MLC Planning Meeting THIS Friday, May 20th - Please Attend

WHAT and WHEN: 
MLC is having a Planning Meeting THIS Friday, May 20th at 10 a.m. 

This will be our 2nd attempt to hold a Planning Meeting.  The first meeting (held last Friday) had a surprisingly low attendance, with only 2 people replying by email -as requested- that they could not attend.  Roughly 1 member from each TEAM attended, with the Founding Members accounting for 1/2 of the attendance.  

WHO: 

We would like to see as many returning members at this meeting as possible.

If you are unable to make it to the planning meeting, please send us an email at MindfulLearningCenter@gmail.com, so we can be sure to connect you with your other team members at some time. 

We realize that many of you are busy during this time of year or simply have little desire to help with the planning process of our co-op.  Both situations are understandable and recognized as a hurdle to jump every spring/summer.  However, we would like to be clear that in order for this co-op to run smoothly, the tasks of planning and execution should fall on every single member.

WHERE:
We will meet at the Dream Land Playground near the beach located in Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs. Here is a link to Google maps for directions.  Bring a blanket or lawn chairs, and a picnic lunch if you like. There are restrooms on site.

HOW:

After we have settled in at the park, and the children are playing nicely with their friends, we would like to present each Team with a small packet of information to get you started.  It's very well laid out and super easy to follow.  Basically, fill in the blanks and your Team has officially 'planned' next year!  There's nothing to it, it's fun to get the creative juices flowing and bounce ideas off of each other.

So, go ahead, create a Pinterest board, grab a notebook, and search the web for  homeschooling co-op ideas and bring those ideas to the park!

Hope to see you all there! 

Picnic in the Park (1st Team Planning Meeting)

Hello!  We miss you all!  

With busy Spring schedules, wouldn't it be nice to take a break to see some familiar faces?!

MLC is having a Picnic in the Park on Friday, May 13th at 10 a.m. We will meet at the Dream Land Playground near the beach located in Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs. Here is a link to Google maps for directions. Bring a lunch and a blanket or lawn chairs. There are restrooms on site.

We would also like to use this park day to begin planning for next year!

After we have settled in at the park, and the children are playing nicely with their friends, we would like to present each Team with a small packet of information to get you started.  It's very well laid out and super easy to follow.  Basically, fill in the blanks and your Team has officially 'planned' next year!  There's nothing to it, it's fun to get the creative juices flowing and bounce ideas off of each other.

So, go ahead, create a Pinterest board, grab a notebook, and search the web for  homeschooling co-op ideas and bring those ideas to the park!

We would like to see as many returning members at this meeting as possible. If you are unable to make it to the planning meeting, please send us an email at MindfulLearningCenter@gmail.com, so we can be sure to connect you with your other team members at some time. Communication is key! Thank you!

MLC Picnic in the Park

We had such a wonderful time in the park with so many smiling faces, that we have decided to
extend this event throughout the summer!

Our next picnic will be June 26th
We will meet at Lake Manawa State Park Playground at 10:30 a.m.

We will plan a few more dates and post them to the CALENDAR.

Bring your blankets and a picnic!
Hope to see you there!

(Be sure to scroll down on the NEWS page for MLC Zoo Days information!)

MLC Pre-Summer Picnic in the Park

Hello MLC Members! First, we want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the co-op this year.  MLC's Co-op was a success because of all of your help, time, and talents!

To kick off the summer, we would like to invite everyone to a Pre-Summer Picnic in the Park this Friday, April 17, 2015, beginning at 10:30 a.m. 

Bring a blanket and a picnic lunch for your family and join us at Lake Manawa State Park Playground area.  The playground area is located near the beach on the south side of the lake.

(If we have to postpone this event due to weather, updates will be posted on the website on the morning of the event.)

Hope to see you there! 

IMPORTANT: Allergy Information

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES, FOOD INTOLERANCES OR FOOD AVOIDANCES?

CLICK HERE TO LET US KNOW

***A link to the Allergy Information Form can also be found on our MEMBERS ONLY page, for easy access in the future.***

May 23rd - Hitchcock Nature Center

On May 23rd, MLC members are going to be gathering for outdoor fun at Hitchcock Nature Center.  If you would like to bring a picnic lunch and a blanket, please feel free to do so.  We are meeting from 10-1.  See you there!

If it is raining or unusually muddy, we might change the location of this gathering.  We will post any changes on our website and facebook page.  Let's hope for some sunshine!

Here is some information from their website:

Location:
Hitchcock Nature Center
27792 Ski Hill Loop
Honey Creek, IA 51542
Phone: (712) 545-3283
Directions: From Interstate I-29 take the Crescent exit and travel east to The Old Lincoln Highway. Hitchcock Nature Center is located 5 miles north of Crescent off of The Old Lincoln Highway.

Park Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Park Admission: $2.00 per vehicle per day or $10.00 annual permit

For more information, please visit the park website.

http://www.pottcoconservation.com/parks-and-habitat-areas/hitchcock-nature-center/

Summer Terms and Swap Shop

Hello! Summer is upon us, and we couldn't be happier, right?! :)

After going through the responses from our recent survey, it seems that some of you are interested in participating in our Summer Term(s). However, we are unsure if we will have enough students consistently to hold regular co-op classes.

Instead, we would like to propose an alternative to classes, allowing us to gather in a more fun and relaxed way throughout the summer.

On our calendar, we will post "Summer Activities" that will be held on certain Fridays between the hours of 10am and 1pm. Each time we meet, we can plan our destination for the next time we get together. We could meet for picnics in the park, go to the zoo together, visit a splash park, take a walk on a trail, have scavenger hunts for the kids, go bowling on a hot day, or come up with other fun ideas! The kids will get to play and enjoy each other in a less structured environment, which I am sure they will enjoy!

There won't be any registration for the Summer Terms and attendance will vary.
If an RSVP is necessary, one will be posted for that activity.
More than likely, though, it will be a 'come if you can' sort of thing!

So, join us May 9th for our first Summer Activity. We will have a Picnic in the Park at Big Lake Park in Council Bluffs. Location, dates, and details can be found on the calendar.

On another note, due to popular demand, we are having a Swap Shop this Friday, April 11th, during co-op classes. 

However, we are changing it up a bit by requiring that you take with you any items you bring that are not swapped.  We think this will eliminate the somewhat chaotic ending to what is otherwise a rather fun and exciting treat!  

You know the saying, "One homeschooler's junk is another homeschooler's fancy new goodies."  Ok, I made that up, but you get the idea...  So, please feel free to share your goodies, but remember to carry out your unwanted items when you leave.  

 

Picnic in the Park - September 13th

Join other Mindful Members for a Picnic in the Park, Friday, September 13th at 12:45 p.m. (following co-op classes).  Feel free to head there right after classes.  We are only saying 12:45 to allow some time for possible clean up at the church, 20 minutes of drive time, and if anyone has to grab lunch on the way.

You could bring your own lunches or stop and grab something between the co-op and the picnic.  We suggest bringing a blanket to picnic on.  We are unsure if there are picnic tables, and if there were, maybe there wouldn't be enough.

So, we will kick it 'old school' and picnic on blankets!  (Of course, you could also bring a folding chair.)  There is a giant playground for the kids to play and have fun!

**NO RSVP required for this event.  If this is your first Mindful event, however, please be sure to pay your annual membership fee at the picnic to any founding member.  Thank you.

How to get there...
This playground shares a parking lot with the Lake Manawa Beach area.  So, if you know where that is, you can certainly find it.  For those unfamiliar with the area, I have included a map below that will take you from St. Paul's to the playground.  Click on the blue line for directions.

View Picnic in the Park - Lake Manawa State Park in a larger map