Mary Hood, nationally known as “The Relaxed Home Schooler”.               She believes that a “relaxed home school” develops out of the mindset that you are a family, not a school; a dad, not a principal; a mom, not a teacher; and that you have individual relationships with your children, not a classroom. This mindset helps you to stress out less over school-like expectations, and relax and enjoy your family.

Mary Hood and her husband, Roy, have been homeschooling their fi ve children since the early 1980s. The older children have successfully made the transition to college and adult life. Mary has a Ph.D. in education, and is a nationally-known speaker and the author of such books as “The Relaxed Home School”, “The Joyful Home Schooler”, and “The Enthusiastic Home Schooler”.

Presenter - Lisa Baughn

Lisa enjoys encouraging and equipping women, has a passion for homeschooling and understands the unique demands of home educating through learning disabilities, health challenges, running a family business, the busyness of life and schedules and now a cross country move. Entering her 9th year, she writes a homeschool column for FamilyPastime Magazine. The Baughns created the Tri-Cities Midwinter Homeschool Convention to encourage, edify and equip homeschooling parents in Northeast Tennessee. Lisa is launching a brand new website, The Prudent Wife this summer, based on the prudent wife of scripture.

Presenter: Dawn Burnette

Experience: Dawn was a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year before leaving the classroom to homeschool her own children. She is the author of Daily Grammar Practice, Daily Spelling Practice, Burnette Writing Process, and other curriculum materials for vocabulary, writing, and SAT/ACT prep. Dawn has spoken at countless local and national educational conferences. Presentation Title: Meaningful Grammar and Writing: Methods That Make Sense!                                                                                                   Presentation description: Frustrated with (or even afraid of) teaching grammar and writing? Tired of wading through meaningless writing assignments and dealing with pages of grammar "exercises" with minimal results? Learn how to integrate grammar and writing in a way that's quick, thorough, and highly effective. Plus, learn how to incorporate meaningful, real-life writing experiences across the curriculum. Appropriate for all ages.

Presenter: Cathy Canen

Cathy Canen home schooled her two children for 16 years. She began working for Writing Strands in 1997 when her kids made remarkable progress with the program. Now working as the Curriculum Support Manager, Cathy travels around the US giving workshops o the Writing Strands materials and advising parents on how to develop excellent language skill in their children. Cathy and her family live in North Georgia.

Presenter: Judith Holbrook

Experience: Judith taught elementary school for 32 years and now helps to homeschool two of her grandchildren. She is the author of Daily Reading Practice and You Can Picture It, both by DGP Publishing. She is also a contributing author to several other curriculum lines. Judith has spoken at countless local and national educational conferences.      Presentation title: Get a Handle on Reading Presentation description: Increase your children's understanding of what they read. Learn simple, research-based techniques that strengthen vocabulary and increase comprehension in all content areas. These strategies are appropriate for elementary and middle school students at all reading levels.

Presenter Tim Keyes:

Tim Keyes has ten years of professional experience in biological research, habitat management, and natural history education, including expertise in outdoor classroom and adult education. He has the ability to interpret scientific terminology and concepts into everyday language. Tim has demostrated the ability to lead environmental outreach efforts that include diverse interest groups, interested citizens, and other educators. He is also proficient in the development and execution of education curriculum and outreach programs.

Presenter: Suzanne Klopp

Suzanne is a homeschool mom of  18 years.  The youngest of her 4 children will be a senior in high school this coming year. With three other children in college, Suzanne knows what the requirements are for you to get your students enrolled into college. She is currently the director of GRACE Co-Op, which is the local homeschool co-op in Blairsville, and has been instrumental in helping other communities in our area start their own local co-op’s for the upcoming school year. Suzanne currently resides in Blairsville and attends First Baptist Church, where she and her husband, Rick, help organize mission trips for the student choir.

Presenter: Lora Laminack

Lora Laminack, who has a B.S. in Elem. Ed. from Carson Newman College and a M.R.E. from Southwestern Seminary, claims that the best education she received was during the 15 years she spent homeschooling her 3 sons. She makes her home in Suches, GA with her husband Brent.

Presenter: Denise Leak

Denise Leak lives in Senoia, GA and has been a home school mom since 1994. She and her husband Jonathan have four children ages 17, 15, 9, and 6. She began using lapbooks ten years ago when her oldest children were interested in unit studies and continues to see the benefits of this creative outlet even with her high school  students today. She hopes to inspire you to use the techniques of lapbooks and notebooking to enrich your home school with organization and structure through creativity and fun!

Presenter: Dr. Tim Rice

Dr Rice earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Montana State University, a Master’s Degree in {ublic Administration from Kennesaw State University, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Family Counseling from Regions’s University. He spent 12 years working with adults and children with mental health and substance abuse problems in a sucular, public sector mental health center.

Dr. Rice believes it is dangerous that most Christian Homeschool students get their first exposure to modern psychology in college, sao he spent the last three years preparing Homeschool Psych: Preparing Christian Homeschool Students for Psychology 101.

Dr. Rice and his wife TIna live in rural north Georgia where they homeschool each of their four children ranging from 7 to 18 years old.

Presenter: Wendy Stanley

Wendy Stanley has a B.A. in English and her MBA from Wesleyan College in Macon, GA. She has worked as an Admissions Couselor and Academic & College Counselor at the Alabama School of Math & Science, as well as the Associate Director of Admissions at Wesleyan College. She currently is the Regional Admissions Coordinator at Piedmont College.

Wendy has spent her career helping students make the right choice for their future, whether for internships, career counseling, the graduste school process or college admissions.

Amy Studebaker is a homeschooling wife and mother of two. She has experience as an elementary school teacher, an educational consultant for staff development and an event coordinator. She knows what being a DWIT is all about!

Terry Wilfong is a Retired College Admissions Director and Military Officer. He has also received the nation’s most prestigious moral leadership award; General Douglas McArthur Award. Terry is a dynamic, motivational speaker who has presented before thousands of Parents, Educators, and Students. Terry has also developed the only no cost fundraiser for scholarships for the national home school community. Information can be found at  http://www.homeschoolvendors.org/speaker_pages/speaker.asp.

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