In November, we had two special guests visit our North center. Nritya Sangam Indian Dance Troupe, who recently held a benefit for Heart House, came to show the kids how to use hand movements to tell stories in traditional Indian dance. Also, Clay Worley stopped by with some friends from Dell to show the kids some important self-defense and stranger awareness safety techniques! THANKS to both groups for spending time with us again!

We were very blessed to have some amazing guests host our holiday part at our North center in December. The Iron Spikes and Alpha Chi Omega, both service organizations as UT, brought over 40 volunteers, 300 chicken nuggets, and 60 Christmas Stockings and ornaments to our children for a fun-filled day of holiday decorating and cheer. They also helped the kids write holiday and thank you cards to special people in their lives in order to give thanks for you the things they have done for them!

“Heart House is fun because we get to play outside and do other things. We have lots of fun. We even eat. We have groups and we even make new friends. Everybody here is nice.” 

Afrika, Heart House Student

“Heart House was my first job that had any real value or meaning to me. I will always look back at my experiences fondly, knowing that working here helped me grow into a teacher I didn’t even realize I could be.” 

Ms. Meredith, Program Leader 06-07

“Miss, can I  read so that my brain can get powerful?" 

A’lxys, Heart House Student
  

Here are some of our favorite images from the last few months:

A group from Heart House attends The Nutcracker performance for FREE due to the generous gift of a donor! Special meet and greet with a ballerina from The Nutcracker. Anthony explains information about Australia to an interested A’lyxs for “Children Around the World” presentations 5th grade girls present information on life in China Gabby compares US culture to others for presentations for "Children Around the World" theme

Waiting for The Nutcracker to begin! Carlos made himself into Rudloph during the holiday party! Heart House kids show off their stockings that Iron Spikes and Alpha Chi Omega helped them make! Kids practice fending off “strangers” with Dell volunteers

Blessings come when you least expect them. Mr. Gregg Burt and his son Wesley recently visited Heart House to learn about our program. Much to our surprise, mere hours after their visit they called and expressed a desire to take 20 of our Heart House children on a Christmas shopping excursion. Each child would be given a generous amount of money to purchase gifts for members of their family.

On Saturday, December 22, Mr. & Mrs. Burt, along with their son and daughter-in-law and several friends from Lakeway Church, arrived at Heart House with a bus to transport the children to Wal-Mart for some marathon holiday shopping.

As you would expect with only three shopping days remaining until Christmas, the crowds were crazy! In spite of that, the store personnel were outstanding and the Heart House parents who came along were fabulous. The hearts of the adults present were warmed by the very giving attitude that many of the children displayed by wanting to buy first for their moms, dads, brothers, and sisters before they picked out gifts for themselves. 

After the frenzied shopping, the entire group went back to Heart House for the “wrapping extravaganza” before placing the gifts under the Christmas tree. 

One struggling mom woke up to find a much-needed new microwave oven under the tree. Likewise, siblings and other relatives enjoyed receiving a special gift from the kids and will have new toys and clothes to begin the New Year. 

These families had a very different Christmas than they otherwise would have had, thanks to the exceptionally generous spirit of the Burt family and their elves. They, and everyone who participated in the shopping excursion, will have warm memories of this Christmas for years to come.

Heart House extends a very special thank-you to the Burts and everyone who made it possible.
   

January: “It’s a Process!”

Unlike other topics we have studied at Heart House, this one is unique in that it focuses completely on how to do anything and everything! This will be a completely hands-on month full of activities that will teach the children a wide spectrum of skills from how to build a bird’s nest to how to form your own band! This month will also include weekly visits from community members who will share their own knowledge and talents to continue to add to the list of things that everyone will know how to do by the end of the month!

And Recently We've Studied...

In November, we studied “Children Around the World.”  The children learned about some of the diverse lives of children from other parts of the world, from their family, and from their school lives. Older students participated in a pen pal exchange between the north and south Austin Heart House centers in order to find out more about each other’s lives. Students researched and facilitated presentations on countries and their lifestyles to younger Heart House students, complete with photos, demonstrations, and pop quizzes!

Last month, students participated in a theme called “Amazing Africa,” which focused on cultivating a greater awareness and understanding of the culture of Africa. Students learned basic geography, traditions and culture, and the ways in which America and Africa have influenced each other. This unit also highlighted the importance of understanding stereotypes and how they affect how we perceive other cultures and countries. Students compared the ways in which Africa and its people are alike and different from their own communities in order to be more aware of the cultural richness of Africa and the world around them. 

November and December were also spent working on service projects which were determined by the children at Heart House. Projects at both centers included: Writing holiday cards for individuals in the military, writing holiday cards for children at a local children’s shelter and decorating the apartment complex at the South location.

Thank you to our many donors and friends who donated funds, time, and talent to our organization this month! For more information on donating to Heart House, please visit our website at http://www.hearthouse.org/giving.htm.
   

It's a Butterfly's Life  by Irene Kelly          Let's Make Music!: An Interactive Musical Trip Around the World  by Jessica Baron Turner