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Go to the Calendar Page. Scroll down to the calendar at the bottom and click on the Google image. Follow the directions for creating a Google account. Go to the settings page and have your reminders sent by email. You choose how many days ahead of events you want your reminders to arrive.

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Great deals on School & Homeschool Curriculum Books and Software

Click the above graphic to buy from Learning Things.

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Click the logo to shop with the Box Tops for Education Marketplace. If you have never shopped with the BTFE Marketplace click here for directions.

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GWCHE Annual Resource Fair

Come see what resources are available to you!

Thursday, August 19th

6:30 – 8:30 P.M.

Highland Baptist Church

in the Fellowship Hall

Childcare will not be provided due to the AC being replaced in the child care rooms.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Also, pictures for Student IDs will be taken for a cost of $5.00 each.

If you would like them mailed to you, please bring a self-addressed stamped envelope.

VENDOR LIST:

McLennan County Home Educators 4-H •TSTC 

 Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum  

 Hometown News • Lorena 462 Cub Scouts • Brazos Valley Co-op

 Vicki Smith -Girls Volleyball & Co-ed Tennis

A+ Cards • Campbell’s Labels for Education

We will keep this list updated as we get affirmative replies from our vendors.

Thank You!

July 22nd, 2010 | Category: Annual Events, Meetings | Leave a comment

April Meeting

  • April 15th
  • Highland Baptist Church Fellowship Hall

For parents of K-6th graders:  Almost everything you need to know about teaching science to elementary students with Janice Van Cleave.  Children ages 6 and up are welcome to attend the meeting.

For parents of 8th-12th graders: College Prep for Home Schoolers 101

  • Transcripts – Donna Ewing
  • Concurrent Enrollment (or Dual Credit) and everything you need to know about MCC – Diane Russo
  • Scholarship Money $$$$ – Joy Howard
April 4th, 2010 | Category: Meetings | Comments are closed

April Meeting

Hi,
I hope you are as excited about our April meeting as I am. Come prepared to play and have fun with science.

While there will be engaging activities, I want our time together to be more than just a fun night of entertainment. To accomplish this, we must communicate. How can I help if I don’t know what your problems are?

Before our April meeting:

1. Send me an email. Let’s get to know each other now. Tell me the problems you have teaching science. What do you like the most. What do you like the least.

2. Perform one of the  experiments that I have posted on this GWCHE website. Email your comments about the activity directly to me at: ASKVANCLEAVE@AOL.COM.

Tell me about the problems you had. Tell me if you don’t understand what the activity is all about.  One thing that I’ve learned in life is that I don’t find the answers unless I am honest enough to tell someone I don’t have a clue what they are talking about. I do soften it a bit more than that.

FYI: Shay has helped me to better understand problems that she and her children had with some of my investigations. Instructions that seems perfectly clear to me are not to others.

I need to periodically remind myself of a personal incident–I told my 8 year old son to clean the hamsters. I passed the cage several times and it was still dirty. When I fussed at my son for not doing this chore he assured me that he had. Of course I suggested that we both inspect the cage. As I expected, the cage was  still dirty. But he pointed out that the hamsters were wet because he had cleaned them. OOPS! I didn’t mean for him to give the hamsters a bath, but I did say, “Clean the hamsters.”

I need you to point out to me when my instructions are not clear–

April 1st, 2010 | Category: Ask Janice, Meetings | Comments are closed

March Meeting - Math

Math U See – Jaime Foil

Jaime taught many years in the public school setting before she became a mom.  Jaime and her husband, Randy, GWCHE members, have homeschooled their two daughters for 12 years and have used Math U See for most of them.   If your child is struggling in math or you are looking for a program that will make math meaningful with a program that continues to Pre Calculus, please come and listen to how Math U See works.

Math Marvel – Jan Watson

By following the basic constructs of our lesson design, parents can follow through in other academics for overall success.  Jan Watson and her husband work as a team to present Math Marvel.  He presents the technology and Jan presents the premise on which math is build and “how” to make math a “favorite” subject for all kids.  Also, a young colleague, math instructor at Rapoport Academy may assist in the presentation; he is a “walking testimony” of how “Marvel Math” inspires the elementary learner—their TAKS scores are superlative to those coming forth from public education.

Photos by Debbie

This is the last chance to get yearbook photos.  Photos will begin at 6:00 and will last till 7:00, so mark your calendars now if you need your pictures taken.

GWCHE Website

Renee Van Treuren will be available for your questions. Learn what the GWCHE website has to offer. Get the latest news by email, schedule your own reminders from the calendar.

February 20th, 2010 | Category: Meetings | Comments are closed

Science Fair - Thursday, February 18

What is colorful, full of imagination and bubbling with excitement?

Answer:  The Science Fair!

Here are some reasons why you and your children don’t want to miss the Science Fair this Thursday at Highland Baptist Church:
1.  Come listen to Dr. Matt Porter (home schooling dad and physician) share about “Vision:  From the Sun to Your Brain”!

2.  To learn all kinds of interesting things from the students!

3.  To support the fellow home school students who prepared the projects!

4.  To see how to prepare a project for next year!

5.  To visit with friends and gain encouragement on the home school journey!

6.  To inspire your student to ask questions and find answers!

Projects can be viewed starting at 6:30 p.m. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.

Please contact Corina Kaul with any questions.
sciencefair@gwche.org

YEARBOOK PHOTOS will be taken before the Science Fair. Debbie from Photos By Debbie will be taking the pictures from 5:00-6:30. Thank you!

Raisin & Nut Cookies (from Set for Life recipe book)
(sometimes called breakfast cookies)

1 1/3 cups water                           5 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups raisins                               1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup oil                                    1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar                         1 teaspoon salt
1 cups white sugar                        2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 eggs                                         1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla                        1 cup nuts (optional)

Boil water and raisins for 5 minutes; let cool.
Cream oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla.
Blend in cooled raisin mixture.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Add nuts, if desired.
Drop dough from spoon onto nonstick baking sheet.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or just until set.
Yield:  60 cookies

Note:  I actually was missing one ingredient – the raisins.  So, I substituted a mixture of dried fruit that I did have – a few currants, dried apricots and a few dates.

February 14th, 2010 | Category: Meetings, Science Fair | Comments are closed

Science Fair - February 18, 2010

What do Leonardo DaVinci, Albert Einstein, Pierre Curie, Thomas Alfa Edison and Blaise Pascal have in common?

The answer:  All of these famous scientists were home schooled or self taught!  The were inventors and scientists who contributed to various scientific disciplines such as engineering, anatomy, geology, botany, physics, mathematics, and more.

A great way to encourage the budding scientists in your home is to be involved in our GWCHE Science Fair!   Digging deeper on topics such as Astronomy, Botany, Chemistry, Computers, Engineering, Geology, Oceanography, Physics, Zoology or others can be a fun, educational and a rewarding experience!

The 10th annual Science Fair will be held during the general meeting on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Highland Baptist Church.

Any student K-12 is welcome to participate.  This is a noncompetitive science fair where each participant is recognized.

Begin now by brainstorming with your child about areas of interest.  Any science project or model is welcome!

One way to do a Science Fair Project is to:

  1. Select a topic and ask a “big question”. Use this question to make a hypothesis.  Books in the city libraries, GWCHE library and websites can give great ideas for projects.  The GWCHE website has additional information and links.
  2. Test your hypothesis by performing experiments and record the data.
  3. Create a display that includes your hypothesis, experiment procedure description, data collection (can include pictures, drawings, charts) and the conclusion.  A research paper is optional.

Get started today!  If you have any questions or to sign up, please contact Corina Kaul at sciencefair@gwche.org. Deadline for entry is Friday, February 12th.

Some additional resources or support for your science fair project that may be helpful are:

  1. Janice VanCleave’s Science Experiment Sourcebook
  2. A Science Project by Abeka
  3. Bill Nye’s Teacher Guide

The Waco-McLennan County Library has numerous books in the Juvenile Section- 501.8-507.8 and 535-579

Do a Google search on Science Fair Projects and hundreds of ideas can be found.

You can even ask Janice Van Cleave a question. She can point you in the right direction. Janice is a regular contributor to our GWCHE website. Click the Ask Janice link on the left side of any page on the website. There you will see all the questions she has already answered. Click here for complete information about asking questions.

January 22nd, 2010 | Category: Meetings, Science Fair | One comment - (Comments are closed)
 
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