July 28, 2008

NEWS LETTER

BIG NEWS!  New Instructor!  New Class!  Piano Lessons (huh?) 

Dear Parents and Students;

WOW!  Did July go as fast for you as it did for me?  I hope it was good for you.  I spent a lot of time in the saddle seeing Fires Creek, Buck Bald, Lost Creek, and lots of places without names.

Now it’s time to gear up for an exciting year of Tae Kwon Do!  Classes begin Tuesday, August 5!   I’m thrilled to announce that Mr. Gerald Nichols has agreed to join our staff.  Mr. Nichols is a 3^rd Dan Tae Kwon Do Instructor with many years of experience from owning and operating his own schools in Florida.  His training was in one of the original forms of Tae Kwon Do, called Chung Do Kwon.  He brings a strong love of the Lord, and the belief that the Christian Martial Arts Center can grow into a powerful instrument of the Lord.  Most of the students have already met him and are eager to get to know him better.  Likewise, he is excited about the opportunity to get back into Martial Arts with such a great group of students.  I hope you parents will take a moment to introduce yourselves, and consider joining our adult class yourselves!

With Mr. Nichols onboard, I’m free to offer my class for young beginners again.  I will wait until September to start the class, so we have time to spread the word.  The class will be for my 4-6-year-old Cherubs and will meet at 5:15-6:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  It is designed as an introduction to Martial Arts and focuses on development of large motor skills, listening skills, coordination, balance, self-esteem, respect, self-control, and “stranger danger”.

Our Executive Board of Directors has decided on a change in our fee schedule.  In the past, we charged a $50 registration fee which was renewable every year.  Unfortunately, a few people either did not realize or forgot that it was a yearly fee, and were caught off-guard when they received a bill.  It also created a lot of extra bookkeeping.  Since nobody was happy about that system, we have discontinued it.  In order to compensate for the lost revenue, we have to increase our monthly tuition to $50 for the first family member.  We are still far, far below the commercial market rates.  As you cringe along with the rest of us, please remember that your tuition is primarily what supports our scholarship program.  Approximately 25% of our students are children who are referred by counselors, physicians, ministers, and school administrators who recognize their need and believe our program can be beneficial.  These kids come from families that otherwise could not afford help such as this.  As always, we don’t want a single child to miss a single class because of economic hardship, so if this presents a problem for you, please speak to Mrs. Cardwell.  The complete fee schedule is posted in the dojang.

Our Hawaiian Party in June was great fun for us all, but there’s one little problem.....we made a mess!  It’s a little more than I can handle by myself, so could I get some help?  Clean-up day is scheduled for Monday, August 4, 4:00-7:00PM.  I’ll take whatever time you can give me, and I’ll provide all the cleaning supplies and some drinks and snacks.  Part of what we need to do is rearrange some furnishings, so we’ll need some muscle for that.  We’re going to set up the area in the very back with a table and chairs for students to use.  The concrete blocks and ladders will need to go to the basement (via truck to the back entrance).  Call me if you can be there.  (828-835-4800)

Did you ever hear of going to a Martial Arts school to take piano lessons???  Well you’re about to! 

As you may or may not know, I am a professional pianist with a Master’s degree in Piano Pedagogy (the art of teaching).  I have decided to take one of my pianos down to the dojang and teach one day a week.  I plan to start in September.  If you’re interested, but don’t own a piano, I can help you with that too!  I would greatly appreciate it if you could spread the word among friends and family who may be interested.  I have 35 years of experience in teaching everything including early beginners, adults, and advanced college level.  My “specialty” is upper level classical music like Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin.

SO... there’s a lot going on this year!  I’m eager to get started and I’ll get a” kick” out of seeing you there!!

Enclosed is a “Buddy Pass” so you can bring a friend.  Just put your name in the blank and pick who you want to come with you.  Tell them to bring their pass so they can get 4 free classes.  Let me know if you want a pass for another buddy.

Blessings!  See you next week!

Ms. Kathy