Cedar Rapids Home School

Assistance Program

An educational alternative for families choosing to home school.

2301 J Street SW

Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Phone: (319) 558-2088

http://homeschool.cr.k12.ia.us

The mission of the Cedar Rapids Home School

Assistance Program is to provide an educational

alternative that considers the best interest of the

student, benefits home schooling families, meets

the educational requirements of the school dis-

trict, and complies with state law.

Lead Teachers:

Deann Ongie

Anne Suggs

Resource Teachers:

Kathie Duesenberg

Wayne Fritch

Karen Hyland

Laura Reed

Peggy Ziemer

Secretary:

Robin Running Hawk

In This Issue…

Welcome Back/Events at a Glance………………..1

New Student Open House/Academic Classes..…2

Family Classes/Family Picnic/Lending Library…….2

New Staff Member/Open Court Training.. ………..3

Workplace Learning Connection (High School)....3

Pizza Hut Book It/Bike Ride/Scholastic Books…......4

Kaleidoscope/States Learning Fair/PE…….…….…5

Frontier/Robotics Club...………………………………6

Enrichment Classes ~1st Trimester Focus…...……...7

PATT (Parents and Teachers Together)…………….8

RSVPs…………………………………………………..9-10

WELCOME TO THE

2014-2015

SCHOOL YEAR

We are excited to be back and planning a

great year for you! We would like to extend a

heartfelt welcome to new and returning fami-

lies as you begin your 2014-2015 school year.

This year we have a new fulltime staff member

joining us. Wayne Fritch comes to us with valu-

able experience in math and technology, as

well as having been a homeschooling parent

in our program some years ago. Your monthly newsletter contains all the latest news about classes, field trips, special services, and various program opportunities that you won’t want to miss. Please take time each month to read your electronic newsletter and return your RSVP to your resource teacher.

We look forward to seeing you soon! Anne, Deann, Karen, Kathie,

Laura, Peggy, Wayne & Robin

SEPTEMBER EVENTS AT A GLANCE 9/08 ~ Lending Library Opens

9/11 ~ RSVPs Due to Resource Teachers

9/11 ~ Robotics Club Parent/Student Info. Mtg. ~ 4:00PM

9/11 ~ PATT Meeting/Mom’s Night Out ~ 5:30PM/6:30PM

9/12 ~ Family Picnic ~ 11:00AM-2:00PM

9/12 ~ WLC Job Shadow Applications Due to HSAP Office

9/16 ~ Open Court Training ~ 6:00PM

9/19 ~ New Student Open House ~ 12:30PM-2:00PM

9/22 ~ Monday K-5 Enrichment Classes begin

9/23 ~ Tuesday K-5 Enrichment Classes begin

9/25 ~ Middle School Enrichment Classes begin

9/25 ~ High School Enrichment Classes begin

9/26 ~ Bike Ride ~ 12:30PM-3:30PM

UPCOMING EVENTS AT A GLANCE 10/02 ~ Family Classes begin ~ 1:00PM or 2:15PM

10/02 ~ Scholastic Book Orders Due to HSAP Office

10/03 ~ School Pictures

10/17 ~ Curious George Kaleidoscope

10/27 ~ The Wright Stuff Kaleidoscope

11/3 ~ WLC Job Internship Applications Due to HSAP Office

11/10 ~ Voices from Ellis Island Kaleidoscope

11/13 ~ States Fair ~ 6:30PM

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Elementary Classes ~ Grades K-5

Choose Mondays or Tuesdays

K-5 year long classes include History, Science,

Art, Music, and Physical Education. Drop off

and pick up information is included in the par-

ent information packet.

RSVP #1

Middle School Classes ~ Grades 6-8

Thursdays

Yearlong middle school classes include Art,

Science, Literature, and Computer Education.

Drop off and pick up information is included in

the parent information packet.

RSVP #2

High School Classes ~ Grades 9-12

Thursdays

High school year long classes include Litera-

ture and Art. Students earn partial high school

credit for class and homework time.

RSVP #3

Please see your handouts for class times

October K-5 Family Classes

Thursdays, 1:00PM or 2:15PM Family Classes are for parents

and students together. These

classes focus on different topics

throughout the year.

This first Family Class will be for K-5 students and

their families and will be taught by Miss Laura.

(Supervised preschoolers may attend.)

K-5 families, please come join Miss Laura as we

learn about two of the most well known marsu-

pials from the Land Down Under. In this Family

Class, you will learn all kinds of interesting facts

about koalas and kangaroos. There will be a

Learning Lab booklet that each family will be

making to record fun facts and your awesome

illustrations.

If you plan to sign up for this Family Class,

please RSVP to your resource teacher and in-

clude whether your family is planning to attend

the 1:00PM or 2:15 PM class. Thank you! RSVP #4

Fall Family Picnic

Friday, September 12, 2014

11:30AM – 2:00PM

Bever Park 2700 Bever Ave, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Come and join us for our annual fall picnic at

Bever Park in Cedar Rapids. This is a leisurely

time for parents to talk and for kids to enjoy

playing together at the park. Please bring your own table service and a large dish or two to

share. Home School will provide drinks and

cups. We will start eating at noon.

We will be meeting in the Bever Pavilion locat-

ed next to Bever Avenue at the East (pool) en-

trance of the park. We hope to see you there!

New Student Open House

Wilson Middle School

Friday, September 19, 2014 ~ 12:30PM-2:00PM

New students and families are invited to stop

by during our open house times to view class-

rooms, meet teachers, practice opening lock-

ers, and browse in the lending library. We

hope to see you there.

News from

The Lending Library

Checkout begins

Monday, September 8th Be sure to stop by the lending library to check

out our collection of books, manipulatives,

games, etcetera.

Parents can check out most materials for a

duration of one month. Curriculum preview ma-

terials have a yellow checkout card and can

be checked out for a period of two weeks.

Many items are popular and we would like as

many families as possible to be able to use the

materials. Therefore, please return your items on time to allow others to use them as well.

Remember to browse the “FREEBIES” shelves.

These materials are FREE for the taking. There

are many new items on theses shelves. If you

have educational books and other items that

you no longer use, please feel free to donate

them to the Lending Library.

Chances are someone will be able to use them.

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Open Court Training Session

Tuesday, September 16 ~ 6:00PM

Wilson Middle School, Rm 122 This training is for parents who are using the

Open Court reading series and is a “walk you

through” session. We will review a typical lesson

plan; highlight “must-do” activities; and point

out optional activities. Instructors will hand out

lesson plan forms, share materials and provide

tips to assist parents with the best use of this cur-

riculum with their children.

This session is important for parents using this se-

ries for the first time. Parents who have previously

used these materials are welcome to join us for

a refresher course and to share their expertise.

Please RSVP the number of adults who plan to

attend. Please bring your Open Court manuals. This is a “Parents only” session.

RSVP #5

New Staff Member to HSAP

Wayne Fritch has joined the HSAP

staff. Wayne comes to us from down

the hall at Wilson Middle School

where he spent one year as a Math

Specialist. Wayne has an elementary back-

ground and has worked with K-5 students at var-

ious schools in the Cedar Rapids Community

School District for twenty three years. This year,

Wayne will be completing his 25th year with the

school district. Wayne’s children were home-

schooled for several years and were a part of

CRHSAP.

Wayne's HSAP responsibilities will include:

Teaching Middle School Science/Computer

Education

Leading Family Classes

Implementing a FIRST Tech Challenge

Robotic Club (FTC)

Please welcome Wayne to our HSAP team!

Workplace Learning

Connection

Job Shadows

Grades 10, 11 and 12 86,000 hours of your life will be

invested in your future career! Make a wise in-

vestment in your future career today by explor-

ing career options through the Workplace Learn-

ing Connection Job Shadow Program. You will

have the opportunity to shadow an area busi-

ness leader for two to six hours. A job shadow

can help you make those important future edu-

cation and career decisions. More information

and applications are available at

www.workplace-learning.org. Completed appli-cations should be turned in to Karen Hyland in

the home school office on or before September

12, 2014. No late applications please.

Please register for all classes

and programs in which you

wish to participate.

Completely fill out your RSVP

and give it to your

resource teacher on or before

Thursday, September 11, 2014.

Workplace Learning

Connection

Job Internships

Grades 11 & 12 Connect today to tomorrow’s careers!! Gain

work experience and know if a particular ca-

reer is right for you through Workplace Learning

Connection’s Job Internship Program. High

school juniors and seniors can get 90 hours of

planned and supervised career experiences.

Interns learn new skills, apply classroom

knowledge in a real-world setting, develop em-

ployability behaviors that prepare them for the

workplace, and gain insight that will help them

make more informed career choices. More

information and applications are available at

www.workplace-learning.org. Completed ap-plications should be turned in to Karen Hyland

in the home school office on or before Novem-

ber 3, 2014. No late applications please.

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Scholastic Book Club CRHSAP offers parents the opportunity to

purchase reading materials from a tremen-

dous selection of books and other educa-

tional items at reasonable prices. This year,

the packets will be bound by the grade lev-

els of Grades PreK-1, Grades 2-3, Grades 4-5,

and Grades 6+. Flyers will go home the week

of September 22nd. Orders are due Thurs-

day, October 2nd. If you choose to order

and pay online, go to scholastic.com/

reading club and use the code LM3CY. Pa-

per orders will be sent in that weekend and

online orders will be approved on October

3rd. Flyers will also be sent home during the

months of November, February, and April.

Questions may be directed to Peggy Ziemer

at 558-3897. Please RSVP in all appropriate

boxes.

RSVP #7

Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Communi-

ty School District not to illegally discriminate

on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,

disability, religion, creed, age (employment

only), marital status, sexual orientation, gen-

der identity, and socioeconomic status

(students/program only) in its educational

programs and its employment practices.

There is a grievance procedure for processing

complaints of discrimination. District employ-

ees with questions or a grievance related to

this policy should contact Jill Cirivello, Director

of Human Resources, 319-558-2421; jcirivel-

lo@cr.k12.ia.us. The District mailing address is

2500 Edgewood Rd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA

52405-1015.

Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! Program promotes reading for students in

grades K-6. The parent/teacher sets

monthly goals for each child including

the number of pages, minutes, or

books read. If your student is not yet a

reader, someone can read to the child. To en-

roll your child, please visit: www.bookitprogram.com/enrollment/homeschool.asp

Fall Family Bike Ride

Students K-12 and Parents

Friday, September 26, 2014

12:30PM – 3:30PM

Prairie Park Fishery/Sac Fox Trail Join us for the annual Fall Family Bike Ride at

Prairie Park Fishery and the Sac Fox Trail.

The younger students in grades K-5 and their

parents will ride the 1.8 mile loop around the

lake, as many times as they want to. Parents must accompany their K – 5th grade students.

The older students in grades 6 – 12 will ride out

the back end of Prairie Park Fishery and hook up

with the Sac Fox Trail to complete the 14 mile

round trip. CRHSAP staff will accompany the rid-

ers on the Sac Fox Trail. Parents may drop off their middle/high school students. If younger

students are able to ride the longer ride, they

are welcome as long as they are accompanied

by a parent.

Helmets are required.

Feel free to bring a picnic lunch and/or fishing

gear if you are so inclined.

RSVP #6

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Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center

University of Northern Iowa

8392 University Ave., Cedar Falls, IA

Kaleidoscope Series ~ A Buck ($1) a Ticket

Please pick up/pay Robin in the HSAP Office

prior to each performance

Curious George Friday, October 17, 2014 at 12:30PM

Recommended Audience: K-4 Join the inquisitive, lovable little monkey, Curious

George, in this delightful new musical. All-You-Can-

Eat Meatball Day came just once a year. George

had been waiting all month for that day, a day al-

most bigger than his birthday! On Meatball Day,

George helped his friend, Chef Pisghetti, cook some

delicious meatballs, and serve them to the hungry

crowd. But this year, the crowd had vanished! Some-

thing was keeping people away. And that something

was Phinneas T. Lightspeed and his speedy Meatballs

O’Matic machine. In despair, Chef Pisghetti vows to

cook no more. Determined to help his friend, George

goes on a mission to enter the Chef’s meatballs in the

world-famous golden Meatball Contest in Rome. With

every swing and flip, George takes the audience

through a fun-filled adventure in which he learns

more about Rome – and meatballs –and the “secret

ingredient” to cooking than he’d ever imagined.

RSVP #8

The Wright Stuff: First in Flight Monday, October 27, 2014 at 12:30PM Recommended Audience: Grades 2-7

Barely out of their teens, two plucky bicycle mechan-

ics team-up with their studious sister to out-invent the

world’s top scientists and achieve the timeless dream

of flight. From their tiny workshop in Ohio, Orville and

Wilbur Wright travel to North Carolina and launch the

first powered, sustained, and controlled flight of an

airplane, changing the world forever.

RSVP #9

Voices from Ellis Island Monday, November 10, 2014 at 12:30PM Recommended Audience: Grades 4-12

The Gateway to America, the front door to freedom,

the Island of Tears: from 1890-1930, Ellis Island was the

first experience of life in America for millions of immi-

grants. Their stories are amusing, frightening, inspiring,

and true.

RSVP #10

Check out the website

below for local activities

http://www.cedar-rapids.com/events/

“States” Learning Fair

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Set-up: 6:00PM-6:30PM

Visit other “states” 6:30 - 7:15PM

Oral Presentations: 7:15PM - 8;00PM

Wilson Middle School, Rooms 123 & 124 What is the state flower of Iowa? What is the

state bird of Alaska? Where did the Pilgrims first

settle in America? We live in a great country of

50 states, each having its own fascinating

facts.

We hope you will pick one of our 50 states and

participate in our “States Learning Fair”. All

grade levels are encouraged to share what

they have learned with an age-appropriate

display. If you are interested in a packet that

gives you some ideas, please mark your RSVP.

Home School will provide table space for you

to display your materials. A tri-fold board with

information about your state works well for writ-

ten information. This display should get the at-

tention of your audience, have a title for the

project, and inform the viewers about what

you have learned. Students are asked to stay

by their display to share their “state” with oth-

ers.

Please don’t miss out on being part of this ex-

citing evening! Talk to your resource teacher or

Peggy Ziemer if you have any questions.

RSVP #11

Physical Education ~ Elementary School Students

All students who are attending HSAP elementary enrichment clas-ses at Wilson Middle School partici-

pate in PE each week. Please send sneakers every week for PE. Thank You!

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Frontier Buying Club We will once again offer our families the oppor-

tunity to order from Frontier Natural Products in

Norway, Iowa. Frontier has spices and herbs in

bulk, coffee, tea, personal care items, and

thousands of other products that we love. Cat-

alogs and order forms are located in the Lend-

ing Library. You can also access the catalog

online. You place your order with us and Fron-

tier delivers to Wilson School for you to pickup.

We will notify you when your order is ready.

We will send you log on information when you

RSVP.

The ordering dates are as follows:

October 15

November 12

December 10

January 14

February 18

March 11

April 15

May 13 RSVP #12

Robotic Club -- FIRST Tech Challenge Parent/Student Informational Meeting

Thursday, Sept. 11th from 4:00 – 5:00PM Wilson Middle School, room 123.

HSAP is proud to sponsor its first Robotic Club.

The Robotic Club will be part of the interna-

tional FIRST League and is funded this year, in

part, due to grants through Rockwell and the

FIRST organization.

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is designed for stu-

dents in Middle and High School to complete

head to head, using a sports model. Teams

are responsible for designing, building, and

programming their robots to compete in an

alliance format against other teams. Teams

work together to develop strategy and build

robots using engineering principles. Awards are

given for the competition as well as for com-

munity outreach, design, and other real-world

accomplishments.

Our FTC team will be open to all students in

grades 6-12. Participants will meet 3 hours dur-

ing the week and 3 hours on alternating Satur-

days to work on their robot and program it in

preparation for competitions. The formal sea-

son will run Sept. through April, with other

meetings and activities on the ‘off season’. For those interested in participating, there will

be a parent/student organizational meeting

Thursday, Sept. 11th 4:00PM – 5:00PM at Wilson

Middle School, Room 123.

Mr. Wayne Fritch, HSAP Resource Teacher, will

serve as the team’s coach and Mr. Wittliff,

Rockwell Engineer, will be the team’s Mentor.

For more information, you may contact Mr.

Wayne by e-mail: wfritch@cr.k12.ia.us or

phone: 558-1031

For more information regarding FTC,

please see their website at:

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/

RSVP #13

9/22 ~ Monday K-5 Enrichment Classes begin

9/23 ~ Tuesday K-5 Enrichment Classes begin

9/25 ~ Middle School Enrichment Classes begin

9/25 ~ High School Enrichment Classes begin

10/2 ~ Family Classes begin

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K-5 History Classes ~ Taught by Laura Reed Bringing History Home is a program we use for our K-5 history classes. K-1 Classes: The main focus at the beginning of the year will be basic Geography. Students will understand geographically where she/he lives. As the year goes on, our history lessons will be learning about Commu-nity Helpers and Children Long Ago. 2-3 Classes: At the beginning of the year we will start working with basic Geography. From there we will study the Industrial Revolution. 4-5 Classes: Our studies this year will start with a review of basic Geography. After that we will move into the specific U.S. Regions. Our final unit of the year will be studying the Progressive Era.

K-12 Art Classes ~ Taught by Kathie Duesenberg This year in the visual arts classes your students will explore some great art, artists, and different cultures of the world, develop skills to understand and appreciate art work, participate in hands-on activities, and de-velop critical thinking skills by studying their own and other’s artwork. Some of the first concepts we will be studying in art are line, shape, color, space, form, & texture. These six elements are the visual building blocks that artists put together to create a work of art.

K-5 Physical Education Classes ~ Taught by Karen Hyland K-5 students are provided with the opportunity of moving to learn, learning to move, and experiencing the pleasure of movement. It is our hope that students learn about the importance of physical activity in their everyday life. First trimester topics include locomotion and bowling.

K-5 Music Classes ~ Taught by Peggy Ziemer Music is made up of sounds. Anyone can enjoy music even more when they understand it, and when they can recognize its components. The components of music are rhythm, melody, harmony, and expression. This year, we will be using our senses to work with those components. We will have fun while we work on the are-as of performance, expression & creativity, experiencing different kinds of music, identifying different rhythms and patterns, movement to music, using un-tuned and tuned percussion instruments, and looking at music from other cultures, times, and places.

K-5 Science Classes ~ Taught by Deann Ongie During the first part of the year K-1 students will be doing a sensory unit called Fabrics. 2-3 students will be exploring a physical science unit called Balance and Motion. 4-5 students will be discovering with Magnets and Motors. All units will include many hands-on activities & opportunities for collaborative group experiences.

Middle School & High School Literature Classes ~ Taught by Anne Suggs Middle school students will be reading some high interest novels, participating in lively and interesting dis-cussion, and working on various writing activities. High school students will be completing readings from across several genres, including poetry, non-fiction, short stories, and novels. We will be working on innovative writing which will link our reading to visual arts projects.

Middle School Science Classes ~ Taught by Wayne Fritch Where to Build in Boomtown? Students will explore the effects of erosion, weathering, and deposition. They will learn about landforms and determine the best place to build an apartment complex in the sea-side village of Boomtown. Guest presenters from the DNR and rural development agencies will be invited to share with students their work with geographical information systems (GIS). Students will be exposed to ca-reers where GIS is used on a daily basis for analyzing data and making decisions that affect wildlife and community development.

Middle School Computer Education Classes ~ Taught by Wayne Fritch Microsoft Word and Keyboarding will be the focus for the first trimester. Students will gain confidence in the use of Microsoft Word. Skills to be covered will include importing and manipulation of graphics, formatting and alignment of text, and use of Word Art. Students will design their own thematic collage and create a ‘menu’ for a fictitious restaurant. Students will also be introduced to a program called Ultra Keys. The program will test their current level with keyboarding skills and automatically set target goals for them to meet on their way to becoming a proficient keyboardist”.

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PATT Meetings and Mom’s Night Out

First Meeting and Mom’s Dinner

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Location: Carlos O Kelley's - Northeast Location

PATT Meeting ~ 5:30PM • Dinner ~ 6:30PM

Once again, we have decided to hold our PATT meetings on the same night and place as

Mom’s Night Out. Though we are holding the Mom’s Night Out immediately following the PATT

meeting, dads are welcome to attend the PATT meetings too. They may stay for dinner if they so

choose. Please contact Autumn Plummer @ 319-651-5252 for more information or to reserve your

spot. Moms’ Night Out is a great place to relax and get to know other homeschooling moms.

PATT Meetings and Mom’s Night Out will be held on Thursday evenings this year. The meetings

will be held from 5:30PM-6:30PM. (Mom’s dinner to immediately follow at 6:30PM)

You are welcome to attend PATT meetings, Mom’s night out dinners, or both, as they fit into your

schedule. Watch each month’s HSAP newsletter for location information.

Mark your calendar now with our future PATT meeting dates/Mom’s Night Out: 10/2, 11/6, 1/8,

2/5, 3/5, 4/2, 5/14.

Home School Roller Skating The first home school roller skating at Super Skate, located at 5100 Northland Ave.

NE in Cedar Rapids, will be held on Friday, September 12, 2014. If you have any

questions, please contact the rink at 377-3767. Hope to see you there!

***Please see the PATT handouts at the Fall meeting for more PATT information***

REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR BOX TOPS, SOUP LABELS, AND HYVEE RECEIPTS

Please turn them into the HSAP office on a regular basis

Clip, Save, Donate, Support CRHSAP

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Please RSVP to your resource teacher by Thursday, September 11, 2014 Please mark YES or NO for each activity.

Return/email this form to your resource teacher by the above deadline date!

Remember to note your choices on your personal planner/calendar.

Family Name: _______________________________ Phone Number: __________________

Email Address: ___________________________________ Resource Teacher: _________________

RSVP #1 CRHSAP Elementary Classes at Wilson School

Choose Mondays or Tuesdays

Student Name Day of the Week Grade Level

RSVP #2 CRHSAP Middle School Classes at Wilson School

Thursdays

RSVP #3 CRHSAP High School Classes at Wilson School

Thursdays

RSVP #4 October K-5 Family Class

Thursdays in October ~ 1:00PM or 2:15PM

Yes_____ No ______ Total # Attending ______

Children Age(s) _______________ 1:00PM _____ or 2:15PM _____

Student Name Grade Level

Student Name Grade Level

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RSVP #6 Family Bike Ride

Friday, September 26, 2014 ~ 12:30PM - 3:30PM

Yes _____ No _____ Grade of Riders ________ Total # Attending _____

RSVP #5 Open Court Parent Training

Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 6:00PM

(Parents Only Please)

Yes_____ No ______ # Attending ______

RSVP #7 Scholastic Book Club

Yes_____ No ______

Please check the boxes below for each grade level order packets that you would like to receive

Grades PreK-1 Grades 2-3 Grades 4-5 Grades 6+

RSVP #8 Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (Kaleidoscope)

Curious George

$1 per ticket ~ Pick up/Pay for tickets prior to showing in HSAP main office

Friday, October 17, 2014 ~ 12:30PM

Yes_____ No ______ # Tickets ______

RSVP #9 Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (Kaleidoscope)

The Wright Stuff: First in Flight

$1 per ticket ~ Pick up/Pay for tickets prior to showing in HSAP main office

Friday, October 27, 2014 ~ 12:30PM

Yes_____ No ______ # Tickets ______

RSVP #10 Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (Kaleidoscope)

Voices from Ellis Island

$1 per ticket ~ Pick up/Pay for tickets prior to showing in HSAP main office

Friday, November 10, 2014 ~ 12:30PM

Yes_____ No ______ # Tickets ______

RSVP #11 “States” Learning Fair

Thursday, November 13, 2014 ~ 6:30PM

Yes _____ No _____ Student Name ___________________________

State _____________ Oral Presentation Y/N _____ Special Requests _______________

RSVP #12 Frontier Buying Club

Yes _____ No _____ Contact Name ___________________________

RSVP #13 Robotics Club Parent/Student Meeting

Thursday, September 11, 2014 ~ 4::00PM-5:00PM

Yes _____ No _____ # Attending ______