Nakita Baby

So to share the wealth with other homeschooling families, I have opened up the Homeschool International Pen Pal (HIPP) group to more homeschooling families and communities! And to keep everyone connected there is a yahoo group to join and participate in! Check it out! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HIPPgroup/

Our next gathering is suggested for June 3rd, 11am. Sign up to the group and let us know if you can make it!

Open gym is winding down this month and if you haven’t already stopped by for the ongoing park days, it’s about time you did! Park days are Thursdays from 12pm onward at one of two given locations:

This week, April 29th we meet at Lorel Park in Skokie, IL. This park is located at Lorel and Lockwood. There is a playground, tennis courts, softball field, grassy field, bike riding /scooting sidewalks and bathrooms!

Next week, May 6th we meet at Burnham Shores in Evanston, IL. This park is located at the lakefront between Dempster and Hamilton. It includes all of the same amenitied as Lorel park, minus the baseball diamond.

And then the park location alternates back and forth from there, between these two parks…. For an easy way out, email me: mommy@nakitababy.com for the location and I’ll letcha know where we are at!

Park Day is for ALL ages. We have families with infants all the way up to the teen years! It’s great for all ages and their parents to gather and enjoy this amazing weather that’s finally graced us. Come on out and enjoy!

C’ya there!

This is a group organized to correspond around the world and back! I am a returned U. S. Peace Corps Volunteer. I served in The Gambia, West Africa from July 1997 through December 1999. During this time I participated in this amazing program called the World Wise Scools. I spent a long time corresponding with my own third grade teacher and her class back in the States. In fact, this was her last year before retirement and this made the correspondence even more special. Because of the impact it had on the kids in The Gambia, I felt it would be a great thing to do with my kids here in the States. I approached WWS to see if they would match us as a homeschool group and they obliged. This was about a year back, and since we have matched with a PCV in The Gambia, West Africa, as well as three others working and living in Morocco, Armenia, and Mongolia. It’s been a fabulous opportunity for us to exchange with these great PCV’s and the kids in their schools and their communities.

If you’d like to participate as well, please contact me with any inquiries. This is a very open and casual group. We gather once we have received packages from overseas. You can stop in any time and participate as much as your family would like.

Questions? Drop me a note.

For homsechooled girls ages 5-7 years old gather weekly to explore each other interests. This is a community run group (not a drop-off) in which the parent/child participating each get one week to choose interests, plan activities and implement them during Girls Club. Activities included vary from storytime, coloring, arts and crafts, puzzles, games, dress up, tea parties, baking, acting and more! There is no limit. The girls each get a week to plan the activities and their parent helps implement. It is a wonderful opportunity for the girls to connect and the moms as well.

When? Mondays from 10a -12p, Jan. 11 through March 8, (no class Feb. 8th)

Where? The Unity Church in Evanston at 3434 Central Street

How much? $15 per child for the full 8 weeks

QUESTIONS? Drop me an email!

For any homeschooling families that need a pit stop between classes, or would like to come on out to have lunch with other homeschoolers, join us Mondays from Jan. 11^th – March 8^th from 12pm to 1pm for lunch! It’s a BYOL event (bring your own lunch). You do *not* have to participate in Trivia Mania to come on out and have lunch with homeschooling families. There is a kitchen to utilize if you need to warm anything up. Tables set up, and space to move around a bit. No cost! Just come on out and enjoy others for a once-a-week lunch!

When? Mondays 12p - 1p, Jan. 11th through March 8th (no lunch Feb. 8th)

Where? Unity Church, 3434 Central Street, Evanston

QUESTIONS? Drop me an email

SEE YA THERE!

The fun objective to this class will be for your child(ren) to come home with a handmade, from scratch, cooperative Trivial Pursuit game to play with friends and family!

Your child(ren) will be involved in creating all trivia cards for the game, as well as designing their own game board, pieces, and instructions for the game.

The first 4 weeks are focused on trivia building. We will gather in a study group style at our home and focus on designated topics of the week (see schedule below). Each child is responsible for bringing books related to that week’s subject as well as a designated number of interesting facts on the subject. (We want them to bring what is most interesting to them and what they enjoyed learning about the topic!) We will discuss them and create trivia cards as the four weeks elapses.

The second 4 weeks is where even more fun comes in because we begin working on a cooperative game board, game pieces and directions to their games! SO much fun to be had designing cool magical lands, tasks, and adventures for their game.

All games are meant to bring home at the end of the class. Trivia cards will be mass produced for each of the kids from a master set made from the first 4 weeks (In other words, I plan to take dictation during the first 4 weeks and mass produce the trivia for them.) Schedule to include:

Jan. 11 – TOPICS

1. world history

2. animals (wild or domestic, but living… we touch on extinct later on)

Jan. 18 – TOPICS

1. science

2. world cultures and/or religions (can include anything to traditions, foods, histories, holidays, etc.)

Jan. 25 – TOPICS

1. astronomy

2. prehistoric times (to include big-bang theories, first life forms, evolution of animals and humans as well as ice age+ )

Feb. 1 – TOPICS

1. mythology and mystical creatures

2. “wild card” – can include anything to math, reading, problem solving, languages, art, geography, transportation, etc. ** child’s choice! Be creative and have fun!)

Feb. 8^th – no class

Feb. 15^th – March 8^th – Let the game-building begin! Gather each Monday for 4 Mondays and your child’s imagination will come to life in the game-building sessions.

Join our family for a fun-filled class of trivia acquisition and game-building!

Mondays: January 11, 2010 – March 8, 2010

No class Mon. Feb 8^th

10:00am – 12:00pm

Cost: $30.00

Ages 7 years +

Location: The Unity Church, 3434 Central Street, Evanston

Homeschool Open Gym is underway!

Having just started up last week, it’s the place to be every Thursday throughout this (yuck) winter season! I just know your kids have to be bouncing off the walls (if not… what’s wrong with mine?? ; )

Where? Chandler Newberger Center, 1028 Central Street in Evanston

When? Thursdays, now through March 25th, from 11:30am to 1:30pm

How much? $3 per adult and $1 per child, 1 year and older

It’s not a drop-off style gym. This is a homeschool family gym where kids get to come out, run around, burn off energy, organize games, sports, etc.. Parents get to do the same, or also hang with the other homeschoolin’ parents and chat about life in general.

Questions? Drop me an email!

SEE YA THERE!