Weekend at HEAV Convention

I missed our local home-school curriculum fair (MACHE-MD) this past April because it was the same weekend as the 2:1 Conference. The CHAP convention came and went before I had the chance to solidify plans to attend and I was a little disappointed, there were just a few items I needed to purchase to round out our school plans but I was sorry to miss the line-up of speakers they had.

Next up was HEAV. Since it was held in Richmond this year I had written off the possibility of attending since it was too far to be a day trip. The curriculum we use would not have representatives attending, but there were other vendors I had a wish-list for. Even more, the line-up of speakers was phenomenal. Tedd Tripp (Shepherding the Child’s Heart) was slated as the keynote speaker. Hal and Melanie Young were presenting a number of their workshops, The Boyers and Bradleys were giving a number of sessions as well. There were also practical sessions that I knew would be beneficial to our coming year.

Well, just a week prior to convention it all fell into place. A local friend getting ready to begin home-schooling was available to go. We could get away for the weekend for fueling and refreshing while we sought His will for our families. The drive down was half the fun. We talked the hours away sharing how God was working in our hearts for our families. I was blessed to spend that time with a dear sister in Christ.

When we arrived the registration process was fast and easy even though we had missed pre-registering online.

I appreciated the invitation to the informal blogger meet-up on the exhibitor floor Thursday afternoon. It was a chance to meet other bloggers, speakers and vendors before the booths were flooded with crowds.

I have to say probably one of the most memorable events for me was right before the exhibit hall opened for shopping when a member of the HEAV staff’s prayer came over the PA system, I was touched to hear him pray for each attendee and exhibitor who would be present this weekend and give all the glory to God for all the good that would come of the event. They truly started the event by addressing matters of first importance!

The Thursday evening hours in the exhibit hall were a great opportunity to do a full sweep of the booths. We got familiar with every one’s locations and made some initial contacts with various vendors and speakers. Unfortunately for this homeschooling blogger my phone battery died Thursday afternoon and the only wi-fi access at the convention center was in the “Cyber Cafe”. Less than ideal for keeping friends and readers pumped with live-tweets. We headed back to our hotel with sore feet and tired eyes for a little rest before a very full day on Friday.

I’ll be posting re-caps of some of the workshops I attended in their own posts because there is so much to share and each deserves it’s own space.

This being our first visit to the HEAV Convention we underestimated the task of finding parking Friday morning and missed the first session and a half. Thankfully digital recordings were are available for purchase. Once we got situated the rest of the day was easy. It was great to listen in the workshops and then visit the exhibit hall to view tools to implement what was presented for things that were specifically curriculum related.

I appreciated visiting with families who have embraced out-of-the-box techniques for educating their children and created resources that can enhance the rest of our homes. The Collins family was there with The Samuel L. Collins adventures. My boys now have a cipher to use while they watch each new episode (and the Bali episode to watch).

I got to meet the Rondina family who are using LEGOs to bring history to life through their films at Shatterpoint Entertainment. My boys were immediately drawn to all three available episodes and are already quoting them! Looking forward for sharing a full review with you soon!

 

One new discovery for me was Tracey Tutor. It was a pleasant surprise to find out Stephanie Tracey is local to me. Her phonics-based reading and spelling program breaks instruction down to basics that can be clearly taught by a homeschooling parent to avoid some of the frustration that is possible during the crucial early reading phase. I appreciate the this is a dedicated and thorough reading and spelling program and it can easily be used with the other curriculum choices we’ve already made.

 

The used curriculum sale could have been it’s own event. It was HUGE, but very well run. There were some great finds and some incredible prices!

There are many more great things to share but you’ll see that during our school year when we put all these tools into service.

I returned home full of information and more importantly, filled with encouragement for our coming school year (which is starting very soon)! I’m even looking forward to making plans to attend next year…