Thursday, July 26, 2007

Funsavers!

Great tickets at great prices!

Museum, theater, music, dance and more! FunSavers features half price ticket offers on dozens of the hottest shows in the Philadelphia region. Delivered to your email box every Thursday, these offers are available only to FunSaver subscribers. FunSavers is run by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, a non-profit organization, and all proceeds directly benefit the non-profit cultural community.

Subscribe

GreatSchools.net

Great Schools.net publishes a number of free newsletters, emailed directly to subscribers. Although these newsletters are not specifically directed at homeschoolers, the insights contained are still quite valuable.

Great Schools was founded in 1998 by Bill Jackson, a former teacher who believes that the key to great schools (and a great education) is parent involvement. When parents make informed choices, students and schools benefit, students are more successful when parents are actively involved in their education, schools improve when parents advocate for high-quality teaching and learning.

The most recent Parent Advisor Newsletter dated July 25, 2007, is entitled "Easy Ways to Sneak Learning Into Summer." The articles included are as follows:

Keep Your Child's Skills Sharp This Summer
Helping Kids Get Smart About Money
GreatSchools Survey: Success After High School
This Week at GreatSchools
Poll: Do You Reward Your Child for Good Grades?
Bright Ideas: Get Your Child Ready for a New Grade
Share Your Ideas: Back-to-School Shopping

In addition to the newsletters, the website includes school profiles, FAQs, and an archive of articles and materials to support parents in making informed school choices and getting involved in their schools and the quality of their child's education.

The Web Site
To Subscribe to the Newsletters

Sunday, July 22, 2007

"Homeschooling for Success" from Homeschool.com


Homeschooling for Success is a free e-newsletter from Homeschool.com addressing timely and potent homeschooling topics. The newsletter is published bi-weekly and is sent directly to your email box. The question raised in this week's issue is: "What Should You Do If Your Child Wants To Go To School?" Odd, I thought my homeschoolers were already in school? For an organization that claims to be "Your #1Homeschooling Resource" this question is pretty thoughtlessly constructed and is a potentially damaging characterization of the issue. However, if we overlook this slight for the moment, the article is worth the quick read. As you may have guessed, the topic is about parents responding to homeschooling students who express a desire to explore a more traditional schooling option. The topic is addressed by a number of homeschooling experts and authors including:

* David Albert, columnist for "Home Education Magazine."
* Susan Wise Bauer, author of "The Well Trained Mind."
* Dr. Matt James, author of "Homeschooling Odyssey."
* Pat Farenga, author of "Teach Your Own."
* Diane Flynn Keith, editor of "Homefires."
* Rebecca Kochenderfer, co-author of "Homeschooling for Success."
* Marilyn Mosley, executive director and founder of "Laurel Springs School."
* Win & Bill Sweet, authors of ""Living Joyfully With Children."

To subscribe

The Homeschool.com website is packed full of articiles, links to free stuff, advice, book reiviews, curriculm and class links, and more.

Monday, July 16, 2007

How We Read

There are few topics more contentious in homeschooling or indeed in all of the education world than how to teach reading. Whole Language? Phonetics? Whole Word? Hybrid?

Today on WHYY there was a wonderful piece addressing this topic and giving listeners the point of view of a scientific expert in the field. The program is available as a pod cast or can be downloaded in MP3 or you can just listen to it online via real-player.

The audio transcript of the show can be found on WHYY's website, Monday July 16th. The show is Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coanne. It is archived under the date, 1:23pm, hour 2 of the show.

How We Read

http://www.whyy.org/cgi-bin/newwebRTlookup.cgi

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Co-operative Extensions

These are the people who bring you 4H and much, much more. Your local Cooperative Extension Office is a must have on any homeschooler's list of resources. Every state has one, they are connected Universities, and although agriculture is an important component it is not by any means the limit of their activities. Services and community assistance offered by Cooperative Extension offices include gardening, home economics, safety, community leadership as well as agricultural issues and more. In NY our local Extension office would identify Deer Ticks taken off my kids and keep the sample tick as part of their data base. They also offered an inoculation clinic for low income families and did blood testing on children for levels of lead.

The Delaware Cooperative Extension states that it "connects the public with university knowledge, research and resources to address youth, family, community and agricultural needs." The Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension mission statement states that it "connects the public with university knowledge, research and resources to address youth, family, community and agricultural needs." The Maryland Cooperative Extension describes itself as "a statewide, non-formal education system within the college of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore... educational programs and problem-solving assistance are available to citizens and are based on the research and experience of land grant universities..."


Today's 4H clubs, are also no longer just an rural agricultural club for kids on farms. I have lead 4H groups whose focus never touch on agriculture at all. In NY we ran an astronomy and rocketry themed club and a theater arts club, as well as a Junior Naturalist club. 4H clubs take place in cities and suburbs and are available to youngsters as cloverbud clubs all the way through teen leadership programs. Homeschoolers are taking advantage of the opportunities afforded under the umbrellas of a 4H club to form co-op of all sorts.

Check out the websites for your local Cooperative Offices and see how much these wonderful public service organizations have to offer!

The National Cooperative Extension System


University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
Penn State Cooperative Extension
University of Maryland Cooperative Extension

4H USA

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

ZOME: Model of the Month & a Mid-Summer Special

Doughnut

We love Zome. This product is a gem. There is curriculum support for using Zome in both math and science subject areas. Their web site contains tons of model plans and project ideas as well as frequent special price offerings. For the kids, most importantly, Zome is just tons of building fun!

The above model Doughnut is a "torus" designed by Zome user, Brian Hall. You can build this model with the "Enhanced Naked Explorer Kit" which is specially bundled for this project and specially priced at just $40 through July 31st!

Zome

Monday, July 9, 2007

Free Movies!


REGAL CINEMAS' Free Family Film Festival!

There's nothing like seeing a movie in a movie theater! Even if you rent, own or borrow them, going to the theater to see a movie on the big screen is an entirely different experience. The price is right, so grab some popcorn, get in out of the heat and enjoy the show!

Festival movies are shown each Tuesday and Wednesday.
First-come, first-served seating is limited to theater capacity. I called the Brandywine theater, they told me the movies have been "selling out." No tickets are available for this week's (7/10 & 7/11) shows.

The Nitty Gritty: (Brandywine 16)
Tickets become available one week before the movie.
You must go to the theater and pick up the tickets in advance.
Showtimes are announced on Thursday or Friday the week before.
Most showtimes but not all are 10am.
The theater opens at 9am.

FILM SCHEDULE FOR THE BRANDYWINE 16 MOVIE THEATER
3300 Brandywine Parkway, Brandywine Towne Center,
Wilmington 302-479-0751

07/17-07/18
Doogal (G)
Open Season (PG)

07/24-07/25
Curious George (G)
Robots (PG)

07/31-08/01
Barney (G)
Happy Feet (PG)

08/07-08/08
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (G)
Nanny McPhee (PG)

08/14-08/15
Care Bears 2 (G)
Two Brothers (PG)

08/21-08/22
Charlotte's Web (G)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (PG)


For other locations & their schedules

Friday, July 6, 2007

Summer at Hagley Museum


Special Programs for Kids, Dollar Days and Bicycling

HAGLEY CREEK KIDS!
Every Tuesday in July Hagley’s Creek Kids will offer hands-on activities related to nineteenth-century family life including games, chores, school, and food. Something different is planned each Tuesday to demonstrate how families lived and worked along the Brandywine Creek in the 1800s.

July 3rd: A Day in the DuPont Powder Yard
Visitors will float wooden boats in the millrace, learn about gunpowder, and watch stone splitting and riveting demonstrations. There will also be nineteenth-century board games to play, the chance to fish with a bamboo pole in the Brandywine River, and samples of ice cream that has been hand-cranked the old-fashioned way.

July 10th: Life along the Brandywine Creek.
Visitors will enjoy textile arts including spinning wool with a drop spindle and weaving on a lap loom. Inside the Sunday school there will be quill pen writing and the chance to read the 1834 Rebus ABCs lesson book. A recess outside the school will include stilts to walk on, a game of “catch the hoop,” and other nineteenth-century games. In the Gibbon’s House, once home to a powder yard foreman, activities will include a host of household chores and making pew dolls. Visitors will find homemade corn bread in the kitchen and help make butter, as well as participate in a proper Ladies Tea.

July 17th: The impact of the Civil War on the workers
Re-enactors will pose as soldiers from Camp DuPont, march to fife and drum music, and drill with wooden muskets. Participants can watch a fashion show of clothing from the 1800’s. There will be a rousing game of nineteenth-century baseball, a nineteenth-century “whizgig” toy to make, poke bags to sew and sips of homemade lemonade to enjoy along with freshly whipped cream on a gingersnap.

July 24th: Music and Recreation in the Workers’ Community.
The afternoon will include period music and penny whistles, autoharps, and other simple instruments to play. There will be a variety of nineteenth-century games to join in on such as hoops, graces, crown a king, and ball and cup. Other activities for the day include quilting, and making a nineteenth-century toy called a GeeHaw.

July 31st: Irish Immigrants Come to America
Visitors will enjoy Irish music, write Gaelic poems with a quill pen, and sew a lavender sachet for a linen drawer. Music from the parlor organ and the autoharp will enhance vicarious travel through a stereoscope. An early version of today’s View-Master, a stereoscope makes special photographs look three dimensional. Explore genealogy and how family trees work. Outdoors, there will be work in the garden and a bean bag toss to try.

Creek Kids activities take place Tuesdays in July from 12:30 to 4 p.m. and are included with regular museum admission.
Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Admission
Adults - $11.00
Students and senior citizens - $9.00
Children ages six to fourteen - $4.00
Children under six - Free
Groups welcomed year-round by reservation.
Call weekdays for information
(302) 658-2400 ext. 259.


DOLLAR DAYS!
Dollar Days
Hagley’s Great Summer Saturday Admission Discount. Admission is just $1 every Saturday during July and August. It’s the perfect opportunity to take time to enjoy the museum’s diverse offerings including a variety of interactive exhibits, demonstrations, gardens, decorative arts, costumed interpreters, state champion trees, wildflowers, and picturesque picnic spots. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.


BIKE AND HIKE AT HAGLEY!
Wednesdays - 5 to 8 p.m
July 11 through August 29th.
Visitors are welcome to bike along the Brandywine River, hike around the museum’s history, or simply enjoy an outdoor evening excursion to Hagley. These evenings are perfect for picnics too. Admission is $2 per person. Use Hagley’s main entrance off Route 141 in Wilmington, Delaware.


SUMMER CAMPS
Hagley also offers a variety of summer camp experiences.

For more information visit their website:
http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/index.html
PHONE: (302) 658-2400

Volunteers Needed!


Kittens, Kittens, Kittens Galore!

This is a wonderful time to consider volunteering at one of the adoption centers for Forgotten Cats!

Volunteering in the adoption centers involves talking to passersby to see if they would be interested in giving a home to one of FC’s many adorable homeless cats and kittens. Depending on the shift you volunteer for you may be required to feed and freshen the kitties’ water, scoop their boxes and check on their health. First morning volunteers give the cages a good cleaning to start the day and work begins before the store opens to the public. Last evening volunteers tuck the kitties in for the night.

Although the primary goal is always to find homes, the most fun part is getting to play with the kittens. It is kitten season right now and there are lots of kittens coming through the center. Kittens need interaction with people, adults and kids, so that they don’t get bored and so that they remain social and therefore adoptable.

Homeschoolers have always made up a proud portion of the volunteers at the centers. It is a wonderful way for kids to learn the responsibility and work involved in caring for animals. It is also a wonderful way to just get to spend some time getting to know cats – and kittens!

The Christiana center is very short handed right, so I do hope you will please consider volunteering now. Kids under 16 must work with an adult. You can volunteer together as a family. You will be trained. The kitties in the center have all been altered, have had all their shots and though sometimes a bit scared; they have been socialized before being sent to the center.

The adoption centers are located at both of our area’s PetSmart Stores.
The Brandywine Adoption center is in the Petsmart at the Brandywine Town Center Shoppes. The Christiana Center is in the Petsmart by the Home Depot off Churchman Road.

If you are interested in volunteering you may call John Fedele:
302-475-3282

Or you may send an email to:
info@forgottencats.org

Please be sure include your phone number so John can get right back to you!

Forgotten Cats is dedicated to reducing unwanted cat populations and ending the suffering of homeless cats and kittens, without killing.

For more information about Forgotten Cats: http://www.forgottencats.org

For more information about high school credit and other recognition programs for volunteers:

Delaware Volunteerism Act: http://delcode.delaware.gov/title14/c089a/index.shtml

Delaware Office of Volunteerism:
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/sov/volopps.html

Youth VIP – Volunteers in Service Project
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dssc/sov/youthvip/

Delaware State Fair!

The 2007 Delaware State Fair runs from July 19th through the 28th.

Delaware State Fair, Inc.
South Dupont Highway - P.O. Box 28
Harrington, DE 19952-0028
Phone: (302) 398-3269
Fax: (302) 398-5030



For more information visit their website:
http://www.delawarestatefair.com/

Don't miss the opportunities for discounted or free admissions:
http://www.delawarestatefair.com/fair/Discount_Days.htm

Works by Yukie Kobayashi at Nizinga's Cultural Connection

Yukie Kobayashi

Yukie, the artist from the Papermaking Workshop at the DCCA, is currently showing affordable works at Nizinga's Cultural Connection in Wilmington. The theme of this collection is the color Red and includes two lamps, five small pictures , five booklets and eleven pieces of fused glass jewlery. The show opens tonight, Friday July 6th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm. There will be a massage table and R&B music. (I believed this is part of the art loop!) Yuki's show will remain at Nizinga's through July 26th.

Stop by sometime and take this opportunity to see some of Yuki's work and get aquanted with a this unique shop.

About Nizinga's Cultural Connection:
"A Family Boutique Emphasizing Culture"
We specialize in Authentic Afrikan Clothing. But we carry clothing from many cultures. We love cotton, linens, silks, wovens, and other natural fibers. Most of our clothing have a cultural flare. Items are hand selected and limited to a chosen few. Our other items include; jewelry, accessories, fabrics, incense, oils, and household items.
Located at 827 Market Street, Wilmington, DE.
302-427-9426


About Yuki Kobayashi

Monday, July 2, 2007

Kids' Health In the Classroom: Teaching Materials and Newsletter

Visit Kids' Health in the Classroom!

From their website:
"KidsHealth is pleased to offer teachers, school nurses, coaches, and guidance counselors a new online resource: KidsHealth in the Classroom. The KidsHealth in the Classroom website offers free health curriculum materials for teachers of all grades and subject areas. Each teacher's guide includes discussion questions, activities, and reproducible handouts and quizzes - all aligned to national health education standards.

But that's not all. KidsHealth in the Classroom will also offer tips from teachers, information about common childhood health problems, health-related news, and resources to help you improve the health of your students and your school - and even your own health.

How to Use KidsHealth in the Classroom:
Explore the site to find just what you need.
Get the latest teacher's guides - hot off the presses.
Sign up for our free email newsletter programs to get new teacher's guides as soon as they become available.
Share articles with students..."

The newsletters are wonderful.
You get information, graphic materials, and additional links and resource references. Everything you need for building a thorough and appropriate unit study on a wide range of important sometimes crucial topics regarding kids' health. All delivered directly to your email box!

For more information and to subscribe to the newsletter visit their website:

http://classroom.kidshealth.org/

Delaware History Museum

The Delaware History Museum is located in the renovated art-deco Woolworth store. The museum features three galleries of changing interactive exhibits on Delaware history, including displays of rare items of everyday life, costumes, children's toys, regional decorative arts, and paintings. The museum is the child of the Historical Society of Delaware.

Current exhibits include "Made by Delaware Hands." This newest exhibition is located at both the Delaware History Museum in Wilmington and the Read House in New Castle. This special exhibition features more than 100 hand-made items from Delaware in the collections of the Historical Society. Also at the Delaware History Museum is the exhibit, "Distinctively Delaware" highlighting the people, places, events, and products that make the First State unique.


Educational Field Trips & Programs Available:




At the Historical Society of Delaware providing school tours, education packets, audio visual aids. These programs are equally available to homeschoolers and are designed to include many hands-on activities and primary document and material resources. The programs offered are listed in the education bulletin and online. The educational resource material provides teachers are specific to Delaware and may be used to give students a greater understanding and appreciation of Delaware and its unique history.

To join their teachers email list and receive updates and special happenings for school groups send your email address to: education@hsd.org

For more information, details about the "Hands on the Past" school tours, programs and educational field trips available, visit their website.



http://www.hsd.org/dhmedu.htm

The Labyrinth at the Delaware Art Museum

The Labyrinth at the Delaware Art Museum is nestled in an old stone reservoir pit. The paths are tranquilly outlined in river-stones. The location of this installation is unassuming, almost invisible. You must venture through the sculpture garden in back of the museum and come upon the reservoir pit almost unexpectedly. You may stand above the high stonewalls that encase the circular patterned walk and just enjoy the visual delight below or continue around the lower walkway to get to the entrance and walk the Labyrinth.

Walking a Labyrinth is a form of meditation. It can be healing, spiritual, relaxing or just down right fun! Think walking (or running?) a maze without walls. My kids discovered the Labyrinth to be a trickster. Just when you think you are coming to the center, it leads you back on a journey through its outer reaches. Stand in the very center of this Labyrinth and listen. There is an echo unlike any other reverberating off those circular stonewalls.

One of our area's homeschooling moms was instrumental in creating, designing and building this Labyrinth at the Delaware Art Museum. Homeschoolers Rock!

There are many other Labyrinths in out area. You can find these by doing a google search. I would like to point to the website for the Labyrinth at the First and Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. They have an indoor Labyrinth with a schedule of special events. The reason why I am pointing to this site is that they have a very simple but astute description and give suggestions for making the most, spiritually, of walking this or any other Labyrinth. And my favorite attribute of this website is that while you read you are graced with the most beautiful set of Gregorian chants!

The Labyrinth at First & Central Presbyterian Church, Wilmington:
http://www.members.dca.net/warren/index.html

The Labyrinth at the Delaware Museum:
http://www.delart.org/view/collections/labyrinth.html

Delaware Theater Company's Student Matinees!


2007-2008 SEASON STUDENT MATINEES
Introduce your students to professional theatre!

Included:
* Study guide and supplemental classroom exercises
* Meet the cast after the performance.
* 1 Complimentary chaperone ticket for every 20 students.
(Homeschoolers call Johanna Schloss regarding chaperone tickets.)
* SPECIALLY PRICED at only $10.50 per ticket!

All student matinee performances begin at 10:30 am
ORDER EARLY - PERFORMANCES FILL UP FAST!

FOR INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS
Call 302.594.1104 x204 or JohannaSchloss@delawaretheatre.org

THE SHOWS:

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK 
Adapted by Wendy Kesselman from the play by 
Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
October 25 and 
November 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9, 2007 
All performances at 10:30am
Hailed as “a new adaptation for a new generation,” this classic, true story comes to life in a major theatrical event. When the Frank family goes into hiding to escape the Nazi persecution of Jews in 1940s Amsterdam, young Anne records the laughter, grief, hope and fears of their two-year confinement in her diary. Through the voice of one of the most beloved heroines of the 20th century, audiences experience the dreams and idealism of one amazing girl as she faces the most horrific evil of our times. The Diary of Anne Frank won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award® for Best Play and the Critics Circle Award.
* Advanced reservations required

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF 
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 
(abridged) 
by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield
Dec 13 & 20, 2007 at 10:30am
This hilarious, breakneck comedy has three comedians making their way through all 37 of the Bard’s plays (and some sonnets, too!) in less than two hours. A wild frolic through the works of Shakespeare, you’ve never seen the classics performed like this. Complete with a hip-hop Othello, and the histories performed as a football game, this is Shakespeare for those who don’t think they like Shakespeare—and especially for those who do! As London’s longest-running comedy, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is chock-full of sight gags, physical humor and irreverent foolery.
*Advanced reservations required*

ART
By Yasmina Reza 
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Feb 1 & 7, 2008 at 10:30am
This contemporary comedy takes a scathing look at the bounds and bonds of male friendship. When Serge buys a piece of modern art for an outrageous sum, Marc finds himself driven mad by his friend’s unfathomable act—and poor Yvan just hopes to keep them from tearing each other apart. One of the great plays of the last decade—an award winner in Paris, London, and New York—Art is a play that confronts the perplexing questions of friendship and taste. 
Note: This play contains adult language.
*Advanced reservations required*

MARY'S WEDDING 
By Stephen Massicotte
A soaring love story told against the epic backdrop of World War I, this lyrically theatrical piece stretches from the wild beauty of rural Canada to the battlegrounds of France. When young Mary meets Charlie, she falls in love but he gets called to serve in the Great War. Mary fights against the forces of time, place, and destiny to keep her love alive. A recent international hit, Mary’s Wedding is a stunning drama that will leave your heart aching and your imagination racing.
*Advanced reservations required*

THE PIANO LESSON 
By August Wilson (rights pending)
April 17 & 24, 2008 at 10:30am
On the heels of last season’s blockbuster hit, Sam Cooke: Forever Mr. Soul, playwright and director Kevin Ramsey returns to Wilmington to help us present this masterpiece from the late August Wilson, one of the towering giants of American drama. This play, which won the Pultizer Prize in 1991, is one of the pillars of Wilson’s ten-play saga representing each decade of the African-American experience in the 20th century. In The Piano Lesson, the ghosts of slavery and family fight to the death in this mythic battle for a beloved piano, which represents both a reminder of the past and the opportunity of the future.
* Advanced reservations required*


ORDER TODAY!
FOR INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS 
Call 302.594.1104 x204 or JohannaSchloss@delawaretheatre.org

For more information about Delaware Theater Company please visit their website:
http://www.delawaretheatre.org/

Sunday, July 1, 2007

The Great Wilmington Tugboat Celebration

All activities occur at Kalmar Nyckel Foundation shipyard & Fort Christina Park. Entrance Fee all days: $5.00 donation, children 12 & under free accompanied by an adult .

Friday, July 6, 2007
12:00 noon - 5:30 p.m.
Tugboats Arrive
Crafters, vendors, all day entertainment

5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Pig Roast & Shrimp Feast
Donation - $35 per person, $15 for children under 12
Music provided

9:00 p.m.
Illumination of Tugboats

Saturday, July 7 & Sunday, July 8
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Visiting Ships open for tours
Crafts & vendors
Winterthur Family Activities (Saturday only)
Hagley Museum Visual exhibition- History of Tugboats along the Christina
Nautical displays and shipyard tours
Tugboats Tug of War , Best Tattoo contest
Blacksmith demonstrations ≈ Challenge school program
Face painters, Artesian cooling water towers & tent
All day music for all ages
Kalmar Nyckel Crab & Beer tent
Iron Hill Brewery
Grotto Pizza
Twin Lakes Brewery
Hy-Point Dairy
Rita’s Water Ice

Saturday, July 7
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
VIP & Sponsorship parties aboard Tugboats
Illumination of Tugboats
Music

Sunday, July 8
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Brandywine traveling Zoo
8:45 p.m. – 9:45p.m.
Illumination of Tugboats
other activities same as Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information.

Crafts Fair!

The Guild's summer fair usually located int Lancaster moves to Wilmington this summer. The fair offers special demonstrations, fine music and over 170 professional contemporary and heritage craftsmen including fine jewelry, wearable art, home décor, glassware, pottery, decorative crafts and more. Major craftsmen of note include fiber artist Maureen Kamerick, fine jeweler Maxine Rosenthal, contemporary basket maker Sylvia Eisenbise Lehman, fine artist Joe Jacobs, porcelain potter Paul Lorber and pysanky egg expert Marianne Lurie. Fine musicians headlining the show are pianist Sergei Novikov and Heartland Harps. Fine food is courtesy of the Chase Center’s resident chef. The Pennsylvania Guild is a nonprofit arts educational organization with 1,800 members in 29 states, making it one of the nation’s largest and most recognized craft guilds.


July 27, 28 & 29, 2007
Friday, Saturday: 10 - 6pm
Sunday: 11-5

The fair will be held inside the air-conditioned Chase Center on the Riverfront, which provides thousands of free parking spaces within easy walking distance.


Admission is $7, free for Guild members and children under 12
Advanced tickets: $5 each. minimum order of 4. Call 215-579-5997.

Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman

National Ice Cream Day!

Did you know that in 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day?

To mark this most auspicious occasion The Woodside Farm Creamery in Hockessin, Delaware, will host it's own annual celebration from 1 to 5 this Sunday. This free event includes tours of the creamery, new ice cream flavor tastings and an ice cream eating competition. The highlight of the event will be the opportunity to meet one of the creamery's very own Jersey cows! Mooooooooooo!

This family owned farm was purchased in 1786 and is recognized by the State of Delaware as one of few remaining Centennial Farms in the First State."Today the farm uses the natural resources available (sun, rain, and fertile soil) to produce alfalfa, clover, orchard grass and rye grass. These create lush, green pastures where our Jersey cows can graze and live in a clean and low stress setting. This is not only healthier for our cows, but for the environment as well." This environment ensures high quality milk, rich in cream, which they use in making their fabulous homemade ice cream! Woodside Farm Creamery opened in May of 1998. and serves fresh premium ice cream made on the farm using their own milk from their own Jersey cows.

For more information visit the
Woodside Farm Wesite

Or call 239-9847

Counting Down to Harry Potter VII


The long awaited day is finally here. At midnight the final book in the Harry Potter Series will be released and all will be revealed! Check your local Newspapers for listing of the various celebrations in honor of this event. Or perhaps you are hosting your own HP party?

If you pre-ordered your copy at the Barnes and Noble on Concord Pike and plan to attend the evening's festivities, you can stop by the store anytime beginning at 6:00 this evening to pick up your bracelet. The bracelets will determine the order in which you may pick up your copy once the midnight release time has passed. The festivities will begin at 9:00, kids are encouraged to come in costume.

Firefly Festival at Winterthur


Winterthur Museum and Gardens is celebrating the fleeting season of the firefly, with this special evening event. "The Firefly King," a play about the need to care for the environment, presented by the Vagabond Acting Troupe, will be the highlight of the evening. There will be activities to enjoy, crafts, and firefly catching. Picnics are encouraged. A box supper can be ordered for an additional fee by calling the museum's restaurant at 302.888.4826.

The setting for this magical evening is Winterthur's award-winning Enchanted Woods, a three acre children's garden encouraging children and their families to engage in imaginative play and creativity.


Admission:
$6 - Children ages 2 to 11;
$3, Member children.
Free admission to one accompanying adult with every child's ticket purchased.
Adult Members free

Winterthur is located just off Route 52 in Winterthur, Delaware.
Phone:
800.448.3883
302.888.4600
302.888.4907 TTY

Shakespeare in the Park at Harve de Grace


The Tempest!
Sunday July 8th at 6:30 p.m.
Bring your blanket,munchies, kids, and chairs and get ready to enjoy a night out under the stars. Free.
Location: on the grounds between the Maritime and Decoy Museums.
Info: 410-939-5544

Harve de Grace is about 45 miles from Wilmington.

Yu Wei Chinese Dance at Longwood Gardens

Saturday, July 07, 2007 - 7:30 PM
Free with admission to Longwood Gardens
Yu Wei performs magical dances based on Chinese culture and history. Her style of dancing is drawn from Chinese traditional, classical, folk, ballet and modern dance. Yu Wei’s inspiration comes from nature, her choreography is original and combined with Chinese music. Yu Wei’s dances leave an audience with an unforgettable feeling of beauty and grace.

Yu Wei is a solo dancer and choreographer originally from China. She was the principal dancer in the Wuhan Company, and then joined the China Century Song and Dance Ensemble. As a soloist, Wei was invited to dance at the National China and Japan celebration in Beijing. In 2000, she came to America where she now resides in Philadelphia.

Carnival of Homeschooling: A Blog Carnival

Homeschool Happenings! has been invited to participate in a blog carnival entitled "Carnival of Homeschooling."

What is a blog Carnival?

A blog carnival exhibits a variety blog posts on a related topic. This offers a unique opportunity for readers to check out a number of blogs in an area of interest without doing an exhausting search and without wasting time slogging around a lot of blogs or blog posts which might not be of interest to the reader. The host blog gives a little capsulized introduction to each post along with the links.

Blog carnivals are hosted by the various participating blogs, so the blog host site travels around to different blog sites much like a carnival. These hosts can get pretty creative about how they offer up this information.

THE 78TH CARNIVAL OF HOMESCHOOLING,
"The Independence Edition" is hosted by The Homeschool Café

Be sure to check it out!

You can look up all the previous Homeschool Blog Carnivals and also take a peek at what is upcoming:
Carnival of Homeschooling archive
Upcoming homeschooling blog carnivals

Harry Potter Movie Opens Today!


Today is the first of the two big days long awaited by Harry Potter fans. The movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in now playing on the big screen! I called a couple theaters and no one admits to offering any special events for this special event, though I am sure if you go today there will be plenty of young witches and wizards decked out in full regalia and some fan generated hoop-de-la for this event.


The biggest event remains. The 7th and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is coming out in just over a week. Barnes and Noble, as well as most book stores throughout the country, will be celebrating with late night events before the books' midnight release. These events are a thrill, a big party with Harry Potter fans of all ages. Catch up on your sleep if you go. Once you pick up your copy of the book, in those wee hours of the morning, there is no resisting a good all night read!

The Nitty Gritty:
If you have pre-ordered the book and plan to attend the evenings' festivities at Barnes and Noble on Concord Pike in Wilmington, the party starts at 9pm. However, they will begin handing out wrist bands at 6pm for those planning on picking up their copies of the book that evening. They will not begin selling the book before midnight, customers will pick up their copies in order based upon the number on their wrist band. In other words, the sooner you pick up your wrist band, the sooner you will get your book and start that final journey in Harry Potter's world!


To keep the excitement going between now and the day the book comes out be sure to visit JK Rowling's Official Website, WB's Harry Potter Website, or do an internet search and visit one of the thousands of fan driven web sites and blogs, but beware of spoilers!