Sir Peter Blake Trust Environment Forum

Dear Home-educators

This year Sir Peter Blake Trust Environment Forum will be held in Wellington from Sunday 11 to Thursday 15 April.

The forum is hosted in in partnership with the Ministry for the Environment and is packed with great experiences for young people aged 16 - 18. They'll meet and spend time with other like-minded young environmentalists and participate in workshops, field-trips and other activities.

Nominations are now open to students interested in environmental issues or resource management subjects. Around 45 delegates from around the country will attend the forum and two can be from Otago.

Please ensure this information is brought to the attention of your students and encourage them to be nominated. Applicants should apply in writing by Wednesday 3 March to me, at the Otago Regional Council, Private Bag 1954, Dunedin 9054.

For more information about the forum and the Sir Peter Blake Trust see the websites below or give me a call on 0800 474 082.

www.mfe.govt.nz/withyou/youth
www.sirpeterblaketrust.org

Yours sincerely
Kerry Dohig
Communications Co-coordinator

Christchurch Conference

The Mind Your Brain Tour.

Terry Small a.k.a. “The Brain Man” http://www.terrysmall.com is a sought after International conference speaker who will leave you astounded at the wonders of the human brain while giving you practical tips to help your brain work more efficiently. We are thrilled to have Terry as our Keynote speaker.

Dates: 17th & 18th March 2010

Parklands Baptist Church, 180 QueensPark Drive, Christchurch
Queries: sihe@clear.net.nz
Registrations: Soesi Watson Ph (03) 541 9211

Childcare is avaiable

Please make own arrangements for lunch and dinner (fish and chips on site). Tea and coffee will be provided. Contact Dot iew@clear.net.nz if you wish to contribute.


Check out the HEF website for more information about the workshops available.
http://hef.org.nz/coming-events

Home Education Research

From Hefnet:

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Madeleine Bell and I am a postgraduate student at the
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia. I am studying for my
doctorate in music education, researching music and home education
under the supervision of Dr Michael Webb, Lecturer in Music Education.
I am interested in researching the influences of home education and
informal learning methods on the musical experiences and progress of
children. I plan to carry out an exploration of home schooling
families in both NSW, Australia and New Zealand.

I was home schooled for basically my entire school life, and I
completed my Bachelor of Music Education with Honours at the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music in 2008. This background has fuelled my
interest in the field of home schooling and music education and I am
intrigued to discover how the informal learning approaches
incorporated in home education relate specifically to music learning.

I am seeking to recruit home schooling families who are involved with
music at any level and individuals involved in their music training
and education. I hope to conduct interviews with participants to
investigate their opinions, experiences and perspectives relating to
the topic of research. I would also like to carry out some
observations of musical activities undertaken by home schooling
families both inside and outside of the home.

From your website I see that you’re network is involved in providing
resources and support for home educating families. I am writing to ask
if you would offer your assistance in recruiting participants for my
research. I hope to come to New Zealand at some stage during the year
to visit home educating families who are involved with music. If you
have any contacts with families or could point me in the right
direction that would be great. I would really appreciate any support
or assistance you can offer me.

Thank you for your time!

Yours Sincerely,

Madeleine Bell PhD researcher

ph: +61 405222720
email: homemusic.bell@gmail.com