PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Well, another Christmas break has come and gone.  The decorations are down, the kids have hauled all their gifts and their CLEAN laundry back to College Station and the  house seem unusually quiet again!  Not to worry – you can come to the January Aggie Moms meeting to fill one of those too-quiet evenings! 

Our Christmas party was truly an amazing evening, and I believe there were more than forty in attendance.  We had lots of great food, many friends and spouses joined us, and Mr Kelton warmed our hearts with a trip down memory lane to the Christmases of his childhood.  We presented Mr Kelton, a UT Alumni, with a maroon T shirt and an Aggie Spirit cookbook, and he gamely held the shirt up while we took pictures, willing for us to “missionary” him, as he said.  Tim and Judy Turner did not leave a room, nook or cranny of their home unadorned for the Christmas Season, and it was truly a pleasure to enjoy such great company in such a beautiful home.  The Turners even provided valet service, and a golf cart shuttle! 

As I write this, we are just a few days away from our Singing Cadets concert, and I am beginning to feel very excited about this event.  I hope each and everyone of you have found a way to be a part of this evening, either through hosting, providing food, sponsorship, making phone calls, hanging a poster up at your place of work, or just by attending this event.  Your enthusiastic response in making this event come off well has been so amazing – I am just so very proud and pleased to be associated with so many willing and cheerful workers.  Thank you each and every one for your help, and a super “gig ‘em” thumbs up goes to Suzy Mears for her work in planning this event!

January has traditionally been the month in which we take Aggie Moms ON THE ROAD to Sonora, where our Sonora Moms treat us to Sutton County hospitality.  The Sonora Moms have to travel lots of miles to attend the meetings in San Angelo, and this month we do the driving instead so that more of them can attend a membership meeting.   We will gather at Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot at 5:15 for a prompt 5:30 departure,  to carpool and caravan to Sonora, to the home of Nancy Brockman.  The Sonora Moms will feed us dinner, and we will have a short meeting, and hear the results from our Cadets concert fundraiser.  Our program will be provided by Nancy Brockman, who will share with us another short story about her family’s Aggie history.  Last year’s story was about their grandfather’s own personal memories as a member of the Corps when the first Reveille was adopted at A & M.   I can’t wait to hear this year’s story, and I know you won’t want to miss it, either. 

See you on Thursday, January 19 at 5:15 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot – or, at Nancy’s home in Sonora.  Please see directions to her home elsewhere in this newsletter.

Gig ‘em!

Nevie

JANUARY MEETING IN SONORA  — Thursday, January 19, 6:30 p.m.

We will will meet at Trinity Lutheran at 5:15 and leave by 5:30 if anyone would like to carpool to Sonora. It takes approximately an hour to get there.  The meeting, program and meal is usually over with no later than 8:30, which will put us back into San Angelo no later than 9:30.  We hope as many as possible can attend as this is usually one of our best meetings of the year!

If anyone is planning on going to Sonora on their own, here are the directions.  If you have any problems, call Nancy at 387-3370.

- Take Hwy 277 into Sonora

-Turn left at the Exxon Station

-Road winds around a bit; when you get to Second Street, turn left

-Wind around a bit more, at Marigold, turn left

-Go up Marigold Street and Stay to the right, cross a cattle guard and down the hill

-There is only 1 house there, (we are out of the city limits)

-a Gray house with a front porch

RING OF HONOR – Wednesday, January 18

Ring of Honor Luncheon will be held at Gil’s Restaurant on Knickerbocker on Wednesday, January 18 at noon.  This luncheon is intended to provide updates on club activities to our members who are no longer able to regularly attend club meetings.  If you would like to attend the Ring of Honor Luncheon (Dutch treat) please drop in and join us.  If possible, please RSVP to Chris Hunter at 949-5139 or christine@brazosvalleydesign.com so that we can reserve a large enough table for everyone; however, if you forget to rsvp, just drop in anyway.  We'd love to see you!  If you would like to receive reminder post cards about these luncheons, or know someone who would, please contact Chris Hunter. 

CLEANING OUT CLOSETS AFTER CHRISTMAS?

Good!  But hold on to everything for the ANNUAL AGGIE MOM garage sale on March 4 at Santa Rita Elementary. Or, if you really need to get rid of now, please contact Shelley Gregg at 374-4640 to make arrangements to get rid of it earlier.

DOOR PRIZES NEEDED!

Our door prize collection is getting low. If you have anything you would like to donate, please bring to the next meeting! Nevie loves to ring that cow bell, but we need prizes to make it ring!

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

The nominations committee is now working on a slate of officers for next year.  If you would like to become more actively involved, or know someone who would, please contact the Committee Chair, Anna Bartosh at 949-1896.

STUDENT ADDRESSES

If your student will have a different MAILING address this semester, please send the updated information to Theresa Fortin, so that we can update our records before Meal Cards are sent out later this semester.  You can email her their address at fortin@wc.net or call her at home at 949-3472.

TUTORIAL SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION - Please forward this to your Aggie.

• We have several tutorial scholarships available on a first come, first serve basis.
• It is necessary for the scholarship to be requested (by the student) in advance by e-mail to Judy Turner at trtdoc1@wcc.net
• Please put “Tutorial Scholarship” in the subject line area of the email.
• Any student from our area enrolled at Texas A&M University may apply.
• The tutorial scholarship will be valid from the day issued until May 2006.
• It will be advertised by publishing it on the web, e-mail, newsletter, distributed with the food coupons and area newspaper.
• We must have the student’s name, mailing address, parent’s address and student id for the tutorial coupon.
• The student can only use tutorial sources listed on the coupon.

COOKBOOKS 

Cookbooks are still available for $20 each. The cookbooks will be available at the monthly club meetings, or you may pick one up at Talley Press at 21 E. Harris Avenue.  You can also contact Shelley Gregg at 374-4640 and she will be glad to reserve a cookbook for you. 

YEARBOOK CORRECTION

Aggie Mom Sherry Flannery’s son was left out of the yearbook; please add her son, Thomas Wilson ’09. We apologize for this mistake.

AGGIE MOM PRAYER REQUEST

Loy Dillon Rogers Dudley was a member last year; she passed away December 13 after an 11 year battle with breast cancer, and is survived by her husband Roy, and her children, Morgan '08 and Erin '03.

DeAnna Campbell is doing great following her radio active iodine treatment in Houston in early January. No other cancer was detected in her body, and she will not have to return to M.D. Anderson for nine months for another check.

NEW AGGIE MOM COOKBOOK

Over the next year San Angelo Aggie Moms will be putting together a new cookbook with the delivery date scheduled for January 2007. This will give us plenty of time to get the recipes typed in, proofread, and submitted to the publisher. We will have time to proof again once the book is delivered before taking it to Boutique in April of 2007. The main theme for this cookbook will be occasions and we will also feature favorite family menus. We have narrowed down our categories to the following:

• Fall Feasts and Festivals – pretty much self explanatory
• Girls Night Out – Bunko, Bridge, Aggie Mom Sleepovers, Meetings, etc.
• When They All Come Home – Holidays, Family Reunions, Celebrations such as Christenings, Graduation, Birthdays, etc.
• Showers and Brunches – Weddings, Showers, Brunches, Coffees, and Teas
• Tailgating and Bowl Parties – pretty much self explanatory

If anyone would like to submit an entire  menu for one of the dividers listed above, we will be charging $25 per menu submitted. You can put as many recipes as you would like at no charge. For more information on this, please contact Lanee Warrick at 484-3005 laneewarrick@aggienetwork.com or Debbie Lisoski at 469-3935 dlisoski@saisd.org.

We have enclosed a form to be used to submit your recipes or to bring them to the next few meetings.  We would like to have these in by the November meeting.  Please feel free to make copies of the form for additional recipes.

We need current member recipes as soon as possible!

NEW AGGIE MOM COOKBOOK COVER

Benjamin Knox has generously agreed to do the cover for the next cookbook. He would like to have a commitment from someone in the club or the community to purchase the piece ($2,000 -$4,000) and he will expedite it.  If not, he will do it at no charge and sell it from his gallery in College Station.  If anyone is interested or knows of anyone interested in purchasing this original piece of artwork, please contact Nevie Lacy( 651-4532 nevnews@aol.com) or Lanee Warrick (484-3005 laneewarrick@aggientwork.com)

DECEMBER 2005 GRADUATES – Congratulations!

Andi Allen '05

Ryan Baldwin '99

Lori Brock '05

Jamin Burke '05

Michael Lyle (Jake) Hamilton '05

Sara Ramsey '05

Courtney Tate '05

Emily Vinson '06

Stacy Wilson '05

Daniel Michalewicz '05

Austin Sheen, '05

Melissa Crooks Rohmfeld '05

AGGIE MOM BRAGS

If any of you have Aggie Mom Brags, please call Lanee Warrick at 484-3005 and leave a message or you can email her at:  laneewarrick@aggienetwork.com

Emily Vinson '06, Aggie Mom Kathy Vinson graduated in December with a B.S. Animal Science. She has moved to Stephenville where she has received a Graduate Assistantship at Tarleton State University assisting with the Amimal Science classes. She will also be coaching the Meats Judging Team.

Cameron Sims ‘05, Aggie Mom Mary Jean Sims, accepted a position with Black and Veatch in College Station and will start work in June.

Seth C. Becker '01, Aggie Mom Nancy Becker,  will marrying Catherine Lloyd on June 17th. They will also be getting a new grandson in the deal, Cooper who is 6! 

Stacy Wilson ' 05, Aggie Mom Sherry Flanary, graduated in December with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.  She plans on continuing her education towards her RN at Angelo State in January and then a Master's degree to become a Nurse Practioner.

Melissa Crooks Rohmfeld '05, Aggie Mom Vicki Crooks, graduated in December!

PARENT & STUDENT INFORMATION

Upcoming Academic & Activity Calendar Dates to be Aware Of

January 23    Monday - Last day for adding/dropping courses

January 27    Friday - Last day to apply for all degrees to be awarded in May

FINANCIAL AID

The Student Financial Aid website has a wealth of information about how to pay for college including tips on how to apply for financial aid and how to avoid scholarship scams.  Visit their website at:  http://financialaid.tamu.edu/  Remember that deadlines are important.  If bills are not paid or arrangements made, a student's schedule may be dropped.

AGGIE BUCKS

Aggie Bucks is a program presented by Texas A&M University and our financial partners Wells Fargo and Aggieland Credit Union, provides students with the opportunity to turn a student ID into a declining balance card. AGGIE BUCKS are easy to use; dollar amounts are purchased (by depositing a check) that are then placed in an AGGIE BUCKS account. As soon as this happens, Aggie Bucks can be accessed with the Aggie Card (student ID). As AGGIE BUCKS are used, the amounts of your purchases are electronically deducted from your account balance on a dollar for dollar basis.  Find out more about how AGGIE BUCKS at

http://finance.tamu.edu/sbs/aggiecard/aggiebucksFAQ.asp

GRADES

If your student's grades were not what they (or you) were expecting, don't despair.  Many first year students and those living off campus for the first time have difficulty with their academics considering they are managing so many new areas of their life. Encourage your son or daughter to set up a meeting with his or her academic advisor and discuss how to take advantage of the many resources available to assist with classroom endeavors.

The Student Counseling Service provides many useful resources for students. Study skill programs and counseling services are offered, as sometimes poor grades are a reflection of depression or anxiety. Students on academic probation are often referred to their programs.  Encourage your student to start using SCS their first week back at school.  http://www.scs.tamu.edu/academic/LSC.asp

Also, there is free tutoring for students through several different programs.  TAMU Center for Academic Enhancement  provides Supplemental Instruction (SI). SI is an academic assistance program designed to improve the student's academic performance and increase retention. The SI program targets traditionally difficult core curriculum courses and provides regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer-facilitated group study sessions at no charge. Find out more at:  http://www.tamu.edu/cae/silist.shtml

The TAMU Department of Multicultural Services provides free one-on-one tutoring and group tutoring for all currently enrolled undergraduates at Texas A&M University. The courses for which tutoring is offered vary from semester to semester.  More information on this service can be found at:  http://tutor.tamu.edu/default.aspx

 If your student approaches the spring semester with the attitude of getting all the help they can find (whether they think it is needed or not), they can come out on top.  Remind them that they are not alone in finding college difficult and in need of assistance.

CAREER CENTER

There are many resources and tools for Aggies through the Career Center.  From career advising to job searching, the Career Center is committed to your student's success in landing the right job. One new tool available to Aggies is the AggiE-folio:  An on-line personal skill-based professional portfolio. With the AggiE-folio, students can showcase examples of knowledge, skills, and strengths to employers.  Find out more about this great resource at:  http://careercenter.tamu.edu/services/s24.html

2006 DATES TO REMEMBER

Remember to Mark Your Calendar

Officer Board Meetings

all at 6 p.m. @ Sierra Vista Methodist Church

Monday, February 6

Monday, March 6

Monday, April 3

Monday, May 1

Membership Meetings

all at 6:30 PM @ Trinity Lutheran Church

Thursday, January 19 (in Sonora)

Thursday, February 16 (TBA)

Thursday, March 23 (Goody Bags - Trinity Lutheran

Thursday, April 20 (TBA)

Thursday, May 18 (TBA)

Additional Dates of Interest

January 17

First day of spring semester classes.

January 21

District Federation Meeting in Abilene

March 13 - 17 (Monday - Friday)

Spring Break.

April 7 - 8

Spring Federation Meetings & Parents Weekend* at Reed Arena

April 21

Muster

May 5, 8 - 10

Spring semester final examinations for all students

May 12 - 13

Commencement, Commissioning, and Final Review.

* The San Angelo A&M Mother’s Club has a sales booth at these functions to raise money for scholarships.

A Big Thanks!

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