The Heart House Dallas "Heart-Beat"

New Website!

2010-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived...the debut of our NEW WEBSITE! Be sure to check it out @ http://www.hearthousedallas.org/.
As our website now has its own blog section, please visit the website for the most up-to-date info on Heart House happenings.
A BIGGGGGG THANK YOU to Lorenz Lammens and Online Design Bureau for donating their time to give us a brand-new website, and to Kelly Cushing from the Heart House office, who spent countless time on the phone/computer working out details with Lorenz!

Summer program wrap up!

2010-08-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Summer program is over, but will not soon be forgotten! Between simple machines stations, science experiments and fields trips our kids had one fun-filled, jam-packed 6 weeks!
Full albums of pictures are available for viewing on our facebook page, but here are some of the highlights:

Our third field trip brought us to the Frontiers of Flight Museum, where the kids enjoyed small groups with personal tour guides.

The favorite activities included sitting

in a war helicopter and a 747 plane (below)

Our younger kids thoroughly enjoyed the flight-themed play area, complete with an air traffic control booth, and a small plane!

Field trip number four surrounded us with greenery and flora at the Dallas Arboretum. Both younger and older kids enjoyed the Peter Rabbit scavenger hunt,

as well as

down the big hill!

For our fifth field trip, we chugged on down to the Museum of the American Railroad. Despite muggy weather and a shortage of tour guides, our kids had a great time learning about trains!

Our final (and most anticipated) field trip was to Amazing Jakes! The excitement was apparent from all the cries of "YEAHHHHHH!" heard on the bus ride. It's hard to say which activity was the favorite, our older groups learned about wheels & axles while Go Kart racing,

while

others had a lesson in elastic collisions with Bumper Cars!

A live lesson on pulley's was found in rock climbing, while volunteers, staff and kids alike learned about mass and weight while piling their plates high with the pizza, pasta and salad buffet! A good time was had by all :)

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who made this summer program possible: generous donors, spectacular volunteers, capable staff, and of course all of our wonderful Heart House kids!!

Spectacular Summer Program!

2010-07-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Its been a jam-packed couple of weeks since summer program began June 21st. So far we have done some fun science experiments, gone on 2 exciting field trips, and learned a whole lot!

Our first 2 weeks of program focused on States of Matter, and included experiments like "Mentos & Diet Coke," where the children learned why the Diet Coke explodes after adding Mentos candies, and all about gasses, liquids, solids and their interactions with each other. Another experiment was "Making Ice Cream," and taught a delicious lesson on how each ingredient affected the state of their mixture, transforming it from solids and liquids to a yummy snack!

Our first field trip was to the Museum of Nature & Science, where we toured the traveling exhibit "Water," learning all about liquid water, ice, and water vapor.

We also toured the rest of the museum and had lots of fun with the hands-on exhibits!

For our second field trip, we strapped on our roller skates at White Rock Skate! By adding wheels to their feet the kids learned all about forces in motion, and got a firsthand look at the effect of gravity as they acquainted themselves with the floor a time or two!

Be sure to check our of "Friends of Heart House Dallas" facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Friends-of-Heart-House-Dallas/33752817191?ref=ts) for more regular updates and pictures!

How can you be a "force in motion" this summer?

2010-05-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2010

Dear Heart House Friends,

It is hard to believe that another school year is coming to a close, but it is! Heart House continues to fulfill our mission of “a free afterschool program dedicated to providing a safe haven and academic support to children of low-income families”.

We have been so blessed to have your support in the past and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your past contributions and update you on our current accomplishments and our plans for the future.

At Heart House Dallas, we serve an average of 124 children at 4 locations every school day.
In January we added our newest location at Sierra Vista, located in northwest Dallas, which added 20 children to the Heart House program.
We are developing a program dedicated to middle school children and their distinct needs, which are very different from those of our younger children. We feel they will be much more engaged with a space of their own. We hope to have this new space up and running by the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.

We are also working diligently on the plans for an action packed six week science based program called “Forces in Motion”. We are expecting to serve 160 children for 4 days a week. The children will receive breakfast and lunch every day, with Thursday’s being a field trip day! We have lots of exciting field trips planned, including The Museum of Nature and Science, FC Dallas Pizza Hut Park, and the Frontiers of Flight Museum, just to name a few. Please remember that no family is ever asked to pay for any of these services-everything is free for the children!

We are so excited about these developments at Heart House, but we need your help! With the current economy, demand for our programs has grown. We are asking for you to support Heart House through an easy monthly donation. Here are some quick facts on how your monthly contribution can help:

For $25 a month you can insure materials for hands-on science projects every week for all of the children
For $55 a month you can cover one week of programming for one child
For $150 a month you can cover the cost of one field trip for all of the children
For $225 a month you can cover program costs for one child for a full month

Please go to http://www.hearthousedallas.org/ and click on the donate now button. Any size donation is appreciated and will help keep a child safe and provide the academic support they so desperately need. These children are our future; we need to care for them. Thank you for your continued support for Heart House.

Warmest Regards,

Jeff Hamilton

President

Heart House Dallas Board

What do books and mustard have in common?

2010-04-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

Heart House Headlines
April 2010

Dear Friends of Heart House Dallas,

It is hard to believe that I have been with Heart House for over a year. Time definitely flies when you are having fun! This year of challenge has still seen growth -- we now have a Northwest Dallas site in addition to our presence in Vickery Meadow. We are planning a fun-filled summer program with aspirations to serve 160 children, providing activities and scientific learning plus breakfast and lunch! Also, our board of directors is planning a golf tournament on June 14th and a luncheon with guest speaker Bill Lively on September 23rd. Truly, Heart House has a large cadre of people who are dedicated to our mission of providing a safe haven and academic support to the children of Dallas -- and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them.

Warmest regards,
Lea Beach
Executive Director
Heart House Dallas

Many Thanks to Our Recent Donors

Brooks Byers, a local high school student, organized a book drive for Heart House students that allowed us to provide a gift bag of books for each student. This was also made possible through a generous donation from our local Half Price Books.
Cailey Andres, a local student, hosted a toy drive benefiting Heart House students in honor of her Bat Mitzvah.
The FOCUS group from the University of Texas at Dallas donated their time and technical savvy to set up a computer lab for our Pineland site.
The Chi Omega Alumnae of Dallas has offered a generous grant to help fund the expansion of Heart House.

Thank You, Volunteers!

Our wonderful volunteers make a difference daily through the time they invest in Heart House children. Our children benefit in many ways as volunteers give of themselves by serving as tutors, mentors, and positive role models.

Thank you to each individual and group who has given of their time to serve the children of Heart House! We appreciate all that you do!

Program Report

Who knew scientific observation could be this much fun? Our kindergarten through second grade students had a blast as they explored the five senses through hands-on learning stations. At one station, students bravely tasted "mystery" substances like maple syrup, sweet and sour sauce, and spicy mustard -- and the reactions on their faces were priceless.

We are grateful to the volunteers who facilitated this activity; a group from the Gamma Phi Beta chapter at Southern Methodist University served alongside our regular volunteers to make this sense-ational day possible.

For photos, check out our blog or facebook page!

So, what do books and mustard have in common?

Our children enjoyed the special treats of both the book gift bags and the mustard-tasting senses project thanks to our amazing volunteers.

Heart House Dallas

P.O. Box 823162 Dallas, TX 75382 T: 214-750-7637 F: 214-750-1843www.hearthousedallas.org Find us on Facebook Follow our blog

Heart House is a free after-school program that provides a safe haven and academic support to at-risk children, while encouraging them to become good citizens.

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Field Trips!!!

2010-04-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends! Summer is fast approaching, and here at Heart House Dallas we are busy creating an awesome science-focused summer program! We are currently arranging some exciting field trips to fun places. Field trip destinations (and areas of study) include:

Frontiers of Flight Museum (Flight/Energy)
White Rock Skate (Forces in motion)
Museum of Nature and Sciences + IMAX (States of matter)
FC Dallas Pizza Hut Park (Energy)
Amazing Jakes (Energy, Forces in motion)
Museum of the American Railroad (States of matter/Steam)

We are seeking funding to cover the costs of field trips for our kids. If you are part of an organization, or know an organization/group/individual that might be interested in funding field trips, please let us know!

Heart House Dallas * 214-750-7637 * Sarah Helma: shelma@hearthousedallas.org

Thank you!

Senses Stations with Gamma Phi Beta!

2010-04-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

Our Wildflower K-2 children got a big treat this week: they got to explore the 5 senses with hands-on experiments with the help of the SMU chapter of Gamma Phi Beta! Our Program Manager, Kelly Cushing, researched, designed, and implemented thought-provoking, interactive stations where children explored each sense in a unique way. The success was evident in all the smiles we saw throughout the lesson.
Check out some pictures of our kids learning about smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight with the ladies of Gamma Phi!

Spotlight on stolen hearts.

2010-03-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

Heart House Headlines

Heart House is a free after-school program that provides a safe haven and academic support to at-risk children while encouraging them to become good citizens.

Volunteer Spotlight:
Pam Catalani

It's hard to imagine a welcome more enthusiastic than the one Miss Pam receives when she arrives on our Pineland site. A small mob of giggling girls surrounds her as soon as she is in sight. Pam has a unique relationship with the children since she has volunteered faithfully twice a week since the beginning of the school year.

"I love reading with the children and continue to be amazed at how quickly they learn the language," says Pam. For the full article, click here.

Program Report

Our recent study of Black History Month truly struck a chord with Heart House students; many are international refugees and/or immigrants and have experienced firsthand the struggles that arise from being "different."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed that one day his children would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." This resonated with the Stratford Hill group when they invited a volunteer to speak about his participation in the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. His powerful memories encouraged them to think more deeply about the content of their own character.

Pineland's middle school group also examined Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech and shared their own dreams:

"I have a dream that one day Karen people [a persecuted ethnic minority in Burma] will get freedom like other people." -Glory, 12
"I have a dream that one day all my friend[s] and my family [will have] freedom." -Moo, 11
"I have a dream that one day there will be no war... and that people [will] care about each othe" -Kriss, 14

Clearly Dr. King's message echoes as brilliantly today as it did in 1963.

Announcements

Heart House is currently seeking a program leader. We welcome your referrals! For more information, click here.

During the week of spring break, March 15th-19th, the Heart House office will be open from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Heart House Dallas

P.O. Box 823162 Dallas, TX 75382 T: 214-750-7637 F: 214-750-1843

www.hearthousedallas.org Find us on Facebook Follow our blog

We'd like to introduce you!

2010-02-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Heart House Dallas

Volunteer Update

About Us

Heart House Dallas is a free after-school program that focuses on academics and character development while providing a safe haven for children within their apartment community.

Introducing Our New Volunteer Coordinator

Meet Jane Teplitskaya

Please join us in welcoming Jane Teplitskaya as our new volunteer coordinator! She comes to us from Stand Up for Kids, an organization that works with homeless children. An active volunteer herself, Jane is a familiar face to many of us since she volunteered last summer at our Wildflower site!

Please take a moment to record her contact information, since she will now be your primary contact for all volunteer information:

Jane Teplitskaya

Volunteer Coordinatorjteplitskaya@hearthousedallas.org

214-750-7637

We are delighted to have Jane as a part of our team, and we know you will all enjoy working with her. We hope to see you on site soon!

Contact Us

Heart House Dallas | P.O. Box 823162 | Dallas, TX 75382

214-750-7637 | Fax: 214-750-1843 | www.hearthousedallas.org

Countdown to F-U-N!

2010-02-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

It's been another fun-filled week at Heart House! Our kids are amidst an exciting New Years unit focusing on how cultures around the world celebrate the New Year.

Lessons and activities began with our American New Year, and have since covered Burmese New Year and Grecian New Year. Next week will cover Chinese New Year, and will end with a Chinese New Year party on February 12th! (If any groups are interested in hosting a holiday party with the kids, please contact shelma@hearthousedallas.org!)

In honor of our American New Year celebrations, the kids made and decorated their New Year's Resolutions. Program Leaders set up a clock to reach "midnight" during program time, and practiced the countdown from 10 with party hats!

In celebration of Grecian New Year custom, all of our sites baked a New Year cake (or cupcakes) and placed a coin amidst the batter. Grecian tradition states that whoever ends up with the coin in their cake will have good luck for the year. The kids had an excellent time baking, check out the pictures below!

Always cool in their party hats

Happy New Year!

The kids developed the scissors method for breaking eggs!

Carefully adding ingredients

Nicely done!

Focused on mixing

Filling the Cups

Can you spot the hidden coin?

Wildflower's Cake

Anxiously anticipating their cake!

Decidedly delicious!

Kickball League Scores for Kids!

2010-01-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Headlines from Heart House

Dear Heart House Dallas,

Welcome to our first news update! We want to share how your support of Heart House makes a difference in the lives of the at-risk children we serve. Please help us spread the word about Heart House by forwarding this to your friends (see the link to the right). Thanks for being a part of our team!

Warmest Regards,

Lea Beach

Executive Director

Heart House Dallas

Kickball League Scores for Kids

Thanks to the Dallas "Star" kickball league, the children at Heart House can play and create to their heart's content. This local group recently hosted a drive for games and art supplies to benefit the at-risk students in Heart House's free after-school program.

Last week, league members presented the donated items and then everyone headed outside to play- what else? - a game of kickball. This was a special treat for the children, many of whom had never before played kickball. Our program leaders tell us that they have been playing the game during "outside time" ever since. "Kickball is a great game," one student shares, "because it's something we can all do together."

"The students don't get much of a chance to play outside at school, so it's nice to give them toys that they can play with here," says program leader Kelly Kaszynski. "They have done a good job respecting our property and sharing, so this is a wonderful reward for them."

Through the involvement and generosity of our supporters, everyone wins! For more about Heart House, click here.

Help Wanted!

Heart House is currently seeking to hire a Volunteer Coordinator. We welcome your referrals! Click here for more information.

Heart House Dallas is a free after-school program dedicated to providing a safe haven and academic support to the at-risk children of the Vickery Meadow community in Dallas, Texas.

Heart House P.O. Box 823162 Dallas, TX 75382

214-750-7637 (t) 214-750-1843 (f) www.hearthousedallas.org

Welcome!

2010-01-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends of Heart House Dallas,

This week we have had great success tackling technology left and right!

Kelly Cushing, our Program and Operations Manager, taught herself some web design basics and battled her way through our website. We now have a new volunteer page, an updated Board of Directors page, and a new home page. Also, be sure to join our new "Friends of Heart House" e-mail list to get exciting news, volunteer opportunities, and updates on special events

However, we are still looking for someone to revamp our website from the ground up. If you or someone you know is interested, please e-mail Kelly Cushing, or call our office at 214-750-7637.

Lauren Vasquez, our full-time Americorps State & National member, has been hard at work creating "News Notes" for us to send out to our Friends of Heart House e-mail list. We will also be posting them here on our blog, and our website. We will be sending out our first news note soon, so be sure to join our e-mail list to get the first glimpse at it!

Finally, Sarah Helma, our full-time Americorps VISTA member, created the very blog you're reading. All of this is very exciting news!

The children have worked hard through this short week, learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., New Year's celebrations all around the world, and the traits of good citizenship. For more information on the programs offered at Heart House Dallas, contact Kelly Cushing.

Follow our blog, follow our facebook, check out our website and join our mailing list to be kept updated on what's going on at Heart House. we hope to have plenty more good news to come!

Thanks for visiting us!

-Children, Staff, and Board of Directors at Heart House Dallas