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!
I hope everyone had an amazing summer! The Children’s Librarians had a splash with our theme: OCEANS OF POSSIBILITIES! But now it’s back to school. Speaking of school… today, I’m sharing some homeschool updates.
As you probably know from my previous blog entries, I host a homeschool group for the families in the community of Sumner County Tennessee, in connection with the Hendersonville Public Library of Tennessee, where I work as a Children’s Librarian.
Working as a Children’s Librarian, and having a professional history of childcare and homeschool education, I knew I wanted to create a program that would provide a safe environment for homeschool families while keeping money in their pockets. In other words: FREE. But, what exactly was it that these families were looking for?
I started brainstorming.
I took polls.
I asked people in our community what they needed. What they wanted.
And after some heavy research, I came to a decision. I wanted to create a Homeschool Group where families could relax, cross collaborate, talk freely, and share information and kids could connect, make friends, and learn in a fun natural way, free of forced group activities, time restrictions, or formatted rules. I wanted a hands on learning experience that was child driven. I wanted a STEAM Homeschool Group!
In December of 2021, STEAM Homeschool Group was just a bright shimmering dream. And in January 2022, it became a reality! Of course, no one showed up for that very first meeting. Starting a new program takes time to build members. And besides, January is too cold! Nobody wants to start something new in the wintertime. But, little by little we grew in number.
Fast forward a few months to August 2022.
I’m happy to announce that our monthly meet for August, 2022, we had a jaw-dropping 40 homeschool family members join us for our STEAM Homeschool Group!
Science & TechnologyEngineering & BuildingCreate! Arts!Puzzles & GamesFree Educational Books & ResourcesHonor Kits (Science & Social Studies)They found the freebies!These moms are getting their hands dirty too!Look at our builders go!Tinkering and learning!Look at the action at the science table!Someone found a book to read…We’ve got some puzzlers and gamers!Look at the engineering happening!A creative way to spend the day!These small hands found paint!
The kids had a wonderful time exploring the STEAM tables and the parents were thrilled to pick up their free school books and resources. From our free resource corner, we had pre-packed leveled readers, vocabulary readers, educational honor book packs (science and social studies), and teacher handbooks with corresponding homework and lesson plans. Several appreciative families expressed their gratitude for the provisions provided by the Hendersonville Public Library of Tennessee.
All in all, it was a fantastic day! We’re looking forward to our next monthly meet. If you’d like to find out how to sign up, please visit our the Hendersonville Public Library of Sumner County page on Facebook.
Thanks for reading and happy homeschool wishes!
To stay up to date with me, your friendly neighborhood librarian, you can follow my Instagram page @chelseasworldofbooks
If you live in Hendersonville, TN, or a surrounding area, we warmly welcome you to attend our upcoming mental health event! This event will be held on November 20th, 2021, from 10:00, am- 12:00 pm.
Join us on Saturday, November 20th, 2021, at the Hendersonville TN Public Library in celebrating our differences and supporting those around us in the community who are dealing with mental health problems.
Our speakers will be sharing a little bit of hope, comfort, and understanding, as well as providing resources to help aid children and families.
Local children’s book authors Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco and Mary Elizabeth Jackson will be sharing topics on how to empower your children today as well as how to help children in school and within the family.
Chelsea’s picture book entitled ADHD and Me follows eight-year-old Malory, who has ADHD and shows life through her eyes. It describes her daily interactions with her family and tells her perceptions of school life from the teachers, students, and herself. Throughout the story, Malory shared her observations of others around her while also navigating her own feelings.
Mary’s *newly released* middle-grade book, Cheers From Heaven, navigates the emotions of five students who bullied a boy with cancer. After his death, the five students befriend one another and journey to find the boy’s notes that he left behind. This story handles grief, forgiveness, and healing.
Crisis Counselor Jason Scruggs will be addressing the acknowledgment, assessment, and addressing of your child’s emotional well-being.
And Cary Massey, President of Next-Level Consulting, will be discussing how to build healthy relationships. If you’re in the area, stop by! We would love to have you.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
GUEST SPEAKERS & DISCUSSION TITLES:
Mary Elizabeth Jackson
Empowering Our Kids Today
Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco
Helping Children at School and Within the Family
Jason Scruggs
Acknowledging, Assessing, & Addressing the Emotional Well-Being of Your Child
This event theme will be surrounding children’s education, empowerment, mental health and well-being.
Join us for our special Children’s Learning Event in Gallatin Public Library! Guest speakers in attendance: Children’s Book Author, Chelsea Radojcic-Dicicco, Author and Autism Advocate, Mary Elizabeth Jackson, and Children’s Crisis Counselor, Jason Scruggs.
Event Topics:
10 AM : “Neurodiverse Learning” (given by guest speaker, Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco)
11 AM : “Acknowledging, Assessing and Addressing the Emotional Well-Being of Your Child” (given by guest speaker, Jason Scruggs)
12 PM : “Empowering Our Kids Today” (given by guest speaker, Mary Jackson)
This event will be hosted at no charge, and open to the public. We encourage parents, and educators to come in and visit! We have lots of fun freebies and resources to offer, so if you’re in the area, stop by and say hello. We look forward to seeing you there!
Who is this event for?
Parents
Children
Educators
Family
Friends
If you are a #elementaryschoolteacher PLEASE stop by and pick up your FREE LESSON PLANS, GRADES K-3RD GRADE.
You don’t live local? No problem! Download your free pdf interactive lesson plans (that correspond with ADHD and Me) on my website under the free lesson plan tab, or simply follow the link in text.
The first guest speaker, Children’s Literature Author, Ms. Chelsea Radojcic-DiCicco, will be discussing the topic ‘NEURODIVERSE LEARNING’ at 10:00 AM. Afterward, she will be participating in an author signing of her book, ADHD and Me. (Available for purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Lulu Bookstore, and Kindle.)
Resources, Free Stuff, and Merchandise
Informative banner will be displayed at the booth, featuring the topics: SUPPORT SYSTEM, LEARNING DIFFERENCES, and MESSAGE TO PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND EDUCATORS.
There will also be:
Promotional bookmarks
Spiral-lined “embrace your differences” school notebooks
Inspirational Stickers
And last but certainly not least, there will be:
FREE INTERACTIVE LESSON PLANS
Lesson plans will be made available for educators or homeschoolers in attendance, grades K-3rd. The curriculum includes games, projects, and learning examples designed for a group or in the classroom. Hurry in and get your free copies while supplies last!
For anyone interested in author interviews, having an in-person or virtual reading, or Q&A with the author, there will be a signup sheet provided at her booth.
Our next guest speaker, Children’s Crisis Counselor, Mr. Jason Scruggs, will be delivering his discourse on the topic ‘ACKNOWLEDGING, ASSESSING, AND ADDRESSING THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF YOUR CHILD’ at 11:00 AM. Mr. Scruggs’s wealth of experience and knowledge is invaluable, and we look forward with great anticipation to his presentation! He will also have a table set up with information for families and will be available to meet and greet patrons and answer questions throughout the day. Scruggs is an educator, professor, and counselor with two Master’s Degrees and works for the Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit in Bowling Green, KY.
Our final guest speaker, Special Needs Advocate, Author, and Autism Ambassador, Ms. Mary Jackson, will be delivering her talk on ‘EMPOWERING OUR KIDS TODAY’ at 12:00 PM. Ms. Jackson will also be participating in a book signing at her booth and will have other resources and pamphlets from local branches from our learning community with her as well.
Ms. Jackson is the co-author of Poolicious book series, as well as the co-founder and co-host of The Writers Corner Live TV Show and the Special Needs TV Show on Facebook and YouTube. To find out more about Ms. Jackson, please visit her website at www.maryejackson.com. We are looking forward with deep enthusiasm to seeing you all!
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.
