Welcome to our blog!

Welcome to the SHEAF Blog.

Despite our best intentions, we're not great at keeping this blog updated with our latest happenings. We are, however, definitely an active group, meeting at least once each week during term time.

If you'd like to make contact with Dunedin home educators, our contact details are in the column, below right.

We send out a weekly email newsletter with details of upcoming events, courses, gatherings etc.

You can also find us on Facebook (page is visible whether you're a facebook user or not)
http://www.facebook.com/SHEAFDunedin

Have a look through this blog to see the types of events we have organised in the past. You'll also find links to other blogs and articles that we find useful or informative, on the off-chance that you'll appreciate them too :~) (Look for these more general blog-posts under the label "Weekend Reading")

If you're not currently on our email list and would like to contact us, please email us at the address you can see in the column on the right. We'd love to hear from you!

(Last updated May 2013)

Monday, September 21, 2009

Cycle Safety Event

For children 5 and over on Saturday 26th September from 10am to 12pm. Aimed at teaching children to cycle safely it will be held at the Fulton Hogan Cycle Smart Park next to the Dinosaur Park. 5 bikes and safety packages to be won! (Cancellation date Sunday 27th, listen to More FM for details)

Southern Gymnastics Acadamy

There is a programme for children aged 5 - 11 years on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the school holidays (29th September , 1st, 6th, and 8th October). The programme runs from 9:00 to 10:30 or 11:30 to 1:00 each day. It is $7 a session or $20 for all four. Bookings are essential, see their website for more information: http://www.southerngymnastics.co.nz/shp.php

Hot Science

HotScience is a New Zealand Online Science channel for students and people interested in science and technology. HotScience features short, medium and long duration videos, produced by e-cast, covering many areas of Science and Technology including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture, Medicine, Mathematics, Engineering, Computing and Psychology.

http://www.hotscience.co.nz/

Diary Dates - 21 September

Tuesday 22 September - Cafe evening, Nova Cafe, The Octagon. 7.30 pm onwards.

Wednesday 23 September 1.00pm - Intriguing Dunedin Street walk - "A Quick St Clair Snack" Corner Forbury Rd and Wilson Ave. (Raindate 28 October) Contact Nicola if you would like a copy of the route of the walk.

Thursday 24 September - Life Education Trust visit. Topics - "Brainy Bunch" and "Air to Breathe" Tomahawk School. $3.40 per child. See earlier posts for more information or contact Nicola.

Fish Tales at the Aquarium

Following is some information about the holiday programme at the Aquarium.

26 September - 11 October 2009
Every creature has a story to tell ... Hear tales of daring deeds, find out why the spotty lost its spot, why the Aquarium's octopus has only 7 arms, and how the sea cucumber got its name. Be thrilled by a spine-chilling story from the deep, and be inspired to craft a tale of your own.

Storytelling
- Join “Kat Anna Fiddle” (professional story-telling team, Kaitrin McMullan & Anna Bowen) for an hour of marine-theme dramatic tales, tunes and activities on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 2-3pm.

Food for Thought - Find out what treats are prepared in Neptune’s Kitchen and help to feed the fish - Wednesday & Saturday from 2-3pm. The Aquarium is also home to 400 hungry salmon that need to be fed daily.

Fishy Arts and Crafts - Create a visual fishy tale of your own - we will supply the materials, you supply the imagination!

SPECIAL WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS - Storytelling Outside the Classroom - Monday 12th October, 9.30am to 3pm - A workshop for guides, interpreters and educators interested in basic story telling techniques and how to craft educational stories. $20 per person. Bookings essential. See www.marine.ac.nz for details.

If you require an A4 flier/poster for either the holiday programme or the workshop, there is a pdf file on the Aquarium web site:

For the Holiday Programme: http://www.otago.ac.nz/marinestudies/Fish%20Tales.pdf
For the Story Telling Workshop: http://www.otago.ac.nz/marinestudies/storyworkshop.pdf

Contact details:
University of Otago's NZ Marine Studies Centre & Westpac Aquarium
Hatchery Road, Portobello, Dunedin
Phone 03 479 5826 Email marine-studies@otago.ac.nz
Open 10am-4.30pm Adult: $12, Child: $6, Family: $24
Guided Tour at 10.30am Adult: $21, Child: $11, Family: $48

Anatomy Museum Tour

Thanks to everyone attending the tour of the Anatomy Museum. It was great to see everyone's enthusiasm, I think Chris really appreciated it.
I was hoping to get a bit of feedback on how many would be interested in another tour next term, and if so, are there any specific topics that people would like to be covered. For example, neuroanatomy (brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc), or musculoskeletal (bones, muscles and joints), or
circulation/heart, or any other body system you can think of!
Please ring or e-mail Carli, if you are interested.

Science Roadshow

This is for students in yrs 5-9 (8-13yrs old)
Where: Taieri College , Green St, Mosgiel
When: Thursday 12th November
Time: 10:25 - 11: 45am
Cost: $6.00 per child
Please arrive with cash at 10:15am
This session is limited to 15 students, please contact Tania Barnes if you are interested.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Diana Waring Conference

The Living, Laughing and Learning conference with Diana Waring is being held this weekend in Christchurch. See earlier posts for details of venue and times.

Life Education Trust Visit

Air to Live is aimed at Years 1- 3 (approx. aged 5 – 7 years)

Brainy Bunch is aimed at Years 4 – 6 (approx. aged 8 – 10 years)

Cost is now $3.40 per child, and we can have a maximum of 15 junior and 15 senior kids.

From Jacki Allison and Harold Giraffe: You will see there are 2 sessions for Air to Live (for the juniors) and 2 for Brainy Bunch (for the seniors). The juniors come to both Air to Live sessions and seniors to both Brainy Bunch sessions, as there is a part 1 and a part 2!

Last year we did the whole group with the progamme and I was teaching 25 plus people from 3 to 14 years and it was far too difficult so we decided to split the group.

Tomahawk school is going to set aside the library for you to use when the children are not in the mobile classroom or people can choose to come and go to suit, as long as they keep to the session times.

This is a trial to mix you with another school so hopefully there is no teething problems but Tomahawk is very keen so I know that is such a bonus.

9.15 – 10.15 Brainy Bunch Part 1
10.15 - 10.35 Interval
10.35 – 11.15 Air to Live Part 1
11.20 – 12.20 Brainy Bunch Part 2
12.20 – 1.15 Lunch
1.15 – 2.00 Air to Live Part 2

Please email Nicola to book.

Swimsation - Swimming Lessons

Swimsation at Moana Pool have asked Nicola for definite numbers of those wishing to attend classes next term. The classes go for 1 hour, with 30 minutes of intensive lessons, and 30 minutes of survival skills or structured play. This term the lessons are on Mondays, from 11.00 - 12.00, and are expected to be the same next term. Please email Nicola if you wish to book.

If you already have children attending, please also email her, to confirm if your children will be returning or not.

Also on swimming, some of the families stay after the lessons for free play, so you are most welcome to come just for that part too.

Diary Dates - 8 September

Wednesday 9 September - 1.00 - 2.30 - Otago Museum workshop - "Lotions and Potions". Come to the Otago Museum laboratory and learn all about the science of lotions and potions. Students will learn all about actions, reactions, and unexpected chemical changes in this exciting new hands-on programme examining the nature and applications of lotions and potions." Nicola

This replaces our usual Wednesday meet-up.

Tuesday 22 September - Cafe evening, Nova Cafe, The Octagon. 7.30 pm onwards.

Wednesday 23 September 1.00pm - Intriguing Dunedin Street walk - "A Quick St Clair Snack" Corner Forbury Rd and Wilson Ave. (Raindate 28 October) Nicola

Thursday 24 September - Life Education Trust visit. Topics - "Brainy Bunch" and "Air to Breathe" Tomahawk School. $3.40 per child. Nicola