November 15, 2004

Utah opera singer Michael Ballam will share his views on the influence of music as part of the Family Lecture Series on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at American Heritage School and Family Education Center, 736 N. 1100 East. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.american-heritage.org or contact Cheryl Karr at (801) 642-0055 ext. 503.

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October 14, 2004

A meeting for parents interested in expanding American Heritage School to include high school grades will be Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the lecture hall at American Heritage School , 736 N. 1100 East. The meeting has been organized by Cheryl Karr, parent of an eighth-grader at the school. For more information on the school, visit the Web site at www.american-heritage.org. For information concerning the high school, contact Karr at 642-0055 ext. 503.

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October 16, 2004

FAMILY LECTURE SERIES: Kathleen and Howard Bahr will speak on "The World's Myths vs. The Lord's Plan for Teaching our Children" from 7:30-9 p.m. Oct. 22 at American Heritage School , 736 N. 1100 East, American Fork. Free. Info: 642-0055 ext. 503

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September 18, 2004

LDS Parenting Experts Part of Lecture Series

Feel like an inadequate parent? Family development specialists Richard and Linda Eyre think you could learn a lot from the example of Lehi or Alma the Younger, figures from the LDS book of scripture the Book of Mormon.

The Eyres will make a presentation titled "Great Parents of the Book of Mormon" on Friday as part of the American Heritage School 's Family Lecture Series.

The Eyres have written numerous books, including the New York Times best seller "Teaching Your Children Values."

The Family Lecture Series is free and open to the public. American Heritage School , located at 736 N. 1100 East in American Fork, is a nonprofit, value-centered private school that teaches kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Eyres' 90-minute presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the school. American Heritage School can be reached at 642-0055.

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July 29, 2004

It was standing-room only at City Council chambers Tuesday night as the council denied a zone change that could have resulted in a senior housing project near the Mount Timpanogos LDS temple, north of American Heritage School . Most neighboring residents spoke against the proposal, presented by Patterson Construction.

It would have included single family housing, multiple family housing and assisted living for seniors. After lengthy study and reviewing several variations of the plan, the Planning and Zoning Commission recently made a negative recommendation to the City Council, which upheld the recommendation Tuesday.

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May 12, 2004

American Heritage School s will present a patriotic program at 7 p.m. today at the school, at 736 N. 1100 East, American Fork. The event is free and open to the public. "The Spirit of America Speaks" includes music and historical scenes illustrating the "Line of Freedom" and the founding of America. Stories of the Magna Carta, Columbus, the Founding Fathers and other heroes will be portrayed by AHS students. The script was written by former school director Geneve Cornell Deuel for American Heritage School s and was first performed in 1973. She was awarded a Valley Forge Honor Certificate for the program in 1974. A 10 a.m. matinee will be performed for home-school students and area private schools. For more information on American Heritage School , visit www.american-heritage.org .

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April 10, 2004

The Family Education Center will host a lecture by Victor Cline, family therapist and successful author, and his wife, Lois, who will speak on "Raising winner children plus strategies of discipline." Location: American Heritage School at 736 N. 1100 East in American Fork. Time: 7:30 p.m. Free.

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March 6, 2004

Library Work

The American Heritage School Family Education Center needs volunteers to organize and collect books for a community resource library. Donations of older, secular books are appreciated.

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March 3, 2004

John Covey, brother of Stephen Covey, and his wife, Jane, will speak on the "Four Roles of Parenting," a chapter in Stephen Covey's book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families" that John helped research and write, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at American Heritage School , 736 N. 1100 East, American Fork. The event is part of American Heritage School 's Family Lecture Series and is free and open to the public. In addition to his work with Stephen Covey, John has worked as a member of the Utah State Board of Education and earned a doctoral degree from Brigham Young University in education. Jane Covey has a degree in elementary education and has written numerous articles for publications of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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February 25, 2004

With more than 300 students now attending its classes, American Heritage School is working to extend its approach to education outside the classroom and into the home.

Its efforts are through the American Fork private school's Family Education Center, which currently oversees a successful lecture series and is developing a new curriculum for parents who home school. All of the center's work embraces American Heritage's method of classroom teaching that incorporates spiritual principles into all school subjects.

"This is an outreach effort and we would like to reach as many people as we can as we have strength and ability," said Gaylord K. Swim, chairman of the board at American Heritage.

The Family Education Center was started about two years ago as American Heritage moved into a new building at 736 N. 1100 East, American Fork. The school, which has about 340 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, had been operating since its 1970 opening in an old Pleasant Grove church.

"When I was completing the design of the building before we actually started construction, I felt strongly that we needed to so design the building that we could do things involving adults, not just looking inward to our students but reaching out to the community," Swim said.

The center has been working to expand its offerings ever since. Monthly lectures on topics affecting the family have attracted as many as 300 people to the school and enrollment in the Family Education Center's 2004 summer camp program -- offered for the first time last year -- is already nearing the halfway mark.

The center's work has also included development of a home-school curriculum that will allow parents to bring American Heritage's educational philosophy and methodology into their homes. In a fashion similar to classes at American Heritage, the home-school curriculum will acknowledge the hand of God in all subjects, said John P. Covey, director of the Family Education Center.

While not sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, American Heritage has a curriculum that is based in the teachings of the church, said Cheryl L. Karr, the Family Education Center's public affairs director.

Karr said the school is getting at least one to two inquiries a week about the home-school curriculum, which will be made available to the public in August.

"If you look around our society right now, we're in a lot of pain," Covey said. "I think people are saying we want to surround our children with as much faith and character as we possibly can."

The center is currently developing its first packet for home-schooling parents; it will cover a year's worth of study in history and geography.

History was chosen to be offered first because it is the "foundation subject," providing a basis for understanding how God has affected mankind, Covey said. A series of packets in history and geography and another series in literature are now planned for development, he said.

The center also plans to create materials based on the home-schooling curriculum as a resource for parents with children in public school. The materials will help children understand the belief and faith of great men and women of history, Covey said.

Swim said American Heritage was receiving inquiries from the public about how the school operated even before the Family Education Center was opened.

"We believe that the education of children is the God-given stewardship of parents," Swim said. "It is not our role to tell parents what they ought to do. Once the parents have made the decision to do home school or private school or maybe they're enrolled in public school, we see our job as helping them fulfill their stewardship."

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February 2, 2004

Mormon Tabernacle Choir host Lloyd Newell and his wife Karmel will speak on "Traditions: A Foundation for Strong Families" Friday at 7:30 p.m. The event is at American Heritage School , 736 N. 1100 East, American Fork, as part of the Family Lecture Series sponsored by the Family Education Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

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January 31, 2004

FAMILY LECTURE SERIES: Lloyd and Karmel Newell will speak on family traditions at 7:30 p.m. Friday at American Heritage School , American Fork. Info: 642-0055, ext. 503

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January 4, 2004

American Heritage Family Education Center, a newly created center within American Heritage School , located at 736 N. 1100 East in American Fork, is holding free a lecture series through April focusing on the family.

Lloyd Newell, announcer for Music and the Spoken Word for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast, along with his wife, Karmel, author of the children's book "Come Follow Me," will speak Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. on "Traditions: A Strong Foundation for Families."

Cheryl Karr, public affairs director for the American Heritage Family Education Center, said most of the lecture participants are not parents of children in the school but members of the community.

"All of our lectures are family oriented, and hopefully they make us all better people, which results in being better parents," Karr said, who points out there is often confusion on the separation between the American Heritage School that focuses on children, and the American Heritage Family Education Center that focuses on the family.

The American Heritage Family Education Center's purpose is to provide support and resources to parents belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their efforts to create a hunger for learning, sound Christian character and strong family relationships.

Karr said because the American Heritage School is funded privately by members of the LDS Church, its doctrine and teachings are often referred to in the public lectures.

After the lecture, a free tour of the school is given to help community members understand the purpose of American Heritage School .

As a service to the community, summaries of the lecture are provided.

Karr said local and out-of-town people request the summaries of the lecture, which helps to spread the message of the school to other parts of the nation.

In addition to the lectures, the American Heritage Family Education Center is working on a resource library for parents in the community to supplement home schooling or public school experiences.