Our next Spindletop Schoolhouse meeting will be Friday, December 4. We will be meeting at Christian Fellowship at 3950 Pointe Parkway. Pointe Parkway is off of Folsom, in between Dowlen and Delaware. Classes start at 10:00, followed by Snack Shack and free time for the kids and meeting for the moms at about 11:00. Right now the classes are full and we are adding people to a waiting list. Any moms and kids who just want to come to the meeting and play time are welcome. There will be a $15 fee per family for the year. This will cover snacks and activities.

We have a fun trip schedule to Crossroads Bowling Center on Friday, November 20 from 10:00 - 12:00. The cost will be $2.50 per child per game. If you want to go, please contact Jennifer Nazarian by Wed. Nov. 11 at organicgardener@att.net.

Our Christmas party will during activity time at our December meeting. Bring finger foods to snack on. We will be having an ornament exchange. Bring an ornament appropriate for your child's age group. We will be going over to the nursing home next to the church after the party. Bring homemade Christmas cards to hand out. If you would like to help out in any way, contact Shawn Bergeron at shababy522@yahoo.com.

Sally Curtis is having a book fair on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 9-3. Homeschoolers are welcome.

Here is the schedule for Snack Shack Moms.
Oct. 2 - Kay Bridges, Debbie Slaughter
Nov. 6 - Mary Whatley, Brenda Perricone
Jan. 15 - Shawn Bergeron, Kim Anderson
March 5 - Theresa Grimes, Tammy Lilly
April 16 - Tammie Tyler, Lora Potts, Debbie Riggs
May 7 - Jennifer Nazarian, Anna McCoy

Here is the schedule for Field Trip Organizers:
October - Mary Whatley
November - Jennifer Nazarian
January - Debbie Slaughter - One Room School House, January 21
February - Debbie Riggs - Steamboat Museum
March - Leisa Stokes
April - Rosie Outlaw - Jewish Synagog
May - Kay Bridges - fishing/lake day

Houston and Beyond

Dewberry Farm, located west of Katy, is all about making memories and enjoying good, clean country fun. The corn maze and Pumpkin Patch are featured activities, but there is much more for all ages to enjoy! For more information visit their web site at www.dewberryfarm.com.

Homeschool Day at Space Center Houston - October 7 from 9:00-5:00. For more information visit their web site at www.spacecenter.org/homeschool.html.

Special One Day Event on Writing and Teaching Writing with Andrew Kern and Andrew Pudewa - October 16, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at Covenant Academy, Cypress, TX. $59 per person, second family member half price. To Register visit www.excellenceinwriting.com/events.

Homeschool Monday at Letourneau University will be held November 2. There will be advice about making transcripts and sending in references, as well as visiting the campus and seeing what Letourneau has to offer homeschoolers. For more information visit http://www.letu.edu/opencms/opencms/_Admissions/Home_School_Monday.html.

The next Houston Rockets Homeschool Night is tentatively set for Friday, November 4, 2009. Homeschoolers, their friends, and family will be able to enjoy the game at a discount with a choice of seating levels. Final details are being confirmed. Our group rep for this event will be Jodi Jasso (713-758-7235). For updates including order forms go to: www.jsoft.com/archive/taffie/Rockets.html or contact Susan Frederick at sjf@jsoft.com.

You are hereby cordially invited to attend the Civil War Weekend at Plantation Liendo. Friday, November 20th 2009. This will be open to the schools and homeschools alike. The camps will be open for the students to walk through, ask questions, and gather research material. We realize that home schools operate different so the fee for students is $5.00 ea and one parent is free. For more information, contact Susan Gibson at sagibson@11texascav.org or (713) 205-1897. www.11texascav.org/liendo/Liendo%20Registration%20main.html.

As with every year, the Annual Homestead Heritage Craft and Children’s Fair will be held Thanksgiving weekend in Waco. This is an exposition of the crafts, skills, and life of Christian craftsmen and children. For more information, visit: www.homesteadheritage.com/ or call (254) 754-9600.

Contests

HSLDA’s 2009 student essay contest will begin accepting entries October 1. The contest is divided into three age groups, each with a corresponding theme. As always, cash prizes will be awarded and winning essays will be posted on our website. For more information go to: www.hslda.org/Contests/Essay/2009/2009rules.asp.

The American Valve & Hydrant Chapter of NMA is sponsoring its annual Leadership Speech Contest. The local contest is part of a national contest sponsored by NMA…THE Leadership Development Organization. Overall, there are over 18,000 members and 75 chapters in the Organization.
The primary purpose of the nationwide speech contest is to promote an understanding of Leadership among our nation’s high school students. Other purposes are to increase awareness among students of the important role Leadership plays in our society and to develop vital communication skills needed for succeeding in the world today. The contest also provides the winning student financial rewards as they progress through the four levels of competition. Our sponsored contest is at the Chapter Level. There are three other levels the student can progress through. These are the Council, LDC and National Level with each increasing monetary rewards.
There will be an Information Packet that will provide more detailed information on the contest, student eligibility, speech preparation rules, topics to consider when preparing the speech and contest rules. The contest is open to any student in grades 9-12. It requires the student to personally prepare a speech of between four and six minute duration relating Leadership.
The local contest will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 20, 2008 in the Landes Auditorium on the campus of Lamar University. Our plan is to limit the contest to a total of six contestants from the various schools and home schooled students contacted. If more information is needed by your students they should contact Mr. Koy Guilbeau, Contest Director at (409) 832-5107 during the day. His email address is: kguilbeau@acipco.com.