Dear Friends,

"Celebrate Learning--Back to Basics!" Thanks again to the overwhelming response and success of the conference last year, the Families for Home-based Education (FHE) is hosting, for the third year, a homeschool conference on February 22, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The conference is for homeschool and non-homeschool families--new, old, or for those just thinking about homeschooling.

The conference will be held in Longview, Washington, at the Cowlitz PUD building. Longview is located just off Interstate 5 at exit #36 between Portland and Seattle. The PUD building is within a few miles of the freeway at 961 12th Avenue. More specific directions can be found at the end of this letter.

We are pleased to have a program of wonderful speakers and performers.  We are equally pleased that we have been able to add workshops to this year’s conference.  You will be able to choose two workshops to attend, from four workshop selections. The conference schedule is as follows:

9:00 a.m.-9:10 a.m.     Welcome
                        Flag Ceremony by the Boy Scouts
                        "My Country 'Tis of Thee" by:                      

                                    Joby (18), Brice(16), Liddy(14) and Elisha Peter (12) Voetberg  

9:10 a.m.-10:10 a.m.   Keynote speaker--Sharon Hockenbury
                        "Facilitate What Life Orchestrates:  Turning Life into Your Classroom”
                        Sharon is a multitalented homeschool mother of 9 children.

 

10:10 a.m.-10:30 a.m.             Deborah Downs
                        "Preserving Our Homeschool Freedoms"
                        Precinct Committee Officer of Cowlitz County

                                       Homeschool mother of 5 children

10:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.             Break -- muffins, fruit, hot chocolate, cider and herb teas

10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.             The Voetberg Family
                                    Homeschool family of 12 from Chehalis, Washington.

                                    Musical performance with homeschool experiences woven throughout.

 

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.             Lunch Break

 

12:30 p.m.-1:20 p.m.   Workshops:  Homeschool 101  &  Brain Gym®

 

1:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m.     Workshops:  25 Steps to a Healthier You  &  Making Math Fun

 

2:20 p.m.-2:50 p.m.     Discussion Panel -- features speakers from the conference program

 

2:50 p.m.-3:00 p.m.     Closing remarks by MaryAlice Wallis
Those interested in attending the conference can mail the attached registration form and their check to the address listed on the form.  If you have any questions, you can contact us as follows:

Anne Faber

e-mail address: thecountryhill@hotmail.com

MaryAlice Wallis

e-mail address: maryalicewallis@hotmail.com

Hope to see you at the conference!
 

Anne Faber & MaryAlice Wallis
Families for Home-based Education

 

P.S.  We would like you to submit to us an outline of your homeschool daily or weekly schedule.  We will select a few to include as sample schedules in the conference packet.  These will be helpful to new homeschoolers and those just looking for some new ideas.  Please feel free to email the sample schedule to us.

P.S.S.  We will have a not-for-profit homeschool material (books, textbooks, manipulative, etc) exchange table setup during lunch time.  Please bring the items you want to exchange to the conference.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

HOMESCHOOL 101 (the nuts and bolts) -- Doreen Blanding, homeschool mother of 6 children, a lecturer and President of WALDSFE, a homeschool network association in the Seattle area.  This class is perfect for the first time homeschoolers and those with small children.

 

BRAIN GYM ® -- Melanee Green Evans, mother of two daughters, Certified, licensed Brain Gym® instructor.   Experience the ease and success of playful, whole-brain teaching and learning.

 

25 STEPS TO A HEALTHIER YOU -- Sharon Hockenbury, homeschool mother of 9, vocalist, certified herbalist and natural health educator will teach you about having ultimate health for your homeschooling journey.

 

MAKING MATH FUN -- Mary Mohlman, Elementary Math Educator, and mother of 3 daughters, will teach you math games and techniques to help you captivate your children’s interest in mathematics.

Whether you are coming from the Seattle area or the Portland area the easiest way to the PUD is to take I-5 to Exit #36. After getting off the exit, head west on 432 (Tennant Way) toward the coast. When you are coming into town, you will arrive at a series of signal lights. Begin watching for 12th Avenue (one-way street) on your right. After turning right on 12^th Avenue, the PUD building will be down the street a little ways on your left.  It is a fairly new brick building with a green metal roof. The address is 961 12th Avenue.