Along with their Write Stuff Creative Writing teacher Sharon Feldt, Thee Treehouse Christian Co-op students Maggie Finley and Jackson Wallace appeared on the KSST Good Morning Show to talk about their “Reverse Advent Calendar Project’. As you may know, an Advent Calendar is one in which, between December 1 and 24th, you open a window or door on the calendar daily and take out a piece of candy or a prize, thereby receiving a gift. According to Maggie and Jackson, first-year students in the Young Publishers class, a Reverse Advent Calendar is a project where you GIVE something each day. So, their class is collecting items like personal needs, toiletries, socks, gloves, snacks and non-perishables, placing something each day into a basket at school. When a basket becomes full, it is donated to an organization like a church, food pantry or fire station in Hopkins or Wood County to be distributed to persons in need. The students in the class plan to continue the Reverse Advent Calendar project through December 18 as a way to assist others in their community. Another project is the “Math Store” fundraiser to be held at the Yantis Cafe on December 8 from noon til 4pm. Shoppers will find a selection of handmade items including clay diffusers, decorative signs and crafts created or donated by families of students. Money raised will be used for Thee Treehouse Class projects in 2019.
Documenting the Reverse Advent Calendar Project also serves as a current event assignment. Young Publishers students are writing about the project in newspaper articles and speaking in radio interviews. During the Good Morning Show interview, we found Maggie and Jackson to be knowledgeable as well as engaging as they spoke about collecting the items and the practical uses these would provide for the people who receive the gifts. Beyond the Reverse Advent Calendar Project, Mrs. Feldt’s creative class of Young Publishers is also taking current events found in magazines, newspaper or TV news to another level. Students conduct further research to find more facts on the topic, then turn it into a fun fiction piece like a fairy tale, mystery or myth. Another feature of Thee Treehouse curriculum is STEAM Class, which offers Science, Technology, English, Arts and Math challenges as a learning opportunity.
Thee Treehouse is located on Hwy. 154 in Yantis, Texas. It is a Co-op Classroom for homeschool students ages 10-16. Principal is Carrie Hurley.
