Gym class for term 2?

Next, from Claire -

I was talking to Keith Morris a few weeks ago who said he would be able to organise a gym class for us at the King Edward Court gym. He has said it would be available on a Mon morning at 11am and would cost $3 a child. Was wondering about it as an alternative for swimming lesson this term since we didn't quite have the numbers? I think it would be reasonably informal using the gym equipment with some parental supervision required and that he was indicating he would be happy to take it but have not quite nailed him down on specifics yet. Let me know if any of you are interested so I can give him an idea if we have enough children to make it worthwhile.
Cheers
Claire

No Swimming Lessons Term 2

Next term there will be no swimming lessons, due to lack of bookings. Families are still welcome to meet for a social swim and lunch, meet at the tables beside the wave pool from 11.00 onwards.

This week's events

Nearly the end of term already! Next week will be our last meet-up for the term, at another park - Navy Park in South Dunedin , on the corner of Oxford and Prince Albert Rd, near Marlow pie shop. Meet from 12.30, 4 April.

Also a reminder that the Big Peoples' Night Out - Nova Cafe, the Octagon - is on again this Thursday (29 March). Meet from 7.30 for coffee, dessert and conversation.

Intriguing Dunedin Street Walk

Wednesday 21 March - Intriguing Dunedin Street Walk - Book 4 (red) Walk 4 - "Hidden Mansions, the R.A.F, and a six-pence". Meet at the north end of Queen St beside Woodhaugh Gardens. Allow 1 1/2 hours. This walk includes stairs, so may not be suitable for prams and pushers. These walks are from a series of books written by a Dunedin local, and they explore Dunedin's history. Also a great chance for some exercise. We do walk at the pace of the slowest participant, so those with small children are more than welcome to come along.

Term 1 Museum trip

Our museum trip this term is on Wed 28th March at 12,30, Topic Focal Point - the ODT remembers 150 years of people , events and milestones. Students will explore news media and find the big stories to understand the past and help to predict Otago's future.

Please email Michelle to book. The Otago Museum requires a minimum of 12 children attending, so please book early, and mark the date clearly in your diaries. :-)

park meet-ups

Hi everyone

Just letting everyone know the Wednesday meet-up (29th Feb) will be at Bethune's Gully this week, after being postponed last week. Please text or call Kathrin on the morning, after 11.00, to check if it will still go ahead.

Next week (7th Mar) we will meet at The Dinosaur (Marlow) Park in St Kilda for lunch, from 12.30.

Not Back to School Camp - 2012

All SHEAFies and other homeschoolers in the Dunedin area are invited to our Not Back To School Camp.

When: 24-26th March - 5pm Saturday through until 3pm Monday of Otago Anniversary weekend
Where: Tirohanga Camp, at Wyllie's Crossing on the Taieri plain (not far out of Mosgiel)
What: A weekend away with fellow home educators. Come hang out and play - this will be a fun, relaxed opportunity to catch up with and meet home educating families from in and around Dunedin.
Cost: $10 per person per night plus $10 per family, preschoolers (aged 4 and under) free. Day visitors $5.
Meals: What we did last time worked really well so we'll do a repeat of that - a combination of self-catering, shared meals and potluck. More details closer in.
Accommodation: Bunkrooms will be assigned so each family group has their own room. There are a couple of bunkrooms with ensuite toilets, which will go to the families with the youngest children (unless you can make a really good case as to why you need it more :~) ). Beds are traditional wooden bunks with mattresses - BYO pillow and sleeping bag.

The camp has a confidence course, and a 'team-building course', as well as a wee walking track, glow-worms, a firepit (weather and council fire-permit permitting), a big playing field to run around on, and a largish hall for us to hang out into the night playing board games or whatever. And in case anyone is wondering, neither the confidence course nor anything else will be compulsory - all activities etc will be a purely optional, 'participant-centred' experience. The only people who'll be waking you up at the crack of dawn will be your children :~)

If you can't make the whole weekend, then just bowl on out for some of it.

Here's a link to some of the feedback from our last camp, just to whet your appetites http://sheafdunedin.blogspot.com/2010/11/tirohanga-camp-feedback.html

Contact Stacey to book or for more information

End of year dinner?

Hi everyone

An end-of-year dinner has been proposed, but we'd better get it organised quickly! Suggested venues include Eturusco and Filadelfios, but I guess it depends on what places have booking available now. So, if you're interested, please email Kathrin or Nicola ASAP, so a booking can be made. We will aim for just after the Homeschooling allowance has been paid, so there's no excuse. :-) If there is enough interest, the dinner will over-ride the last cafe evening at Nova.

Not School Photo 2011

Hi everyone

Just a reminder that our meet-up this week is combined with our annual "Not School Photo", at Rotary Park. We have held this each year as a record of the children currently belonging to the SHEAF group, and it would be great to see your family there. Bring your camera, lunch and dogs - there is a dog exercise area adjacent. Please let me know if you will be coming, so we have an idea of who to wait for. If it is raining, postponement date is 14 December.

Wednesday meet-up - Botanic Gardens

Wednesday meet-up will be at the playground at the Botanic Gardens. Meet from 12.30, bring your lunch

Pottery class Nov 18th

Also I have talked to the fabulous Marion Familton about having a
one-off pottery morning this term. She is not able to do Wednesday so
we have made a tentative date of Friday the 18th November for 2 or 3
hours in the morning. We will try and do something that we can complete
in one morning. Let me know by e-mail if you are keen and I will
confirm details. I think last time we did pottery she charged $10 per
child. This will probably be held at the Otago potters co-op rooms in
South Dunedin. There will be a limit on numbers for this one. If this
is something you are keen for your children to do but the date doesn't
suit let me know also and we can talk to her about organising something
for first term of next year.

Contact Claire to book in

Trip to Elephant Rocks near Duntroon

Next Wednesday (Nov 9th), we've planned a trip to the remarkable Elephant Rocks, near Duntroon. http://www.vanishedworld.co.nz/elephant.htm

As it's quite a drive (just under 2 hours), we thought we'd leave town around 9am to meet there at 11am, so that everyone has time for a walk around and some lunch before heading back to Dunedin. Here are Google's directions to the Elephant Rocks

There are other interesting sites nearby also, which are worth a look while you're in the area, such as those featured on the Vanished World trail http://www.vanishedworld.co.nz/trailmap.htm and the Maori Rock Art at Takiroa http://planmyplay.co.nz/_webapp_186496/Takiroa_Maori_Rock_Art

Please let me (Nicola) know if you plan on coming, so we can make sure we wait for anyone who's running late or gets lost :-) If anyone is interested in car-pooling or has room in their car for others, please let me know, and don't forget lunch, drinks and cameras! This trip isn't suitable for dogs, as the Elephant Rocks are on private farmland, with warnings about sheep measles posted all around. Also, it probably pays to mention that there are no toilets in walking distance, although there are in Duntroon which is about 5 minutes drive away.

Intriguing Dunedin Street Walk

This Wednesday (pending weather) we'll be doing one of the Intriguing Dunedin Street Walks from Book 4 (the red one): "A Forgotten Railway, That Ferry, and Tealess Tearooms" (Walk 2).

We'll meet at 12:30, and need to allow about 1 1/4 hours (that's about 2 hours in SHEAF time) for this walk, which starts and finishes at the cul-de-sac end of Heath Street in Andersons Bay.

Swimming lessons

As this Monday is a holiday, our Swimsation lessons start back on the following Monday, at 11am.

For those who haven't been to them before, our group gets the school discount, which means we pay quite a bit less per term than the general Swimsation lessons, and get a whole hour per session - a half hour swimming lesson, then a half hour water activity (these include things like kayaking, water polo, water safety, aquarobics and diving, among others).

Lessons are suitable for all stages from beginners to advanced. As Term 4 is a short term, this could be a good time to give them a trial! The cost for the term is $65.10, and to book, email albrown@dcc.govt.nz

Museum Trips - how to book

The museum needs 12 kids per visit minimum. If I haven’t got 12 confirmed a week before I will have to cancel the visit, so I need to know who wants to come and they need to confirm with me at the very latest the beginning of the week prior to the visit . If it’s easier they can pay the entry fee to me via internet banking as I don’t have change on the day . Bank number provided by email if requested .

Thanks
Michelle

Otago Museum trips for the rest of the year

Here are the rest of the museum trip dates

26th of October Robotech $6.50 per student
23rd of November Starlab ( including high school extension material ) $6.50
7th of December Minibeasts $3.50

These all start at 12.00 and it would be great if people could let me know if they are going to attend

Thanks to Michelle for organising these for us all.

This week: Mosgiel Park

Hi everyone

Just a reminder that our Wednesday meet-up this week will be at Mosgiel Park, from 12.30.

park meet up today :)

Hi everyone

Just letting you (non ski-ers!) know our family will be at Mornington Park this afternoon from about 12.30, if you'd like to join us. :-)

Cheers

Kathrin

This week's meet-ups

Hi everyone

First this week, a reminder we are meeting at the Edgar centre this Wednesday, from 12.30 - 3.00. Bring bikes, balls, racquets etc. There is a door fee of $2.50 per participating child. Also, remember there will be no Wednesday meet-up next week, with so many members away on the ski trip.

Kathrin

This week's meet-ups

From Kathrin:

First this week, our Wednesday meet-up will be the Intriguing Dunedin Street Walk, Walk 1, Book 4 (red): Runaway Trams, a Shipwreck and Royalty!
Meet at the bottom of Calder Ave, North East Valley, 12:30pm. There will be some hills (i.e. there is an optional walk up Baldwin St, and a not-so-optional part on surrounding steep streets), so beware!

Also this week, Thursday 25 August 7.30 - Big People's Night out - Nova Cafe, The Octagon. Come along for coffee, dessert and conversation

Remember, if it's raining, our outdoor walks/meet-ups will be cancelled or postponed