Thursday Connection: Adult Group Meetings

Melaleuca Seminar

Here is a great opportunity to learn more about Melaeuca products. Cindy Johnson does a great job sharing how to use Melaleuca products and the unique things they can do. If you can be at this seminar it will be worth your time and effort.

When: Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 1 pm

Directions: Take Broome rd off of Gallaher View Road. Take the first right on Alexander Cavet and go to the cul-de-sac. It is the house on the right: 8300.

My cell number is 247-1874 should you have any trouble finding it.

If you have a friend who would benefit from these great healthy products, Cindy is doing a presentation to explain the business at her home at 10 am and another one at 7 pm that day. People are looking for something like this, with corporate America in a mess, we get to share our revenue with 7 normal families instead of those guys at corporate offices. I like being able to help 7 normal families instead of feed those that have more money then they need.

If you, like many, need some extra money for Christmas, Melaleuca is guaranteeing a check of $500 if you enroll 8 people this month, so share with 8 families and get a $500 check on Dec 17th. Enroll 10 and you are guaranteed $800. Not bad Christmas money for helping others be safe. Bring friends and family to either of those times above or she is also doing Friday Nov. 14 at 10 am, and one on Monday the 24. I have a presentation planned for Thursday, Nov. 20th at TC at 12:30 in the conference room. Feel free to call me anytime with questions.

Jodie Moore
Would you like more information on nontoxic home care products? Just ask!

Moms' Fitness Group

Are you wondering when exercise could possibly fit into your busy schedule? Stop wondering and join up with other Mom’s for fitness and fun!
When: This Thursday, November 6th, 1:00pm (and more to come!)
Where: Lyons View Walking Track (meet in Parents’ room at 12:45)
Why: 1. To give yourself the attention you need
2. To experience support and encouragement from others
3. To burn some calories
4. To increase positive outlook (a good walk has the same effect as an anti-depressant!)
What else: Tennis anyone? There is also interest in putting together tennis outings.
If you have interest in these or another type of group fitness, email Jeannie Hinds at jeannieh@comcast.net to be included in future planning.

Jazzercise

The Jazzercise class that meets at First Cumberland is offering a special discount for you! See the flyer for more details.

S.A.L.T. Club

It is with great excitement, anticipation, and also great alarm that I am writing to you! If you have been following the current events of the state legislature this past spring regarding the House Bills that have come before the House Education Subcommittee, you know that WE ARE IN TROUBLE with homeschooling in TN! We are facing the most difficult situation for the homeschooling movement that we have had in many, many years! In the early spring, we faced a situation with a bill that was eventually defeated that would have demanded state testing for the 'gateway' end of course tests, and also for graduation of our homeschool students. These tests would have been based on the public school curriculum, a situation that would be grossly unfair to our homeschool students, and would have eventually resulted in dictating the curriculum we choose to educate our children. Praise be to God! It did not pass!

But, just when we thought the battle was over, another issue arose, in which the TN Dept. of Education employees began telling various state employers and a college that our Category IV school diplomas (Gateway, among others) were 'not worth the paper they're written on'. In reality, the TN Dept. of Education does NOT have any jurisdiction over Category IV schools because they are church-related and NOT under any state regulations, and these employees have been corrected, but the damage has been done. It will continue to be an ongoing problem, as the Dept. of Education has no authority to validate the Category IV diplomas, until new legislation can be passed that will provide recognition by state employers of Category IV diplomas. To date, we have had a police officer in Roane County where we live, that has been restricted to a desk job with all of his arrests and court cases pending, as he has been told that he must get a GED, since his diploma from Gateway is worthless, despite the fact that he went through police program at a local community college with flying colors! There has also been a daycare worker who lost her job with a state agency because her diploma was declared worthless, and ITT Technical Institute in Knoxville has refused admission to a Category IV homeschool graduate based on advice from the Dept of Education. In May, Mike Bell and Dennis Ferguson were able to get legislation passed in the House Education Subcommittee that would have recognized Category IV diplomas, but the bill was stalled out in the Calendar and Means Committee and dropped for lack of support. They will try again in the next upcoming legislative session next January.

If you watched the video cam of the live feed from the House Education Subcommittee session on the diploma discussion, it was obvious that we have several legislators that are VERY MUCH opposed to homeschooling in the House Education Subcommittee that will use ANY and ALL of their resources to undermine us at every turn. This is despite the fact that we have enjoyed long-cultivated support for many years from BOTH sides of the aisle. We HAVE to realize that we have dangerous opponents to homeschooling in our state legislature! It is HIGH TIME to SOUND THE ALARM and to prepare for the upcoming war on homeschooling that we ARE going to face over the next several years! Our state homeschooling associations are doing EVERYTHING they can to GET YOUR ATTENTION!

Toward that end, I want to tell you about an exciting opportunity that we have to REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE! We have been asked to form a NEW CIVICS CLUB for FAMILIES to focus on state and local issues that affect us as CHRISTIANS here in TENNESSEE. We are calling it S.A.L.T. Clubs for Salt and Light in Tennessee. Our mission is to 'Bring the Salt and Light of Christ to Tennessee'. We want to unite with other families that are concerned for our communities and our state to make a difference in the civic and political arena through involvement in hands-on activities and ACTION. S.A.L.T. Club will be for family members from all ages from babies to grandparents to work together on civics action projects, and also to come and learn together about the many aspects of civics and government (for example: The Branches of our State Government, How a Bill Becomes a Law, etc.)

This year our focus will be on “How We Can Help to Save Homeschooling in TN”. Please come to the SMHEA Curriculum Fair on Friday, June 27th and Saturday, June 28th to find out all about our new S.A.L.T. Club. We will be presenting a skit and an informative workshop on “The Homeschool Heroes of Tennessee”, where you will learn all about the pioneer homeschoolers of Tennessee and the price they paid FOR YOUR FREEDOM, and then explore how WE can protect those freedoms for which they paid so dearly. The S.A.L.T. workshop will be at 3pm on Friday and 1pm on Sat. in Room A at Farragut Middle School.

I would also strongly encourage you to please DON’T MISS the SMHEA annual meeting this year, “Home Education: The Coming War”, where Cory Bennett will give you the latest updates on the current crisis in homeschooling at 12 noon in Room A on both days.

You will also want to hear State Representative Mike Bell on “Defending Home Education Freedom” at 1pm Friday Room A, and former State Senator and F.A.C.T. (Family Action Council of Tennessee) director, David Fowler on “Real Life Civics” in Room A at 2pm Friday. At 4pm in Room A, there will be an excellent video presentation, “Exposing a Trojan Horse” that will tell you all about the state’s latest tactic to get you back into the public education system with virtual schools (public home schools). You can also see the video at 11am Sat.

I am attaching a copy of our new flyer for the S.A.L.T. Club. Please distribute it to all of your Christian friends, and come and find out more at the workshop. You can get ALL the information about the SMHEA Curriculum Fair at www.smhea.org. Hope to see you there!

In His Service,
Staci Proctor

Babysitter and Mother’s Helper Register

Do you want people at Thursday Connection to know that you are available as a babysitter or a mother’s helper? If so, please add your name and phone number or email address to the list on the bulletin board in the Mothers’ Room. You will be contacted for further information needed to compile a Babysitter and Mother’s Helper Register that will be available to parents.

Adoptive and Foster Parent Group

If you are an adoptive parent, foster parent, or if you have interest in becoming one, I invite you to add your name and email address to the list located on the bulletin board in the mothers’ room. A group listing will be compiled which can help us:
· notify one another of events or activities,
· solicit helpful information and resources, and
· communicate other means of support and encouragement.
Further activities may follow, as well.

Resources Available At Thursday Connection

Dear Parents,
We all have at least one thing in common – the questions, concerns and struggles of being a parent and a home school leader. It’s hard to admit, but yes, we too need help sometimes.

We are excited to introduce some new resources available to parents at Thursday Connection. We hope to provide guidance, support and an environment of learning to new home schooling parents, as well as veterans, through the availability of literature, seminars and the successful experiences of others.

We would love for you to take part in the joy of uplifting others and being uplifted in any of the following ways:

* Donate books or other reading material on the subjects of home schooling, parenting, family, or marriage
* Provide a brief review of a book you’ve read that has been helpful in any particular way
* Visit the new, improved mothers’ room to find a book that may address some of your specific needs,
* to post a question, need, or advertisement on the group cork board,
* to drop an idea for a seminar you’d like to attend in the ‘Suggestions’ box,
* to fill out a profile, and identify other parents with same age children, same curriculum usage, similar interests, or in the same area of town
* to fellowship with others over a cup of coffee,
* or just to enjoy a moment of relaxation with soothing music

We hope you come to enjoy the opportunity to connect with other parents and experience this journey together!

Moms’ Moments

We hope you can join us as we rejoice over what we have accomplished this year and pray together looking ahead to the end of the year and beyond. We will meet Sat. morning April 12th, 8:30-10:00 in the conference room of Fellowship Church. We will share coffee or tea and a breakfast food or two and stories of our home schooling journeys.

Directions: 8000 Middlebrook Pike, go into the main foyer and look for the pastor's office area. Turn right when you enter the door into the office area. Warning: Fellowship will be holding their annual missions yard sale this Sat., so you can end the morning shopping for bargains and support Fellowship's missions programs too! Come in the door on the back side of the church into the lobby. If you have any trouble getting into the church, (if they should not want to let early buyers in) call 748-4205.

Moms' Moments Leadership Team
Margaret Manneschmidt (mannathome@bellsouth.net) and
Connie Lilly (connielilly@comcast.net)

Home School Companions

HOME SCHOOL COMPANIONS - A bi-monthly seminar for refreshment, encouragement and challenge. Focused on different curricular areas, this is an opportunity for you to get out and get recharged. As a home schooling mom, I recognize how hard it is to be a teacher and a mom. There aren’t many forums for us to talk about what is going on in our families and to find some new ideas to try. SO... Each month I will provide an interactive seminar focusing on a particular curricular area. We will meet twice (6:30-8:30) the first and third Thursdays in an upstairs room in the back of Cedar Springs Christian Store. The first week we will explore the topic (and try some ideas ourselves). The third week of the month we will gather again and share experiences, talk about concerns, questions for you and your family. If there are areas we wish to go deeper, that’s what we’ll do. These seminars will change depending on who participates. We will have small group discussions/sharing and individual activities NOT just me talking. My hope is to provide a seminar experience that is relevant and uplifting. And I will be available to you as a resource and support throughout the year.

I have a website and a blog. I will review and extend what is covered in the seminars as well as address issues or concerns that arise. For participants there will be extra resources and a page where you can e-mail comments, get resources, etc. When you attend a seminar you will receive a password so that you can get information that is pertinent to that topic. Hopefully, this will become a place for friendships and teaching to blossom.

The cost is $35 a month whether you attend one or both of the seminars. You do not have to sign up for a year's commitment. As you look over the topics, you may wish to pick and choose OR you may want to come each time. This is just one way to support your home school journey throughout the year.

Although, the seminar topics are listed below, this may change with the needs of the participants. I can also address concerns on the website or email you directly. I will be available and I hope to get to know you and your children personally!

My website is http://web.mac.com/janetgetz

My email is homeschoolcompanions@mac.com and my phone # 670-0844. Thank You, Janet Getz

May --Using Technology, PowerPoint Presentations, Web-quests, Video projects, iMovie etc. Any other topics of interest.

Interested in learning Espanol?

From Hope Warfel 539-3612 or hopewarfel@juno.com

I am looking for 4 to 6 women to join me as I try to learn the Spanish language. My personal goal is to use the language to reach out to Latinos in our community. Raphael Roman, a native of Mexico and pastor of a local Latino church, has agreed to teach us!

Details-

Who: You! I am offering the class to Women’s Connection first. If there are still spots open I will offer it to all of Fellowship. Wouldn’t it be fun to do this with friends?

Money: $10 per class!!! What a deal!

Time: 7 - 8:30 p.m. every Monday night

Where: Park West Church of God on Middlebrook Pike

When: We will start as soon as we have 4 to 6 people sign up. Hopefully very soon! I need to know if you are interested ASAP!

To sign up, or for more info, please contact:

Hope Warfel 539-3612 or hopewarfel@juno.com

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Adult Group Meetings

Links To Items on This Page

Babysitter and Mother’s Helper Register

Adoptive and Foster Parent Group

Resources Available At Thursday Connection

Moms’ Moments

Home School Companions

Interested in learning Espanol?

If you have questions for our Administrator, email mary@thursdayconnection.org.

If you have questions about Registration or Tuition, email wendy@thursdayconnection.org.

If you are new to Thursday Connection and have questions, email manuela@thursdayconnection.org.

Questions, Comments or Suggestions about the website may be emailed to webmaster@thursdayconnection.org.

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