Current

Scholastic Book Fairs

Thousands of Great Books at Incredible Savings! 30% to 80% off cover price. Payment methods: Cash, check, credit card, or purchase order. No other discounts apply. All orders are subject to availability of product. Sales tax charged as your state requires. If your school is tax exempt, please bring your valid tax exempt certificate. No discount on book profit.

Scholastic Book Fairs
Wed., 05/07/2008 - Sat., 05/31/2008
May 7th (P O Day): 9am - 7pm
Weekdays: 9am - 7pm
Saturdays: 9am - 5pm
Closed Sundays and Memorial Day Weekend

4646 Perrin Creek Suite 200
San Antonio, TX 78217
(800) 633-4270

East On Loop 410
exit 26 B Perrin Creek
straight At Stop Sign
enter Industrial Park
second Building On Left

Register online for your Fast-Cart Pass – You’ll skip the sign-in lines and receive a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase! www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/warehouse

Registration for Outdoor Family Workshop

The San Antonio River Authority (SARA), in conjunction with Texas Parks and Wildlife, has opened registration for the Texas Outdoor Family Workshop scheduled for May 17-18, 2008. The two-day weekend workshop, which includes an overnight stay in a tent, will be held at Calaveras Lake Park and is an opportunity for families to learn basic outdoors skills. Registration for the Workshop will be accepted through May 12, 2008.

The Texas Outdoor Family Workshop was created to get families outdoors and help them acquire basic outdoor skills. At the workshop, families will learn camping, cooking and outdoor safety skills as well as have an opportunity to try various outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, Geocaching, archery, and kayaking. The workshop is ideal for families who have never tried outdoor activities but would like to learn. Workshop courses are lead by park staff and TPWD instructors who will be on hand to guide those who are unfamiliar with the outdoors.

The workshop is being held at Calaveras Lake Park, operated by the San Antonio River Authority, just 20 miles southeast of downtown San Antonio. Workshop enrollment will be limited to 12 families so it is important to register early. The workshop is recommended for families with children between the ages of 5 and 12.

One adult over the age of 18 is required to attend for every two children. The cost of the program is $100 for up to four people; add $25 for each additional person. The workshop fee includes instruction, program materials, use of

Outdoor Family Workshop/page 2 demonstration equipment (including tent for overnight stay), meals, camping fees and evening programs. Linens will not be provided so all participants should bring towels, sheets/blankets or sleeping bags, and pillows.

For more information, contact SARA’s Park Services Department at (210) 302-3625; toll free at 866-345-7272 or www.sara-tx.org.

San Antonio River Authority Announces Junior Angler Fishing Clinics

EVENT: Junior Angler Fishing Clinics for children ages 6-15. Children will learn rod and reel equipment, baits and tackle, basic fish knot tying, fish identification, basic rules of local lake fishing. All materials for fishing are included in the supply fee.

SPONSOR: San Antonio River Authority, along with Sea Island Shrimp House.

DATE: Weekdays in June 2008.

TIME: Arrival and welcome-8:30 a.m. Class instruction-9:00-11:00 a.m.

LOCATION: Braunig Lake Park, 18 miles south of downtown San Antonio (for map, go to www.sara-tx.org, click Park Services.

COST: $5 supply fee per youth. Free park entry for up to two adults accompanying participant. Each participant age 16 and under will be provided a free kids meal certificate to Sea Island Shrimp House.

REGISTER: Contact SARA’s Park Services Department at 210-302-4270; braunigpark@sara-tx.org

SeaWorld Christian Family Day with Superchick: Cross the Line Tour

SeaWorld Christian Family Day with Superchick: Cross the Line Tour featuring Disciple, KJ52, Britt Nicole and Starlit Platoon. Saturday May 17, 2008 Tickets are $29.50 and include All-Day admission to the park, Superchick concert and the All-New Shamu Praise Waive. For more information visit www.gregcarnesprod.com or call (210)858-5904.

This is going to be a really great event, it's the first time SeaWorld has had any kind of Christian concert in a very long time. The tickets are about 1/2 the price of a regular day admission, the concert is all kid-friendly, Christian artists, and the Shamu Praise Wave is the Shamu show done to all christian music (really great for the kids).

Kid Quest Summer Recreation Mass Registration

May 3rd. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Alamodome, 100 Montana Street. Parent or guardian must be present to register children ages 6 - 12 for this eight-week summer program conducted at various school sites around the city. Parents must bring original birth certificates for their children, along with a program fee. Parents qualified for a reduced fee are asked to bring an approved copy of their income verification form. Parents are encouraged to get verification done before the mass registration. The line will start at the south entrance of the Alamodome. No outside food or drinks are allowed inside the dome. Only parking lot A will be available for Kid Quest registration. For complete information on fees and a tentative list of sites visit Kid Quest. The eight-week program begins June 16 and includes a hot lunch. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 207-3000.

NOW Accepting Enrollment for Kinderdance Summer Classes!

Kinderdance® is the original nationwide dance, motor development, gymnastics, and fitness program that combines academic readiness skills which are specifically designed for children ages 2 to 12. What makes Kinderdance® unique is that all of our programs incorporate educational concepts in a developmentally designed curriculum that teaches to the total child. We place special emphasis on building "Self Confidence" and "Self-Esteem" in young children.

Choose from one of our exciting new programs:

KinderCombo (Ages 6-8): Ballet, Tap, and Imagery Dance blended with academics for the older child. Mondays 6:00-6:45 or Saturdays 11:15-12:00. $40 per month

KinderDance (Ages 3-5): Ballet, Tap, Acrobatics, and Creative Movement with an emphasis on learning colors, numbers, shapes, letters, and song. Mondays 5:30-6:00, Wednesdays 10:05-10:35, or Saturdays 10:35-11:05. $35 per month

KinderMotion (Ages 3-8): Advanced Motor Skill Development and Imagery Dancing with a focus on fitness and nutrition and creative thinking skills. Wednesdays 10:45-11:15 (Ages 3-5) $35 per month or Saturdays 12:00-12:45 (Ages 6-8) $40 per month

KinderTots (Age 2-3): motor skill development and creative movement. Wednesdays 9:30-10:00 or Saturdays 10:00-10:30 $35 per month

Call Katie Ellison at Dance Warehouse to Register. 210-845-7858 www.kinderdance.com

Home Team Support and Fieldtrip Group

The Home Team is a homeschool field trip group for Christians on the NE side of San Antonio and surrounding areas. Our group has been solid for over 6 years and we have many wonderful families for you to meet! We're looking for new members! Most current members have children between the ages of 1 month to 14 yrs of age. We get together mostly on Tuesdays for organized field trips or fun activities, AND offer fun Fridays at parks! All members must have at least one school age child to enjoy the membership as most field trips are aimed at kinder and older. We encourage all members to join in on at least one activity a month when possible. If you are interested or have questions, please go to our Yahoo site!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeTeamPlaygroup/

SA-HERO's Homeschool Roundup Conference

San Antonio Home Education Resources and Opportunities (HERO) will host the 5th Annual Home Education Resource Roundup, July 26th, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at St. PJ's Children's Home in San Antonio, Texas.

This year's conference will include a used curriculum and book sale the Friday night before the conference. There is no admission charge to attend the book sale and only $5.00 to sell your own items.

The Roundup is one-stop shopping for anyone looking for homeschool related resources including area support groups, co-ops, tutors, extracurricular activities, field trips, and curriculum resources. Visit the Roundup homepage for more information.

Dance Warehouse

The Dance Warehouse is a developmental learning center for the study of dance and movement. We offer programs for students of all ages and abilities, in a safe and positive environment. Through professional instruction from qualified teachers, our goal as a company is to help the student to develop Physically, Emotionally, Intellectually, and Socially. We encourage the study of dance as an avenue for creative expression, building self-confidence and discipline, and acquiring life-long habits for healthful living. We offer workshops in Contemporary Dance & Choreography, Ballet, Ballroom, Dance History, Kinderdance and more!

Dance Warehouse
Director: Katie Ellison
5123 N. Loop 1604 W. Ste 106
San Antonio, TX 78250
**inside of the Sola-Lite suite
210-845-7858

Summer Art Camps

Looking to keep you children busy and happy this summer? Artworks offers a creative, fun-filled curriculum like no other program in the city. We've been offering camps for thirteen years and know how to keep children busy and engaged. Each week focuses on a theme, such as Theater Arts, 3-D Sculpture, Nature Art, Art Around the World and more. Children work on projects in the morning and afternoon, with snack and literature breaks.

At Artworks we have had over a thousand campers participating in our programs over the last 13 years. Our Art Camps are dynamic and offer new projects for those who return. All our programs boast professional-level instruction in a relaxed atmosphere, small class sizes and flexibility to work around your schedule. Every year, we grow our program to include exciting experiences for your artist. We offer half and full day options with minimal overlap to keep full day campers actively engaged. Learn more at www.artworkstx.com.

• Children ages 5-12 welcome
• All classes 8 students to 1 teacher ratio
• Nutritious snacks provided by Artworks
• Pack a lunch for all day
• Camps available at all 3 Artworks locations

Class registration is by the week-making vacation planning easy!

SAT Prep Class

Pauline Bauml and Cayce Yarbrough are well known and loved by the home school community as experienced and excellent teachers. They currently teach at both FEAST and SAC Day. You just can’t have more fun in a class than you will with these two!

The classes will be held at Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 N.W. 24th Street Metz Building, Room 302 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon on the following dates:

April 05
April 12
April 19
April 26

COST: $150.00 plus $20 Registration Fee

To register, send $170 check or money order to: Pauline Bauml 9130 Oak Downs San Antonio, TX 78230

Inquiries: Pauline Bauml (210) 287-1898

Theater Offers in San Antonio

We have NOT yet made our min orders for either Wedding Singer or for Spamalot in San Antonio.

We had over 100 for High School Musical and over 200 for Phantom but so for only 6 for Wedding Singer and 8 for Spamalot, this is especially bad considering the Wedding Singer has tickets under $10 available.

San Antonio has some great shows coming next season including Wicked for the first time but we really folks to order for us to be able to get good future offers for homeschoolers.

The offers are open to homeschoolers, friends and family.

The Wedding Singer in San Antonio April 30 and May 4, 2008, - order now through April 15, 2008 10% off list price! Deep Discount on Balcony seats on April 30th - $9.50 tickets! Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 8pm Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 2pm Variety of seating/pricing options.

Spamalot in San Antonio June 18 and 22, - order now through June 3, 2008 10% off list price! Order early for best seating. Please help us make our 20 ticket minimum order. Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 8pm Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 2pm Variety of seating/pricing options.

http://www.jsoft.com/archive/taffie/BroadwaySA.html Order your tickets by logging on to: http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/groupsales and enter your special password: taffiesa

We need everyone to place their orders asap and before the offers expire to get the discount and make our min order of 20 tickets.

If you order please send an email to Susan Frederick at sjf@jsoft.com and let me which show and how many tickets. Please cross-post to other lists!

Theatre Acting Camp

Camp for ages 7-13 increases self-esteem, develops physical coordination and non-verbal/verbal skills, and enhances focus and awareness skills. Includes a final-day Showcase, cast Pizza Party and daily snacks. $199. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through March 20. Steven Stoli Playhouse, 11838 Wurzbach at Lockhill-Selma. www.stolientertainment.com. 408-0116.

Tennis Lessons at MacArthur Park

Eric James, a fellow homeschooler, will start instructing tennis
lessons this coming Wednesday, March 5, at MacArthur Park. These classes are open to ages six years and up. Classes are from 11:00am-12:30pm each week. These are "drop-in" classes, and cost a special homeschooling rate of $10. Late arrivals will still be charged the full fee. Please bring one can of tennis balls to the first class, a tennis racquet (if you have one, the instructor does have some to share), and "tennis" shoes. Classes will be canceled in the event of rain or severe weather. Mr. James is available for private lessons. He can be contacted at ericsjames@gmail.com

Dance Classes

Ms. Fritizi is ready to start the next set of classes, they will be at the http://www.bluebubbleballroom.com/ and will begin at 12:00, noon, on Wednesday. She will teach the Fox Trot and the Tango. Prices are still at the unbelievable $5 per class, prepaid, so, $20 for 1 child for 4 lessons. Social Graces Dance and Etiquette classes continue with Tango and Fox Trot. Beginners are more than welcome! The students will be able to learn more intricate steps by concentrating on just two dances. Everyone will start from "the beginning" which is great reinforcement for our returning students, and beginners will quickly be up to speed.

Classes are held once a week for four weeks starting Wednesday, March 5th till March 26th. Starting time is noon until 12:50 pm at the "The Blue Bubble Ballroom", located just north of Loop 410 at 9315 N. Broadway.

STUDY ROOM AVAILABLE FOR NON-DANCERS DURING THE CLASS! Bring your favorite game, or your schoolwork, etc.!

Please contact me at DianeMae at di4murray@aol.com and put DANCE in the subject line so I can get to you email right away. I cannot take credit or debit cards, nor instant payments. Please tell me the age and sex of your child. We will have a twelve and older class, and a younger class, but the child must be at least age seven.

San Antonio Botanical Garden Spring Break Camp

San Antonio Botanical Garden Spring Break Camp for children ages 7 - 11. Scientists from HighTouch/HighTech will lead hands-on adventures in gardening, soil and water, birding, wildlife identification and hiking. Daily activities include Earthscapade, Smarty Plants, Rainforest Safari, and cycle Babble. Kids can even enjoy daily "Photosynthesnacks" like solar s'mores and rainforest gum. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. $175 per child. For more information, check out the Garden's web site at www.sabot.org . To register, call 207-3255 or 207-3270 or email siri.lindholm@sanantonio.gov

Team registration for Robofest is open!

The 2nd Austin Robofest tournament is at Hill Country Middle School on April 12th from 1:00-5:00. Teams will check in between 10:00-11:00. The World Championship is April 26th at Lawrence Tech University in Michigan.

Team registration for Robofest is open! Go to www.robofest.net to learn more and sign up there. New coaches must set up an account first. Each team must also register a volunteer for either set up or clean up on the day of the tournament. The registration fee to Robofest is $55. You can mail it or paypal it to them. The fee for the Austin tournament is $20, and that is payable the day of the tournament.

The Austin Robofest tournament will have two categories: Exhibition and Game Competition. Both have two divisions: Junior is 5th-9th grade and Senior is 9th-12th grade. Each team may enter only one category.

The Exhibition teams will create any project they are inspired to do with autonomous robots. They are give 4 minutes at the tournament to explain and demonstrate their project. They also make a presentation board about their project and set up a table that is visited by judges & spectators on the day of the tournament.

In the Game Competition, teams compete on a course with two autonomous robots to complete the missions. Teams have complete freedom to choose materials & any programming platforms to create their robots. There are no limitations on size or the number of motors or sensors. This year's challenge is called Robosavers. Two robots work together to remove debris and rescue people on a course simulating a collapsed building or mine. In the past there has been a separate Mystery Challenge for this competition, but this year it is built in as unknown factors in the course. The course is created from reusable materials that are purchased from local hardware stores.

At the Robofest site, www.robofest.net be sure to download the 2008 rule, in addition to the Game Competition at the top. The Exhibition tab at the top doesn't give any info right now, but the description is in the 2008 rule.

Anyone interested in also invited to join Austin-Robotics-Network@yahoogroups.com . Tournament updates are posted there as well as other opportunities, such our annual Sumobot Tournament in the summer.

Lackland Area Homeschoolers

This group is for those living on or near Lackland Air Force Base that have decided to homeschool. There is no statement of faith and all are welcome. This is a very new group so I have scheduled a park day on Thursdays at 1 p.m. at Lion Park on Lackland. We ask that you join the yahoo group before attending park days. This park day will repeat every week unless members decide on a different day. Hope to meet some homeschoolers at the park soon!

The Ninth Annual Children's Texas History Forum

DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS

THE NINTH ANNUAL CHILDREN’S TEXAS HISTORY FORUM PRESENTED BY THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS ALAMO COURIERS CHAPTER

Tuesday April 22, 2008
Alamo Hall The Alamo
300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas

Three Sessions:
Session I 9:15-10:00am
Session II 10:30-11:15 am
Session III 11:45-12:30 pm

Come join us and experience Texas as children did during the Republic of Texas days. The Alamo Couriers Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas proudly hosts the 9th Annual Children’s Texas History Forum in Alamo Hall on the south side of the Alamo grounds. This year marks the 103rd anniversary of the Daughters of The Republic of Texas as custodians of the Alamo for the State of Texas.

The Children’s History Forum will let the students take a step back in time and learn about their Texas history from three noted historians in a manner both educational and entertaining. The schedule includes an exciting program on the famed Buffalo Soldiers which includes their rich history of battles and bravery, presented by John Jones, president of the Buffalo Soldiers Living History and Heritage Association. Mike Waters, president of the Alamo Lore and Myth Organization, will present a living-history program on life as a colonist in Texas. A presentation on American Indians will be given by Erwin DeLuna, President of the United San Antonio Pow-Wow.

Admission: The event is free, but registration is required because of limited seating. Please register or obtain further information by contacting

Virginia Van Cleave 210/340 4150 albertv3@swbell.net

Teaching the Fundamentals

Free Parenting Lecture: Teaching the Fundamentals
Monday, March 3, 2008
7-8:30 p.m.
Lecturer: Cathy Cummins

Parents often ask about how to teach their elementary school aged children the fundamentals of history, the arts, social sciences and math. We've initiated a new lecture series emphasizing reading and enrichment activities, and our first topic is American History. In honor of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, we'll begin with Colonial history. We'll discuss the timeline of important events in the Colonial period, with special emphasis on our Founding Fathers, the early U.S. Presidents, the Lewis and Clark expedition, Roanoke and the creation of democracy. Participants will receive brochures and handouts from the Lewis and Clark National Ass. symposium held at Monticello last Aug. Cathy Cummins attended the teacher training and brought back a wealth of materials. Admission is free, but space is limited; for reservations, please call 733-7331, ext. 267.

Homeschool High School Graduation

GRACE (Greater Randolph Association of Christian homeEducators) hosts a high school graduation ceremony/reception each year at the First Baptist Church of Universal City in May.  If you know of a high school senior that would like to be a part of GRACE's high school graduation, the first informational/planning meeting will be held Tuesday, January 29th, 2008, at 7 pm, at the Universal City Public Library.  The library is located at 100 Northview, Universal City, TX.  You do not have to be a member of GRACE to participate.  Please rsvp w/Darlene McKeen if you are planning to attend ( or 639-5781). 

Homeschool T-shirts

San Antonio HERO has homeschool t-shirts for sale. Red T-shirt text is "Yes, I am in school right now and you are speaking in class." Blue T-shirt text is "If I don't have social skills, why are we having this conversation?" Visit www.sahero.org for more information.

Southside Lions Recreation Center

Southside Lions Recreation Center of San Antonio is interested in hosting recreational sports leagues for area homeschoolers. The current sport is Volleyball and we can form teams as small as three to a team. The leagues are for ages 6 to adult. The facilities are available Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. There is a possibility of "open" volleyball as well. The center has other programs it can make available to homeschoolers including a nutrition program.

In order to form the leagues, we have to know by the first week in November how many are interested in participating and their ages. The cost will be $5 per child, $10 per adult for the entire season. The Southside Lions center is near the Southside Lions Park on Pecan Valley between I-37 and I-10.

This is a great opportunity for homeschoolers to develop a low cost, daytime athletic program. The center hosts other sports such as basketball during the year. We need as many homeschoolers as possible to participate to demonstrate our commitment to the program. We also could use some help organizing the effort. If you are interested in participating, please contact us at mKretzschmar@sahero.org as soon as possible.