W finished up his sophomore year with a bang. 99th percentile on the CAT-E and what seems like a clear goal for his future. He's always throwing ideas around and researching various careers. I think he's finally narrowed it down to 2. We'll see which one wins, lol.
His daily schoolwork has mainly been Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2 and a few workbooks that cover literature, poetry, reading comprehension, analysis, grammar, writing, vocabulary, and analogies. I don't worry about his writing. He hasn't really had much formal teaching in that area, but a few weeks ago he wrote essay-type answers to a bunch of questions in order to be chosen as an administrator on a popular gaming server. It looked awesome to me, although I have no idea about any of that stuff. Needless to say, he got the position. It reminds me of how J always got As on her English reports in high school, even though she, too, had no formal writing instruction. It still fascinates me how such a common-sense concept like child-led homeschooling delivers unbelievably amazing results.
All Science and History is done with short novels, documentaries, website research, and field trips. Last week, he and a new homeschooling friend made plans for us to see a show called Dark Universe at the Hayden Planetarium. This fit in nicely with what's on the agenda for the upcoming school year - and we had a great time. The show was awesome. We'll be reviewing some Physical Science and Life Science, filling in whatever gaps we come across, and then focus mainly on Earth & Space Science. History will include some review but mainly focus on US History (from the Civil War to the 1970s), World History (1750 to the end of the 20th Century), Civics & Government, Geography, and Economics.
W is still learning new things on the ukulele and has taken a renewed interest in the piano, teaching himself to read music and learn full songs with intricate chords (from YouTube), hanging up his drumsticks for now. If he sticks with piano, I'll have no problem starting him on formal lessons if he wants. The kid can really sing, too. Maybe another career choice??
The owner of K's hair salon is on maternity leave, so K is running the place by herself. She's really working so hard. She has a few weeks off in September and she and her boyf planned a trip to Greece. I wish I would have had even half that drive and determination when I was her age.
J is still teaching dance. Her studio just had their recitals and J will start teaching a bunch of summer classes in a couple of weeks. She was in another music video that was released yesterday, as one of the back-up dancers. Oh, and her 21st birthday is quickly approaching. How did my girls become adults so fast?
Oh, and I did get to keep my new work schedule. It's been working out wonderfully.
Showing posts with label Trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trips. Show all posts
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Monday, August 22, 2016
Second Year of High School
I love August. It's just another month closer to autumn! And it's the time I get everything ready for the new school year. 10th grade is upon us and W's IHIP is mailed.
W started taking drum lessons a few weeks ago. He's always wanted to, but I couldn't figure out the practicality of it as we live in a small apartment. But I just found out there are electronic drum sets that hardly make any noise - but sound like a full drum set when headphones are on! He tried a set out at the music store, so we'll probably pick one up one of these days. For now, he uses a drum pad to practice on. His other interests lately revolve around current events, politics, health, fitness, art, playing the ukulele, Muay Thai, computer gaming, and all types of engineering (computer, mechanical, construction, environmental, etc. - I feel like this is the path he's meant to take, but we'll see).
We're going to continue with our Great Restaurant Adventure this year. We still plan on getting to all 70 cuisines by the end of his senior year. Also this year I'm going to try and get back into field trips. Last year he really wasn't into going to same old places, so I plan on finding some cool things places to go this year all around NYC.
We have already started the new school year. With my working full time, W does some light academic stuff on his own during the week - mainly the English workbooks, math review pages, and history readings. On my days off we spend a few hours on new math lessons, science reading, lab work, and more English and history.
High school is a breeze so far. W knows what he has to do to get into his colleges of choice, so he does it. He makes goals and does what he needs to achieve them. I truly believe that this kind of determination, independence, and maturity is what comes from 10 years of unschooling. And yes, our unschooling has always included curriculum. The kids prefer it, ask for it, help pick it out, and do it on their own terms. No stress, no hassles.
Here's some of what he's using this year:
Life of Fred High School Language Arts Series (3 books done, 1 left)
Daily Paragraph Editing (still the best thing ever)
501 Reading Comprehension Questions, 5th ed. (we're trying a few new things for English)
Painless Reading Comprehension, 3rd ed.
Vocabulary & Spelling Success in 20 Minutes a Day
Math U See Geometry (he asked for something different and likes it so far)
Short Lessons in World History, 4th ed. (quick and easy)
Apologia Biology, 2nd ed. with all labs (secularly)
Once again, I'm looking forward to a wonderful school year. Watching W turn into this amazing adult (he's over 5'11" now!) is the most incredible thing.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Autumn
Still unschooling, still loving it.
Here's what unschooling has looked like over the past month:
- Going to a Not-Back-to School teen homeschool picnic on the beach
- Learning and trying to master the soprano ukulele
- A new interest (and a whole lot of research) in digital animation
- A day spent at the Museum of the City of New York and Times Square
- Really enjoying the Life of Fred high school language arts series books and paragraph editing workbooks.
- A day spent playing dodge ball and laser tag ending with a sleepover
- The almost daily routine of W thanking me for homeschooling him (lol)
- A new tenor ukulele
- Hanging out at Dave & Buster's with his friends
- Researching nutrition and whole-food living
- A new interest (and a whole lot of research) in music editing
Life is more fun than ever lately. W is probably the most happy and content person I know. He's been doing the dishes, keeping his room clean, reading a lot, doing his workbooks, and enjoying his life so much. He usually gets this way, feeling all grateful and satisfied when he see other kids having to go off to school in September.
He's been doing a lot, including starting to take public transportation by himself. His sisters were 14 when they were taking the trains and buses alone, so he's right in line with that. We just got his student Metrocards last week, too. He met a friend at the Rockefeller Plaza Nintendo store and they took a train and bus to Brooklyn. He's my last baby and it's hard letting go. Independence and maturity go hand-in-hand with homeschooling, so I'm not worried.
J has been assisting her choreographer all summer, teaching weekly classes at a dance studio, and performing. A new up-and-coming artist saw her dance on her choreographer's Instagram and asked him if she could be his background dancer at a showcase in Manhattan. What an amazing opportunity! She performed with this artist a couple of weeks later at the Highline Ballroom down in Chelsea. Move-in day at AMDA is this week and we're getting ready. It's her second year and she's so excited. This should be a very interesting year for her.
He's been doing a lot, including starting to take public transportation by himself. His sisters were 14 when they were taking the trains and buses alone, so he's right in line with that. We just got his student Metrocards last week, too. He met a friend at the Rockefeller Plaza Nintendo store and they took a train and bus to Brooklyn. He's my last baby and it's hard letting go. Independence and maturity go hand-in-hand with homeschooling, so I'm not worried.
J has been assisting her choreographer all summer, teaching weekly classes at a dance studio, and performing. A new up-and-coming artist saw her dance on her choreographer's Instagram and asked him if she could be his background dancer at a showcase in Manhattan. What an amazing opportunity! She performed with this artist a couple of weeks later at the Highline Ballroom down in Chelsea. Move-in day at AMDA is this week and we're getting ready. It's her second year and she's so excited. This should be a very interesting year for her.
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Almost Summer
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| At the adventure park |
So speaking of intrinsic motivation, this week, after looking at and discussing colleges and plans for the future, W has decided he'd like to continue with daily formal academics. I told him I hope he's not saying that for me. I'm fine with however he'd like to "do school". But he said he realized that there's no way he's not going to do everything he can to ace all the tests he has to take and get into his college of choice. So we came up with yet another weekly schedule for the rest of 8th grade and through the summer. After pulling out every single resource we have in the house and having him go through everything he has decided to continue using Saxon Algebra 1 (he loves Saxon), a couple of Barron's "Painless" series books, and a reading comprehension workbook. This sounds fine to me. I'll go along with whatever he wants to do. Knowing his track record, this all may change next week. But then again, HE is doing all the picking, choosing, and scheduling, so we'll see.
Another new thing going on is that W has been getting really serious about exercise, fitness, and nutrition. This, along with his ongoing interest in computer engineering, our restaurant adventure, lots of field trips, and interest-based academics, will keep him plenty busy all summer.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Science, Weapons, and Weather
My homeschool groups are so active and I'm seeing so many amazing classes and trips for teens. It's so great to see how many homeschoolers in this age group are out there. Just within the last few months I've seen classes being given for pottery, creative writing, tennis, philosophy, science lab, robotics, debate, string theory, non-fiction writing, drawing, psychology, glass working, comedy improv, ethics, American history, chemistry, digital photography, chess, cooking, ancient civilizations, rhetoric, fencing, video production, song writing, and a ton more. Plus list upon list of classes for teens (homeschooled or otherwise) given at various museums, galleries, labs, theaters, and parks. The choices are almost overwhelming (in a good way). We may not get to very many of them, but knowing they're there is great. I love my city.
We made a visit to the NY Hall of Science last week. We haven't been there in so long. Now that I'm back at my old job, I (we) have the corporate membership to everything again. They redid the place. The lower level is all maker, DIY, and lab stuff now. They have better hours than they used to, too.
Two great homeschool group trips were held this week. In the first, we were part of a wonderful class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was on weapons used throughout the world from the Sumerians and Assyrians to World War I. Our instructor is a homeschool mom and also a college professor of history. You can tell by the way she put everything together (the handout, the tour, the topics) and by the way she spoke that she truly loves history. Anything becomes so much more engaging when taught by a person so passionate about it.
We made a visit to the NY Hall of Science last week. We haven't been there in so long. Now that I'm back at my old job, I (we) have the corporate membership to everything again. They redid the place. The lower level is all maker, DIY, and lab stuff now. They have better hours than they used to, too.
Two great homeschool group trips were held this week. In the first, we were part of a wonderful class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was on weapons used throughout the world from the Sumerians and Assyrians to World War I. Our instructor is a homeschool mom and also a college professor of history. You can tell by the way she put everything together (the handout, the tour, the topics) and by the way she spoke that she truly loves history. Anything becomes so much more engaging when taught by a person so passionate about it.
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| Met Museum |
The other trip this week was to the National Weather Service at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. This is the office where all of the weather alerts, warnings, and advisories come from. They are in constant contact with the mayor, schools chancellor, and all the major local tv and radio stations. They are present for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New Years Eve in Times Square and for events at Met Life Stadium. We discussed so many things about weather, including the upcoming snow storms, the major hurricanes our area had, and the recent tornado watches. We got to see the main area where several people were monitoring a number of computers, televisions, barometric pressure-readers, and satellites, and clocks (set to "z-time"). Our guide was a meteorologist who also does outreach.
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| National Weather Service at the Brookhaven National Lab |
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| National Weather Service |
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Homeland Security
I can't say enough good things about the field trip W and our homeschool group went on the other day. It was to Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan to learn all about the Dept. of Homeland Security. They created a beautiful outreach program for us - as we were their first "school" group visiting ever. First we got to hear about a couple of agents' "day in the life". A PowerPoint presentation on the department's history and current goings on was next. Each slide was so incredibly fascinating. We learned about terrorism, border patrol, drug smuggling, human trafficking, customs and immigration, TSA, cyber crimes, counterfeiting and property rights, and so much more.
Two federal agents from JFK Airport came in with their German Shepherds to talk about the K9 unit there. The dogs sniff out drugs and currency. They did a demonstration for us, too. The dogs are very well cared for and loved and will only work for that one agent - who gets the dog while the dog is still in training school. Various dogs are used and they are found at all the international airports.
Then a FEMA agent came in to discuss what they do and he brought a whole team of FEMA Corps volunteers in with him. FEMA Corps is a group of 18-24 year-olds who spend 10 months traveling around the country together to help with emergency preparedness. Some kids were taking a year off between high school and college and this earns them some credits and scholarship money. Other kids already graduated college and were in FEMA Corps to gain work skills and figure out what they want to do. One guy was an EMT, a few deal with the social media part, all have CPR training, all do some office work, etc. These 10 kids comprised one team, but there are dozens of teams around the country.
Every topic was so interesting. The kids asked so many intelligent, mature questions that the presentation started to head into its 5th hour. I've never seen 13 & 14 y/os so enthralled by anything like this. The agents seemed very impressed by how smart and well-behaved these kids were. Our group of 6 teens and parents (so happy we could sit in!) are so grateful to the Department for having us and teaching us so many things we never realized.
Two federal agents from JFK Airport came in with their German Shepherds to talk about the K9 unit there. The dogs sniff out drugs and currency. They did a demonstration for us, too. The dogs are very well cared for and loved and will only work for that one agent - who gets the dog while the dog is still in training school. Various dogs are used and they are found at all the international airports.
Then a FEMA agent came in to discuss what they do and he brought a whole team of FEMA Corps volunteers in with him. FEMA Corps is a group of 18-24 year-olds who spend 10 months traveling around the country together to help with emergency preparedness. Some kids were taking a year off between high school and college and this earns them some credits and scholarship money. Other kids already graduated college and were in FEMA Corps to gain work skills and figure out what they want to do. One guy was an EMT, a few deal with the social media part, all have CPR training, all do some office work, etc. These 10 kids comprised one team, but there are dozens of teams around the country.
Every topic was so interesting. The kids asked so many intelligent, mature questions that the presentation started to head into its 5th hour. I've never seen 13 & 14 y/os so enthralled by anything like this. The agents seemed very impressed by how smart and well-behaved these kids were. Our group of 6 teens and parents (so happy we could sit in!) are so grateful to the Department for having us and teaching us so many things we never realized.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Keeping Busy
W just got back from a trip to Washington DC with one of his best friends and his family. He had a blast and took a lot of pictures. His friend founded an animal charity and was in DC to be on a local news broadcast. W really enjoyed being in the TV studio and getting to watch how everything works. They got to see the White House and the Washington Monument as well.
Parkour has been going really well. W is in a weekly class with other teens (and some younger kids). He has a lot of fun and loves the whole idea of what parkour is. It's his 2nd or 3rd year going. Speaking of teens, a bunch of homeschooled teens are starting to get together every week at a different venue. Last week they hung out for hours at Dave & Buster's and they went to an indoor trampoline place this week A few weeks ago they did a fundraiser/Halloween party for the animal charity at a local roller skating rink/arcade. I love that there are so many NY teenagers homeschooling. W has a really great group of friends.
B, W, and I went to a high school open house last week. W has no intention of attending high school, but he wanted to satisfy his curiosity about what it was. We went to the morning open house - while school was in session - to get a good idea of the school day. He had no shyness asking questions about their math curriculum (lol) and they seemed pretty surprised at his interest. Then we went on a tour of the building. Less than half-way through W was ready to leave. The kids were loud and show-offy in the hallways when they changed classes, the classrooms were small and dark, and he found out the day is really long (7:20am to after 4pm). He was totally unimpressed and it solidified his decision to continue homeschooling. I think the only thing he liked was that they have a personal chef who provides a really varied menu and salad bar for the kids. We finished the morning having a wonderful brunch at IHOP.
J met up with her choreographer and assisted him at a dance studio in New Jersey for 2 days last weekend. She's so happy to be going to college in NYC so she can continue to assist-teach and still see all her friends (and us!) whenever she wants. She also landed a part-time job in a retail store near her dorm! It's her first retail job and they gave her the hours she asked for. K did not like the Upper East Side salon, and subsequently got a new job at a salon the West Village. She is so much happier here and I'm proud of her for not settling and for staying on the lookout for something more ideal.
Parkour has been going really well. W is in a weekly class with other teens (and some younger kids). He has a lot of fun and loves the whole idea of what parkour is. It's his 2nd or 3rd year going. Speaking of teens, a bunch of homeschooled teens are starting to get together every week at a different venue. Last week they hung out for hours at Dave & Buster's and they went to an indoor trampoline place this week A few weeks ago they did a fundraiser/Halloween party for the animal charity at a local roller skating rink/arcade. I love that there are so many NY teenagers homeschooling. W has a really great group of friends.
B, W, and I went to a high school open house last week. W has no intention of attending high school, but he wanted to satisfy his curiosity about what it was. We went to the morning open house - while school was in session - to get a good idea of the school day. He had no shyness asking questions about their math curriculum (lol) and they seemed pretty surprised at his interest. Then we went on a tour of the building. Less than half-way through W was ready to leave. The kids were loud and show-offy in the hallways when they changed classes, the classrooms were small and dark, and he found out the day is really long (7:20am to after 4pm). He was totally unimpressed and it solidified his decision to continue homeschooling. I think the only thing he liked was that they have a personal chef who provides a really varied menu and salad bar for the kids. We finished the morning having a wonderful brunch at IHOP.
J met up with her choreographer and assisted him at a dance studio in New Jersey for 2 days last weekend. She's so happy to be going to college in NYC so she can continue to assist-teach and still see all her friends (and us!) whenever she wants. She also landed a part-time job in a retail store near her dorm! It's her first retail job and they gave her the hours she asked for. K did not like the Upper East Side salon, and subsequently got a new job at a salon the West Village. She is so much happier here and I'm proud of her for not settling and for staying on the lookout for something more ideal.
Friday, October 03, 2014
Getting Back Out There
W, J, and I went back to the American Museum of Natural History last week. We haven't been there in a couple of years so I decided it would be a good idea to see it again. My sister and my 3-year-old niece came, too. It was my niece's first time riding the subway. Before we went in, we had a nice lunch at Shake Shack on Columbus Avenue. J always eats at Shake Shack, but it was the first time for the rest of us. I'll admit, it was a damn good burger.
At the museum, we more or less just zipped through a bit of the first floor and most of the 4th floor (dinosaurs) before spending most of the time in the Discovery Center. I remember how much my kids loved it when they were little. I'm happy to say that my niece loved it just as much. She put on goggles and dug for bones, was fascinated with little clear blocks of various insects, built a totem pole, saw the live Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and really loved the nesting Matryoshka dolls.
Today we went with the homeschool group to the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium in Centerport, Long Island. We'd gone here years ago with J - W was to little to have paid any attention. It was such a beautiful day out today for it. We walked around the grounds and saw the Vanderbilt collection of safari animals, bugs, butterflies, sea creatures, and trophies. Our tour guide was a very knowledgeable and funny guy. He made everything a lot more interesting. I don't remember having a tour last time. The planetarium had a wonderful show on the life cycle of stars. It's a new building - just put up 2 years ago in place of the old one they'd used for 30 years. We all enjoyed it very much. W hung with his friends. It was nice to see these awesome homeschooled teens pay attention and have genuine interest in the exhibits. It's great that there are so many new homeschooling teens this year, too.
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| The W 77th Street side |
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| My beautiful niece |
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| The Long Island Sound is in the background |
Thursday, April 03, 2014
Kindy to 7th So Far...
Yeah, no. I thought I'd be able to step away from the blog for a bit, but I can't, lol. It's become too much a part of me. So, I'd like to try a new beginning. But first, I want to recap what homeschooling has been like for W so far. Here's a synopsis:
W is 13 years-old and has been homeschooled since Kindergarten. He is currently in 7th grade and has chosen to continue homeschooling through high school.
He has been in CCD class on Sunday mornings since he was 2 years old. He has so far completed 3 Sacraments (Baptism, Reconciliation, and Eucharist) and will be making his Confirmation next year (his last year of formal religious education).
He has been in many different activities over the years:
4 yrs old: Hip hop dance class
5 yrs old: Little League Baseball
6 yrs old: Basketball Clinic
7 yrs old: Tackle Football
8 yrs old: Circus class
8-10 yrs old: Cub Scouts
11 yrs old: Shotokan Karate
11 yrs old: Show Choir
12 yrs old: Dramatic Academy
12-13 yrs old: Muay Thai & Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
As far as homeschool styles, we are eclectic, mixing such styles as:
Unschooling
Charlotte Mason
Unit Studies
Classical
And used various curricula, including:
Ambleside Online
Kumon
Spectrum
Teaching Textbooks
Apologia
Lightning Literature
K12
Flash Kids
Saxon
Hake
...and many more
Since Kindergarten, he has gone on a lot of homeschool group classes and field trips, including:
Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty
Solar One
Federal Reserve
United Nations
Tanglewood Preserve
Alley Pond Environmental Center
Garvies Point
Museum of Natural History
Met Museum
Museum of Folk Art
Museum of the American Indian
Jewish Museum
Union Square Greenmarket
Times Square
9/11 Memorial
Bodies: The Exhibit (Discovery Center)
King Tut (Discovery Center)
Plays at Queens College, York College, & Hofstra
NYC Superhero Walking Tour
Rockefeller Plaza & Christmas windows
Science Museum of Long Island
Vanderbilt Museum
NY Planetarium
Grant's Tomb
Central Park, Bronx, & Queens Zoos
NY & Queens Botanical Gardens
NY Hall of Science
Queens Museum of Art
Museum of Biblical Art
Museum of Tolerance
CW Post (art class)
...and many more
When W was 11, he was officially diagnosed with visual processing disorder, causing moderate dyslexia and dysgraphia. Since then (actually, since he was 8 and I first suspected dyslexia), we have used numerous resources in all subjects, tweaking almost everything in various ways to fit his specific learning style. He is currently on or above grade level in all subjects, something I believe a school would never have been able to accomplish. It's all about the freedom. That's why it works.
W is 13 years-old and has been homeschooled since Kindergarten. He is currently in 7th grade and has chosen to continue homeschooling through high school.
He has been in CCD class on Sunday mornings since he was 2 years old. He has so far completed 3 Sacraments (Baptism, Reconciliation, and Eucharist) and will be making his Confirmation next year (his last year of formal religious education).
He has been in many different activities over the years:
4 yrs old: Hip hop dance class
5 yrs old: Little League Baseball
6 yrs old: Basketball Clinic
7 yrs old: Tackle Football
8 yrs old: Circus class
8-10 yrs old: Cub Scouts
11 yrs old: Shotokan Karate
11 yrs old: Show Choir
12 yrs old: Dramatic Academy
12-13 yrs old: Muay Thai & Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
As far as homeschool styles, we are eclectic, mixing such styles as:
Unschooling
Charlotte Mason
Unit Studies
Classical
And used various curricula, including:
Ambleside Online
Kumon
Spectrum
Teaching Textbooks
Apologia
Lightning Literature
K12
Flash Kids
Saxon
Hake
...and many more
Since Kindergarten, he has gone on a lot of homeschool group classes and field trips, including:
Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty
Solar One
Federal Reserve
United Nations
Tanglewood Preserve
Alley Pond Environmental Center
Garvies Point
Museum of Natural History
Met Museum
Museum of Folk Art
Museum of the American Indian
Jewish Museum
Union Square Greenmarket
Times Square
9/11 Memorial
Bodies: The Exhibit (Discovery Center)
King Tut (Discovery Center)
Plays at Queens College, York College, & Hofstra
NYC Superhero Walking Tour
Rockefeller Plaza & Christmas windows
Science Museum of Long Island
Vanderbilt Museum
NY Planetarium
Grant's Tomb
Central Park, Bronx, & Queens Zoos
NY & Queens Botanical Gardens
NY Hall of Science
Queens Museum of Art
Museum of Biblical Art
Museum of Tolerance
CW Post (art class)
...and many more
When W was 11, he was officially diagnosed with visual processing disorder, causing moderate dyslexia and dysgraphia. Since then (actually, since he was 8 and I first suspected dyslexia), we have used numerous resources in all subjects, tweaking almost everything in various ways to fit his specific learning style. He is currently on or above grade level in all subjects, something I believe a school would never have been able to accomplish. It's all about the freedom. That's why it works.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Body Worlds
The Body Worlds exhibit in Times Square was pretty interesting. W wasn't thrilled with it, saying it was just a bit too graphic and disturbing. I don't know how I feel about it. I definitely learned a lot. It is science as well as art as well as a moral lesson of sorts. We saw damaged lungs, stages of pregnancy, and cross-sections of all organs. Bodies are skinned and plasticined and arranged in various and creative positions that display their insides. It felt somewhat voyeuristic and wrong. I had been looking forward to this for a long time, but I'm kind of left with a weird feeling now that we went. Any thoughts? Here's a pic from the inside (pun intended):
We finished the afternoon with a walk around Times Square and a visit to the big Toys R Us. It's a ritual for us to venture inside every time we go to Times Square. Afterwards, we walked around looking for a place to sit and have lunch, but then we decided that the halal chicken and rice from the food cart near our home was exactly what we both wanted.
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| W and one of the Body World exhibits |
We finished the afternoon with a walk around Times Square and a visit to the big Toys R Us. It's a ritual for us to venture inside every time we go to Times Square. Afterwards, we walked around looking for a place to sit and have lunch, but then we decided that the halal chicken and rice from the food cart near our home was exactly what we both wanted.
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| Totally normal sight in Times Square |
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Fall and AMNH
Fall puts me is such a good mood. The weather is finally getting colder, the leaves are turning all sorts of awesome colors, and the new school year is nicely underway for both W and J.
W was part of a homeschool group trip to the American Museum of Natural History. This one was on how certain skulls have changed through time. They discussed and studied male and female chimp and gorilla skulls, along with Lucy (Australopithecus), Neanderthal, and Homo Sapiens skulls. The kids measured, observed, and wrote for almost an hour. The 3 instructors were great and I think the kids learned a lot. After the class, we got a tour of the Human Origins area.
J and I have been extremely busy with college applications. She and B went to a huge college fair at the Jacob Javitz center in Manhattan. J enjoyed the chance to speak with students and faculty of where she's interested in going. She's got her list of schools and now comes all the fun stuff.
I've enjoyed the once a month posting, but I miss being able to post when the mood strikes. So it's back to being random. Oh and watch out, I've discovered the Blogger app...
W was part of a homeschool group trip to the American Museum of Natural History. This one was on how certain skulls have changed through time. They discussed and studied male and female chimp and gorilla skulls, along with Lucy (Australopithecus), Neanderthal, and Homo Sapiens skulls. The kids measured, observed, and wrote for almost an hour. The 3 instructors were great and I think the kids learned a lot. After the class, we got a tour of the Human Origins area.
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| A closet of skulls... Muahahahaha |
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| Worksheet to log in findings |
J and I have been extremely busy with college applications. She and B went to a huge college fair at the Jacob Javitz center in Manhattan. J enjoyed the chance to speak with students and faculty of where she's interested in going. She's got her list of schools and now comes all the fun stuff.
I've enjoyed the once a month posting, but I miss being able to post when the mood strikes. So it's back to being random. Oh and watch out, I've discovered the Blogger app...
Saturday, September 28, 2013
September 2013
My favorite month! Actually, at the end of August I stopped in Michael's and got some autumn decorations. I couldn't wait. September is the month I can have all the windows open and there's actually a wonderful breeze coming in. B is looking to start making soup in the crock pot and Halloween is next month!
W was all ready to register for basketball, when he said he might want to try MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) instead. So, I found a great place with a great reputation. We went down for a free trial. The first day was a consultation to see what W's fitness level was like. He did a circuit of rowing machine, sit-ups, pull-ups, bench pressing, and jumping onto this huge tire. Bottom line - he's incredibly strong with great form. They said to try both the kids and the teen/adult MMA classes to see which would be a better fit. Being 12, W is right on the outskirts of both age groups. The kids class was ok. There were kids of all ages, including several 12 & 13 y/os. He did fine. Then he tried the teen/adult class to see which he prefers. The older group is much more skilled and focused and I think that's what W needs. It was a Muay Thai class (a form of kickboxing). After warming up, they immediately went into sparring and combat. W seemed to take to it pretty well and would like to continue. The owner of the gym and 2 teachers agreed that he would do better in the older class. He now goes 3x a week. We just got him his own hand wraps and boxing gloves. I'd love to see where this takes him.
A new season of CCD and Boy Scouts began last week.
We started 7th grade this month. Saxon 7/6 we're almost done with - probably finishing up by the end of October. Lightning Lit 7 is a hit so far. W loved Rikki Tikki Tavi and enjoyed the literary discussion about it. We watched the cartoon on YouTube, too. Now we're reading Tom Sawyer. He still does narrations and I ask questions, so I know he gets it. I do worry about the dyslexia, but so far it hasn't been too much of an issue. I am noticing it more lately, though. When he reads, he gets so physically exhausted in such a short amount of time. I read that children with visual dyslexia and visual processing disorder exert so much more energy getting their brain to translate what they're seeing - no wonder he gets tired. I am so thankful that we live in the 21st century with things like audio books, digital recorders, spell check, etc. Even though he reads and writes every day, I'm glad those things exist to help him in the future.
The K12 Human Odyssey for history is just continuing from last year. We're still learning more about Sumeria. The new geography program is great, too, so far. It's a fun read. A lot of the stuff we're learning can be reinforced with a few field trips, too. And we're moving along nicely with Apologia General Science. We did a few experiments this month and learned about experimental variables, surface tension, control groups, placebos, and blind and double-blind studies. Here are pictures from our experiments:
We visited the Sony Wonder Technology Lab a couple of weeks ago. We haven't been there in a few years so it was all new again - they also had a huge renovation since we'd been there last. W created cartoon characters, programmed a robot car, performed virtual open heart surgery, and played some cool PlayStation games.
J is now a senior at LaGuardia Arts! She is taking English, Government, and Math, and 2 double periods (4 classes) per day of dance. This semester includes: Classical Ballet, Modern (Horton), Modern (Graham), and Career Management. This is going to be a crazy year filled with performances, applications, auditions, prom, and graduation.
Also this month, J:
W was all ready to register for basketball, when he said he might want to try MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) instead. So, I found a great place with a great reputation. We went down for a free trial. The first day was a consultation to see what W's fitness level was like. He did a circuit of rowing machine, sit-ups, pull-ups, bench pressing, and jumping onto this huge tire. Bottom line - he's incredibly strong with great form. They said to try both the kids and the teen/adult MMA classes to see which would be a better fit. Being 12, W is right on the outskirts of both age groups. The kids class was ok. There were kids of all ages, including several 12 & 13 y/os. He did fine. Then he tried the teen/adult class to see which he prefers. The older group is much more skilled and focused and I think that's what W needs. It was a Muay Thai class (a form of kickboxing). After warming up, they immediately went into sparring and combat. W seemed to take to it pretty well and would like to continue. The owner of the gym and 2 teachers agreed that he would do better in the older class. He now goes 3x a week. We just got him his own hand wraps and boxing gloves. I'd love to see where this takes him.
A new season of CCD and Boy Scouts began last week.
We started 7th grade this month. Saxon 7/6 we're almost done with - probably finishing up by the end of October. Lightning Lit 7 is a hit so far. W loved Rikki Tikki Tavi and enjoyed the literary discussion about it. We watched the cartoon on YouTube, too. Now we're reading Tom Sawyer. He still does narrations and I ask questions, so I know he gets it. I do worry about the dyslexia, but so far it hasn't been too much of an issue. I am noticing it more lately, though. When he reads, he gets so physically exhausted in such a short amount of time. I read that children with visual dyslexia and visual processing disorder exert so much more energy getting their brain to translate what they're seeing - no wonder he gets tired. I am so thankful that we live in the 21st century with things like audio books, digital recorders, spell check, etc. Even though he reads and writes every day, I'm glad those things exist to help him in the future.
The K12 Human Odyssey for history is just continuing from last year. We're still learning more about Sumeria. The new geography program is great, too, so far. It's a fun read. A lot of the stuff we're learning can be reinforced with a few field trips, too. And we're moving along nicely with Apologia General Science. We did a few experiments this month and learned about experimental variables, surface tension, control groups, placebos, and blind and double-blind studies. Here are pictures from our experiments:
 |
| Soap can propel a cardboard boat |
 |
| Surface tension floats a paper clip |
We visited the Sony Wonder Technology Lab a couple of weeks ago. We haven't been there in a few years so it was all new again - they also had a huge renovation since we'd been there last. W created cartoon characters, programmed a robot car, performed virtual open heart surgery, and played some cool PlayStation games.
J is now a senior at LaGuardia Arts! She is taking English, Government, and Math, and 2 double periods (4 classes) per day of dance. This semester includes: Classical Ballet, Modern (Horton), Modern (Graham), and Career Management. This is going to be a crazy year filled with performances, applications, auditions, prom, and graduation.
Also this month, J:
- Went to several hip-hop master classes
- Stood on line from midnight at Good Morning America in Times Square to see a band called R5. One member is Ross Lynch (from Disney's Austin & Ally and Teen Beach Movie) who J is in love with. Only 25 people were picked to watch them perform live in the studio and be on TV. She, K, and her best friend were all selected. The got pictures with several band members (including Ross!). I DVR'd the show and got to see them.
- Got her senior pictures. She looks gorgeous. I still can't believe she's a senior.
- Is getting ready for the new dance season. Lots of great things are in store.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
June 2013
W went on a wonderful trip out to the Brookhaven National Lab again. This one was a 3-hour "Engineering Challenge". There were about twenty-five 11-15 y/os in the class. In groups of 3 they had to construct a column made only of cardboard and tape that both lightweight and strong. The efficiency formula is E = load/weight. Most kids made some sort of triangle shape, some made rectangles, some hexagons and octagons. The instructor used an "Instron" device - a kind of crushing machine that measures the strength of something based on the load pushing down on it. Another challenge was to make a structure (truss) using longerons, batten tubes, and string.
A design engineer from a different building came in to the class and spoke to the kids. While the other kids were working, he spoke to W's group. He shook the kids' hands while introducing himself and then talked to the kids about engineering - really listening to them, their ideas, input, future plans, etc. He treated them with respect, he listened to them, and in turn, the kids responded eagerly and maturely. I would never witness that kind of mutual respect from a public or private middle school. Why don't schools understand that?? This is a main reason why we homeschool. My son gets to experience everything in the real world, with real people, learning real skills. I'll never understand the artificial nothing-like-the-real-world hot mess called middle school (and many high schools, too, btw).
W had his final class at the Tanglewood Nature Preserve. This one was on Paleontology. The instructor was great with the kids. He was like a big kid himself and very into the subject. He passed around casts of big fossils and deer and horse bones. As usual, the kids were interested and engaged. At the end of the class they sectioned off a big dirt area with string and popsicle sticks to make a grid. 1 to 3 kids dug in each section and unearthed various bones. They measured, sketched, and described what they found. What a fun class! I can't wait to do more of these in the fall.
Also this month, W went to this cool art class at the CW Post campus of Long Island University. This was a 2 hour class (middle-high school level) about color, contrast, focal points, and theme. The kids discussed many pieces of art from a local artist and then drew similar pieces themselves.
The highlight of the month for me was seeing W in his theater group's original play. It was a teen drama all about, well, teen drama. W knew all his lines and he really does have a knack for acting. He did get stressed out about the show. For a month he was terrified he'd forget his lines. He got more comfortable with it around the final week when there were lots of extra rehearsals. I'm not sure if he wants to continue acting, but I'm so proud that he gave it a try and faced his fear.
Other things W did this month include going to our homeschool group's annual End of No School Picnic, getting an iPhone, and playing lots of soccer in the park. I'm so looking forward to many many more fun things this summer!
We are also getting ready for our summer academic schedule. Year-round just works better for us, but the summer months are definitely lighter. So, we've decided on doing 3 days/week (MWF), 2 subjects a day. It will look like this:
Mon: Math, History
Wed: Math, Science
Fri: Math, English
And since I won't be working outside the home anymore, we can get out and explore/experience the city (and surrounding areas) some more. I want to see how we do with the 2 formal subjects a day thing. I'd like to maybe continue doing that in the fall, 5 days/week. It doesn't look like much until you see how it's only a part of an entire curriculum, which includes field trips, documentaries, homeschool group classes, basketball, parkour, CCD, scouts, consumer math, personal finance, computer technology (gaming, coding, creating, and online courses), typing, film-making, agriculture (gardening, composting), engineering, public speaking, health, nature study, art/crafts, music, map/ dictionary/ library/ and research skills, etc. I love homeschooling.
Ok, the final decisions have been made. The curriculum we are going with for 7th grade is:
Literature: Lightning Lit 7
Math: Saxon Algebra 1/2
History: K12 Human Odyssey 1
Geography: World Physical Geography (Runkle)
Science: Apologia General Science
I wanted to bring something else up. Ever since W got his diagnosis last summer of dyslexia and processing issues from the Albert Einstein School of Medicine neuropsych research dept, I have changed the way we do academics. It seems that now (in only a year) he can read fluidly with hardly any pauses (and those pauses are only on one or 2 unfamiliar large words), he can write neatly, and I see no problems with his processing speed in any area. I don't think anyone would even guess he has a learning disability if they saw him today. The difference between where he was at age 11 to where he is now at age 12 is like night and day. He is now more than a grade level ahead in reading! The diagnosis spurred me to change a lot of things. I pretty much met him where he was, yet pushed him at the same time. We used various methods and tools but no formal dyslexia programs at all. At least 90% of his reading/writing/learning issues have disappeared. Any thoughts?
4th Quarterly, Annual Assessment, and Letter of Intent for 7th grade mailed.
J's junior choreography project was absolutely breathtaking. One of the teachers explained to the audience that this is the first real school performance for most of them (although some have been in the annual musical or the annual Rising Stars talent show) - it's the first time they really "let them out" to show what they can do. I can't stress enough how talented these kids are. There are about 60 junior dance majors and there were 21 different dances in the showcase. One was better than the next. Now comes senior year where there are even more opportunities and performances. I can't believe my baby girl is a senior already.
Here's what else J has been doing this month:
 |
| Brookhaven National Lab |
A design engineer from a different building came in to the class and spoke to the kids. While the other kids were working, he spoke to W's group. He shook the kids' hands while introducing himself and then talked to the kids about engineering - really listening to them, their ideas, input, future plans, etc. He treated them with respect, he listened to them, and in turn, the kids responded eagerly and maturely. I would never witness that kind of mutual respect from a public or private middle school. Why don't schools understand that?? This is a main reason why we homeschool. My son gets to experience everything in the real world, with real people, learning real skills. I'll never understand the artificial nothing-like-the-real-world hot mess called middle school (and many high schools, too, btw).
W had his final class at the Tanglewood Nature Preserve. This one was on Paleontology. The instructor was great with the kids. He was like a big kid himself and very into the subject. He passed around casts of big fossils and deer and horse bones. As usual, the kids were interested and engaged. At the end of the class they sectioned off a big dirt area with string and popsicle sticks to make a grid. 1 to 3 kids dug in each section and unearthed various bones. They measured, sketched, and described what they found. What a fun class! I can't wait to do more of these in the fall.
 |
| Digging for bones at Tanglewood |
Also this month, W went to this cool art class at the CW Post campus of Long Island University. This was a 2 hour class (middle-high school level) about color, contrast, focal points, and theme. The kids discussed many pieces of art from a local artist and then drew similar pieces themselves.
 |
| CW Post Art Class (photo credit: CB) |
The highlight of the month for me was seeing W in his theater group's original play. It was a teen drama all about, well, teen drama. W knew all his lines and he really does have a knack for acting. He did get stressed out about the show. For a month he was terrified he'd forget his lines. He got more comfortable with it around the final week when there were lots of extra rehearsals. I'm not sure if he wants to continue acting, but I'm so proud that he gave it a try and faced his fear.
Other things W did this month include going to our homeschool group's annual End of No School Picnic, getting an iPhone, and playing lots of soccer in the park. I'm so looking forward to many many more fun things this summer!
We are also getting ready for our summer academic schedule. Year-round just works better for us, but the summer months are definitely lighter. So, we've decided on doing 3 days/week (MWF), 2 subjects a day. It will look like this:
Mon: Math, History
Wed: Math, Science
Fri: Math, English
And since I won't be working outside the home anymore, we can get out and explore/experience the city (and surrounding areas) some more. I want to see how we do with the 2 formal subjects a day thing. I'd like to maybe continue doing that in the fall, 5 days/week. It doesn't look like much until you see how it's only a part of an entire curriculum, which includes field trips, documentaries, homeschool group classes, basketball, parkour, CCD, scouts, consumer math, personal finance, computer technology (gaming, coding, creating, and online courses), typing, film-making, agriculture (gardening, composting), engineering, public speaking, health, nature study, art/crafts, music, map/ dictionary/ library/ and research skills, etc. I love homeschooling.
Ok, the final decisions have been made. The curriculum we are going with for 7th grade is:
Literature: Lightning Lit 7
Math: Saxon Algebra 1/2
History: K12 Human Odyssey 1
Geography: World Physical Geography (Runkle)
Science: Apologia General Science
I wanted to bring something else up. Ever since W got his diagnosis last summer of dyslexia and processing issues from the Albert Einstein School of Medicine neuropsych research dept, I have changed the way we do academics. It seems that now (in only a year) he can read fluidly with hardly any pauses (and those pauses are only on one or 2 unfamiliar large words), he can write neatly, and I see no problems with his processing speed in any area. I don't think anyone would even guess he has a learning disability if they saw him today. The difference between where he was at age 11 to where he is now at age 12 is like night and day. He is now more than a grade level ahead in reading! The diagnosis spurred me to change a lot of things. I pretty much met him where he was, yet pushed him at the same time. We used various methods and tools but no formal dyslexia programs at all. At least 90% of his reading/writing/learning issues have disappeared. Any thoughts?
4th Quarterly, Annual Assessment, and Letter of Intent for 7th grade mailed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
J's junior choreography project was absolutely breathtaking. One of the teachers explained to the audience that this is the first real school performance for most of them (although some have been in the annual musical or the annual Rising Stars talent show) - it's the first time they really "let them out" to show what they can do. I can't stress enough how talented these kids are. There are about 60 junior dance majors and there were 21 different dances in the showcase. One was better than the next. Now comes senior year where there are even more opportunities and performances. I can't believe my baby girl is a senior already.
Here's what else J has been doing this month:
- She danced at the Alvin Ailey Theater for a pretty well-known choreographer's birthday showcase gala. She was put front and center of his all-star hip-hop team. I wish I could have gone to see her, but I had work and this only came up the week before. Luckily, B went. He said she was beyond fierce, lol.
- She was called in for a last-minute rehearsal for a show at B.B. Kings Blues Club in Times Square. She performed as a back-up dancer for Wyclef Jean and Waka Flocka Flame! I am still amazed at how quickly this came about. She and several other dancers were sent a video of the dance and were expected to know it before coming to rehearsal, so they could just run it over and over. The day of the show, Wyclef met with all the kids, introducing himself, and right before the show J got a picture with Waka. B went to this show, too (I had to work again..AARGHHH). There's no way he'd miss his baby girl dance, lol. I'm really glad one of us was there to see her.
- She and some friends went to see Maroon 5 perform on the Today show. They got on line at 3:30am at Rockefeller Plaza...in the rain.
- She got some beautiful new headshots taken.
- She finished all her school finals and Regent exams.
- She and B went to see Shaping Sound at the Beacon Theater.
It's going to be a wonderful summer!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
May 2013
I have decided to streamline my posts. Now that the kids are older and only W is homeschooled I'd like to try posting just once a month. So here we are at the end of May 2013.
I already mentioned that W took a wonderful nanotechnology class at the beginning of May. He also took 3 classes with our homeschool group at the Tanglewood Nature Preserve in Long Island. The first class was "Forensics". The kids learned about fingerprints, footprints, DNA, dental imprints, and piecing together a crime scene.
The second class was called, "Math in the Natural World". Fibonacci numbers, bilateral and radial symmetry, and the reasons for the various shapes & patterns found in nature were actively discussed. The instructor took them out on the nature trail to see these things up close. Examples of these cool math patterns were found in beehives, skunk cabbage, ferns, trees, and insects.
Another month of science classes was completed at the Science Museum of Long Island. So far he's had classes on: microscopes, lights/lenses/lasers, types of rocks/minerals, constellations, and more. They always do part of the class outdoors with a nice walk around the woods. W's class has about 8 kids who are all 11 to 15 years old. One class he especially enjoyed was dissecting owl pellets. He had done this a few years ago, but he's older now with a different perspective and understanding.
A new activity W thought would be fun is parkour. He's taking weekly classes now. He is learning how to jump, flip, roll, and tumble on, through, and over various objects. There are a lot of gymnastics and coordination moves involved. He loves it. The instructors are masters at parkour and so amazing to watch.
About a week ago, B took W to a NY Mets game. They go together once or twice a season. Citifield is so close to our home. I dropped them off at the 7 train and picked them up a few hours later. W has so much fun at these games because there's always something there for the kids to do and he comes home with some cool free stuff.
Theater class is going very well. I think it's the best money we've ever spent. His reading confidence is through the roof. Everyone in his teen groups is so friendly and supportive. W was so worried about his reading - all the mono-/dialogues, memorization, and cold readings, but now, he looks forward to getting picked to read something. He even requests to read. I love this class. I can't wait to see their big performance next month.
CCD classes are over - his last class of this season was May 19. He has one more year (7th grade) and then W makes his sacrament of Confirmation in the fall (or winter, maybe) of 8th grade. He's been going to this class with the same kids since he was 2. The new season starts at the end of September.
We are making good progress with the academics. We will be on a semi-full schedule over the summer, so I figure we'll be done with math, spelling, and vocabulary sometime in autumn. That's when I'm thinking about trying AoPS PreAlgebra... but we do love Saxon. I'm still up in the air about choosing Saxon 8/7 or AoPS. Well, we still have a few months to decide. We have already started our 7th grade science and history programs, so we'll just continue with those. W has also recently expressed an interest in Latin, rather than Spanish, so we are going to try it out. I did some research and looked at tons of reviews and samples and finally settled on a program called, "Latin's Not So Tough". It wasn't until after choosing that program that I noticed that they call themselves "the Saxon Math of Latin curriculums". That might be why I was drawn to it. I plan on starting with Level 2, which starts off with a review of level 1 (the alphabet and pronunciations). Not sure if he'll enjoy it, but it will certainly help him with reading and vocabulary.
J said the shoot for the music video was great. I dropped her off at 9:30am and they finally finished at around 11pm. They did her hair and makeup - her hair was kept long and straight and her makeup was dark and almost goth-like. She had a blast. They even provided the kids with lunch and dinner. Even though J hasn't had a lot of training in hip-hop, she has really come into it on her own. I love watching her dance. I can't wait to see this video.
She was also in another competition this month. She is so enjoying the freedom of being an independent. Nothing is holding her back. She choreographed another solo (jazz) and just finished 2 days before the competition. She's using a new studio and renting space as she needs it. It's fantastic and it's a beautiful space. She got a Platinum award for BOTH her solos and a "unique style" award for her new one. One judge told her he could watch her dance all day and another said she loved the simplicity of her costume (a pretty little soft pink dress she just picked up the day before at Forever 21 for $13). It was wonderful that J got all the recorded judges comment on a thumb drive. Several of her friends came to cheer and support her - and there were a lot of kids there she knew from school or other studios. There was no stress, no worries, and I can happily say that competitions have become fun and exciting again - just like they used to be years ago.
K finished up her internship in Manhattan this month and started a new job. It's still part-time, but she's making more in 1 week here than she did in over a month at her other part-time job. Now that her money situation is where she wants it (for now), she can focus more on getting her career off the ground. She has an entrepreneurial mind and once she's determined, she can do anything. But for now, she's putting away 3/4 of her money for a new (used) car.
I already mentioned that W took a wonderful nanotechnology class at the beginning of May. He also took 3 classes with our homeschool group at the Tanglewood Nature Preserve in Long Island. The first class was "Forensics". The kids learned about fingerprints, footprints, DNA, dental imprints, and piecing together a crime scene.
 |
| Fingerprints |
The second class was called, "Math in the Natural World". Fibonacci numbers, bilateral and radial symmetry, and the reasons for the various shapes & patterns found in nature were actively discussed. The instructor took them out on the nature trail to see these things up close. Examples of these cool math patterns were found in beehives, skunk cabbage, ferns, trees, and insects.
Another month of science classes was completed at the Science Museum of Long Island. So far he's had classes on: microscopes, lights/lenses/lasers, types of rocks/minerals, constellations, and more. They always do part of the class outdoors with a nice walk around the woods. W's class has about 8 kids who are all 11 to 15 years old. One class he especially enjoyed was dissecting owl pellets. He had done this a few years ago, but he's older now with a different perspective and understanding.
 |
| W's find in the owl pellet |
A new activity W thought would be fun is parkour. He's taking weekly classes now. He is learning how to jump, flip, roll, and tumble on, through, and over various objects. There are a lot of gymnastics and coordination moves involved. He loves it. The instructors are masters at parkour and so amazing to watch.
About a week ago, B took W to a NY Mets game. They go together once or twice a season. Citifield is so close to our home. I dropped them off at the 7 train and picked them up a few hours later. W has so much fun at these games because there's always something there for the kids to do and he comes home with some cool free stuff.
 |
| W getting ready for a dunk-tank pitch |
Theater class is going very well. I think it's the best money we've ever spent. His reading confidence is through the roof. Everyone in his teen groups is so friendly and supportive. W was so worried about his reading - all the mono-/dialogues, memorization, and cold readings, but now, he looks forward to getting picked to read something. He even requests to read. I love this class. I can't wait to see their big performance next month.
CCD classes are over - his last class of this season was May 19. He has one more year (7th grade) and then W makes his sacrament of Confirmation in the fall (or winter, maybe) of 8th grade. He's been going to this class with the same kids since he was 2. The new season starts at the end of September.
We are making good progress with the academics. We will be on a semi-full schedule over the summer, so I figure we'll be done with math, spelling, and vocabulary sometime in autumn. That's when I'm thinking about trying AoPS PreAlgebra... but we do love Saxon. I'm still up in the air about choosing Saxon 8/7 or AoPS. Well, we still have a few months to decide. We have already started our 7th grade science and history programs, so we'll just continue with those. W has also recently expressed an interest in Latin, rather than Spanish, so we are going to try it out. I did some research and looked at tons of reviews and samples and finally settled on a program called, "Latin's Not So Tough". It wasn't until after choosing that program that I noticed that they call themselves "the Saxon Math of Latin curriculums". That might be why I was drawn to it. I plan on starting with Level 2, which starts off with a review of level 1 (the alphabet and pronunciations). Not sure if he'll enjoy it, but it will certainly help him with reading and vocabulary.J said the shoot for the music video was great. I dropped her off at 9:30am and they finally finished at around 11pm. They did her hair and makeup - her hair was kept long and straight and her makeup was dark and almost goth-like. She had a blast. They even provided the kids with lunch and dinner. Even though J hasn't had a lot of training in hip-hop, she has really come into it on her own. I love watching her dance. I can't wait to see this video.
She was also in another competition this month. She is so enjoying the freedom of being an independent. Nothing is holding her back. She choreographed another solo (jazz) and just finished 2 days before the competition. She's using a new studio and renting space as she needs it. It's fantastic and it's a beautiful space. She got a Platinum award for BOTH her solos and a "unique style" award for her new one. One judge told her he could watch her dance all day and another said she loved the simplicity of her costume (a pretty little soft pink dress she just picked up the day before at Forever 21 for $13). It was wonderful that J got all the recorded judges comment on a thumb drive. Several of her friends came to cheer and support her - and there were a lot of kids there she knew from school or other studios. There was no stress, no worries, and I can happily say that competitions have become fun and exciting again - just like they used to be years ago.
K finished up her internship in Manhattan this month and started a new job. It's still part-time, but she's making more in 1 week here than she did in over a month at her other part-time job. Now that her money situation is where she wants it (for now), she can focus more on getting her career off the ground. She has an entrepreneurial mind and once she's determined, she can do anything. But for now, she's putting away 3/4 of her money for a new (used) car.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
The Start of May
J is looking so forward to summer. The music video she is in is shooting next weekend (finally!) and she just got a 285 out of 300 at a dance competition last weekend. She is competing again in a few weeks as an independent and will be choreographing yet another solo for it. Over the next few weeks she will be figuring out studio practice time (she has several options for various studio to use) and costume. Her Junior Project for school is also coming along nicely. She finished the choreography and just needs to practice practice practice. We get to view all of the junior class's routines in June. I can't wait.
W and I are speeding through Saxon 76. We love the book, but I can see how some families hate it. There are a LOT of practice problems. Each chapter has you do a 60-100 problem basic arithmetic drill, then about 10 problems they call "mental math", then you go over the 2-3-page new lesson, then do about 10 problems solidifying that new lesson, then 30 problems that are a mix of the last 10-15 lessons (the spiral). Whew. W and I are getting a bit worn out with all of that, so now we only do the new lesson, the 10 practice problems, and maybe 10-15 from the spiral. It's because of that spiral that W has gotten so good at math and remembers everything, so I don't want to cut out too much of it. I'll just pick and choose the examples he should do. We'll move through the book much quicker this way and he'll still retain his love of math. Any kind of busywork/tedium will kill a love of learning so quickly. It has to be strategically planned to have the intended effect, but keep the kids engaged at the same time. Thankfully, we are able to do that!
At theater class last week, W did a lot of cold readings. He called me when the class was over and was so proud of himself. He did it and wasn't even that nervous. He said he hardly stumbled at all. The other kids and the teachers complimented him on his delivery, too. This is just what he needs to build his confidence and believe he is great reader. He has come so far in only a few years - from even last summer! He's like a different kid. I am so grateful to be able to homeschool.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Wetlands
After doing some serious hibernating for the last few months we decided to get back into doing some group classes. This week W went to a great class at the Alley Pond Environmental Center on Wetlands. There were about 8 middle/high school aged kids there - all intently focused and fully participating. I can imagine the nonsense these people have to go through with chatty, unfocused school kids who are just happy to get out of their building for a few hours. A group of homeschoolers must be so refreshing for them. The class was all about marshes and the various plants and animals that inhabit them. The kids tested the brackish water in the creek: temperature, pH level, turbidity, and oxygen levels. W really enjoyed the class (the instructor was fantastic) and was happy to be with friends he hasn't seen in a while.
Academics:
Math: (Saxon) Angles & lines, multiplying & reducing fractions. Review of percent, measurement, multiples, mixed numbers, average, GCF, perimeter, diameter/radius
English: (Hake) Future tense, capitalization in sentences, "I", and poetry, & irregular plural nouns. Review of sentence types, compound nouns, simple subjects, verb phrases, vocabulary words, abstract & concrete nouns, possessives, fragments & run-ons, past/present tense. (Seq Spelling) Days 13-16. (Wordsmith Apprentice) Introduction to writing
History: (Story of Mankind) Hieroglyphics
Science: APEC field trip: Wetland Ecology & Water Testing, (Apologia) The Scientific Method
And I just have to throw one more of these out there:
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| Inside the APEC classroom |
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| Info on how to test the creek water |
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| Out on the marsh |
Academics:
Math: (Saxon) Angles & lines, multiplying & reducing fractions. Review of percent, measurement, multiples, mixed numbers, average, GCF, perimeter, diameter/radius
English: (Hake) Future tense, capitalization in sentences, "I", and poetry, & irregular plural nouns. Review of sentence types, compound nouns, simple subjects, verb phrases, vocabulary words, abstract & concrete nouns, possessives, fragments & run-ons, past/present tense. (Seq Spelling) Days 13-16. (Wordsmith Apprentice) Introduction to writing
History: (Story of Mankind) Hieroglyphics
Science: APEC field trip: Wetland Ecology & Water Testing, (Apologia) The Scientific Method
And I just have to throw one more of these out there:
50 reasons why NYC is the greatest city in the world
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Brooklyn Bridge Park
This week we went back to Brooklyn Bridge Park for another class on seining in the East River. The water was so pretty with soft, rolling waves - perfect for wading in. We seined in the spring and now we wanted to see what we'd find in the fall. The instructors told us different species are there in different seasons. The kids and adults pulled the nets in about a dozen times. Every time, all the kids would run over and try to see anything alive. It was fun. Some of the animals we found were cone jellies, silver something (can't remember the name), blue crabs, and sea squirts.
Academics this week:
Saxon Math 7/6 (variables & order of operations), Channel One News (W likes it better than CNN Student news), Prince Caspian readaloud w/narration (ch. 1.), Silent reading (W's book of choice. At this point I don't care what it is as long as he's reading. So, Diary of a Wimpy Kid it is.), Spelling Skills 5 (definitions, grouping), Simply Grammar (subject/predicate), & The Everything American History Book w/narration (Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, Spanish conquistadors).
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| Hauled in from the East River |
Academics this week:
Saxon Math 7/6 (variables & order of operations), Channel One News (W likes it better than CNN Student news), Prince Caspian readaloud w/narration (ch. 1.), Silent reading (W's book of choice. At this point I don't care what it is as long as he's reading. So, Diary of a Wimpy Kid it is.), Spelling Skills 5 (definitions, grouping), Simply Grammar (subject/predicate), & The Everything American History Book w/narration (Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, Spanish conquistadors).
Monday, September 24, 2012
Solar Power!
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| Discussing energy sources |
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| W's solar-powered car |
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| Right outside Solar1 |
This week's academics went very well. W helped me tweak our schedule and we had a nice flow all week. Each day, we watched and discussed CNN Student News, he did a few pages of Saxon Math, I read something to him and he gave a spoken or written narration, he did 1 lesson in one of the language arts workbooks (spelling, grammar, vocabulary, etc), he read a book silently for 20 minutes or so (right now it's a bio of Thomas Edison). And Friday was a field trip. Throughout the week, W did some science and cooking experiments, watched a few documentaries, did plenty of artwork, played basketball, tag, and X-box with friends on the block, and went to choir (he may have a solo this session!).
I took W and K out for our annual start of fall breakfast. This time it was at IHOP. I hadn't been there in at least 8 years. I forgot how great it is. J danced in a street fair on Sunday with the whole studio company. Several hundred people came over to watch! It was a nice set of their best stuff from last season. This season is well under way with lots of new choreography. I think I'm hearing that the first competition will be before the end of the year!
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