We are in NEED Host and Hostess Volunteers for the TPA 2012 Convention!

LAST MINUTE RESERVATIONS!  NEW DEADLINE!!

Our TPA Convention is not far off, in fact June 1st and June 2nd is just around the corner.  We have a deadline at the Hyatt on

If you want the discounted rooms they need to hear from you by Friday night May 11th.  We have a block of rooms at a discounted price. The rooms are filling up fast and they will be open to the public on Monday. Anyone after Sunday will have to pay a higher price. So reserve your room now!  Think of the benefits we get staying at the Hyatt. It’s beautiful! It’s Comfy! We don’t have to go outside UNLESS we want too!!! We have FREE parking by staying there and it’s out of the weather!!!


CLICK HERE to book your sleeping room!  If you need additional assistance, please call 1-888-421-1442.

    Registration Check-In
    Registration will be open at 8am just inside the EXPO Hall. It will continue throughout the rest of the convention. At registration, we will have several lines, broken down alphabetically, which will be clearly marked by signage. There will signs indicating which lines will be available.


    Parking
    Parking map - HERE. There are many places you can park. Saturday morning you will want to come early. The River Run will be taking place and the start is on the corner of Main and Waterman. This area will be blocked off from 7:30am until 7:40am. You will want to get there early.


    AIC Children’s Program
    Adventures in Character runs concurrently with the Teaching Parents Association (TPA) Convention each year – June 1-2 this year. Our goal is to provide an atmosphere where home school students of all ages will be inspired, trained, and equipped with solid biblical teaching and skills that will prepare them to make a difference in the world. AIC is a multi-faceted program that includes the following areas: DRAMA, TEACHING and DISCIPLESHIP, and WEEKEND OF FUN AND LEARNING the AIC children’s program is open to children ages 6-12 whose parents are attending the TPA convention. The fast-paced weekend will be a collection of assemblies, Scripture memory, songs, an ongoing drama, small group teaching times, games, object lessons, stories, and more! The program will conclude with a special presentation for the parents at the end of the convention on Saturday afternoon. Children may be registered for AIC via the convention registration form on the TPA website or by requesting a brochure. Please contact AIC Director, Natalie Wickham, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you have any questions or would like additional information about any aspect of the program.  More information about Adventures in Character HERE.


Exhibition Hall
    The exhibition floor in EXPO Hall will be open 8am to 7pm on Friday and 8am to 5:30pm on Saturday. A map of the exhibition hall as well as a list of vendors will be in your program. There is a list of vendors on the TPA website and a link to each of their websites HERE.



Keynote Sessions with Todd Wilson
    Friday afternoon Opening Keynote Session will be at 1pm till 2:30pm - “Lies Homeschoolers Believe”
    Friday evening Keynote Sessionwill be at 7pm till 8:30pm - “Get REAL”
    Saturday afternoon Keynote Session will be at 1pm till 2:30pm - “Choose the Hard Things or How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up”

There will be special announcements and entertainment by our own area homeschool students.

All Keynote Sessions are in the Redbud ABC room. This room seats about 800 people. You will want to arrive early for the sessions you are especially interested in attending.



Featured Speaker - Dianne Craft
    Dianne will be presenting her complete program at this year’s TPA Convention.  We are excited to have her as our guest.  She has compiled helpful information for homeschool parents who are looking for innovative ways to teach their children.  These workshops are not just for the “struggling learner” but for anyone who would like a fresh way of seeing how our brains work and how to find new ways of presenting subjects.


Food
    Century II does NOT allow food from outside to come in the building.  There are several places within walking distance.


Recordings
    Most of the workshops and keynote sessions will be recorded by Resounding Voice. CDs will be available on-site and MP3s will be available a couple of weeks after the convention on Resounding Voice’s website http://resoundingvoice.com, Resounding Voice will be set up in the southwest side of Exhibit Hall to purchase CDs onsite.


Workshops
    The workshop schedule will be included in your program and also on the website. Workshop seating will be on a first-come, first-seated basis. Please be considerate of other attendees by removing fussy or noisy children from any sessions. The sessions are being recorded. You may return when the child has quieted down.

    Remember to fill out and turn in your Speaker Evaluation sheets this year!  We have several vendors who are contributing to a special drawing that will be held during the TPA Homeschool Convention.  Each workshop session we will be drawing names of those who have filled out the forms (and given them to a host/hostess).  The names of the winners will be posted near the Registration Table.  You will have to be present to receive your prize.  Prizes that are left when Convention is over will be donated to the TPA Library.


Hotel Accomodations
The Hyatt Regency Hotel, adjacent to Century II Convention Center, will offer rooms for TPA Convention attendees at a reduced rate. To register, call the Hyatt at (316) 293-1234 and mention the TPA Homeschool Convention. Hurry–only a limited number of rooms are available! Hotel guests park free in the covered parking garage.


A note for veteran homeschoolers -
If you have been homeschooling for years, I would like to ask you to please keep your eyes and ears open to help another homeschooler.  I know we only have a few hours to shop.  We want to hurry and get to the next workshop.  This area has a lot of new families coming into this wonderful adventure of educating our children at home. We need to remember what we felt like when we started. Look for the newbie homeschooler (the one with the deer-caught-in-the headlights look). Don’t assume someone else will help her. Go sit down with her for a few minutes and pray with her, and answer a few questions. Bring her over to the TPA booth if you really don’t have time. Someone there can help. The Lord will surely be pleased and she will be grateful. Dawn Bradshaw

The Teaching Parents Association hosts Kansas’ largest homeschool convention every year.  The convention is always held the weekend following Memorial Day weekend.  We have over 100 exhibitors that bring their products to view and purchase.  There are special workshops given by invited keynote speakers, exhibitors and area homeschool families. 

Adventures in Character (or AIC) is a program designed by our own area homeschool students and graduates.  This program is for children while parents enjoy attending the convention.

Special discounts are available for Early Bird registrations each year.