Yesterday was probably the best day of the week, school-wise.
That's because seeing, touching and learning with friends is always better than sitting at home with the books.
So we went to THIS:
It was so great!
Several families from our co-op joined us and we were able to see antiquities and precious treasures from our Catholic Heritage.
Many of the really old things were copied, like the ceramic and plaster pieces from the time when the church was being established.
I took pictures of some of my favorites within the exhibit.
The descriptions are below them.
I love this
So Amazing
Papa
JPII's Hand
Lego Vatican-Cool!
Nun with Selfie-stick, really.
No trip to the museum is complete without a picture in front of "Big Ben"
We went bird watching last week and Paul got some great pictures. Winter isn't a great time to catch perching birds, but the water fowl are plentiful on the Bay!
[W]hen people begin to talk about this domestic duty as not merely difficult but trivial and dreary, I simply give up the question. For I cannot with the utmost energy of imagination conceive what they mean. When domesticity, for instance, is called drudgery, all the difficulty arises from a double meaning in the word. If drudgery only means dreadfully hard work, I admit the woman drudges in the home, as a man might drudge [at his work]. But if it means that the hard work is more heavy because it is trifling, colorless and of small import to the soul, then as I say, I give it up; I do not know what the words mean…. I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people's children [arithmetic], and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness." ~G.K. Chesterton
I have been looking for this to post. It's one of my favorite quotes. H/T to Laura!
There are so many reasons why we say "Boy, am I glad we Homeschool".
Most of those reasons are positive. We love being able to help each of the boys learn to the best of their ability in their own way. We love being able to take off and go on field trips or vacations when we are studying something interesting. We love being able to choose challenging curriculum, that is tailored to each particular learning style. We love being able to work one on one and watch the way these fabulous minds spark and catch fire. There are so many positive reasons to do what we do, that we frequently forget about the other reasons....the negative ones.
In our homeschool there are no bullies, and no one is allowed to belittle or demean another person. That doesn't mean that it never happens, but it does mean that we do not tolerate it.
In our homeschool there are no school shootings, no knife attacks, no beatings, and no one is allowed to be disrespectful of the teacher. It really helps that we love each other so much, but I have noticed that the boys seem to be carrying these lessons out into the world.
In our homeschool there is absolutely no fear for personal safety. Each and every one of my boys knows that we love and respect every part of each of them; mind, body and soul, and that they should love and respect the minds, bodies and souls of others. We are very careful about where they go and who they are with, and we have an open line of communication that we hope they will always feel free to use.
In our homeschool there is no condescension and no mental abuse.
I am not saying that our school is perfect, far from it. We struggle. We are always concerned about whether we are doing the very best. I try to make sure that they all know that I am mom, and not just teacher. I think and pray about our direction, and I am constantly trying to evaluate my own performance. The reason I am so concerned is because I love my kids so much and I want more than anything to see them become capable and happy adults. I want them to be able to do anything in this world that they decide they want to do. I know them and I love them more than anyone else does, well, with the exception of God and their dad!
We are so blest to have the right to choose the educational direction that we believe is best for our family. There are people that don't agree that we should have this right. For many reasons these people feel that parents are not competent to teach, not trained in the formal processes of education.
Recently it came to my attention that the High School in the town that we call home, our small city by the bay, has been the center of a very hot controversy in the area of parental rights.
Parental rights are something that I hold very dear. The right to raise our children the way we believe best has always been one of the greatest rights and responsibilities that we have in our American Culture. There are those, in our own country and in international circles, that believe that parents are not the best people to decide what their children should learn, believe, or be exposed to and when. There are actually people out there who believe that in parenting, the parents must prove their fitness and that most parents are less than capable of knowing what is best for their children.
In the case of our High School it has become apparent that when children are at school, during school hours, the administrators and staff believe that they have authority over all that the young people see, hear and experience, and that, for those hours, parents are not the primary caregivers of their children.
The issue involves a now-controversial program that the school has been using to reach young people that may be facing serious mental health issues, with the hope that they would be encouraged to seek help. Help that is available through the school. The name of the program was Drama Therapy, and it is actually a proven method of therapy within a certain framework of treatment or diagnosis. "Drama Therapy" itself isn't the problem.
I have gone to a screening and viewed the content, and while it was not in any way wholesome, it would probably fit the Drama Therapy parameters, if there were actual therapists present and participating. It seemed to me that it was students treating students..but that is another story... If you want to read more about it, including excerpts from the plays, you may read about it here.
The problem arose when some of the parents of the young people that attended the mandatory assembly, where this program was performed, heard that it had been done without any parental or even administrative involvement. No parents were informed that it would be taking place. There was no chance for anyone to review the scripts or opt their kids out of the program.
This was a HUGE oversight on the part of the administration. Looking back they can see the errors and the potential for problems in the way that it was handled, but there is no excuse for the way that the families that came forward to express and uphold their rights as parents were vilified and disregarded.
The program was put on by a group of very well-meaning people, who had the kid's best interests at heart. We have the right to protect our children from "well-meaning" people.
The program was put on to help the kids find direction and inspire an environment of openness. We have the right to direct our children and to protect them from an environment that we feel may damage them.
The program may have been intended to put into play the values that the organizers felt the children need to be focusing on. We have the right to define the values and help to inform the consciences of those children in our care. There was no direction, no lessons taught by anyone in authority.
People in this country have been sold a bill of goods by the nanny state.
They believe that only "professionals" are capable of knowing what is best for their families, for their health, for their futures.
Who are these professionals? Do they have it all together? Do they know whereof they speak?
We have the right to know what is going on in our kids classrooms, and we have the right to say that we do not approve.
We have the right to say that there is an objective moral absolute and that we expect our educators, leaders, politicians and government to live up to it.
We have the right to be appalled at the lack of rigor in our school systems, the dropout rate, the illiteracy, the tenure system that keeps incompetent teachers and professors in their jobs.
We have the right to expect to be listened to when it comes to the health and well being of our kids!
Not everyone can homeschool. Most don't want to. They shouldn't have to!!
I am so glad that we can... I am so grateful that we have the laws that we do in this country. Many people have worked very, very hard to make sure that we continue to have this right. There are those that would strip it away.
We need to be aware of the attempts to remove parents as the primary authorities in their kids lives. We need to elect people that will respect and uphold those rights. Do some research. If you can't get a straight answer from a candidate on this issue, then look elsewhere. Find out if they will oppose the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which will put parents directly under the thumb of the UN.
Go to ParentalRights.org and read about what needs to be done and who is working on it.
There is only so much time, your kids only have one childhood...
TWO families in our TORCH group were blest with new little ones today!
Mary Klopcic gave birth to Natalie Faith at the stroke of 10:00 a.m. This precious little one weighed in at 8 pounds 10.5 oz, and she is 19.5 inches long. Sounds like the whole family is thrilled to pieces. They just welcomed a new daughter, Andrea, a couple of weeks ago by adoption. This brings their beautiful, international family to a grand total of 12. Six boys and six girls. To get to know the Klopcics, go to Mary's Blog.
Leocea Mclanahan brought Elina Rose into the world at 4:36 pm. Elina is baby number five. Another sweet little blondie? What a blessing for all the kids to have each other. I can't wait to meet the new little bundle!
We are so blest to have so many wonderful families in our midst.
We pray for health, safety and much Grace for all our dear frinds.
Today is the first day of our school year. The boys have been working hard and I have been trying to figure out how I missed ordering a spelling book for John and a reading book for Paul.
Most of the books that I am using this year were already on the shelves. I thought I had all the Faith and Freedom readers through the 8th grade, but apparently I was mistaken.
This year John is tackling Saxon 87. We have everything on the materials list except a Scientific calculator. Hmmm.... this may be the year that I get the CDs that go with the lessons.
John is also going to be part of a Science co-op for labs this year. He will go to the home of a very generous mom, who has offered to share her Science time with John and one other boy. They will get together once a week. The book that they are using is a two year program, and I think John will get a lot out of it. I am hoping that working with the other boys will make it more fun.
Brendan and Paul will be doing an introduction to Chemistry, Biology and Physics this year. The program is called Real Science 4 Kids, and I think the two boys will easily be able to go through it together and there is a lab every week. That will be something we will do on Thursday, while John is doing his Science lab. Should work out just about right!
History for John is going to be rather complicated, but I think he will get a lot out of it. He will be going to a co-op on Monday afternoons, and working out of one type of text, and then the rest of the week he will do the book that I have chosen for this year, Catholic World Culture. The co-op will be exploring literature and other elements of world history, and I am hoping that it will merge well with what we do here.
Brendan is joining a First Lego League team. The kids will be planning, building and competing with, some lego creation having to do with transportation. Right up his alley.
Today is going well. It is a day for getting familiar with new books, ironing out the rough spots in the schedule and getting ourselves back into the routine of getting going in the morning, our daily chores, and sticking with the subjects, even with distractions. It's hard to be so pushy. We had such a relaxing summer, and it was NOT long enough. Getting started this week though, will allow us to finish at the end of May, and that will make NEXT summer much longer! That's OK with me!
On Monday night Tim and I went out to dinner for his birthday. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, and since Paul was at rehearsal, we didn't need a babysitter! It's a new experience for us to be able to leave the two older boys at home and go out together. It's nice, but a bit strange. Anyway, we really don't worry about them getting in trouble while we are out. They are just very reliable. So, John called my cell and wanted to know if he could find any modeling clay around. I think he was inspired when he watched "Close Encounters" the other night. He said he wanted to make "Devil's Tower". I must trust them a LOT, because later on the thought occurred to me that the permission to build something like what the guy in the movie had made could really be a disaster in my basement! Well, I told him where to find it, and we went back to our evening alone. Later he called and said that he had given up on "Devil's Tower". He had made a brain instead and stuck it on a plate with a fork in it and called it "Thought for Food". Pretty catchy title. I really wish he had saved it...
He ended up using the clay over and made this.
It's called "Self Indulgence". Food eating itself.
Brendan made a muscle man. So this was art at our house on Monday...
Last night a bunch of the moms from our TORCH group got together and had our end-of-year reviews here at our house. We had a rip-roaring storm just before everyone was supposed to show up, and so it was a little dicey, what with several families losing power.
Everyone did make it though and we had such a great night!
We ordered Chinese food, and while we were waiting for it to be delivered, we sat down and set out all the boxes and bins that everyone had brought. There were some really beautiful projects. Some of the kids have really done some beautiful work this year. We all got to see what the kids have been up to and get ideas for next year. It's so nice to have these wonderful women to share with. Our reviews are so encouraging and uplifting. It's challenging to get through the year and sometimes we are really up against some tough circumstances. Some of the kids have learning issues, and there are some families that have faced other things that I can't begin to imagine schooling through, and yet they were here, they had persevered and they had these wonderful projects to show for it. . This is an inspiring group of women and I am so honored to be a part of it.
We shared what our kids had done and then each of us was signed off by one of the other moms. My forms are all signed and ready to go. Time to start gearing up for next year!
Tonight our TORCH Homeschool group had the annual Promotion Celebration for all the kids and families that could be there. It was such a special time with friends and fellow homeschoolers. We gathered at St. Joan's in Aberdeen and started out with Pizza. Everyone had plenty to eat! There were also some amazing desserts, and munchies.
There was a special cake to honor the Eighth Grade Graduates,
After everyone had eaten we went over to the stage area and the kids started their recital. Every year the kids do something to show how hard they have worked. Both John and Brendan played pieces on the piano, and Paul, who arrived late with Danielle and Maria Hoppel, sang a song from Oliver.
There were poems and musical performances.
A father and son horn duo. The Klopcic family sang three songs and they did a beautiful job! Well, part of the family...
The poems that were recited were not simple little nursery Rhymes. One young lady did "The Spider and the Fly". A long poem, and she recited with so much expression! One of the little boys recited "Casey at the Bat". It took him awhile to get up his nerve, but it was worth the wait!Lizzie did a poem by A.A. Milne.
There was a Karate demonstration,
A couple of the kids did a scene from "Hamlet".
After all the kids were done, there were certificates and awards to hand out.
There was a certificate for each of the kids, to recognize that they have completed the year. This one is John's. Some of the kids participate in the First Friday Novena. We try to make it to Mass and Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays. The kids that did all nine get a certificate. This is what they look like.
It was just such a great end to the year. I am so grateful to all the people that worked so hard to make it happen, and that we have such a wonderful group!
