HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

To all of the little ghosts and goblins.... have a safe and fun time trick-or-treating tonight!!

Here are some things to remember:

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS FOR ADULTS

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening.

Below are just a few common sense tips that can help.

Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren't going with them.

The best bet is to make sure that an adult is going with them. If you can't take them, see if another parent or a teenaged sibling can go along.

Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn't be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well. It's best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.

If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that kids costumes won't accidentally be set on fire.

Know what other activities a child may be attending, such as parties, school or mall functions.

Make sure you set a time that they should be home by. Make sure they know how important it is for them to be home on time.

Warn children not to eat treats (candy, etc) collected from the neighborhoods before an adult has had a chance to check it out and make sure that it is safe to eat Also, watch out for allergy information.

Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating.

Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking....

This is a great message every adult should read because children are watching and doing as you do, not as you say! Enjoy! :)

~~~~~~~

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I
immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always
talk to and I learned to Trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I
learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we
have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it's alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive
person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw
when you thought I wasn't looking."

Little eyes see a lot!

This is for all of the people who do so much for others and think no one ever sees...

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influence the life of a child.
How will you touch the life of someone today??

Halloween Fun!

With Halloween just a few days away, I found a few fun coloring pages, craft ideas, etc. and wanted to share with those that participate in this "holiday"...

Have fun and Be safe!

Click HERE!

Field Trip #2!

I think fall is really here! It's a bit chilly out!

Our Field Trip #2 is fast approaching! I know the kids are excited about this one! I think the little hay ride this past Friday was just a kick-off to this Friday's excitement!

Please remember to have your child wear their yellow field trip shirts and to dress warm for the cool weather. All activities will be done outdoors, so they will need to be warm while having all of this fun!! Mrs. Harris will be sending out the rules of Owl's Hill sometime this week as she stated in her weekly newsletter on Friday! Please be on the lookout for that and read over them carefully to make sure all rules are followed! Thanks!


Owl's Hill has a web site, if you didn't already know this... It will be listed at the bottom.

But here are the directions from their site for the parents that are planning on attending this week's field trip!

Owl's Hill is located in the Northwest corner of Williamson County, Tennessee, near the intersection of Hillsboro Road (US Highway 431) and Old Hickory Boulevard (Tennessee Highway 254). It is on Beech Creek Road just South of Murray Lane. Our address is 545 Beech Creek Road, Brentwood TN 37027. You may call us at 615-370-4672, FAX us at 615-370-4872 or e-mail us at owlshill@bellsouth.net.

From the North or East, take I-65 South to the Old Hickory Blvd West exit in Brentwood. Follow Old Hickory to Hillsboro Road, between 4 and 5 miles. Turn left (south) on Hillsboro Road; drive 1.25 miles to the first light (Murray Lane). This road only goes to the left (east). Turn left (east) on to Murray, go 0.7 of a mile to the first cross road (Beech Creek Road). There is a large Owl's Hill sign at this corner and a school zone sign just past the intersection. Turn right (south) on to Beech Creek and follow it for 0.8 of a mile to the Owl's Hill gate on your right. There is a large Nature Sanctuary sign and an owl sculpture on the gate. Follow the driveway down to the gravel parking lot on your left. Note: Beech Creek Road is a narrow, rural TWO WAY lane. Be alert for on-coming traffic.

From the West, follow I-40 East to I-65 South, then proceed as above, OR take Old Hickory Blvd east (toward Brentwood) to Hillsboro Road. Turn right (south) on Hillsboro and proceed as above.

From the South, follow I-65 North to the Old Hickory Blvd West exit in Brentwood, then proceed as above, OR follow Hillsboro Road (Hwy 431) north to Murray Lane. Turn right (east) on Murray, and proceed as above.

Source: Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary

Anyone like Olive Garden??

I'm not sure if anyone reading this likes Olive Garden or not, but I just came across this receipe and thought I'd share! Enjoy!!

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt - or one clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Olive Garden Salad Mix

1 bag American Blend Dole Salad
4-5 slices Red Onion
4-6 Black Olives
2-4 Banana Peppers
1/2 C. Croutons
1 small Tomato Quartered
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Methods/steps:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.

If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar.

Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place bag of salad in bowl. Place on top of lettuce but red onion, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on to.

Turn your shower into a SPA!

3 easy, feel-good treatments

by Leesa Chalk Suzman

Deep-clean facial

Beyond the pampering benefits of a facial, you'll get the glow of really clean skin. Plus, it will help unclog pores and absorb excess oil.

1. In the shower, wash your face with an exfoliating cleanser that contains round "beads," so it works without irritating. (Skip scrubs with seeds or shells - they're too harsh on facial skin.) Our pick: Biore Pore Minimizing Foaming Face Wash, $6.

2. With your back to the spray, smooth on a clay mask (our pick: got2b Pure Intent Clay Masque, $4). Applying it in a moist environment keeps it from drying out, says Carolyn Ash of Carolyn Ash Skin Care, in Chicago. Let the mask sink in for a few minutes. Close your eyes and focus on the warm water hitting your back.

3. Wipe off the mask, step out of the shower, and apply a soothing moisturizer (our pick: Olay Definity Correcting Protective Lotion with SPF 15, $28) using light upward strokes (so you don't tug down on skin). Then pat on a rich eye cream. Our pick: Almay Anti-Aging Eye Cream, $20.







Source: Parenting Magazine, November 2006

We've got SPIRIT.... Yes we do!

Sorry for all of the posts today! Mr. Laveck is sending out tons of emails! HAHA!

This Friday 10/20 at 7 p.m. we play our last home game against Ezell Harding! Let’s show our football spirit by having a SPIRIT Friday dress day.

As always, the school uniform is always ok. Supper will also be served in the cafeteria before the game.

On a more serious note, Let us continue the great effort that many started on homecoming night (a few weeks ago). Let’s have all of our boys and girls stop and participate in the opening prayer and National Anthem. One suggestion was made that we (parents) might want to “keep” our children with us until after the opening ceremonies. These are certainly parental decisions. I cannot think of a better way to honor our Lord and Savior and this great Country than to participate in prayer and song. Let us teach our children and insist on excellence! AMEN.

Have a great rest of the week!

KL

Dusting! Please Read!

'Dusting'

I think our K5 students are too young for this, but some of you may have older children at home and this is good information to know anyway regardless of your child's age. It can happen to anyone! Thanks for taking the time!

First, I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name is Jeff. I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide for it's crime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point, we were #2 in the nation in homocides per capita. I also have a police K-9 name Thor. He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 years old because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and I still train with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it. He would tell on you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about drugs.

I have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all of our kids at least once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won't. I like building computers occasionally and started building a new one in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers. They were full of dust, so on one of my trips to the computer store, I bought a 3 pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust off of a computer. A few weeks later when I went to use one of them they were all used. I talked to my kids and my two sons both said they had used them on their computer and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10 dollars I paid for them.

On February 28, I went back to the computer store. They didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a single jumbo can of Dust Off. I went home and set it down beside my computer.

On March 1st, I left for work at 10 PM. Just before midnight my wife went down and kissed Kyle goodnight. At 5:30 am the next morning Kathy went downstairs to wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work. He was propped up in bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over. She called to him a few times to get up. He didn't move. He would sometimes tease her like this and pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went in and shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw from the Dust Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in his hands. Kyle was dead.

I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is a nurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from the coroner, after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dust Off was in his system. No other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1 AM.

I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9 through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called "Dusting". A take off from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10 seconds. It makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed Kyle how to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told him it was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's just compressed air. It can't hurt you. His best friend said no.

Kyle was wrong. It's not just compressed air. It also contains a propellant called R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your refrigerator. It is a heavy gas. Heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen out. That's why you feel dizzy, buzzed. It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was right. It can't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU. The horrible part about this is there is no warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and if your number comes up, you die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian Roulette. You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've had too much. You usually die as you're breathing it in. If not you die within 2 seconds of finishing "the hit". That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he died. Why his eyes were still open. The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe it's huffing. As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit here. And that's why its more accepted. There is no chemical reaction, no strong odor. It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The propellant causes frostbite. If I had only known.

It's easy to say hey, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But it isn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed our family's life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed. The pain is so immense, I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it. I cry all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what I'm supposed to do but I don't really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. The other will only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe how bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor. I thought we were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about them.

After Kyle died another story came out. A probation officer went to the school system next to ours to speak with a student. While there, he found a student using Dust Off in the bathroom. This student told him about another student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather affluent school system. They will tell you they don't have a drug problem there. They don't even have a DARE or PLUS program there. So rather than tell everyone about this "new" way of getting high they found, they hid it. The probation officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school, then admitted to it. I know that if they would have told the media and I had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.

We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs. Using Dust Off isn't new and some "professionals" do know about it. It just isn't talked about much, except by the kids. They all seem to know about it. April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died. April 5th would have been his 15th birthday. And every weekday I catch myself sitting on the living room couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the bus. I know Kyle is in heaven but I can't help but wonder if I died and went to Hell.

Book Fair Volunteers Needed!

Reading Rain Forest

The school needs some help in preparing the library for the book fair. They need help in the following areas:

Cutting out decorations (leaves, flowers, monkeys, etc.) and putting up the decorations on Thursday, Oct. 26th during the day. You do not have to be crafty, just be able to use a pair of scissors, cut from a simple pattern, and have a willing heart. If you can help, please let them know as soon as possible by sending an email to Kim Startup (kstartup@dcanet.org). They need lots of help to make the book fair a success.

THANKS!

Main Attraction ~ Saturday!

The MAIN ATTRACTION is this SATURDAY EVENING!

Make plans NOW to attend the Main Attraction on Saturday, October 21,2006! Head out to the school for a lot of fun and hopefully even win some great prizes while bidding on items to help the kids!

There will be an awesome auction, great entertainment and tuition $$$$ giveaways! Tickets for adults are only $10.00 and available in both school offices.

We are also having a PREVIEW Auction party on Friday night, October 20th before the football game in the middle school gym. The preview party will be from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Tickets for admission are only $5.00 and will be sold at the door. Bidding CAN take place and the live auction items will have a sealed bid option.

The Main Attraction is a school wide fundraiser which will consist of a talent showcase and a live and silent auction. The Main Attraction will be held on Saturday night, October 21st on the DCA campus. Each grade is responsible for a theme basket to be placed in the silent auction, so

you will want come and bid on your basket and on other great items.

Auction items include:

Dining Certificates

Bridgestone/Firestone Tires

A real live, Golden Doodle puppy

Jewelry

Pet items

Art (Awesome Collection!!!)

Tools

Hair care products

Turkey Hunt with the Headmaster

Condo on the Beach

Disney tickets

Dollywood tickets

Hotel stays

Massages

Sports items

Autographed Memorabilia

Bicycle

Car care product

Tickets to the Oprah Show

Much, much more!!!!

So make plans to come enjoy entertainment by DCA students and support The Fine Arts Department and the Academic Booster Club while having fun.

Build-A-Bear this Weekend!

Check out Build-A-Bear Workshop this weekend for this fun stuff!! Someone could win a prize!!

Have a great FALL BREAK!! See you next Tuesday!

Just for the Parents & the Teacher! :)

Do you remember this?

Close your eyes and go back...

: : Before the Internet, PC or MAC : :

: : Before semi-automatics and crack : :

: : Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari : :

: : Before cell phones, CDs, DVDs, voicemail and email (and blogs) : :

... way back ...

... way way way back ....

~ I'm talkin' about hide 'n seek at dusk

~ Red Light, Green Light

~ Red Rover, Red Rover....

~ Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first... no second... no third street light came on

~ Ring Around the Rosie

~ London Bridge

~ Hot Potato

~ Hop Scotch

~ Jump Rope

~ Duck Duck Goose!!

~ YOU'RE IT!!

~ Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home - no pagers or cell phones

~ Mother May I?

~ Hula Hoops

~ Seeing shapes in the clouds

~ Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open

~ The sound of crickets

~ Running thru the sprinkler

~ Happy Meals

~ Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom

~ Cracker Jacks with the same thing

~ Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend

... but wait, there's more! ...

~ Watchin' Saturday morning cartoons

~ Fat Albert, Road Runner, Smurfs, Picture Pages, G-Force & He-Man

~ Schoolhouse Rock

~ Watchin' Sunday morning oldies (Abbott & Costello, Three Stooges)

~ Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos

~ Fonzie - - AYYYYY

~ Playing Dukes of Hazard

~ Catchin' Lightning Bugs in a jar

~ Christmas morning

~ Your first day of school

~ Bedtime prayers and Goodnight kisses

~ Climbing trees

~ Swinging as high as you could to try to reach the sky

~ Getting an ice cream off of the Good Humor truck

~ A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers

~ Jumpin' down the steps

~ Jumpin' on the bed

~ Pillow fights

~ Sleep overs

~ A 13" black and white TV in your room meant you were RICH

~ Runnin' til you were out of breath

~ Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt

~ Being tired from PLAYING

~ WORK meant taking out the garbage or doing the dishes

~ Your first crush

~ Your first kiss (I mean the one that kept your mouth closed and your eyes open)

~ Rainy days at school meant "Heads Up 7Up" or "Hangman") in the classroom, remember that?

~ Oh, I'm not finished yet...

~ Kool-Aid was the drink of the summer

~ So was a swig from the hose

~ Giving your friends a ride on the handlebars

~ Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school

~ Class field trips with soggy sandwiches

~ When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there

~ When a quarter seemed like a fair allowance; and another quarter was a miracle

~ When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed them, or use them to carry groceries.... and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.

~ When your parents took you to McDonalds and you were COOL

~ When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate you awaited at home.

~ Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.

~ Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of us are still afraid of 'em!

Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say "Yeah, I remember that!"

Well, let's keep going!

Let's go back to the time when....

~ Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-MO"

~ Mistakes were corrected by simply exclamining "Do Over!"

~ "Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest

~ Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly"

~ Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening

~ It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends

~ Being old, referred to anyone over 20. (Guess that means I'm officially old!)

~ The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties!

~ Nobody was prettier than Mom!

~ Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better

~ It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the amusement park

~ Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true!

~ Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"

~ Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles

~ The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team

~ Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon

~ Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!

Now, I just hope this made you smile for a while!! Have a great day!! :)

This Weekend's Fun Around Town!

Below is a list of things going on around the city this weekend! Get out and have some fun, there is plenty out there to do!

Friday, October 6th:

Raiders Football - Cheer on the MTSU Blue Raiders when they challenge Louisville. LP Field, Nashville; 7 p.m.; $10 - $15; 898.2926 or goblueraiders.com.

The chill in the air is sure to set the perfect mood for the 19th Century Seance Re-enactment at Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum. "Ghost hunters" will reveal the parlor tricks that foold people into thinking they were communicating with the dead. This candlelight tour also includes access to the new "Preparing My Demise" exhibit. Travellers Rest is located at 636 Farrell Pkwy. in Nashville; Hours are 6 - 9 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Call 832.8197 or visit travellersrestplantation.org.

Saturday, October 7th:

"Arthur's Missing Pal" - Follow the clues with Arthur to find his missing dog, Pal, in his first movie. Belcourt Theater, 2102 Belcourt Ave., Nashville; 10am; $3; 383.9140 or belcourt.org

Autumn Twilight Movie - Enjoy the film about a short Notre Dame football player who sat the bench until the last game of his collegiate career. Nashville Shores, 4001 Bell Road, Hermitage; movie starts at dusk; $5; 889.7050 or nashvilleshores.com

Barnes & Noble Storytime - Kids can enjoy listening to stories. Barnes & Noble, 1701 Mallory Lane, Brentwood; 11am; 377.9979 or bn.com (FREE!)

Blessing of the Animals - This sixth annual event celebrating St. Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals and the environment) features a procession of animals including Beau the camel, Hooch the spotted mule, Eeyore the donkey, Harley the macaw and Audrey the red-tailed hawk. Visitors can bring their own leashed or caged pets and get in line to have them blessed. Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway, Nashville; 10am; 255.7729 or christcathedral.org

Gallery Talk - Richard Schneider leads a tour and discusses the “American Art Pottery: From Rookwood to Weller” exhibit. Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, 1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville; 2 p.m.; included with gate admission ($10 adults, $5 ages 6 - 17, free for ages 5 and younger, $30 household cap); 356.8000 or cheekwood.org.

Gospel Music Series - Enjoy an evening of gospel music with Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings featuring Scott Nygaard. Blair School of Music’s Turner Recital Hall, 2400 Blakemore Ave., Nashville; 8 p.m.; $15 adults, $5 students; 322.7651 or darolanger.com.

Melody Music Studios Recital Music students showcase their talent on a variety of instruments as well as voice. Steinway Piano Gallery, 4825 Sidco Drive., Nashville; 1, 2:15 and 3:30 p.m.; 356.7701 or kathi@melodymusicstudios.com. (FREE!)

Rediscover Reading Book Sale - Find bargain books to add to your child’s home library. East Branch Library, 206 Gallatin Road, Nashville; 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.; 862.5860.

Saturday AM - Families can visit the goldfish in the pond then make their own crepe paper goldfish in the studio. Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, 1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; $1 with gate admission ($10 adults, $5 ages 6 - 17, free for ages 5 and younger, $30 household cap); 356.8000 or cheekwood.org.

Tennessee Highland Games Enjoy Scottish games, music food and more including a children’s area. Tennessee Renaissance Festival Grounds, 2124 New Castle Road, Triune; 8:30 a.m. today and tomorrow; $15 adults, $7 children; 848.9193 or hotsc.com.

Explore the many different ethnic varieties beyond our nation's borders during the Celebration of Cultures event. Hosted by the Scarritt-Bennett Center, this annual celebration features music from different lands, shop at the World Market showcasing original art, imported crafts and more. A children's area features interactive music and dance programs, storytelling, nature activities, arts and crafts, and an instrument petting zoo. The event is held at Centennial Park, 2500 West End Ave. in Nashville. Hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call 340.7450 or visit celebrationofcultures.com.

If you haven't yet had the opportunity to experience the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center, then today is your day. A Free Day of Music is offered to the community. Starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until midnight, the grand building will be open to all, and aside from the Nashville Symphony, a variety of other musical guests will take their turn on the Amy Grant Performance Platform. Guests include Buddy Greene, the Beegie Adair Trio, Alias, the Blair Children's Chorus, the Curb Youth Orchestra Ensemble, Ashley Cleveland and many more. The symphony center is located at 1 Symphony Place in downtown Nashville. Free tickets will be issued in time blocks to facilitate crowd control. To reserve tickets, call 687.6400 or visit nashvillesymphony.org.

Fall Harvest Hayride - Ride the hay-filled wagon, enjoy live music, play games, get toasty at the campfire with hot dogs and marshmallows and more. General Bragg Trailhead on West College Street, Murfreesboro; 5:30 - 8 p.m.; $3 adults, $2 children; 893.2141.

Middle Tennessee Christian School Fall Festival - Enjoy carnival games, a petting zoo, pony rides, a barbecue lunch, a live auction, vendors’ booths featuring crafts and Christmas items and more. The school is located at 100 E. MTCS Drive, Murfreesboro; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; some activities have a nominal fee; 893.0601. (FREE!)

Radnor Baptist Academy Fall Festival - Shop at a variety of booths including arts and crafts, jewelry and specialty items. Children’s games and food vendors round out the event. Radnor Baptist Academy, 3112 Nolensville Road, Nashville; 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (rain date is Oct. 14); 554.6960. (FREE!)

Birdhouse Bonanza at Cheekwood!

Birdhouse Bonanza is going on right now at Cheekwood! Now thru the 29th of October!

Experience eight larger-than-life birdhouses scattered throughout Cheekwood's 55-acre garden. Explore the magic!!

Source: Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

Belle Meade Plantation

Tomorrow at the Belle Meade Plantation they are having their Hands On Harvest festival.

It's FREE (except for the Mansion tour)!

Check it out, the weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend!

Source: Belle Meade Plantation

The Week of the Letter "O"

This week is "O" week! I've found a few extra coloring sheets for the kids if you would like to print them off for home.

Click HERE to see!

I have also found some additional activity worksheets that the kids can work on at home, too!

Click HERE to get those!

I hope your "O" week is going well! :)

Good News!

The Giving Tree is working! The item that was posted on the Giving Tree last week has been purchased!

The kids will now be able to use their brand new cash register in the Imagination Station!!

Thanks so much to the Mom that purchased this item!!

We will continue to post other classroom needs as they arise! So, please keep an eye out for it!

Today is Someone's Birthday!!

Here's wishing Katelynn a HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!!

Have a great day and many more!

Free Coloring Pages!

Print out these great coloring pages for road trips or just for coloring fun! The great thing about them is that they are FREE! Have fun!!

Click HERE for link to coloring pages!