Week in Review week 2 2012-2013

This week was a weird week for us.  We finally got the rental car, drove to pick up our insurance check, did shopping required, set up a new home for the salamander, did a ton of swaps, worked on renovations and basically had a limited school week.

The big kids finished off lesson 1 in mapping the world through art by creating an edible Babylonian map.  Well technically they were to make a map, instead they made cunieform.  The youngers joined in with the left over dough and just made random pictures.

Their online classes went well.  H's class discussed Aesop's Androcles and though he was really scared to talk into the mic he did a great job participating.  A and C first had their intro to great books class where they discussed the first 8 chapters of the Hobbit.  They are to finish off the book for next class.  The next day they had their poetry class. A was not as into that one as C but they both seemed to get something out of it, and participated in the discussion surrounding the poems studied.

While out yesterday running errands we saw a moose which the kids were very thrilled about.  They are drawing and writing about it in their nature journals today.

After we had picked up the rental car (not easy when the closest rental place is 20 minutes up the highway in another town and we were here without a car, and they don't have pick up for out of town clients), we picked up the materials needed for the slamandar to have a better home than what he was in last week.  He seems to really enjoy it. 

Art this week the kids used a crayola glow in the dark sand art kit.  Very cool, but very messy.  Every surface and person near the table was glowing by the end.

Swap-bot was fun this week.  I got my second package for the candy swap and 4 postcards.  I sent out a stack of postcards and packages as well.  I also joined postcrossing this week so that will be bringing in even more postcards.
We also picked up the large rabbit cage that we will be transforming into a tortoise table and new hanging plants for the livingroom. 

Here are some pictures from this week.  Next week we will be back to a proper school schedule as we will not have nearly as many errands to tend to.

He followed me home! Can I keep him?

 While taking the puppy out for a potty break last night my teens found this little guy next to our front door step.  Welcome Fred the Tiger Salamander to our home! A new terrestrial tank will be set up for him this week, for now he is in a temporary home while we get organized.  I have some peices of drift wood in there for him to hide under and crawl on but removed them for the pictures.

Week in Review week 1 2012-2013

 Every year I start posting weekly reviews and then life gets too busy. Following that pattern here we are again this year.

This first week was different from other years in that I only had my 2 oldest kids home.  The youngers were on a trip to Disneyland with Uncle R and Aunty TL.  As well since we started the day after Labour Day it was only a 4 day week.  We did a half schedule this week and will do so again next week and then onto full schedule starting week 3.

This week I sat in H's online lit class.  It is a parent and child class and though he was on a trip we still needed his homework assignment and to make sure the mic worked etc.  A and C also began their online classes.  They had their first class in both Introduction to the Great Books and Classical Poetry.  They are beginning their study in Introduction to the great books by reading the Hobbit.  This week the first 8 chapters are to be read and ready to discuss in the next class period.  In Classical poetry they are to read the poems assigned as well as the page posted by the teacher about similes and metaphors again ready to discuss and work with for the next class period.

Aside from the online classes the two of them were busy with the basics.  This term math and composition are the key subjects as I am trying to catch them up and solidify their skills in those 2 things.  In math they completed 2 lessons on Khan Academy, 1 chapter in MUS Delta and 2 lessons in jump Math fractions.  They each completed 4 lessons in Meaningful Composition. 

We began our new geography program "Mapping the World with Art".  The first unit focused on ancient maps, specifically Mesopotamia.  This is a map they are comfortable with already thanks to past study of ancient life there.  They did the reading, and drew the map.  We will be baking the edible babalonian map next class as I had run out of cocoa. 

They are enjoying their new science curriculum as well.  They completed 1/2 of chapter 1 in Apologia Physical science.  No lab this week due to the shortened week though.

Of course the usual other topics such as grammar, spelling, penmanship, bible etc were also covered.

I have recently joined www.swap-bot.com  It is great fun to have postcards, letters and parcels arrive from around the world.  This week a parcel with candy from Finland arrived and was greatly enjoyed by all 3 of us.

A and C also learned to bathe the dog without my assistance this week.  Both kids and the bathroom were absolutely soaked at the end, but at least the dog was clean again.

Excited to leave for Disneyland!



Leaving me to head to Disneyland, plane left very early the next morning





Candy from Finland! So yummy!



A created a separate desk space for himself by setting up one of our folding tables

A's map of Mesopotamia

Telephone Museum

It was our first field trip of the new school year today.  We walked down to main street to visit the Telephone Museum.  It is set up to look like an old house with telephones from different eras all over.  In the front lobby there is an old phone booth and operator board.  The best part is it is greatly hands on.

Following the museum we went for a walk around town stopping at this archway for pictures and then on to the piece of heavy artillery on display to honour the veterans. 

As we continued our walk home we came across a fire truck parked in front of a house, the firemen were working on a patient on the front lawn where he apparently collapsed, my guess is heart attack.  As we walked past we heard the ambulance approaching.  No pictures of that since I felt it would be disrespectful. 

All in all a very successful 1st field trip of the year right here in our own little town.

2012-2013 Curriculum

Often when people start looking at homeschooling blogs they are quite eager to see what curriculum or method you are using.  This year is a bit different for us as I have shifted direction with the younger kids dramatically.

We will all be starting each day together with morning Basket

From there:

A- Grade 8 and C- Grade 7 will be working together on almost everything, following a classical method of homeschooling.  Most exciting for term 1 is the two online socratic discussion classes they will be taking.  One is Introduction to the Great Books, and the other is classical poetry.  In addition they will be using the following curriculum.  They are delayed in many courses due to learning disabilities but they catching up.

Math- They will do a quick review of concepts using Waldorf method for fun, and some remedial work with Horizons.  By 2nd term they should be doing pre-algebra with Teaching Textbooks

Grammar- R&S 5
Spelling- A will be using R&S 7, C will be using All About Spelling
Composition- Meaningful Composition
Literature and poetry will be done through the online classes as list above

Science- Apologia Physical Science, as well as units on Human anatomy & physiology, and on zoology

History- Early Modern North American History (meaning from natives and first settlers up through 1860)

Geography- Mapping the World through Art

Logic- MP traditional Logic

Latin- Latina Christiana 1 (They will be writing the introductory national latin exam in the spring)

French- Mission Monde 1

Bible- Sonlight bible 110

Other- Artistic Pursuits, lapbooking, penmanship, C- History of the Horse, A- Paleontology study

My younger 2 students will be doing a hybrid of Waldorf and classical

Their mornings after morning basket H will have his main lesson block using the curriculum from Waldorf Essentials and then move onto these subjects.

Math- When not doing a math block, He will be working through Horizons math

Spelling- All about spelling
Phonics- All about reading
Penmanship- Handwriting without tears
Composition- Writing with Ease
Grammar- R&S 2

Science- Apologia Human anatomy, Apologia Zoology 1

French- Mission Monde ABC

Latin- Latina Christiana 1 (he will be writing the exploratory latin exam in the spring)

Geography- A trip around the world series

Logic- logic puzzles and games

Other- Artistic pursuits, composer study, lapbooking, recorder, handwork

In addition he has a once a week online parent and child class called Fables & Tales 1.  It is a socratic discussion class focused on Aesop's Fables, the parables and a couple tall tales.

I will following the K program from Waldorf Essentials followed by:

Phonics- All About Reading pre-level 1
Penmanship- Handwriting without tears
Language Lessons for little ones vol 1
Geography- Little Passports
Math- Mathematical Reasoning beginning finish book 1 and do book 2
Science- when she wants to join the bigger kids
Lapbooking

All the kids will also have nature study weekly and a fieldtrip at least monthly to round out their learning.

This year looks like it will be a very exciting year, with lots of new experiences.

First Day of school 2012-2013

We celebrated our first day back to school today.  While we did not complete a full day's curriculum we still had a great first day.  Our local public school has a no hair dye clause in the dress code so as a way of celebrating the little things that make homeschooling better we had fun with coloured hair spray. 

Here they are: this year's students!

Aren't they gorgeous?

Sensory Bins and Activity Trays

It's that time again, time to make new sensory bins.  Since lent is just a few days away I decided to make my Easter sensory bins and activity trays while I made the sensory bins for St. Patrick's day.

St. Pat's sensory bin.  Rice, green easter grass, green coins, shamrocks, green pompoms, green ceramic jug, and 1 wooden pails

Easter sensory bin in large easter basket.  Easter grass, green foam eggs, yellow wooden eggs, fuzzy chicks, plastic bunnies and chicks and little baskets

Same as above but different color grass and in wooden bowl

Bunny bowling

New favorite, little hoppers

Pom Pom transfer activity with mini scoop

Pom Pom transfer activity with small tongs