Thursday, July 29, 2010

New everything!

No, not really new everything. But it is a new school year (almost), and I'm popping in to write my less-than-occasional blog post.

Three Sisters has a main website at www.homelearningresources.com

Our program offerings are at the main site (read  program descriptions here) and our main blog with its more current community info, as well as what we're thinking about future programs, is there (check it out here).

This blog is used every now and then as a newsletter archive. In mid-August 2010, our 2009 newsletters will be here. You will find them with either the search function (that box in the upper left-hand corner) or by looking in the right-hand sidebar "Blog Archive."

For veteran Iowan homeschoolers, Three Sisters has a new phone number. It's local to Des Moines:  

515-422-9747

Have a great summer!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Conference Countdown -- 3 weeks until conference

Conference Countdown – 3 weeks until the conference

You can help us spread the word about the great world of homeschooling – we’ll mail a flyer for you to hang at your local library. Let us know at see3sis@yahoo.com THANKS!!!

Get these updates in your inbox as soon as they are released – send email to see3sis@yahoo.com and say “put me on the mailing list!”

Conference News:

Three Sisters HLR Conference
“Homeschool Success”
April 17, 2010 from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church
West Des Moines

Admission to conference workshops is $15/single or $25/married couple.

Registration is open now at http://wp.homelearningresources.com/events/hlr-conference/conference-registration/.

Three Sisters has lined up nine practical workshops to help homeschoolers. These will contain information that can be used immediately, and all are listed at Three Sisters website. Two workshops to mention now:

Home school day: fiction vs. reality. A home school mom of three great kids, local mom Tamara briefly discusses different home school philosophies, helps you identify goals, and empowers you make a successful home schooling lifestyle that works for you, while sprinkling in examples (good and bad) from her days. Many resources will be shared. Highly interactive.
Connected: How to find a home school support group. Veteran home school mom
Sheryl discusses the different levels of home school support and how to find the right match for your family. Participants will receive information regarding the various forms of support available in the Central Iowa area as well as ideas about how to start your own support group.

HLR Sale and Stuff Sale News:
2010 HLR Sale and Stuff Sale
Sat., April 17 from 9 a.m. – noon
West Des Moines, held before and during the conference
No admission fee to go shopping
Shoppers: The Stuff Sale is for families to sell their unused learning resources – books, games, etc. at used prices. We also have a “free table.” A former teacher gifted us with first and second grade learning materials.

Spring cleaners: Sell your stuff -- $5/half table and $10/full table. Send email to see3sis@yahoo.com for more details.

The HLR Sale is for retail sales. Committed vendors to date include:
Guilt-Free Homeschooling – homeschool planners and diagnostics
Keyboard West – discounted daytime piano lessons for homeschoolers
Usborne Books and More – educational children’s books
Math-U-See -- Demo will play for those unfamiliar with the program, take-home DVD and literature for those considering this curriculum

Monday, March 1, 2010

March 2010 newsletter


March 2010 News from THREE SISTERS

Look for our program participants to be featured in the Des Moines Register School pages on Thursdays! If you don’t get the paper, check out the write-up about our Animal Winter Survival program (look at this link http://wp.homelearningresources.com/2010/02/animal-winter-survival/) in Three Sisters blog posts. We post all sorts of things of home school interest on our blog. Program participants also get invited to join protected flickr photo pools. Join us for fun programming this month and next.

HLR Programs
        Gyotaku, March 5, grades  k - 12. Make a Japanese fish print and learn about its history. Held in partnership with the West Des Moines Home School Assistance Program. Younger kids can stay with parents in the adjacent lounge area if needed. Class maximum: 30 kids. Held for one hour on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in West Des Moines. Registration open now at this link: http://wp.homelearningresources.com/hlr-programs/gyotaku/
        Civil War, April 21, 11 a.m., all ages. One hour. Join re-enactors Roger and Carol Shannon as they interpret clothing, equipment, and gender roles during the Civil War as well as sing songs for and with their audience. Registration opens about one month prior to the program.
2010 Stuff Sale: Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 9 a.m. – noon in West Des Moines. For people with things to sell, applications to sell at a table are available by request. For people who want to shop, there is no admission fee. We also have a “free table” that is confirmed as having:
  • one puzzle clock
  • lots of vowel worksheets
  • 2 clock stamps for worksheets
  •  subtraction and addition flash cards
  • contraction worksheets
  • laminated 100 chart
  • shape pattern worksheets
  • opposite puzzle
  • telling times worksheets
  • math worksheets
  • tubs full of other materials
HLR Sale: Retail vendors selling home learning resources from the local area are welcome in the sales hall. To suggest vendors or to apply for space as a vendor, contact our office at see3sis@yahoo.com. The HLR Conference will be held in the afternoon at the same site.
Admission to the sale will be free. Confirmed display from Math-U-See. Demo will play for those unfamiliar with the program, take-home literature available. Take-home bags available for all!
Conference News: Three Sisters HLR Conference is themed “Homeschool Success,” and will be held on April 17, 2010 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in West Des Moines. Admission to conference workshops is $15/single or $25/married couple. Registration is open now at http://wp.homelearningresources.com/events/hlr-conference/conference-registration/.

We have room for one more volunteer speaker. If you need assistance in an area of your homeschooling, please let our office know and we’ll try to find a speaker to match your need.

Speakers:
        Sherry Fiscella will give two workshops, one about Bloom’s Taxonomy and one entitled Confident Reading Teacher.
        Maureen Stone (Stone v. State of Iowa)  will talk about The Later Years: High school, college, and PSEO and give a closing speech called Home School Success
        Sheryl Maxey will present a workshop on home school networking
        Kristie Burns will talk about handiwork and crafts for academics
        Julia McGuire will give two workshops called Homeschool 101: Introduction to Paperwork and Using the Internet for Homeschooling.

Other community events and homeschool related happenings are posted on our blog (click this hyperlink) as received.

Until next month, Julia
THREE SISTERS is a small Iowa company founded by three bargain-loving home school moms. It has produced homeschool sales and a conference. It remains open to producing other events, including HLR Programs. The founders revel in the fact that sisterhood does not rely on bloodlines.