MONDAY
9:30 – 3:00 Homeschool in the Forest
Today we did it in the rain!
Rain or shine, the group meets. It can feel a bit counter-intuitive to the modern parent, dropping your tiny buns in the dark, wet forest for a day of un-sheltered fun, but as their pack leader will tell you - the greatest memories tend to be made on rainy days.
Above is the scene I left at drop-off. Games (lots and lots of games) before breaking into groups and heading out on their own.
Emailed summaries from pack leaders:
5yo:
7yo:
"The nice light amd warm rain reminded us that it was time to prepare for the heavier rains in the winter. Our fire kits are in no shape to make fires so each group has been given the responsibility of replenishing one part of the kits. The fox lizards are responsible for the spindles.
After our morning of sensory challenges we joined with the Redwood Squirrels for a relaxing game of monkey fist. After our game we found a wonderful completely dead elderberry tree, exactly what we needed. We sang to it, asked for permission and gently removed some pieces that may be good for spindles. We also created a fort under it "Fort Sambucus" we decided to call it, after the Latin name of the elderberry tree. Upon return to the picnic area we journaled the unique bark and leaves of the elderberry. We will work more with the wood of the elderberry next week. It would be wonderful if everyone in the group could get knife certified soon. I am sending along the details in the next e-mail."
10yo: n/a
IN THE CAR THIS WEEK / AUDIO BOOKS
Johnny Tremain Such a wonderful story. A must read/listen for all American kids. "A story of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting operations and subterfuges leading up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As Johnny is forced into the role of a full-grown man in the face of his new country's independence, he finds that his relations with those he loves changes for the better as well."
TUESDAY:
9:00 - 12:00 Big kids both enrolled in a combined-grade (2nd + 4th grades) locally taught homeschool courses Language Arts + Drawing Out Arithmetic (playing with the ancient tools of compass and straight edge, children will discover the skills and methods employed by the Ancient Greeks to uncover enduring mathematical truths"). Notes from LA teacher this week:
"Today we read and discussed our stories and wrote a key word outline (KWO). After completing, we went back and added in an excellent adjective, adverb, and verb. We went over Who-Which clauses, and they each added one in on their KWO. I told the kids they needed to add 1, but could add more if they wished in their paragraph to add interest and sentence variety. We finished the class with an adverb game.
Homework is to write a paragraph using their new KWO and the checklist. This week concludes our fable unit, and next week we will begin using Greek Myths to further our writing and grammar study."
12:00 - 2:00 Open studio art class for homeschoolers. Imagine a fully stocked open room and the freedom to create whatever you want. Today the 10yo continued working on his moccasins, and Beanie did more mosaic.
1:00 - 4:00 PreK for Tiny Buns
2:15 - 3:15 10yo has music class, currently focused on guitar and drums. Beanie and I run errands.
3:45 - 5:15 10yo soccer
6:30 Kids watch two episodes of LIBERTY KIDS - a fantastic way to get kids on board with the birth of our country.
WEDNESDAY
10:00 - 11:00 Spanish tutor. We launch our family Spanish session with a few worksheets. I thought we'd never do another worksheet since we left school, but it finally dawned on me that it might be a great way to keep three kids, spanning five years in age, all on the same page. It did bring a bit more harmony to our hour. Later we branched out a bit and finished our hour with a beautiful story - "La Casa"(which I sadly can not find a link to).
We have a week off from Science + Poetry today due to host family's schedule.
11:30 - 12:30 We audit the Shakespeare Company's class for homeschoolers.
This was a stretch - but it worked in my favor! The kids went in kicking and screaming, certain they could never enjoy a theater class, let alone one that revolved around the works of Shakespeare. But they were all entranced and envious of the obvious fun the other students their age were having. The instructor was fabulous and had an obvious gift for this. Each child of mine asked to be enrolled! We will do this as soon as our currently conflicting science class ends. I like the idea of mixing it all up.
On a related note, I've been reading this book and am completely sold on the concept:
1:00 - 4:00 Tiny Buns to PreK while the big kids and I head home and continue working on our Boston Tea/Terrier Party Halloween float. Yes, I did just type that. ;)
THURSDAY
8:30 - 9:10 Math tutor is canceled again (due to teachers daughter delivering baby) so Daddy steps in and takes over. I love the creativity he pulls out of a hat without warning. 10yo loves math-by-Daddy. Little kids make elaborate patterns with shape tiles.
9:30 – 3:00 Homeschool 4-wheel drive - the 10yo's second day a week in nature. Run by the same organization as Monday's class, this group happens have only boys enrolled at this time, which I love. It's great to see them just go off a wild adventure with a great male leader. This week's report: (not yet received)
10: 25 - 11:05 Pee Wee Soccer, cutest 40 minutes of my week! Beanie and I read during most of soccer. After class, little kids play on playground, then we eat lunch before dropping 5yo at PreK.
1:00 - 4:00 Tiny Buns to PreK
1:15 - 2:15 Beanie to French class
3:00 pick-up 10yo, 3:15 drop Beanie at soccer, 4:00 pick-up Tiny Buns, 4:15 pick-up Beanie
FRIDAY
9:00 - 10:00 The little kids loved writing the Spanish words to their favorite objects, as found in their Spanish picture dictionary. So cute. The 10yo actually said he enjoyed today's class (!!!) based on the fact that his focus was on reptiles. A big shout going out here to our local public library for making this all possible!
10:30 - 11:30 Field Trip at Heath Ceramics. Set-up by a fellow homeschool mom, this was a great way to show the kids the whole process, from clay to finished cup.
EXTENDED LEARNING (AKA: THE WEEKEND)
We finally finished up our doggy Halloween float late Saturday morning -- just in time to make it to the parade/contest at 11am. Here is a shot of the kids getting ready to show the dogs in our float. (More photos to come in another post this week). Does this wrap-up our study of the American Revolution? Hardly! What's to stop one's interest in learning more?? It's all been SO fun, for all involved. :)