Monday, July 12, 2010

“Seminars will discuss homeschooling in Rome” plus 1 more

“Seminars will discuss homeschooling in Rome” plus 1 more

Seminars will discuss homeschooling in Rome

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 01:41 PM PDT

Parents who are currently homeschooling or are considering homeschooling can attend upcoming seminars at Grace Bible Church, 614 Old Dalton Road.

"Homeschool 101" will be at 7 p.m. July 16. The seminar is designed for people new to homeschooling or who want a refresher. Topics include the principles behind homeschooling, the parent's responsibilities, local resources, record keeping, testing, homeschool conferences and extracurricular activities.

"High School at Home" will be at 7 p.m. July 23. Parents whose children are in middle school or high school will learn about teaching subjects they don't know, how to approach sports and driver's education and dealing with college admission. Discussions will also cover planning ahead, setting goals and reviewing the parent's roll through the high school years.

Families attending either seminar will receive the Northwest Georgia Homeschool Resource Guide.

The cost is $3 per person if registered in advance, or $5 per person at the door. All proceeds benefit Grace Bible Church. To RSVP e-mail admin@romegahomeschool.com or visit romegahomeschool.com/seminar.html.

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Pageant gives participants a chance to celebrate individuality

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:41 AM PDT


By Erin DuBois
Associate Editor

In a world where beauty often means conformity to impossible standards, Ondrea Powell is spreading the message that it is okay for girls to be themselves, even if they are not perfect.    The 15-year-old Harleysville resident was recently chosen as a state finalist to compete in the National American Miss Pageant Aug. 15-16 in Harrisburg, Pa.

Powell's success has not come easily. Since seventh grade, bullying has been a big part of life at school, Powell said.                                                                                                                

Everyone at school looks the same, Powell said.                                                                             

Other students have long hair and tend to wear ripped jeans and sweatshirts. But Powell, who dreams of being a fashion designer, emulates New York City style by shopping at higher-end stores and sporting a short hairstyle modeled after Rianna's.                                                           

"She gets made fun of for wanting to be successful and go somewhere," Kim Powell, Ondrea's mother, said. "It really affected her school work along with her self-esteem."                           

Ondrea is considering homeschooling next year because of the overwhelming amount of criticism she has received, Kim said.                                                                                                 But Ondrea believes that even though there is negativity in life, you can separate yourself from it and move on to better things, Kim said. She wants to be in the pageant to show other kids that they can be different, Ondrea said.                                                                                                                                             

Ondrea received a letter in the mail inviting her to an informational meeting in King of Prussia for the pageant. Contestants have to be referred to receive an invitation, and the Powells are still not sure who referred her, Ondrea said.                                                                                                          

The invitation letter told Ondrea to come to the meeting dressed for success, but it did not tell her that she would be interviewed on the spot, Ondrea said.                                                                                

After filling out a resume and participating in the interview, Ondrea went home to wait for the pageant officials' phone call. Ondrea's father, Bill Powell, sent her a text message in history class letting her know that she had been chosen to compete in the state competition.

"I freaked out," Ondrea said. "I jumped up and down and told my friends."

Ondrea received a ribbon and certificate along with the chance to compete in Harrisburg. The top five competitors at the state competition are eligible to compete at the national competition in California, Ondrea said.                                                                                                              

The national competition can open doors to future job opportunities, since modeling and talent scouts attend, according to Kim.                                                                                                                 Prizes include a 2010 Ford Mustang convertible, but Ondrea said that she would rather win the college scholarship so she can pursue a career in one of her many interests, which include dance and singing as well as fashion design. She also plans to follow her father's advice to get a business degree.                                                                                                                                               

The pageant emphasizes inner as well as outer beauty and strives to maintain an age-appropriate competition. There is no swimsuit contest, and girls under 12 years old are not allowed to wear makeup, Kim said.                                                                                                                   

"This pageant is an all-American, girl-next-door kind of competition," Ondrea said in her sponsorship letter. "It is based on personality, poise and confidence."                                        

Thirty percent of competitors' scores is based on formal wear, 30 percent on personal introduction, 30 percent on an interview with a panel of judges, and 10 percent on community involvement, according to competition guidelines at www.namiss.com.  To earn the community involvement score, competition guidelines suggest that competitors donate a children's book or stuffed animal to assist libraries, literacy programs, firefighters and policemen in their work with children.                                                                                        

Ondrea wanted to do more, Kim said.

She began by collecting soda tabs at Souderton Area High School. The Ronald McDonald House uses the money from recycling the tabs to help the families of children with cancer.

Now she is collecting soda can tabs at her parents' offices and plans to approach local businesses about collecting them there as well, Kim said.                

Ondrea is making a "Team Ondrea" T-shirt to raise sponsorship money and will donate one-third of the proceeds to Ronald McDonald House.

"It's really taking off," Kim said. "It's almost not about the pageant anymore. This is something she wants to do besides."                                                                                                              

While she was shopping for the formal-wear portion of the competition, Ondrea began thinking about girls with cancer who are too ill to attend prom. Now she dreams of bringing the prom to them with the help of local dress shops. She hopes to locate a venue to decorate for the event and to find seniors who would escort the girls.                                                                                  

"It's turning her into a humanitarian," Kim said of the pageant.                                                           Ondrea said that her journey has been long, but she has received a lot of support from her parents and other adults.                                                                                                                              

Support came from a surprising source when Ondrea contacted the Ralph Lauren company as part of an assignment for school. She interviewed three employees, and one of the designers told her that he got picked on when he was in school.

"This was a very good inspiration because of what I've been through," Ondrea said. The employees sent her a group photo and encouraged her to contact them in the future about internship possibilities.

Ondrea looks to her parents as role models and calls herself a "daddy's girl."  Ondrea said that she respects her mother for raising her on her own until Kim met Bill when Ondrea was five. Bill adopted Ondrea in 2007, but Ondrea started using his last name long before that.                                                                                                                                 

"We bonded," Bill said. "She promised me she would never say that I'm not her dad." 

Supporting Ondrea in the pageant is a "no-brainer," Bill said, and he is proud of her ambition and good heart.                                                                                                                                     

"There is a lot of uniqueness to her," Bill said. "It's really neat to see her come into her own person."

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of MontgomeryNews.com.

Donna Jennings wrote on Jul 7, 2010 9:29 AM:


Mom Powell wrote on Jul 7, 2010 10:41 AM:


Sara Mathe wrote on Jul 7, 2010 3:52 PM:


Beverly wrote on Jul 7, 2010 6:11 PM:

" Congratulations on your success at the pageant. As a parent, it is so encouraging to see kids doing great things!

BTW - Good choice to go with National American Miss. My daughter was in it as well (in Ohio) and loved it. First, I checked it out and was amazed at what a great program it is and that I had not heard about it. Really like the emphasis on job interview skills, community service and public speaking at NAM.

Snaps to you for your resourcefulness, and for perseverance in making your dreams come true. Keep up the good work! "


ONDREA wrote on Jul 8, 2010 8:01 PM:


Michelle Koshinski-Cheatum wrote on Jul 10, 2010 1:09 AM:


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