Are you going to a homeschool conference? I FINALLY am going to the National Catholic Conference in Virginia and I'm so excited!
So I organized my conference weekend and created this little survival kit for myself and, of course, I'm sharing it with my friends. I created three important pages:
1. Conference Survival Checklist
ITEMS NEEDED:
- notebook—to take notes or jot things down, one with pockets or staple your print outs within the notebook
- Pens/pencils
- Highlighters
- Print out of Conference schedule
- Print outs of this kit especially the Curriculum Research & Notes
- A bag to carry items.
- Rolling tote in case you plan on buying books
- Clothing– dress nice but comfy (especially shoes), don’t forget a sweater just in case the conference rooms are cold
- Mommy First Aide Kit: band aides, chap stick, lotion, hand sanitizer, eye-drops, pain reliever & mints. Also a bottle of water, dried fruits/nuts, and a protein bar (most placed don’t allow outside food)
- Budget: if you plan on buying, have a budget in mind to avoid overspending. (Use the Curriculum Research sheet).
2. Curriculum Research Sheet (so you can check if the vendors have good deals)
3. Speaker Notes Sheet (with space for questions, Bible passages, and Encyclicals/Catechism references)
Suggestions:
1. Print and preview talks so that you can circle or highlight those that you would love to attend ahead of time. If you are going with friends, share each other’s lists so you can either go together or separate and then share notes. If there is a *special* speaker at the Conference, find him/her first and work around that time.
2. Look at the list of vendors (these are usually mailed to you if you’ve signed up ahead of time or available on Conference’s website. Circle (if you have a map) booth locations to make sure you don’t miss those.
3. Print the schedule so you know what to expect.
4. Print Curriculum Research sheets and write out all books ahead of time. Take sometime to look up online how much the retail price of the book is. This way you know when you spot a good deal or not. (one per child or as needed).
5. Print the Speaker Notes sheet (one per talk).
Enjoy!
