Oct. 29, 2009 Mother's Night Out Party: Apple Themed
This Summer I was so excited to talk to grownups after resting at home from my foot surgery. Not that people weren't around, the deaconesses and my family certainly visited, I was just thrilled to be at the LIFE meeting planning fall fieldtrips. So I volunteered to host the Mom's fellowship.
Last week very little kitchen table school happened last week, because I was tidying up the house for Miss M's visit. It needed some major work! So the house was still pretty good this week for the party Tuesday night, but it is amazing how ambitious having no laundry spread on the floor made me to create beauty and order; not much kitchen table work this week either. In fact, once the party was over, I discovered that I'd been ignoring the boy's requests to get their Lego Brickmaster contest entries mailed, and they were due in the office in 4 days. Then the printer became ill, and my computer confused me.
Homeschool was hijacked.
However, this blog post is not really about my inability to do it all: hosting a mom's fellowship night was fun. Four friends showed up, from the LIFE group, and from other groups. Each lady brought an apple dish (I'd made regular pizza, and my Dad's Bisto Pizza dish from a cool cookbook he liked) That had olive oil and sauted garlic first, then a mound of fresh spinach, sliced granny smith apple, mozzerella, parmezagne, and blue cheese. yum. The ladies brought apple spice cake without the apples, apple dumplings, apple strudle, and apple doughnuts from Dunkin' Doughnuts. One family also brought their son - who hung out with DH, M and B in the workshop playing computer games online, the kids introduced each other to their favorites.
Us mom's laughed, compaired curriculums, commiserated, laughed some more, and drank mulled apple cider.
I'd set out some 3x5 note cards, a new apple punch, and an edger punch. I'd made myself a name tag. K finally quit crying and went to sleep when I let her wear my name tag. She wiggled her shoulders and giggled in bed after that.
She really likes to imitate me. |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 29, 2009 Geography with Miss M
Miss M had my class enthralled: how do you point things out in the Philippines? With your lips if you are polite (at least in Luzon) Some money, stories about her students at Faith Academy, maps, weather maps of approaching typhoons and much enthusiasm.
Thank you so much Miss M! |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 9, 2009 Testing the walls
 We are up to the exciting day in the Bernie Zubrowski book, "Messing About with Drinking Straw Construction," when the kids make different walls out of straws and paper clips, (and carefully placed straight pins, placed by the grown ups)
 Then test them for strength with nails in paper cups,
 This one took 348 nails to knock down.
 One Dad walked past on his way to rocketry class, and estimated how many nails the wall could hold up that had 4 studs. He was really close. |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 8, 2009 Phew, I have a theme, Installment 4a
It's Thursday, tomorrow I face about a dozen older homeschoolers, whose families have come to co-op when they could be doing lots of other things. And while I've been thinking and studying this week, I have not yet figured out my lesson for tomorrow.
I do have a theme though: since geography is a subject spread through history, military strategy, geology, travel, social studies, anthropology, economics...I'm not sure how to teach it by itself. But I do know that my students will need an understanding of the various reference books and sources. So if I highlight different sources, and give teasers for good books (Small Woman, The People Time Forgot, Hudson Taylor's autobiography, Around the world in 100 years, Longitude...) perhaps the kids will investigate them further later on, there is nothing to make kids want to read like knowing the beginning of a book.
So for tomorrow...a game to use the atlas more, introduce missionary magazines as a source...um, I'm still thinking.... |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 5, 2009 Quizzes and Resourse Books, Geography Class Installment 3
I keep my copy of Operation World in a kitchen drawer near the microwave. I keep meaning to incorporate the daily pray around the world feature into morning prayer in homeschool, but first I need to get homeschool starting smoothly with prayer.
However, I do regularly use it: it's a big help when the the Geo Quiz on PRI's The World, comes on at 4:50PM, right as I'm usually saute-ing veggies for dinner. The kids know not to ask me questions when I'm wiping the onion juice off my hands in a hurry (Most days). If I like quizzes, maybe my class would too?
I looked up the National Geographic GeoBee , because I like their quiz on the magazine wrappers - ooo, this online game could be addictive, it's timed and gives you a score!
Last week for class, I printed off copies of quizzes from both on-line sources, read them to the kids, and had them work in groups with the resources to find the answers. I had introduced the kids to Operation World, a student atlas with various maps, and an atlas of political maps. Sometimes we talked about how to figure out which resource worked better. I'd never heard of the Maldive Islands before (Average hight 5 feet above sea level). We prayed for them after reading their entry in Operation World, their Christian population is only .01%.
The kids were restless, and ready to run outside a little before the end of class. I lost some of them when I didn't make the class compeditive, and some others when I mentioned that, "The World" can have a liberal perspective, but that I believe never the less that it gives valuable international news, so I know what to pray about.
One of the helper Moms wanted to know where she could buy a copy of Operation World. The kids wanted to know if they were done yet.
Oh Well.
|
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 5, 2009 Guest Speakers for Geography Co-op Class, Installment 2
I contacted most of the people I know who have traveled: missionaries, friends who have had interesting vacations, various in-laws who often host international students, business people from church, and a couple who have bicycled across most of Asia in order to see what medical care is like around the world (they are busy in medical school right now though, bummer!)
I asked them if they could visit my class, but also for their advice in traveling and interacting with people from different backgrounds, so I could pass it on if they couldn't come.
My pastor, who traveled for business a great deal before being called to the ministry, and has traveled to Belarus since then, pulled out his traveling "musts," a mask to sleep in the light (Sweden in Summer was really bright in the middle of the night) ear plugs (snoring traveling companion) multi-band cell phone to keep in touch with his lovely wife, passport with interesting visa stamps, knowledge of culture and political situation, and missionary biographies, not to travel with, but because a world map inspired William Carey and John G. Paton to see where God wanted them to go. Some of the kids were dissappointed when the class was over and it was time to go outside and socialize!
In a few weeks one of our church's missionaries will be coming a day early to speak at the co-op, then visit Plimouth plantation (the re-inacted place, that's not a typo) and later speak at our church. I'm so grateful she is willing to come early for our co-op!
I might get another speaker, but her work schedule may be in the way. I also count - I finally have a passport, and I went somewhere with it - Guangzhou China in 2007, as a traveling companion to my friend when she picked up her daughter.
I needed some accountability to get the double scrapbooks made, one for her, one for me. |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 5, 2009 How is the Geograpy Co-op Class coming? installment 1
I'd love to report that I've found a perfect book for UPPER Grade students (I have 4th grade through 9th grade), and have an outline for the next half of co-op. But really, while I've come up with good stuff, I'm making it up week to week as my library books come in, budget it tight at the moment at co-op, so I did not buy anything although, most of the resources are marketed for younger elementary, or are basically atlases.
The first class I assigned a project (presenting their projects will take up the last two classes) This was inspired by my friend Annie's comment on my Help! I've got to organize a Geography Class post.
The Project:
By the end of November, I want you to present your dream trip to the class, in any format you choose: speech, lapbook, poster, essay paper.
Pick anywhere in the world. Perhaps somewhere your ancestors are from, perhaps somewhere you have read about in a novel, in history or seen in a movie. Maybe you know a missionary who lives there. Maybe you love the food, the art, the people, the wildlife. Maybe you can earn lots of money there. Tell us what it is that interests you there.
What time of the year you will travel there, what you will pack, how you will travel (bicycle, foot, plane, canal boat, camel) where you will stay, who you will visit, what sites you will see, how many days you will stay there, what local specialties you wish to try, what souvenirs you will buy, and how you will be polite (different things show politeness in different places, be sure your manors are calibrated) What is your budget? Do you need any shots? Do you need a passport? Do you need a body guard? Is getting a visa tricky for this part of the world? What language(s) are spoken in this place, why? How are Americans viewed in this part of the world, why? What do most people do for a living there? Show us a map with the places you plan visit on it. Don't forget to plan a day to relax when you are there, travel is strenuous, you don't want to get sick.
The end of the class we did an activity to show map projections from pg 26 of Make it work! Maps by Andrew Haslam. Only, since I don't drink soda, and had no bottles on hand to make a half globe, and since the glass ornaments you can fill were on sale at Michaels, I used those.
Get the soda bottles, one globe broke in my hand and I got blood and glass shards everywhere. Besides, even with very small pen light flashlights, even 8th graders are all thumbs.
Not to mention certain Moms we all know ;-0
|
•
Comments (1)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Oct. 3, 2009 Why we were 5 min late to Co-op this Friday
I have the key to the church. I am the co-ordinator. I sort of set the tone. It's important that I set a good example...right?
If we leave at 9AM, then we get to the church before 9:25AM, and while most folks are there in the parking lot already, I'm not late. Friday morning the phone rang at 8:50, it was so interesting to hear this Mom describe homeschooling, part-homeschooling and sending a kid to "pilot school," as we talked about Lego League. Then as I hung up, it was 9:10. Well, the kids all had shoes on, and everything we needed was in the back hallway ready to go since it had been laid out Thursday night. I called my trusty eldest son, asked him to take my key, and load the car.
I grabbed the toddler, and joined the boys, already in the their places strapped down, ready to go.
"Where's the key?" I asked.
"Oh, it isn't in your purse? I didn't need it after all, the car was unlocked." came the reply.
I growled about how we had to walk down to Daddy's work now, because our neighbor with a key had just gone to bed from her night shift. Despite my growl, K began to sing a happy song about seeing Daddy. I strapped her into her travel stroller, glanced at the garden for some serenity, and noticed that the workshop window was not latched. I opened it, summoned M, hoisted him through, and told him to open the front door.
As I waited on the porch, I heard his footsteps pounding to the backdoor. "The other front door honey!" I yelled. He let me in, I found my key, then he ran to the car through the back door, leaving it open. I shut both doors, joined the boys, who were standing arond K in her stroller, looking at me blankly as I hustled them into the car again. M told me what fun it was crawling through the window, and could he do it again?
K wailed, "No...Daddy?!!!" then spread eagled herself so that it was nearly impossible to fit her into her carseat.
I popped the Steve Green CD of memory verse songs into the car, spilling my old coffee from yesterday onto my purse and maps in the process, but the wailing turned to hums and clapping. she loves that cd.
Traffic thickened on rt 118 South, although unlike last week, no horses were loose. This time it was construction, with no one directing traffic agressively, it was sort of passive direction. I hate passing things, but took a deep breath, and crossed the double yellow line, at about 30mph. Just then an ambulance appeared on the crest of the hill only about 7 car lenghths from me, no sirens, but lights blinking and coming fast. I definitely could not stop and back up, so I sped up, then pulled over. "Phew!" said M. The ambulance siren-ed me (or perhaps the passive traffic director?) in annoyance as it passed, then a fire truck came by. We prayed for the responders, and the people who might be hurt, thanked God we were fine, then continued to co-op.
We were only 5 min late, although I don't know why. I think I'll take the other route to co-op next week.
|
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Sep. 23, 2009 Co-operating at co-op
I love the 1st and 2nd grade kids, they are so eager to help out moving furniture. When I saw these guys pick up a table, my first reaction was "Oh, boys, let the adults do that!"  But then I remembered that the table tops are quite light, and they were doing a good job, so I just stayed out of the way. Look at those grins! They did need some help with the spacial geometry of putting them away though. |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Aug. 6, 2009 Getting Lost - and teaching a Geography Class
At the co-op planning meeting last Spring, one family attending by cell phone said that they could co-op with us if someone taught an upper level class on geography. I love maps, my older boy loves to hang out with that family's boy, so I volunteered.
I wrote an e-mail to all the world travelers I know (and had e-mail addresses for) and asked them what aspects of geography study had helped them the most in their travels, and would they like to show up at my co-op class with curios and stories? I have one date set, many other visitors pending. (If I left you out, please let me know what aspect of geography was most helpful to you, and, DO you want to visit my co-op class?) Most people said they'll have to think about it, because my question was bizarre. One lady said that weather and climate helped for packing, but cultural knowledge was more valuable. How to read maps came out a lot, and so did changing currency and staying flexible.
Geography is such a hodgepodge of maps, history, culture, and Earth science. I'm trying to select the good stuff, and remember that I've got the 8th graders and up (the hour before the kids get to shoot off rockets in the back field - can they possibly concentrate?) Most of the library books are either aimed at younger students, or are tomes that don't circulate. I do have a copy of Operation World, the prayer manual, and various travel, missions, relief and persecution advocacy journals as sources. But what is, "the point?"
To understand history better? To travel comfortably? To welcome foreigners graciously and knowledgeably? To not become an "Ugly American?" To celebrate the culture of your ancestors? To feel a connection with the country you were adopted from? To pray more intelligently for missionaries, and the church around the world? To be thankful that you have clean water and no malaria? To celebrate God for his creativity in humanity and the planet? Is there one point? Are they all good? Maybe I should count my points and take one a week - maybe I should do oceans and continents one a week...maybe I should do famous explores and missionaries once a week.
Now I love collecting information, but I'm over whelmed at the moment! It's like early co-op planning meetings where we tried to figure out the bones of our co-op AS WELL as what classes we would teach. Now that we know we will do two 45 min classes with a long break in the middle, we spend our time just figuring out which subjects to cover, and who will teach them. (And go home to our husbands and kids before midnight) We can get creative and discuss a few things in detail (for the creative options people) but still cross off lists (for the we must accomplish something people). Oh boy, where is my structure in this geography class?
I do know that I have no interest in having the class learn lists of countries and capitals, or exports. For one thing I'd be bored, and another they are not in the grammar stage of learning anymore, they are in 8th grade. But if anyone wants to comment on the value of this as a project, I'll listen (read).
In my education, geography was mixed in with informal life. My mom taught me about maps on our Saturday excursions together, and Orienteering meets. I learned my cultural geography from reading National Geographic, and going to the missions meetings at church. School only covered social studies sort of. This bits and pieces approach allows me to get and average 3 out of the 5 questions on the wrapper of National Geographic right, and if I have a world map handy, to answer the geo quiz on PRI's "The World."
Here is a juicy deep dark open secret: Not only have I not make the kitchen curtains, I don't know my right from my left! You'd think I'd never set out to bring the kids on a field trip, but I do. I just practice with a map, give myself extra time on new projects, and think in compass points and land marks. DH is most comfortable driving somewhere new if I'm riding shotgun with the map and directions, so I must actually do pretty well.
But does that mean I'll confuse the kids with map work exercises as I have an a-typical approach, or that I'll inspire them because if a person with a weird brain can do this, then they can too? Well, it's too late to worry about my credentials, I've already volunteered. I'm gonna just have to pick something to organize this class about.
BLOGGOSPERE, GIVE ME FEEDBACK, PLEASE!
|
•
Comments (3)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Jun. 12, 2009 Planning Meeting Last Night
We had over 14 folks show up, plus 2 "attending," by cell phone (and they were offering to teach classes!) My lap top monitor quit in the middle of entering data (it does that sometimes) but T's lap top was up and running, and it served as backup, until I crashed the data base. Our soon-to-be-college-student-computer-consultant is working on it this morning. Even so, everyone was so pleasant to work with, eager to help out where ever they were needed, and full of good ideas. It's a joy to work with such gracious people.
C stood at the white board, and kept notes, so we had a hard copy record of our conversations, and this morning when I could get back on the data base, most of the info was still there. The ladies kept track of which hour a class ran, if it should be slotted for the first or second hour (can you imagine trying to teach public speaking in a classroom after the kids had done rocketry in the back field? Me neither, so rocketry will be during the second hour so no one has to compete.) The ladies even noticed if anyone had volunteered for two simultaneous jobs, or if an age group were lacking. I used to use a pocket chart to keep us organized, then tried to use the computer. I think I'll ask C to stand at the whiteboard next time and enter the data on computer later - as long as she doesn't get a broken arm or anything.
Most of the classes we are running are in the category of "Things I've always wanted to teach," AND "Stuff my homeschool needs, would someone please teach it." WOW! I'm thrilled. It doesn't get any more win/win than that! We have a great line up including Mr M teaching rocketry in the back field - and he's a real air traffic controller! Does it get any cooler than that if you are a 10 year? (Particularly a 10 year old boy?)
|
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Jun. 7, 2009 Homeschooling Expo
I did not organize this, all I did was show up with some fun things my kids had made this year. But I did feel happy in the back of my mind, because I had a little bit to do with inspiring my friend who DID do a lot of work to make this fun afternoon come together. Last year ChristineMM at the Thinking Mother wrote about how encouraging she found a homeschooling expo where the children showed what they had done, chatted, and ate cookies. I send the url of Christine's blog entry out to friends, and Sue got inspired.
My boys brought their latest Lego models, M's display from JR F.I.R.S.T. was mostly still intact, although, I couldn't lay my hands on the photos of his team mates. I printed a photo of them all with their awards to make up for it. One mom mentioned that her son loved Legos, and would like to join when he is old enough...B brought this computer with him, as he'd built it after all. Also his flute.
  Our friend J designed and sewed her dress and her sister's.
 M's grandmother is always cold in her nursing home, and when she gets her tests at the hospital. So M took a worn johny that fitted her Grandmother well back to her home, rubbed off a pattern, and made this one out of fleece. her Grandmother should be much more comfortable in it!
 The quilt was indeed a project for school, but the mounted newspaper clippings also looked like a quilt. Do you think the greater number of Democratic newspaper advertisements (and their clear graphic style) helped them win the election? The newspaper quilt sure makes it look that way!
 Here were some poems and illustrations
 and a poetic fish
 These kids build the rabbit hutches and chicken coops themselves, they learned to faithfully care for the animals, who were not toys.
   I think K enjoyed the big girls practicing their babysitting skills on her too!
 S's map smelled SO good. I wanted to eat just a few states.
So, we encouraged each other, celebrated what we'd done, chatted and ate cookies. A few library patrons checked us out too. A fun time was had by all.
Thanks Sue!
|
•
Comments (2)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
May. 6, 2009 Dispatch from "Testing"
I'm standing at a counter in the narthex of Good News Chapel in Attleboro, the plate glass beneath the laptop covers World Vision pamphlets, there are crock pots and coolers in the corner of the room where families have brought supper for the proctor's families. My friends D and "Elmer" L organized a testing co-op again this year, arranging for us to rent out this church building (and gym!) I really admire their efforts in making what could be a scary, stressful time into a reunion/holiday. My friend J, the brilliant soon to be college student just came back to mentor me on using websitebaker to spiff up the Eagle's Wings Co-op website: we have stories from students and teachers to upload, and lots of photos of the past 6 years.
I've already given him my one bit of advise: do not complain to your classmates about how easy the work is compared to your Folk's homeschool. No matter how true it is, it will alienate your potential friends, and college work has a way of getting harder real quick!
The younger siblings of students taking the Stanford Achievement Test are playing in the gym, the older kids are at the other end of the Christian Ed wing of this church, with their number two pencils and rulers.
K is sleeping in her stroller.
|
•
Comments (1)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Apr. 22, 2009 A Storytelling Club Apr. 6, 2009 Club Mosses don't crawl away.
We never did see a single chickedee. No wonder Mrs Comstock recommended that the teacher hang up suet near the classroom so that over the winter, children become accustomed to watching chickedees. we did enjoy the nest, coloring sheets, song from the internet, and Thornton Burgess story however, and heard many birds as we sat in the church picnic area.
I prepared two subjects for the last class; club moss, and salamanders. My DH can find a salamander (Jefferson's variety) very easily. Me? I can't seem to pick the right log. It is also the time of year when they migrate to vernal pools to mate, so perhaps thats why the logs were vacant. So, we checked out the logs, then looked at the club mosses. In the pouring rain.
The great advantage of studying plants in a co-op setting where you have to find the nature in a scheduled time is that plants don't get scared off or crawl away (or migrate or...) so they are there when you are.
My wonderful helper mom bought the kids hot cocoa in the classroom, while they tried not to drip on the reference books from the library. The boys especially took great pride in that we truly did go outside "no matter what."
So this co-op season I've confirmed again that the families I work with are wonderfully creative, flexible, organized and gracious. I've also learned that I can indeed do nature study. I do need a scouting walk for topic prep, and a regular set aside time to take the kids out. I'm not completely sure how to add it to the just me and my kids part of homeschool though, with the baby's naps to work around, meals not getting done so well when we take an afternoon in the nature preserve, and the kitchen table school's drumbeats about never finishing anything ever. (The kitchen table lies, but it sounds so scary).
Of course, I should not be blogging at this time of day (the boys are finishing chores) and I do need to learn how to use the crock pot.
But the big point is, yes I can do this. It is a whole lot easier for me to do it in a co-op setting though with other grown ups around. Maybe I need a nature buddy family and a regular scheduled time of hitting the trail.
Any New England takers?
|
•
Comments (2)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Mar. 21, 2009 Lichens Update
The sweetest statement I heard yesterday was, "There is so much wonderful stuff here!" from a child standing on a stump near the pile of old construction stuff in the church parking lot, next to the meadow and walking circuit. She meant the lichens, mosses, trees, and rosettes of sprouting weeds, and she was right.
Once again I forgot my camera, so you'll have to take my word for it that this statement was wonderfully true AND ironic.
The children found lichen on tree trunks and rocks with a Southern exposure, and never covered by leaves.
One of the Moms told me that walks are easier to take now because the kids are busy looking for moss and white pine trees, not complaining that their feet hurt. They have also arranged some play dates with families they have meet at co-op. Wow, things are working as I hoped they would.
My boys enjoyed bragging to their friends about the exhibit they caught at the science museum about mythical creatures around the world. (with miniature mamoth bones to arrange into cyclops skeletons)
My husband suggested that I do salamanders next week as there are many likely looking logs to roll over.
|
•
Comments (2)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Mar. 19, 2009 Tomorrow; lichens
Tomorrow my nature study class is to looks at lichens; because I know for sure that there ARE lichens within walking distance of the church. I've been reading library books about lichens, but I'm not sure what is best to ask the kids about, or what they can figure out for themselves by observation. The idea that the little plant communities are hard to name is fun, but not so interesting for 1st graders. I need to look up the story of Beatrix Potter, the first person to suggest that they were both fungus and algae living together. I need to collect a little bit of my Mom's rotting picnic table with British Soldiers growing on it (Cladonia cristatella), and think of two more topics for them to study in the last two weeks. I haven't kept great phrenological notes for around here, I don't know what will be doing interesting things in the next few weeks locally. The daffodils have put up spikes in the sheltered bed by the church door, but that doesn't mean there will be blooms soon.
Anyone in South Eastern Mass/Rhode Island, have ideas?
I may have the kids walk around looking for questions and subjects instead of reading stories tomorrow at the end of class time.
But I have learned some cool tidbits from my research; lichens were used to dye Harris Tweed, and imparted a natural anti-bactireal and moth proofing that made the cloth last longer. The trade in dye stuff lichens was as big a money making deal as spices in the 15th centuries. Various animals can eat lichen as fodder. There was a lichen brandy made in Sweden in the 19th century, but the distillery went out of business when the lichen supply ran out.
The moss gardens in some of the books look so adorable. I want to look into making a terrarium; of course, most of the moss gardening books were published a long time ago, I need to see what the current thought is on wild crafted mosses and lichens, no point in collecting them if I'm just going to kill them; especially if they are rare.
OK, questions that have occurred to me for tomorrow: where do you find these lichens? What are they growing on? Do you find them on other sites? Do they like one exposure better than another? Are they green? Describe what they look like.
My class mostly just loves to be outside, those questions and the field guide should do it. |
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Two weeks ago, before the great head cold week, my nature study class studied white pines. I used the question from the handbook of nature study mostly, and added some pine needle tea. I'd heard about pine needle tea in a book about colonial medicine, then saw it on a Man vs. Wild episode (or maybe Survivor Man?) one of those manly, manly shows we love to watch at my Mom's house on Sunday Afternoon. I looked up some recipes on line, saw that white pine worked fine, and made some tea:
I picked a handful of new needles, climbing through a foot of snow to get at them, as I'd warned all the moms in co-op we were going outside no matter what, I couldn't wimp out myself. I put them in a fresh coffee pot, filled them with hot water, and put them on a warming burner on the coffee pot. They smelled very nice, and got wonderful surprised looks from the moms getting their coffee!
The kids in groups of 2 and helping parents all got their own tree, the church driveway is lined with white pines. They also got different aged trees, so they could see the branching patterns of the whirled boughs.
They liked the tea (with lots of honey in it). It turns out they all watch the Discovery Channel too.
|
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
Last week the co-op went on without me beautifully and creatively. Lots of people (including my kids ) were sick. But I didn't cancel in time to stop the folks who drive for an hour to get there from leaving their homes. However, they did wonderfully without me:
C, the very calm and creative lady who co-ordinates when she has to, and always leads the circle time, came up with lots of great ways to fix our staffing trouble, she drafted a Dad to be our floor officer (the adult who unites parents and children when the child is sick, naughty or distraught, makes sure all our classes have 2 adults in them if someone has to leave, and reminds the teachers they only have 5 min left) She joked that we needed a pink sash for him, to mark his office. She moved the only toddler in nursery up to the pre-k class (all the other babies were sick) and re-assigned the adults. (The pre-K teacher offered to add him to her roster, he did so well) She shifted helping parents from classes where they were just needed for crowd control, to covering classes were they had some expertise in the topic of the missing teacher.
I would never have thought of these solutions; I'm great with time to think, but improvise gracelessly. I thank the Lord for C.
I'm looking foreward to hearing how the kids did with my instructions on studying mosses:
"My kids are all sick with a bad cold. They MAY be well tomorrow, but I
doubt it. So, I need coverage for tommorow's nature study class. I'm
sending the lesson plan to you now, and the books with C.
Start out by greeting the kids, handing out their notebooks and pencils,
reminding them to walk quietly outside, then take them out.
Have them check the oak tree near the swings, have the buds opened
further than two weeks ago? Are those buds for leaves, or for flowers?
Are their two sorts of flower, or one?
Check the pine trees, any new growth?
Look for mosses.
Everyone draw what they see of the mosses.
Once inside, attempt to identify what sort of moss you found.
Let the kids who are intrigued with the identification books keep
looking through them, read a Thornton Burgess story to the others to
fill up the time."
I'll find out tomorrow.
|
•
Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
• Permanent Link
|
|
I just gave a book talk yesterday, although I did use the globe to explain the problem of longitude for 16th century navigators in 
