PEI Homeschool Conference 2016  

 Saturday May 2, 2016   9:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Christian Reformed Church

153 Mt. Edward Road 

Charlottetown PEI

See FB page for details and schedule of events.

https://www.facebook.com/PEIHomeschoolConference/

  N.B. Home Educators Conference 2016  

Friday May 2 to Saturday May 28 2016

Sussex Wesleyan Church

280 St. George St., Sussex, New Brunswick

See their website:  

http://henb.ca/

See  EVENTS  on the  HOME  page

for details, schedule and registration.

  Contact:  

 info@henb.ca

HENB Head Office:
507 Route 616
Keswick Ridge
New Brunswick E6L 1S4

Friday Night Teen Event: Geocaching

Saturday Kids Event: Snider Mountain

Registration is done through their online registration site at: 

www.snidermountainranch.ca/register.

High School Academic Credits

Further to:   
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012   GED - For Homeschooled Students
                                                                        
After Gregory completed his GED at the Holland College Learning Centre in Morell, PEI,  we discovered that Academic credits can be earned there as well.

As a result, after three of our boys had completed the GED program (please see note below re changes in GED testing), we encouraged them to obtain an Academic Grade 12 credit in English, Mathematics and one Science. They had done most of this work at home, but did not have any credits for their homeschooling work.

The instructors Anne Morrison and Peter Shepherd, were very helpful, in that they placed each of our boys at the highest level they could manage. The instructors worked with our boys one on one to help to fill in any material that was lacking.

A student may work on two courses at once, and these can potentially be completed in two months. In our case that our boys are homeschooled students, the work had already been partly or fully completed at home.  Students work on one chapter in the course at a time, after which they write a quiz.  If they have a good pass, they move on to the next chapter.  The instructor's goal is to facilitate timely completion of the courses.  The student is moved forward as long as the material is well understood. Two exams - mid-term and final, are written for each course.  To strengthen math and language skills, the instructors give out short exercise sheets to be completed, as the first item of each day.

In the case of our family, Anne Morrison asked our boys to submit a record of their homeschooling work, as well as their non-schooling activities, that is, work related, skills learned, informal learning, volunteer work, interests and hobbies etc.  These records were submitted to the Department of Education, and as a result each of the boys was awarded a full high school diploma - an unexpected bonus!  This was a test case for the Department of Education; it is the first time this has been done on PEI.  It is one example of the increasing accommodation that the PEI Department of Education is showing towards students' needs and situations.  

The Morell Learning Centre courses begin at the end of October and go until the first week of May.  It is open to students 18 years of age and up.  The hours of study are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.  This year a change has been made in that the learning year has been divided into three semesters: October 27 - Dec. 19, Jan 2 - Mar. 2 and Mar 5 - May 1.  The student must register on the first day of each semester for the courses they wish to take.  The expectation is that these courses can be completed in that semester.  Any courses not completed in one semester can be continued in the next semester.  Open seats are available for students who are not receiving EI payments.  Open seat students give the instructor an idea of their schedule and may come to class when it works out for them, according to their needs - home or job or other requirements.  Students receiving EI are expected to be present full-time.  At the end of the school year - the first week of May, a graduation ceremony is held at Morell High School, for students who have completed courses.  Certificates and diplomas are given out, and progress is noted of present and former students.  In the case of students not having completed a course, they may continue to work on them when the Centre opens again the following October.

For another interesting way to gain high school credits:
See this link:  Duke of Edinburgh Awards

High school credits, as elective credits, 
may be earned in other ways - ie. Cadet Programs, Co-op Work Programs.

For your interest see this link:  

Homeschooled students benefit from adult education program 

by Stella Shepherd

The Employment Journey

Anne Morrison has updated me re GED testing:

The GED exams are now in the process of moving to having people write their GED exams online. Nobody in our center has done that yet, but I truly expect that it could be mandatory as early as the coming fall. Other centers on the Island have had students write that way this past year. One advantage is immediate results except for the essay. This method will require some specific computer training especially for our older students.....

Anne

PEI Homeschoolers Science, Heritage Fairs, 

Art & Craft Expo 2014

Let us know at email:

 peihomeschoolers@gmail.com

if any 

homeschooling students 

would like to take part in our 

PEI Homeschoolers Science and Heritage Fairs 2014

See details at

 https://sites.google.com/site/peishac/

and possibly take part in the  

         Provincial Science Fair 2014 and/or

Provincial Heritage Fair 2014

Maritime Regional Heritage Fair

(new - a PEI 2014 funded project)

The  PEI Homeschoolers Science, Heritage Fairs, Art & Craft Expo 2014 

will take place Thursday February 13, 2014.

Storm Date Friday February 14, 2013.

Below please find information forwarded by 

Charlotte Stewart 

Provincial Heritage Fair Co-ordinator

*******************************************

Plans are underway for the 2014 Provincial Heritage Fair which will be held at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, Charlottetown on Thursday, 15 May 2014.

The Heritage Fair Program is an excellent way for Grade 5 to 9 students to explore any aspect of Canadian heritage using the medium of their choice to tell stories and share information. By participating in the Heritage Fair Program, students develop their ability to learn independently and to present information effectively - skills which prepare them for the future as they develop an appreciation for the past.

During the 2012-2013 school year, close to 2,000 students from 29 schools across the Island explored Canada’s heritage by taking part in Heritage Fairs. Of these students, 193 were selected to present their projects at the Confederation Centre of the Arts during the 2013 Provincial Heritage Fair.  More than 60 awards and special prizes were presented throughout the day.  Students had the opportunity to participate in an afternoon workshop or tour prior to the Closing Ceremonies.

* New for 2014!!

★ The first Maritime Regional Heritage Fair will be held in PEI in July 2014 with delegates representing PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  PEI representatives will be selected from the Provincial Heritage Fair participants.

★ Also, selected Provincial Heritage Fair student projects will be on display at community museums and branch libraries of the Public Library Service throughout the summer of 2014.

Having your School Fair in mid-February is a great way to celebrate National Heritage Week!

Please note the following due dates when planning the date of your school fair:

 * School Project list due 14 April 2014
 * Individual student registration/permission forms due 25 April 2014

For further information, contact :

Charlotte Stewart, Provincial Heritage Fair Coordinator at clstewart@gov.pe.ca, or (902) 368-5940 (tel), (902) 368-4663 (fax) or e-mail:heritagefair@gov.pe.ca
www.gov.pe.ca/tourism/heritagefair

  

*******************************************

Bonjour / Hello,   

                             

La planification est entamée pour la tenue de la Fête provinciale du patrimoine 2014 qui aura lieu au Centre des arts de la Confédération à Charlottetown le jeudi 15 mai 2014.

Le Programme des fêtes du patrimoine est un excellent moyen pour les élèves de la 5e à la 9e année d’explorer divers aspects du patrimoine canadien en utilisant le médium de leur choix pour raconter des histoires et partager de l’information. En participant au Programme des fêtes du patrimoine, les élèves développent leur capacité d’apprendre de façon indépendante et de bien présenter de l’information, ce qui les prépare pour l’avenir tout en développant leur appréciation pour le passé.

Au cours de l’année scolaire 2012-2013, près de 2 000 élèves dans 29 écoles de l’Île ont exploré le patrimoine canadien en participant aux fêtes du patrimoine. De ces élèves, 193 ont été choisis pour présenter leur projet au Centre des arts de la Confédération le 16 mai 2013 lors de la Fête provinciale du patrimoine. Plus de 60 mentions et de prix spéciaux ont été présentés au cours de la journée. En après-midi, les élèves ont eu l’occasion de participer à un atelier ou de visiter les lieux avant les cérémonies de fermeture.

* Nouveautés en 2014!!

★ La première fête du patrimoine régionale des Maritimes aura lieu en juillet 2014, réunissant des délégués de l’Î.-P.-É., de la Nouvelle-Écosse et du Nouveau-Brunswick. Les représentants de l’Î.-P.-É. seront choisis parmi les participants à la Fête provinciale du patrimoine.

★ De plus, certains projets des élèves présentés lors de la Fête provinciale du patrimoine seront en montre dans des musées communautaires et dans diverses bibliothèques du Service des bibliothèques publiques pendant l’été 2014.

La tenue de votre fête scolaire à la mi-février serait une excellente façon de célébrer la Semaine nationale du patrimoine!

 Veuillez tenir compte des dates limites suivantes lorsque vous planifiez la date de votre fête scolaire:

 * Vos représentants à la Fête provinciale du patrimoine doivent être choisis d’ici le 14 avril 2014
  * les formulaires d’inscription/permission des élèves doivent être remis d’ici le 25 avril 2014.

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec Charlotte Stewart, coordonnatrice de la Fête provinciale du patrimoine àclstewart@gov.pe.ca ou à heritagefair@gov.pe.ca ou en composant le 902-368-5940 (tél.) ou le 902-368-4663 (téléc.).
www.gov.pe.ca/tourism/heritagefair

Contest 

Canada's Coolest Trip

Parks Canada's "Canada's Coolest School Trip" Contest. 

From Charlotte Stewart
Provincial co-ordinator for PEI Provincial Heritage Fair


LINKS:   www.myparkspass.ca
                www.monpasseportparcs.ca

See below also for links and related info!

Hello,

Canada’s Coolest School Trip – contest of the My Parks Pass program

For the third year, the My Parks Pass program has launched Canada’s Coolest School Trip. Last year, a grade 8 class from Saskatchewan won a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site and Cape Breton Highlands National Park, in Nova Scotia. With the support of Air Canada, this year’s winning class will visit Parks Canada's special places on the coast of British Columbia. This four-day trip includes visits to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, and Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse national historic sites. The class will embark on ocean and wildlife tours, experience what it was like to be a soldier in WWI and WWII, have a one-of-a-kind after-dark tour of the Fisgard Lighthouse, get a chance to sleep in Parks Canada’s new oTENTiks, and much more.
To enter the contest, the class must select a Parks Canada place and create a video that tells the story of its importance to Canadians, using the theme of Canada's Coolest Stories: where nature and history meet. The contest is now open and we would like to highlight the following dates:
Entry: Classes can enter from October 16, 2013 to February 24, 2014.
Public Voting: The public can vote for their favourite videos once a day from March 3-24, 2014. Announcement of Winners: A jury will judge the 10 entries that receive the most votes, to determine the grand prize winners (trip to British Columbia valued at $50,000) as well as three runner-up winners (field trip valued at $750). The jury will also select five honourable mentions (prize package valued at $600) among all entries. Winners will be announced the first week of April.
Trip: The grand prize winners will travel to British Columbia from June 2-6, 2014.
The My Parks Pass program is a partnership between Parks Canada, Canadian Geographic Education, Historica Canada, Nature Canada and new this year Canadian Wildlife Federation. Together, we are working hard to connect young Canadians to their natural and historical treasures.
Our respective organizations work hard to connect young people to their natural and historical heritage, and I'm asking for your support today to help us spread the word so that grade 8/secondary 2 classes benefit from this great opportunity. I invite you to use or adapt the content above and send it to your partners, networks, members, and professional and personal contacts. If appropriate, you may also wish to post on your own website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. And please don't limit this message to teacher networks. Everyone knows a student or teacher in grade 8/secondary 2, so the more people who know the better! Feel free to use or adapt the following tweet:

• -  Calling all gr. 8 / sec. 2 students and teachers: enter by Feb. 24 to win Canada’s Coolest School Trip #Contest! @MyParksPass [Link to www.myparkspass.ca]
  
• -  Élèves et profs de sec.2/8e année:#Concours la sortie la plus cool au Canada se termine le 24 fév. Inscrivez-vous! @passeportparcs [Lien au www.monpasseportparcs.ca]
  For more information and contest rules, please visit www. myparkspass.ca or www.monpasseportparcs.ca.
  As always, your support in connecting young Canadians to nature and history is greatly appreciated. 
  

Cecropia Moths

July 11, 2013

About one month age this moth appeared about noon time on the rail of the steps going into the house.

As you can see the wings are very soft and floppy, as she had just emerged from her cocoon.

This papery structure is under the horizontal part 
of the railing.
It is about 3 inches or 8 cm long.
It had been there since the previous fall.
We didn't know what it was, but hadn't disturbed it, as it wasn't disturbing us!

Here you can see how floppy the wings are and 
also the furry feathers on the wings.
My husband found this moth on the internet.
It explained that they have no mouth or digestive parts, that they live for only one to two weeks, 
to mate and lay eggs.
The females have less wide antennae hairs, and the patterns on the male differ somewhat from the female.

This is about one hour later - she can hold her wings out now, although they are still a little floppy.
You can put the female in a suitable box, and she will send out pheromones up to one mile away.

The males will come....

....which they did that evening.  
Two males showed up and then 
a third in the early morning.
This is a male - you can notice the wider antennae hairs - to pick up those pheromones!  
The body is a little shorter than the female's body....

....and the colouring is a little different.

We kept the moths in the box for a few days, 
out of sunlight so they wouldn't dehydrate.
More moths came - they give the appearance of bats 
as they fly around the house.

This is the female....back view 

....and side view.

The female appeared to mate the first night, but they were not together for very long.  
The males did not fight, nor were they anxious to mate.
Everything was fairly quiet.

About a week later she mated again for about 24 hours - this is the normal length of time.

After that point, she laid her eggs during the night 
for about three nights.
She did a lot of fluttering which wore out her wings 
to half or less their original sides.
The eggs hatched out about 10 days later, 
into small black furry caterpillars.
We are now feeding them apple tree leaves, 
watching them grow.


You can find more information and videos of these moths and their growth and development at vimeo.com
Google: vimeo cecropia pupae.

The PEI Homeschoolers Science, Heritage Fairs, 
Art & Craft Expo 2013

took place February 14, 
at the Christian Reformed Church Fellowship Hall.

To help us out Allie MacLellan and Chuck Gallison 
from PEI Wildlife 

commented on the Science projects, 

Charlotte Stewart from the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, 

commentated on the Heritage Project, 

Anna MacAdam commented on the primary level projects, and 

Jill Hamming commented on the Art and Craft projects.

There were two Science projects, 

one Heritage project, and three Art & Craft projects.

Everyone's project is set up and the commentators are doing the rounds.

In the top left corner Courtney Horrocks and Micah Abbott

are doing battle on a chess board while waiting.

Science Fair Project

Primary Level

Taking Care of a Garden Snail

by 

Maddie and Micah Abbott

Maddie and Micah began observing and learning about snails since September.

They got to know several snails before meeting the two that are shown here,
Snailie and Slimy.

They learned how to build them a habitat and how to care for garden snails.

                   Maddie and Micah each have their own snail in a small aquarium, 

where the snail has a small clay flower pot for shelter and sleeping, 

food which is lettuce and tomato, and a piece of cuttlefish shell.

The shell provides calcium

 when the snail moves over it, 

or the snail may grate away at the shell with the sharp edge 

it has in it's mouth.

Introducing Snailie - Maddie's snail,

and Slimy -  Micah's snail.




Snails are nocturnal animals, so that explains why they are sleeping now.

Sociable snails!

This is Slimy, on Micah's hand.

As you can see Slimy,
is quite comfortable and 
is not withdrawing into his shell, as one would normally expect a snail to do when you find one outside.

They are quite happy to
crawl around in Micah's hand and up his arm.

A pet snail needs to have attention from its caretaker every day, to take it out and talk to it, etc.

A snail is both male and female in the same animal!    

---------------------------------------------   

Science Fair Project

Grade 4

  Plants Need Air  

by Katelyn Hamilton

Katelyn's project shows the effects 

of a lack of air to growing plants.

One of the bottles allows the plant inside access to air 

and the other bottle is closed.

The closed bottle contains only carbon dioxide. 

Katelyn made carbon dioxide by mixing vinegar and baking soda together. 

She poured the invisible gas into the bottle and quickly sealed it. 

She was very careful not to pour any vinegar or baking soda into the bottle.

Katelyn documented day by day 

the changes she saw 

in comparing the two plants.

The leaves began to turn yellow on the plant which was lacking air, 

and it became more and more unhealthy-looking.

------------------------------------------ 

Art & Craft 

Grade 2  Edward Hamilton

Grade 4  Katelyn Hamilton

   Needle Felted Wool   

      

  Needle Felted Wool Fox  

                   

Edward used different natural wool colours 

to make the paws, the under tail and belly.

             This fellow has a lovely bushy tail!

   

Needle Felted Wool Cat   
               

Felted wool projects are done with 

a small hook that has many teeth.

           Very cute!

The wool is worked using this hook, 

which felts the wool together, 

and it can then be shaped in many ways.

-------------------------------------------

   Spinning Wool with a Spindle   

Julie Hamilton, Katelyn's and Edward's mother 

shows how to use a spindle to spin wool into yarn.

Spindles have been used in many countries, up to the present day.

Alice Horrocks and her daughter Courtney watch how this ancient craft is done.

On the table is a supply of clean mauve dyed unspun wool, 

from which Julie pulls a little at a time, as she spins.

Using a spindle has a great advantage in that it is very portable 

and can be easily picked up and laid down, 

in free moments of the day.

Single plys of yarn are first spun, 

and later several plys can be spun together, 

to make yarn of different thickness.

Spinning with 
a spindle can be done sitting, standing, walking, etc.

Julie shows how 

to draw out the yarn, 

then spin it 

by rotating the spindle...  

...and wind up 

the completed length of yarn (about 1 metre) 

on the long dowel 

of the spindle.

 ------------------------------------------------

Heritage Project

Grade 5

    Super Cheesy:  Sydney Richardson   

   PEI's First Cheesemaker   

by Keridwen Campbell

Keridwen's project traces back into her family tree to find Sydney Richardson...

who came from England as a young man, first to Ontario, 

and then to PEI, 

where he became involved in making cheese on a commercial scale.

Farmer's cheese samples made by Keridwen, 

in two different flavours - very tasty!

========================================

Art & Craft Project

Grade 9

   Knitted and Crocheted Socks   

Bethany Horrocks

...working on the second sock...

   Beautifully knitted... 

 ...with very professionally turned

     heels and toes...

...in lovely colours...

...this pair with a lacy pattern 

   - a real challenge...

                                                                




...and a crocheted pairs in the works...

   - another challenge!

--------------------------------------------------------

Art & Craft Project

Grade 11

    Illustration Work     

Ian Paul MacAdam

Ian shows the illustration of a children's story from conception to completion;
from storyline, to rough sketches, to finished artwork, layout, 
and keeping in style with the first book in the series 
illustrated by his brother Gregory

Showing the final artwork and published book -  

Donkey Oatie's Fashion Statement

 by Tom H. Rath,

 illustrated by Ian Paul MacAdam, 

the second in the series.

------------------------------------------------

Art & Craft Project

After homeschooling!

(Adult level)

   Illustration Work   

Gregory MacAdam

Artwork samples, developing character concepts, comic book characters.

Illustration work from concept to publishing:

Storyline layout, character sketches, 

preliminary sketches for author's approval,

final artwork and printing.

Donkey Oatie's Impossible Dream

by Tom H. Rath,

illustrated by Gregory MacAdam,

the first in the series.

Editorial cartooning for The Eastern Graphic 
&

Running On Fumes, 

Gregory's self-published book of his cartoons.

MacAdam Family Calendar 2013

Teamwork between Alexander, Gregory, Daniel and Ian Paul MacAdam

A graphic story written, 
  illustrated with B & W ink, then coloured in Photoshop, 
one episode each month.