The Beachcomber

Events at Neskowin Valley School

2004-09-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Krueger from Neskowin Valley School has asked me to share these upcoming events. She sent me a nice flyer, but since my web-hosting skills are as yet undeveloped, rather than providing a link to this nice flyer, I will have to just copy&paste the text. Maybe next time...

LEARNING VILLAGE
At
Neskowin Valley School
10005 Slab Creek Rd, Neskowin

Come and discover the NVS Learning Village, a community-wide extension of our well-established learning environment on our beautiful 5-acre campus! We are pleased to offer learning adventures for home school students, children and parents, local residents and all life-long learners.

JOIN US FOR A CLASS
THIS FALL!
Session I, Sept. 27th – Nov. 19th
New and continuing classes will be advertised each six-week session. A minimum of 4 students per class. Next session look for parenting classes, science classes, math nights and more!

Welcome Home School Families
You are invited to a Home School Focus Meeting on October 11th. Sharlene Peters will facilitate a “town-hall” style meeting to gather your ideas, provide program information, and begin forming an active home school network. The future of the Learning Village may suit some of your home schooling needs.

Home School Forum with Sharlene Peters
· Monday Oct. 11, free dinner at 6:00 p.m., meeting at 7:00
· NVS Gather ‘Round Room
· Your whole family is welcome

Morning Yoga with Michelle Carlon
· Tuesdays, 8:45am
· Neskowin Valley School gym
· Ages 10-Adult
· 6 week session/$48
· Drop-ins/$10 per class

Book Discussion with Sally Rissel
· October 20th/Map Makers Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon by Robert Whitaker

· November 17th/ Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

· January 19th/ Call of the Wild by Jack London
· 1:30 – 3pm

· Ages 10 (high level readers) – Adult
· FREE

Cob Building with Rob & Cheryl Krueger
· Intro to an earthy, natural building method –hands-on at Agape’ Forest Farm in Neskowin
· Saturday October 2nd, 9am – 4pm
· Teen – Adult
· $50

Creative Journaling with Julie Fiedler
· Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm
· Adult
· 6-week session/ $75

Asian Knot Tying with Bonnie Jones
· Create beautiful gifts/materials incl.
· Saturdays Oct. 16th, Nov. 13th, and Dec. 11th. 10am – noon
· Ages 10 – Adult
· $15

Soccer Team with Doug Immel
· 3X/week along with NVS students
· 4th – 8th home schoolers welcome
· 6 week session/ $90

TO REGISTER and find out more please call, visit, or email Neskowin Valley School:
503-392-3124
nvs@oregoncoast.com

Volcano Watching

2004-09-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, Mount St. Helens is in the news again, apparently preparing to let off some steam (or something) in the next couple days.

If you want to keep an eye on her, visit the Mount St. Helens Webcam site at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

Currently, all I can see in the image is blue-gray fog, but maybe that will burn off later today. The site also contains more links to volcano information.

Talk the Talk, Walk the Plank

2004-09-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Aye, mates, Sunday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so ye'd best be preparin' for the voyage. Arrr!

One day is not enough to contain such silliness, so here are some links:

http://talklikeapirate.com/
learn the lingo and the history of TLAP

http://www.fidius.org/quiz/pirate.php
Find your inner pirate name

Arrr!

Mad Morgan Bonney (aka Barbara)

Oregon Coast Aquarium Home School Days!

2004-09-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Aquarium is holding their semi-annual Home School Days on September 22-23. This is a great event. We've attended at least twice.

The Aquarium reserves these dates for homeschoolers, and offers all of the neat perks that school field trips receive. There are interactive labs, lectures, demonstrations, etc. This year, there is a Shark Dissection for kids 14 and up (limit 15 kids, so register early at 541-867-3474, ext. 5317).

No registration is required for these dates, and there are special discounted rates. One adult per 5 kids gets in free. I don't think you have to take 5 kids to get the free adult, since in the past we've gotten one parent admission free with just our one child. But that could change... so don't quote me on that.

Anyway, kids under 4 are free, students 4-13 are $5.20, students 14-18 are $7.75, and extra adults are $10.75. Aquarium members get in free.

It is possible to schedule your own group field trips at other times. This is just cool because there are no other school groups, just homeschoolers and regular visitors.

For more info, check their website:
http://www.aquarium.org/education/homeschool/

I know that this event is very popular with OHEN members, and some even go down in groups and stay in the yurts at South Beach or Beverly Beach. If you can grab one, that's a neat way to go. Try the State Parks reservation website:
http://www.reserveamerica.com/client/client_or.jsp

BTW, there's a new exhibit I'd like to see: "Bats, Masters of the Night," featuring two species of fruit bats. I love those little guys. Anything that eats mosquitos is a friend of mine.

While you're down there, you might want to check out the tidepools:
http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/projects/rocky/tidepool.html
http://www.42explore.com/tidepool.htm

Low tides at 12:51 on the 22nd and 2:23 on the 23rd (http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/weather/tides/2004/sbsep2004.html).
Best bet is to get there at least an hour before the low tide. These will be fairly low tides, good for tide-pooling. Please read the links above and follow the guidelines for safe and considerate tidepool activity.

TOPS o' the Mornin'

2004-09-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from my weekly TOPS meeting. I joined TOPS last spring, with the intent to lose 40 pounds before my 40th birthday (there's still time). I must admit, I kind of fell off the wagon this past month, what with vacation and family reunion and my sister's wedding and all...

Anyway, I think TOPS is a pretty neat deal. There are several chapters along the Coast. For more information, check the TOPS link to the right.

You don't need an invitation to join; just show up! There's no obligation to join the group. These groups offer support and friendship with a generous dollop of humor. There is no official TOPS diet program; the emphasis is on healthy weight management habits.

Local chapters and meeting times (listed north to south):

COMMUNITY CHURCH
26709 VERNON AVE /CHILD CHAPEL
OCEAN PARK, WA 98640
THUR: 8:00/8:30 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
30 NE 1ST ST FLWSHP RM
WARRENTON, OR 97146
WED: 9:00/10:00 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

NORTH COAST FAMILY FLWSHP CH
2245 N WAHANNA RD FLWSHP RM
SEASIDE, OR 97138
TUES: 8:00/9:00 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

COVENANT COMMUNITY CHURCH
36555 HWY 101
MANZANITA, OR 97130
TUES: 9:00/10:30 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

ODD FELLOWS LODGE
4TH & HAYS @ OYSTER DR
BAY CITY, OR 97107
THUR: 9:00/10:30 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

ST JAMES EPISCOPAL PARISH
2490 NE HWY 101 /MULTI-PUR RM
LINCOLN CITY, OR 97367
THUR: 9:00/10:00 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

1ST METHODIST CHURCH
383 NE BEECH ST INA-MAY RM
TOLEDO, OR 97391
TUES: 8:30/9:00 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

NEWPORT SENIOR CENTER
20 SE 2ND ST LOUNGE
NEWPORT, OR 97365
WED: 4:30/5:45 PM (weigh-in/meeting times)

NEWPORT SENIOR CENTER
20 SE 2ND ST LWR LVL
NEWPORT, OR 97365
THUR: 8:15/9:20 AM (weigh-in/meeting times)

Back-to-School?

2004-08-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Home-schoolers' schedules are as unique and varied as homeschoolers' styles. Some un-school 'round the year, others follow a set curriculum as structured as a traditional school, and there are many, many styles and schedules in-between.

The one thing I miss most about home-schooling is our yearly vacation. We used to plan our Big Trip starting the day after Labor Day. Mid-September, the weather is usually fair, not too hot, and the Summer Crowds are Gone! Our vacations were also schooling experiences, morphing into extended field trips.

However, we sacrificed that luxury when our son, Daniel opted to return to public school two years ago. Today, we registered him for High School, a big step for all of us. My husband, Dwight, has signed on for another year as a Foster Grandparent, so he will also be tied to the school calendar. I will be starting my Senior year at EOU soon, too, so we are all in School Mode now.

Does your family have any Back-to-School traditions? Is there something you do to bid the Summer "adieu," and get you mentally prepared for Fall?

I will be posting some ideas in the weeks to come. Send me your experiences to share.

Conference on Autism

2004-04-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

This from Teri at OHEN:

Bridgeway House in Eugene, Oregon is having a Conference on
Autism on April 20, 2004. The conference features two
internationally known speakers, Donna Williams and Dr. James
Adams. This will be the only U.S. appearance of Donna Williams
this year. In addition, panels presenting authors, doctors, and many
national, regional, and local experts will offer their outlook on autism
and autism-related disorders. Join us for an amazing day full of
fresh perspectives on treating autism.

For more information:
http://www.bridgewayhouse.org/conference.html

Please feel free to pass this information along.

Destination Imagination

2004-03-31T10:22:00.000-08:00

This just in from Jeanne Biggerstaff at OHEN:

If you've ever wondered about
Destination Imagination, the team
problem-solving program, you have an
excellent opportunity to learn about it
at the upcoming state tournament at OSU
in Corvallis on April 17th. All the
winning teams from the regional
tournaments will be competing for the
chance to attend the Global Tournament
in May.

I encourage anyone interested to take
the time to attend. It can be fun field
trip and it's really the best way to see
what this unique program is all about.
The best times to view team solutions
are from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Make your
first stop the Memorial Union in the
center of the OSU campus to get a
schedule of events and locations of
presentations. This hub of activity
will give you a good chance to get a
feel for the energy and fun this
competition generates.

For more information about Destination
Imagination (DI), visit
www.oregondi.org.

Jeanne B.

OHEN Town Hall Meeting

2004-03-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

This was in my Inbox today, from Jeanne Biggerstaff, and I thought I would pass it along. This invitation was followed by a list of the state politicians who will be there, but it was really too long to post here. If anyone wants a copy of the whole message, drop me a line and I will send it.

One of the things OHEN does for us is lobby hard for home school education rights. Their efforts help not just home-school students, but students in public and private schools, as well.

Cheerio.

Our homeschool rights are defined by
state law. Every session there is an
attempt to restrict our rights or to
give us more hoops to jump through.

Protecting our rights requires that
state legislators hear from
homeschoolers, not just the teachers'
union and Oregon Dept of Education.

You have an opportunity to meet with
current legislators and candidates in an
informal, *free* meet-the-candidates
forum this coming Friday, March 26 from
7-8pm at Tualatin High School. (There
will be no speeches.)

This is part of the Oregon Home
Education Network conference being held
this
weekend. The Friday evening events are
*free* and open to all homeschoolers,
whether or not you are registered for
the Saturday workshops

Spring Break

2004-03-18T08:37:00.000-08:00

Spring break is coming, which means two things on the Coast:
1. Rain.
2. Tourists.

What do you do to escape either or both? I'll publish any good suggestions.

Cheerio.

Busy Week!

2004-03-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Today is my last day of Finals, and then I get a week off. Hooray!

The Beachcomber blog and web site were final projects for one of my classes, and they're pretty much fleshed out for the time being. I'll keep adding to both. I plan to add a discussion board sometime soon. Then we can get together and talk about school, camps, activities, books... whatever.

Last weekend, Dwight & I took Daniel to the Special Olympics state basketball tournament in Salem. We only got to see Dan play in one game, because we were busy coaching and helping with the 3-on-3 teams, who were playing in another building.

Our athletes really look forward to this event each year, mostly because of the Dance on Saturday.

Our motto is: It's not whether you win or lose, but whether you get to go to State!

For more information about local Special Olympics programs, try the link, or read my article in the Beachcomber web site. Softball will be starting later this spring, and there's always room for one more player or coach!

Ciao.

More Monday Music

2004-03-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

The Monday Music Freshman/Sophomore Recital last night was very nice. Well, done, kids!

The Junior/Senior Recital will be held Monday, April 12. This is an important recital, partly because there will be scholarships awarded, along with the coveted Senior Cup. All classical musicians in Tillamook County are welcome, even the singers and drummers (that's a joke directed at my spouse).

If there are any homeschoolers out there who wish to participate in this and need an entry form, please contact me. Also, if anyone needs a piano accompanist, I am always delighted to volunteer for this program.

Oh, and this recital, like all Monday Musical meetings, is open to the public. Best free show in town, as my Uncle Jim likes to say.

Marianne Gienger announced last night that the Basie tickets are going fast, so if you want them, better buy them now!

Cheerio.

Count me in, Basie!

2004-03-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

Hey, jazz lovers, the Count Basie Orchestra is coming to Tillamook! Tickets are incredibly cheap - $15 adult, $12 students in advance, I believe. You can buy tickets at the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce. They will also be available at the door, for a little more money.

Sunday, March 28th, at the THS auditorium.

For more on jazz, see the wonderful Ken Burns "Jazz" video series, which is available from the Tillamook library.
Here's a bit more:
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_basie_count.htm

Dig you later, cool cat!

Support your library!

2004-03-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

Tillamook county people:
Don't forget to vote for the library levy!

Where would homeschoolers and distance ed students be without them?

Some library perks I can't live without:

Interlibrary loans

Free (yes, free!) proctoring for college exams

CRSN Databases (card catalogue, magazine and newspaper archives, practice exams, biographies, encyclopedias), all available from my home computer via the Internet

Grab those ballots, run down to the main Tillamook branch, high five your favorite librarian, and drop them (the ballots) in the ballot drop box.

Cheerio.

Just for Fun: Theme for the Month of March

2004-03-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Top o' the mornin' to ye!

The rain has returned (we knew the nice weather couldn't last forever). The leprechauns have, for the moment, given up on any rainbows and taken refuge under the shamrocks, or wherever it is that leprechauns hide.

To while away the time until the sun reappears, I thought it might be fun to create some rain haiku, or limericks if you're feeling more Irish.

Here is my haiku:

drippy, drippy rain
patched the roof, but still it leaks
fetch the bucket, Pa

I'm sure yours will be better. Send your poems to me at nknbeachcombers@yahoo.com and I will post them.

Current Events

2004-03-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

A couple of things coming up in the next week:

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is holding their semi-annual Home School days this week, March 3 & 4. I realize this is late notice, but if you can get there, it is a really nice event. We've gone a couple of times. They reserve the place for home-schoolers (no school groups that day), and your kids can do all of the learning activities and attend the programs that they usually do for the school groups. They also have a special admission price. For more information, call (541) 867-3474.

The Monday Music Club of Tillamook is holding its annual Freshman/Sophomore program at 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 8th, at the Tillamook United Methodist Church. I am proud that one of my piano students will be performing. This program is open to all freshman and sophomore music students in Tillamook County. If you would like to get on the program, Marianne Gienger is taking applications until March 6th. Contact me if you need more information.

And, of course, the OHEN Event of the Year, the annual Homeschooling Conference will be held March 26 & 27 at Tualatin High School. Follow the link for information about tickets, times, and other conference features.

If you know of an event that should be listed here, contact me.

Salutations!

2004-02-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the debut of The Beachcomber.

All independent learners are welcome to visit here, especially my neighbors in and around Tillamook County.

What is independent learning?

Some ideas:

home schooling
on-line college
4-H
birding
community outreach
volunteering
after-school activities
church

Why this blog?

This blog began as a course project for a writing class, "The Electronic Word." I decided if I was going to put some time into this, I might as well create something useful.

Since I am the OHEN contact for Tillamook County, this seemed the ideal project.

What is OHEN?

OHEN is the Oregon Home Education Network, a statewide organization which promotes home-schooling in Oregon. I have included their website link on this page, as well as more information on my companion website (coming soon).

About the Author

I am currently earning my degree from Eastern Oregon University. I hope to graduate in June, 2005. Distance learning is a great invention. I know that EOU has several students in this area, and I think it would be great if we could get together and support one another.

My son, Daniel is currently in the 8th grade at Neah-kah-nie Jr. High. We home-schooled for several years before Daniel returned to public school last year. All I can say is that NKN is doing a terrific job.

My husband, Dwight is a retired music teacher. He is now volunteering as a Foster Grandparent. He spends each school day at Liberty Elementary in Tillamook, reading one-on-one with kids.

What's next?

I will try to stay current with news events, activities, and other "stuff" of interest to independent learners. If anybody has anything to contribute to this page, please drop me a line. My address is listed somewhere on this page.

There will also be monthly themes, and I will be inviting folks to contribute. Stay tuned for March events.

Cheerio.
I