|
Heart House Austin
November 2008
Note: If you have problems viewing the graphics included in this
email, a copy of this
e-newsletter can be seen online at
http://www.hearthouse.org/newsletter.htm
In this issue:
-
Heart
House Launches Leadership Circle
-
What's
New? Cool Community Collaborations!
-
Upcoming
Event: Lunch with Heart House on December 10th
-
Mr.
Thomas is "One Cool Dude!" (Volunteer Spotlight)
-
Volunteer
Holiday Socials, Volunteer Opportunities
-
What
We're Studying This Month
-
Read
Along with Heart House
-
Heart
House Elects Council of Care
-
Donor
Spotlight
-
Heard
at Heart House
-
Student
Spotlights
-
Photo
Scrapbook: Special Guests from Notre Dame; Happy Halloween
Heart
House Launches Leadership Circle
If you would like to invest in the children of Heart House and
engage with similarly-passionate supporters in a dynamic
collaboration, please consider joining our leadership circle, HALOS,
as a member of the inaugural Class of 2009!
Co-Chairs:
Steve and Michelle Schlabs
Thom and Sara Singer
To
learn more about HALOS or discuss membership, please visit our HALOS
site at http://hearthouse.org/halos.
Or
contact:
Megan Heredia, Heart House Development Coordinator
mheredia@hearthouse.org
512-929-8187
Cool Community Collaborations!
|
Abel
and friends in the Heart House garden
Lidely's
pepper earrings |
Heart House’s program is enriched by the valuable community partnerships we have made in Austin. Without these meaningful relationships, our children would lack wonderful opportunities to experience the arts, learn life skills, explore and tap into talents, and interact with positive adult role models. This month, we’d like to highlight some of our special community collaborations for the 2008-2009 school year:
Green Corn Project is working with Heart House to maintain our community garden. They have already planted fruits and veggies with our kids and now we wait impatiently for harvest time! Green Corn’s volunteers are dedicated and enthusiastic about teaching kids about healthier living and how to have great green thumbs! For more info about Green Corn Project please visit:
http://www.greencornproject.org/gc
Paramount Theatre’s outreach program called “Skinny’s Gallery” provides Heart House families with ongoing opportunities to attend performances for free on the weekends! Some of the shows we have already checked out include “Jungle Jack Hannah” and “Seussical the Musical”. We look forward to the next 5 shows offered to us from now through May! For more info about Paramount Theatre & the “Skinny’s Gallery” program please visit:
http://www.austintheatre.org.
Our partnership with Meals on Wheels and More is incredibly significant for our kids and program. They provide free daily meals for our kids which serve as healthy snacks in our program. They also provide ongoing programming and support to help after school programs instill healthier eating and nutrition in their learning communities. For more info on Meals on Wheels and More please visit:
http://www.mealsonwheelsandmore.org.
Youth InterACTIVE is a NEW partnership this year which we are looking forward to! We will be featuring their ACTIVE Life Challenge in the spring as a family and community health component in our program. The challenge will encourage Heart House families to participate in fun health activities together, while earning a chance for rewards once the program is complete! For more info on Youth Interactive please visit:
http://www.youthinteractive.org.
Join
the Heart House board and staff for lunch at the Driskill Hotel on
Wednesday, December 10th!
In the spirit of the holiday season, the Driskill Hotel is inviting the community to share in a series of events and celebrations during
its FIRST-EVER "12 Days of Driskill" festivities. Every day, from
December 5-16, a Victorian Holiday Tea will be held in the Driskill's Grand Lobby from 3-5 pm. Each evening, carolers from local schools will perform in front of the tree, with special food and desserts available from the 1886 Café and Bakery.
Heart House was selected as one of 12 local charities to be honored by the Driskill and the community during this celebration.
A portion of the proceeds from meals and tea will be given directly
to Heart House.
So
if you're planning to have breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee or tea
downtown on Wednesday, December 10th, please make the Driskill Hotel
your choice for the day, and help the children of Heart House this
holiday season! We are honored to be chosen by the Driskill Hotel
for this generous fundraising opportunity.
Many
of the Heart House board and staff members will be at the Driskill for
lunch at noon. Please feel free to join our festive table!
 |
|
Thomas
Hill
“Mr.
Thomas is here! Mr. Thomas is
here!” That
is what our Volunteer Coordinator heard
from across the room the second Mr. Thomas
Hill walked through the door that first
week of our fall program. His very calm,
confident presence with the children is
like classic jazz flowing through Coca
Cola. Ahh! And wow, do the kids
south just love him. It might also
be because he comes in, on average twice a
week (sometimes more) or that Mr. Thomas
is, in the words of a Heart House child,
just “one cool dude” that everyone
genuinely likes being around.
about Mr. Thomas and other Heart House
Volunteers.
|
|
|
Volunteers!
Join
the Heart House
Facebook Group!
|
Gifts from
Heart House's
CafePress Store:
 |
Upcoming
orientations at Heart House are listed
below. You may attend either location for an
orientation, regardless of which Heart House you
will volunteer at.
You
may also set up a one-on-one volunteer orientation if none of these
scheduled times work for you. For
more information on volunteering at Heart House Austin, contact
Shelly-Marie Rios, our Volunteer
Coordinator, at 512-929-8187.
Holiday
Volunteer Opportunity! Keepers
Men's Clothing at the corner of 6th and Congress, is hosting a
wonderful opportunity for Heart House to raise funds and awareness of
our program. We'll be wrapping holiday gifts in the lobby of the
Keepers/Bank of America building, and we volunteers to man the tables,
accept donations, and wrap gifts. If
you want more information on this opportunity, email
or call Shelly-Marie Rios, our Volunteer
Coordinator, at 512-929-8187. We
have these shifts available -- will you help us by signing
up
for a shift? Click
here to sign up for a shift online!
|
Gift
Wrapping Shift
|
Sign
up for a shift!
|
|
Tuesday,
Dec. 16, 5:30 - 7 pm
Keepers Kick-Off Party
2 party assistants needed
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts!
|
|
Wednesday,
Dec. 17
Gift Wrappers - 2 wrappers needed
2.5 hr shifts:
11 am – 1:30 pm
1 pm – 3:30 pm
3 pm – 5:30 pm
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts!
|
|
Thursday,
Dec. 18
Gift Wrappers - 2 wrappers needed
2.5 hr shifts:
11 am – 1:30 pm
1 pm – 3:30 pm
3 pm – 5:30 pm
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts! |
|
Friday,
Dec. 19
Gift Wrappers - 2 wrappers needed
2.5 hr shifts:
11 am – 1:30 pm
1 pm – 3:30 pm
3 pm – 5:30 pm
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts!
|
Saturday,
Dec. 20
Gift Wrappers - 2 wrappers needed
2.5 hr shifts:
11 am – 1:30 pm
1 pm – 3:30 pm
3 pm – 5:30 pm
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts!
|
Monday,
Dec. 22
Gift Wrappers - 2 wrappers needed
2.5 hr shifts:
11 am – 1:30 pm
1 pm – 3:30 pm
3 pm – 5:30 pm
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts!
|
Tuesday,
Dec. 23
Gift Wrappers - 2 wrappers needed
2.5 hr shifts:
11 am – 1:30 pm
1 pm – 3:30 pm
3 pm – 5:30 pm
|
Yes,
I'll sign up for one of these shifts!
|
 Heart
House South
Holiday Volunteer Social
Friday Nov.
21st, 6:30-8:30 pm
RSVP
for this event
Little
Woodrow’s in South Park Meadows shopping center
9500 S IH-35
Austin, TX 78748
West on Slaughter, located just behind Chick-Fil-A
Map of: Southpark
Meadows Location
Heart
House North
Holiday Volunteer Social
Friday,
Dec. 5th,
6:30–8:30 pm
RSVP
for this event
Tres
Amigos off of 290 E
http://www.tresamigos.com
512.926.4441
7535 E Highway 290
Austin TX 78723-1641
 Are
there giant alligators living in our sewers? Is it true that no
two snowflakes look alike? Do you have to wait an hour after
eating before jumping in the pool?
Heart
House kids will be exploring fact versus fiction in an exciting theme
this month called “Myth Busters”. Children will be the
investigators, answering questions like the ones above and many others
in an attempt to “bust” some popular myths and discover the truth
about the world around us.
Keep
up with weekly posts on our investigations, field trips, and more at the
What
We're Studying posts on the Heart House blog.
The
Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky and Kevin
Hawkes
Introducing
a person and a period largely unknown to children, this
picture-book biography depicts the life of Eratosthenes, an
ancient Greek who eventually became the head of the famous
library in Alexandria. His most notable achievement was a
remarkably ingenious method for measuring the earth's girth.
After determining the angles of shadows in two cities and the
distance between them, he used geometry to calculate the
circumference of the earth. Illustrating the text with
warmth and humor, Hawkes' acrylic paintings capture the period
details of the setting and clarify the geometric concepts used
in the measurement. Hawkes' attention to detail and his
occasional visual humor will reward any child who studies the
illustrations.
|
|
Thomas
and Percy and the Dragon (Step into Reading)
by W. Rev Awdry and Richard Courtney
Percy
is sleeping when he hears a rumble. He opens his eyes and sees a
giant yellow dragon! But dragons aren't real, are they? Maybe it
was a dream! The next day he shares his fears with James and
Thomas and learns the truth about what it was that he saw.
In
1944, a country vicar, the Reverend W Awdry, wrote the stories
he had been telling his two young sons about a group of engines
with very recognizable personalities. In 1945, the first book
featuring Thomas and the other Really Useful Engines was
published, and in the 60 years since, the tales of these
friendly engines have become beloved classics around the world.
|
|
See
also:
What
is the Heart House staff reading? blog posting.
|
Heart
House Elections
October’s
theme was “Super Citizenship” which focused on major qualities of good
citizens. As we explored these areas, we encouraged the children of Heart
House to identify ways in which they can use these characteristics to better
themselves and our communities.
We are thrilled that alongside our daily hands-on activities, we hosted a
“Heart House Council Election” which allowed kids to campaign for a seat
of their choosing within five major qualities of good citizenship: respect,
responsibility, courage, compassion, and honesty. Candidates spoke with
their peers at Heart House about how they represent each quality. In
addition to classroom activities about voting and elections, students also
explored the right to vote, democracy and active citizenship.
Heart
House children line up to elect their new student council.
The
project culminated with a mock election on Oct. 24th at both Heart House
centers, allowing all clubhouse members to vote for their candidates of
choice! We had the unique opportunity to provide them with hands-on learning
about the voting process, and due to our gracious partnership
with Hart InterCivic,
who created our ballots and brought their voting machines to Heart House,
children were able to use real voting machines to cast their votes.
Above:
Making candidate boxes for Heart House Council elections.
Below: Super Citizen wall with election posters and citizen outreach.
Gregg
Burt, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic, said the following about the
experience, "It was extremely rewarding for Hart InterCivic and for me,
personally, to see the children of Heart House get so excited about
conducting their class elections on our voting machines. Everyone had a
blast, and Hart was delighted to have been able to bring the children's
classroom lessons on good citizenship to life in such a creative and timely
manner. It was great to witness their participation in something as precious
as the right to vote."
Gregg
Burt, CEO of Hart InterCivic, assists Heart House children to elect their
student council.
The
council will serve a very valued and meaningful purpose this school year. As
the council, they will meet regularly with our staff to make important
decisions about programs, events, and issues at Heart House!
Congratulations
on the newly elected councils!
Heart House South Council:
Kid of Honesty: Zed
Kid of Compassion: Ramon
Kids of Respect: (Tie between 3 students) Milee, Erique, Jonathan
Kids of Responsibility: (Tie between 2 students) Benjamin, Joey
Kid of Courage: Lanny
Heart
House North Council:
Kid of Respect: Rosa
Kid of Courage: Kierra
Kid of Responsibility: Nene
Kid of Honesty: Jaela
Kid of Compassion: Alex
Foundation
Communities and Heart House Partner for Family Success
“Heart
House is all about being full of heartness.” Mikayla, Heart
House South
“Heart
House is a smiley face!” Jamaya, Heart House North
“My
kids and I love Heart House. It’s the best!” Parent of
a North Heart House kid
Scarlet has been coming to Heart House for two years and we have enjoyed watching her grow into the thoughtful, intelligent, and helpful little lady that she is! She is always bringing the staff holiday cards and gifts (which we love of course!), but more than that, she is always giving her best, whether it is homework, reading, or participating in activities. Even though she can be shy at times, she is such a caring and kind Heart House kid. We always look forward to her smile when she walks in each day. This is what out Program Director has to say about her: “Scarlet brought me a birthday dinner and cake on HER birthday! I couldn’t believe it! She is always doing nice things for kids and staff at Heart House. I am so glad she is here!”
Victoria is a great helper in the classroom. She is also imaginative, energetic and kind. Victoria is a joy to have in the program and we are very proud of her!
|
Above
and below: Notre Dame Alumni Group hosts special day with activities like Bean Bag Toss, Boosical Chairs & Mad Libs
Ninjas on Halloween Fun
Friday 
Anna
and Pia- Guests from
Sweden
Dell
volunteers “hang” on a Fun Friday
One
of our new volunteers works with
Rosa
in “Study Hall”, an extra hour of homework support offered
to Heart House North kids
|
|
Parastoo enjoys a special treat from the Notre Dame group
Emily, North Program Leader tells spooky stories on Halloween Fun Friday
Janelle, one of our super volunteers, enjoys dressing up with the kids
Kids
Learn “Bjorn” (Bear) song and dance from
Sweden
Lanterns
for Lights On Open House
Checking
in for another day at Heart House
|
|
