NYSATA Region 5 has partnered with the 1814 Commemoration Inc. for the 2021 Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration Poster Contest. The contest started in 1998 and has taken place each year, with the exception of 2020.

Eligibility

● Student is currently enrolled in 5th grade in Clinton or Essex counties.

Prizes

● 1st Place $100.00 and poster will be used to make the annual souvenir “button”.

● 2nd Place $ 75.00

● 3rd Place $ 50.00

● 4th Place $ 25.00

● The winners will be announced before the end of the school year and the prizes will be awarded at a Press Conference that will be held by the office of the Mayor of Plattsburgh.

● The four winners will be invited to ride in the annual commemoration parade as special guests.

Poster instructions

● Please submit the entry online form by June 20, 2021. Entry form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScd4IW0hucah2XsZSynbIycVfjTWlfNeoCZPuqBIVt8cuoq0A/viewform

● The words “The Battle of Plattsburgh” and student name should NOT be included in the poster. The winning poster will be made into a button, and “Battle of Plattsburgh” along with the artist’s name will be printed.

● On the back of the artwork, please include ○ Student name ○ School and grade ○ Date ○ Medium ○ Art teacher name and contact information

● 1814 Commemoration Inc. would like to keep the winning posters. However, if the artist would like a copy of the artwork it will be provided. All winning posters will be kept in historical archives and be part of an annual exhibit that will take place during the Commemoration. ○ The posters can be picked up or dropped off at a specified location in Plattsburgh TBD.

Poster guidelines

● Artwork should be completed on 12×18” paper within an 11” circle.

● Please do not cut the circle out of the paper.

● Any media that can be photographed is acceptable. Please use your discretion to assist students with their choice of medium.

● Please encourage students to avoid strictly battle scenes and focus more on the living history aspect of the Battle of Plattsburgh.

Resources

● Refer to 1814 Commemoration Inc https://1814inc.com/ to access information, stories, music, and videos to assist students with historical information. All information on the website is appropriate for students. The subject is The War of 1814 and the battles that took place in the Champlain Valley and on Lake Champlain, in particular the naval battle on September 11, 1814. Also, students might be confused by the conflict being called the War of 1812 when the Battle of Plattsburgh took place in 1814. The War of 1812 ended shortly after the Battle of Plattsburgh and an agreement, called “The Treaty of Ghent” was signed in late December 1814 which officially ended the war. The border between Canada and the United States remained the same and the British Military returned to Canada and England.

● Local reenactors and historians are available. If you would like to schedule a virtual visit with one of the reenactors or a local historian, Email 1814Inc. They will need sufficient notice to make the arrangements.

● In 2011, Cumberland Head Elementary Students created a book for kids about the Battle of Plattsburgh, which is available to view. https://www.blurb.com/books/2267673-the-battle-of-plattsburgh-did-you-know Questions regarding the poster may be directed to nysata5@gmail.com Questions regarding historical content may be directed to lmastersonward@gmail.com

Thursday May 13th

Indoor Rock Climbing: Kids will put on all climbing gear (provided) and choose either to explore our bouldering cave or tie into our rope to climb up to 40 feet. Staff will directly supervise and instruct where necessary. No previous experience required!
Guided Hike: Join our staff up a nearby mountain that has fantastic views of Long Pond and the Adirondacks. This hike is on private land that Pok-O has permission to bring groups on. Mountain height-1198 total elevation gain is 500 ft. The trail can get quite steep in sections but is short as the distance from the trailhead to the top is 3/4 mile.

9:45AM Arrival/Registration -1391 Reber Road Willsboro NY 12996
10:00AM Guided Hike
12:00PM Lunch Break12:45PM Indoor Rock Climbing
2:45PM Families depart
First child is $15.00, each additional sibling $8
SPOTS ARE LIMITED. Please call us at 518.963.7967 to reserve your space. Leave your name, number in attendance and a phone number to reach you at.

All Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed.

Friday May 21st will be Indoor Rock Climbing/Boating(Rowboats/Canoes)
Thursday May 28th will be Indoor Rock Climbing/Rowboats/Canoe)

Planning for the annual Homeschool Family Camp is underway. COVID precautions may be similar to last year with more information to follow. Camp Cherokee is on beautiful Saranac Lake and is a Seventh Day Adventist Camp. They offer a family camp to all homeschoolers for one price for the entire family. There is no alcohol, no smoking, and the kitchen is vegetarian. There is an optional, non-denominational chapel time.

Date: This year, camp is August 22nd – 27th, 2021. (Sunday dinner time through Friday morning)

Location: Camp Cherokee 433 Gilpin Bay Saranac Lake NY

Cost: For the week: $508/family (not person) plus a meal for everyone including staff. (If you are new – I’d be delighted to help you with this and you will have a helper family that knows the kitchen working with your family) I am collecting a $100 deposit which is non-refundable to help the camp know the number of families that will be attending so they can determine the required staff.

Activities Include: Pool with lifeguard – diving board, slide, and water toys, Horseback riding, Archery or Knife throwing, Ping Pong, Field – great for baseball, soccer, capture the flag, etc, Small Sand Pit (little boys liked it there!) Volleyball, Pavilion – pickle ball, tether ball, basketball, foosball, and more, Playground area, Motorboats with almost everything imaginable behind them (staff drives the boats and will teach you have to water ski, knee board, etc), Pontoon boat – love the rides to star watch at night, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats (this is open all day but we need an adult on land and everyone needs to sign the boats out), disc golf, and Chapel time – lots of singing and time making beautiful memories.

Extra details:

In the past, Sunday night has been pot luck dinner or eat on your own or we order pizza (everyone splits the cost).

In addition to providing a meal for the campers and staff, you will also need to be a kitchen/dining room helper at another meal. In the past, people have been incredibly helpful so clean-up is pretty easy with all the hands at work.

Depending on the number of families, I may ask everyone to contribute something towards a breakfast (box of cereal or gallon of milk)

The kitchen is vegetarian; hence no meat – milk, eggs & dairy are fine.

You bring your own bedding, towels, etc. (beds and bunks are provide). I’ll let you know what beds/bunks you will have in your room before you go.

Every family supplies a meal – so food is mostly covered. You can put the food you bring in the main kitchen where there is a walk-in fridge and area to store food. (You may also want to bring extra snacks for your family in a plastic container if you store where you sleep or you can store anything you want in the kitchen – please label for food if you do not want anyone else using it)

Due to allergies, we have only allowed peanut butter in the kitchen and asked that an adult makes the sandwich, then they watch the child while they eat it. Afterwards, please wash everyone’s hands. If you have other allergy concerns, or this policy is not acceptable, please notify me and we will work together to insure everyone is safe!

You may want to bring stuff for s’mores – they are a hit on nights we have a campfire!

Bring your favorite board game – kids love to play games together on rainy days or in the evening.

If you would like to organize a “class” or “meeting”, just let me know and we will add it to our schedule. In the past we have had photography, cake decorating, men prayer time, and homeschool sharing time to give you an idea.

We often have talent night which is a great time – it’s optional; but fun to plan something for!

Feel free to contact me with questions. You can email me at tamneureuther@yahoo.com or call me at (h)518-563-7036 or (c) 518-569-3327. My kids are looking forward to an amazing time with their friends, both new and old, and I’m looking forward to the peace and friendship I enjoy each year. We’d love to have you join the fun. This has been my children’s favorite week of the year for the last 10+ years!

To register and receive Zoom link: https://leah.regfox.com/2021-legislative-day

Schedule
8:30 am Kickoff and Orientation

9:00 am Live Virtual Capitol Tour by Assemblyman Mark Walcyzk – He is a faithful supporter of homeschooling, parental rights, and freedom – don’t miss an opportunity to spend this time with him! Even if you are familiar with the Capitol, you will come away with something new! (Here’s a Word Nerd fact – Capitol is the building the Legislature uses, Capital is the whole city – Mark is giving us a tour of the Capitol, it would take all day to get a tour of Albany!)

10:00 am Jim Mason (VP of Litigation and Development for HSLDA, President of ParentalRights.org) will be speaking on Homeschool Freedom: Past, Present, and Future. Jim is a long-time friend of homeschooling here in NY and was recently part of the legal team for a successful lawsuit against NYC for mistreatment of homeschoolers.

2:00pm For those of us in Senator Stec’s district, a meeting with his staffer is scheduled at 2:00pm

We are still working to schedule a meeting with Assemblymember Jones’s office.

If you missed the Training meetings last Tuesday, below is a link to the recording, please check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-6euAUcxM4&feature=youtu.be

In addition, to help you get ready, here is a link to a very good video that reviews how an idea (like letting homeschoolers participate in public school sports!) can become a law. https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/virtual-visit-civics

HomeschoolNY/LEAH is hosting a virtual Homeschool Legislative Day coming up on April 20th.
Pre-event training sessions will take place on April 13.

Register and participate as a family for a great learning experience and an opportunity to advocate for homeschooling in NY.

You don’t need to be a member of HomeschoolNY to register, and they even made a special check box for North Country Homeschooling members.

For more information: https://leah.regfox.com/2021-legislative-day

The upcoming edition of North Country Live!, sponsored by International Paper, will feature the following sessions, each of which takes place at 7 p.m. on Zoom. All these programs are free and open to the public.

To register and receive a Zoom invitation for any or all of these programs, visit www.nccc.edu/live. Each presentation and panel discussion will include an opportunity to interact with and ask questions of the host or hosts.

• History of NCCC Campus Locations, Feb. 11 and 18. From battlefields, to hospitals, to engines of industry, this series will explore the history of the North Country campus locations before they became places of higher learning. Hosted by faculty member Tom McGrath.
• Managing Recreation in the High Peaks, March 4. A panel discussion on what steps can be taken to address overuse in the High Peaks. Hosted by Jimmy Cunningham, director of North Country’s Wilderness Recreation Leadership program.
• Threats to Adirondack Water Quality, March 11. Co-sponsored by the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College, this program will focus on road salt contamination, aquatic invasive species, failing wastewater treatment systems and other pressures on Adirondack waterways.
• Climate Change: What Can You Do About It, March 18. We know that climate change is happening. What can you do about it? A group of college and high school student leaders will share their ideas and perspectives.
• Backcountry Preparedness 101, April 8. Hikers and backpackers can sometimes wind up in bad situations because of a lack of knowledge or preparedness. This program will focus on how to plan and prepare for your next adventure. Hosted by Jimmy Cunningham, director of North Country’s Wilderness Recreation Leadership program.
• Why We Garden, April 22. To mark Earth Day, Cornell Cooperative Extension-trained Master Gardener Diane O’Connor looks at the physical and emotional benefits of gardening, with helpful tips and techniques for establishing a healthy, happy garden that nourishes both body and spirit.
• All About Birds, April 29. A multimedia introduction to birding hosted by Joan Collins, President of Adirondack Avian Expeditions and Workshops LLC. Topics will include: songs and calls – why birds make sounds and how they create them, how we identify bird species, habitats of the North Country, fascinating behaviors and more!

Calling all Middle School and High School playwrights! Pendragon Theatre’s annual play-writing contest for students is all virtual this year. Deadline: April 9, 2021. https://newpendragon.org/young-playwrights/

By Carolyn Anderson and Hil Rafferty-Weinisch 
Directed by Margaret E. Hall 

“Petticoats of Steel” uses primary sources to tell the true stories of women, specifically those in the State of New York – Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Ida D. Wells​, Mary Church Terrell, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (among others) – and the roles they played in gaining voting rights for all women in the United States of America. 

How to register:
Link:  https://tickets.proctors.org/TheatreManager/95/login?&coupon=0
Enter: “VOTES4WOMEN” and register

Cost: Free of charge for school 
Length: 48 minutes 
Dates: February 22 – March 5, 2021 
Grade Levels: 5 & up
Curriculum: American History, New York History, Social Studies, ELA, Women’s History

Access: The content will be placed in your online account you create or login in to when registering. See these 4 easy steps on how to view the content: https://www.proctors.org/howtowatchvirtual. 
If you have virtual learners you can use the share screen option in your classroom. 

TNRSEF is a student’s door into challenging scientific research and engineering design, exciting Fair Day experiences, awards and state, national and international advancements, and we’re excited to be able to run this year’s fair virtually. The fair is set to take place in Mid-march.

The fair is open to all students in Clinton, Essex, Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties grades 5-12, although only 9th-12th graders are eligible to participate in the higher level ISEF fairs if selected.

More info at terrafairs.org; and here is a PDF of the fair announcement poster: https://terra-docs.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/terra-fairs/TNRSEF_11x17.pdf

Dan Spada will host two zoom sessions about ice in the North Country.

Session 1 on January 25, 2020 at 1pm will cover:
– what is wild ice skating?
– what kind of gear do we use?
– what precautions for safety do we employ?
– what happens in case of emergencies?

Session 2 on Feb. 8, 2020 at 1pm will cover the ecology of ice:
– how does water act as temperatures change?
– how does ice form on lakes and ponds?
– what is the effect of ice cover on living things below it?

Both sessions are free to attend and will last 40 minutes. To register and receive the zoom link, email Sunita Halasz at sunitahalasz@gmail.com