Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Open studio session at Danial's

Danial Stark a local potter has generously volunteered his studio for children to make a clay pot that he will fire in his ANAGAMA kiln later this spring. This is a rare opportunity as it is the only kiln of its type in the Okanagan. It is a wood-fired kiln and will be fired for about 4 days.

Date and Time: Saturday May 3 from 12-4 pm.
Address: 2905-25th St. (go through gate at the side of the house and you will see the studio in the back yard.
Contact number if you have questions: Danial at 503-0223

I'll be there helping out and I hope that anyone participating will make a donation for the clay. I'll set up a jar or something for these donations as I don't think Danial should be covering the cost of the clay himself.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Problem with Next Meeting

There was some confusion around the dates that the room at Bean to Cup was booked for us - understandable, really, considering how many times we changed the dates... Anyways, it worked out fine to change the dates to the last Thursday of every month except for next month when it was already booked. So we cannot have Thursday, May 29 but we do have it booked for Friday, May 30.

So what do we want to do? Keep the meeting on the Friday? Maybe Monique can make it? I really can't promise to attend a Friday evening, myself but I can try. Or do we want to do the Thursday of the week before? May 22? That will be the beginning of the long week end, though. Or have the meeting on the 29th but have it somewhere else? Portillos? Other suggestions?

Friday, April 25, 2008

Goings On...

Here are the activities that were planned/shared at last night's meeting (GREAT to see so many out! How lucky are we to really BE with our children, hey?):
every TUESDAY, 12:15pm - hike days, bring a lunch and swimming suits, (April 29 - meet at Red Gate for hike in Kal Park)
May 3, Sat, time to be announced - invitation to throw a pot at Daniel's studio, more info coming
May 9, 10 - Peter Pan extravaganza at VPAC
May 11, 2pm - James & the Giant Peach - sign language production at VPAC
May 21, Wed., 1pm - hike with Kelowna homeschoolers at Jack Seaton Park, Winfield
June 13 - Track and Field Day at Polson Park, practices in May (more info to follow)

Invitation: If anyone wants to plan an activity, please do so! There is no formality in our group -- so for people just joining us, brainstorm with your kids about what they'd like to do togethr and plan something!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Earth Day Hike

NEW PLAN: We're going to meet at Polson Park at 1:30pm and will walk from there picking up garbage. Bring gloves and garbage bags! Hope to see you there.

Hello again,

I am wondering if anyone would be interested in doing a hike on Earth Day - which is this coming Tuesday. Julie and I and our girls found a wonderful trail yesterday in Kal Park and I would love to do it again as a group. The balsam flowers are just about to break out and the forest floor is covered in little wildflowers. I'd like to go around 12:30 and leave from the red gate. Anyone interested? I'm going to bring a picnic - maybe we could make it potluck healthy snacks if there is enough of us.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Next Meeting and Park Day??

Hi everyone,
Just a reminder that our next parent support meeting will be at Bean To Cup at 7pm on the 24th (Thurs). Everyone welcome! Even people who are just wondering about the possibility of homeschooling!
Also, we'd briefly discussed setting up a weekly play-day but didn't come up with a definite time or place. Any suggestions?
Do Wednesdays 11-ish til 3-ish (come when it works, leave when you're through) at Lakeview Park work for anyone? Or while it's still cool would people rather meet for hikes at Kal Park?
Any thoughts?

Barber Of Barkerville Opera TOMORROW (THURS)

Barber of Barkerville
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR. $6.00 each
Viva Musica Society is excited to announce that we are opening our doors to the general public to come to see the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble’s school production of The Barber of Barkerville.
Vancouver Opera in the Schools presents an opera for children adapted from one of the world’s most popular operas. Rossini’s comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville has been relocated to BC’s historic Barkerville during the exciting gold rush. Figaro, a crafty and mischievous barber, uses trickery and disguise to help Al, a love-struck young man, liberate the beautiful Rosie from the clutches of the dastardly innkeeper, Bart.
Especially adapted for younger audiences, but perfect for all ages, these fully staged and costumed operas last approximately 45 minutes.
The general public is invited to attend either of two showings.
Celebrate B.C.’s 150th anniversary.
Showtimes: 10 am and 12:30 pm
Date: April 17, 2008
Location: Kelowna Community Theatre

Tickets: $6:00 payable at the door.
Large groups can reserve tickets by calling 762-8967 or emailing vivamusica@telus. net

Children's Festival

Hi everyone,

I've just been looking at the Rotary Okanagan International Children's Festival website and am pretty excited. How did I not know that this was happening?! It looks really cool and I'm wondering if anyone would like to make a day trip of it with us. It runs from May 22-24th. and I'm thinking that I'd like to go on the Saturday and avoid the huge groups of school kids and go as a family. The family price to enter the grounds is $15 - pretty reasonable I think. I tried to see if we could get a group rate as homeschoolers, but the cut off date for group registration was April 2nd. They have tons of shows for free on the Open Stage and may have tickets available for the main stage performances available at the ticket office on the day we are there. Anyone interested ?

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Let's Play Ball

Okay, so ball season is upon us again. If you are looking for a non-competitive, positive sporting experience for the ages 4 - 9 crowd, come and join me for some t-ball with Vernon Minor Fastball on Saturday mornings at 10am starting April 26 at Coldstream Park. I am organizing and coaching the Learn To Play program this year for Vernon Minor Fastball. The Learn To Play program is a program developed in Saskatchewan that focuses on skill development using games and fun activities. We play modified ball games that ensure that everyone has fun and no score is kept. Everyone bats and they get as many swings as it takes to hit the ball. We start using the tee and graduate to coaches pitching. No one will be getting out on bases until toward the end of the season and then it is approached as a complicated game of tag (that is all that ball is, afterall).

Fastball is a kind of softball (uses a larger ball vs the smaller ball of baseball). It has a fast underhand pitch that goes straight across the plate (vs the high, slow, arc of slow pitch)Fastball is an Olympic sport for girls and Vernon Minor Fastball is a girls organization. Boys once played as well all through the different levels. Now they only play at the lower levels. However the Learn to Play program prepares them just as well for baseball as for fastball. Our teams are a mix of boys and girls and emphasis is on fun and personal skill development. I rely heavily on support from parents to fun games and drills.

If you are interested, you need to fill out a registration which you can do on the first Saturday (but I need to know you are coming) April 26. Registration is $45. Please call me, Andrea, at 250-503-5416 or e-mail agordon-smith@shaw.ca if you have questions or you want to join us.