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UNICEF
Nov. 1, 2006
I'm
so proud of my children. Last night when we got home from
trick-or-treating, they didn't want to count their candy haul.
They wanted to know how much money they'd raised for UNICEF. And
considering we only went around one block, the fact that they came home
with over $17 is fabulous! The box says $4 buys a large wool
blanket and $2.50 buys school supplies for one child and they tried to
figure out how many ways that $17 could be divided. Then they
added their own coins from their piggy banks and pushed the total up to
close to $22. Yay!
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Portfolio Puzzle
Oct. 31, 2006
I've
been working on our school portfolio and run into a small
problem. I'm not exactly sure what to put in as samples from our
Switched-on-Schoolhouse. It's easy enough to include some pages
from our Christian Studies and handwriting and LLATL, but all I can
figure out to print from SOS are the pages that say how long a
particular lesson took, and how many tries it took for the kids to get
the right answer. I can also print the questions & answers to
go along with this, but it still somehow doesn't feel like a "proper"
sample. My husband suggested I take more pictures of the kids
working on projects like science experiments or history reports.
I hope that will be sufficient.
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Almost time for NaNoWriMO!
Oct. 27, 2006
It's
almost November and that means... well, okay, it means Thanksgiving. :)
But it also means NaNoWriMo! November is National Novel Writing
Month. It's crazy. It's fun. It's even educational!
And it's not too late to sign up. NaNoWriMo has a special program
just for young people/students and yes, homeschoolers are
welcome! We even have our own special forum section. We've
done this for a few years now, taking our results over to Lulu.com to
have them printed and bound. It's hard to beat the glow your
children's faces when they're holding in their hands a "real" book they
wrote themselves.
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
Lulu Self Publishing
BTW
- If you've never visited the Lulu site, you should check it out.
Thanks to modern technology, you can produce a bound book for much less
money than you might think. There's no minimum order,
either. Our books have never cost more than $9 a piece.
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Robinson Curriculum
Oct. 26, 2006
I
got a copy of the Robinson Curriculum through - eep! eBay.
I didn't know then about the homeschooling ban. I'm not using
eBay any longer! - and I've been looking through it. I don't
think I'd ever switch to it exclusively because, well, honestly, it
looks thorough, but not much fun. :-/ I do find the concept behind it
interesting and I do like the copious amounts of research material it
provides.
Read about the Robinson Curriculum
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Beware of bank fraud in e-mails!
Oct. 25, 2006
I
decided to post here something that happened to me tonight, in case
anyone stumbles across my blog via the random-blog thing and so hasn't
already heard personally from me via e-mail or the highday forum.
I am simply copying and pasting my forum board post, but please be
assured that this did happen, to me directly, and I'm not just
recycling some "urban legend" story-type e-mail that never dies.
Here it is:
I received an e-mail saying that my Fairwinds
Credit Union account had been frozen due to suspicious attempts to
access it over the internet. There was a link in the e-mail that I was
supposed to click where I could go and log-in to my account to
reactivate it.
Except, I don't actually have an account at Fairwinds, so I knew right away that something was wrong.
I traced the path of this e-mail link to a masked domain in Japan.
There, by poking around in the directory, (not hard to do if you know
how) I discovered that not only was the person behind this targeting
Fairwinds, but also WAMU and something called Providian. Who ever he
is, he's very good. The pages he built look EXACTLY like the real
thing. Had I been a Fairwinds customer and logged in at his fake page,
he would have had all the information he needed to clean my account
right out. I believe he used a spam program to target e-mail accounts
listed in the our area for this campaign, (because
Fairwinds is a local credit union), counting on at least some of those
e-mails hitting genuine Fairwinds customers who would innocently follow
the instructions provided.
I spoke on the phone with someone at the Tampa branch of the FBI
and he had me forward all the info I gathered to him and commented that
it "happens all the time" and luckily I was "smart". (Yay me. Hee.)
I've no doubt they'll be able to shut this phony domain down, but,
sadly, others will no doubt appear to take its place.
How does this all pertain to you? If you EVER get an e-mail from
your bank - or any credit cards companies you use - do NOT click on the
links in that e-mail. If you think the e-mail might actually be legit,
simply go to the bank's home page - like www.wamu.com
- by typing the address into your browser bar. From there you can log
into your account without worrying you've been secretly sent elsewhere.
Banks are not going to send you e-mails with links to parts of their
sites that can't be easily accessed by logging in from the front page.
It's a little more work, obviously, than clicking on a direct link, but
that work has the potential to someday save you from having your
account emptied by some unknown person.
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Can't decide if "blinkies" are totally cool or really annoying!
Oct. 23, 2006
So, I went ahead and made myself one, to see if I could do it. I think I set the frame speed too high. Hee.
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Yes. I am a Geek.
Oct. 22, 2006
I should have a badge. Hee. I'll have to settle for this:
You Are Incredibly Logical  Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic
You think rationally, clearly, and quickly.
A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!
How Logical Are you?
**To be fair - this quiz isn't nearly as hard as they "warn" you it is.**
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God's Love
Oct. 22, 2006
Isn't God's love amazing? I know, I know, that seems like an obvious thing to say. But seriously. He loves us. He loves us. What could we possibly want more by way of a "safety-net"? Even at the worst moments of our lives, we are not totally friendless or abandoned. He is always there and His love is always constant. It's the greatest love there is, so boundless we can't even really entirely comprehend it.
Too shy to walk into a room full of strangers? Too fearful of failure to attempt some long-held dream like writing a novel or running a marathon? Why do we let self-doubt hinder us? God loves us. Yes, us! In His eyes we're beautiful, awesome, and wonderful because these are the things He created us to be.
Do you shrink back, do you "hide your light" just because you worry about what other people think of you? Why? God loves us. Does it really matter what these people think?
I have many truths I hope to fully impress upon my children and this is at the top of the list. No matter what, no matter where, no matter when, God's love is always there wrapped around them like an indestructible security blanket.
God loves us. And it really is amazing.
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I am up way too late!
Oct. 22, 2006
I
stayed up much too late last night, and here I am at it again. I
got caught up in reading earlier tonight in my Archeology Bible - oh,
it's this: Archeological Study Bible - it's really fascinating to me! - and the time just escaped me.
I also finally found a filet pattern I think I'd like to do to use the
rest of the thread I have. It's a nativity scene - on this
website: Nativity Crochet Pattern. I don't know if I could finish my table cloth and do the nativity all before this Christmas, but I'd still like to make it.
I'm also looking for other Christian designs; they don't seem to be
that easy to come across. My husband suggested I take the leap
and start making my own designs. I'd never considered it before,
but it might actually be fun. :)
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wOOt! It works!
Oct. 19, 2006
How
wacky is it that I couldn't simply get my domain name forwarded - that
I instead had to sign-up for "free" - read "annoying Google
ad-supported" - hosting, so I could build an index page that
immediately jumps you here if you type in my URL? Or, for the
non-java-enabled, technophobes with ancient browsers, there's a page
with a link. Either way - no more viewing the awful GoDaddy blog
that was sitting there. Whew!
ETA - I have GOT to go
over my html code and figure out what I slipped in there that keeps
adding too many returns after my posts. I'm getting kinda tired
of having to edit each post to fix them! Heh.
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School Violence Here in Central Florida.
Oct. 19, 2006
A
local 17-year-old boy was arrested today for stabbing a 15-year-old
classmate to death - in an argument over a girl. The fight
started at lunchtime, then continued after classes ended, at a school
bus stop. According to one witness, the older boy actually hugged
his victim before pulling out a three-inch serrated knife and stabbing
him in the stomach and neck.
And people still wonder why we homeschool.
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URL Blues.
Oct. 19, 2006
So, now
that I don't even need the highdayhomeschooler URL anymore? It
seems to be stuck. I already deleted the GoDaddy blog and set the
name to forward here, but somehow - that forwarding is refusing to
happen. *cry*
I just reset it again - this time to use
"ad-supported" hosting, so I can at least throw up a page that says,
"Er... sorry about the confusion, but you really wanna go here
instead." and then jump to this page. But of course, now I have
to wait again for the internet to kick-over so my change will be picked
up. For at least another day, people will be landing at the wrong site,
one I can't even make changes to because it officially doesn't exist
anymore.
Frustrated much? Me?
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Name change!
Oct. 18, 2006
We've
had a name change. The kids wanted an "official" school
name. I did tell them that as we are registered with Crossroads,
on paper at least Crossroads Christian School is the name of their
school. But I understood their point, so here we are. We're
still a HIGH Day family, we're just now also the Farrell Christian
Academy as well. :)
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The socialization question? Again?
Oct. 18, 2006
Apparently
Dr. Phil is doing some show about homeschoolers and he's got "issues"
with the socialization thing. *RME* You can read more about
it here: Considering Homeschooling. I
haven't had to personally address this issue in quite some time, but I
can say I am in no way worried about it. First? As far as I
know, people don't send their kids to the neighborhood school down the
street to get a good socialization. It's supposed to be about education
first and foremost, and it's been apparent for many years that our
government school system is failing badly at teaching academics
to our young people. Second, I know my kids are just fine, thank you very much. My
daughter participated in a NAMISS pageant this summer and she did so
well with the scoring (based on her poise on stage, her introduction of
herself she gave to an auditorium full of people, and her one-on-one
interviews with the judges) that out of over 100 contestants, she made
it to the top finalists. Even though she's only 9, she's quite
comfortable speaking before a crowd and to adults in "authority"
positions, and to being in the spotlight. We'd never done
anything remotely like this before, but she took to the stage with ease. But
there's more. All the awards given at the NAMISS pageants come
from the judges except one. Miss Personality is voted on by all
the participants and my daughter? She won it. Not only did
the judges like Erin (their comments included, "confident", "great
manners", "precious child"), but the other girls liked her as
well. We walked into the hotel on a Wednesday, not knowing anyone
else there, and by Friday night, my daughter was collecting her Miss
Personality trophy. And I fully believe she achieved this because
we homeschool. Erin only did one year at a traditional school -
kindergarten - and she's been here at home ever since. She's
never learned such "valuable" socialization lessons as excluding people
because they don't wear the "right" clothes, calling other children
hateful names because they're "different", ridiculing her peers for
their looks or traits, or any other number of things that kids pick up
in a school setting. At the pageant, Erin talked to every girl
she met, not just in the competitions, but in the hotel lobby, at the
restaurant during meals, and while standing around waiting for the
elevator. She was friendly, warm, and encouraging and the other
girls recognized her for it. Shortly
before the Miss Personality voting took place, a few of the girls
actually handed out goodie-bags with candy and trinkets. Erin was
not one of them. She did nothing to "buy" votes; she won because
of who she is. And who she is, is just what one of the judges said: a precious child. The
people who argue that homeschooled kids grow up "socially awkward" need
look no further than my daughter to see an example that disproves their
theories. Homeschooling is NOT a direct ticket to a lifetime of
"outsider-ism". My
son, too, for that matter, is not suffering from some social
disorder. Having never learned to disrespect adults, he lacks
the flippant sarcasm so commonly found in other twelve-year-old
boys. He also treats everyone equally, regardless of their
age. My son doesn't follow that age-old school concept that the
kids younger than yourself are worthy of your contempt or should be
outright ignored. Finally,
I think the best way to sum up my children and socialization comes from
this - several months ago we were eating at a food court in a local
mall and one of the restaurant employees came up to our table and asked
if we were homeschoolers. At first I thought this was some sort
of "truancy" check so my reply was firm but somewhat wary. The
woman smiled at me and said, "I thought so! I watched
your son pick up the bottle that little baby dropped when his
mother didn't notice, and your daughter held the door for me when
I was entering the bathroom. I just knew they had to be
homeschooled!" I asked her if she was a homeschooler and she
replied that her children were all grown, but she was hoping someday
that her daughter would homeschool her children because, "You just
don't get good kids out of public school any more. The things
they learn there!" The things they learn there, indeed. Dear
Dr. Phil, my children do quite well in the "real world". Better
than many of their public-schooled counterparts. I suggest,
rather than perpetuating lazy, unresearched homeschooling myths, you
take the time to visit with more than one or two homeschooling families
and see for yourself how well these children are doing.
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Switched on Schoolhouse
Oct. 18, 2006
Now that we're a couple of months into using SOS, I can say I'm overall pretty happy with the program. There are times when I miss the mobility of working out of book/textbooks, like when we're waiting at the orthodontist's office, but since we are also working with Learning Language Arts Through Literature and the Christian Studies books from Memoria Press, we aren't entirely without things to do when we can't be near a computer.
I think my biggest complaint about SOS would have to be the times that my children have had the correct answer, but because they didn't word it in a precise way, the program marked it as wrong. This seems to happen with the most frequency in the L.A. section, when it calls for the "main idea" of a paragraph or story.
The one thing I think we need to work more on is handwriting. Part of me honestly wonders "Why bother?" I never use cursive anymore myself; I write shopping lists, thank you notes, instructions, etc., all in print, and despite what anyone wants to claim, yes, I can write in print as quickly as most people write in cursive. But still, I know cursive is something the children need to learn/improve and so I've decided to take the time to print out the cursive writing sheets at donnayoung.org.
Which - can I take a moment to rave about that website? I should've copied my post from my old blog, but since I didn't think to do that, I'll just repeat myself here.
I have not seen or heard of any more useful website for helping you keep your homeschool running smoothly. Every form you can imagine can be found there. Attendance records, menu planners, book lists, chore minders, graph paper, outlining forms, calendars... it goes on and on, and the best part? These forms are free to download. Completely awesome.
Time to go start lunch. Yet another great thing about homeschooling. My kids get good food, and they help cook it. Home-ec is not an elective in this house. It's core curriculum. :)
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I really love the corner banner!
Oct. 17, 2006
Okay, so the corner banner is way cool and I studied the code to see how it was done and it's really a simple concept.
I moved it down so it wouldn't cover the "random blog" link. Because I like clicking the random blog link. (And - in keeping with the random theme - random thought: I wish we could move out to the country.)
The only problem I have with the banner is I suspect on smaller screens it actually covers my little advertisement for HIGH Day. Which is NOT good! *g*
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So I wonder how long it will take...
Oct. 17, 2006
... to get my domain name pointing to this URL? Sometimes I get lucky and the internet "reboot" happens fairly soon after I've done something like re-directing a name. And then there are those times when it takes the full 48 hours. I guess it's pretty obvious which one I'm hoping will happen.
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Shifting Homes. Again.
Oct. 17, 2006
In the course of one day, my blog has gone from blogger.com to godaddy.com to here. And it is definitely here to stay. The features are just what I want, the control panel lets you edit the html (Bad, GoDaddy! No cookie!) and the best thing, of course, is that this is a community of homeschoolers. Woo!
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