Dear readers,
This October marked the 10th month of the STEAM Homeschool Group. From the first meet in January with 0 in attendance, oh, how our group has grown! I’m thrilled the share that this past group we had 60 participants!
Can you believe it? I sure can’t! How exciting it is to see all the new members we have gained and the families who have been able to connect from this fabulous group!
As you all know, this project is a passion of mine. I was a homeschooler, and I know how hard it is for families (especially with multiple children) to find inexpensive Homeschool Programs and resources. So naturally, I was beyond the moon excited to start this completely FREE program.
Not only does this group provide a safe space for families and children to meet other homeschoolers within their community, at no charge, but we’re also able to provide free resources like:
* Educational Textbooks
* Interactive Workbooks
* Leveled Reader Books
* Pre-planned literacy training worksheets
* Individually Created Honor Kits on various subjects (math, science, history, animals, plants, anatomy, weather, space, reading comprehension, poetry, biographies, language, etc)
And much more!
Every group meet I feel the same emotions.
Gratitude, joy, overwhelming happiness. And inspiration! Tons of inspiration!
To give you an idea of why I feel this way, I want to share some takeaways from what I saw during our group this past Monday.
Things I witnessed as I looked around the room:
* Creativity
* Inventiveness
* Curiosity
* Kindness
* Friendships forming
* Teamwork
* Problem-solving
* Learning inspired by natural play
* Engineering
* Building
* Kids thinking outside of the box to make something original, that brings them joy
I saw 100% unadulterated pure exploration, and what a sight it was! And guess what? The kids weren't the only ones playing and having a good time. Parents were too!
These parents are connecting with their kids, and other adults! Forming community and cultivating a network of friends. Using their imaginations to help build and create at our STEAM tables!
What an absolute treasure this group has been. And what a pleasure it has been to see it grow and flourish! The feedback and love in this program has been astounding. I’m so grateful for all of our amazing participants of this group who help make it what it is.
So, here are some fabulous pictures from our time together in October. Enjoy!
Some kiddos enjoying our Fall themed worksheets and activities!Here’s a group of boys working together at our “build” table!Our “create” table is always a hit! Check out some of this fabulous, original artwork.Mom is playing some games too at our “games and puzzles” table!Our “science” table is booming with curious hands and minds!Here are a few small hands forming some sight words!Teamwork at its best! Keep it up, ladies.Proud of what he built! And he should be, it’s pretty impressive.One of our young members made this and gifted it to me. She also gave me a flawless sales pitch for her ideas for a new company and the products she will make and sell. She’s going places! Another look at the “science” table!
The presenters’ common goal in joining together today was to provide mental health aid and support to the community, families, children, and educators. Despite the heavy rains, the group was able to band together and find creative ways to reach their audiences at home. Thanks to Mary’s quick thinking and resourcefulness, she was able to get ahold of her co-host of her Special Needs TV show, and Bridgetti, the show producer, was gracious enough to bring us on live to share our message with viewers.
The rainclouds were filled with silver linings today! Thank you to everyone who came out to support the effort, and if you weren’t able to make it out, you can see our our interviews on Facebook > Special Needs TV > Mental Health Awareness EXPO > posted 09/18/2021.
Calling all local Gallatin Tennessee Educators! I am happy to announce this wonderful event coming soon at Gallatin Public Library of TN. Join us as we discuss special needs, education, neurodiverse learning differences, support systems, identifying problems, assessment, acknowledgement, and validation, and much more!
Guest speakers: Local Children’s Author Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco, Author, Autism Advocate & Co-Host of Special Needs TV show, Mary Elizabeth Jackson, and Jason Scruggs, Children’s Crisis Counselor. Who is this event for?
>Parents
>Children
>Educators
>Family
>Friends
If you are an elementary school teacher, PLEASE stop by and pick up your FREE LESSON PLANS, GRADES K-3RD GRADE. You don’t live local? No problem! Download your free interactive lesson plans HERE https://chelseasworldofbooks.com/a-free-interactive…/
Families and children cozied up in the warmth of this charming library while the piano played in the background. Also hosted on May 8th was a book sale. Usually this is held semi-annually, however, due to covid precautions and safety guidelines for the state and protection of patrons, the library had held off on hosting over the past year. Both events were put together by the Director of the Library, Diane Johnson, as well as the rest of the Library staff members.
ABOUT THE ATTENDEES
Borderless Arts Tennessee is a non-profit organization run by the state of Tennessee, committed to presenting programs for individuals with disabilities. Through the aids it provides, it adds to the enjoyment and empowerment of the community. For more information, visit their website here.
The Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities has a Facebook page, hosted by the DIDD Communications Department. Their mission is to support all people statewide in “living the lives they envision for themselves.” Their page aims to promote an informative and community-focused online experience.
Mary Elizabeth Jackson is an author and advocate for Autism TN. She co-hosted the interview conducted on Amazon Live with Bridgetti Lim Banda, May 8th 2021, on Autism and special needs.
Rainbow Mosho is a twelve-year-old artist and author with Autism, working her way towards empowering other children and families with special needs through her inspirational work. Her goal is to “give hope to all the kids in the world” with her book and words.
Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco is a local children’s author living just outside of Nashville TN, currently seeking representation. Her memoir, ADHD and Me, was inspired by events in her own childhood and deals with the day-to-day challenges and triumphs as seen through the eyes of an eight-year-old little girl named Malory.
Throughout the story, “Malory” expresses her feelings and observations towards others around her and describes the challenges presented not only for herself, but for her parents and teachers as they strive to best care for her needs. The story lightly touches on real life topics such as trips to the Principal’s office as well as the decision whether or not to take medication. Malory identifies her support system, consisting of her family and one particularly gifted art teacher by the name of Ms. Julie. Ms. Julie, diagnosed with Autism at a young age, “understands what it’s like to do things a little bit differently,” and now uses art to help guide children like Malory to find their own inner calm. The story ends on a positive note of hope that “maybe one day” her story will be read by someone else who struggles with something and it will “help them and remind them that they too are beautiful and loved.” The closing line reads, “Your differences are precious gifts… embrace them.” ADHD and Me is a beautiful celebration of neurodiverse learning. It is currently being hosted for free download on NetGalley. For more about the author, please check out the ABOUT THE AUTHOR tab of this website.
