• Nov. 14, 2008
Chess Club finally starting!

There is a silver lining to the fact that my DH's hours got cut.  It means that he is home on Fridays now.  So, that means I have his help for Chess Club.  I had no idea how I was really going to pull this off but was just hoping for the best.

Anyway, tomorrow is our first day.  I am so glad DH can be there.  He is the one who actually knows chess.  That will help considering there will be children there who have never played.  I'm not the best person to turn to for chess.  My oldest son who is going to be 12 in a few weeks is quite good.  I just hope that he really knows for sure what he tells people so that we don't  lead them astray. 

Wish me luck!  I hope we have a great time and at least a few people will come out!

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• Nov. 8, 2008
Behavior Disorders

I have spoken to so many people lately that have chosen to homeschool because their children have behavior disorders.  I am so sorry for anyone who has this trial as it is never an easy journey.  The thing that I think is great is that so many families have the option to homeschool and so many of these families have such a turn around in their children. 

Because of the families that I have been hearing so much about, I have done some homework on behavior disorders.  While most of these disorders can be hard to diagnose and take a lot of persistence to get under control, it is wonderful that continuing research is being done and that there are so many resources available for these children.  I have a new found appreciation for families that have the challenge of these disorders. 

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• Nov. 6, 2008
Home's Cool School T-Shirts

So, this isn't the best photo as the lighting was bad, it was on a camera phone, the shirt is hanging crooked and well, it just isn't the best photo.  But, it is a cute shirt and my kids are thrilled.  They want me to finish all of them before our K12 activity tomorrow so that they can wear them.  I had no idea that even the 11 year old would get into it and be proud!  YEAH! 

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• Nov. 3, 2008
Online School Halloween Activity

On Friday afternoon the students of our K12 Online School were invited to an activity that was held in the basement of our new library.  There are some great big rooms that can be used for such functions.  It was great. 

The first activity was that the "story lady" from the library read the kids a few Halloween stories.  All the children were glued to her.  She didn't do anything fancy and yet she has the kids glued to her.  It was wonderful.  Then the 4th grade and older students went with one teacher outside for some physical games.  We were lucky to have a day just under 80 degrees for this.  The younger children stayed in and were separated into four groupings.  They rotated stations of a spider ring toss, bean bag toss, Halloween Bingo, and face painting. 

To use up the extra time they had some Halloween music that the children were dancing to.  After all the activities were over we all had treats that the families brought to share.  Most were healthy choices which were very appreciated as most of us were leaving after the party to take children to other parties or trick or treating.  There was also a cotton candy machine which was fun for the children as they do not get that treat very often.

It was so wonderful for our teachers and parents to go to all the trouble of putting the party together.  With K12 I truly believe that my children get the best of both the public school and home school worlds.

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• Oct. 30, 2008
Keeping Kids Safe This Halloween

Our dear teacher sent us this link and it is full of great information from the American Red Cross.

Happy Halloween.  May you have a safe time getting your treats without any tricks!

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• Oct. 24, 2008
Teachers are amazing!

The teachers in our state (Utah) have come up with a Who Wants to be a Millionaire game for different grades and subjects.  They are doing this in the virtual Elluminate classrooms at different days and times and all the kids are invited to participate.  This is to help them gear up for their testing at the end of the year from my understanding. 

No matter the reason behind it, it has taken a lot of people a lot of time to get this put together.  I cannot believe the work that all of these teachers do for the sake of our children.  So many public school teachers are anti-homeschool.  They do not see the benefit of so much one on one learning time.  I have found that public school teachers think that we (homeschool parents) think that they don't do a good enough job or that the school system is a failure.  It is wonderful to see these teachers, employed by the school district, take such an interest in our families.  What amazing people!

I will post more on this idea after we see how things work and I know more.

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• Oct. 19, 2008
Extra science fun

A while back I inherited some things from an actual school science department.  In this load of goodies were full kits of science projects and experiments.  Most of the items do not apply to the Earth Science that my kids are doing this year but I want them to use these things that we have happened upon.  So, this week we may put aside Earth Science and expand to some other fun things to do for science.

I'm not worried  because I know that even if we get one week behind, we have until next August to get everything done.  We are pretty much right on schedule and I am not going to make myself crazy worrying about end dates.

Moral of the story, I hope more of you are willing to give things a rest from time to time.  This does not mean that we play hooky too often but it does mean that one or two times is not the end of the world.  Have some fun this week!

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• Oct. 18, 2008
One more tip that I forgot!

A few years ago I was talking with my aunt who has been a public school teacher for about 30 years.  I was talking to her about K12 and kind of complaining about the amount of work to be done.  She had a few tips but the one I remember the most is that she told me that you can do one task and conquer three different subjects.

For example:  When your child does an art project you can have them do their writing assignment about their art.  Then you can have them go over their writing with a fine tooth comb for grammar and usage.  Say you are covering sentence structure in your GUM subject, have your child double check their sentences.  This can go for history or other topics as well. 

For a while when my boys were bored with the spelling program I had them make a story using all of their spelling words at least once.  It was like mad libs.  They loved it!  Then I had them try to draw a picture to depict what they wrote about, it was a riot.

If you can kill two birds with one stone I say go for it.  Three is even better!

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• Oct. 17, 2008
What I wish I had known and done in the first two years using K12.

Last post someone asked for some guidance.  I'm not sure that I'm a pro at all this but I will tell you what I know and what I wish I had known.  These are numbered but not in any order as far as topics.

1.  Not all lessons have to be done.  If you child can pass the assessment right off, then let them do the assessment, enter the results and if the score is good enough the lesson will be marked complete.

2.  For Kindergarten (which I hate, not just K12, just Kindergarten in general LOL) I do it two or three times a week and get it all done.  I skip over whatever my daughter has been through and move on.  Where she did two years of pre-school, a lot of this just feels like busy work.  Sometimes she is really into it but sometimes her heart isn't in it.  I want her to enjoy learning first and foremost so if I know she is getting in what she should know, then I don't stress. 

3.  You should set up the schedule in the OLS to suit your needs instead of trying to meet the demands of the preset schedule.  K12 has the OLS to help us, not to dictate every moment that we homeschool.  We have days where we just focus on two subjects and then the next day we do several lessons in other subjects.  Make it work for you and your kids.  When I started I didn't realize that it was so flexible.

4.  Attendance.  Need I say more.  Mark it regularly or you will end up like I did, months behind with a teacher kindly prodding me to get it done.  Not a fun chore for several children.  Also, I used to let my lessons that I needed to mark complete stack up and it always made me feel like there was a cloud hanging over my head.

5.  Don't forget that you can do some subjects together.  Even a Kindergartner can have fun with the science that a fifth grader is doing. 

6.  I still do not have my children log in on their own and take charge or things as much as I should.  I wish that I had helped them along from about third grade on.  I wish they would log in, get their lesson stuff together and then get going on the work.  I have felt like I had to do too much with them and it really doesn't have to be that way.  They can be quite independent. 

7.  Print off a schedule for the week.  This is an option in your OLS under weekly plan.  This is handy for your children and you.  It is really handy on the off chance that you can't log in for some reason.  There were plenty of system glitches at the beginning of this year when it was helpful to have this weekly plan printed.  K12 generally does not have much down time so this is just for in case.

8.  Rely on your teacher.  When your children get stuck on a concept and you are out of ways to teach it the child do not under estimate the value of your teacher!  Our teacher has helped us in every subject at one time or another.

9.  Don't resist some structure.  I went from putting our own curriculum together to all of a sudden having a boxed curriculum for the first time in years.  I wasn't used to marking attendance and lessons everyday and I went through a few months (years) or resenting the OLS for seeming to lurk there and prod at me.  I am now glad that it is there.  When I do what I know we are supposed to during a school day I know that my children are getting the fundamentals that they should be being taught and I know that I have really done my job.  I know that for some "unschooling" is what pleases them and works for their family but that is not what K12 is about.  I have now learned to embrace the OLS and see it as my friend and a guide rather than a dictator.

10.  Don't forget to have fun.  My kids love all the extra curricular things that we are involved in but they also love a whole day of science and exploring some of the extra online activities offered in the OLS.  Take advantage of it all. 

Most of all, know that you are not alone in using K12.  For the first few years that I used it I kind of kept to myself and that was a big mistake for me personally as well as for my children.

I hope that this has helped someone.  If you have more specific questions I would be glad to try to help.

Last, I'm not proof reading this tonight as I am in a bit of a hurry, please forgive any errors.

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• Oct. 15, 2008
Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip

My OLS teacher sent out an e-mail this morning informing us that there will be a new Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip.  For those of you in Utah this will be on KUED (Channel 7) starting tomorrow October 16th at 11:00 am.  This is an ongoing electronic field trip so you may want to check the KUED link above to get more information on dates and times.

I know that for my 5th and 6th graders this fits perfectly with their curriculum.  Hope that some of you can enjoy this!   If you are not in Utah you may want to check PBS or other education channels in your area to see if they offer similar features.

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• Oct. 14, 2008
Make your life easier - get organized!

There are a few things that make life with homeschooling so much easier.  Today my oldest (11 yr. old son) asked if I was so glad that we homeschooled.  My reply was "yes, why?"  He then replied "because we are here to help you so much". 

Somehow in this little wonderful brain of his, he has the idea that Moms should do everything and that if he does part of the work around the house he is "helping" instead of just "stepping up and being decent".  We are going to have a little chat about that as a family very soon.

Kids need chores, they need responsibilities and if we remember this and try to have a system in place then things can run quite smoothly.  Here are just a few thoughts I thought I would give out.  Nothing too fancy and I'm sure that most of you probably have all of this in place.  Please keep in mind that they are not all original ideas, I have gathered things from other mothers that share what they learn!

• Get up before your kids.  It is too hard to care for yourself with little people knocking on your door or just coming in while you shower or apply make up or even moisturizer.  Be good to yourself.  Get a jump start on your day and be prepared for the kids to wake up.  This makes a monumental difference.
• Plan your meals and shop for a whole week at once.  Take the guess work out.  Use a Day Timer or some sort of planner so that you know if you need to defrost chicken today for tomorrow's lunch or dinner.  Never forget to have some quick fix meals (Chicken Voile, Mac & Cheese, T.V. Dinners) on hand so that when you are just too wiped out or the day doesn't go well you still have a back up plan and don't end up breaking the bank by going out to dinner or ordering take out.
• Have your kids take care of their laundry.  Children can easily learn what it takes to care for their own laundry as well as linens.  A six year old can learn to operate the machines because they should be able to read what settings they are placing things on.  Older children can help younger ones.  It can be a good idea for there to be set times when people do their individual laundry so that there is no confusion.  I've been amazed at how much tidier my children are now that they have to combat stains and worry about looking decent.  They also don't like wrinkled clothing so they know to get laundry folded and hung right when the dryer is done.
• Take school outside or to any other location when you can.  Break up the everyday mundane stuff with a fun setting.  Fall and Spring are perfect for this!  Take advantage of good weather.  Children even think it is fun if you set up a card table in the garage for an art lesson or science experiment.
• Give things to charity or throw them out.  As holidays approach or even birthdays keep in mind that you need to downsize before there is a new load of goods to put away.  We do this each year when we receive our new curriculum.  We go through all the school stuff and keep the needful things and then give away or toss the outdated or extra items.  A good purge right before Christmas is my sanity!  We try to do it in plenty of time so that the thrift store that we donate to has time to sell the goods to those who want them for Christmas.
• Don't stress.  We all have those days where no matter what, the kitchen counters never are seen.  My kitchen sink tends to get lost.  Sometimes laundry days are missed and somehow we all live through it.  It's not my favorite but it is much better to just accept that people are not perfect, not any of them!  Keep a good attitude and be gentle with yourself!

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• Oct. 9, 2008
Bror Saxberg "Chief Learning Officer" for K12.

Today I had the opportunity to hear an Elluminate session done by Bror Saxberg.  He spoke of "Big Ideas" and it was wonderful.  I won't go into much detail but for those of you who want to hear the recorded version of this session it is available in your OLS when you click on the Community Chest link.  You will then click on the Speaker Series and click on the Archives button.  There are so many great Elluminate sessions available.  These will truly enrich your K12 experience.

I look back at my first two years with K12 and I was so overwhelmed with learning how things worked and getting all the assignments done that I took no time to use the resources available to me.  What a huge mistake.  These sessions are done by people who have homeschooled for years using K12 and by professionals who know the K12 curriculum up and down.

Mr. Saxberg today knocked it out of the ball park.  We learned about how the brain works (in general), how K12 has re-engineered the math curriculum and the research behind these changes.  There was just so much.  Mr. Saxberg is possibly one of the most well-educated people I have ever heard speak.  His enthusiasm is contagious.  I highly recommend this "Big Ideas" session to all parents and I wish that all educators could hear it as well.

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• Oct. 7, 2008
K12, 4H, Chess Club

My online school teacher is helping me secure a location to do a chess club at the 4H building.  The beauty of this is that the kids that come do not have to join 4H to participate although it is a bonus.  For right now we are keeping it to K12 students in our area and I'm sure it will be open to current 4H kids.  In time if the group is not all that big we can open it up to all homeschool families in our area. 

I am hoping that I can do justice to this because I really don't know a lot about chess but I do have a firm belief in the good that it does for kids.  My own children have loved playing and doing tournaments.  They have had formal training to a point and I am excited for them to have the chance to play more during chess club time.

For those of you who may not know the benefits of chess Benefits of Chess for Children.

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• Sep. 29, 2008
I must be lonely or just very easily pleased!

People are coming here and posting comments!  That is the best thing ever!  I am more excited than words can express.  Thank you to everyone reading and please keep sharing your thoughts and ideas!  I love it! 

As for now my children have been several days without school but we got moved yesterday and today I was able to set up our new school room.  I am so excited.  Cannot wait to tell you all about how it works and what I find is good and bad about the set up.  Hopefully there will be pictures at some point.  I have to unpack the digital camera and then find the charger.  Yikes!

Hope everyone has a great week.

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• Sep. 24, 2008
Making learning fun!

I just got an e-mail from the lady who heads up the K12 online academy in my state.  She had some great ideas for making learning fun with the K12 program.  I will say that for the most part my kids really enjoy their K12 lessons.  I think part of what they love is that the lessons have form and content that is consistent week after week.  With this said, I will admit that there are other times when we really need a change of pace and to try something different for a change. 

With a curriculum that is so formatted and spelled out for the parent/teacher it is hard for me to be creative in making the lessons more fun for the kids.

One idea that came in this e-mail was to make things into a game - literally.  Like taking a lesson and making a game of Jeopardy out of it.  I loved this idea.  I was even thinking that spelling words could be like Wheel of Fortune while using play money, then you get math skills as well.  How fun.  It wouldn't even be hard to make a little wheel to simulate the actual show.  I love things that cross teach skills.  Who knew you could do math and spelling all in one shot!?!

For anyone using K12 or other structured curriculum, how do you keep things fresh and fun?

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• Sep. 23, 2008
Fall fun!

Our teacher sent out the greatest e-mail today and I thought I would share a few of the highlights.  The whole theme of this e-mail was that fall is in the air!  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/fall.shtm   This Enchanted Learning site(although subscription-based to print some items), has some great ideas listed,
that are FREE.

It might be interesting to challenge your children to find out why the leaves change color during this time of year.  Check out this site for an answer;kidsworld.com has other information on Autumn as well.
http://kidzworld.com/article/4871-why-do-leaves-change-color

September brings the last day of summer.

• September 22, 2009 at 5:18 pm EDT
• September 22, 2010 at 11:09 pm EDT

The September Equinox

Equal Day and Night?

Balancing an Egg?

A Reminder

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• Sep. 22, 2008
Le'ts hear it for a weekly plan!

I love the fact that K12 lets you view and even print out your weekly lessons.  This is such a blessing when the OLS is down for any reason.  Also, for this week while we move it will be my guide to getting things done while I am without internet access for several days.  Perish the thought!

This is just one of the great things about K12.  I also love knowing that if I just have to throw in the towel for a day or two  and mark that we did not have school, the lessons just forward to the next day.  I don't have to shuffle papers or anything.  Life just goes on!  How great is that?

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• Sep. 19, 2008
Cookies make a fun reward once in a while

When my children have done a great week of school like this week, I love to give them some sort of reward.  It doesn't take much.  They love home baked goodies the best so I thought I would share one of the families favorite recipes here.  Not only are they a hit with everyone but they don't break the bank. 

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

- 1 cup butter - 1 1/2 cups sugar - 2 large eggs - 2 3/4 cups four - 2 tsp. cream of tartar - 1 tsp. baking soda - 1/4 tsp. salt - 3 T. sugar - 3 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

1)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl. Combine four, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture. Chill dough, and chill and ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, mix 3 T. sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.

2)

Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

Recipe Origin

www.Recipezaar.com

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• Sep. 17, 2008
Feel compelled but I'm all out.

I feel like I should be blogging her about something but to be honest I am all out.  I did take a minute to jot down some thoughts on other blogs so please see the blogroll and help yourself.  I'll do better tomorrow!

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• Sep. 16, 2008
Thank you!

I was recently on the telephone with the teacher assigned to our family and told her something inspirational that my daughter said.  The teacher asked me to put my thoughts in an e-mail to share with the other teachers.  This is when the light came on inside of my brain.  These poor teachers don't get the daily kudos that we as parents take for granted.  They don't get to sit in a classroom as other teachers do and see that moment where a child grasps a concept.

Moral of the story:  if you have been assigned a teacher and they help you in any way, please let them know.  We all thrive on praise and want to know that we are making a difference in someones life.

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