News from HuckleBerry Center for Creative Learning

February 2010

Vol 2, Issue 2

HUCKLEBERRY NEWS

SOME STUFF FROM STEPHANIE

Welcome back to our Spring 2010 Semester!

We all hope you enjoyed the week off, and that you had a good first weeks in your new classes!! Lots of fun games and projects have been designed for each of our classes - we hope you enjoy them! When you're not in classes, don't miss the special events we've been working on for this month! We've got a fabulous speaker lined up for our Homeschooling Seminars held at Barnes and Noble. This month Tammy Takahashi is here to talk about ways to prevent you and your family from experiencing burnout - a common complaint as we get closer to summer! There are great field trips that are close to home this month too! Field trips are just one way to keep your homeschooling adventure fresh and fun - and it's a great way to meet new friends too! Do you know a homeschooling teen that's looking for something new to do? How about our new (free) Book Club for Teens! Homeschool seminars, field trips, book clubs; we're always looking for new and better ways to serve our community, so if you have a great suggestion, please feel free to send me an email or leave a suggestion in our new suggestion box! And don't be afraid to leave some constructive criticism too - it's the best way we can become an even better learning center! And most of all, thanks to everyone that helped us raise funds for scholarships for people in our own community that are falling on hard times, and also people in Haiti that are suffering from the devastation of the recent earthquake. Your donations to our Silent Auction and Drawing will go directly to families in need. Your generosity is an inspiration to us all - Thank you!

Stephanie

YEARBOOK UPDATE

Our Yearbook class is busy putting together an awesome yearbook for all of you - but we need to sell 9 more yearbooks to break even on the cost. If you haven't ordered one yet, please consider buying this momento of your year at HuckleBerry. If you haven't had your picture taken, please try to get it taken this month. Penny Sande is making all the arrangements to bring LifeTouch back on site to get the rest of our pictures taken. Be sure to check your emails so you know the date!

AN AWESOME FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITY THIS MONTH

A FIELD TRIP TO GENE AUTRY'S MUSEUM OF WESTERN HERITAGE
(by the LA Zoo)

Date: Friday, February 19th
Time: starting at 11am
All are welcome and we are getting a special school rate of only $1 per person!!

A minimum of 15 students is needed so please RSVP to Lisa Melcombe ASAP

Lamkin321@dslextreme.com

NEW - FREE BOOKCLUB FOR TEENS!

We are starting a Book Club for Teens. We are very lucky that Barnes and Noble will host this for us! Our first meeting will be on Saturday night, February 27th, from 7:00 - 9:00. Refreshments will be provided by HuckleBerry. We will start with MAXIMUM RIDE - THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT by James Patterson. This book club is at the request of several teens - and we're hoping that many of the kids will enjoy talking about, and perhaps doing some projects about, THEIR favorite books. Books will be chosen by the kids - within some constraints on content / language. However, this is intended to be teen reads, and so there will clearly be content and language that is directed towards their experiences & emotions. On our first meeting, I will collect titles that the kids would like to read together and discuss. Parents will need to decide if they want their kids reading the book that is chosen each month. The book club will be open to everyone - not just Huck kids and not just homeschoolers. The club will not be restricted by age - but the intended audience is TEENS. If you have a non-teen that is mature enough for these books, a book club and conversations on this content, they are welcome. Kids can also invite their friends! This is NOT a HuckleBerry class! This is intended as a social event for kids that like to read and would like to be with other kids that like to read and discuss their favorite books!

Questions? Email Stephanie at stephanie.berry@ix.netcom.com

BARNES AND NOBLE SEMINAR
MANAGING BURNOUT
FEBRUARY 21ST

We are so lucky to have noted homeschool author and speaker Tammy Takahashi here to talk to us about Burnout - when we all get tired, frustrated, and may want to throw in the towel. She'll help us find ways to make homeschooling easier to keep burnout at bay. You'll learn
tricks and tips from Tammy - an experienced homeschooler and author of DeSchooling Gently and her upcoming book Zenschooling: Living a Peaceful & Fulfilling Life Without School, on how to turn frustration into fun, and despair into enthusiasm.
Coffee and refreshments will be offered

Questions? contact Elizabeth Johnson, Director of Community Outreach

PAJAMA WEEK
FEBRUARY 22-25

Let's get warm and cozy during these cold February days. Wear your PJ's to all your Huck classes this week. Tell your teachers that you want to see them in their jammies too!