Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party!

Hello Vintage Homeschool families!

(And anyone else who is interested in joining us!)

We have had Operation Christmas Child shoe box packing parties many times before. This year we are going to have a

SHOE BOX EXTRAVAGANZA!

WHEN: Friday, November 13, 6-8 pm

WHERE: Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz

Children's Ministry Building 

(Classrooms on the second floor)

This year we are making the event a DOUBLE blessing--not only will we be packing shoe boxes to bless kids around the world, but we will also be raising funding for children sponsored by Compassion International!

Here's how it will work:

Most years we all go shopping in advance and then bring what goodies we have found to the party and pack our shoe boxes together. This allows us to buy items in bulk and share the bounty with other packing families so we can buy at good prices but still have a variety of items in our boxes.

This year we're going to come to the party with empty shoe boxes--and full piggy banks! We're going to "shop" at tables hosted by kids!  All items for sale will be between 5 cents and 2 dollars. All the proceeds the kids raise at their tables will go toward Compassion International children.

By the end of the night, your shoe boxes should be mostly full, and for so much less than the usual cost of buying the items at a store!  And every penny you will have spent will go straight to help other children in need. It's win-win-win!  Then you will have the next week to get anything else your family wants in their shoe boxes and drop them off at one of the two local OCC collection sites.

We will also have a free card-making station and a station for wrapping and decorating shoe boxes!

Your children do not have to host a table--they can just come and participate in the fun! Just bring your shoe boxes and plenty of spare change and dollar bills!  (Please don't expect the kids to be able to break large bills at their tables. : )  Bring friends too!

**We've never done this before, so I have no idea how many people are going to show up. So if you know for sure your family would like to come to the party, would you please be so kind as to RSVP in the comments below?  Right now we have the "big room" in the upstairs of the Children's Ministry building reserved, but if we get a bigger crowd than that room can hold we might be able to use more rooms!  So please RSVP by this upcoming Monday night, November 9th.

(And if you are not sure now, but decide to come at the last minute, that's great too!  Come! : )


If your kid/family wants to get in on the fun of table hosting:

There will be three kinds of tables kids/families can host: selling tables, crafting tables, and treat tables. 

Selling Tables
Kids who want to host a selling table should think about what items people would want to put into a shoe box (what kids want to receive!) and then either make or buy items to sell.  Do they have crafting skills?  Some ideal things they could make for shoe boxes would be:
* washcloths (knit, or cut from larger (new) towels and hemmed, etc.)
* decorated pillowcases
* scarves (decorative or functional--t-shirt jersey, knit, etc.)
* tie-dyed items! 
* potholders
*  jewelry
*  hair bows
* pillowcase dresses
***Bags with handles so the children who receive their shoe boxes can easily carry them home. Sometimes the kids must walk for miles carrying them, often while also carrying a younger sibling!

But selling tables are not just for the crafty kids!  We would also love to have tables selling bulk goods.  Some ideal things they could procure for shoe boxes would be:
* toothbrushes
* toothpaste (please be sure the sell-by date is well into the year 2016!)
* soaps
* combs
* socks
* pencils
* erasers
* notepads
* gum
* candy (no chocolate or anything that might melt in transit. Your kids can assemble candies into little ziplock baggies--or, even more fun, have a "penny candy" store and buying kids can bag their own!)

Potential sellers:
1. You get to set your own prices. Just remember to keep your prices low so people can fill their shoe boxes!
2. All prices should be between 5 cents and 2 dollars.
3. Please visit the Operation Christmas Child shoe box packing list, so you can make sure that what you are selling is appropriate.


Crafting Tables
Any kids/families who want to host a craft table are also most welcome!  This is a really fun way to add to the party fun while helping families fill their shoe boxes.  You pick the craft and prepare it, and kids pay you to participate in the activity, which they complete at your table. Just please choose a craft that is easy, low mess, can be finished quickly, and would be appropriate to put in a shoe box. Some ideas for such crafts:
* yarn wreath ornaments
* washi tape crafts
* origami birds or "balloons"
* button & wire flower bouquets
* flower-ended ball-point pens
* yarn tassel angels
* stamping cards & envelopes
* easy jewelry
* paper-cutting crafts (snowflake ornaments, etc.)

Potential crafters:
1. Please remember to chose crafts that are quick, easy, and don't make a mess.
2. You provide all the things someone would need for the craft, and people will pay you when they make the craft.
3. Please visit the Operation Christmas Child shoe box packing list, so you can make sure that what you are crafting is appropriate.


Treat Tables
Kids who want to make snacks to sell to the people at the party are most welcome!  Cookies, brownies, whatever you think people would like to eat!   If anyone wants to make a lemonade stand (or even better, a hot cider stand!) that is fine too!

Potential treat vendors:
1. Finger food only please--nothing that requires utensils to serve.
2. Don't forget to provide your customers with napkins if your treat is a sticky one. : )
3. Gluten-free & "healthy" baked treats will likely be well received. : )

**Any child/family hosting a table:
1. Leave a comment here on this blog post to request table space.  Anyone who wants to use a table for any reason must RSVP to reserve table space in advance, so I can make sure we have enough tables for everyone. The deadline for table RSVP is Monday, November 9th. 
2. It is a good idea if you say in your comment what you are planing on selling or crafting, to avoid duplication.
3. I will set up a table for you to use (which you may be sharing). But you can bring decorations for it if you like!
4. Every table host should bring some kind of container for holding the Compassion money you earn. It can be a jar, a mug, a box--whatever works!--and should be labeled "Compassion Fund."  If your family is already sponsoring a Compassion child, then please do bring a picture of your child for your table! If your family does not have a Compassion child, that is fine!  Your kids get to choose if they want to put their earnings into children represented in the room, or if they want to give it to me to send to Compassion International.
5. Your child does not have to prepare a whole lot of product to sell. If they make 10 potholders--great!  Or five adorable beaded necklaces--great!  Or one plate of cookies--yum!  This is a very kid-friendly, low-pressure event. : )


If you are new to Operation Christmas Child shoe box packing, then I urge you to visit their website and read all about them. There are videos you can watch, and stories you can read about children whose lives were changed for the better because of receiving shoe boxes!

I also recommend you purchase your packing labels online through the OCC website: this will allow your family to track your boxes and see where in the world they ended up!

Did I forget anything? Any questions?  Please ask them in the comments below so everyone may benefit from the dialogue.

I'm very excited about this event, and know that it does not matter who shows up as long as they come with enthusiasm and big hearts. Big event or small, it's going to be fun. : )

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party 2014--This Friday

Hello all!

It's time for the annual packing of the shoeboxes!

Where: the Downstairs right-hand classrooms in the Children's Bldg. at Vintage Faith
When: This upcoming Friday, Nov 7, from 11-1

Bring your own boxes to stuff, and bring goodies to share in the boxes!

If you are new to this event, or have questions about what can go in a box, please visit this link to the official Operation Christmas Child website.

I recommend paying for your shoebox shipment online, so you can track where your boxes go!

Is anyone willing to volunteer to deliver the boxes to our local drop-off location after the event? In this past this has been at Santa Cruz Bible Church. If we do not get a volunteer, then everyone will be responsible for dropping off their own boxes. If we do get a volunteer, then be sure to either pay for your box online or bring $7 per box to cover the shipping fees.

I do have a few extra shoeboxes in the homeschool closet there at church, which anyone may decorate and use for this event. Or you can stop and pick up the free boxes from the local drop-off place.

Any questions?  Ask here in the comments so everyone may benefit from the responses.

It's the Last Day of School Party!

YEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!

I don't know about you, but I was pretty much done with school back about, oh, the last week of March. 

The good thing is that my "clocking out" produced some of the best schooling we've had all year.  So now I'm rejuvenated and after a couple weeks of summer break, we will be all gung-go to jump back into summer school. : )  No, really--one of my favorite things about homeschooling is that we do school in the summer so that we feel so great and still have momentum coming into the next new school year.  And then we can feel good taking breaks whenever we want or need them, not just arbitrarily when the calendar says we should take them.

I hope you are all ending the year as I am, content and already looking forward to more.  But still, I'm so glad this is the last official week of school. We love Ocean Grove, but a couple of months with lots of learning, but no learning records or samples to produce?  Ahhhh, now that's a vacation. ; )

So let's celebrate!

The Old School "Out of School" Party!

 

Where: Blue Ball Park

When: This Friday, May 23, 11-2

 

What to bring:  Bring picnic lunches for your family and something to share with the group.  Also, bring your picnic blankets, and bubble-blowing stuff (bubble solution, wands, etc)!  Yes, we are going to have a BUBBLE BASH at the end!  Complete with a bubble blowing contest! And prizes!

Have your kids come prepared to share one favorite school thing they did this past year (does not have to be a physical show & tell--a memory shared is fine), and to tell one thing they are excited about learning or doing this summer.

Here's how I'm breaking down the time together:

11:00 - 12:00    people arrive, eat, chat, kids play

12:00   we gather on our blankets for an outdoor circle time

12:30 ish  we break out some celebratory treats

1:00ish  we break out the bubbles and start making messes, and give the kids bubble gum and get them practicing their bubbles

When the time seems right, we line them up, measure the blows, and award prizes!

Then we can all hang out/chat until whenever!


I would love it if a few kitchen-crafty moms would volunteer to bring some goodies!  We need some gluten free ones, and some other.  Anyone?  (Most of you know I am writing this while recuperating from some gross sickness, so I am NOT volunteering.  A cooler with popsicles works fine too! ; )

And would anyone volunteer to buy some really good bubble-gum? I'm talking Bubble Yum or Hubba Bubba or any of the kinds used by bubble blowing experts.  (Hey, I'm a Glee gum girl myself, but we need the bad stuff for this--in the name of science and Old School memories! ; )

If you can bring any of these things, please say so in the comments below!  Thanks so much!

I hope all of you can come, so we can celebrate together.  Questions or comments? Please ask below so everyone may benefit from the dialogue.  

Book Week Pt 2

Just for fun, I thought I would share with you all the second, and even more fun, part of our Book Week: reading, reading, reading!

We do not own many pieces of furniture (understandable in a house our size!) but we have two big cherry bookcases we bought when we first got married.  One faces the front door, and holds more "school-y" books.  (I'll have to show you in another post.) This one faces the living room, and holds mostly fiction, with some non-fiction picture books mixed in. 

Eldest girl asked a month ago if we could spend Spring Break reading through the bottom two shelves of this bookshelf--the favorite picture books she doesn't really get much chance to read anymore, but which still give so much pleasure.  I thought that was a great goal! 

These are the two shelves we are reading through this week--most of our picture book collection.

 

This is starting at the right of the top shelf, which has picture books geared to a slightly older child (or the taller books that don't fit on the bottom shelf). Normally I enjoy keeping the shelves somewhat organized first by genre, then by author, with size variables accounted for--I know, I know--but with the crazy reading going on this week, they are currently a happy, disheveled mess.

Favorite titles from this first pic:

Homeplace

The Biggest Bear

The Scrambled States of America

Small Beauties

A Child's Calendar

This version of Snow White

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Lion

Yes, I am such a book nerd that I am going to show you ALL the books. Some of them are special friends, which is why I'm introducing you by name.

The Tale of Three Trees

The Fourteen Bears Summer and Winter

The Long and Dangerous Journey

Moses

A Time to Keep

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch

Of course if you no longer have kids in this stage of life, you will be glazing over at this point. But if you love books, or memories of when your kids were young, or if you just want to snoop at my bookshelves just like you would if you came over sometime, here you go!

The Velveteen Rabbit (I'm not sure my edition is the best out there--so many versions of this story have gorgeous illustrations!--so I didn't link it)

This version of Little Red Riding Hood. I'm a fan of this author's work, and have quite a few on the shelf  by her.

This edition of Beauty and the Beast (alas, out of print and highly collectible--sounds like the affordable paperback is a shortened version)

The Maggie B

A Fairy Went a Marketing

Hiding over against the bookshelf wall to the right are the fragile antique books my mother has passed down to us from her own childhood. I keep them tucked away behind Stuart Little just so little hands don't grab them automatically. Out of sight, out of mind. ; )

The Kitchen Knight

The Water Hole

Now we get to the bottom shelf, with the books geared more for the earlier readers, and the books shorted in height.

George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends

This version of Mother Goose

Tuesday

The Giant Jam Sandwich

The Adventures of Mole & Troll

The Little House

Cookies: Bite-Sized Lessons

Norman the Doorman

Mama, Do You Love Me?

The Marble Cake Cat

As you can probably guess, a lot of these books are from my childhood.  : )

The Frog and Toad Treasury

Let's Look at the Jungle

The Fire Cat

The Best Loved Doll

Bears in the Night

The last books on the shelf to the right are not in the picture because they are large and have to lay on their sides--mainly Smiley's collection of Richard Scarry books. Those are favorites of mine just because they occupy him for good lengths of time while I'm helping his sisters with school. : )

Child of Faerie, Child of Earth

The Hat

Eloise Wilkins Treasury


Some of these books made me smile just reading the titles.  : )  I am only specifically mentioning my favorite favorite of those on the shelves.  But all the books on the shelves have to meet at least two out of my four criteria for what is worth the precious in-house real estate:

* The story has to be well-written.
* There should be something the child learns from the story, or it should broaden the child's mind, or ignite imagination in some specific way.  In other words, it has a greater meaning beyond the story itself.
* The illustrations should be exemplary.
* Or the book should be especially nostalgic for me, or someone special gave it to us.
* Bonus points if it makes me smile or cry every time I read it.

I have a loathing for pointless stories and silliness for silliness's sake.  I abhor twaddle.  It makes me so sad when an excellent story is printed with lame, uninspired artwork.  Yes, I'm a book snob.  But that does not mean I'm too picky--there are some books I love that have very silly elements (The Giant Jam Sandwich is a prime example)  but there is something about them that is clever and whimsical too. And condition does not bother me either, as long as pages are not falling out (and I can't just tape them back in) or the book is molding--what's inside the book is way more important than the outside. Often, the best books are no longer in print, so I am perfectly willing to put up with ragged old books if need be! 

There are a lot more excellent books on our shelves I'm not specifically mentioning because they are considered childhood classics (like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and Where the Wild Things Are, and Madeline's Rescue.)  I just wanted to share with you some of the titles that you might not be familiar with. 

I also have a LOT more books in bins under the house. Most of them are more educational in nature, so have been separated and stored according to subject.  But there are also just a lot of good books that were not *quite* worth the in-house shelf space, but which I can't quite part with.  And a bin of broken books that require serious mending, but which I am sorry to part with (or can't replace). And a box of books to take to add to our little homeschool library we are starting for all of you. And a box of books to eventually give away. Ahem.

Have I mentioned that I love good books?

Happy Reading everyone!

(And if you have a favorite favorite picture book you want to recommend, please share it in the comments!)

Or, even more fun, share pics of YOUR bookshelves!

(If anyone likes this post, I will work my way through the rest of the books too. : )

The Abbey art show--final details!

Allrighty, folks!  We are in our last week before the art pieces are due at the Abbey.  So now is the time for me to share with you all the last bits of information you will need before the show.  I asked Philip, the assistant to the Abbey art director, a bunch of questions, and here is what I learned:

 

Dropping off your art:

They will start installing the art when the Abbey closes at 8:00 p.m.  next Wednesday, March 27.  This means you need to bring the art to the Abbey before 8 on that day.  Anytime that afternoon or early evening should be fine--I will make sure the Abbey workers that day know the pieces are coming, so they can direct you where to leave them.  Unfortunately, there is not a space to secure all of the art before the day of the installation.  I do not responsibility for your children's masterpieces, but I will be glad to work out necessary arrangements with families who might be out of town for Spring Break.

 

 

How you can help with the installation:

I have heard from one family offering carpentry services with the installation.  Great!  May I suggest  you either show up right before 8 the night of the installation ready to offer your services, or email Philip in advance at phillip at lincolnstreetstudios dot com.  Thanks!

 

 

How to label your child's art:

Please make one placard for each piece of art you submit.  The placard should be on white cardstock cut to 3 x 5 inches.  The information you should include on the placard, in this order:

1.  Name of piece

2.  by Child or children's name(s), age ____

3.  Medium used for the piece (for example, watercolor or paper mosaic)

 

Please print out these cards (i.e. please do not handwrite), using any font you desire as long as it is approx. 18 pt. boldface.  Please center the information on the card. 

 

When you drop off your art piece, please make sure the placard is safely taped to the back (but in a way that will not harm the front of the placard, as these will be hung by your child's art).  

 

 

The art show Opening!

The Opening will be held Saturday, April 6th there at the Abbey, from 4-6.  Please invite your family and friends to come and celebrate our children's artistic achievements! 

 

 

How you can help with the art Opening:

I have also heard from two parents offering to bring desserts to the opening.  Yes, let's make it a party!  Let's make it a dessert/snack potluck, and everyone who can, please bring a finger food to share.  Let's try to avoid messy things like chips, please, as the Abbey will be hosting their monthly Open-Mic Night at 7, and we don't want to cause extra work for the Abbey staff.  So I'm thinking veggies and dip, cut up fruit, and of course finger-lickin' desserts like brownies and cookies!  

 

Is there anyone who can help provide napkins?  Small paper plates?  (Please, no plastic.)  Please leave a comment below and let me know.  Thanks!

 

For drinks, we will rely upon the fabulous offering of the Abbey, who is being so generous to host us  We can show our thanks through our patronage. : )

 

 

The show will run:

The show will be up for the month of April!  

 

 

Any more questions?

Please do not email me if you have questions, but instead leave them as a comment to this post. This way everyone may benefit from the answers.

 

 

One last thing:

I just want to remind everyone that this show does have three required elements:

1) the overall theme of "New Life"

2) the construction theme of layers

3) the mounting of each piece, using the black matte board specified in the earlier post.  This board is found at Palace Arts, and comes in pre-cut sizes over in the framing department.  It is black with white core.  There is also black with white core matte board in the do-it-your-self section to the back left corner of the store.  Just make sure it is black with the white core.  It is not foam board, but like heavy paper stock.

I look forward to seeing everyone's creations!

 

 

 

Abbey art show--time for committments

work by Emma Johnson, found here

Alrighty everyone!   I have been posting this information on the SantaCruz homeschooling yahoo group, on homecruzers, and on the WIOC fb page!  But for those of you who come here for your information, let me make sure you have everything you need to participate. 

It is time for me to get formal committments from any of you who are interested in participating in the Abbey art show. So if you have read the previous blog post and can commit to the three elements of the show, please email me or leave a comment to this post by this upcoming MONDAY, to tell me how many pieces your family will be submitting.  

At this point we have a "waitlist" for the show, so as you give me the total number of pieces your family will be submitting, please limit the pieces to one per child. Your family may also submit one additional piece, if your children would like to make one collaborative piece. I would love to give those waitlisted kids a spot in the show, and I'm sure you feel the same.

Thanks so much, and please tell your children I am eagerly awaiting the time when I will get to see their creations!

work by Charles Clary, found here

Easter Art show at the Abbey--Homeschool kid art!

image found here

I don't think I can adequately express how excited I am about this.

I have been talking with Cheryle Isaacson since last Fall about the possibility of an art show at the Abbey for homeschool families/kids, and just yesterday we wrangled out the details.

We will have the Big Wall for the show--that's the premiere show space you can see in the photo above!

If we need to, we can overflow into the bathroom hallway (which is also a great space, and the pieces there get more close-up viewing, so it's all win-win).

I don't know how many pieces we will be generating--that is one of my first goals now, to have families commit to the number of pieces they plan to put in the show.  Families may either submit one collaborate piece, or individual children in the family may submit their own pieces.  So if you know for sure you want to participate, and know how many pieces you want to commit to, please email me at blesseday at gmail dot com.  I am inviting first you Vintage Homeschool families and the parents on the santacruzhomeschooling yahoo group, because you are the parents who have shared excitement with me about a show like this. : )  If I think there is still room, then I will open the show up to homecruzers on facebook. 

*If you commit to the show, you are also committing to adhering to the thematic and display guidelines of the show, so please read the rest of the information carefully and be sure you understand the three required elements.

We have three elements to the show that should not only create visual cohesion, and provoke thought, but hopefully will also result in richer art:

--The subject theme of the show is "New Life."  Each young artist may interpret this as he/she likes!

--The constructural theme is "layers."  This means that each piece of art should be made with the idea of "layers," but again, each artist may interpret that to suit which ever medium s/he will be using. 

Some of you families are really into art and have lot of experience with different mediums--to you, I say, take the layers theme to whatever you think is its most fun and beautiful extreme. Some of you families are still pretty much in crayons and markers mode--while those can be absolutely fine mediums for this art project, I highly recommend you think about how you can take what your kids already know and take it one step further.  For example, layering watercolor over crayon.  If you want to be inspired, or need ideas, I would recommend image searches on the web.  Just now I googled "childrens art projects layers" and saw some really neat pieces and projects. 

Some examples of how this constructural theme might be interpreted:

Scratch-away art

Layered punch-art mosaic

three-dimensional pop-up paper cuttings

Matisse-inspired paper and crayon mosaic

printmaking, with more than one layer of prints

layered paper arts

visual layers within a painting

horizontal triptych

photograph of layers (scroll down post to "Layers" art photograph)

Now, please realize I posted these as examples of layered art, not as examples of pieces that go along with the theme of "New Life."  The creative marriage of the two themes will be up to your artists!  Also, please keep in mind your children's pieces will still need to be overall two-dimensional, since they will be wall-mounted.  In fact, that brings us to the third unifying element of the show:

--Each fnished piece must be mounted with black matte board. This last element will really give visual cohesion to the overall collection, and should also really make each piece "pop."  The specific matte board you will need can be found at Palace Arts--it is black on top with a white core.  Please visit the store before starting your project to see the matte board so you know what is available to you.  For example, there is at least one size of pre-cut board you could use, but then you would need to make sure your art was the right size to fit its window. 

The final pieces may be either undermounted, through the cut window (like you would see in a picture frame), or may be top mounted.  You can choose which ever "framing" is most appropriate for your child's finished work.  The overall visible matte border should be approximately 3-4 inches in depth, but of course you should tweak that depending upon what is most suitable for your child's piece.

We do not have specific size constraints for the pieces--as long as they are matted per the above directions, whatever size of work your child creates is fine.

Also, because this will be child-generated art, I don't think I need to specify that whatever they make should be suitable for all-ages public viewing.  But just in case--there you have it. ; )

The completed, appropriately matted pieces must be brought to the Abbey no later than 8:00 on Wednesday, March 27.  That night the Abbey art director will install the show!  They might also appreciate a few parent helpers with the installation--I'll share details about that when we get closer to that event.

 
If you have any questions, please leave them here in the comments on this post, so everyone may benefit from the dialogue.

found here

Our Vintage Homeschool FAMILY Book Project 2014--A Book of Months

Some of you remember that I was brewing up a book project for the annual Author's Fair that could be completed by families or individual kids, but would not be a collective project as we have done in the past.  Well, I have finally figured out how we can do it and make it logical, easy, a great learning exercise for the kids, and potentially a great keepsake!  (Even a great Christmas present for a family member!)

Our project is a Book of Months.  The idea is for your child/children to capture the rhythm of a year in your family.  Each month will have one page describing what your family traditionally does in that month, with one page of illustration (or your child can make more than one page for eventful months--that part is completely up to them/you).  Some things that could be included are holidays, birthdays or other annual family celebrations, typical weather, favorite activities for that season, whatever you and your child(ren) think best captures your year.

Since we are just now starting the new year, and have completed our first month, this is the perfect time to begin this project.  So anyone interested can make a time in the next week or so to talk about January and what they did as a family that month, what is special about that month, etc.  Then have your children write/draw about it while the memories and sensory elements are fresh.  Then at the end of each month, look back and do the pages for that past month.  If we all do a little at a time, the project should not really impact our other schooling, and the kids will have time to get as involved with the writing/illustration as they would like.  Ideally, the project itself will end up being part of the rhythm of this year! 

Of course this project does not have to be done so systematically.  There is absolutely no reason why you can't just do it whenever you remember, when you have room in your school schedule, etc.  I could even see someone doing this project in two weeks--completing one month every day.  So I am just setting out the project the way it could most organically be done, and those of you who want to participate can do the pages and art however/whenever you see fit.

My gift to you will be a reminder here on this blog at the beginning of each new month to look back on the past month and write about it while the memories are fresh. : )  The final goal will be for all the books to be completed this same time next year, and we will have a binding party at one of our Vintage Homeschool gatherings! 

Since each family will be doing this project on their own, but we hope to show them all together at the Author's Fair in May of 2014, there will be certain simple parameters we will use to give overall cohesion to the project. 

--Each child's writing and illustrations should be completed on 8 1/2 x 11 inch white typing paper. 

--Only use one side of each piece of paper.

--The text and its illustration will be on separate pieces of paper.

--I strongly urge you to figure out in advance if your child(ren) wants to have the pages horizontal or vertical--we have learned already from experience with this project the sadness that occurs when some illustrations are one way and some are the other!  Your author(s) can choose which they want--either is completely fine for this project, as long as their whole book is done the same way.

--The text will be typed out in black ink (unless of course your child believes there is a need for colored text).  You can choose the font, but the size should be 14 pt (as long as that fits well on your page--of course you can change it if you think the text length warrants it).

--The text for each page will be centered on the page (both L to R and top to bottom).

--The style of illustration used is entirely up to you and your child as well.  You could even practice different mediums on different pages, if you choose; however, I would recommend you choose one style and use it for the entire book, to keep the months having the same visual "weight."  So if your child chooses watercolor, encourage them to use watercolor throughout the book.

--You may choose to make the book as a family and have different children do different aspects of the project, or each child may do his/her own book.  This too is up to you and your children.

--Be sure to have a safe place to store this project over the year, so the pages are not bent and damaged.  Our family started this project about 8 months ago, and some of the pages that the kids were storing themselves have been creased, a little wrinkled. . . not really a big deal, but if this ends up being a beautiful "keeper" book, then in the long run they may be sorry.

Remember, you should not worry about binding the book--we will do that all together next March or April.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments below.  I hope you are as excited about this project as I am!

Happy Writing, all!

It's the Old School Monday FALL PARTY!

Photo credit

What:     Homeschool Families Fall Party
When:    Next Monday, October 22, 11-2
Where:   Vintage Faith Church, our usual classrooms and the gym

We will start out with lunch, so please bring lunch for your families* and also one food item to share with everyone. 

Then there are two special events planned:

--Share Displays.  12-12:30.  Each child or family is welcome to create a display of something they want to share with the rest of us.  It might be what they did over the summer, or something they have been learning about that excites them.  All displays should have a writing element (which can be as simple as the child writing captions for photos, or as elaborate as descriptive paragraphs) and displays that utilize a math element (graph or chart, calculations, even simple addition that fits their topic) will receive special acknowledgement.  Prizes will be given to all participating children!  Children may set up their displays as they arrive, so families may look around and admire the kids' handiwork at any time, but we will set aside a half-hour starting at noon for the children to talk about their displays, if they wish.

--Fall Book Projects.  12:30-1:30.  I will share our next book project for the 2013 Author's Fair so anyone interested can get a head start on it with your kids, and then I will lead the kids in a guided book project on the Bill of Rights.  Any kids who are interested and who are school age are welcome to participate.

Throughout our time there, we will have plenty of time for chatting, catching up, sharing ideas, and letting the kids play!  If any parent wants to lead a game in the gym before or after our other activities, please let me know!

This is all free, and any homeschool families are welcome to join us and participate.  Please invite your friends too!


*Please remember to bring your own cups, plates, utensils, etc. We would like to make these events as waste-free as possible. Thank you!

End of the Year Party! Let's Set a Date

Hello Moms!

Let's get a date and place scheduled for our end of the year party.  Do we want to have it at a playground?  If so, which one?  What day of the week works best for everyone?  Please give your input in the comments below.  If I don't hear back from everyone, I'll just pick a time and place and hope a lot of us can come. : )

lisa

Family Park Day--tomorrow!

Hello Vintage homeschool moms!

There is a family park event planned tomorrow at Harvey West park, from 10-1.  We will be there, and it would be fabulous to see you all!  Bring a picnic lunch for your family.  (We will come after we drop the girls off at martial arts at 10:30 at Laird's nearby)

Poetry in the Redwoods--TOMORROW (Friday)

Hello Moms!

I cannot believe I forgot to post this sooner--it's been that kind of week!

If anyone is interested, I will be leading a guided poetry hike in the redwoods tomorrow.  So far I know it will be my family and the female Kimballs--some other homeschool families might show up, don't know who.  We will meet at the Henry Cowell nature center at 11:45 and start our nature walk at noon sharp.  We will be doing the Redwood Grove Trail, in case you are a little late, just come catch up.

Bring notebooks and writing tools--I'll provide the poetry prompts that even young kids can do. Mothers are welcome to do the writing for our kids! : )

If you want to join us for a picnic, just come a little earlier, as we will be lunching there on the deck by the nature center.

So, very sorry this is short notice--anyone who would like to come and can, we would love to have you.

lisa c.

Special Old School Monday--THIS MONDAY

Hello Vintage Moms!

We are quickly approaching the 2011 Author's Fair (I'll give all the info I know in a following post), and so all those interested in being a part of our community book project, please come!  We will meet in our normal classroom this upcoming Monday, April 4 from 12-2. 

Just like we did last year, we are going to put togther a book with a common theme, but each child/family can tailor their page(s) to their abilities and what they have been studying in their homeschool time. 

The theme of the book is "What's Above, What's Beneath."  I'll explain more about this theme on Monday, and we will brainstorm ideas and even make practice pages, so the kids (and moms!) get a feel for what the final product will be.  Each child's page will feature his/her artistic response to something he/she is learning.  Each page will also have a poetry component, and we will talk about this on Monday as well, and write some practice poems!

So we will start the project on this Monday, each family will take their pages home and complete them, and then bring them back to our official Old School Monday on April 25, where we will assemble them into the final book.  The Author's Fair will be the Saturday of that week, and I hope we can schedule a time for us all to be there to present our book like we did last year.

I hope a lot of you are able to make it on Monday, and share in the beginnings of this fun project!  If you can't come on Monday but still want to be part of the book project, please leave a comment or send me an email and I'll give you the info you need.

In fact, if you are planning on coming and participating in the project on Monday, would you please leave a comment and let me know? Thanks!

lisa c.

i'm drooling over this Vintage Homeschool idea. . .

If you don't yet visit CakeWrecks, you are missing some good fun.

And some great ideas! 

I saw these images posted, and immediately thought how FUN this could be for our homeschool families--a cake/cupcake decorating event where the kids (with their parents' help of course!) try to reproduce a famous work of art in frosting!  We could invite the general homeschool public to come to the contest, and vote for the winners, and maybe we could even make it a fundraiser and sell the cupcakes/cakes or slices?  

Let me know what you all think of this!  (And don't get scared--I'm thinking sheet cakes and Monet dipples, totally doable!)

Benefits:
--kids get the fun of creating, with a specific challenge
--lots of learning opportunity on Color!
--lots of learning opportunity on art styles and famous works of art!
--accessible to all ages of kids
--if a contest, we would make sure everyone got a prize (most colorful, best reproduction, best color mixing, best use of the color red, etc. ; )
--if we invite non-Vintage homeschool families we can make it a fun, positive introduction to our group, and to Vintage itself
--if we make it a funraiser, we can choose to bless an organization that is loving and serving children, which our kids will also be excited about.
--other benefit to it being an event welcoming outsiders--we won't end up having to eat all that cake and frosting ourselves!!! ; )

Free Admission to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

free fun friday

Visit Happy Hollow Park & Zoo for Free!!! On Friday January 28, 2011, Happy Hollow is offering free admission (6 tickets maximum per household) between 9:00am – 10:00am and free parking for arrivals before 8:45am. Come out early and play ‘til 3pm. Reservations required and other requirements apply, see their website for details.

National Parks Free Fee Days

FREE FEE DAYS
January 15-17
(Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday weekend)
April 16-24
(National Park Week)
June 21
(First day of summer)
September 24
(Public Lands Day)
November 11-13
(Veterans Day weekend)

The free admission days this year are January 15-17 (the weekend around Martin Luther King Jr. Day), April 16-24 (National Park Week), June 21 (the first day of summer), Sep. 24 (National Public Lands Day) and Nov. 11-13 (Veterans Day weekend). In total, that's 17 days when you can enjoy some of the country's greatest attractions free of charge. Normally, the participating parks charge entrance fees of anywhere between $3 and $25. In addition to the free admission, several national parks are planning special events and discounts on these days. For example, Glacier National Park in Montana will trim $5 off the cost of horseback riding for kids (17 and under) on June 21, and Yosemite's Curry Village in California has an interesting deal where the price of lodging matches the previous day's temperature, starting tomorrow through March 19.
http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

Spooky Brew

Something we did for fun this past weekend. : )  It is very fun and easy--let me know next year if you want to try it and I'll give you the scoop.

FREE passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Nov. 15!

Hello everyone!

We signed up for the Homeschool Day at the Aquarium on Nov. 15, and now we can't go, because our girls have a play performance that night!  (This is what happens when you are asked to sign up before the Fall semester even begins)  ALSO, we got tickets for the McNabbs, but then they realized they would not be back in CA quite that soon.  Bummer!  The good news for you is that we now have two families worth of tickets available for anyone who had not signed up previously!  PLEASE let me know if you are interested ASAP.  Otherwise I will post this on another homeschool forum that is county wide, or worst case will just let the aquarium know we can't come. 

The program sounds GREAT too. : (  Hope someone out there can take our place!

Lisa C.

JOHNSON FARM HARVEST TOUR

*Lucy sent this in and said it was not too late to sign up--but I imagine the sooner the better, if you want to participate!  This is a fun tour that the young ones enjoy, and is considered a public-school kindergarten staple here in Aptos. : )

Come join Farmer Rob at Johnson's Farm for a Harvest Tour. The Johnson Farm abounds in a festival of fall colors and activities. It is time to gather in the bounty of the farm. Visitors will enjoy shucking and shelling corn, an old-fashioned harvest demonstration, and gathering pumpkins. The tour lasts one hour and includes a hayride, a time to feed the animals, a lesson on harvesting, and a choice of a pumpkin you pick from the field.

Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Time: 12:45 PM (Please arrive by 12:15 so that money may be collected)
Cost: $7.00 per person (anyone attending that is 2 or older is $7.00, under 2 years old is free)
Location: Johnson Farm, 16385 Two Bar Road, Boulder Creek, CA

If you are interested in attending please email me, Kathy Newman, k_newman@sbcglobal.net by October 10th (the earlier the better as we are limited to the number attending). Please send your name and the number of children that will be attending. If you have any questions please contact me.

See you at the harvest!

FREE Science Fun!

**My out of town readers--there are other locations for these science events all over the US, so please click on the last link to get to the national site, and look at the "satellite" section to see if there is anything taking place near you.

Cal Science & Engineering Festival


A community celebration of Science@Cal!

Explore the wonders of science with activities for the whole family at the first-ever Cal Science & Engineering Festival.

This free event will take place at UC Berkeley, on Spieker Plaza (located next to Haas Pavilion) http://www.berkeley.edu/map/maps/DE23.html on *Saturday, October 23 *from 10am to 2pm.

It's all about science in action! You'll put solar power to the test, get hands-on with ancient fossils, discover the "science" of unicycling and basketball, make your own earthquake, journey to the stars—and more!

The Cal festival is hosted by Science@Cal, an initiative of the UC BerkeleyOffice of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and is presented in conjunction with the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival http://usasciencefestival.org/

It sounds GREAT--hope we can go. : )