Have you ever watched kids dig potatoes for the first time? It is like a treasure hunt. Or experienced the joy of pulling a beautiful, long orange carrot, washing it, and eating it right then and there? There is no substitute for these experiences.
I have been gardening with students for a long time. More recently, I have written a couple of successful grants to purchase wind turbines and solar panels, along with community educational materials on alternative energy. For years, I did all of this with sixth graders. When I got bumped to eighth grade, I began teaching a course called Sustainable Living. I believe that I am teaching important life skills, and preparing students for a new future that may be much different than our current way of living.
Sustainable Living is a semester-long, elective class designed to teach students about sustainability through the use of our extensive garden, our rooftop solar panels, and small wind turbines. We immerse students into the world of gardening and eating the good food that we grow. With our thirty raised beds, a greenhouse, extensive worm bins, and composting area as an outdoor classroom, we learn about everything from building good soil to seed germination to preserving our crops. We monitor our own solar and wind energy production, and cook and prepare food twice a week.
Every day is a little different and always very hands-on. I have found something very interesting about teaching gardening over the years. There is usually no immediate gratification, which is what students are used to and what they desire. Other than seeing a radish seed pop out of the soil fairly quickly, most plants take two to three months to grow to a harvestable size. And there is all of the weeding and watering to do. Yet the reward is often so great, that if you can just get them that far, the concepts they learn are deeply ingrained in their being.
I am working on a new edition of my book, Carschooling and updating some of the resources. It’s been fairly smooth going but I just got to Chapter 7 on Geography and am stumped. Here’s why…
In 2002, when the book was originally published, people used road maps in the car – not Google Maps, Mapquest, and GPS devices.
There are a number of learning activities in the book that rely on the use of a road map to help kids learn to navigate as well as learn some geography.
Here are my questions:
Do any of you with children ages 4-17 still use road maps in the car? Would you appreciate ideas that call for using road maps to help kids learn?
If not, do you use any of the modern technological wonders to help your kids learn navigation and geography? If so, how?
If you share an activity that uses modern technology here, be sure to include your name as you would like credit in the book. Anyone, whose idea is included, will receive a free copy of the next edition of Carschooling.
Unforgettable, beautiful, and unlike anything seen since the heyday of Harry Houdini." - Londonmonthly.com
Victoria Chaplin’s Aurélia’s Oratorio
At the Calvin Theatre
in Northampton, MA
SHOWTIMES:
July 17th @ 7pm
July 18th @ 2pm & 7pm
Hilltown Families and Iron Horse Entertainment Group have partnered up to offer a chance for three different families to win 4 free tickets to see Victoria Chaplin’s internationally acclaimed theatrical creation, Aurélia’s Oratorio. A family pack of four tickets are being offered for each of the three performances. Find out how to enter to win below.
ABOUT AURELIA’S ORATORIO
"Fluid, sensual and stylishly surreal surprises... and topsy-turvy transformations." - The Times
Aurélia’s Oratorio, is a breathtaking and mind-bending theatrical performance that combines circus arts, physical theater, and visual illusion for the whole family. Framed within its lush red velvet curtains, the show includes music hall comedy, vaudeville, clowning, and acrobatics to create an enchanting and surreal dreamscape. In Aurelia’s captivating world, anything is possible. A kite flies a person instead of a person flying a kite. A young woman pops out of bedroom bureau drawers and puppets perform a show—for other puppets.
Show creator Victoria Chaplin has broken new ground in a comic tradition rooted in her own world-famous family. Along the way, she has developed an international reputation as a pioneer in Cirque Nouveau, a theatrical kind of circus that uses no animals or traditional clowns. In their place, Chaplin and her husband and partner Jean Baptiste Thierrée have developed a rich spectacle using theatrical settings, inventive costumes and props, and extravagant acrobatics – where audiences are invited to enter magical worlds of the imagination. This new circus form, that Chaplin has helped to pioneer during the past quarter century is what has made Quebec’s Cirque du Soleil the most popular theater in North America.
Aurélia’s Oratorio is not as huge and sprawling as Cirque du Soleil. But in its human scale, it achieves a rare intimacy and transcendence—where small moments resonate and last in our thoughts and memory. Indeed, reviewing the show for Edge Boston, critic Kilian Melloy wrote, “There’s so much going on here at every moment that Aurélia’s Oratorio is akin to living inside a glass of champagne: for an hour and a half, reality itself seems effervescent.”
RAVE REVIEWS
Aurélia’s Oratorio played for five weeks last December to sold-out houses and rave reviews at the American Repertory Theater (ART) in Cambridge, MA (see video above). Unable to fulfill the audience demand and ecstatic word-of-mouth, A.R.T. has booked a rare return engagement–another two-week run that will play after the Calvin’s Northampton date. The A.R.T. engagement was made possible when the City of Burlington, Vermont negotiated with Aurelia’s European producers to bring the troupe (and its two tons of stage gear) back to the U.S. from their tour of Europe and Russia—to perform as the keynote event representing France at Burlington’s 400th anniversary festival celebrating the 1609 lake expedition of Samuel de Champlain, the first European to visit the region. The Northampton presentation of Aurélia’s Oratorio is being made possible with support from the Burlington Festival.
HOW TO WIN
Your chance to win a family 4-pack of free tickets to see Victoria Chaplin’s Aurélia’s Oratorio is as easy as 1-2-3 (4-5-6)! To win simply:
LIVE (TOWN/STATE)PLEASE include your town and state to be eligible.
We are offering a family 4-pack of tickets for each evening, so be sure to tell us which show you prefer to see to be eligible to win: (Friday (07/17) @ 7pm, Saturday (07/18/09) @ 2pm or 7pm.).
ACCURATE EMAIL (we never share your email address).
We’ll randomly draw 3 winners, one winner for each scheduled performance, and will share the results below.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE! — Deadline is Wednesday, 07/15/09 @ 7pm (EST).
If you don’t win you should still go! Tickets for “Aurelia’s Oratorio” are available at the Northampton Box office, online at IHEG.com or by calling 413-586-8686.
Congratulations to Del Haskins for being sworn in as our new Fire Chief in Ashfield! In some really surprising news, I was the Fire Chief for about two and a half minutes! Maryellen wanted to make sure she had the oath right (not wanting to repeat the slip-up at the Obama inauguration) and so she turned to me to practice on. Realizing it would be my only chance to ever be Fire Chief, I vowed to do everything right. Fortunately, no major fires broke out in my two and a half minute reign, only a few trash can fires that I was able to put out by kicking them over and stomping on them.
But you know, one of my favorite mottos is “Roll when you’re on fire.”
This weather is very bad. (I just wrote three different words/terms for bad, but then thought better of them as you never know who is reading.) But, this weather makes me very grouchy. (Three more words deleted.) But you know what helps? A little while ago herbalist Toni Lemos was showing me some essential oils and I accidentally hit the rosemary one with my nose and now my whole world smells like Rosemary! And that is helping my mood considerably! I recommend it until the sun comes back out.
Sorry this post is so late, but I’ve been busy! Okay? Okay! (Rosemary! Inhale the rosemary!)
The first thing I have to do is correct myself on my last post when I said we had served 139 people on Father’s Day. A hundred and thirty-nine, that ain’t nothing; last Sunday we served 160 people. No, on Father’s Day we served two hundred and thirty-nine people. I am sorry for the gross understatement I imposed upon our hard-working staff of that day. (And they let me know I had messed up—for which I do not blame them!)
I had something else I had to correct as well, but I forgot what that one was.
But thank you to all of the people who brought in dish towels, mugs and pens! One faithful reader forwards this post every week to her niece in Connecticut and the niece mailed a box of dish towels and pens! I feel like Berlin in the 1940s!*
Many people have asked if we will be open on July 4th, and indeed we will! We’ll serve breakfast from 8am – noon and after that we’ll be open as long as people keep coming in. If they stop we might go home, but do come in for breakfast!
*For those young enough to wonder what in the world I’m talking about, and for those of you old enough, yet versed enough in history to also wonder what in the world I’m talking about, I’m talking about the Berlin Airlift of 1948 and 49 when the Western Allies airlifted food and supplies into Soviet-blockaded Berlin. Now, what we have here at Elmer’s is nothing at all like the Berlin Airlift of 1948, but it makes a nice image; all the Elmer’s employees standing on the roof of Elmer’s waiting for airplanes to drop loads of dish towels and pens to us. The mugs hurt when they hit us, but the dishtowels are okay.
Share the Abundance of the Hilltowns! Introducing
Hilltown Home Garden Exchange (HHuGE)
Wagon opens July 20th, 2009 at the Old Creamery in Cummington, MA.
BRING YE! BRING YE!
Your carrots and tomatoes, your bountiful harvest, yearning to circulate with other plump produce!
TAKE YE! TAKE YE!
That which ye will eat, and rejoice with us as we GIVE and TAKE without charge, with the open neighborly spirit our Hilltowns are known for.
Sponsored by ‘Eating is not an Option,” a growing coalition of local political leaders, Fraternal organizations and non-profits in the Hilltowns, including the Hilltown Food Pantry, Loaves & Fishes and Hilltown Families.
Downing & Kulik Announce Funding for a Renewable Energy Site Survey at New Hingham Regional Elementary School in Chesterfield, MA
State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) and State Representative Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Renewable Energy Trust (RET) has awarded up to $5,600 in funding for a Municipal Site Survey of a proposed wind site at the New Hingham Regional Elementary School in Chesterfield, MA.
“By exploring and identifying appropriate sites in western Massachusetts for renewable energy generation we ensure clean energy availability and future costs savings for our region,” said Downing. “We also have a responsibility to make sure our site selection is deliberate and that we strategically site wind projects in locations with minimal environmental impacts. This RET grant will help the New Hingham School community take the necessary preliminary steps to do just that.”
The site survey will provide valuable information used for identifying advantages and disadvantages of wind generation on the school’s property and whether the proposed site is of sufficient size and wind resource to warrant a detailed site survey. This preliminary survey will help the New Hingham Regional Elementary School Committee determine whether it is reasonable to conduct a more comprehensive feasibility study for a wind project on the site.
Representative Kulik said, “The high elevation and remote location of the New Hingham School presents a great opportunity to study the feasibility of wind power to provide greater energy independence and cost savings for the people of Chesterfield and Goshen. A successful wind project at the school will also be a great and inspiring educational tool for the children.”
The Renewable Energy Trust is an arm of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative which provides financial assistance to individuals and businesses to support renewable energy projects that maximize environmental and economic benefits to the Commonwealth. To learn more about the organization click HERE.
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening, along with time, location, age appropriateness and costs before attending
4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS & PARADE SCHEDULE
Click HERE to see the schedule for firework displays and parades happening in the Hilltowns and the Pioneer Valley.
BULLETIN BOARD
July 9 – Fireflies are lightening up the skies.
July 10 – Blueberries will begin to ripen, starting with low bush blueberries.
July 13 – Listen for Snowy Tree Crickets and Katydids in the evenings.
July 20 - The song of the cicadas on hot summer days start to be heard.
August 6 – Look for Yellow Warblers around the thistles.
August 19 - Have a freshwater stream nearby? Look for scarlet red Cardinal Flowers.
6-10am – FAMILY RADIO: Valley Free Radio (WXOJ-LP 103.3FM Northampton, MA) offers 4-hours of commercial-free family programing every Saturday, including Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child from 7-9am, and the Hilltown Family Variety Show from 9-10am. Listen via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org. SRSC can also be heard on The River from 8-10am.
Chesterfield 4th of July Parade Schedule. Click on flyer to see larger image.
Here is a schedule of firework displays and parades happening in Western Massachusetts. Click on the listing to find out more information. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening.
Looking for family events during the day on the 4th of July?
Check the comment box below for 4th of July events.
And be sure to click on the links below. Many of the firework displays are part of an all-day community celebration.
If you know of a 4th of July event, please post it below.
4TH OF JULY PARADES
Right here in the hilltowns will be a great old fashion parade that the whole family can participate in beginning at 10:30am at the CHESTERFIELD 4TH OF JULY PARADE. Click HERE to read our post, Hilltown Families’ Kids Invited to March in Chesterfield’s 4th of July Parade.
Other parades happening in Western Massachusetts on the 4th of July include the towns of
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. (Director Robert Kenner. 94 mins, Rated PG)
Opens June 26, 2009 at Amherst Cinema in Amherst, MA. Showtimes: Friday 6/26 through Thursday 7/2 – 2:15pm, 4:15pm, 7:00pm, 9:15pm. Plus Saturday 6/27 and Sunday 6/28 – 11:45am. NOTE: Monday 6/29 9:15pm show moves to 9:45pm. Baby-friendly Show Tuesday 6/30 2:15pm
REVIEW BY VARIETY: With a constituency limited to anyone who eats, “Food, Inc.” is a civilized horror movie for the socially conscious, the nutritionally curious and the hungry. Yes, it has a deceptively cheery palette, but helmer Robert Kenner’s doc — which does for the supermarket what “Jaws” did for the beach — marches straight into the dark side of cutthroat agri-business, corporatized meat and the greedy manipulation of both genetics and the law. Doc biz may be in the doldrums, but “Food, Inc.” is so aesthetically polished and politically urgent, theatrical play seems a no-brainer, though it won’t do much for popcorn sales. Read the rest of this entry »
Take Charge!
Hilltowns Raffle to Be Drawn July 4th, 2009
The community wide campaignTake Charge! by Cummington, Worthington, Plainfield, Williamsburg and Chesterfield wraps up on July 4! To take the pledge, fill out a Take Charge! brochure and pledge to take 1 or all 5 home energy savings steps, such as scheduling a home energy audit, switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, turning down your water heater, and using a clothesline. Everyone who drops off a pledge form will be entered into a raffle for one of 19 prizes donated by Hilltown businesses. Winners will be announced on July 4. For more information, contact Tomasin Whitaker at 413-586-7350 ext. 25.
Parents' Night Out in the Hilltowns: Radio Free Earth will be performing at the Ashfield Lakehouse in Ashfield, MA on Saturday, June 27th at 8:30pm. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening, along with time, location, age appropriateness and costs before attending
BULLETIN BOARD
CONCERT SERIES IN FLORENCE: Every Thursday night is a free lawn concert at the Florence Civic Center in Florence, MA.
ROUNDTABLE IN CHESTERFIELD: Are you planning on growing old here in the hilltowns? Do your kids grandparents live here in the hills. Want to get involved with support the elder community in rural Western Mass? Hilltown CDC and area COAs will be hosting a roundtable discussion on “Options for Elder Living” in the hilltowns at the Chesterfield Senior Center on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 2:00 PM to explore new elder living options. Click here to read more about the roundtable and the Abbeyfield model that will be discussed.
HILLTOWN FOOD PANTRY: Distributions of free nutritious food to income qualified households every Wed at the Goshen Town Hall: Call 413-268-7578 or contact the Northampton Survival Center at 413-586-6564 or http://www.thensc.org
HF LISTSERV MEMBER LAUREN ABEND WRITES: Hi all, Just wanted to let you know I will be selling organic, free range chickens at the Ashfield Farmers Market this Sat, and all following Sat. I have a range of weights, as well as giblets for sale. I processed the first batch of birds on site yesterday using the mobile poultry unit owned by the small farms institute.
PESTICIDES ON YOUR FOOD: New web search tool shows what pesticides are on your food: The Pesticide Action Network has launched a new online searchable database designed to make the public problem of pesticide exposure visible and more understandable. Whether you want to find out what’s in your apple juice, milk, peanut butter, or bottled water, this innovative tool links pesticide food residue data with the toxicology for each chemical, making this information easily searchable for the first time.
CHOCOLATE & CHILD LABOR: Tell Hershey’s to Stop Abusive Child Labor in Cocoa Production: For years, the Organic Consumers Association has been taking action, along with the International Labor Rights Fund, to stop abusive child labor in the cocoa industry in West Africa. As a result of the constant pressure, major chocolate companies like M&M/Mars and Cadbury have recently agreed to stronger labor and environmental standards in the production of the cocoa they use. But one iconic US brand is lagging behind – and they need to hear from YOU! Ask Hershey’s to switch to Fair Trade & Organic certified cocoa and sugar — for all of their products. Click here to learn more and to take action.
On Monday, June 29, at 7pm there is a special screening of Food, Inc. to benefit CISA at the Amherst Cinema. A thoughtful panel discussion featuring Pioneer Valley agriculture and food experts will follow this particular screening of the provocative film.
CAMPING: Saturday is the Great American Backyard Campout. It’s a night to turn off the computer and the TV, and spend the night outside with family and friends. Put up a tent. Count the stars. And realize that sometimes by doing nothing at all, you’re doing more than you can imagine. Together. Get free camping tips, campfire songs, activities, recipes, and more at www.backyardcampout.org.
FILM IN AMHERST: On Monday, June 29, at 7pm there is a special screening ofFood, Inc.to benefit CISA at the Amherst Cinema. A thoughtful panel discussion featuring Pioneer Valley agriculture and food experts will follow this particular screening of the provocative film.
PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING: Public School Funding in MA: How Do We Compare Nationally?: Not well, according to a new report by Mass Budget—a non-partisan think tank that analyzes data on state spending. Check out their quick facts on the issue, which reports that Massachusetts cut more funding to education than any other state in the country from 2002-2004. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies that affect low- and moderate-income people in the state.
THE NIELDS WRITE:Look for us in Easthampton, MA at the library, in the morning, on July 1. We’ll be the ones not using our indoor voices and telling you to spend the summer reading. Also we’ll be singing: 7/1/09 Pepin Elementary School Easthampton, MA 10:30 am SUMMER Reading Kick Off Family Singalong – the website says 10:30pm, it is wrong, its really 10:30am :-)
HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW
Tune in to the Hilltown Family Variety Show on Saturdays from 9-10am on Valley Free Radio (VFR), 103.3FM (Northampton, MA), or listen via streaming audio at www.ValleyFreeRadio.org. Every Saturday VFR offers four hours of commercial-free, quality family program from 6-10am, including Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child from 7am-9am. It’s better than Saturday morning cartoons!
6-10am – FAMILY RADIO: Valley Free Radio (WXOJ-LP 103.3FM Northampton, MA) offers 4-hours of commercial-free family programing every Saturday, including Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child from 7-9am, and the Hilltown Family Variety Show from 9-10am. Listen via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org. SRSC can also be heard on The River from 8-10am.
I have spent the ENTIRE day planning to work on my taxes—I’m just a little behind on a few things—and here I am at 7:09 pm, not any closer to being a true American Citizen than I was at 8:00 this morning. Hey look! I just twittered!
My new favorite name of something: Being on E-mail and Facebook all day long while at work is apparently called “Social Notworking.”
Okay, now for the news:
Do you remember back when we did our great Pen drive and everyone brought our pens back to us as well as some that we had never owned? Well now I have an even better idea! This is Elmer’s Old Washcloth and Dishtowel drive! (And we could use some pens again, too, as you apparently took them all home with you again.)
I’m just thinking; I spend a lot of money on washcloths and dishtowels so that we can wash off tables and dry them, and I occasionally bring in old ones from my house that are unsightly or just too rust-stained for me to want to give to guests or anything, and then I thought, “Why, I’ll bet there are lots of people out there without anything to do with their old washcloths and dishtowels!” I don’t mean your good guest towels, I mean that even kind of raggely ones will do! Those aren’t really things you can put in your tag sales, so you must have mountains of them in the back of your attic!
You may ask yourselves, “Where exactly do the washcloths and dish towels they already have go to?” and the answer is, “I don’t know! Maybe you took those with you, too when you were pocketing our pens!” It is also possible that since it is the good old summertime and we are serving that many more Elmer Guests (we served breakfast to 139 people on Father’s Day!) that our need is up and so we’re just running through more as we put them in the laundry every day.
So if you are looking at your collected piles of pens, washcloths, dishtowels OR even coffee mugs that you wish you didn’t have, you can just bring them to us at Elmer’s Store, 369 Main St., Ashfield, Massachusetts 01330. You can recycle your old stuff and help us keep our costs down all at the same time! And we appreciate it!
How to Make the Most of Summer
What Parents Can Do to Keep Kids Sharp Over the Summer
Locate a summer program. There are high-quality summer camps and programs in almost every price range. Camps offered by schools, recreation centers, universities, and community-based organizations often have an educational or enrichment focus.
Visit the library. Find out what interests your child and select books on that subject. Participate in free library summer programs and make time to read every day.
Take educational trips. These can be low-cost visits to parks, museums, zoos and nature centers. When planning vacations, consider those with educational themes.
Practice math daily. Measure items around the house or yard. Track daily temperatures. Add and subtract at the grocery store. Cooking is a chance to learn fractions. Every day experiences can be fun and interesting, while giving kids opportunities to learn the skills they need.
Get outside and play. Limit TV and video game time, just as you do during the school year. Intense physical activity and exercise contribute to healthy development.
Do good deeds. Students learn better and “act out” less when they engage in activities that aid in their social-emotional development, such as community service.
Keep a schedule. It makes sense to continue daily routines during the summer and to continue to provide structure and limits. The key is providing a balance and keeping kids engaged.
Prepare for fall. Find out what your child will be learning during the next school year by talking with teachers at that grade level. Preview concepts and materials over the summer.
"If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children." - Mahatma Gandhi
Welcome to Hilltown Families, a grassroots communication network for families with grade school children living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.
HF welcomes writings that reflect the positive work and educational efforts activists, families, teachers, and artists work towards and accomplish and how that affects, supports and empowers our families.
GRENDEL BOOKS, ABAA/ILAB
Local, independent book store selling out-of-print and used quality books for over 20 years.
Hilltown Families welcomes individuals and businesses to become a sponsor. Email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com to inquire how you can support the work of Hilltown Families by becoming a sponsor. There are many different and creative ways, both large and small, for you or your business to support the work of Hilltown Families. Proposals for barter are welcomed.
Hilltown Family Variety Show
The HFVS airs every Saturday mornings on 103.3FM WXOJ from 9-10am. Listen via streaming audio!
Music
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
