PKE Meeting Update

Due to many conflicts and cyberspace mailing failures, the Atlanta Area PKE meeting scheduled for Friday, September 5th has been cancelled. 

Be sure to watch your inbox for a survey from the Georgia PKE, requesting your  input about a day and time in the week following Christmas that would work for you for educators to get together and preview the following semester. 

Please add kindermerri at yahoo dot com to your email address book to avoid PKE mailings being sent to your spam file in the future.

Atlanta Area PKE Meeting – Friday, Sept. 5th

Atlanta Area Kindermusik Chapter

Let’s Get Together Again!

Friday, September 5, 10:30am

Dunwoody Baptist Church

Jane Hendrix – hostess

 Hello Atlanta Area PKE!

Hope everyone had a wonderful summer – time to relax and rest a bit.  I’m hoping that many of us are available for a last minute get together before we’re all up and running our Fall programs.

 We’ll need at least 10 educators to join us for this meeting for it to take place so RSVP ASAP.  With 10 attendees, this will count towards the 100 points that will be required for licensing beginning in April, 2009. 

Bring your new ideas, bring questions, we’ll look at a new webinar, and just enjoy each others enthusiasm regarding this amazingly incredible music program we’re so blessed to be teaching.

Hope to see everyone Friday!

Amy VanderLugt, Atlanta Area PKE

Merri Williams, GA PKE

Jane Hendrix, Hostess and Webinar Facilitator Extraordinaire
*****************************************************************

From I-285 East or West:
Exit # 29 Ashford Dunwoody Road Go North on Ashford Dunwoody Road approx. 1.75 miles Past Perimeter Mall DBC will be on your left

From GA 400 South:
Exit #5 Dunwoody/Sandy Springs Make a left onto Abernathy Road go approx. ¼ mile Make a left onto Mount Vernon Road, continue approx. 1.1 miles DBC will be on your right

From GA 400 North:
Exit #5A Dunwoody/Sandy Springs Merge onto Abernathy Road (you can only go in one direction) make your way to the far left hand lane At the 2nd traffic light make a left onto Mount Vernon Road, continue approx. 1.1 miles DBC will be on your right.

Please RSVP Amy, Merri, or Jane so we can adequately plan for attendees.

Atlanta Area PKE Meeting Cancellation

The next meeting of the Greater Atlanta Area PKE, scheduled for this Friday, April 25th, at 11AM has been postponed until July.  Due to several circumstances, notably construction and renovation in the music suite at Dunwoody Baptist Church where we meet, as well as many educators having *packed* schedules right now, we felt it better to postpone until this summer, giving more folks time to plan ahead. 

There are some plans now in the works for a local PDS here in July as well as our own local PKE meeting and planning for the Kindermusik convention in November in Raleigh, North Carolina.  We will have further information here as soon as details are nailed down.

Don’t forget! —- Forget what, you say?!

Calling all Georgia Kindermusik educators -

This Friday, February 15th, we celebrate the kick-off meeting of the greater Atlanta Partnership of Kindermusik Educators.  Bring yourselves and an idea you’d like to share relating to one of this semester’s units – something that your families *really* enjoyed, whether it be an activity, an extension, or a book.  Also, if you’ve got something that you’ve had difficulty with making it work in class, plan on sharing that as well. We are here to come alongside one another and support each other!

We will also have exciting news about a possible state-wide advertising campaign through the Georgia Public Broadcasting System that would be *extremely* affordable for Kindermusik educators throughout the state.  More on that later this week!

Come join us this Friday and enjoy the sizzling energy that fills a room when you get Kindermusik educators together. I can tell you from personal experience from attending a local meeting, PDS, and KM convention – there’s absolutely *NOTHING* like it!

For maps and directions, please visit the blog here. See you there!

New PKE Chapter Forming!

Calling all interested Georgia Kindermusik educators! 

 

The first official meeting of the metro Atlanta PKE chapter will be Friday, February 15th, 2008 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.  We will meet at Dunwoody Baptist Church, location of Jane Hendrix’s program,  near Perimeter Mall, and plan on eating lunch together there in the area. 

Dunwoody Baptist Church

1445 Mount Vernon Road
Atlanta GA 30338
Phone: 770-280-1200

From I-285 East or West:
Exit # 29 Ashford Dunwoody Road Go North on Ashford Dunwoody Road approx. 1.75 miles Past Perimeter Mall DBC will be on your left

From GA 400 South:
Exit #5 Dunwoody/Sandy Springs Make a left onto Abernathy Road go approx. ¼ mile Make a left onto Mount Vernon Road, continue approx. 1.1 miles DBC will be on your right

From GA 400 North:
Exit #5A Dunwoody/Sandy Springs Merge onto Abernathy Road (you can only go in one direction) make your way to the far left hand lane At the 2nd traffic light make a left onto Mount Vernon Road, continue approx. 1.1 miles DBC will be on your right.

Amy VanderLugt has graciously volunteered to be the Metro Atlanta PKE representative.  (Thank you, Amy!)  She would like to compile a roster of greater Atlanta Kindermusik educators with names, all phone numbers, email, website, address, location of Kindermusik classes, names of other teachers you have teaching with you, etc. before the meeting in order to hand them out that day. 

Even if you can’t be there on the 15th, please send your information on to Amy as she is willing to send it to all educators in this area, even those unable to attend.  RSVP and personal information should be sent by February 1st.  Amy may be reached at vanderamy at yahoo.com.  (Please insert the @ sign in the appropriate place.  I have written it this way to avoid automated spammer programs that surf blogsites for email addresses.)

For map and directions to this location, please visit Google Maps here:  View Larger Map

Heads up! Check your calendar!

There will be an organizational meeting for a metro Atlanta/North Georgia PKE chapter on Saturday, August 18th, at Dunwoody Baptist Church, 1445 Mt. Vernon Road, Atlanta, Georgia, from 10AM to 12 PM.  This is an organizational-type meeting to put together a local PKE chapter in the metro Atlanta/North Georgia area, but we will also have additional topics of discussion.  Any Kindermusik educator is welcome and invited to attend.

      Topics will include organizing the metro Atlanta/North Georgia chapter, the Demo Days campaign the following week, convention travel information, *and* Jane’s recent trip to South Africa for the Kindermusik/PKE convention held there.  We will also be planning on eating lunch together somewhere near the church.  If you’d like to attend, please email me  (click on the link) and let me know, so we can accurately plan for seating and room space.  If you have any suggestions for additional topics, we need those as well!  Hope to see *TONS* of you there! 

 Dunwoody Baptist Church, 1445 Mt. Vernon Road
Atlanta, Georgia  30338

From I-285 East or West:
Exit # 29 Ashford Dunwoody Road  – Go North on Ashford Dunwoody Road approx. 1.75 miles past Perimeter Mall.  DBC will be on your left.

From GA 400 South:
Exit #5 Dunwoody/Sandy Springs – Make a left onto Abernathy Road, go approx. ¼ mile. Make a left onto Mount Vernon Road,  and continue approx. 1.1 miles.  DBC will be on your right.

From GA 400 North:
Exit #5A Dunwoody/Sandy Springs – Merge onto Abernathy Road (you can only go in one direction).  Make your way to the far left hand lane. At the 2nd traffic light, make a left onto Mount Vernon Road,  and continue approx. 1.1 miles.  DBC will be on your right.

Click here to get directions to Dunwoody Baptist from your home.

Are you missing out on something totally free and *really* special?

 

This summer Kindermusik International is offering the Kindermusik educator a series of professional development classes via the internet and teleconferences that are totally *free*.  With topics such as “Overcoming Objections without Anxiety”, “Retention 101″, “Your Virtuoso”, “Your Grocery Store Speech”, and “The Research Behind Kindermusik”, you have a variety to choose from. 

Some of these are one-hour Go To Meetings which allows participants to see simultaneously , on their own personal computer screen, the same visual aids from the instructor, while communicating via a teleconference.  Direct links are provided via email upon registration as well as informational documents needed for the class. 

I have participated in two of these and they are truly *marvelous*!  The last one I experienced was “Retention 101″ with Katie Henderson.  It was extremely well-presented, with additional clear, concise visual aids that we received via email afterwards. Katie was a wonderful instructor who made everyone feel welcome, no matter their level of experience and expertise, and no question was frowned upon. (Thank you, Katie!)

KI is also providing podcasts via email and the Masterful Minutes in the Teachers Lounge.  Besides the ones for this summer, there is a treasure trove of information available on the Masterful Minutes page with additional links to QuickTime videos as well.  Check them out here.

There are also five (5) one-day Professional Development Seminars scheduled across the country, beginning July 28th in Greensboro. 

In Georgia, our PDS will meet on Saturday, August 18th, at Dunwoody Baptist Church, 1445 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody, Georgia.   This is located just 1.75 miles north of Perimeter Mall, off Exit 29 of I-285.  Dunwoody Baptist is located at the intersection of Ashford-Dunwoody and Mount Vernon Roads.  More details on the Georgia PDS will be coming later.

So how do I find out when these are available and how do I register?

Simple – visit the Training Calendar and decide which ones you want to attend.

Then visit the Educator’s Store online and go to “Kindermusik Courses” located in the left hand margin.  You can register for the classes by “buying” these through the store.  This includes going through the checkout process, submitting your credit card number, but the final charge is $0.00.  In other words, *FREE*!

So, the next question is: have you taken advantage of any of these free opportunities?  

Last Chance! After Friday, it’s going, going, gone!

This Friday, February 2nd, is the date for a scheduled teleconference with Kindermusik International about the Google campaign.  This is one of the last opportunities to participate and give your input into KI’s decision. 

Time:  1 PM

Location:  Dalton, GA

Who’s Invited:  All Georgia educators – especially those of you in north Metro Atlanta and NW Georgia as well as any interested TN educators

****IMPORTANT****

We *NEED* to know if you’re planning on attending in order to have everything shipped and received from KI for this meeting.  So far, we have only 1 RSVP.  This may be your last chance to have input into the Google decision.  Speak now or forever hold your peace!   

To RSVP, contact me at Kindermerri@yahoo.com or Sherry Carter at scarter@alltel.net. 

Google Teleconference Set for February 2nd – NW Georgia

Put Friday, February 2nd, on your  calendar for a Google teleconference in the Northwest Georgia area. 

Time: 1 PM                     Hosted by: Sherry Carter   (scarter@alltel.net)

Location: First Christian Church

                 1506 Dug Gap Road

                 Dalton, Georgia 30720

Directions:

From Exit 333 (Walnut Avenue) on Interstate 75, one would turn right coming from the south, or turn left if traveling from the north, and go about 0.6-0.7  of a mile (according to Yahoo! Maps) to Dug Gap Road.  There is an Exxon Station and a Walgreen’s at the corner where Dug Gap Road intersects with Walnut Avenue.  Turn right onto Dug Gap Road and go one-half mile.  The church is on the right and sets back off the road a bit.  There’s a Kindermusik sign in the yard.  We will be meeting in the activity building behind the main part of the church.  There is parking in the back close to the entrance.

You might want to bring some note paper and something to write with to take notes during the 18-minute video.  After viewing the video, everyone will call in to KI on their cellphones for the teleconference with Lisa Rowell for a Q & A session that will last for 30 minutes.  The entire program shouldn’t take longer than an hour if all goes according to the agenda developed by KI.  

(But, of course, if you stop and talk awhile or stop back by a Starbucks or whatever on the way home and chat, then that’s on *your* time, right?)    

If you’re concerned about being able to get some lunch, I know that Exit 333 has a number of fast-food places as well as sit-down restaurants right off the Interstate.  Daneille and I stopped there on our way back home from Nashville in 2005.   Tennessee educators from just over the state line in Chattanooga are more than welcome as well to join in.  We’d love to have you in our meeting.

Please!  It’s *very* important that we get a head-count of how many educators will be there.  This is so that the teleconference chatroom can be set up to handle the right amount of calls and also so there can be adequate seating at the church.  If you plan on attending, please let me know (Kindermerri@yahoo.com) or Sherry Carter (scarter@alltel.net).  We need to know this by January 29th – one week from today.

I’m still hoping that we can find a location somewhere in the metro Atlanta area to have a teleconference as well, and I’m ready and willing to set it up if we have a location.  So, please, Atlanta educators, if you think you might have a place that we could also use to have a teleconference possibly on the same afternoon, February 2nd, that would really make things simpler for KI to coordinate the GA meetings in one day.  Please contact me if you think you can help!

And I’m still hoping that the Mid-Georgia and South Georgia contingency can work it in as well.  Kindermusik International has to make a decision sometime within the next month and they have *asked* for our input. Please let me know if I can help any of you in any way to make these teleconferences happen so your voices can be heard.

Clarification – what is required and where to have the meetings

After hearing from some of you, I realized that I didn’t do a very good job of explaining what is involved in these meetings.  These are local PKE meetings – where Kindermusik educators can get together, meet and welcome new educators, introduce themselves, and then watch an 18-minute video provided by Kindermusik International about the Google campaign. 

      Do I know what’s on the video?  No.  Is it the same as the videos on the KI website?  I have no idea.  I have an outline for the local meeting that is timed out to be only one hour in length, with the conference call lasting 30 minutes for questions and answers immediately *after* the video is viewed.  This is your opportunity to make your voice and concerns heard and to ask your questions about how the Google campaign would directly apply to your unique situation. 

 It might also be a very good opportunity for educators to get together as the new semester is just now getting underway and share helpful ideas, activities, books, extensions, etc. that would benefit everyone with the spring curriculum.   I know that last summer I got *so* many wonderful ideas of suggested storytimes, books, activities, marketing ideas,  sample brochures, etc. from the NW GA get-together in Adairsville.  It was *wonderful*!

     I have one volunteer from the NW Georgia area that is considering hosting a meeting in Dalton.  It would be really good if we could have one somewhere in the metropolitan Atlanta area; another down around Peachtree City/Fayetteville, one somewhere up the I-85 corridor as well as one in middle Georgia.   Anybody down near or around the Savannah area?  South Carolina educators could possibly join  you there.  Locations could be in a home, in a church, a school, maybe a meeting room in a local eatery - any place where a bunch of educators could sit around a table or tables together and talk.

Considering the week I’ve had this past week, I’d volunteer to host one, but (a) I don’t have a central location to offer, and (b) my brain is just about turned to mush right now. 

 

Unfortunately, we had to have our 14yo beagle put to sleep tonight and it’s been heartwrenching to see my sweet dh so upset.  Buck was *his* dog, you see.  So, if someone from some of these areas could volunteer to check into: 1) a location, 2) a day/time that would work for several educators, and 3) please let me know when it’s going to happen so we can contact KI to coordinate the teleconference.  Please thoughtfully consider hosting one of these PKE meetings – you will definitely get *much* more out of it than you ever dreamed.

Contact me at Kindermerri@yahoo.com.