Thursday, August 16, 2012

Field Trips!


Here is our field trip list. Some of our trips have a cost, even though we have worked really hard the last couple of years to have only free field trips.  But this year we have found some great things that we thought were too good to pass up!  We do have one other change; there is a minimum of children registered per trip.  If we do not meet that most of our trips will have to be canceled.  So check out your calendars, Read up on the places and let us know!

Wednesday, September 19th      Alabama Nature Center
You are invited to join other area homeschoolers at the Alabama Nature Center on Wednesday, September 19th for the 4th Annual Homeschool Day! The 2012 Homeschool Day at the Alabama Nature Center is designed for grades K-8 and this year's program will be a fun filled day starting at 9:00 am and ending at 1:30 pm. Pack a lunch and wear your play clothes because we WILL get wet, dirty, sweaty and hot!  The cost for the day is only $10.00 per child and $5.00 for adults.

The Alabama Nature Center is a 350 acre outdoor education facility located a few miles east of I-65 in Millbrook, AL. Our property offers a variety of landscapes, including forests, streams, fields, wetlands and ponds, and is all linked by five miles of boardwalks and trails. If you've never been a visitor to the ANC, or if you've only visited with a small group, please take this opportunity to join your fellow homeschoolers for an exciting day in the woods!

****WE NEED TO PRE-REGISTER ASAP, SO IF YOUR INTERESTED IN GOING PLEASE LET US KNOW BY 8/27/12, WE WILL NEED THE NAME, AGE AND GRADE OF THE CHILDREN GOING********

Tuesday, October  23rd at 2:00pm.  Montevallo National Cemetery
 The National Cemetery Administration honors veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service to our Nation.  They have a short video and then we will tour with a docent.  This will be about an hour long.  This field trip is free.
Please RSVP by 10-1-12

Wednesday, November 7th 10 AM- Fort Toulouse Frontier Days – Wetumpka Alabama
Once a year in November, visitors can enjoy stepping back in time to what it was like in the period from 1700 to 1820 during Alabama Frontier Days. See genuine blacksmiths at work, traditional Native American dances, battle re-enactments and more. Browse the living history exhibits or tour the 1751 French Fort Toulouse occupied by a full force of authentically costumer French Colonial Marines or visit the War of 1812 camp set up next to 1814 Fort Jackson. Learn the history of both forts from the Living History enthusiasts who give their time to inform the public what life was like in a much harsher times.  For more information check out the website:  www.forttoulouse.com


Some of the demonstrations and events will include:
Native American
  • Stomp Dance
  • Hide Tanning
  • Flint Knapping
  • Storytelling and Songs
  • Village Life and Foodways
  • Pottery Making
  • Creek Indian Hunting Camp
Colonial/Early American
  • Firing of Flintlock Muskets & Cannons
  • Spinning, Weaving & Dying
  • Blacksmithing
  • Ft. Toulouse Colonial Marines
  • Creek War/ 1812 Military Encampment
Admission
  • Students $6.00
  • Adults $7.00
  • Children 5 and under - free
You need to RSVP for this field trip by 10-15-12.

We will not have a field trip in the month of December, but watch for updates on a Mom’s night out event!

In January we will be having our group meeting so we will not have a field trip planned for this month either.

Monday, February 4th, 10 AM National Weather Service Center Calera Alabama
National Weather Service Calera Alabama.  We will be on a guided tour of the facility and talk about current weather conditions, while also watching it all happen in their update weather facility.  This is a free trip!
Please RSVP by 1-16-13 for this trip. 

Monday, March 18th, 10 AM    Aldrich Coal Mine Museum – Montevallo, Alabama
We went on this trip about 3 years ago and it was AMAZING.  The gentleman has been on this property and working in this area his whole life, he has pictures documenting all the changes good and bad.  In 1873 Truman Heminway Aldrich leased the Montevallo coal mines and purchased the mines outright in 1875.  He named the surrounding settlement Aldrich.
The Museum is housed in the “Company Store” of the former Montevallo Coal Mining Company in Aldrich, and Historic Farrington Hall.  As coal and coke production increased the mining company constructed communities around the area.  Centrally located were the company stores providing a common gathering place for town residents.  There were churches, schools, and fraternal organizations in the community.  The town has family dwellings, boarding houses, and retail stores lining the streets.  The deductions for company services and payments in scrip frequently undercut a miners pay.
From the end of the 19th century to the 1930s approximately one-half of all coal miners in Alabama were African-American, and blacks comprised more than 90 percent of convict miners.  Segregation among miners existed above ground but underground miners earned equal pay for equal work and endured the same hazards and risks of a dangerous occupation. 
The Aldrich Coal Mine Museum features coal mining memorabilia, a mine replica and vintage equipment photographs of the town of Aldrich at its coal-mining peak.  Here you will see pictures and artifacts of Aldrich, coal mine, prison, stores, churches and post office.  The site has the only coal miner monument in Alabama.  The store was built in 1928.
The mine closed in 1942 although the store remained open until 1944. 
In the meantime, Emfinger (Museum owner) gives museum guests a guided tour through his own simulated coal mine located inside the company store. 
The cost of this trip is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students.  This trip is for grades 2nd and up!
Please RSVP for this trip by 2-11-13

Monday, April 15th 10 AM-Alabama Recycling Center
The Alabama Environmental Council organized and still runs the oldest nonprofit recycling center in the state. It processes close to 2,000 tons of newspaper, glass, plastic, aluminum, mixed paper and cardboard a year. We helped launch state-wide curbside recycling programs, promote recycling education in schools and low-income communities, and operate a toll-free recycling hotline.  This tour will last about 45 mins.
For more information:  http://www.aeconline.org/recycling/center
This field trip is great for grades 1st and up, this will be a free trip. 
Please RSVP by 3-11-13


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