Valentine's Day Party - Friday, February 13th

Love is in the air!  

We are having a Valentine's Party for all MLC students (and parents) on February 13th at 9:30 a.m.  Children of all ages are welcome to participate.  There will be scheduled fun activities and social time with snacks provided.  There is no cost to members for this event and all materials and snacks will be provided.  (We will provide gluten free and nut free snack options.)

NOTE: LOCATION CHANGE - The Valentine's Party will be held at the Council Bluffs Public Library, 400 Willow Avenue in Council Bluffs.  We will meet in Room B at 9:30 a.m.

We are asking students ages PreK and up to bring their own Valentine's cards to share with their classmates.  Students will be making a craft box or envelope to store their cards in, so if they want to participate in this activity, they should bring cards to exchange.  Of course, it is not mandatory that a student exchange cards to attend the party.  Each student should bring somewhere around 15-30 cards.

No need to run out and spend a bunch of money on pre-made cards!  Have your students make some homemade cards with stickers, typing paper, construction paper, crayons, etc.  Get crafty!  Just have them sign their names on their cards, but don't address them to any specific student.  

Hope to see you there!

MEMBERS MUST RSVP BELOW TO ATTEND THIS EVENT

01.30.15 Announcements

We're now finished with regular classes for Term 3. Thank you to everyone who helped us make things work, and thank you again for your flexibility as we've juggled quite a few last-minute changes.  

We do not meet again for classes for four more weeks, with our next regular class on Friday, February 27.  Please take a look ahead on the CALENDAR at what is scheduled for the Fridays in February:

• February 6: no MLC events.
• February 13: Valentine's Day party??? - please see below.
• February 20: Term 3 Field Trip.  Details to follow soon.
• February 27: Term 4 classes begin. 

Valentine's Day Party: We're still searching for an alternate venue, but haven't found anything workable yet. If you know of a place where we could hold the party, please let us know ASAP. Another church building might work well. If we don't find something within the next few days, we'll postpone the party and try again on a different date with a different theme.

Term 4: We were planning to have a helper sign-up sheet at classes yesterday, but first we need to do a little juggling and reorganizing of teaching spots, etc. before we know what spots need to be filled.  We'll create an online helper sign-up post here on the website as we get closer to that date. Please be watching for that in the coming weeks, and prayerfully consider where you'd like to serve. As always, we want to say a HUGE thank you to the parents who faithfully serve in various spots within MLC. None of this would be possible without you.

Lastly, we'd ask you to please take a look at the post about our Illness Policy if you missed it last week. This year's cold and flu season has been especially rough, and we know many of our member families have been dealing with sickness. We hope that February will see everyone return to better health, and we look forward to diving back into classes in a month. 

Stay healthy, stay warm, and stay safe!

Illness Policy

In light of the current media attention on the measles outbreak, including some cases relatively local to us, we thought that this might be a good moment to reiterate our illness policy. From the Policies Tab on this site, here is MLC's Illness Policy for your review:

ILLNESS POLICY:If keeping a sick child home, well children may only attend classes if a parent/guardian is present with them. 

Children with the following symptoms should not attend group activities:

1. Fever (within the last 24 hours)
2. Colored mucus (yellow or green runny nose)
3. Diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea
4. Eye drainage, pink eye, or other eye infections
5. Virus or infection (known to be contagious)
6. Rashes (known to be contagious)
7. Head Lice

This list is obviously not all-inclusive; please use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to expose other members to illness.

We would also like to point out that, among our membership, there are differences of opinion and practice regarding vaccinations. We ask that everyone be respectful of other families' rights to make decisions in this area based on their personal convictions, but also be mindful of your family's exposure to or diagnosis of serious illness, and the impact that could have on other co-op families. That impact may extend not only to families who may choose not to vaccinate, but also to other co-op members who may have weak or compromised immune systems due to various health conditions, etc.

If you are aware of a serious infection or exposure to a serious infection within your family, please avoid attending MLC events where you could spread germs. If you discover that you may have unknowingly exposed other co-op members to an illness, and feel comfortable sharing that information as a courtesy to the group, please email MLC and we will pass that info along so that others can be on the alert. We can share the info anonymously if you prefer.

Thank you, and stay healthy.

01.23.15 Announcements

Over the past few weeks, we have had to do a lot of last-minute juggling of classes and teachers. Thank you to everyone for your flexibility and for your willingness to roll with the punches.

Next Friday, January 30, is the final class day of Term 3. Please take a look ahead on the CALENDAR at February, because the next several weeks are an odd mixture of events.

• We're off on February 6th so our members may attend the HOPE meeting if desired.
• February 13th is still listed as our Valentine's Day party. If you missed previous announcements, we recently found out that St. Paul's has another event that day and the building is not available to us. We're trying to find another venue or come up with an alternate plan, and will let you all know as soon as possible what we've worked out.
• Our Term 3 Field Trip is on February 20th. Details to follow soon.
• Term 4 begins on February 27th. Again, we're needing to do a little juggling of teachers and classes because of some unexpected changes. We will have a sign-up sheet for Term 4 helper spots next Friday, January 30, and may need to ask members to lead some additional classes like PE, Legos, etc.

Thanks for your patience while we sort a few of these things out. We're so grateful for everyone's positive attitudes and support. See you next Friday!

PS. Several students in yesterday's 3rd-5th grade science class expressed an interest in doing further reading on the topic. Leah posted several links on the Facebook page. If your student was in that class and wants those links, but you are not on Facebook, just email MLC and we'll get those links to you via email.

01.16.15 Announcements

• We asked for volunteers to plan our Valentine's Day Party on February 13th. Thank you to those who offered to help. HOWEVER - we just learned this afternoon that we have a conflict. St. Paul's building is not available to us that day due to another event being held. We are discussing our options and will update everyone as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

• Next week, January 23, is Swap Shop. 

• We've had to do some juggling with classes, teachers, etc. over the last two weeks, so thank you to everyone for being flexible and for being willing to pitch in where needed.

See you next Friday!

01.09.15 Announcements

Thanks to everyone who bundled up against the cold and joined us for the start of Term 3! Welcome to a few new and newly returning members!

Just a few CALENDAR reminders to point out: 

• Mom's Night Out is this coming Monday, January 12th. We're planning to go to Omaha's Greek Islands restaurant. More details and an RSVP form to follow soon.
• We meet again for classes next Friday, January 16th.
• We'll be holding Swap Shop in two weeks, on Friday, January 23rd.

Our Valentine's Day Party is also approaching on Friday, February 13th. We'd like to ask for three or four moms to volunteer to plan the party. There is a budget available for treats and decorations. Any interested moms should let one of the Founding Members know that they'd like to participate.

See you next week!

12.12.14 Announcements

CALENDAR reminders for upcoming events:

• There are no remaining events on MLC's calendar for 2014. 
• Term 3 begins on Friday, January 9, 2015.  All four regular class days for Term 3 happen on consecutive Fridays in January, without a break. Please take a close look at our CALENDAR and review those dates.
• We had accidentally missed posting the January 2015 date for Mindful Mom's Night out on the calendar. That's now posted for Monday, January 12. Details on the destination will be posted closer to that date.

TERM 3: There are still several helper spots that need to be filled for Term 3 - thank you to everyone who has already signed up. If you and your family are participating in classes for Term 3, we need to ask that you add your name to the helper list somewhere. You can sign up online using this link under the Members Only tab.

DISMISSAL: We reminded members on Friday that 2nd Hour teachers should bring all kids back to the Fellowship Hall for dismissal. Sometimes we have announcements to share at closing time, and sometimes we don't. Whether we have announcements or not, all students should be dismissed from the Fellowship Hall. This reduces the amount of confusion and excess traffic and noise in the hallways - remember, we're trying to be considerate guests of our hosts, the staff of St. Paul's Church. It is also GREATLY appreciated if every member would take the few seconds to push one or two chairs back under the tables in the hall before leaving. If every member does this, it saves the Founding Members a lot of time during the clean-up chores we do each week.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Terms 1 and 2! We're grateful to our teachers and helpers for creating fun, enriching learning opportunities for our kids, and to the parents who bring their students each week.

The Founding Members would like to wish each of you a blessed holiday season with your loved ones, and we look forward to seeing you again in January!

Term 3 Helper Sign-up

MLC wishes you all have a safe and Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

We have one more co-op class on December 12th, before we break for the holidays.

We would like to have Term 3 helpers assigned soon, so we are ready for January 9th, the first class of Term 3.

Our online sign up sheet has been updated.  You can access it through the MEMBERS page or by using the link below.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO HELP FOR TERM 3

Thank You!

Mindful Mom's Night Out

Mindful Mom Members will be gathering at M's Pub, 422 S 11th St, Omaha, NE at 6:30 pm on Monday, December 8, 2014. 

While there is no doubt we love spending time with our children {isn't that why we homeschool?!}, we are looking forward to an evening without potty interruptions, sticky fingers, and sibling quarrels.  With that said, only nursing babies are allowed to join the Moms on this night.  So, get a sitter and come join us for some good old fashioned face time.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about the Mindful Mom's Night Out,
please email us at MindfulLearningCenter@gmail.com

This event is now on our CALENDAR.
This event requires an RSVP.
Please RSVP using the form below.

11.21.14 Announcements

We only have two more events on the calendar for 2014:

• Mindful Mom's Night Out on Monday, December 8th. Watch the website for the destination announcement closer to that date.
• Regularly scheduled classes on Friday, December 12th. That's the final day of Term 2.

Term 3 begins on January 9, 2015. A Helper Sign-Up Sheet for Term 3 was started this morning and will be available again at classes on Friday, December 12th. Helper spots are first-come, first-served, so sign up early to reserve your preferred spot. All members who participate in a term are required to sign up somewhere on the sheet, and helper spots are for the full 4-week term.

If you have not already done so, please review this week's earlier post about communication within MLC here. 

Communication is Key

This is just a friendly reminder about the ways in which MLC communicates with our members.  We have had several members express that they either did not receive information about our events or didn't know where to find the information.  There are several reasons why you may not be getting our emails or reminders.  We will go through them here...

OUR MAIN LINE OF COMMUNICATION is through our website.  When you become a member, we subscribe you to our NEWS feed, so that you receive all of our latest posts in your inbox.  IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU MUST ACTIVATE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION or you will be missing out on having our NEWS posts come to your inbox.  Many of you have NOT activated your subscriptions.  If you haven't, you should have received an email within the last few days asking for you to click on a link within the email to activate.  Please do this!  For example, this post on the website would come directly to your inbox if your account were activated, so that you don't have to check the website for our latest NEWS.

Secondly, we have the CALENDAR on our website.  This has often been a point of confusion for some, so let's clarify.  ALL CURRENTLY PLANNED MLC EVENTS ARE ON THE CALENDAR.  These dates were chosen in advance of the 'school year' and set aside for MLC events.  The ONE component of our events that will almost always be decided at the 'last minute' is the destination of our events.  For instance, our term field trip dates are already planned, but where we are going might be a mystery until the week of the event.  We will always do our best to give adequate notice, but you may have to check the NEWS feed or the CALENDAR for event details, locations, and times just before the event takes place.  This system allows you to put the event on your own calendar months in advance of the event, then check back for details prior to the event.

FACEBOOK: Many of our members use Facebook, but just as many DO NOT USE Facebook.  Facebook is simply an extra place to post our information, but should NOT be relied upon or used as a substitute to our website NEWS feed. If you are on Facebook and using MLC's page, you may review our Facebook Policy HERE.

IMPORTANT: It has come to our attention that there are some people who are attending MLC who have not yet registered as members.  If you have not registered your family online, please do this now by applying for MEMBERSHIP.  It only takes a few minutes to apply, and this way we have your information to be able to communicate with you.  If you are not signed up, this would explain why you are not receiving our emails.  All members, even returning members, will need to submit this form each year.  This will ensure we have up-to-date records every year.  (Many of you would have done this before September.)

Another reminder: If you have not paid your annual fee of $30, please do so this Friday at the co-op.  If we do not have your payment marked in our records, you will receive an email reminder.  If you have paid and we are in error, please just let us know.  This money is used for parties and events, and a donation is made to the church for the use of the facility.

Hopefully this clears things up a bit!  If you have questions or need technical support, please send us an email at MindfulLearningCenter@gmail.com

Swap Shop this Friday!

This Friday, November 21, MLC will be holding its second Swap Shop of the year.

We've scheduled Swap Shop four times this year, on the THIRD CLASS DAY of each term. Those dates are listed on our CALENDAR in September, November, January, and March.

What is Swap Shop? It's a FREE garage sale for MLC Members only. No money changes hands. Just bring useful items from home that you no longer want, so that they can be a blessing to other members. Bring what you like, take what you can use. You don't have to bring something to take something, and it's not restricted to homeschool-related items only. You may want to bring a tote bag, clothes basket, etc. to use to carry items home.

We ask that you please pick up any items you brought that did not get claimed by someone else. In other words, please take your own leftover items back home with you.

Swap Shop runs during normal class time - you may begin bringing items in at 9 am, and please pick up leftover items by 12 pm.  Enjoy!

Mindful Mom's Night Out

Mindful Mom Members will be gathering at Jams Bar and Grill, 7814 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, at 6:30 pm on Monday, November 10, 2014. 

While there is no doubt we love spending time with our children {isn't that why we homeschool?!}, we are looking forward to an evening without potty interruptions, sticky fingers, and sibling quarrels.  With that said, only nursing babies are allowed to join the Moms on this night.  So, get a sitter and come join us for some good old fashioned face time.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about the Mindful Mom's Night Out,
please email us at MindfulLearningCenter@gmail.com

This event is now on our CALENDAR.
This event requires an RSVP.
Please RSVP using the form below.

Field Trip: Think HOT!!

UPDATE: The Field Trip for Friday, 11-14-14, is CANCELLED.

There were zero RSVP's as requested below, indicating to us that there is little to no interest in this field trip. 

Therefore, it seemed inappropriate to impose upon the time of the artists who would have put aside their own work to give us a tour, if few or no people were planning to attend. We have notified Hot Shops that our group will not be attending tomorrow morning.

The next MLC event is our regularly scheduled class time next Friday, November 21.

This week is supposed to be COLD, so for this Friday's Field Trip, let's go somewhere HOT!

We're planning to tour Omaha's unique artist studio complex, the Hot Shops Art Center. If you've never been there before, the Hot Shops are a creative redevelopment of a North Old Market warehouse into artists' studios and workspaces, along with gallery and event spaces. The real beating heart of the facility are the actual working 'hot shops': a blacksmith's shop for creating metal sculpture, a pottery studio with kilns, and a glass blowing studio with forges. 

Let's meet this Friday, November 14, 2014 for a chance to tour this exciting, creative facility. Please meet us inside the main entrance, in the 3-story brick building to the north of the orange-painted building.

Our tour will begin at 10am, so let's do our best to be there about 5 minutes early. Working artists will be taking time out of their studio schedules to talk to us, so let's please be prompt and considerate of their time. 

The Hot Shops are located just north of TD Ameritrade Ballpark in downtown Omaha. Take I-480 to the 10th Street exit. Go north, past the Century Link Center, to 10th & Cuming, aka 10th & Abbott. (That's the intersection with the four red ironwork towers at each corner.) Take a left on Cuming and go two blocks west to 12th & Cuming. (You're now on the back side of the ballpark.) Turn right and go one block north to 12th and Izard, then take a left on Izard and go one block west to 13th. The main entrance to the Hot Shops is on 13th, facing east, in the 3-story section of the building. There's free, 2-hour visitor parking along that block of 13th, and also along Izard between 12th and 14th. Map available here. 

Admission is free. Please RSVP by emailing Mindful Learning Center by 2pm on Thursday, November 13th with your name, number of attendees, and a cell phone number. 

We hope to see you there!

10.31.14 Announcements

Oops! I forgot to post a recap of last week's announcements. Just a few calendar reminders for everyone:

• We do not meet this Friday, November 7th. The first Friday of each month is left open for members who wish to attend Hope meetings.
• Next Monday, November 10th is Mindful Mom's Night Out. Watch your emails for further details.
• Next Friday, November 14th is our Term 2 Field Trip. We're ironing out the final details and will post more information soon.
• Our next regular class day at St. Paul's is Friday, November 21. That's the 3rd class day of the term, so we'll be holding Swap Shop. It's a great chance to clear out some clutter in time for the holidays!

We look forward to seeing as many MLC families as possible at our upcoming events. Have a great week homeschooling, everyone!