Tennessee Homeschool News

Saturday, March 20, 2010 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM at Donelson Fellowship in Nashville. Cost: $50 ($55 at the door). Parents are FREE! Students, please bring: pens, pencils, notebook, paper, bag lunch and drink.

This 6 hour event is for 9th - 12th graders. The morning session covers how to write timed essays utilizing a prompt question, understanding how SAT essays are graded, evaluating sample essays, and tips on how to practice and prepare for the essay portion of the SAT.

The afternoon session addresses the College Application Essay which is required for entrance into most colleges and universities across the nation. This includes how to write an effective outline, evaluate sample questions asked by colleges, and improve structural and stylistic techniques. The students then combine these skills to write their own essay.

To register: www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/teacin.html or call Susan Jungling 615-758-6579

Registration is now underway for the Maryland Farms YMCA Home School Program. Session II begins March 23 and runs weekly through May 4 (no classes 3/15 & 4/6) from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. for ages 6 to 12 years old. One hour features Drawing; exploring the basic art concepts creative process while developing observation skills. This will involve a variety of interesting art activities which teach basic art techniques in many media and increase art appreciation. An art supply list will be available prior to beginning of the session. One hour of fitness classes include tennis, aerobics/fitness, swimming, crazy relays, youth fitness equipment, sports wall, dodge ball and more. The costs for each 6 week session are: YMCA Facility Member: $70, YMCA Program Member: $80. For more information, go to the YMCA website: www.ymcamidtn.org or contact: Catherine Douglas, Youth Programs Coordinator at cdouglas[at]ymcamidtn.org or call 615-373-2900. Registration is through the Welcome Desk at the Maryland Farms YMCA, located at 5101 Maryland Way, Brentwood, TN.

Saturday, March 27, 2010 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM at Donelson Fellowship in Nashville. Cost is $50 ($55 at the door) plus $18 for SWI-A Writing Notebook (non-consumable) unless you already have a notebook. Parents are FREE!

Students ages 9 - 14 and parents will love this engaging seminar using Andrew Pudewa's Institute of Excellence in Writing (IEW) materials. It is designed to give parents and students clear directions for beginning and improving writing skills. Students will be asked to write paragraphs, stories, reports, and essays using the stylistic techniques & dress-ups taught in this course. Be prepared for students to enjoy and improve their writing! Students, please bring: pens, pencils, notebook, paper, bag lunch and drink.

To register: www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/teacin.html or call Susan Jungling 615-758-6579

This beloved classic makes its way onto the stage of Lamplighter’s Theatre as the fourth offering of the Middle Tennessee-based theatre company’s “Season to Fall in Love.” “Anne of Green Gables” will touch your heart and your funny bone as this family classic relives the winsome, poignant and frequently humorous adventures of a spunky, red-headed orphan who comes to Prince Edward Island hoping to find a happy home. The show runs March 19 - 21 & 26 - 28. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 PM; Sunday performances are at 4:30 PM.

Lamplighter’s Theatre is located on the campus of Smyrna Assembly at 14119 Old Nashville Highway, Smyrna, TN. Tickets are available at www.ticketsnashville.com . For more information contact Lamplighters Theatre at (615) 852-8499 (TIXX), or visit us online at www.Lamplighterstheatre.com

Sumner Home Educators Encouraging and Praying...SHEEP. We offer field trips, weekly play dates, a monthly Mom's Night Out, and a book club for the children just to name a few. We have infants all the way up to teens.

Visit our website for more information: http://sheeptn.wordpress.com/

Home School Day: What's in a Seed?
Thursday, April 1
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
$7/person in advance; $10/person at the gate

Learn about seeds - how they form, how they get planted in the wild, how they develop into plants. Find out what eats them and what kinds of seeds people eat! Take-home project included. Designed for upper elementary students.

For more information, visit: http://www.owlshill.org/homeschool

January 15 - April 4 at the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum located at 100 Frank Clement Place, Dickson, TN, 615-446-0500. This Tennessee State Museum traveling exhibit features rare Civil War artifacts related to Union and Confederate cavalry. K-12 educational programs address social studies, arts education, and science curriculum standards. Free for students and teachers. For more information visit www.clementrailroadmuseum.org or e-mail programspecialist[at]clementrailroadmuseum.org

Your are invited to the 14th Annual Homeschool Conference and Competition, April 8-10, 2010 at the Bill Rice Ranch, Murfreesboro, TN. This is a great time of fun, fellowship, and includes a fine arts competition for homeschool kids grade 1-12. Special programs and activities will be available for all ages and the entire family is encouraged to attend!

The Bill Rice Ranch has over 1,300 acres with a variety of activities to enjoy. Here are just a few things to do during the conference: take a trail ride on our well trained horses, pony rides for the little ones, hikes, putt-putt golf, wagon ride tours, torpedo ball, a game room, ping-pong, ballgames, the outback obstacle course, funspiration, fine arts competition and more.

Visit our website: www.billriceranch.org/homeschool-conference.php for more details! For more information please contact Frank Finney - ffinney[at]billriceranch.org or call 800-253-7423, ext. 134.

We hope to see you at the Bill Rice Ranch!

Does your child...love music? enjoy social opportunities with friends? want to learn in a Christ-centered atmosphere? have a hidden musical talent waiting to be discovered? If so, consider adding music to your curriculum next year through a band! Nashville Notes Homeschool Band is for homeschoolers age 10 and up for beginning, intermediate and advanced level band training. Rehearsals will be held on Tuesdays from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., September through April at Clearview Baptist Church in Franklin (conveniently located just off Interstate 65). Nashville Notes Homeschool Band provides the opportunity to participate in a band in which students are trained and equipped in a Christ-centered atmosphere to glorify God through music. We would love to have you join us!

If you would like to see Nashville Notes Homeschool Band in action, they have two upcoming performances:
· March 23 at Homeschool Rally Day
· April 22 Spring Concert 7:00 PM at Clearview Baptist Church
For more information: visit www.nashvillenotes.org or e-mail Band Director, Mrs. Sholeen Wuest at sholeenw[at]aol.com

International Fair
Friday, April 23rd
6:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Belle Aire Baptist Church, Murfreesboro
This is a great family-friendly evening with lots of good food to sample, famous historical people to meet and a scavenger hunt to facilitate learning about the different countries of the world.

Participation involves choosing a country, reading about that country and composing a 3-panel display board which illustrates all the interesting facts you have discovered. If you wish, you can include food samples from your country and/or dress like a native of that country. We will display all the boards and enjoy a fun-filled evening viewing what everyone has created. To sign up for a country, contact Kim Myers (904-7097 or krmyers01[at]bellsouth.net ) by April 9th.

We will need a few adult volunteers to help before, during and after the fair. The jobs are simple and not time consuming.

If you decide not to participate this year, you can just come, enjoy the fair and find out what the fair is like to see if you want to participate next year.

Home Educators Association of Rutherford Tennessee (HEART) will be holding its annual Used Curriculum Sale on April 24, 2010. The sale will be at Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. The sale will be open to the public from 9:00 AM until noon. Set up and tear down will be the hour before and after. If you are interested in selling your used curriculum contact Kelly at parkhurstfamily[at]yahoo.com

New Exhibition Opening February 4th Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Tennessee Sit-Ins

The landmark events that helped shape the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s are the focus of an exhibition opening at the Tennessee State Museum on February 4, 2010. The exhibit, entitled We Shall Not Be Moved: The 50th Anniversary of Tennessee's Civil Rights Sit-Ins, continues through May 16 and is free to the public.

For more information, visit the museum website at: http://www.tnmuseum.org/custpage.cfm/frm/45806/sec_id/45806

Once again, the ASVAB Career Exploration Program is being offered for all students of the 10th, 11th, 12th Grade and/or recently graduated students; at the MTHEA Curriculum Fair, on May 14th, 2010, test to begin at 8:00 a.m.

The ASVAB, historically known as that “Military Test”, when combined with the CEP is one of the best Career Exploration Programs in the United States. Although the military does rely on the ASVAB for evaluation of persons enlisting in the service, the ASVAB is no longer just for the military. Many independent civilian studies have found that the ASVAB is also a very accurate tool for determining vocational aptitudes in the civilian workplace. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can greatly assist you in guiding your students toward a career path.

• Totally FREE
• Open to ALL Home School students
• NO interest or plans or obligation to join the military required
• Results ARE NOT sent to military recruiters UNLESS you request it
• ON Site evaluation and interpretation of results
• Friday, May 14, 2010 [at] 8:00 a.m.
• The ASVAB has a 96% rate of accuracy in determining aptitudes
• Even if the student already has an idea what s/he wants to do, the ASVAB can provide valuable assistance in narrowing a career field or exposing a potential that may have previously been unrecognized

Those interested in their students taking this nationally recognized aptitude and skills test can contact Diana Staricco [at] 615-833-1347 ext 128 or by e-mail diana.staricco[at]mepcom.army.mil

When it comes to college admissions, arguably one of the most important lines on a homeschool resume is the one referencing the ACT or SAT score. Often more important than the student’s GPA or the school’s accreditation, the ACT or SAT score can be the primary factor in considering admissions, in scholarships, and in course requirements. For this reason, parents are well advised to begin early in helping their high school students do their best on these tests.

The Learning Lab in Brentwood, TN is endeavoring to assist by offering free practice tests to area students. These tests will closely duplicate the normal conditions of the actual tests and will be followed by feedback on the scores and suggestions for further test prep. While The Learning Lab does offer Test Prep classes for a fee, there is no obligation to purchase. The practice tests, evaluation and counseling sessions are free. They will be offered on Saturdays from 8am-noon.

For more information on the practice tests, or any of the other services offered this summer, please contact The Learning Lab, 5500 Maryland Way, Suite 110, Brentwood, TN. 615-377-2929 (phone) and 615-373-8216 (fax).

Listed below are the dates for the Homeschool Afternoons this spring. All dates are either Thursday and Friday. Session are broken down by age; ages 4-6 at 1:00 PM, 7-9 are held at 2:15 PM and ages 10 and above begins at 3:30 PM.

March 18 & 19 - "Wildlife Careers" Zoological and Husbandry Opportunities
April 22 & 23 - "Surviving the Wild" Animal Adaptations
May 20 & 21 - "The Scoop on Poop" Animal Evidence

If any of these dates do no suit your group remember if your groups has 15 students or more (can be various ages) you can book a "Wild Encounter" program that fits your groups time/date needs. We offer group programming with animal interactions for all ages Monday-Friday Every month except June, July and October. Schedule a class any time that fit your schedule.

Educators Workshop: There are a few seats left an the Nashville Zoo's Educators Workshop on 26 March 2010, 9:00-4:00. This all day class provides insights on how to think on the "Wild" side. It includes, breakfast, lunch, gift bags, zoo entrance, age/grade related worksheets, team building exercise and last but no least your very own "Bio-Fact Lending Library" Card.

Check out these and more educational opportunities at the zoo's website: http://nashvillezoo.org/education_programs.asp?eduGroupID=9

Our Spring Farm Tours are educational and fun – great for family outings and classroom field trips. This year’s Spring Farm Tours will last from March 30th through May 31st. All tours must be reserved in advance by contacting the farm at (615) 382-7593. For more information you can visit our website www.honeysucklehillfarm.com