock climbing, field games, and campfires. Families stay together in cabins. The cost is $225 per family and includes lodging, activities, and meals.
Homeschool Family Camp is for homeschooling families to gather together and support one another. Sentinel believes in the value of Family, Community, and Relationships that will last a lifetime. For more information contact us at info@campsentinel.org or (603)-539-4839.
Education Days with the Fisher Cats
Students are invited to explore events and educational booths while attending a Fisher Cats game, April 12, May 24, and June 7.
Booths may include:
• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
• Mad Science of Southern New Hampshire
• Wildlife Encounters
• Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation
• Interactive, educational slides on our video board
The Fisher Cats encourage you to plan your lesson plans around your field trip to the park.
Here are some ideas:
• Statistics: Calculate the batting averages, earned run averages, and slugging percentages for Fisher Cats players.
• Physics: Discuss kinetic and potential energy and how pitchers make a curveball “curve.”
• Arithmetic: Create a budget, and using the prices of concession stand products, calculate how much you spent and received in change.
• Geometry: How many right angles can you find at the ballpark? What shapes make up the playing field?
• History: Discuss how the Fisher Cats got their name. Discuss why “#42” is retired on the right field wall.
For more information contact Stephanie Fournier at sfournier@nhfishercats.com or 603-606-4105 .
MassHOPE Convention
April 27-29, 2017, DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
MassHOPE’s 28th Annual Christian Homeschool and Family Discipleship Convention in conjunction with TEACH-CT. Speakers will include Mike Smith of HSLDA, Steve Demme of Demme Learning, Brian Ray of NHERI, and Linda Lacour Hobar of The Mystery of History. Visit http://www.masshope.org/index.php?sub=Convention.
Spring Thoughts
This time of year we like to watch the birds come back from their winter vacation. We watch the bird feeders every day to see who has arrived and record it on the calendar. Bears like the bird seed too, so we take the feeders in every night. The Fish and Game Department website is a great resource for studying wildlife with printable fact sheets to make your own study guide; visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/species-list.html.
It is a good time to cut pussy willow or forsythia branches and bring them indoors to force into bloom. A tall jar filled with water supports the stems as the emerging blooms open up in response to the warmth in your home. The flowers give hope of spring blossoms in our woods and gardens.
As a supplement to our history lessons we watch American Pickers TV shows. Travel the country with Mike and Frank going through barns, houses, and outbuildings to find rare and unusual relics which they salvage and sell. I feel like I get to meet the people when I hear their stories and see their belongings. The producers post historical facts about the items discovered. Each episode is a wonderful history lesson. Parents may want to censor content for younger children as Mike and Frank find all kinds of art and photographs in their adventures.
Marion Claus
Summer Writing Camps
Amity Publications hosts summer writing camps for grades 1-3 and 4-8, June 26-30, July 17-21, and July 24-28. AITs (Authors In Training) will learn what it takes to become a published author. Includes skill building in reading, writing, math, vocabulary, collaboration and creativity.
Visit www.amitypublications.com for details about books and programs offered.
Earth Day Festival at Massabesic Audubon
Join the Massabesic Audubon and Student Conservation Association as we celebrate the 10th annual Earth Day Festival. Connect with nature on our trails. We will have live animals, drawings to win prizes, ‘build your own birdhouse’ kits for sale, games, mural painting, crafts, live music, and marshmallow roasting at our campfire. See Massabesic’s own live turtles and frogs up close, as well as some of McLane Audubon Center’s birds of prey. Lunch will be for sale by Roots Catering of Hooksett.
Saturday, April 8, 2017, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Drop in Fee: $7 individuals, $20 families. This event is sponsored by A Market and Whole Foods.
NHAS 2017 STEM Research Programs
The New Hampshire Academy of Science STEM Center, located on the Crossroads Academy campus in Lyme, is a state-of-the-art laboratory that supports research across the STEM disciplines. Our summer programs, designed for middle and high school students, are instructed by PhD scientists and engineers. Program dates are June 19-July 11, July 17-August 4, and August 7-25.
We offer three, 3-week research programs that run for about seven hours per day during the summer. Any student may participate in up to two programs in a single summer. Students work in groups of up to three students; each group will develop a research project.
Participants are encouraged to develop their own scientific hypothesis and design their own investigation. Scientists will guide them through literature research to develop a sound experimental design and choose from a variety of experimental techniques to execute their experiments.
By the last week, students will analyze their data, write an abstract, and present their research to professional scientists, other students, and guests. Students in 8th grade or older are also given the opportunity to submit an abstract and research paper to the NHAS. All abstracts and papers will go through a peer-review by STEM professionals. If accepted, students will be invited to publish their work and participate in the American Junior Academy of Science; visit academiesofscience.org.
For a full description and how to apply visit the NHAS website at https://www.nhacadsci.org/how-to-apply/. The NHAS is committed to providing this opportunity to any serious student. Financial aid is available and can be accessed on the website.
Venturing Program for Teens in Concord
Homeschooled teens are invited to join Venturing Crew 88 in Concord, a co-ed sister program of the Boy Scouts of America open to boys and girls ages 14 to 21. This program started about two years ago; it is a completely youth-led program with Phil Donovan as adult advisor. Weekly meetings are on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, and there are monthly outings and many service projects. We are focused on the outdoors and community service. The Crew does camping, hiking, shooting sports, and ultimate frisbee. We also pick up trash weekly along the Sous Fall trail during the summer.
This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to experience the outdoors and make friends. If you’d like to learn more, contact Jamie Dunbar at fishermanford550@gmail.com or (603) 435- 9974.
History Programs at the Elegant Moffatt-Ladd House in Portsmouth
The Moffatt-Ladd House was built on the Portsmouth waterfront in 1763 by merchant Samuel Moffatt; today it is an historic house museum and offers school programs for both elementary and high school age students.
For older students there is a program piloted with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, “Exploring the Issue of Slavery in the Era of the American Revolution.” This program centers on issues addressed by the 1779 Petition of Freedom, signed by “20 Natives of Africa now forcibly detained in slavery,” in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Two signers were men enslaved by the Moffatts and the Whipples who lived in the house during the Revolution.
For more information visit http://moffattladd.org/ or call (603) 436-8221.
Programs at the Remick Museum in Tamworth
April 17: Recycled Newspaper Basket Weaving
We will use recycled newspapers to weave a basket to take home. Afterwards we’ll explore the outdoors on an educational quest around the Remick grounds.
May 15: Wild Edibles
April showers bring May flowers…leaves, roots and more! Join herbalist Carol Felice to hunt, gather, and enjoy some tasty plants found right in our backyard.
June 19: Dairy
Help us celebrate national Dairy Month: meet our dairy cows and Ellie, the dairy goat. Learn how to milk a goat. Tour Dr. Remick’s historic cattle barn and milk house to learn about the history of Hillsdale Dairy here at Remick Farm. Learn how to make wholesome dairy products including cheese and butter. http://www.remickmuseum.org/
Pre-College Programs at the University of Vermont
The University of Vermont offers pre-college programs online or on campus in Burlington. More than 100 courses are available in English, languages, math, science, and the arts. The Health and Medicine Summer Academy is a four-week program–two weeks on campus, two weeks online–that introduces students to modern medicine and bioscience.
For more information visit http://www.uvm.edu/~summer/precollege/ or call 802-656-2085.
Programs at Amoskeag Fishways in Manchester
River Safari with Macroinvertebrates Family Fun Night
Friday, April 7, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Macro-invertebrates, such as aquatic insects and crayfish, abound in healthy rivers. Become familiar with these wild-looking creepy crawlies, and discover some of their amazing adaptations by observing them up close. $8 per family Registration required.
2017 Fish Festival: Dash and Splash!
Thursday, April 27, 10–3
Biologists will deliver fish to stock the fish passage at 10 a.m. The fish ladder is open but the wild anadromous species have yet to swim up the Merrimack River. While we wait, the stocked fish will be here for up close underwater viewing. $3 per person or $6 per family (fee does not cover extended family). No registration required.
Merrimack River Reptiles and Amphibians Homeschool Program
Thursday, April 20, 10 – 11:30
Explore the life cycles, adaptations, and interesting behaviors of our local snakes, turtles, frogs and salamanders. Grades 1 and up. $10 per child. Registration required.
Critter Quest Family Fun Night Friday
April 21 6:30 – 8 p.m.
As the snow melts away, pools of water that attract a variety of frogs and salamanders are left behind on the forest floor. Look and listen for amphibians as we venture into the woods in search of these important spring habitats. We will meet at the Fishways, then caravan to a nearby vernal pool. $8 per family. Registration required.
Saturday Nature Seekers Saturdays, 11 – 12. Stop by our center any Saturday at 11 a.m. for miniprograms and fun nature-based activities. Falcon Focus – April 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. Fish Season Tours – May 6 and 20. Donations encouraged.
Fish Season 2017 May 1 – June 17
Open 7 days a week, 9-5
During fish season, visitors may view migrating fish through our underwater windows. Walk-in visitors are always welcome and guided fish season tours are offered to groups of 10 – 30 participants. Registration required for tours.
Amoskeag Fishways, 4 Fletcher Street, Manchester, NH 03105-0330, AmoskeagFishways.org,
626-3474
Remember, check our website www.nhhomeschooling.org for more activities and announcements!
NHHC Newsletter Staff
Abbey Lawrence, Editor, PO Box 97, Center Tuftonboro, NH 03816, 539-7233, abbeyl53@gmail.com.
Stefanie Marsh, layout and web posting.
Portions of NHHC publications may be reprinted for information purposes provided that credit is given to the New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition. Contributors retain full rights to their writing, and their permission should be obtained before reprinting.
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