Thankful for homeschooling and the DLC

Hi everyone,

It's the end of a year and time to take stock. Here at the DLC, the board made our New Year resolutions in August, and they were pretty simple:

• Get 501(c)3 status. CHECK!
• Offer fun, educational classes for our homeschooling families. CHECK!
• Create a space where professional teachers can offer classes. CHECK!
• Get more homeschoolers to offer clubs and classes—we're still working on that. Let us know if you have a Monday afternoon club idea or a Tuesday morning drop-in class idea.
• Be an active, functioning group.

There's an enormous CHECK mark after that last entry. I am so thankful for everything our wonderful board members have done:

Charlotte, who is keeping our member list organized and updating our procedures to make it even easier.

Zan, who helped transition us to a new, interactive online experience.

Heddi, for continuing to take care of our wonderful library.

Melody, for taking over the finances and reminding us all how things are supposed to work.

Vaiva and Rebecca, for sharing the job of facilities management.

Samira, for being a conscientious liaison with teachers who want to use our space.

Nova, for linking us with social media and running a wonderful art class.

Krishna, for stepping in and taking up jobs with cheer and zeal.

And our fearless President, Heather, for her ideas and great work with our landlord to keep things running smoothly.

When we started this, we had no idea how it was going to work. We knew we didn't want to make it a strict co-op, where members who didn't feel up to participating were goaded into it anyway. And we knew that it wouldn't work with one person trying to run it and make the decisions for everyone. So we have hit a happy medium: anyone can join in to help as they desire. If you see something that needs to be done, please let us know. And if you volunteer to help work on the problem, even better!

Homeschooling parents are the busiest I know. We nurse our babies with one arm while we're playing math games with the other. We meld the job of educating our children with other jobs that we do to support our families or our personal needs. We haul our kids to meetings, the DMV, and anywhere else we need to go in our daily lives.

We can do all of this best when we depend on each other for support, and that's what the DLC is for. Thanks to everyone who has helped make it a success.

Crafty kids at the Boys and Girls Club

We started up the DLC so we could have some space for all homeschoolers to meet, create, learn, and socialize. But sometimes we step outside of our wonderful little town square...as we did today.

Some DLC kids selling their wares.

Every year the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz  has a Children's Holiday Gift and Food Fair — everything made and sold by kids. You might have this image of lots of kids selling the sort of things that only parents and grandparents would display, but you'd be wrong. These goods made by kids were awesome!

DLC kids held their own in the awesome category: Paintings, jewelry, miniatures, corn-and-rice-filled warm packs, balloon animals, brownies, pitcher plants, ornaments, and even homemade devilsticks! Kids made the items (sometimes with a little help when needed), set the prices, and sold them.

This is definitely a cool event that you should check out next year.

This year, holiday craft opportunities are by no means over! Check out our calendar for crafting all month long. Or if you're a crafty parent, schedule your own activity.

Happy rainy December!

Bookworms

The Santa Cruz Homeschool Book Club meets at the DLC once a month. We have recently added a second group, the Bookworms, for pre-reading and early reading kids approximately 4 to 8 years old.  Each month we study a picture book author.  Over the course of a month, families or children read as many books by the chosen author as they wish.  At our monthly meeting we learn about the author, read and discuss at least one of their works, and do some type of related activity. If desired, families can do additional activities at home. 

In October, we studied the sister team of Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel.   At our meeting,  we discussed our favorite books, read Shoe Town and Jackalope and enjoyed the autobiographical video “The Squirrel Sisters.”  We learned that Susan and Janet were very different and did not always get along when they were growing up, but when they collaborate their talents combine to produce some really funny books.    We also made (and quickly ate) the strawberry shortcake featured in Cook A Doodle Doo.  Whipping the cream was the best part!

At home our family enjoyed exploring both sister's wonderful websites.   We learned how Janet Stevens creates her art.  We did some of the activities on Susan Stevens Crummel’s  "teacher tips" page.  Our favorites were looking for the hidden forks in And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon and finding the alliteration, onomatopoeia, anaphora and simile in The Great Fuzz Frenzy.     We enjoyed comparing their references to fairy tales and fables to the originals.   

This month we are busy reading the books of Rosemary Wells to coincide with her author visit this month to Bookshop Santa Cruz. 

 If you are interested in attending book club, you need to be a member of our  yahoo group so that you can get information about upcoming books and meetings.  Some of our planned authors are Jan Brett and Robert Munsch.  

If you would like to learn more about author study, see the Reading Rockets Author Study Tool Kit.   I’m using it as a guide for the Bookworms. 

For more information about the benefits of picture books and ideas for home activities check out Carol Hurst’s website    This page lists some of the benefits of using picture books as opposed to ‘easy readers” with emergent readers. 

Look! It's a website... It's a blog... It's Santa Cruz Homeschooling!

Welcome to our revamped website and blog. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but things are changing around the DLC.

The biggest change is that we all realized that we could do it alone, but why stop there? We could stay home and sit with our kids around our kitchen table. And we do that some of the time. But at the DLC, we're bringing together homeschoolers to share their skills and benefit from the skills of others.

On the board level, that means that we're all chipping in whatever we can to help the place function well for all of us. The board members have been putting lots of time and energy into putting together an organization that functions smoothly even though it's running from lots of used parts: Zan's web skills, Charlotte's membership brainstorms, Heddi's librarian talents, Heather's cool head when things seem crazy, my few remaining organizational skills, Krishna's zeal, Nova's networking, Melody's grasp of arithmetic, Samira's liasoning license (when she's not having a baby), and Vaiva's facility with facilities (while Rebecca's having a baby, too!). This machine made of spare parts is chugging along...

And then there's the rest of you. Some of you are helping out with library hours, calling in overdues, watching kids on the playground, and helping clean up after a fun activity. Others of you are just attending, and we like that, too! This fall has seen record numbers of enthusiastic homeschoolers bursting out our rather narrow seams.

What more can you do? Well, first of all, you can renew or start a paid membership. It's not a lot of money, and it's worth it.

Secondly, think about offering a class of your own. It doesn't have to be fancy. This month we have hair braiding and U.S. history. Next month we have circle folding (led by kids) and math games. What can you do? Use up that huge bunch of materials you don't need anymore. Thrill other kids with tricks your kids are bored of by now. Do a one-time event. Start a weekly workshop. The possibilities are endless.

Finally, remember when you're at the DLC to give a little back in the form of clean-up help, bringing in supplies, or donating great materials you're done with. Give us feedback by e-mailing us, commenting on this blog, or letting the community know what's going on here.

We hope you're enjoying all these changes! The DLC is here for all of us, so add your little bit and make it work for you.

Back to School (kind of) with the DLC.....Mark Your Calendars

Whether your a public schooler, or homeschooler, or unschooler, chances are now is the time of getting back to some sort of schedule. Getting into the swing of things!

Right now is also a chance to get acquainted with the Discovery Learning Center and see what we are all about.

Next Tuesday September 4th is our annual fall open house hosted by some of the many DLC volunteers who will be there to help with questions, and to help you get your membership started.

There will be many activities avaliable for kids and parents to enjoy including crafts, games and obstacle courses, lentil science and bubbles. Maybe even a few snacks!

The open house is officially from 12 noon until 2 p.m. And of course it’s free!

But before you make your plans, why not make it a full day of it…

We are also having a pre open house class for those you of that are art and nature lovers.

September is going to be a very creative month for the DLC since we will get to have  not just one, but two art classes during the week. The new classes will be taught by Leah Mastilock who is not only a homeschool mom, but an artist as well with experience teaching kids art camps.

This week she will be teaching the kids how to make an owl mask with nut shells and leaves,  or a hedgehog with pine cones and clay. Lots of outdoor time so don’t forget the lotion.

Art class starts at 10:30 a.m. with a 1$ materials fee + donation.

There will be a break between class and the open house for lunch and playground play.

Posted August 31, 2012 by Nova

Why is Art Important?

The question is not an easy task for some. Art easily takes a back seat to reading, math, science, and even sports in education these days. And it certainly isn’t on the latest test.

But ask yourself…

Can a lesson in composition resound with a future web designer, or a lesson on perspective later help with geometry? Or perhaps learning color theory will help a future physicist understand how light works? How about the visual and contemplative of any art piece that could inspire a poem, the next great work of literature, or any myriad of invention.

Art education is something that is as important in the classroom as it is in the real world. Art helps a person grow and to appreciate; to see the world from art’s own creative perspective. It helps one become a more rounded and cultured human being . Art isn’t just for the “artsy” either; any person can learn to appreciate art. Creating a piece of art can make a person find something in themselves they have not seen before, regardless if they have “talent” or not.

Art education creates thinkers, innovators, problem solvers, communicators, humanitarians. It nurtures the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation. Art helps a person to understand the human experience and helps to shape our identity.

Even the great innovators of the past and of today know and understand the importance of art as a part of education.
“In my own philanthropy and business endeavors, I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities….the arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement in our country.”
–Paul G. Allen, Co-Founder, Microsoft

“It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough—it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.”
–Steve Jobs, in introducing the iPad 2 in 2011

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
–Albert Einstein

The Discovery Learning Center runs many art and creative based classes from fine art to tie dye. Join us for the next Art and Great Artists Friday August 24th at 10 a.m. Or check the calendar for the latest workshop.

Posted August 18, 2012 by Nova

Back from the Homeschool Conference

OK, it’s true, I’ve actually been back from the conference for a week. But I’m finally getting a minute to write about it.

This was the first year I went to the conference with my kids, so I got to experience it from that point of view. And it was everything I’d hoped for! My very crafty younger child was in heaven. She dove into session after session, doing parent-led activities in art, science, math, and just plain fun. We came home with a huge bag of stuff she’d made or collected, including a solar oven made in a pizza box, two pairs of handmade earrings, and several inscrutable objects made from wood and nails. She was busy, busy, busy every minute of the day, which suits her well.

My 13-year-old held back from getting too involved in things at first. He’s more of a watcher, and he found a lot to watch. Finally, at the end of the first afternoon when I was busy giving a workshop, he went to a workshop on his own. He came back totally on fire, excited about the content and about the connection he’d made with the homeschooling dad who led it. The next day he was deeply inspired by listening to Jim Weiss tell stories of Sherlock Holmes. He didn’t connect with the teen conference, but I’m guessing that will happen slowly as he gets more comfortable with the scene.

I had fun watching other parents work with and play with my kids. One of the great things about the conference is how you get so much input from other parents for your own homeschooling journey. Even though every family is different and has different ideas of how to do things, finding out how one parent does it is very inspiring.

I also had fun doing workshops for other parents and teens. This year was punctuated with really excellent, intense conversations during my workshops. It was nice to be able to experience both sides of the conference this year, though I have to admit I missed the contemplative time that I usually have when I go without my kids.

This conference has a reputation of being “for unschoolers,” but as someone who is in no way a pure unschooler, I can assure you that any family would get a lot out of it. I think that homeschooling families working together and contributing to each other’s experiences—as we also do at the DLC—is one of the most important parts of the homeschooling experience. Although you might never do things exactly like other parents whose workshops you attend at the conference, you’ll gain ideas, insight, and inspiration.

For future reference, the conference happens yearly in August in Sacramento. Get on the HSC mailing list to hear when they open up registration for next year.

Posted by Suki 8/12/12

Learning to Knit

Learning to knit wasn’t easy for me. I learned to crochet from my mother when I was about six years old and my hands learned that skill and resisted when I wanted to learn to knit in college. I tried again when my second child was about five and wanted to learn to knit. To teach her I had to learn again myself. Homeschooling is wonderful that way!

This Friday, I’m going to be teaching a learning to knit class here at the Discovery Learning Center. My kids started by learning to knit by first finger knitting on four fingers, then my using a knitting knobby where they made the same moves with a hook over pegs, and finally by picking up two knitting needles and getting started. A small scarf for a doll or stuffed animal is a perfect first project– something that can be completed quickly and worn proudly. All three of my kids have little scarves.

Moms will be welcome to come learn the basics as well. My youngest wanted to learn to knit because she watched me complete stitch after stitch, discovering the magic of creating stitches by observation. If you want to teach your child to knit, sometimes the best way is to learn yourself!

Come join the fun this Friday, August 10th, from 11am-1pm!

Posted Aug 5 by Heddi

DLC Summer Time

Today was a great example of the sort of parent–child magic that is happening at the DLC this summer. The day started with Math Play with Melody… Where else can you find a mom the Masters in mathematics teaching little kids geometry while also having lots of fun?

Then came Children Just Like Me, led by a mom who has been taking a group of very lucky elementary school kids on journeys around the world, while sitting on carpet squares in the DLC. Today they were learning more about Korea, but not through books. A homeschooling mom and her daughter who spent last year in Korea visited to talk about their life there, what they ate, how they cooked, and what they did. The kids learned all about public baths, which the family’s two girls really enjoyed. They learned that kitchens in Korea are outside and very cold! And they got to see one of their homeschooled friends dressed up as a Korean Princess. Finally, another mom had made a delicious cucumber soup traditional to Korea. Everyone happily slurped it down, including the kid whose mom whispered, “I can’t believe he ate it––usually he won’t touch anything with onions in it!”

After that session was done, the smallest kids went out to play on the playground while a wave of bigger kids came to play math games with a dad who also happens to have a PhD in music.

All the while, the smallest children played with games on the floor, while the parents got intermittent chances to chat. If you haven’t had a chance to come by the DLC this summer, try to make some time soon. We are having a lot of fun!
Remember, our basic membership is free. Drop by anytime.

Posted by Suki 7/6/12

Physics of Music Extension Ideas

In April, we had fun learning about the physics of music at the DLC.  I’ve put together some suggestions for those who would like to learn more about sound and music. I’ve tried to group them by topic, but please pick what looks interesting to you.

My favorite activity is to become aware of the sounds in our environment.  I like to perform  4’33’’ by John Cage.  You can learn more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4%E2%80%B233%E2%80%B3  In this piece no sounds are intentionally produced.  Try performing it in different places  (inside and out) to become aware of different sounds in the environment.   Depending on your kids you may have to shorten the length.   Afterwards, classify the sounds as natural or man made, discuss where the energy to make the sounds comes from and what vibrates to make the sounds. It is also interesting to listen for words which express sounds and keep a list. Sound-level meters ( $30-40 and Amazon, Radio Shack) can be used to measure and compare the intensity of different sounds. The data can be organized, graphed or used to study noise pollution and hearing safety.

Sound Waves 
I demonstrated the Make A Wave Mobile in the percussion session.  It is easy to make and lots of fun to hang in your house and play with.  It demonstrates mechanical waves.   It is available as a kit from RAFT or you can make your own.  The directions are here  http://www.raftbayarea.org/readpdf?isid=587   Another easy hands on activity from RAFT is the Wave Making Activity http://www.raftbayarea.org/readpdf?isid=210

We used an oscilloscope in class to examine sound waves.  There are several free or low cost software oscilloscope programs online. I have not used them personally, but they may be worth exploring.   http://xoscope.sourceforge.net/ for Linux is one.   You can also examine sounds by using a computer recording program  (Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ is free).  Discover that the pitch of the sound depends on the number of vibrations in a given time (frequency) and that louder sounds make wider patterns (amplitudes). The best way to see this on Audacity is to record the sound and then pick a section of it to enlarge and look at closely.

For those of you into engineering,  do an internet search  on Tacoma Narrows Bridge,  Washington State,  November 1940.  A wind storm caused some excessive vibrations.

Sound Quality
Listen to various instruments and discuss their sound quality. What is your favorite and why? Each instrument has overtones or extra frequencies which give a sound its particular quality.  Use a computer recording program or oscilloscope to experiment. The sound wave for each instrument or each human voice will look different.

Sounds Can Travel Through Solids, Liquids And Gases but not a Vacuum
I highly recommend a trip to the Exploratorium in San Francisco http://www.exploratorium.edu/ They have an excellent area to explore sound including an exhibit that shows that sound cannot travel through a vacuum.  If you decide to go, look at the exhibits online first to get ideas.  There is so much to do it is overwhelming.

These other experiments can easily be done at home.   RAFT  Sound String Idea Sheet (cup and string telephone) http://www.raftbayarea.org/readpdf?isid=475  Secret Bells http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/secret_bells.html is  a very good experiment that shows how sound waves travel into your ear. The experiment called head harp (discussed in the What’s Going On Section) can be found at http://www.exo.net/~pauld/activities/sound/headharp.htm  It demonstrates sound vibrating through your bones into your ear.  For older kids the Exploratorium has the following online exhibit about the perception of sound http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/highest_note/
Swimming Pool Experiments are also lots of fun. Attempt to talk to each other underwater and use various devices underwater to make sound (ring bells, tap spoons together, tap on a pan, etc. )

 Some Other Areas To Explore Might Be 
Echos (reflected sound waves) This could include studying bats or other animals that use echolocation, ultrasound , sonar and how architects take sound waves into consideration when designing buildings and concert halls.
How Fast Does Sound Travel? Compare it to the speed of light. Learn about thunder and lightning.

RAFT Idea Sheets:
2-Tuba Phones http://www.raftbayarea.org/readpdf?isid=521 Make a trombone-like instrument with a slide
Buzz Off http://www.raftbayarea.org/readpdf?isid=19 Makes a noisemaker that shows the effects of air passing over a taut rubber band.
Glove-a-phone http://www.raftbayarea.org/readpdf?isid=82 We made this in the first class. If you missed it, it is worth doing. Be sure to experiment with tubes of different length and width.

Experiment Further With The Instruments We Made In The Classes
Try adding a finger hole to the glove-a-phone
Make a larger drum. Use a larger container and a larger balloon. I found some 36” balloons at a party store. A punch balloon would also work.
Experiment with different sizes and thicknesses of rubber bands on your string instrument. Palace Office Supply has very large bands that are used to hold artists books closed. They are fun to experiment with. Try setting the instrument on top of a box or other container to see if you can find a way to make it resonate. Try adding to your instrument or redesigning it to see if you can get it to resonate. (make more sound)

TOPS Science Tops has the following reasonably priced unit available http://topscience.org/ooks/sound18.html   It is listed for grades 7-12, but parts can be adapted for younger kids.  A class based on it may be offered at the DLC soon!

Posted by Charlotte 5/6/12

Homeschooling How-tos

Seven years ago when I suddenly realized that my son was not going to be going to regular school, I went into a frenzy of internet research on what my choices were for homeschooling. I knew people homeschooled but I didn’t know anything about the where, when, how, or why. After days of poking around, I figured out some basic things:

1. It’s legal to homeschool in California, but you have to do it on one of three ways: create your own small private school with your child(ren) as the students, enroll in a public or private Independent Study Program, or become my child’s tutor or hire one according to some specific rules.

2. Our area has lots of public school Independent Study Programs with different personalities.

3. There are lots of philosophies out there about how to homeschool and many people just assume you know what they are.

After I thought my way through how I wanted to approach homeschooling with my family, I decided I’d put together a workshop for other parents who might be at the same point and need some guidance. The Exploring Homeschooling workshop was born! I now offer this workshop three or four times a year to help families new to homeschooling find their path.

If you are interested in joining the next workshop, it’s this Saturday, May 12th, at 10am at the Discovery Learning Center. If you are thinking of homeschooling or know anyone who is, come find out more about how it’s done!

Posted by Heddi 5/11/12

Have Fun at the Santa Cruz Soccer Camp

The DLC will host a Soccer Clinic for ages 5-12 on Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m. Led by Bill Trimpi of Santa Cruz Soccer Camp, this clinic will be a fun introduction for kids new to soccer or a skills brush-up for old pro’s. Please bring your child dressed in soccer-appropriate attire. RAIN RESCHEDULES THIS EVENT for the same time, Saturday, May 5. We will send e-mail by Friday at 8 p.m. if the clinic is postponed due to rain. Please feel free to forward this information to your friends with kids who attend school or aren’t members of the DLC – this is an inclusive event!

Because of the potential high demand for this clinic, we are asking for pre-registration to hold your spot.

Please click here to pre-register. Make sure to put in your e-mail for notifications.
Details:
Saturday, April 28 (rain date: May 5)
10 – 11 a.m.
Free to supporting members — $3-5 donation per family for others.
411 Roxas St. (behind Santa Cruz Community Church)
Families who have not been to the DLC before should arrive 10 minutes early to fill out a **free** basic membership form, which allows you to take part in activities at the DLC. For more information, visit our website at www.DLCSantaCruz.org. Parents must stay on the grounds during the clinic.

Posted by Suki  4/16/12

What's Happening at the DLC

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When the DLC was started over a year ago, it wasn’t clear what it was going to become. The original idea had something to do with providing a cross-program place for homeschoolers to meet, providing a space for teachers who wanted to offer classes for homeschoolers, providing a space for homeschoolers to offer their own classes and clubs, and housing the lending library collection from the former Educational Resource Center.

But beside these goals, we didn’t have much of a sense of what the DLC would be like. We all liked that the church we were renting from had a little-used playground and a large open space behind it. And that we had our own little yard out back, with the potential for outdoor workshops.

Now things are starting to come together, and it’s clear that the DLC is developing into everything we hoped for – and more. You can find kids and parents inside playing with math concepts, learning about children all over the world, playing quiet games in a corner. You can find parents at the picnic tables involved in intense discussions of homeschooling or just life with kids. You’ll find kids making up games with props like wood chips, grass, and and a piece of cloth one of them brought.

Some days you’ll find a tie-dye workshop happening in the back yard, and a spillover of kids playing dress-up and moms discussing the math curriculum they’re using. You’ll find a big kid leading a toddler by the hand and a group of kids intensely discussing a project they’re working on.

The other day, a group of kids were having the very best time playing with the puddles of water that had collected underneath the tire swing. Unlike at public schools, where a muddy playground means staying indoors, mud at the DLC is a chance for exploration. Two girls swung round and round over the puddle, then one sat directly down in it.

“Oh, well,” the mom said. “I really did think we were going to get away without mud today.”

The mud will dry up, but the fun, comradeship, and creativity are here to stay! Welcome to your Discovery Learning Center. Come by to see what it’s like. If you want to add your own personal touch, you’re welcome!

Posted by Suki  3/31/12

Welcome to the DLC Blog!

Welcome to our blog. This is a forum for homeschooling ideas, DLC event descriptions, and whatever else occurs to us. Please add your comments and suggestions for how we can continue to improve the homeschooling experience in Santa Cruz County.

Posted by Suki 3/30/12