ORDA sent their weekly calendar for the first time to North Country Homeschooling and there are tons of fun things on the list below! Here is the weekly ORDA calendar.

The long-awaited Grand Opening of the brand-new Lake Placid Olympic Museum is finally here! The grand opening will take place on Thursday, December 8 from 10:00 am-5:00 pm. It will be a free public day, so please visit and check out all of the extensive renovations and brand-new exhibits. Following Thursday, the museum will now be open daily.

The Lake Placid Holiday Village Stroll is taking place this Friday-Sunday. Lots of events and activities are involved and of note at the Legacy Sites is a free Holiday Skating Party on Friday, December 9 from 5:00-6:30 pm and Santa Sunday on December 11 at Whiteface, which will give a free ticket to those in a full Santa costume.

And finally, this Friday, December 10, and Saturday, December 11 is the IBSF Push World Championships in the Ice House of the Mountain Pass Lodge at Mt Van Hoevenberg. This will entail two full days of exciting competition as top national team athletes from around the world compete for the best starts.

Next week marks the return of the IBSF Bobsled and Skeleton World Cup for the first time since 2019!

Today’s note from Mt. Van Hoevenberg 12/6/22:
“Our instructors assessed the current ski conditions and found them to be limited and icy. We have drizzle coming down right now. If families want to come we can accommodate them, but we are going to officially reschedule for a future day with more welcoming conditions. If they are already making the drive, they could purchase their passes and watch some World push track official training up on the third floor.”

Attn: All Homeschool Families

Mt. VanHoevenberg is excited to be welcoming back our Homeschool families for another full season of winter fun. There are 10 instructional days for youth to develop their skills included with the season pass. We are also happy to announce the reopening of Josie’s Cabin. Josie’s is a fun accessible ski and snowshoe destination. It can be a way station or a focal point of activity. There is an ildsted (Norwegian for “fire pit”) for s’mores and toe warming. Consider planning a winter activity.

The cost of the season pass will be $100. It is available to all homeschoolers ages 7 – 18. Accompanying adults that are not season pass holders have access to a community day pass for $25.

Program Instruction days will be Wednesdays from 10am-12pm.
Program dates: December 7, 14, 21, January 4, 11, 25, February 1, 8, 15, and March 1.

Please be reassured that public access will not be interrupted during World University Games that run January 12 – 22, 2023. Coordinating trail access routing from the lodge will be clearly marked during the Games. Youth ski and snowshoe rentals are included and available for each program day. A limited supply of season-long rentals are available for $70. Seasonal rentals can be convenient for families wishing to ski off site. Additionally, we are anticipating a new fleet of pulka sleds that can be rented for families that have pre-skiers. Plus, don’t forget the Pass Perks!

Mt. VanHoevenberg and the Mtn. Pass Lodge has daily operating hours from 9:00am – 5:00pm. You are free to leave your belongings in the lodge. We have three sizes of secure lockers that can be rented, as well. Food Service is available daily in our 81-18 Café, and as always, you are welcome to bring your own food & beverages.

Sign up Here for the program or feel free to stop by or call our Main Lodge: 518.523.2811.

Mt. VanHoevenberg is a great resource to learn and develop winter sport skills that you can utilize for life. We look forward to seeing you on the trails!

For questions, feel free to contact me:
Janice Stainken
JStainken@orda.org
518.523.2811 X 5626

There will be two programs of homeschool nordic skiing starting in Jan 2023. Both venues have rentals in all sizes.

1. Mount Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid – Wednesdays 10am-12pm. Ski instruction followed by group ski and games. Preregistration and ski pass required (discounted for homeschoolers). Sign up link through ORDA’s website coming soon…
   
2. Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center – Tuesdays 10am-2pm. No formal sign-up, just show up each week. Discounted rate for homeschoolers on rentals and day pass. More info here: https://nch.home.blog/2022/12/01/2023-weekly-homeschool-ski-and-snowshoe-program-at-the-paul-smiths-college-vic/

On Tuesdays in January-March 2023, the Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center invites homeschool families of all ages and abilities for group ski games and skiing and snowshoeing on our trails at a discounted rate.

Homeschool Tuesdays Trail Pass Rate
Kids: free
Adults, ages 18 and up: half price, $7.50

Homeschool Tuesdays Rental Rate
Kids: free
Adults, ages 18 and up: $15

Season Pass info if you decide that the excellent VIC skiing is something you want to do more frequently than just Tuesdays: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/skiing-and-showshoeing/

About the Program
The program will run on Tuesdays from Jan-March 2023, from 10am-2pm. Most Tuesdays, Sunita Halasz will lead informal group games for all abilities on skis in the field behind the building from around 11:00am-12:00pm.

The building is open from 9:00am-5:00pm, and indoor bathrooms are available to the public. Families are free to ski or snowshoe the trails at their own pace and use the building throughout the day. VIC trails are open dawn to dusk.

Homeschoolers are welcome to visit the displays inside the building, use the classroom, library reading room, and any educational tools and games we have.

For more information contact:
Sunita Halasz, sunitahalasz@gmail.com
Scott van Laer, Director Paul Smith’s College VIC, (518) 327-6241, vic@paulsmiths.edu, https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/

Dear Homeschool Families,

Just a reminder that this week’s Homeschool Thursday, December 1st is a Family Drop-In (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) for help with book selection, research projects, STEAM ideas, in addition to topic-area stations and hands-on activities. This session, stations will focus on creating for the upcoming holidays (ornaments, buttons, cards, decorations, etc.).

Homeschool Thursdays are geared for children in grades K-6, but other ages are welcome. Free parking is available in the St. Eustace Church lot – just leave a note on your dashboard indicating you are at this library event. Although not necessary, if you know you’ll be attending this week send us an email as it helps with set-up needs.

Finally, the Clinton Essex Franklin Library System is looking to expand its Let’s Make Music series to include a mini keyboard, kid’s electric guitar, and electric roll-up drum kit (fits into a backpack). They’re thinking about adding a kid’s violin to the series, as well, but would like some feedback from families. So, if you’d like to share your thoughts, let us know and we’ll pass those along to CEFLS. Many thanks and, as always, happy reading!

-Karen and Bambi

Bambi Pedu, Director

Lake Placid Public Library

2471 Main St.

Lake Placid, NY 12946

(518)523-3200 <librarian@lakeplacidlibrary.org

After attending the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, area homeschool high schoolers were inspired to create the North Country Climate Club. This club is comprised of (but not limited to) homeschooling families in northern New York. We will be info sharing for now with virtual meetings to begin in the near future, followed by in person meetings (for those who can physically attend) shortly thereafter. This club is a YOUTH climate change club but we understand that not every youth has social media and/or email accounts. Therefore, parents are welcome to participate with their children. This club will be run by high schoolers but there is no grade requirement for the North Country Climate Club members as we understand that homeschooling is a family adventure and we welcome all ages to participate. Reach out via FB, IG, or email to join or for more info.

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1238615843537046/

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/northcountryclimateclub?igshid=YTY2NzY3YTc=

Email:

northcountryclimateclub@gmail.com

Here’s the information for this winter’s Homeschool Titus Mountain Ski Program!  There are five Fridays included in the program.  You may choose to buy a lesson, a lesson and lift tickets, or a lesson, lift tickets, and rental.  You may choose either skis or snowboard.  (If an individual misses a lesson, there is no make up session for that individual; if the whole group misses due to weather, however, a group make up session may be negotiated.)  All lessons begin at 10:00, so participants should give themselves time to pick up their gear, check in, and gear up.  In order to pick up your rented gear, you must wait in line until the attendant hands it to you.  The dates for the program this year are as follows:

1/6/23, 1/13/23, 1/20/23, 1/27/23, and 2/3/23.

The full package rate for an individual student is $240.  For an adult, the full package rate is $450.  Adults may pay on a week-to-week basis, for the group rate of $49/lift ticket and $25/rental (no pre-registration required, and no form listed here).  Additional price options are listed on the registration forms.  A single lesson may be requested, contingent upon whether an instructor is available, for $65.  (Patience will be needed for these individual rentals and lessons; the attendants will be busy with pre-registered customers first.)

I need all the forms (youth and adult sign up forms are below) and a check made out to me by December 14, 2022.

Cynthia Gorgas
cynthiagorgas@gmail.com

Dear Homeschool Families,

Just a reminder that this week’s Homeschool Thursday, November 17th is a program, BUILDING BRIDGES, at 10:00 a.m. Families will explore concepts of construction and engineering through a read-aloud, discussion, and hands-on activities.

Homeschool Thursdays are geared for children in grades K-6, but other ages are welcome. Although not necessary, if you know you’ll be attending this week send us an email as it helps with set-up needs.  Free parking is available in the St. Eustace Church lot – just leave a note on your dashboard indicating you are at this library event. As always, happy reading!

-Karen and Bambi

Bambi Pedu, Director
Lake Placid Public Library
2471 Main St.
Lake Placid, NY 12946
(518)523-3200
librarian@lakeplacidlibrary.org

See the image of the flyer about the Gore Homeschool Ski Program below, which starts Jan 2023