October 24-30, 2020: Suggested Learning Ideas, Events & Resources for Western MA

  Posted on October 22, 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, 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 this weekend and next week.

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In-person on Saturday, October 31. 9am-2pm

5th Annual Ski and Winter Gear Sale, returns on October 31, 2020, from 9am-2pm, under the tent at 67 Amity Street on the lawn of the Amherst History Museum, with deals and choices so big – it’s scary! Proceeds benefit the museum. Shoppers can once again choose from a vast selection of new and used downhill, cross-country skis, ski poles, helmets, snowshoes, boots, skates, snowboards, outdoor clothing (including jackets, gloves, mittens, and hats) all in adult and youth sizes. Strict safety guidelines will be observed with periodic cleaning of surfaces and social distancing measures in place. Masks are required, costumes are appreciated! For information and updates, go to: 1 DAY TENT SALE EVENT.

Haunted Hangars Trick or Treat at New England Air Museum on Halloween!

The New England Air Museum (NEAM) will host a Haunted Hangars Trick or Treat program on Saturday, October 31, from 10:30am-2:30pm. Ghosts, Witches, Princesses, and Superheroes are invited to participate in a costume contest + scavenger hunt throughout the museum hangars! The winning costume will receive a family membership for a year. A take-home kit with a build and fly “Bat Glider,” spooky activity pages, and a trick or treat goodie bag will be available for guests. NEAM is open daily from 10am-3pm, closed on Mondays during winter season. Admission: $16 for ages 15+, $14 for seniors 65+, $10 for 4-14. For info, directions, & safety protocols, visit www.neam.org or call 860-623-3305. NEAM is located in Windsor Locks, CT, adjacent to Bradley International Airport.

After-School@Home with the Berkshire Museum, starting Nov 3!

Keep curious kids busy and learning past 3pm with After-School@Home! Starting November 3, the Berkshire Museum is hosting new, remote opportunities for students in grades 3 to 6 to travel the world, experiment with chemistry, learn to code, create art, and more. Try one or more of their 6 unique, interactive 5-week @Home programs led by the museum’s expert educators. All materials are included in the After-School@Home Kit, so no shopping is required! Register your future scientist, animator, or archaeologist today to add exciting art, science, and history to their curriculum. Visit explore.berkshiremuseum.org/after-school-at-home to review offerings and register.

Accepting Applications for Fall 2021.

Bement is open with students attending school in person and they are accepting applications for fall 2021. The Bement School founded in 1925 and located in Deerfield is a co-educational junior boarding and day school serving 200 students in kindergarten through grade 9. Bement’s rich curriculum motivates and challenges students with strong academics, a renowned fine arts program, and a diverse athletic program. Students participate in athletics and fine arts every day. The pervasive atmosphere at Bement is that of a family, learning and living together. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multi-cultural student body. For information join their virtual info session or call 413-774-4209 www.bement.org.

Virtual Educational Fair on Thurs, Nov 19.

Join admission representatives from six local independent elementary and middle schools located throughout the Pioneer Valley in a virtual educational fair on Thursday, November 19 from 5-6pm! After a short introduction by each school, families will have the opportunity to meet and ask questions directly to the representatives. Registration required. Participants will receive a Zoom invitation 24 hours before the event. Participating schools include Academy Hill School, The Bement School, The Center School, The Common School, Four Winds School, and Smith College Campus School. Visit bement.org/virtualschoolfair to register.

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

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SUGGESTED LEARNING IDEAS,
RESOURCES, & EVENTS
October 24-30, 2020

Saturday, Oct 24 • Sunday, Oct 25
Monday, Oct 26 • Tuesday, Oct 27 • Wednesday, Oct 28
Thursday, Oct 29 • Friday, Oct 30

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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, October 24, 2020

Suggested Events

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

Learning through the lens of
SEEDS …

Seeds and their pods appear not only in our natural landscape, but they also fill our social scenery. Stalks of corn are bundled together with scarecrows as autumn decorations. Pinecones are scented with cinnamon and sold in stores. Sheaves of wheat are gathered with a variety of seed pods and sold as bouquets. Indian corn is hung on doors or added to centerpieces. Illustrations of acorns adorn circulars in the mail or accent classrooms. — But the influence of seeds aren’t always so evident. They often reside in liminal spaces, waiting to be discovered, eager to release their fullest potential, and do not know doubt. Never has a maple tree sprung from where an acorn has been planted. This autumn, let seeds lead and teach valuable life lessons while revealing their social impact and historical significance. Read more in our post, Mindful Engagement through the Seasons: Seeds, and support your interest in fiber arts, plant biology, world history, candy, slavery, food history, snack foods, theater history, and the value of perseverance with these selected videos:

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

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Suggested Events

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

Learning through the lens of
HAUNTED HISTORY …

Towns across Western Massachusetts have tales of haunted historic buildings, ghost sightings, and supernatural suspicions that lead people to wonder whether a place is haunted or not. Haunted tales are sometimes rooted in actual events or historical accounts from people of the past, and can add to the lore of a place. Find out about cemetery tours and local hauntings in our Sept/Oct Season edition of Learning Ahead: Cultural Itinerary for Western MA while supporting interests in history, paranormal activity, architecture, psychology, and physiology with this collection of videos for older teens and lifelong learners:

[Next video has a “jump scare” at the very end (4:50min).]

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

Monday, October 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.

Learning through the lens of
JACK-O-LANTERNS…

Called “pompions” by the first European colonists, pumpkins were a food essential to winter survival – and they were grown in many more varieties than they typically are today. The custom of carving pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns was introduced to American culture by Irish immigrants, influencing our cultural landscape to this day. Traditionally carved from root vegetables, including turnips and potatoes, new hybrids of pumpkins are grown specifically for carving. For today’s self-directed learning module, follow your curiosity and learn about history, folklore, culture, and artisan techniques through the lens of jack-o-lanterns!

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

Tuesday, October 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.

Learning through the lens of
COSTUMES…

Halloween is a holiday that invites us to tell stories through costumes, allowing us to engage in fantasy and role-playing for at least a single night. Traditional costumes for Halloween include ghosts, zombies, iconic monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolves, etc.), and harvest icons (scarecrows, pumpkins, corn, etc.). Still, costumes, in general, can span the genres of history, reality, and culture. With interest in costumes being one many families consider this time of year, today’s self-directed learning module offers lessons in puppetry, indigenous cultures, history, film studies, costume design, storytelling, fashion design, and much more! With this list of curated videos, costumes are our catalyst for learning today.

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

Wednesday, October 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.

Learning through the lens of
WHEAT & CORN HARVEST SEASON…

The word “harvest” is originally derived from the Old English “haerfest,” meaning “autumn.” In ancient Britain and other European communities, the fall harvest marked the reaping and gathering of wheat. Victorian folklorist James George Frazer recounts several northern European’ corn dolly’ customs, corn being an ancient term for any kind of grain: “In the neighbourhood of Danzig the person who cuts the last ears of corn makes them into a doll, which is called the Corn-mother or the Old Woman and is brought home on the last waggon. In some parts of Holstein the last sheaf is dressed in women’s clothes and called the Corn-mother. It is carried home on the last waggon, and then thoroughly drenched with water. The drenching with water is doubtless a rain-charm.” Typically, these dolls, made at the harvest time, would be kept throughout the winter and then plowed into the following spring’s furrows. All over the world, harvest time is an occasion to thank the earth for providing us with food. Looking through the lens of the grain harvest, today’s self-directed learning module supports interests in European culture, Native American customs, and colonial food history through the lens of corn & wheat.

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

Thursday, October 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.

Learning through the lens of
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!

Friday, October 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.

Learning through the lens of
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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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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