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)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Living, Laughing and Learning Conference with Diana Waring - details

September 11th and 12th, 2009

Venue: Hornby Presbyterian Community Church, 27 Amyes Road, Hornby Christchurch

Curriculum vendors and other resources will be available for sale during the conference.

Friday evening 6-9pm: An evening for the whole family with music, drama, singing and comedy courtesy of your homeschooling friends; a race through the Middle Ages with Diana and the Ultimate Family supper.

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Middle Ages
Join Diana for a whirlwind tour through one thousand years of colorful characters and world changing events. Beginning with the fall of
Rome and continuing all the way up to Gutenberg's printing press. Seat belt use suggested--you're going to move fast!

Saturday 9am – 5.30pm

A variety of encouraging and practical sessions with Diana and other experienced home educators.

9am The Well-Kept Secret of a Biblical Education (Specifically for Christian families)
How much have the prevailing culture and our own school experiences influenced our views on education, even in homeschooling? This powerful message will provide you with a foundational and scriptural framework for understanding education -- the content and the means -- from a Biblical perspective.

10.30am Beyond Survival (General Audience)
A transparent description of the beginning days in her homeschooling, including the struggles and failures she experienced as she unsuccessfully tried to create school at home. Learn how she went from "barely surviving" to finding great joy on the journey with her children. Diana brings experience with her own children for over twenty years, as well as insights gleaned from homeschooling families around the world.

4pm Actively ENGAGE Learning & Actually ENJOY Learning! (General Audience)
"How do I get my kids to finish their school work?" The deeper question is actually, "How do I get my kids to be self-motivated?" We will look at specific ways to encourage and assist our children in developing ownership of their education. We must learn the critical difference between controlling and directing; pushing and releasing; coercing and facilitating. It is the master teacher who says, "I can not teach you how to do it, but I can help you learn to do it."

Workshops will include:

Diana and Bill Making the most of teen years at home. Encouraging session for teens

Bill Waring The Homeschool Principal; an encouraging discussion time for Dads

Barbara Smith Avoiding Burnout. Strategies to identify and overcome burnout.

Barbara & Ngaire Allan Preparing for an ERO review; putting your best foot forward.

Lennie Harrison Early Reading and Writing Skills. A practical session aimed at 4-8yrs.

Meat for Teenagers (directed at parents only, and Christian content)

Linda Gage Character Training. Focussing on the heart while they learn and grow.

Time Management. Practical tips for balancing the house, the family, life and everything else.

Go to www.dianadownunder.com for more on Diana’s teaching and resources as well as for your registration form and plan to join us for a wonderful weekend of encouragement.

Queries: gagetribe@xtra.co.nz or ngaire.allan@paradise.net.nz

Monday, July 27, 2009

Diary dates - 27 July

Wednesday 29 July - Intriguing Dunedin Street walk "Nibbling on interesting pieces of Vauxhall, Waverley, Andersons Bay and Musselburgh.1.00pm, Corner of Timaru St and Portobello Rd. Contact Nicola

Thursday 30 July - Cafe evening, Cafe Nova, The Octagon. 7.30 onwards.

Wednesday 19 August 1.00pm - Intriguing Dunedin Street walk - "A Double Helping of Carisbrook" Corner Burns St and South Rd. (Raindate 2 Sept). Contact Nicola

Wednesday 26 August - Otago Museum workshop - "Africa!" http://www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/west_africa_rhythm_spirit.html 1.00 - 2.30pm. Contact Nicola

Friday 28 August - Anatomy Museum tour - Otago University Medical School, Great King St. 10.00 - approx 11.00am. Contact Carli

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." Contact Nicola

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

Intriguing Dunedin Street Walk Term 3 dates

Yellow 3: 1pm, Wednesday 19 August (raindate 2 September)
"A Double Helping of Carisbrook" - meet at corner of Burns and South Rds.

Yellow 4: 1pm, Wednesday 23 September (raindate 28 October)
"A Quick St Clair Snack" - meet at corner of Forbury Rd and Wilson Ave

Please contact Nicola if you wish to have a scanned copy sent out, or otherwise the Public Library has copies.

Anatomy Museum Tour

Anatomy Museum Tour
Otago University Med School
Friday 28th August 10-11ish am.

For anyone interested in a tour of this amazing resource, please contact Carli.

The museum is located in the med school on Great King St, I will give more specific details to those who are interested. There is no charge, numbers of children are limited to 20 at the most, and the session will be led by the museum curator. Parents are welcome especially to supervise younger children as there are many precious models and specimens. There will be no fresh cadavers but will certainly include real plastinated specimens, so very graphic but not gross!

July Cafe Evening

Our Cafe evening for the month will be this Thursday, 30 July, 7.30 onwards, at Cafe Nova, next to the Art Gallery in the Octagon.
More info, contact Kathrin or Nicola

Otago Museum Trip. Lotions and Potions

* Wednesday 9 September 1:00 – 2:30 Lotions and Potions
$3 per child
Contact Nicola P to register or for more info

Come to the Otago Museum laboratory and learn all above 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.

Otago Museum Trip. West Africa - Rhythm and Spirit

Discover the Rhythm and Spirit of West Africa
* Wednesday 26 August 1:00 – 2:30 Africa!

$3 per child - contact Nicola P to register or for more info

West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit features over 200 exhibits from 28 different West African cultures. From spiritual beliefs to daily life, masks to music, cloth to carving, it’s your chance to discover West Africa right here in Dunedin...


http://www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/west_africa_rhythm_spirit.html

Friday, July 17, 2009

Diary Dates - July

Wednesday 29 July - Intriguing Dunedin Street walk "Nibbling on interesting pieces of Vauxhall, Waverley, Andersons Bay and Musselburgh.1.00pm, Corner of Timaru St and Portobello Rd. Contact Nicola Pye

Contact Kathrin if you have anything to add to the Diary Dates or would like to include in the newsletter.

Story of Home Ed graduate

From the NCHENZ website:

A story about a successful Home Educated student - http://www.nchenz.org.nz/jeffrey-brown.htm

July's Intriguing Dunedin Street Walk

The next Intriguing Dunedin Street walk will be on Wednesday 29 July.

This will be the second walk from the first (yellow) book, called "Nibbling on interesting pieces of Vauxhall, Waverley, Andersons Bay and Musselburgh.

If anyone would like a scanned copy of the map and walk, please email Nicola P

Meet at 1.00pm, at the corner of Timaru St and Portobello Rd.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Diana Waring Conference in Christchurch - open for bookings

A notice about the Diana Waring Conferences came through about a month ago, but details and pricing for the Christchurch meeting were yet to be finalised. The information is now available at http://www.dianadownunder.com/Christchurch.html.

Early bird registrations are open until August 21st, after which time the rates are $5 dearer.

For more info about Diana Waring and this conference circuit see Living Laughing and Learning.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Otago Museum Wildlife Photography Competition

More information at the Museum website.
http://www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/community_programmes.html

Has 'under 14yrs' category, and 'over 15years' category
$1500 in photographic accessories as prizes
Competition closes September 2nd

Entry form in pdf format here:
http://www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/dyn_documents/owpc_entry_form_09_final_small.pdf

The Outlook for Someday 2009 - Film Challenge

Connected Media is pleased to announce that the third sustainability film challenge for young New Zealanders is about to be launched.

The website for this year’s challenge will go live in mid-July, so keep an eye on
www.theoutlookforsomeday.net for details.

As with previous years, films can be any length up to 5 minutes. They can be made individually or in teams. They can be any genre at all – drama, documentary, animation, music video, advertisement, video blog, reality tv… They can be made with any camera – film, video, stills camera, webcam, mobile phone…

This year anyone up to the age of 24 can enter the challenge. There will also be Special Awards for Winning Films made by Primary / Intermediate School film-makers and Secondary School film-makers.

The deadline for entries is 18 September 2009.

blog for kids about environment and sustainability

Design Studies and Science Communication students from the University of Otago have started a blog for kids about environmental and sustainable issues.

Their idea is to embed a number of different online interactive activities, videos and links on a page that is designed to appeal to primary school aged children – for use at home or in the classroom.
“We would love to become an online source that can interconnect between all of your areas of knowledge, and provide a place where kids can come and have fun as well as learn”.
http://educationforsustainability.wordpress.com/