2007 Student Poetry Contest

This is rather short notice (poems must be postmarked by Jan 10th), but I just saw the notice for this today ;-(   - Mark T.

See website for more details, prizes, etc.......Sponsored by the NC Poetry Society

For Students of North Carolina Schools

Who may enter this contest?

— Students in Grade 3 through Undergraduate.

What are the contest categories?

  The Travis Tuck Jordan Award
         is for students in Grades 3 — 5.
  The Joan Scott Memorial Award
         is for poems about the environment
         and is for students in Grades 3 — 8.
  The Mary Chilton Award
         is for students in Grades 6 — 8.
  The Sherry Pruitt Award
         is for students in Grades 9 — Undergraduate.
  The Lyman Haiku Award
         is for students in Grades 9 — Undergraduate.

All poems except the Lyman Haiku entries may be in any form
     but no poem submitted can be more than 32 lines long.

What are the contest guidelines?

1.   You may submit one different poem to each category for which you are eligible.

2.   Send two typed copies of each poem on 8½ x 11 inch paper.

3.   In the upper left corner of each copy:

• type the name of the award category you are entering.
• do not put your name or address on these copies.

4.   On a separate piece of paper print:

• the name of the category and the title of the poem.
• your name, home address, zip code, and phone number.
• the name of your school, your grade,
  your school address & phone number,
  and your teacher's name.

5.   Your teacher must sign the paper (see item 4 above).

6.   You also must sign the paper and write:
      "I pledge that this is my original poem."

The copies of the poems you submit will not be returned.

How much does it cost to enter?

— Send $2 per poem to help cover expenses.
— Make checks payable to NCPS.

Where do I mail my contest entries?

— Mail your entries to:
           Sara Claytor
           103 Estes Drive Extension
           Carrboro, NC 27510

When will I know if I win an award?

Winners will be notified in April and will be invited to the May 18, 2007 Awards Day meeting at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in Southern Pines.

How will the winning poems be published?

— Winning poems will be published in Pinesong, the North Carolina Poetry Society's annual anthology. Each author will receive one copy of the book.

— Winning poets will be contacted for possible posting of their winning poems on the North Carolina Poetry Society Website at www.ncPoetrySociety.ORG

— Winners and honorable mentions in college, high school, or middle school will be invited to apply to become Student Poets in the Distinguished Poet Series.

Homeshool skiing for Week of Jan 8th

See Www.riderschoice.blogspot.com for ALL the information!  Weather forecast for Banner Elk posted below!

Finally  the weather is getting cooler and snow making can start up again!

To make reservations for Sugar Mtn. send all required information to  riderschoicewnc@bellsouth.net. You may also send any questions you might  have regarding any of the skiing opportunities to this address.  Please see the blog to see exactly what information we need from you to be  able to make your reservation with Sugar.

 
 Remember your proof of homeschooling!

 Sugar Mountain Skiing/Boarding:

•  Tuesday, January 9th: Sugar Mnt. Day Ticket only (sign up by Jan. 7th  before  8 pm)
•  Wednesday, January 10th: Sugar Mnt. Day Ticket only (sign up by Jan. 8th  before 8 pm)
•  Thursday, January 11th: Sugar Mnt. Day Ticket only (sign up by Jan. 9th  before 8 pm)
•  Friday, January 12th: Sugar Mnt. Twilight Ticket only (sign up by Jan.  10th  before 8 pm)

 I MUST HAVE the following information with your reservation: The following  decisions must be made prior to sending the sign up e-mail!

1.  Date of reservation in the memo line of the e-mail
2.  Name of skiers/boarders (participant)
3.  Does the participant need to rent skis/board/ or none
4.  Does the participant need a lesson and what type (ski or board)
5.   A phone number where we can get in touch with you on ski day  Please expect an e-mail response to your registration. If you don't get a  response, we might not have your registration!

 Cataloochee Skiing/Boarding:

•  Thursday, January 11th Day Ticket only:  8:30-4:30 no sign up required.  See  blog  for more information.

  Wolf Laurel Skiing/Boarding:

•  Tuesday, January 9th & Wednesday, January 10th:  Day Ticket only:  no sign  up required.  See blog for more information.

 Appalachian Ski Mountain:

•  Wednesday, January 10th Day Ticket only:  sign up is required.  See blog  for more information.

 Weather for Jan. 8th - 10th according to Ray's Weather Center for Banner Elk  (Sugar Mtn) area
  http://averyweather.com/Forecast/Sugar+Mountain

 Monday
 Hi: 32 Lo: 24
 Morning snow flurries, PM decreasing clouds; Turning colder; NW wind 10-20  mph

  Tuesday
 Hi: 28 Lo: 19
 Becoming mostly cloudy; Snow showers developing; Blustery

 Wednesday
 Hi: 27 Lo: 20
 Decreasing clouds; Cold

  Further Out
 Thursday - Partly cloudy; Not as cold; High in the upper 30s; Low in the  mid  20s
 Friday - Becoming cloudy; Light rain possible; High in the lower 40s; Low  in  the upper 30s

 Forecast Discussion

The first of the two storms affecting our weather this weekend has moved  to our north/east. Expect skies to become partly cloudy. We'll have a bit of  wind early this morning, but temperatures will be mild--a pleasant day overall.

The next storm is right on the heels of the first. Clouds increase tonight  and rain develops by noon Sunday. Rain may be heavy at times Sunday  afternoon and evening with 1"-1.5" of rain expected.

We've been talking for several days not about cold coming early next week.  It will not be unusually cold but will be quite a shock to the system  after  a few weeks of mild weather. A front will come through the region late  Sunday night. Temperatures will fall quickly late Sunday night and Monday  morning. A few snow flurries are possible early Monday morning. Expect windy  conditions as well. A stronger second blast of cold air arrives Tuesday  with  snow showers. Some light accumulation is possible with emphasis on higher  elevations and areas right along the TN line. Cold, blustery weather  continues through Wednesday. Ski slopes should be able to make snow almost  continuously from Monday morning through most of the day  Wednesday--welcome  relief heading into MLK Weekend.

Thursday will be a bit milder. Clouds increase Friday with the chance of  light rain developing.

As we said yesterday, next week's cold blast is not the "pattern change to  colder" that has been advertised for a couple weeks now. The more  significant pattern change is still expected somewhere around January  15-17.

WCAA Skill Sessions for Jan

These are athletics that homeschoolers can participate in. I'm not sure about age levels, how they divide groups by skill level, etc... - Mark

S k i l l   S e s s i o n s   S c h e d u l e

    Volleyball:
    January dates:
    1:15 - 2:15
    01/11/07
    01/18/07
    01/25/07

    Volleyball players need to wear shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes (knee  pads optional)

     Basketball:
    January Skill Sessions:
    1:15 pm -2:15 pm (David Payne)
    01/09/07
    01/16/07
    01/23/07
    01/30/07

 Skill sessions are $5.00 each and all athletes are required to be members  of  WCAA.  Go to www.wnchsathletics.com and download a WCAA registration form.

 All athletes participating in ASI training may attend skill sessions for free!

Forums on Climate Change

Three 1-hour talks on Climate Change, hosted by the Asheville Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, will be held at the Folk Art Center Auditorium; 3:00 to 4:00 PM. The talks are free and open to the public.

For more information contact Major Paul Roelle, President Asheville Chapter of the American Meteorological Society at 828 271-4250 ext 1021


"Climate Change 101: a Primer on Understanding Climate Change"

 February 15, 2007; 3:00 to 4:00

By Thomas C. Peterson, PhD, a nationally known research meteorologist at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and a lead author on the U.S. Climate Change Science Panel Synthesis and Assessment Product on Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate.

"Abrupt Climate Change: a Paleo Perspective"

March 22, 2007 3:00 to 4:00

By David M. Anderson, PhD, a nationally known paleo-climatologist from Boulder, Colorado and 2006 recipient of Arthur Fleming Award for excellence in federal service will present his work in understanding future abrupt climate changes driven by the combined influence of natural variability and human influences.

"The U.S. Climate Change Science Program: the Latest Viewpoint"

April19, 2007 3:00 to 4:00

By Thomas R. Karl, PhD, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center, and internationally renowned expert, will present the latest finding of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change.

Homeschool Seminars

Join us Monday, January 8th for an evening of great seminars. There will be a social time with refreshments at 7:00 pm followed by the mini-seminars at 7:30. Start the year off with a bang and keep your school year on track by joining us.

Guests are very welcome to attend our meetings. Visit www.agapenc.com for more information.

Seminars to choose from:

Testing Q & A presented by Deb Burger

Is the thought of testing traumatic to you, or your child? Do you view testing as a measure of your teaching ability? Learn to see evaluations as a tool rather than a judgment. Discover the options available in tests and testing methods. Choose assessment tools based on your child's needs and your family's goals. Learn to interpret test results and use them as a planning tool.

Science Fair Projects presented by Kristi Fritz

Help is on the Way! Have you ever wanted your child to do a science fair project but just didn't know where to start? Or, maybe you are curious about what a science fair project is? This talk will encourage and guide you through the process of completing a science fair project with simple, step by step instructions and lots of helpful hints! Completing a science fair project is a great way for your child to take charge of their learning and feel ownership for what they have accomplished. What a great pick-me-up through those winter blahs!

Older students are welcome to attend this seminar with their parent. (Older elementary children through high school ages) Your student will need to remain with you for the whole meeting.

Applying to College/Financial Aid presented by Donna Cannone

Are you beginning the search for college and financing? Don't miss this seminar!

Teaching Civics presented by Loree Petit

Learn how to incorporate civics into your homeschool.

Beth Carson
www.agapenc.com

College Courses on the Internet

Last April, UC Berkeley, one of the premiere schools in the country, announced its plan to put complete academic courses on iTunes. Fast forward nine months, and you can already find 59 full courses ready for your iPod. Simply click here to access Berkeley's iTunes site (or here for the Rss feed ).

No matter where you live, you can access at no cost the very same courses attended by students paying full tuition. And, given the critical mass of courses being offered across a range of disciplines, you can put together your own personalized curriculum and expand your horizons on the fly.

If the humanities are your thing, you can take US History: From Civil War to Present , Existentialism in Literature & Film, or European Civilization from the Renaissance to Present. If you're into the social sciences, you may want to consider World Religions, Peoples and States, US Foreign Policy after 9/11, Human Emotions , or Introduction to Statistics. Turning to the hard sciences, you can take your pick from Physics for Future Presidents, Introduction to Chemistry, General Astronomy, and General Biology. Finally, for those with a technology bent, you can consider listening in on An Introduction to Computers, The History of Information or even The Foundations of American CyberCulture. But, if these particular courses aren't for you, there are many more to choose from.

Note: Should anyone be interested now or in the future, you don't have to have an iPod to listen to these course. Apple's iTunes software will download and playback the files. - Mark

Update: UC Berkeley also offers webcasts (i.e. video) of some courses - it's not a 1:1 matchup with the courses offered audio only via podcast. If you are looking for college level courses, for free, this is hard to beat if you have broadband internet. See http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses/ for more details... - Mark T.

WNC Home Educators Winter Conference

Mark your calendar, the 2nd Annual WNC Home Educators Winter Conference is coming up soon! Please plan to come!! We also need your help in getting the word out about this event! Invite some friends and come for a day of refreshment and encouragement through practical, inspiring workshops.

Saturday, February 10, 2007
Highsmith University Center
UNC-Asheville Campus
Asheville, NC
Registration begins at 8 AM (Book Fair opens at 8:30; Workshops begin at 9:00)
$15 per individual/couple

$6.25 lunch available in the Dining Hall
For full information please visit http://www.teach-at-home.com/HSO/?group=conference
or contact us at region2@nche.com or amandawallen@charter.net if you have questions.


Pre-register by February 3rd either by mail or at a support group meeting and receive a $5 voucher for the Book Fair! Tickets will be available for sale this month at AGAPE, HCHA, Biltmore Baptist Homeschoolers, Woodfin Baptist Homeschoolers, HARC, and North Point support group meetings!

Practical and inspiring workshops such as:

• Evaluating Your Child's Writing
• Homeschooling 101
• Reality Homeschooling
• Pace vs. Perseverance
• Technology & Your Homeschool
• Global Explorations – Geography across the Curriculum
• Special Needs Children
• Homeschooling the Difficult Child
• Foreign Languages & Homeschoolers
• Homeschooling High School
• Popular homeschool vendors

Confirmed speakers include:

• Davis & Rachael Carman
• Spencer & Debbie Mason
• Deb Erbach Burger
• Jim Gardner
• Joel Benson
• Loree' Pettit
• Dari Mullins
• Denise Vish
• Glenna Toney
• Marji McIlvaine
• Lia Maltry
• Lee Oakes
• Jason & Charity Woon
• Mike & Ronda Marshall

Hope to see you there!


Blessings,
Mike & Ronda Marshall
NCHE Region 2 Directors
http://nche.com/region/r02/_

NCHE Region 2 Connect Moderators
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NCHERegion2Connect/_

AGAPE New Homeschooler Advisors
http://agapenc.com/_

North Point Baptist Homeschool Ministry
http://northpointbaptist.org/Homeschool.html_

WNC Home Educators Winter Conference Coordinators
http://www.teach-at-home.com/HSO/?group=conference_

Pottery Classes

From Georgie Lovette...

---

The kids are going to begin some pottery classes taking place at the old Armory Bldg. in Waynesville on Jan. 15th (I think!) The instructor was a high school art teacher for 25 yrs. and I spoke with her for quite some time on the phone She seemed very homeschool friendly and didn't mind that I was registering the kids for a class that was advertised for adults. During our conversation, she said that she was interested in working with groups of hsers, so I told her that I would pass along her contact info. The classes for which I signed up Mike and Channing are very, very reasonbly price including materials and supplies -- only $55 for 6 classes which are 3 hrs. long on Mondays from 1- 4 p.m. They are even allowed to go back to the studio the next day at no extra cost if there is something they need to finish up on their "work in progress" which can't wait until the following class. Since her classes are always going on, once they complete their first 6 wks. of classes in succession, students can continue on paying $55 for 6 classes and come and go to the studio on Mondays (and Tues.) whenever they wish at their own pace. I am really happy about this aspect in case the kids decide that this is something that they wish to continue doing after the 6 weeks course. :) Here is the contact info:

Janet Green
email address (preferred initial contact): greenr100@aol.com
Home phone: (828) 627-8260

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Upcoming Events for Friday Afternoons

This is a tenative schedule for planning purposes. Things may change as we finalize arrangements for these activities. Please check this site, more postings will follow closer to the scheduled events. If you would like to help with finalizing arrangements for these events or would like to become involved with planning events for April and May, please contact Barbara Hart pbjhart1@verizon.net or 488-9039.

Friday January 12 1:30 Swimming at Waynesville Recreation Center
Please go to the website below for prices or directions.
www. townofwaynesville.org/recreation/WaynesvilleRecreationCenter

Friday January 19 noon Book It Lunch at Pizza Hut in Bryson City

Friday January 26 10:00 Biltmore Estate Tour
Please refer to my previous posting on this site. If interested, you must contact Barbara Hart at pbjhart1@verizon.net or 488-9039.

Friday February 2 TBA (swimming or tour of taxidermy studio in Franklin). Look for future posting.

Friday February 9 noon Book It Lunch at Pizza Hut in Bryson City

Friday February 16 Valentine Party (details to be announced)

Friday February 23 TBA (swimming or taxidermy tour)

Friday March 2 Signs of Spring Hike on Nolan's Creek (in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Led by Barbara Hart (a plant ecologist/botanist), we will look for winter annuals, early spring wildflowers and learn how to identify trees by bark and twigs. We may also do some work with maps and compass. If weather is nasty we will swim in Waynesville and try to hike the following week.

Friday March 9 1:30 Swimming at Waynesville Recreation Center
(check this site to make sure we did not reschedule hiking for this week)

Friday March 16th Rainforest Adventure in Pigeon Forge (more info to follow on this event, if you are interested in what type of program they do, please see their website www.rfadventures.com). In the event of winter weather, our snow date for this event will be Friday March 23).

Friday March 23 noon Book It Lunch at Pizza Hut in Bryson City(check for postings in case the Rainforest Adventure must be rescheduled)

Friday March 30 A visit to the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock. NC
Details TBA

Frogtown Four at MHC

"Winter Gatherings"
at the
Mountain Heritage Center
Old Time Music and Bluegrass Jam Series

Thursday, January 4
7:00 - 9:00 pm

Concert 7:00 pm
Frogtown Four

Open Jam 8:00 pm
Bring your instrument and join the fun or just sit back and listen.


227-7129 for more information.