NEWS RELEASE: Kidz Harvest Fest - Native American Indian Program to Complement Virginia SOLs

CLARKE COUNTY, VA – Kidz Harvest Fest is a school-day event for public, private and home-schools designed by non-profits to help supplement Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and offer hands on learning about Native American culture Friday, October 30 at the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, Va. 
    Save-the-date and initial registration information for faculty and teachers of 2nd and 4th grade students is available online at HarvestGathering.org under "Register."
     Space is limited for groups and available to the teachers and schools who register first.  Efforts are being made to accommodate as many schools and students as possible.
     “The Kidz Harvest Fest school-day event brings the experience of traveling through Native American humanities to life,” said The Gathering Executive Director René White (photo right). “After summer break when schools reopen, The Gathering web site will offer lesson plans and instructional resources to help teachers align their classroom instruction with the standards and complement studies taught about Virginia’s First People past and present.”
     The Gathering web site will offer downloadable “passports” that help teachers and students move through different modules at The Gathering.  
     Teachers will have the option to download passport material, photos, historical information and coloring book pages to help students get the most from this educational event.
    During the Kidz Harvest Fest, children will meet Virginia Indians, participate in gourd art, listen to Native American storytelling, hear Native American flutes played, dance to Native American drums, smell grains harvested by local farmers, see live horses & sheep and much more.

Sample of the coloring book drawings downloadable for Kidz Harvest Fest this fall (courtesy of manyhoops.com).

“The Kidz Harvest Fest school-day event brings the experience of traveling through Native American humanities to life,” said The Gathering Executive Director René White

René White executive director of The Gathering with Mario N. Cassandra volunteer dancer for The Gathering at the Upper Mattaponi Pow Wow Memorial Day weekend 2015

      Kidz Harvest Fest is part of The Gathering, “an education celebration of agri-culture” and is featured in the May 2015 Clarke County’s local newspaper The Observer.
     To obtain save-the-date and registration information or volunteer to be part of this event visit www.HarvestGathering.org or email [email protected] or call René Locklear White (Feather) at (540)554-8730.
      Virginia’s SOLs are expectations for student learning and achievement based on a curriculum framework that includes studying Native Americans through classes on writing, culture, history, social science, fine art, performing arts and agriculture etc.

Special Thanks
to Kidz Harvest Fest Co-Education Directors
Tracey Pitcock and Sue Peoples
for supporting this event
& making it possible for our school-age children to Catch the Spirit of The Gathering.

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