Deer Run Camps Open House

It's almost time for summer camp at Deer Run. They are holding an open house Sunday, April 12, 2015 from 2:00-4:00PM. This is a come-and-go guided walking tour. See the camp and meet some of the staff. For details, visit Deer Run's website. 

Homeschoolers Eligible for Barnes & Noble's Educator Discount Card

I've added Barnes & Noble's Educator Appreciation Days to our events calendar. And thanks to Robbie Bryan, our local B&N Community Relations Manager, for the reminder that home educators are eligible for Barnes & Noble's Educator Discount Card, which provides a discount on educational products year round. (Apply for the free card in store.)
 
B&N is also holding an Educator Open House Friday, April 17, 2015 at 3:30pm-6:00pm. Stop by for free educational goodies and enter their drawing for a $500 gift card.

Homeschool Mom Shares the Beginning of Her Adoption Journey

Today, I’m interviewing Vickie Hubbell. Vickie is a Thompson’s Station homeschooling mother of three. She and her husband, C.J., are in the process of adopting two children from Uganda.

Welcome to HomeschoolingWC, Vickie. Adopting is a huge endeavor. What made you decide to try to expand your family through adoption? 
For years we have wanted to adopt and always felt it wasn’t the right timing, but we know for sure this is God’s timing! We may not have a lot of space in our home but we do have a lot of love to give. We are all so excited about expanding our family!

International adoption can be especially complicated. Why Uganda?
A good friend of ours started an orphanage in Uganda and we have been sponsoring a little boy there. She has just recently signed up with an agency so that she can do international adoptions and we were selected to be a part of a pilot program.

Guitar Lessons Are Awesome! by Marty Keith

What do Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Chris Tomlin, and Steven Curtis Chapman all have in common? Three things actually. They play multiple instruments, they each started learning at a young age, and I teach their music to my students.

I love music. I love the guitar… and bass… and ukulele. I love teaching these instruments. There is satisfaction in knowing that I get to pass on to a new generation of students all of the wonderful things I have learned as a professional musician. I am a recording artist and have toured all over the United States for 20 years. I will do so as long as the Lord allows me to. But eventually, I will not be able to do it any more and neither will Taylor Swift or Chris Tomlin. Someone will have to fill that position. My goal is to help students

Preparing Your Middle Schooler for High School: Wave the Magic WAND (and Keep a Bag of Tricks!) by Mona Housman

Entering the high school years can be cause for a freak-out moment. However, looking back from a future vantage point, many parents and tutors agree that students who are prepared with a few key tools can transition well into high school.

So here’s your magic WAND:

Writing
Much of high school requires written communication. Being able to write a well-developed paragraph by 6th grade (with a clear topic sentence and supporting facts), moving into three paragraphs by 7th grade, and the traditional five-paragraph essay by 8th grade can be a huge help for high school and beyond.

Bag of Tricks: If your student struggles to get words onto a blank

Dyer Observatory Closed Until Further Notice

Due to winter weather damage, Dyer Observatory still closed until further notice. The March Telescope Night has been cancelled, and tickets that have already been purchased will be refunded. See website for more information.

Vocal and Piano Teacher for Spring Hill Area ~ Cindy Statham

My name is Cindy Statham and I am a songwriter, arranger & performer, but I love to teach! I've been playing piano and singing as long as I can remember and have sung all over the world. I moved to Nashville from Atlanta GA in 1984 and was involved in the music business until I got married and started a family. I set all of it aside except for teaching. Now that the kids are in their twenties, I am pitching my songs again, writing and arranging. My teaching style is very practical, mainly because this is Music City! With piano I teach reading notes as well as reading lead sheets/chord charts, composing, arranging, and ear training. With vocal coaching, I teach the classical fundamentals of correct breathing and proper technique, and everything after that is "stylizing." I believe you can sing any style out there correctly. I charge $35/hour if you come to me and $40/hour if I come to you. I only travel in the Spring Hill area. Feel free to email me at cindystatham74 at gmail dot com.

Creative Writing Lesson Ideas by Christina Yother, PhD

Ask most students in a traditional school environment and they’ll likely tell you that there is little room for creativity in their daily curriculum. So much information must be covered and crammed into a short time to prepare for the overwhelming amount of standardized testing they’ll take in the span of a school year. Many students will go one step further and exclaim that they hate writing. They dread the 5-Paragraph essay, the closing sentence, the reference pages, the topics, and the checklist of requirements. They roll their eyes at rubrics and book reports and research papers, often waiting until the last possible moment to try to pull off yet another writing assignment. College writing is

Summertime Makes Learning Easier by Matt Fontana

Summer is on the way, and while it may indeed be time for a vacation, summertime also may be the best time for students to catch up, keep up or move up in their studies. Without distractions of after-school activities or splitting limited study time over a full course load, summertime presents a great opportunity to make up lost ground or get ahead, according to the professional educators at the Learning Lab. 

Catch Up, Keep Up, Move Up
If your child needs to make up a failed or missing course, earn extra course credit or improve critical skills in reading, math or studying in general, then summer learning may be just what he or she needs