September 26-October 2, 2020: Suggested Learning Ideas, Events & Resources for Western MA

  Posted on September 24, 2020 By

Awarded the “Essential Agent of Change Award” by the MDPH’s Massachusetts Essentials for Childhood, Hilltown Families is recognized as a leading family strengthening initiative in the region, promoting “positive parenting through the social norm of community social connectedness.” Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families continues to support the development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, farms, individuals, schools, and non-profit organizations are invited to collaborate with Hilltown Families in their community outreach. With 10,000 opt-in subscribers and over 2.7 million visits to our web site alone, Hilltown Families can deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out about our affordable advertising options and how you can partner with Hilltown Families in your online marketing by contacting us at info@hilltownfamilies.org… and scroll down to discover learning ideas and community-based educational opportunities to explore at home and outdoors this weekend and next week.

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Online classes for lifelong learners!

Located in the Pioneer Valley, Greenfield Community College opens doors for students from all stages in life! This fall, GCC is offering Business Bootcamp, an opportunity for lifelong learners to update their skills to become more marketable to employers or establish a new career path. Non-credit classes include Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs (Tues, 9/29-11/3, 6-8pm. $249) and WordPress 101 (Mon/Tues, 10/5-11/17, 10-11am. $330). These online classes offer an excellent opportunity to boost skills with training in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPress, Social Media and Digital Marketing, and more. All sources are delivered remotely via Zoom. To learn more about these non-credit classes and other lifelong learning opportunities with GCC, visit Workforce Development & Community Education with Greenfield Community College.

Virtual. Adapted In-Person/Outdoors.

Hilltown Sleddogs. West Chesterfield, MA ♦ Meet Marla BB & the Hilltown Sleddogs, who mushed 750 miles across interior Alaska last winter on the Serum Run Trail. In 1925, mail carriers mushed antitoxin to dying children of Nome during a Diptheria Epidemic. On February 22, 2020, the Team mushed from Nenana (outside Fairbanks) past the Tolovana Roadhouse (where Wild Bill Shannon almost froze to death) onto the Yukon River for 7 days, through Native Athabaskan Villages crossing Norton Sound & the Bering Sea Coastal Yupik Villages. They camped in Arctic Oven Tents at -45 degrees, slept in tribal halls, community centers & schools where children ran out to greet the dogs. On March 13th, the Expedition arrived in Nome only to learn the rest of the country was in lock-down due to a Pandemic! For more information: hilltownsleddogs@gmail.com; 413-296-0187; www.hilltownsleddogs.com.

Discover virtual & adapted programming in our 2020/2021 Class Directory for Western MA!

Find what you’re looking for in our 2020/2021 Preschool & Daycare Directory for Western MA!

Adapted In-Person Birthday Party Venue

Lights, Camera… Party! Always a hit, your child will be the star of the show when you take your cue and book a movie theater birthday party at South Hadley’s Tower Theaters. Special Effects include your own green room (private theater) with balloon props and optional concessions. Don’t settle for a B party, act now and book your child a blockbuster party the whole family and cast will remember. For more information, visit www.towertheaters.com or email info@towertheaters.com. Conveniently located in The Village Commons, 19 College St, South Hadley, MA.

ADVERTISE HERE: Partner with Hilltown Families in your online advertising! Delivering your message each week to over 25,000 subscribers, web visitors, and social media followers, Hilltown Families can deliver your message to thousands of readers in Western MA who are committed to their community and willing to support one another in times of need. In-person and virtual event organizers, local and online businesses, virtual and local service providers, non-profit organizations, and individuals are encouraged to reach out to find out about our affordable advertising options and marketing packages. To find out how we can partner together in your online marketing and outreach, contact Sienna at swildfield@hilltownfamilies.org.

SUGGESTED LEARNING IDEAS,
RESOURCES, & EVENTS
September 26 – October 2, 2020

Saturday, Sept 26 • Sunday, Sept 27
Monday, Sept 28 • Tuesday, Sept 29 • Wednesday, Sept 30
Thursday, Oct 1 • Friday, Oct 2

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Online and in-person events and resources shared below are done so as a courtesy and not as an endorsement. While we do our best to share accurate and up-to-date information, please take the time to confirm information, age appropriateness, registration requirements, safety protocols, and associated costs.

Discover virtual & adapted programming in our 2020/2021 Class Directory for Western MA!

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Suggested Events

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

HARVEST SEASON

During the autumnal months, communities celebrate the change of season with activities that bridge agricultural and cultural traditions. Teaching our children the value of connection with seasonal traditions through self-directed learning can help them learn and grow in endless ways. Children who understand and connect with their local landscape are much more likely to value environmental conservation as adults, and building awareness of the variety of cultures represented within a community and across time. Connecting to where we live through the seasons can help children appreciate and understand the places(s) they call home. In addition to participating in seasonal patterns of community engagement, learning about harvest seasons in other parts of the world is a point of entry for self-directed learning that can help us to better understand culture through the harvest lens, including cinnamon, pecans, seaweed, cork, and kalo.

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Find what you’re looking for in our 2020/2021 Preschool & Daycare Directory for Western MA!

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Suggested Events

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

PUMPKIN, WINTER SQUASH, & GOURD SEASON

Pumpkins and winter squashes are a traditional harvest in New England. This time of year in Western Massachusetts, you’ll find a locally grown varieties being sold at roadside stands, co-ops, and local farms. Memories of pumpkin games at town festivals, the smell of winter squash baking with cinnamon and nutmeg, and gourds decorating dining room tables and front porches conjured up a connection to place through the seasons. Let’s use this local harvest to guide our learning about art, science, and culinary arts today’s learning module.

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Discover virtual & adapted programming in our 2020/2021 Class Directory for Western MA!

Monday, September 28, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

BLUEJAYS & THE AMERICAN CROW

Bluejays and American crows fill the late September soundscape with their jeers and caws, warning one another of migrating broad-winged hawks overheard. The grey squirrel’s kuks & quaas can be heard from the branch-highway of oak, aspen, and maple trees they scurry upon, as these deciduous trees slowly begin to drop their leaves. These are some of the sounds and movements of late summer and early autumn. Paying attention to our soundscape changes as we move through the seasons anchors us in the present moment and allows for investigation and appreciation. Take the time to stop and observe, seeing what thoughts and curiosities arise when you pay attention to your soundscape. Why are bluejays so quiet in the summer but not in the fall? How does the fall hawk migration influence their behavior? Can you tell the difference between a male and a female bluejay? How about crows? Do you know how long they live? Let these questions lead your learning this week, following your interests and connecting with the seasonal changes and behaviors of native species.

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Find what you’re looking for in our 2020/2021 Preschool & Daycare Directory for Western MA!

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

HONEY HARVEST

Come mid-September, most local honey has been harvested. You can find sweet amber bottles (sometimes with a slice of honeycomb) at co-ops, farmers’ markets, and roadside farm stands. Let the end of the honey harvest lead your learning for this week. Follow interests in world culture, history, culinary arts, conservation, and entomology through the lens of honey!

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Discover virtual & adapted programming in our 2020/2021 Class Directory for Western MA!

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

APPLE SEASON

Apples, one of the earliest (and most delicious) signs of fall, have been an essential part of New England agriculture for centuries. McIntosh apples are undeniably the most iconic of New England’s apples and makeup over two-thirds of the region’s apple crop! Macs and countless other delicious and fascinating varieties of apples are grown at orchards across western Massachusetts. Families can enjoy this year’s apple crop by visiting an orchard to pick or purchase a bushel. Participate in the tradition of apple-picking and support local agriculture! Check with these local apple orchards for picking conditions and opportunities this year: Park Hill Orchard (Easthampton), Outlook Farm (Westhampton), Bear Swamp Orchard & Cidery (Ashfield), Quonquont Farm (Whately), Clarkdale Fruit Farms (Deerfield), and Bashista Orchards (Southampton). Before heading out, learn about the history of the apple pie, and then while visiting these properties, take a picnic lunch and read Robert Frost’s “After Apple-Picking” and William Cullen Bryant’s “The Planting of an Apple-Tree.”

“Have you ever walked into a grocery store and wondered where all the varieties of apples came from? You might find SnapDragon, Pixie Crunch, Cosmic Crisp, Jazz, or Ambrosia next to the more familiar Red Delicious and Granny Smith. So why are there so many types? Theresa Doud describes the ins and outs of breeding apples.” – TED-Ed

Now that you’ve learned about the different types of apples in your grocery store check out these apple recipes from our contributing writers, integrating culinary arts and kitchen math into your apple lessons this month: Apple Chutney & Apple Cake.

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Find what you’re looking for in our 2020/2021 Preschool & Daycare Directory for Western MA!

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

HAWK MIGRATION SEASON

September is the season of Hawk migration. But Hawks aren’t the only bird of prey you can spot migrating this month. According to Mass Audubon, “Most numerous is the broad-winged hawk, which at times can be seen in flocks, or kettles, of hundreds, occasionally thousands of birds, “boiling” high into the sky. The next most commonly seen September migrants are the feisty sharp-shinned hawk, American kestrel, osprey, northern harrier (marsh hawk), and turkey vulture.” This seasonal phenomenon can be a catalyst for learning about ornithology and meteorology. Knowing the differences between different raptors and how weather patterns impact migration conditions not only supports interests and education but can also help us connect to seasonal changes through native species and local habitat. Learn more about hawk migration, what to listen for, and other raptors of the world to compare and contrast with these videos.

LOCAL RESOURCES

Depending on where you live in Western MA, select a spot nearest your home for an outdoor morning adventure watching hawks:

  • Mt. Tom State Reservation (Easthampton, MA)
  • Fobes Hill (Windsor, MA)
  • Mt. Greylock State Reservation (Adams, MA)

SUPPORTING BOOK TITLES

Discover virtual & adapted programming in our 2020/2021 Class Directory for Western MA!

Friday, October 2, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

AUTUMN FOLIAGE

Fall in Western Mass is when nature literally takes center stage; a destination visitors outside the area flock to because of the gorgeous dynamism of the season. The trees and their changing foliage are great connectors for kids (in a sense they connect to themselves!) to the outdoors and their sense of place. In this change lies a wonderful community-based educational opportunities tied to art and science. Read our post, Autumn Leaf Collecting Supports Art & Science, to see how you can get your kid hooked on fall by collecting, creating and learning in their own backyards! Also check out these videos to support learning about botany, chemistry, and ecology through the lens of fall foliage!

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Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Chester, Gill, Goshen, Hadley, Heath, Hinsdale-Peru, Holyoke, Montgomery, Mt. Washington, New Salem, Northern Berkshire, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Springfield, Washington, Westhampton, and Windsor Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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