The March 2013 Newsletter is here!

Supporting LDS Homeschoolers in the Treasure Valley of Idaho

March 2013 Newsletter

Wow, is it March already???? Look what we have for you this month!

Upcoming Events:

DHSA American History Fair!

This Friday, March 8th, 1:30 to 3:00 PM

at the Boise Veteran’s Home located at

320 Collins Road Boise, Idaho, 8370

Come see some amazing presentations from kids of all ages about American Heroes and Historical Figures!

We are creating an American Hero Wax and Animatron “Museum” to share with our local veterans—some REAL LIFE AMERICAN HEROES! Meet us in the LUNCHROOM Cost: $1 per kiddo

Field Trip:

 Whittenberger Planetarium

College of Idaho in Caldwell

Wednesday, March 13th at 10:45 am. 

 

We are thrilled to offer an hour long, interactive presentation on astronomy, geared for upper elementary through high school students, at the Whittenberger Planetarium, located at The College of Idaho in the Boone Science Hall on the corner of 20th Avenue and Fillmore in Caldwell. The cost is $2.00 per person and there are only 50 seats are available. Please RSVP to Kimberly Wing  at sosiouxmeto@msn.com right away to secure your spots. Please be aware that the planetarium is between floor levels.  There is a half-flight of stairs (10 steps) with no form of handicapped or stroller access.

Field Trip:

Franz Bakery

914 Park Centre Way in Nampa

Wednesday, March 27th at 1:00pm. 

Come with us on this FREE tour of the bakery and learn how bread and pastries are made. You even get a treat at the end of the tour!   This tour is limited to 30 people and is open to all ages, as long as they can follow directions and not wonder off. Children must be under direct supervision by parents.   There are a few rules we are expected to follow for our safety: no open toe shoes, no purses or bags, no strollers, no earring or rings except wedding ring, no jewelry of any kind. Please  contact Kimberly wing at sosiouxmeto@msn.com to reserve your spot!

Field Trip:

Mining and Geology Museum

on Friday, April 19th at 10:00 am.

 This two hour field trip, geared for ages 5 and up, includes a 40 minute tour of the museum, 45 minute hike into the foothills, and an opportunity to try your hand at gold mining!   The cost is $2.00 per child and adults and infants are free. You must wear pants and sturdy shoes to go on the hike.  Strollers are not recommended. If it rains, the field trip will still go on but the hike will be changed to activities inside the museum.  The museum is located at:

2455 Old Penitentiary Road
Boise, ID 8371

Mark your calendars now and contact Kimberly wing at sosiouxmeto@msn.com to reserve your spot!

PE: TBA

Check your e-mail and our facebook page for updates!

Teen Activities: TBA

Check your e-mail and our facebook page for updates!

Mothers’ Meeting:

Thursday, March 28, 7 PM, at the Olive Garden in Boise,

320 N Milwaukee St, Boise, ID 83704

One of the beauties of homeschooling is that you get to learn right along with the kids and rediscover your own passion for knowledge! What are YOU learning about right now? It does not have to be homeschool related---if you’re learning how to hula hoop, or design web pages, or delving into Ancient Chinese History, or colloquial grammar (hee hee hee!), or WHATEVER, we want to know about it! Come order yourself some salad and breadsticks  and talk to us about what you’re excited about learning (or just come be inspired to learn something new!)

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Classes, Clubs, and Learning Opportunities:

Teen Book Club:

Come join us for a great discussion of a classic book each month!
We typically meet the 3rd Friday of the month at the Wolfe household from 1pm-3pm. Questions? Contact Melissa (Mom) or Corinne (teen) at 208-968-3998.
Teen Book Club Reading Selections by month:
March: The Giver (optional: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son) by Lois Lowry
April: Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
May: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
June: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
July: “The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln and “Give Me Liberty or Give me Death” by Patrick Henry
Aug: Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
Sept: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Oct: Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth
Nov: Laddie by Gene Stratton Porter
Dec: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

S.T.E.M. Out! for Girls,

Saturday, March 16, 2013

The College of Western Idaho will be hosting, “S.T.E.M. Out”, a FREE science, technology, engineering and math event for girls grades 6-9. The conference will take place at the Nampa Micron Professional Technical Education Campus Building on Saturday, March 16, 2013 from 9am-3:00pm. Check-in registration starts at 8:30am.

The purpose of the S.T.E.M. Out Conference is to encourage young women to pursue studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, thus expanding future career options. The goals of the conference are:
· To provide young women with opportunities to meet and interact with positive women role models who are active in STEM related careers
· To involve young women with limited opportunities for success in positive experiences in STEM related fields
· To increase the interest of young women in STEM fields by providing exciting and fun hands-on learning experiences
· To encourage young women to study as much math and science as possible by showing them the benefits of education and its relevance to their lives
· To foster awareness of career opportunities in STEM related careers
Our conference will allow girls to participate in hands-on workshops and meet adult role models in STEM fields. Please contact Maribel Padrón at maribelpadron@cwidaho.cc or 562-2451 for questions regarding this conference or for information on registration.

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Messages from the Board:

Is There a Perfect Curriculum for Your Family?

When choosing curricula…you may find that there is not a “one-size fits all” curriculum to meet the needs of your teaching style and your children’s learning style(s). Don’t despair, there is so much available; options galore!

My best suggestion to every mother who is already deep in the trenches of homeschooling, those still considering jumping in with both feet, and those who might wish to only dip a toe or two into those unknown waters -- would be to talk to those around you, get ideas and recommendations. If something sparks an interest for you, give it a shot, but never feel that you are stuck with that single option for the duration of your homeschooling days.

Over the next little while, we are planning to add the many differing options that are available to homeschooling families. It is our hope that this will be a fantastic resource for you and your family to draw from.

Wishing you a March worth remembering!
Stacey Lytle, President

 

The Limitless Potential of Homeschooling

In the past couple of months, I have been inundated by questions from folks who are looking into homeschooling or who have just begun the journey.  They ask about curricula, co-ops, and schedules, but I sense from them that they are really searching for their own educational philosophies and how to put them into practice.

Of course, I could be projecting—but I remember when I began to look into homeschooling, I was asking the same questions, but I felt dissatisfied with the answers and couldn’t even tell you why.  It wasn’t until I started reading about the educational philosophies of Charlotte Mason, Leigh Bortins, Oliver Van DeMille, Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, and many others that I came to understand that I was still trying to formulate a philosophical framework and method around which to build my curriculum.

This month, I present to you a new page on our blog, entitled Limitless Potential: A collection of homeschool philosophies and methods, written by the people who live them.  Each month, home educators like you will share their educational methods/philosophies and how they put them into practice. There are many, many ways to educate your children outside the traditional brick and mortar public school in Idaho and even two families who share the same ideologies will implement them differently!

While DHSA does not endorse any particular method or philosophy, we feel it is important for families to know what’s out there, explore the diversity of homeschooling options, and to find like-minded educators.  If you would like to contribute to this column, please contact me at dhsa.news@gmail.com for submission guidelines.

Kindest regards,
Marissa Pineda, Vice President