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 Happy Holidays!
I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday season in the company of friends and family. I feel like the season is half over already. The local radio stations started playing Christmas music the second week of November. I don't know about you, but I hate the fact that the commercial interests want to push right past Thanksgiving and jump into the gift-buying season. I've always been partial to Thanksgiving myself. It's a holiday that has only two small goals attached to it, to eat a really good meal and to think about what you're thankful for. Considering the crazy life I lead lately, and the stress of trying to get a business and several community projects off the ground while somehow paying the monthly bills, it's nice to take just one day to relax, enjoy family, and focus on something as simple as preparing a meal and something as important as identifying what REALLY matters. So I've had my turkey, watched a few movies with my kids, counted my blessings, and NOW I can look forward to the Great Book Giveaway and the January launch of my Boys & Girls Clubs literacy program and the many new and good things we hope to do in 2011, with a little help from all of you, our friends!
Did You Know: In the 1940s, your child's wish list might have included newly introduced board games like Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land. Tonka Trucks or model airplanes for boys. Paper dolls or Magic 8 Balls for girls. And Santa might even have left a Slinky or Silly Putty in their stockings.
Did You Know: While teachers appreciate any gift, most can boast dozens of coffee mugs, ornaments, and knick knacks. When thinking about teacher gifts, remember that many teachers provide supplies for their classroom out of their own pockets. A gift card to a teachers' store or bookstore or even an office supply store would be welcome. Teaming together with other parents to fund new software for the classroom or pay for a field trip or speaker visit would be beneficial, but many teachers will tell you that a hand-written note from your children is equally appreciated.
Did You Know: Ever wonder what those coins you drop in the Salvation Army red kettles are used for? According to the Salvation Army website, they go toward providing Christmas dinners, toys, and clothing to families in need, as well as helping with other financial assistance. It's a time-honored tradition that traces back to 1891!
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Readers
and Writers
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Readers:
Holiday Savings!
 Remember that any books, teacher kits or homeschool kits you order directly from me this holiday season will be marked down 20% and include free shipping. Remember too that a portion of your purchases goes toward helping to develop our literacy programs for at-risk and low-income children.
I am happy to inscribe your books as well. Signed books make wonderful gifts. And my novels provide something for everyone in your family! To order, please visit my website. Look Who I Met!  In the audience of my most recent performance of Dancing in Combat Boots was Weslee D'Audney. As a young woman, Weslee served as the model for the famous Become a Nurse Poster that I'm holding here. What a thrill it was for me to meet the woman whose likeness inspired a whole new generation of nurses to "do their part." Interestingly, this poster was only one of her many accomplishments. She also raised five children, earned three university degrees, and taught the deaf, among other things! Tell Me Your Stories! Pearl Harbor Day is disappearing off of some calendars. In order to preserve the memory of this important day, please send me your memories or family stories about the "date that will live in infamy." You can post them on my Readers' Stories page. |
Writers:
Teresa's Quote of the Month:
"Write What You'd Like to Know." We've all heard the saying, "Write What You Know," but that's a bit limiting, don't you think? I always say, "Write what you'd LIKE to know." The world is full of information and opportunity. Just because you haven't personally experienced what you'd like to write about doesn't mean you can't research, inquire and explore your way to the knowledge you need to write with authority. Trust your imagination to fill in the rest and enjoy learning something new!
This Month's Question:
A couple of people have commented to me in the past month that for people who make their living writing for technical, commercial or journalistic markets (or just those who have jobs that require sitting at a computer all day), it's often hard to find the energy and stamina to work on creative writing as well. Here are my suggestions for dealing with this dilemma.
Send Me Your Writing Questions:
And I'll do my best to answer them in this column. Your questions can be on the craft of writing, the business of publishing, the challenges of marketing your finished work or anything in between. I'm eager to hear your questions!
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Pass It On
Every month we work hard to include as much helpful information as we can for teachers, parents, homeschoolers, and students. If you like the activities you see here, please pass this newsletter on! To see our archived activites click here
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Educators
and Students
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Educators:
Giving Near and Far:
In two previous newsletters, we encouraged awareness of "Community Helpers." Part 1 was about identifying the community helpers in your town and the jobs they do for us. Part 2 addressed how to thank them for their service.This month we are encouraging classes to look outside their city limits to the soldiers who are away from home this holiday season.
Collecting gifts for the military is a wonderful way to show appreciation and thought-
fulness. A great December class project is collecting gifts that will help our service men and women know that people care. Click Here for addresses and websites for programs to which you can donate.
New School Program:
Hey teachers, check out my new author visit program. This program goes way beyond the standard author visit. In addition to my school appearances, you'll get frree books, a six-part writing unit or my Reader's Theater skits and much more. In this time of serious budget cuts, I can assist you in helping fund the visits.To learn more, please click on my School Visits page.
Homeschoolers:
I was really pleased to see this positive review in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. |
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Students:
Giving in Your Own Way:
No matter what holiday you celebrate, this time of year is about GIVING! Giving gifts that we buy at a store is common. But giving gifts we make ourselves is fun and it's something that the children during World War II did! Money was scarce and many items were rationed, so children in the 1940s used what they had to make creative gifts for others. Think about supplies you have at home. Ask your parents how you could create a gift for someone else?
Not in the mood to make a gift? How about giving of yourself to those in need, by using your time and talents. Maybe you know of an elderly neighbor or a grandparent that needs help raking their leaves or shoveling the snow. With your parents' permission, you could volunteer to do a job for a person outside the family or an organization that needs help. Do this without any expectation of something in return. Even small things matter, such as holding open the door for someone. Watch for ways you can give this holiday season!
Mind Bender
Keep a look out each month for a mind bender. It could be some sort of activity or a trivia question. Check out the next month's newsletter for the answer. Good luck and have fun!!
Answer to Last Month's Mind Bender The strange Thanksgiving dinner consisted of: Stuffing, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Pie, and Salad
Johanna made stuffing, ruined apple pie, store, 17
Emily made pumpkin pie, ruined potatoes, was on time because she's an early riser (gardener), 24
Jacob ruined turkey, made salad, ran out of gas/petrol, 19
Ali ruined buns, made cranberry sauce, overslept (host), oldest
Rosie ruined gravy, made green beans, argued with her boyfriend, 21
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Contact Us
Teresa Funke & Company
116 W Harvard Suite 1
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
970-223-4484
tfcinfo@teresafunke.com |
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News
and Events
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News
Sponsors Needed!
Read a Hero Literacy Program:
My new after-school literacy program for Boys & Girls Clubs launched in November with our three Larimer County Clubs. We are bringing in new clubs across the state in January, including units in Weld and Pueblo counties.There is much excitement among club directors about all the benefits included in our program. I am desperately seeking sponsors for at least five more clubs before the first of the year. If you are interested, please contact me for more information at: teresa@teresafunke.com or 970-223-4484.
Catch Me At:
December 9, 2010
Great Book Giveaway
CSU campus
December 11, 2010
Associated Veteran's Club Christmas Bazaar
Loveland, CO
December 13, 2010
Great Book Giveaway
Ft Collins, CO
To see details on these and other speaking engagements in November, check out my events page.
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
To the generous souls who funded this year's Great Book Giveaway, I send my most sincere gratitude. Your support has allowed me to donate books plus a holiday author visit to the following organizations that work with at-risk, low-income and Hispanic children:
Our sponsors for Realities for Children are:
Jean Sutherland
Peter Springberg
Marilyn Cockburn
Carol Ann Hixon
Our sponsor for Kids at Heart is:
North Beach Dental
Our sponsors for El Centro's Triunfo Tutoring program are:
Jean Sutherland
Hixon Interiors, Inc.
Kevin Shaw and Associates, CPA
Our sponsor for Poudre River Library District's Harmony Home Mobile Park literacy project is:
The Serimus Foundation
Special Thanks!
To the Fort Collins Lions Club for donating their FOURTH School Kit to area schools. I'm shown here with Irene Toliver of the Lions as we presented the kit to students at Laurel Elementary. I'll be working with the Lions Club in 2011 to help collect eye glasses for the needy. Watch for details surrounding my upcoming performances of Dancing in Combat Boots
Getting in the Swing of Things:
Check out the vintage dress I wore to the 1940s-style Hoopla for Hope benefit for The Mathews House. And below is a picture of the event's own Rosie the Riveter.
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Teresa Funke & Company provides books, programs, and resources to Readers, Writers, Teachers and Students. Teresa is a Speaker, Presenter, Writers coach and author of five books based on true stories from World War II. To learn more, please visit www.teresafunke.com |
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