Extras and announcements on November 15
Posted by: hopechestnews <hopechestnews@...>
Dear friends,
Just a few little extras and announcements for you, especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner!
I’ve been having some trouble with my e-mail, so I’m not sure that the last issue “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” arrived in your inboxes intact. I received a truncated version in one of my e-mail accounts. I have posted this issue on my web site at http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com/MyCountryTisOfThee so you can read it there and pass the link on to others. I also added the study guides for The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Johnny Tremain to separate pages. Also, could you please give me some feedback on this issue and let me know what was most helpful or encouraging to you about it? If you already sent a comment, I would appreciate it if you could resend it to [email protected]. I know the issue was extremely long this time. I won’t be sending out any regular issue in December, and maybe not even in January, though I will probably send tidbits of stuff here and there.
I posted a brief photo essay about a recent day in our home school in a photo album on Facebook. Those with preschoolers will especially appreciate it. Here is the public link: A Home School Day. Three of the photos in it are from a presentation I attended that evening hosted by home school veterans Cheryl Bastian and Meredith Curtis. Cheryl shared information from her new Flip 3 Pancakes with 1 Spatula, an annotated cookbook which integrates cooking, math, and literature into your young child’s curriculum. Meredith spoke about creating unit studies without getting stressed out. I used to read Meredith’s articles in The Teaching Home back when they were doing a print version. You can find her web site, which is packed with helpful and encouraging information such as articles, charts, and reading lists, at http://www.joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/.
Cheryl and Meredith and I, along with several other speakers, will present the Books & Beyond: Literature Live seminar on January 24. Early registration is encouraged to get the workshops of your choice. The cost for the entire day is only $10 – such a deal! You can find out more about it here: Books & Beyond. Here is a blurb that I just got from Cheryl:
You are invited! Don't miss this incredible opportunity to be encouraged, inspired and motivated! NearHim Home Educators will sponsor the Second Annual Books & Beyond: Literature Live on January 24, 2009 at Killarney Baptist Church (just off the Fairbanks exit of I-4) in Winter Park from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Jan Bloom, conference speaker, living books extraordinaire and co-owner of BooksBloom will be the morning keynote speaker presenting Cradle to Grade: Giving Your Child a Love of Books. The afternoon keynote speaker will be author, conference speaker and owner of Faithful Bookshop, Doreen Morgan. Doreen will present Great Expectations. Attendees will enjoy lunch and mid-day entertainment by FiddleDEEDEE. Vendors will include BooksBloom, Faithful Bookshop, Kay Ness, Cheryl Bastian, Virginia Knowles, Maridel Willer, Meredith Curtis and Samantha Bellaire. In addition to the keynotes, attendees will choose 4 workshops from the 19 offered, 2 of which will be presented by Kay Ness, respected, certified neurodevelopmentalist. Kay has successfully trained professionals and parents to teach and to remediate children with learning challenges. Many of the workshop presenters are conference speakers and authors. Several workshops are offered for Dads. Choose from workshops packed with practical tips and helpful hints presented by Jan Bloom, Doreen Morgan, Cheryl Bastian, Maridel Willer, Meredith Curtis, Virginia Knowles, Shannon Dever, Samantha Bellaire, Lori Bosse, Cari Rotenberger, Esther Day, Andrew Day, Gary Bloom, and Mike Bastian. Come, be energized and refreshed for 2009. For more information, including detailed descriptions of each workshop, lunch options and registration, please visit Books & Beyond
If you don't live in the central Florida area, you could use this as an inspiration for organizing your own day of seminars!
I have my Thanksgiving Treasury, filled with stuff accumulated from past years, on my web site at http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com/ThanksgivingTreasury. You can find my Christmas Treasury at http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com/ChristmasTreasury, which includes ideas for Family Advent Nights as well as articles, recipes, etc. (If you want holiday recipes, be sure to check out http://www.AllRecipes.com which is where I go when I'm looking for something good to fix with what I have on hand!)
These next web links will give you opportunities to really give this Christmas – to the poor and needy! The first introduces the idea of spending less money and more time on your family, and using the saved money to provide clean water in the Third World. The other three have gift catalogs that allow you to bless those in other countries with basic physical and spiritual necessities. Don’t miss out on this!
Advent Conspiracy video on YouTube
Back to the subject of our nation and its government, my friend Charlotte recommends Teen Pact, which gives students experience with how the government works. When her teens participate for two years, she gives them a half credit in Government. Check it out at http://www.TeenPact.com. Charlotte also said she loves the materials from Wall Builders. She writes, “A dear friend introduced me to http://www.wallbuilders.com. They have an excellent American History series for less than $100. She has purchased 2 sets and hopes to educate herself enough to start showing the series and having small group gatherings to discuss them.”
Allura Lightfoot sent a link to a sweet YouTube video about a special needs baby. You can find it here: 99 Balloons.
Marlene Baron reports: “Lowe's Stores hold these great "Build and Grow" Clinics 2X a month for children ages 6 to 11. Check out the link for the projects in November and December. I've done these with my daughter the last 2 months and she's had a great time. A lot of kids attend, so it is good to arrive before 10am. It's a lot of fun and is free. https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/
OK, that’s about it for now. I’ll close with something I found on the web – I can’t remember where!
THANKSGIVING IS...
Thanksgiving isa time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care go before us...
and whose love is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is
a time to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too, grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is
a time of changing seasons, when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty of Autumn,
let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours...
let us think of our families and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
Author Unknown
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