I'm an Unschooling mom in Las Vegas, NV. I have all boys! A 14 yr old, a 6 yr old, a 1 yr old and 2 teenage stepsons.
4 of the 5 have some special need or another, and the 5th would be termed "gifted" if he was in school. They all have their own interests and abilities.
Join me as I blog about our Christ-led learning approach..things that work, things that don't, and the antics of family life!
Nurturing our children in the freedom of Christ
#6, April 10, 2000
Sr. Editor & Publisher: Elissa Wahl
Assistant Editor: Teri Brown
Contributing Editor: Patricia Moon
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Welcome from the Editor
2. We are an unschooling family. Beth in Colorado
3. Book Review by Teri Brown:
Homeschooling on a Shoe String
Melissa L. Morgan
Judith Waite Allee
4.Contest: Win Homeschooling on a Shoe String !
5. Countdown to Easter
6. Easter Story Cookies
7. Easter Links
8. DisneyWorld Day for homeschoolers
9. Closing letter from the editor
10. Subscription Information
11. Reprint Information
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1. Welcome from the editor
Hi all, hope this newsletter is received in the manner it was
sent..in love and through God!!
Viva Las Vegas! Yes, we are finally here. Life is getting back on
track. We spent a week unloading, then were all hit with a nasty
stomach bug, but now we are all in fine health. We have even hit the
pool a few times!
So, as a family we attended Wednesday night service, in our new home
church, Calvary Chapel East, Las Vegas (I love Calvary Chapels). The
Bible reading was from Exodus chapter 12, all about the Passover. The
pastor mentioned the Seder and it struck me that I am not clear on
that word. Hence the following!
1
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,
2
"This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your
year.
3
Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this
month each man is to take a lamb [1] for his family, one for each
household.
4
If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one
with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of
people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in
accordance with what each person will eat.
5
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you
may take them from the sheep or the goats.
6
Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the
people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
7
Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and
tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.
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The rest of the chapter goes on to talk God's passing and taking of
the male first-born, the Exodus from Egypt, and Passover
Restrictions .
(see this link http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible )
Onto the Seder...the word itself denotes a Jewish service, which
includes a ceremonial meal. It is to be held on the first or the
first and second evenings of Passover in commemoration of the Exodus
from Egypt.
Bedikat Chametz :Search for leaven
Hadlakat Ha-Nerot :Lighting of the Passover candles
Kaddesh :Sanctifying blessing and first cup of wine
Urchatz :First hand washing
Karpas :Green Vegetable dipped in salt water and blessing
Yachatz :Breaking the middle Matzah and hiding the Afikomen
Maggid :Telling the story of Passover and the second cup of wine
Rachtzah :Second hand washing and blessing
Motzi/Matsah :Blessing for the bread and eating of Matzah
Maror :Eating of the bitter herbs
Korech :Eating of sandwich of Maror and Matzah
Shulchan Orech :The festival meal
Tzafun :Eating the Afikomen
Barech :After meal blessing, the third cup, welcoming Elijah
Hallel :Songs of praise
Nirtzah :Fourth cup and completion of the Seder
============
I think the Exodus is a very important thing to commemorate. As
Christians, it bespeaks of the relationship God had with us and the
future giving of His son, Jesus, the unblemished Lamb.
Here are some Seder links for you all to follow up on if you like.
There are symbolic Seders that are not as complicated as the full
ceremony.
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2.We are an unschooling family.
Beth in Colorado
We are an unschooling family.
How did this happen??
What is unschooling??
To us unschooling is letting the kids follow their passions and
pursue their education as a part of life. It is all one big
experience. There is no yelling and howling about sitting down and
doing those textbooks (although we do occasionally use text books.)
I have been reading a book called Punished by Rewards, by Alfie
Kohn. This book describes our lifestyle and how we learn. My kids see
a value in what they are learning. They chose it and feel empowered
by the control they have in their lives. They are not trapped in a
place where they feel helpless and forced to do things that have no
interest for them. My hub and I are the facilitators for them, not
their teachers although we do spend time helping them with any
questions. I am not at all against finding them a tutor or teacher
for things they seriously want to explore.
I hear the argument all the time that kids will do nothing but watch
TV and play video games unless they are made to learn. I see kids all
the time with such a repulsion to anything remotely "educational"
that I know we are doing the right thing.
A year ago we went to Washington D.C. where my hub had a job
interview. The kids and I went to the Smithsonian Institute. We were
in the Flight Museum and I was struck with the difference between my
kids and the majority of the kids there. My kids were so interested
in what was going on. They did not have to play like they were having
fun learning. The other kids seemed like they had to have an attitude
of learning. Like, "here we are learning something, isn't this
supposed to be winter break??"
We love to travel and visiting National Parks is the best part of it
all. We've spent many hours at the beginning of the Snake River where
it flows from Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. The ospreys
there catch trout and fly off with them. We saw a family of five
otters walk within 20 feet of us and then hit the water where they
all had caught fish in minutes. There is a bald eagle nesting area a
little farther downstream that you can see close-up while floating
down the river. It is a totally amazing experience.
Our lives seem to be connected with amazing experiences. Last week
our next door neighbor's horse gave birth. We were there to watch. We
had been checking on her for weeks and the vigilance paid off. We saw
the labor, the birth, the Mom eat the placenta, (bleck at 2am) and
the little filly stand up and take her first steps. Seeing an animal
that big give birth is one amazing experience. It was eerily similar
to human birth but there was no hub there to be threatened with
bodily harm.
This past weekend my son qualified for Fencing Nationals in the 14
and Under Sabre event that will be held in Austin, Texas this summer.
He has been fencing his guts out for a while now and his passion has
paid off. My daughter is also a Sabre fencer and will also be going.
My son has a huge interest in blacksmithing, we are working on
buying him the tools. He spends hours in my studio working on
assorted strange things made from metal flashing, wood and glue guns.
He is SO creative, has all kinds of interesting ideas. He is a
specialist on ancient weaponry and studies strategies and statistics
which I believe really helps him in those fencing matches.
My daughter is a chess child. She saw the movie, Searching For Bobby
Fisher and decided that chess looks very interesting. She has been
playing with Seniors at the rec center and is in a chess club on
Monday nights at a local Barnes and Nobel. She is the kid that can
stay up very late because she does not have to worry about school the
next day.
One of the guys on Monday night asked her where she goes to school.
She told him she was homeschooled, he said, "You are homeschooled
very well." I really believe that she would not be able to achieve
what she does if she were in school. She would be second guessing
herself and her thought process would be altered. She would have had
to change her learning style. We have been able to find out what
really works for her and help her maintain her sense of self.
Kids are so much happier and able to function when they have control
over their destiny. My kids have two parents who are doing what they
really want to do and provide a good picture of how they can:
-find an occupation they love
-teach themselves an art form or how to play chess
-learn whatever they need no matter how many people insist they have
to learn in a school building.
Home education is wonderful for us, but our house is messy....
Beth in Colorado
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3.Book Review by Teri Brown:
Homeschooling on a Shoe String
Melissa L. Morgan
Judith Waite Allee
The majority of families who homeschool are surviving on one income
and this book not only understands that, but celebrates it. It also
give plenty of tips on how to do it. I like that in a book.
It is geared for both those who are wondering how to pare down to one
budget in order to homeschool and those of us who are already doing
so and would like workable ways to save money. Some of the chapters
included in the book are, Homeschoolers with a Home Business,
Computing on a Shoestring: Cheapskate Technology Has Arrived, The
Frugal and Wise Homeschool Budget and, my favorite, Enrichment For a
Song: The Arts, Physical Fitness and Sports.
"Unless Ed McMahon comes knocking, most of us do not have a
choice whether we want to homeschool with a lot of money or with a little.
Our own choice-and probably yours-is between homeschooling on a
shoestring and not homeschooling at all. We have good news, though.
The cost of educational materials need not keep you from
homeschooling. If necessary, you could provide an outstanding
education for your child with little more than a library card."
It's comforting when a book begins knowing right where most of us are
at. They outline simple budget tips and discuss the costly spending
habits many of us have without even thinking about them. Every
chapter gives advice and tips in little sidebars and tables that make
for quick reference. For instance, "The Frugal Home Library and
it's Many Branches," chapter tells you how to build a home library
economically by utilizing used book shops, college bookstores and
college campus bulletin boards. It also gives good advice on choosing
used books that will last.
For an unschooler I found the chapter on curriculum unnecessary, but
they will be of great help for those who do use a curriculum or put
together their own. But the other chapters are well worth reading.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this book is browsing through the
wonderful resources and appendixes. I found many places that I wanted
to write for more information. It's a virtual treasure trove of
resources. Even if the rest of the chapters weren't as helpful as
they are, I would buy it for the resources section alone. This is a
book that deserves a special place on every homeschooler's bookshelf
and a perfect gift for those who are thinking of homeschooling, but
are dubious of living on one income.
www.angelfire.com/on/shareddreams
Dreams on a shoestring
This months contest can reward all of us with money saving ideas and
the lucky winner will be sent a copy of "Homeschooling on a
Shoestring!". Just send us your best money saving tip by June 1st.
The winner and several of the tips will be included in the June issue
of Seedling. Happy Saving:)
Using 12 plastic eggs that can be opened and filled, either you
give a basket with all 12 eggs (label each with the number of the
day, i.e. Day 12, Day 11) or give one egg each day to be opened.
(Day 1 is "Easter Day", so start 11 days before Easter with "Day
12")
Day 12 = Place a cracker or small piece of cracker inside the first
egg with a slip of paper explaining how this symbolizes the bread &
wine of the Last Supper. (Putting in the appropriate Bible
verse/verses for the contents of each egg would REALLY be neat and
SUCH a reinforcing learning tool", too!)
Day 11 = Place 3 dimes to symbolize the "30 pieces of silver" that
Judas received to betray Jesus.
Day 10 = Place a toy soldier or picture of a soldier to symbolize
the soldier who arrested Jesus.
Day 9 = Place a "feather" to symbolize the cock rooster that crowed
3 times.
Day 8 = Place a die or a couple of dice to symbolize the "lots that
were cast" for Jesus's clothing.
Day 7 = Place a "thorn" in to symbolize the "crown of thorns" that
Jesus wore. (taken off a rose bush is fine)
Day 6 = Place a "sponge" in to symbolize the sponge that was dipped
in vinegar when Jesus said, "I thirst".
Day 5 = Place a "piece of cloth" in to symbolize the cloth that
Joseph wrapped the body of Jesus in.
Day 4 = Place a "piece of black paper or black cloth" into the egg
to symbolize the "shadow of darkness" that covered the Earth.
Day 3 = Place a "cross" inside to symbolize the cross on which Jesus
was crucified.
Day 2 = Place a "rock" inside the egg to symbolize the stone that
was rolled away.
Day 1 = EASTER MORNING! This egg will be "empty" to symbolize the
tomb that was empty, that Jesus was "risen" !! ..
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Be sure to write the symbolization description and appropriate Bible
verses on slips of paper to go into each of the eggs.
Day1 - small cracker pieces (represent the Last Supper) Mark14:22
Day2 - feather (represents the Rooster ) Matt 26:33
Day3 - Three silver dimes (30 pieces of silver) Matt26:14-15
Day4 - Thorns (crown of thorns) Mark 15:17 (I used the thorn of a
rose stem)
Day5 - Nail (nails on the cross) Matt27:31
Day6 - a small metal or paper cross (the cross) John19:17-18
Day7 - Dice (casting lots) John 19:23-24
Day8 - Toothpick (spear) John 19:34
Day9 - White cloth (linen burial cloth) Matt 27:57-60
Day10- Cinnamon Sticks (burial spices) Mark 16:1
Day11 - Stone (over the mouth of the tomb) Matt 27:62-65
Day12- Empty Egg (the empty tomb) Mark16:5-6
You will need the following ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
A pinch salt
1 cup sugar
A zipper baggie
A wooden spoon
Tape
Bible
Your children
Preheat oven to 300 F. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let
children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small
pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the
Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into
mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He
was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus
gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it
and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the
salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own
sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is
that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong
to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff
peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the
purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by
Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie
sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where
Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven
OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in
the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb
was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice
the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On
the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb
open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.
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8. Disney World Homeschool Event in Orlando, FL in September
Note that all orders must be received by Harvest no later than July
31,2000 for you to get this special pricing. There will also be a
homeschool day at Disneyland in CA on September 22, 2000. Disney is a
bit different from other theme parks in that they do not do private
parties and they never close. So what you have here is special
pricing for all homeschoolers, but expect to see other people in the
parks as well, especially since the concert is an annual event for
Disney World. This is event is for ALL homeschoolers, if you are not
interested in the concert, you could still come to Disney World on
either Sat or Sun night, ride the rides from 4-8pm, then leave when
the concert begins and then use the full day ticket at whichever
theme park you have picked in advance. This package price is
available for any homeschooler. Additionally, if a homeschooler would
like to invite fellow members of their church to attend the concert
and participate in this event, the church member can also get in on
this package deal by including their church name with their request,
even if they are not homeschoolers. Any questions should be directed
to the address listed below. Their website is at: http://www.harvesthomeeducators.com/
==================
Original Notice
NIGHT OF JOY Disney World's Annual Celebration of
Contemporary Christian Music Home School Days @ Disney World on September
7th, 8th, and 9th ! Two Events € '¶ Two Days € '¶
One Admission Fee * Great Music! * Great family fun day!
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1. You choose the date you would like to attend Night of Joy.
Pick either Saturday, Sept. 8th, or Sunday,
Sept. 9th.
Plus 2. You get an additional ticket to attend the park of your
choice. This ticket will be used to enjoy one of the four theme
parks on Fri., Sat., or Sunday € '¶ the 7th, 8th, or 9th.
Pick either EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Disney-MGM
Studios.
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Join CeCe Winans, the Newsboys, Jaci Velasquez, Raze, Out of Eden,
and Plumb for an evening of blessings and joy! Choose which day you
will attend Night of Joy at Disney€ '²s Magic Kingdom - Saturday,
Sept. 8th, entering the park at 4:00 PM, enjoying the rides and attractions
in the Magic Kingdom until the concerts begin at 8:00 PM, or Sunday,
Sept. 9th entering at 4:00 PM and staying until the concerts begin at
8:00 PM. Both days' concerts end at 1:00 am. Your extra ticket
may be used at any of the four other parks on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
You choose! We would like to recommend that you consider Epcot for
the exceptional Millennium Celebration. This exhibit is not only
spectacular but truly a wonderful educational experience! This two-
day package has a special Home School rate of only $68.00 per person,
any age. This is a great savings compared to the regular admission
price! Please include your preference of date, either Sept. 8th or
Sept. 9th, for your Night of Joy tickets. Your extra tickets will be
good for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Please make your check or money
order payable to Harvest Home Educators and mail to Harvest Home
Educators, PO Box 1551, Clarkwebsite @ www.harvesthomeeducators.com
or email us at harvesth@hemc.net.
We're still waiting on another dollar off from Disney in California
before we post it! Trying real hard to save us
money!!
Busy, busy time in all of our lives I'm sure..when do we get a
break???!!! These Easter activities look so inviting though, and the
cookies look like a MUST! Hope you all have a blessed Passover!!
We need article submissions DESPERATELY!! Please, write on anything,
from a great day you had and would like to share, to a Christian
parenting standpoint that you would like to raise. An issue I'd like
to discuss would be sheltering of our children..if anyone wants to go
with that topic, feel free!!
Individual authors herein retain their own copyrights. You may
freely copy this entire newsletter or material from this newsletter
in other nonprofit publications (unless otherwise marked in the
article), but you MUST include the author's name and this entire
notice:
