Sep. 4, 2008 - case and point
the last entry looks grotesque...why? Because this blogamajigger won't let me edit the text color and highlight to the choices I have selected and it won't let me 'deselect' what's been done in edit mode.
Argh!
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Sep. 4, 2008 - Gotta Laugh
My last entry I had high hopes of periodically 'doing school' thru the summer. I s'pose if you call riding bikes, swimming, camping, building a fort and birthday parties 'school' they heck yah we 'did school'.
We'll start soon. Right now it's crunch time with publications for the MOMS group and gearing up for registration for our homeschool co-op (and more publications for me to update). So in an effort to not start they year by getting frustrated at the kids because I'm trying to focus on something and they want me to tell them what subject they should do next (I taught you how to read...there's the list...follow it -SHEESH!)
Now I'm up in the air about staying with this blog. As I've lamented before...it's not the most user friendly system. It's not easy to post cute pics of the kids; forget re-doing the template to somthing say..grunge with a flourish...it's outta the question. That is unless I want to write my own html for it, who has the time to write code, teach, volunteer at church, play soccer, clean the house, walk the dog and play an instrument? Not I, said the fly! Not to mention I've resolved to ride my bike to all my meetings at church...which is an approximate 7 mile ride - one way, uphill both ways...in the snow...with no shoes. (That was humor for those of you unaccostomed to my bent toward the irrelivant/bizzarre yet some how it's correlated in my mind type of humor.)
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Jun. 26, 2008 - NO funny stuff today...
Ya know I find it really hard to blog out here now. I may be searching for an easier site to blog on. It's a big pain to up load photos here and making your typeset funky to fit your mood could be easier as well. That's why the only stuff I've been posting is the goofy things I find elsewhere. So now for some real updates.
Today we are 'doing school'. We've had about a week off which is more than I planned to pause for. The kids had their yearly assessment tests at the beginning of May. They both did so well! They worked hard this year and it showed!
I plan to have them do studies all summer long, not every day just enough so they don't get too rusty!
Last week Renee and I had a garage sale on Friday then went to garage sales on Saturday. I picked up two scooters with little bicycle tires for two dollars each. The kids are loving them and it give us extra toys for their friends to play on when they're over here. Sunday we had Nicole's 10th birthday party. The weather was so beautiful, we stayed out on the back porch the whole time.
Scott picked up a fort from Craigslist a couple weeks ago and he's been re-assembling it every weekend since (between rounds of golf that is). He added a rock climbing wall, and we'll hopefully be getting the tire swing attached this weekend? I don't know if that's his plan or if he wants to get the siding on first. It's gonna be super cute!
I've been restoring a desk I picked up at a garage sale for $5. It had a broken roll top on it, my lap top wouln't have fit with that on there so I just took it off and puttied in the holes, I've painted it white and distressed it, added all new hardware and now I just need to finish off the back as it had a flimsy piece of board on there since it was meant to face a wall. My desk faces out so I need that part finished. Once I've cut and painted that piece then it'll be done. (the $5 desk has increased it's price several hundred percent!)
I'll try and post pics of the fort and the desk soon.
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May. 22, 2008 - Fun stuff
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Feb. 19, 2008 - For fun...
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Jan. 15, 2008 - To the snow!
My daughter LOVES snow. So for the last several years we've made it up to the higher elevations just so she can get out and play in her favorite substance! This year it took us a few more weeks than usual to get up there due to ilnesses but we made it. Here's out photo journal.
Imagine the snow is super fluffy and drifts about 7 feet deep....we sank....a lot. It also started pouring down rain....we were soaked, still it was a great adventure!
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Dec. 21, 2007 - Lexophiles - lovers of words - will enjoy these.
1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don't pay your exorcist you may be repossessed.
8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulting in Linoleum Blownapart.
13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.
15. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
16. A calendar's days are numbered.
17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
18. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.
21. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.
22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
26. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
27. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
28. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
29. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
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Nov. 15, 2007 - THE MIRACLE OF THE "HIGHLY QUALIFIED" TEACHERS
(Or, "Standards? We Don't Need No Steenkin' Standards")
An interesting bit of information - makes you feel better about your choice to homeschool, yes?
When the Kennedy/Bush "No Dollar Left Behind" education "reform" was passed virtually all teachers were supposed to be "highly qualified" according to standards to be developed by the states. California led the way by adopting a set of standards that effectively declared that if you were part of the system and could breathe, you were a "highly qualified" education professional.
Now the press has belatedly discovered that states are claiming teachers are "highly qualified" on the basis of criteria that have little if anything to do with quality. Well, did you really think that the education special interests were going to run the risk of losing some federal money or suffer embarrassment over something as trivial (to them) as the qualifications of their teachers?
Although education officials dreaded the Bush Administration’s allegedly two-fisted approach to public schools in its No Child Left Behind program, a new study shows that they seem to have found ways to work around it. “For one thing, the law included a number of loopholes that allowed states to claim that veteran teachers were highly qualified using a wide variety of criteria that might not be associated with quality,” the Aspen Institute found.
“For example, in Minnesota, all elementary teachers licensed before 2001 were deemed highly qualified, regardless of whether they demonstrated subject-matter competency (McClure, Piché and Taylor 2006).”
“Similarly, Wisconsin considered teachers highly qualified if they had completed an approved program at any college or university in the United States (Education Trust 2003).” It should be noted that the Aspen Institute is hardly a free-market think tank. Nonetheless, despite its bias towards government programs, the AI researchers found official measurements of teachers’ competence wanting, to say the least. “For example, a study examining the impact of certification on student performance of 150,000 Los Angeles 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers from 2000 to 2003 found little difference between the achievement of students taught by certified teachers and that of students taught by uncertified teachers,” AI reports. “Many non-certified teachers—those deemed not highly qualified under NCLB—taught students who exhibited substantial gains in achievement, while many certified teachers, who earned highly qualified status, taught students who showed small learning gains (Gordon, Kane and Staiger 2006).” “A study of teachers in New York City produced parallel findings.” So did another in North Carolina.
“Although teachers who passed licensure tests—those who met the criteria for ‘highly qualified’ status—produced, on average, larger learning gains than teachers who did not pass, the study found, the difference between the two groups was small,” AI reveals. “In addition, some teachers who passed the test were not effective, while some teachers who did not pass were effective in the classroom.” Thus, teachers whose students may actually learn something do not fare as well under NCLB as their union counterparts with seniority but not necessarily skill.
Nevertheless, for what its worth, both get to participate in taxpayer-funded professional development days. “Under Title II of NCLB, the U.S. DOE provides $2.9 billion annually in grants to states and districts to improve teacher quality,” AI reports. “ However, in a study of how eleven districts used their Title II funds, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that many districts did not target their resources on any group of teachers, such as those who were not highly qualified (GAO 2005).”
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Nov. 14, 2007 - Homeschool Rights Alert
Homeschoolers against NEA philosophy [petition] http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/homeschoolers-against-nea-philosophy The National Educational Association in their 2007-2008 Resolutions has taken a stand against homeschooling. It reads "The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used. The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools. The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting." Statistics have shown that homeschooled students do exceptionally well. They excel (and win) spelling bees, score high on tests like the SAT, and go on to be accepted into many colleges. One Source: http://www.chec.org/Legislative/News/HomeschoolingStatistics/Index.html Homeschoolers also find benefits in co-op classes contrary to the NEA belief that students should only be instructed by their immediate families. Take a moment to tell the NEA that homeschooling is a real option that does produce wonderfully rounded and educated members of society. Please tell your friends about this petition and have them sign too! On October 22nd, we have used the NEA contact form to make sure they were aware of this petition.
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Oct. 30, 2007 - Mt. St. Helens
We took a family field trip to the Coldwater Creek Observatory after Friday School last week. This observatory will be closing on November 5th so if you're in the area I highly reccomend the drive up. It's about 2 1/2 hours from Vancouver. The admission is $8 for adults and kids 15 and under are free.
The ranger talk is very educational, so stick around and listen in. Also take the drive down to Castle Lake, it's a short, pretty hike too! The fall weather's been great, so get out there!
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Oct. 27, 2007 - Pomeroy Farm
I'm tired of being reminded that I was going to start a diet, so I think it's time to start a new entry in my blog!
This week was week six of our first term this year. We had a field trip on Wednesday with our First Class friends. These are pictures of my kids and my daughters best friend who also belongs to our homeschool co-op.
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Apr. 3, 2007 - Weighty Matters
Back on the plan again. I am going to have a good attitude about this! In 1999 I became a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers. I lost 38 pounds!! A few too many of which have found their way back on to my body. The whole food pyramid study we did a few weeks ago really got me thinking again about what foods I'm choosing to sustain myself with. I do like fruits and veggies, but I also like Coldstone and nachos with cheese!
So if I'm few and far between on my posts, perhaps I have mistaken my mouse for a Twinkie?
Ok, on a more funner note...we (We = First Class Homeschool Ministries) have an infomercial thingie! The 2 minute video has been playing on my side bar, but now we have the 8 minute video produced too! If you want to check it out go to this link http://www.fchm.org/site/pages/home/videos.php (I'm the tacky teacher smacking her gum while teaching the kids about air pressure...it was either that or kill the poor dears with morning coffee breath)
Please keep FCHM in your prayers. We are embarking on such a huge new ministry. The St. John family has put their whole heart and soul in to following God's lead for this ministry. Please pray for strength and encouragement for the journey.
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Mar. 9, 2007 - Sam's Science Adventures
I can't say enough about how fun this curriculum is. We've tried several of the science kits from Treasure Box Press and so far have loved every one of them. They are so well put together with quality resources that have the kids begging to do more science...because it's so fun!
Here they are with their Solar System project, the one we did before this was on Sharks, the kit came with a bag full of rocks, sediment, shark teeth, fossils, coral, shells. Just a big 'ol scoop of ocean floor for the kids to go hunting through for treasure.
Right in her element, the Princess of colored pencils! 
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Mar. 8, 2007 - Watching for the signs...
As Americans we have such a hard time wrapping our heads around the problem the Busekros family is having. Why and how could a government act so harshly? One thing we need to understand is the Germans are very proud of their school system. Appreciating their Education System is paramount to patriotism. To buck the school system to them is like spitting on the American Flag to us...you just don't go there. Also, I don't think they really give a hoot what we think here in the US. They are a proud nation, what we think does not phase them in the least.
Lest we become like a nation that submits their children to the state as the total authority on how to educate on academics, socialization, moral values, religious freedom, and even immunization - we must strive then to hold firm to our parental rights and freedoms to raise our children as we see fit.
Excerpts from State Strives to Recapture Homeschoolers
By Michael Haverluck CBNNews
The government's takeover of education
Today, many would find it hard to believe that education was never addressed in the United States Constitution, nor was it discussed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The government would like citizens to believe that it reserves the right to educate the nation's youth, yet their right was never bestowed upon it nor was it stripped away from parents.
The post-civil war industrial revolution started to mainstream public schooling to meet the economy's needs, not the children's. factories forced parents out o their homes and pushed children into the schools, where they became conditioned for work in the industry and indoctrinated into a national mindset that forwarded the government's agenda.
Socialism, moral relativism, evolution, pro-choice, multiculturalism, environmentalism, gay rights, self-esteem training sand sex education are all politically correct/fundamentally wrong concepts promoted in the public schools that have taken their toll on the conservative and biblical values that have formed the backbone of American society.
Through the public schools, the government has played monopoly int he game of education since the turn of the 20th century, controlling the board and children's lives ever since. The recent homeschooling movement, which now provides instruction for 4 million children in the United States, is seen by bureaucrats as usurping their unbridled authority over the education system. Dire attempt to stem this burgeoning exodus from schools have been made by the state at virtually any cost.
Warnings from the past and present
The powerful lesson that state-run schools can lead an entire nation into a dngerous mindset over time can be understood by noting the controlling communist, fascist and socialist regimes from the not-so-distant past. Given the current trend of limiting parental authority in the education of one's children, it is quite possible for histor to repeat itself.
Just how serious are today's governments in keeping their tight-fisted control over education? Ask the Busekros family in Germany, who had their 16 year old daughter stripped from the in a raid by police officers and placed in a psychiatric ward because the Youth Welfare office claimed her homeschooling father had too much control over her thinking. She is also diagnosed with suffering from "school phobia."
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Mar. 6, 2007 - Why do I Homeschool?
I used to dread that question. I didn't really have an answer for it. I just knew I alway wanted to. Years before our children were born I had heard about homeschool and thought...yup, that's what I'm going to do.
The other day I found my answer. Why do I homeschool? Because I know I can do a better job of educating my children than if they were sitting in a classroom. Period.
What I'm struggling to figure out is how I can be so confident, while others doubt and second guess their ability. Am I just too thick headed to know that this is hard work, that I don't have a degree in education, that my kids are going to push my buttons? Well, I'm not thick headed, I don't mind hard work, I can tell when my kids are learning something and when something is not clicking, I have a big God who cares for me and my children and protects them from MAD "Mother-teacher Aggression Disorder" (I just made that up).
So now I know why I homeschool. Next thought to ponder....how not to blow people out of the water with my passion and conviction of my beliefs supporting my decision. I don't have the time or the space to meander there, for now.
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Mar. 5, 2007 - Heavy thoughts, light heart...
I'm finding it difficult to think of stuff to blog about. It's not that we're not homeschooling...we are, constantly. Today was fun. The sun was out so we tried the "Listening Game" from Beyond Five in a Row, outside. First I blindfolded the kids and lead them around, with them only listening to my verbal directions; then they got to do the same to me. That all segued in to a brilliant conversation about why listening is important for safety reasons as well as how it is important for being a good friend.
Albeit that is fun exciting stuff...it's not the most newsworthy, is it?
At the thought of being secretly ridiculed by my some of my family who may read this blog, I'll begin to attempt to reveal some of the thoughts and beliefs I hold to be true. Bit by bit you may catch a glimpse in to what makes Tracy tick.
I'm having some brilliant revelations. The more I pray, the more I listen to God, the more things keep happening. I pray for our homeschool rights, it's at the forefront of my prayer life these days. The more I pray the more God keeps bringing people in to my life, people with questions. People in crisis. People on a search. People who have been trusting the Public Education system to take care of their children, only to finally come to grips with the reality that their children are not happy, and quite honestly neither are they.
What do I know Lord? Political/legal 'stuff' makes my head spin. What I do know is that it is an art, (I like art so I'll call it that) discovering how media and the government are slowly trying to pull the wool over our eyes, who's story is true anymore? I pray to stay sharp...wool is itchy...I don't like it. I pray that the Lord continues to place people and resources in my path so I can remain informed, and that I first attempt to discern information for it's truthfulness before I attempt to share it with others. One could be consumed with these thoughts to the point of desperation and distraction. I am so thankful that I can give my cares and worries to the Creator. I give them to Him knowing that even if I don't like the answer, I still know He is in control. Like Job I may have no idea why things are happening the way they are. I may never put the whole picture together until I reach Heaven.
A good article I read today, puts a statistical light on one of the many concerns that floats through my thoughts. It doesn't really matter what you believe
Above all that 'stuff' though - I pray. I pray for my family. I cry at the heart wrenching thought that we may not all be in heaven together. I pray that even one non-believer can come to know the truth, then I shall be so bold as to pray for yet another, and another. I serve a big God, no task is to great.
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Feb. 27, 2007 - Do you know your rights?
I am glad we are still in a country that allows us to freely choose how to educate our children (pray for the Busekros Family in Germany) I am concerned by many issues attempting to plague our happy state of affairs and I urge all homeschool families to stay in tune with current events. Ignorance is not bliss...it's dangerous.
Even here in the 'home of the brave and the land of the free'...
A truant officer from the Charlevoix, MI area school district made a surprise visit to home of the Daniels* family earlier this month to inquire as to the schooling of Mr. Daniels’ child.
While the officer waited at the doorstep, Mr. Daniels, an HSLDA member, immediately contacted Home School Legal Defense Association. Senior Counsel Chris Klicka took the call and asked Mr. Daniels to pass the phone over to the officer. Klicka assured the officer that the family was legally homeschooling and promised a letter confirming that the family was meeting the requirements of the law. The truant officer still demanded to see the family’s curriculum and be invited into the family's home—but Klicka held firm, refusing to let the officer inside.
Later that day, Klicka followed the phone conversation up with a letter confirming the validity and legality of the Daniels’ family home education program. He explained that the burden to prove the family is not home educating is carried by the school district, and that homeschool families are presumed to be fulfilling this law unless probable cause or credible evidence could be produced indicating that the family is not homeschooling.
In addition, Klicka’s letter informed the truant officer that the Daniels family was respectfully declining the officer's request to see the family’s curriculum and come into the family’s home, as the truant officer had no legal right to request this.
Both the family and HSLDA have not heard from the truant officer since.
* Name changed to protect family’s privacy.
This story has a 'happy ending'...assuming it's finished. However, things could have been painfully more difficult had this family not known their rights.
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Feb. 24, 2007 - Our week in homeschooling...
Recently I was blessed with full set of Beyond Five in a Row curriculum.
It has been my desire to settle into a unit study format. Five in a Row really fits our bill. However, getting started had it's own challenges. (Due to my own organization or lack there of)
- Monday was spent combing through every book in our classroom and both the kids rooms looking for our copy of Boxcar Children, while also trying to keep the kids going on their math and bible study. Around 4 o'clock I conceded that the book would not be found. Mind you I don't feel too bad as it was a Public School Holiday here so my children had more school than the general populous.
- Tuesday, after Bible Study and a lunch with my small group the kids and I made it to Barnes and Noble only to find that the shelf had all hundred and something copies of Boxcar Children, except book 1. A nice associate found the last copy in the store....misplaced. So we merrily made our purchase and headed home. It is now about 2pm and after the children again finish their math and some handwriting drills. We move on to other daily activities.
- So finally Wednesday we embark on our new curriculum journey. What fun we had! We studied the food pyramid, learned what a nutrient is, and journaled our eating habits for the day (all from a little blurb the children in the book have about bread being better for you than cookies).
We also began our first page of our Notebook Journals with our Food Pyramid printouts from Enchanted Learning.
The kids are enjoying their grammar lessons from Simply Grammar. They've always liked their math, and both love their Awanas bible memory books. So here I am in my 6th year of 'official' homeshcool and by golly I think I've found my groove!
On a side note: IKEA Portland opens soon and I'll be getting our classroom outfitted with an organizer closet system. Perhaps I'll find our original copy of Boxcar Children.
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Feb. 7, 2007 - Where'd I put my cape?
Thursday is cram day! Getting ready to go represent First Class Homeschool Ministries at the WATCH convention in Spokane. I found it rather fitting that I recently discovered that I'm also Wonder Woman!
Your results:
You are Wonder Woman
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You are a beautiful princess with great strength of character.  |
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Feb. 6, 2007 - November Snow
In the middle of schoolwork one strange November day, the skies burst open and let out a blast of snow. Then it was sunny. Then it rained, then it snowed, then the sun came out. All in the scope of about 2 hours. It was the first snow we'd seen in over a year so of course I had to break studies so the kids could romp and play.
Now it's been so long since I blogged I don't remember all the cool tricks I picked up on loading my pictures all pretty...so hopefully I can get this to work.
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