52: 17

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of April 23, 2017

learning period 4: 2017

We homeschool through a charter (more here and here), which organizes us in 2-month chunks called learning periods. Here are my posts for Learning Period 1 (August/September), Learning Period 2 (October/November), and Learning Period 3 (December/January). Learning Period 4 (February/March) is below.

This learning period, for us, was guided by three main parts, from which all our subjects arose; Heal the World Book Club, Journey North Mystery Class, and Shakespeare.

Shakespeare is an upper elementary/middle school class offering from our charter school. While our charter school itself is large, we school through one of the satellite offices, so our experience has been intimate and supportive. One of the many perks is an annual Shakespeare class organized and lead by one of our amazing education coordinators (EC). The class began before winter break (several weeks before the other classes begin the winter session) and submerged us in our first exploration into Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era. This year, the EC adapted and directed a group of about 25 students in a version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was a perfect choice for our Lala Bug. This is the first class she has taken through our charter that has required consistent homework with deadlines and culminated in a larger project and, of course, a performance. I want to share more here about what Lala Bug did for her project. (Hint: You can see her working on it in the photos above!) I want to share photos of her performing as Poppy the sprite. I want to share more about how challenging this class was for her, and as a result, me. I want to share more about the growth that has come after the class was completed. I am bursting with pride! But out of respect for her, and for her privacy, the privacy of our family, and the other performers, I will limit myself to the photos above and below.

Every morning (and what has become a key part of our home learning), we have morning read-aloud. I keep a basket of books that I read aloud to the kids while they do some sort of hands-are-busy-minds-are-listening activity. While spring has definitely sprung now, we read and really enjoyed The Snowy Day in combination with A Poem for Peter in early February, when winter still felt like winter. We read books like these, science books, poetry, picture books that build on or introduce a theme we are exploring, and often we have a single chapter book going that is part of our learning.

So as part of morning read-aloud in February, March, (and April), we have participated in the Simple Homeschool Heal the World Book Club, which had all of us hooked! We have loved the books (all of which are chosen from Give Your Child the World), loved the extra information about the authors, countries the books are set in, and the charity that money is being raised for. The book for February was The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech and the book for March was Extra Credit, by Andrew Clements. (April, since it is April as I type this, is Rickshaw Girl, by Mitali Perkins.) From the book, my kids practiced copy work, we did the grammar puzzles offered, we explored the globe, and had incredible discussions about similarities and differences between our lives and the characters.

 

Another big part of February and March was Journey North's Mystery Class. It is a free weekly "class" that runs from the end of January through part of April, providing weekly clues and had us tracking sunlight changes in 10 (mystery) places around the globe. The kids use the clues and maps, science, and math to learn about and start to figure out where the mystery spots are. Journey North also provides a number of extension activities, including weekly journal activities. We have all enjoyed being geographic detectives with this class and Lala Bug asked to please do it again next year! 

And then, of course, other learning and other lessons sneaked in here or there. Above is math in a huge cardboard castle, gleefully built by an 8th grader in the charter resource center after a couple of the ECs saw it being discarded by a nearby business and couldn't pass it up as the play potential was too good. (Yes, our charter and the ECs are that wonderful!)

Below is the annual sheep shearing at our favorite historic farm. They demonstrate sheering with electric clippers and the older hand shears. "Click go the shears, boys, click click click..." It is amazing to watch and is an annual favorite, but I can see the changes and growth in the kids this year, despite this being Brown Mouse's year for farming. Both kids preferred watching the sheep dogs herding sheep, and all the while, I kept thinking of James Herriot's Dog Stories.

 

February and March brought rain to our little neck of the woods. Finally, rain. We have been in a drought for the past 5 years. That, of course, has lasting affects. But, in the little, local ecosystem of our family and garden, it means good fun digging in the mud for those of us who like that kind of thing!

This winter there were few blues and more engaged learning excitement. It was lovely!

52: 16

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of April 16, 2017

woolly sheep and naturally dyed eggs

 This year, we made woolly sheep and colorful wool felted egg balls for our nature table. In years past we have dyed eggs with homemade plant dyes.

Here are links to how-to articles I wrote, once upon a time, for Rhythm of the Home online magazine. I miss that magazine and my mama heart tugs to see my big-littles as little-littles. Enjoy.

Woolly Sheep

Natural Dyes (And a gluten and sugar filled cobbler recipe. Now, I would reduce the sugar significantly and replace the regular flour with gluten free.)

Wishing you all a gentle Pesach, celebratory Easter, and Happy Spring!

52: 15

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of April 9, 2017

I couldn't pick just one this week. Brown Mouse giving himself a haircut, Misty to the vet for the first time, and a very tired, overworked M, celebrating his birthday in the early morning hours. Happy birthday, M!

52: 14

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of April 2, 2017

52: 13

52 weeks of photos. A special moment during the week of March 26, 2017