Physical Education Opportunities

Health and weight-loss resolutions are always popular, but let's not forget the kids! One subject homeschoolers sometimes overlook is that of Physical Education and Health.

Here's an opportunity for them:

Nicole McLaughlin is a personal trainer with Body Weight Health and Fitness in Tallahassee. She offers PE classes designed especially for homeschoolers. These can be arranged for a single family or even an entire co-op!

The website says, 'This 12 week Physical Education Series is designed especially for homeschooling families. We will meet one day a week for 1 hour. Each session is divided into 45 minutes of physical activity (exercise) and 15 minutes of course work in exercise science and health. This course is designed to work on balance, flexibility, agility and overall fitness. Children learn how to make healthy choices and develop habits that will serve them for many years to come. Ages 5-13.'

For those of you in Thomasville, Next Level fitness is run by the Copelands, a homeschooling family. In the past, they have offered fitness camps and tennis classes. 

Next Level Facebook Page

COGI website

Thomasville Crossfit has also been very supportive of the homeschooling community. Mr. Sellers was instrumental in helping us carry out Freedom's Heroes day. 

And don't forget the Y! Fit Kids is another really fun opportunity. 

Opportunities abound! Let's get moving!

CQ...CQ...Amateur Radio Classes

CQ...CQ...CQ...This is KI4BIU.

Amateur Radio is a great hobby for children. They learn about electronics, broadcast theory, all the while meeting new people over the airwaves! They can even bounce signals off the moon, around the world, or to astronauts in space. Amateur radio operators also prepare to serve the community's communications needs in the event of a disaster.

In order to operate on amateur radio frequencies, one must have a license. There is no age limit for the license; all you have to do is pass a test.

The Thomasville Amateur Radio Club will be offering classes in February to help people learn more about

radio and prepare for their exam or upgrade.

There are several children in this club—they even have their own kids' radio meeting. I think the youngest member is 7. My eldest son passed the test when he was 12 (making three ham radio operators in the family so far).

AMATEUR RADIO CLASSES
OFFERED BY: Thomasville Amateur Radio Club
DATES: February 15 and 22
TIME: 9-4, both days
Test sessions begin at 4, both days
PRICE: Classes are FREE. Book is $15. Testing is $14. Valid IDs required.

For more information, contact Mike Brown, KE4FGF at ke4fgf@arrl.net or at 229-226-5060

Here's another help: practice tests are available online HERE, courtesy of QRZ.

73s!

Southern Oaks Equestrian Day Camp

Neigh!!

I hear from a reliable source that Santa got his start in horses before moving on to reindeer. He recommends Southern Oaks Equestrian on the eastern side of Tallahassee (close to Monticello). 

Southern Oaks is offering day camps next Monday and Friday (the week of Christmas) from 9-3. Early drop-off and late pick-up are available, too. Camps include riding lessons and other activities for kids ages 6 and up. Kids will need to bring a bag lunch.

A New Year's Camp will be held Tuesday through Thursday, the 31st through the 2nd.

For more information, call 850-566-5212. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE SOUTHERN OAKS WEBSITE!

"Below is a video of a wild mustang mare I trained, just 100 days out of the wild. This particular mare was very aggressive, charging and striking at humans. One of the most dangerous horses I have ever seen. Not willing to give up on a horse, I persisted, and had a wonderful outcome, as shown below, for the horse. There is no telling what would have happened to Splash had I decided to give up, and she is now living a wonderful life! I had every opportunity to give up, and every reason to based on her behavior, but I am sure glad I did not. This video is 100 days out of the wild, with only 85 days of riding." (excerpt from the Southern Oaks Equestrian website)

Activity Information for Elementary Marine Biology Camp

Camp planning is coming along well. All of the activities have been chosen and outlined. Students will arrive each day to a coloring page. They will then participate in four activities, with time set aside for snack and educational videos relating to the subjects of the day. 

Only 6 more spots available!




Elementary Marine Biology Camp

Monday: Oceanography

1. Earth's Water Comparison-- Where is all of Earth's water?
2. Shoebox Topography-- Explore and map an unknown ocean territory
3. Ocean Waves & Tides-- Watch and experience waves and tides
4. Currents-- Watch a current develop

Tuesday: Marine Botany

1. Photosynthesis-- Visualize photosynthesis
2. Algae-- Create algae press specimens
3. Kelp-- Build a kelp forest
4. Phytoplankton-- Build and race your own phytoplankton

Wednesday: Marine Zoology (Invertebrates)

1. Microscopy-- Examine algae, diatoms, and protozoans under a microscope
2. Bilateral Symmetry-- Create bilateral symmetry
3. Adaptation-- How does an octopus flee predators?
4. Invertebrates-- Make your own sea urchin and jellyfish

Thursday: Marine Zoology (Vertebrates)

1. Osteicthyse-- Build a fish
2. Whales-- Measure a whale, learn size comparison
3. Sea Turtles-- Rescue nests, determine hatchling survival
4. Ornithology-- Seabird Mobile

Friday: Ecosystems

1. Abyss-- Glowing fish sticks
2. Salt Marshes-- How do salt marshes protect the land?
3. Coral Reefs-- Build a coral polyp

Week-long project: Work with the class to build two ocean dioramas.

Ages: 6-10
Dates: May 26-30, 2014
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: Thomasville
Price: $60 per student, pre-registration, pre-pay required

Students must bring: shoebox, 2 clean 2-liter bottles

Field Trip: June 7, 2014 (day trip)
Price: TBA, not included with class
Location: Jekyll Island

The Hour of Code

Computer coding is where it's at. No matter whether it's Minecraft, aps, robotics, or healthcare, knowing how to code is becoming essential to modern innovation, and innovation is where the jobs of the future will be.

I learned the first building blocks of coding when I was small, using Logo Writer and Basic. It was neat watching the programs that I wrote 'on the flip side' turn into a zooming turtle that formed flashing circle shapes. As I began to homeschool my children, I looked for similar programs for them. Though I found Logo Writer and all of its latest versions, including Snap and Scratch (both free), they just didn't seem to jive well with my kids. 

Enter Hour of Code. This is a novel, completely free, completely online (no download needed) 20-level program that teaches those early basics of coding. With Angry Birds! And Plants v. Zombies! Can I get a fist bump?

So I completed my hour of code (Level 1). It took less than an hour, but a kid would need about that long to complete the puzzles. Everything is explained really well, using video and examples.

Here is the site for the Hour of Code. 

But here is my suggestion. If you think you MIGHT go on to more puzzles and videos (there are 20 levels), go to

THIS SITE

instead. Create an account and THEN start the program. I didn't do that, so now that I have an account created, I'm going to have to go back and repeat my first hour. Not a big deal (it really is fun), but I'd rather use my time advancing rather than repeating.

So, there ya go! 

20-hours of coding instruction.

No downloads.

Completely free.

Now go get those pigs!

Summer Classes: Economics and Marine Biology

Reading, writing, arithmetic. We all focus on those, as we should. Sometimes, though, other important subjects can fall to the wayside.

Here are two opportunities to catch some of these auxiliary subjects!

The first is an Economics Intensive. Students will use Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? to learn about money, inflation, recessions, taxes, investments, etc.

Marine Biology will be offered in two sessions: the first for elementary aged students and the second for middle and high school students. Both groups will then travel to Jekyll Island to see the newly-learned concepts in action. I took a similar class when I was a child, and I still remember my wonder when we caught a small shark at the beach. It was a formative experience!

A dissection class will also be offered. That's a formaldehyde experience.

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Prices and locations are still in the planning stages and are subject to change.

ECONOMICS INTENSIVE

MARINE BIOLOGY CAMP

YMCA Fit Kids

Exercise is important for us adults, but it is also important for kids. The YMCA has a great exercise class just for them. It's called Fit Kids and is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. My crew and I decided to check it out today after our regular Tuesday swim.

There were 16 kids in the class (remember that our presence adds 7 of those). Though the official age range is 7-13, there were kids as young as 4 there, and all participated well.

The first 10 minutes was devoted to stretching and then we moved on to aerobic exercise. I figured the moment you stop moving is the moment you start dying, so I exercised, too. This gave motivation to my older children (older kids try to be 'grown up' and stop exercising). We bear walked, and crab walked, leg lifted, and hopped. It was fun.

Then we played ball games and relay races where everyone and every team was a winner for participating. Teamwork and movement was the goal, and there was plenty of both.

Overall, we enjoyed our time, and the younger children have asked to go back. Now, I'm going to go ice my knee.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

CPR/First Aid Certification

A CPR First Aid certification class, covering infant, child, and adult CPR, choking, and AED, will be held on December 15 at the Gingerbread Christian Academy on North Monroe St., in Tallahassee. It will be taught by John Gay, who is a fantastic teacher. I have both worked with him and taken classes from him; he really knows his stuff and is a dynamic teacher. At completion, students will receive a 2-year certification and pocket card. Cost is $45 (a real deal!!).

Contact Kathryn Gay at jkg1023 at embarqmail dot com for more information.