Whangarei Home Educator Conference-9 August 2008

Saturday 9 August

St Andrews Uniting Church

Cnr Hunt and Bank St

Whangarei

Learning starts at home… whatever age you are!
Be inspired how your home and family can be a place of learning and growing for everyone. Homeeducation is a great option for children. Local people share their stories, experiences and expertise.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

8.30 am Registration

9 am Welcome and Keynote Address
We have invited three local Dads to share their perspectives on home education:
Steve Jaunay, Nigel Griffiths and Bruce Eirena

10 am Bookseller ‘Show&Tell’
Vendors present recommended resources for home educators.

10.30 am Morning Tea

11.30 am Workshop One
*Unit Studies with Karen Grammer
*Unschooling – Living and Learning with Kerrin Taylor
*Living Room Adventures with Erena Fussell

1 pm Lunch

2 pm Workshop Two
*Hot’n’Spicy Tips for Home Educating Families with Jo and Jonathan Anderton
*Kitchen Science with Carolyn Garvitch
* Finding the Maths in Art with Shelley Williamson
*French Language and Culture for Kiwi Kids Reity Roughton & Axelle Faur

3 pm Afternoon Tea

3.15 pm Workshop Three
*Starting Out in Home Education with Sharyne Jaunay
*Home Help for Learning Difficulties with Sheryn Comrie
*Hand Made Presents with Jennifer Sharplin
*Capable Kids with Skills for Life with Rosie Boom

4.30 pm Clean Up

TEENAGERS PROGRAMME

Workshop 1: Survived and Thrived
Ex-homeschoolers share how they made the transition into tertiary study and/or employment. How did being home-educated help or hinder? What are some of the pathways to a career for home-schoolers? Plenty of discussion. Parents welcome to attend.
Workshop 2: Ukelele Gig with Steve Evans
Come and learn a few chords and how to play a couple of songs on the ukelele, the popular, 4 stringed, easy to play instrument. No previous musical experience is necessary. If you have your own uke or could borrow one, please bring it along although we will have some available to use during the workshop.
Workshop 3: Careers with Northtec
or Craft Simone Rakene works for Northtech, assisting young people into apprenticeships. Find out
how these work and what else Northtec offers. Parents welcome to attend. Alternatively teens can join
Jennifer Sharplin’s craft workshop.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Workshop 1
One choice per session

Unit Studies with Karen Grammer
Karen will show you how Unit Studies can bring many subjects (and children) together around the passions you and your children have. It’s an exciting, easy and creative way of learning – no budget is too
small. Karen’s children loved it – and learnt heaps.
Unschooling – Living and Learning with Kerrin Taylor
What is unschooling? To Kerrin and her family, one definition is living life as if school didn’t exist! Learning is everywhere and children can learn all they need when free to follow their interests. Could unschooling be right for your family?
Living Room Adventures with Erena Fussell
History alive in your own home! History provides a great framework for learning – and children love it. Combine it with related literature and you enliven your study and your children’s minds even more. Erena will give examples and time for discussion.
Workshop 2
Hot’n’Spicy Tips for Home-Educating Families with Jonathan and Jo Anderton.
Being part of their children’s lives and learning is important for both Jo and Jonathan…they show you how in home-educating you can have your cake and eat it too! (It’s all about sharing the portions). Warning: contains entertaining additives, encouraging preservatives and challenging colours!
Kitchen Chemistry with Carolyn Garvitch
Hands-on experiments that you can do with your children (without blowing up the house). Learn about fun ways to introduce your children to chemistry concepts that they can experience everyday.
Finding the Maths in Art with Shelley Williamson
Explore some fun and creative ways to make art that incorporates mathematical concepts. Aimed at early primary ages, using found materials (either natural or man-made) in your own home.
French Language and Culture for Kiwi Kids with Reity Roughton and Axelle Faur
Language learning is for children too! Find out how you can help your children learn a language, and some useful resources. Reity and Axelle will demonstrate what they do in their French classes.
Workshop 3
Starting out in Home Education with Sharyne Jaunay
Considering home-educating? Where to start?! Sharyne will explain applying for an exemption, approaches to home-education, ERO visits, and how to make the best start with your kids – relax!
Home Help for Learning Difficulties with Sheryn Comrie
Sheryn works with parents’ “gut instinct” to address their children’s learning needs. Recognise what your children can do, and support what they can’t with hands-on activities. Sheryn will seek to respond to the
situations of those present and try out activities that can be tailor made to each child’s needs.
Hand Made Presents with Jennifer Sharplin
Word Wall Art on ceramic tiles! Make something that looks fantastic for a low price. They make great gifts (Christmas) and are fast, simple and fun to make. You should have time to make 2 or 3. You don’t even need to be creative to slap these together.
Capable Kids with Skills for Life with Rosie Boom
Nevermind mathematics and spelling, what about Life Skills? Are we teaching our children the basic skills of life (and the values learnt by doing them), or are they being forgotten amid Latin lessons? Rosie will
give practical ideas of how you can make sure your children are equipped to face real life. Come and be inspired!

conference speaker profiles

conference registration form

Register online

OR send your form to Kerrin Taylor
Booksellers and home-educating vendors will be present, as well as a Second-Hand book table.  Please contact Maggie Bishop if you have resources you want to sell, phone 4383313.

Tea and coffee will be provided.  Lunches will be available to purchase, or bring your own.  There will be no creche, so please make other arrangements for your children. “Babes in arms” welcome.