Editor’s Note: Happy Saturday! If you missed the morning post, you can read Robin’s review of two sweet Canadian authored books HERE. This afternoon we have the scoop on two new and very wonderful science programs offered at the Courtenay Museum. Check them out:
As self-proclaimed science nerds over here, the recent announcement from the Courtenay Museum that it is launching two awesome new Winter programs for kids and families, made us jump up and down with uncontrolled excitement and want to make sure all of our fellow science nerd crew knew about some serious dinosaur, nature and solar system science goodness.
As soon as we heard about the new Family Fossil Club we ran right out and signed up. This is one of those cool things that we’ve been waiting forever to do with the tiny person.
Here’s the scoop:
The Courtenay Museum Family Fossil Club will be open to all ages and will be geared towards novice fossil collectors and enthusiasts. The club will run in eight-week sessions, with three meetings and one guided field trip per month from 10:30 to 12:30 Saturdays beginning January 16.
As a member of the Fossil Club, you will be entitled to the following:
- Monthly agenda of Fossil Club events, weekly club meetings (lectures, discussions, crafts, demonstrations, games and fossil identification),
- Monthly guided field trip (hammers, chisels, goggles and packaging supplies provided),
- A “Puntledge River Elasmosaur” ball cap,
- The book Heather’s Amazing Discovery, and
- A complimentary Museum membership.
Museum membership includes:
- Free admission to the museum,
- Monthly on-line newsletter,
- 15% off gift shop purchases (excluding consignment items and gift certificates),
- An additional 5% gift shop discount during members-only Christmas shopping week,
- 10% off Children’s Programs,
- Discounts on lectures, and
- Invitations to exhibit openings.
Cost for the Fossil Club membership per eight-week session is $175.00/family, $75.00/adult, $50/youth (5-16).
How cool is that?
Home-school families also have a great opportunity to tackle science learning in a group, seeing as the Courtenay Museum is offering a new Science and Nature Discovery Program exclusively for home-schooled children ages 5 to 12.
The program is based on British Columbia’s prescribed learning outcomes and at the end of each session parents will receive a list of PLO’s that have been covered during the course including Life Science, Physical Science and Earth & Space Science.
Seven different sessions of four classes each will be available throughout the year, with the first session beginning January 6, 2010.
Topics covered in Session #1 will be: Seashore Life: Creatures of the Comox Valley (Life Science), Earth Science: Structure of the Earth (Earth and Space Science), Matter: Atoms, Molecules and Beyond (Physical Science) and Fossils and Dinosaurs: A Trip Back in Time (Life Science).
Classes will consist of a mix of interactive presentations, discussions, demonstrations, slide shows, hands-on activities, games and projects to take home.
Registration is required. Cost for one session (four classes) per child is $60 plus GST.
It is so great to have the Courtenay Museum and its enthusiastic staff jumping in to offer kids and families these fun, hands-on learning experiences.
We will definitely be getting our science groove on this Winter and hope to see all of you there!
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Just a note: there is still time to join up for the Science and Nature Discovery program; I believe the first week is now that of 20th January due to such high demand.
Our son isn’t a homeschooler but we’ve gotten permission from everyone to take him out of school once per week to attend this – he is seriously so into these programs and the wonderful Cynthia Lane, the educator, that we know he’ll come away from the experience happy and knowing LOTS.