Border's Educator's Savings Days

Remember that Border's Educator's Savings Days are April 2nd to 12th. Go to http://www.bordersmedia.com/educators/. All you need to do is tell the cashier you are a homeschooler and you may receive the discount. Any questions, you may copy and print out this letter from Karen Landers, the Interim Senior Marketing Manager:


Dear Homeschooler,
Happy Spring!
Wow – just a week until the start of Borders Educator Savings Days, April 2 – 8!

During the week you’ll save 25% off the list price of books, CDs, DVDs and more*

We hope to see you for all the savings and festivities.
Join us at a SPECIAL RECEPTION at Borders’ stores**
Friday, April 4 from 4:00-8:00 PM
Food – Fun – Prizes!


*Certain exclusions apply. Cannot be combined with any other offer, including but not limited to “3 for 2,” “Buy 3, Get 4th Free,” “Buy 4 Get 5th Free,” of “Buy 1, Get 1 Half Price” offers.
Excludes previous and online purchases, gift cards, periodicals, comics, non-stock special orders, coupon books, eBooks, digital downloads, Rosetta Stone ® software, shipping,
and all electronics, including the Sony ® Reader and the Zune TM. Also excludes all Dean and DeLuca ® and Starbucks ® café items and products.
May not be combined with coupons, sale pricing, or corporate, classroom or other group discounts.
** Receptions not held at Borders Express or Waldenbooks.


Please share this link: http://www.bordersmedia.com/educators with fellow homeschoolers, friends and family.
Borders Educator Savings event applies to ALL educators, current and retired, and ALL grade levels.
If you want to be removed from my emails – just hit reply, type ‘Remove” in the subject line and I’ll delete your email address.

All my best,
Karen

Karen Landers
Interim Senior Marketing Manager
Borders Group Inc.
856.985.8909 FAX 856.985.3023
515 Rt. 73 South, Marlton, NJ 08053

Ultimate Family Expo, March 29th!

Come to the Ritacco Center on March 29th for the "Ultimate Family Expo". The Ocean County Library will have a table there all day and I will be manning the table from 1-6 in the afternoon. I have never attended one of these but I hear they are fun for the kids, tons of stuff to do (we will be making simple origami butterflies at our table).

Family Week at the Theater

The New Jersey Theatre Alliance celebrates Family Week at the Theatre from March 8-16. For Information, go to www.familyweek.com and for tickets go to www.njArtsTix.org

Free Performance by George Street Playhouse...

To celebrate 2008 Family Week, the George Street Playhouse will present "New Kid" by Dennis Foon on Thursday, March 27th at 3:15pm (doors open at 2:45) at the Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School, 1200 Bay Boulevard, Seaside Heights. This is a story of an immigrant family from a fictitious place called Homeland and is a free fully-staged theatrical event.

This is being brought to you by the Upper Shores Branch of the Ocean County Library. Families are invited to attend! Grades K-8 with adults - bring a grown-up! Register online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org or call 732-793-3996.

Upper Shores Branch of OCL to have Conversational Spanish Group

Mondays, April 5th and 12th at 1 pm - Conversational Spanish Group
Spoken Spanish is all around us. Let’s get on board! Please join a new weekly group whose purpose is to practice speaking Spanish! There will be a group leader whose first language is Spanish, and other participants at varying levels of ability ranging from beginner to advanced intermediate. A different topic will be focused on each week to keep the conversation rolling. All interested teens and adults are welcome, so even if you have no previous experience but would like to attend as a listener, you can join in the conversation once you’re comfortable! Register online at the Ocean County Library website: http://theoceancountylibrary.org/ or call: 732-793-3996.

Open House for Home schoolers to be held at Barnegat Branch of the OCL

The Ocean County Library is having another open house for home schooling families: “Get Connected: Open House for Home Schoolers” will be held at the Barnegat Branch of the Ocean County Library on Wednesday, April 9th from 12:30 to 2:30. Come and meet other homeschoolers from around Ocean County. The theme for this one is “Book Swap” – bring your used (in good condition) homeschool materials that you may want to pass on to others. We will have tables set up where you can display these items. Anything that doesn’t go can be taken home, or the library can put them out on their sale shelf to raise money for the library. Light refreshments will be served. Note: there will be a story time at 1 pm for pre-school age children.

Remember to register at http://theoceancountylibrary.org/ or call 609-698-3331. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the number or email below. The link for directions, etc. is http://www.oceancounty.lib.nj.us/Branches/BGT/bgt.htm. Hope to see you there!

RE: What about programs for home schoolers in other library branches?

I am often asked by homeschoolers that I meet from other areas in Ocean County (besides Toms River) if any programs will be starting up at their libraries [note the question in my last post]. This is a very good question and very common. While I can and do suggest it to my colleagues, I think it is important that they hear from you so they know there is a need in their own community - let them know that you homeschool and that you would be interested in a daytime book discussion for your children (the ones that are too old for the pre-K programs, say 6 and up). Librarians are very open to hearing new ideas for programs and I have had so much support from fellow staff members in serving our homeschool population.

At the same time, you have to realize that librarians have a myriad of responsibilities that are not always apparent to the public. And some of our smaller branches may only have one or two children's librarians to do everything. For programs to succeed, they need to be planned and put on the calendar months in advance (here it is mid-March and we already have to get our summer schedule finalized).

So talk to your children and/or teen librarians, let them know that you homeschool and that a book discussion would be a valued program at your local library. Then be willing to spread the word among your fellow home schoolers so these programs are well attended. The number of children attending my homeschool book discussion group has doubled since beginning in January - once the word gets out that there is a need, home school library programs will be a regularly scheduled item. But as homeschoolers, we may have to get the ball rolling.

READY TO RE-LAUNCH!!!

Okay, homeschoolers, after finishing grad school in December I was a tad burnt out - actually, I was fried and could not muster enough energy to even keep up a blog. Those who have been there know what I mean. BUT, now I am feeling better, spring is around the corner and some new energy is beginning to flood my tired veins...so let me try this again...

I have been working in the Ocean County Library system while earning my MLIS degree, but now I am officially a Youth Services librarian with the Ocean County Library in Toms River. I love my job and the fact that I have been able to continue to outreach to homeschoolers. Many of you know that I am a homeschooler myself...I should use the past tense here though, since our son is 16 and teaches himself now. Isn't that the goal we all have for our children - that they become self-motivated learners?

Right now at the library we have a Homespun Book Discussion group for homeschoolers that meets in the Toms River Branch the second Wednesday of each month. It is for children ages 6 and up and this month we are doing the third book in the Magic Tree house series, Mummies in the Morning. Registration is necessary...go to http://theoceancountylibrary.org/.

And I am also planning another Open House for Homeschoolers in Ocean County on April 9th at the Barnegat Branch. Watch for details! More to come soon...