We had a light week.  First, we had tons of playdates planned as well as Dr visits and portraits for Cutiepatootie since she turned 7.  However, strep throat is going around these parts and Bugaboo ended up in the Dr office Monday.  Yep, he had strep throat.  Cancelled playdates through Wednesday.  School was scheduled lighter this week and we stuck to that.  It was so hot anyway!

We are looking forward to the weekend.  Family is visiting and we will camp one night with them.

Have a wonderful weekend!

T

Math:  They do a lesson a day in Horizons.  We had a test this week and both were at 98%   Super proud of my kids.  Even with our summer off they have jumped right back in and seem to be remembering more this year than in the past.

Language Arts:  This is my own weak spot.  It is why I like Classical Education.  I am learning as much as they are learning!  They do a page in Daily Grams, work on their cursive letter of the day, do a spelling lesson and then work in their writing programs.  This is new for us and this week was exciting.  Bugaboo’s program had him write a rough draft last week of the story he had read in his own words.  I walked away and let him work alone unsure how he would do.  Well his story was awesome!  This week he had to change the story and make it different…more details or change the characters some…it’s always Aesop’s Fables so the animals are characters.  It again was a great story and his changes were great.  His sentences were almost all run-ons, lol, but he did allow me to guide him in structuring one a little better.  He did not want to, but he did allow me to help.  The only issue was the first sentence that I honestly wasn’t sure about.  I couldn’t decide if it needed a comma to separate the ideas or if it flowed well enough to leave it alone.  Grammar/writing is my weak point and I wish I could have better been able to answer my own question.  He of course thought it was perfect, so we left it alone!  We will type it up Monday and print it out to put into a book for him to save.  He was so excited!

Cutiepatootie has a wonderful Aesop writing program that allows her to read the story and rewrite one sentence of a picture from the story.  Usually the next page has her think more about the story and write sentences about a topic.  This week was letter writing and how to set up the letter and envelope.  So she’s ready to write thank you notes….her birthday is tomorrow!!!

They are doing great in Language Arts this year and moving along with no complaining this year. 

Science:  We are reading about cells this week.  We like the Sonlight science program.  This is new to us this year, but I like how it’s done every day.  I was worried about the reading selection being too short but by the time they need to do the worksheets it’s enough for them to remember.  Science is getting done.  They are learning lots of new material.  We are happy with our choice to try this program.

History:  We are studying explorers and this week was focused on Columbus.  After our readings we worked on History Pockets and watched, “Drive Thru History: Columbus”.  The video was fascinating!!!  We bought the series at convention this year and am so glad we did.  Very interesting to watch.  Dave is funny, but connects dots from the larger picture of History.
Music:  Lessons are going very well.  The kids like their new teachers.  Bugaboo has moved into an electric guitar since he’d mastered the ukulele and all the songs we could find for it.  Ok, there are more out there but he was running into trouble when his instrument couldn’t play certain notes due to it having 4 strings.  His teacher had him work back through everything he knew to fine tune them.  He then worked on chords since up until now he was only picking.  And so, we got an electric guitar.  Bugaboo is beyond thrilled.  Daddy is signed up for drum lessons this fall.  You see how this is going to become a family band right?  Cutiepatootie still loves her violin and would be happy to play ‘fiddle’ like.

So we have been super busy this week with playdates.  The kids are learning and then playing most days.  We are finding our way about town.  Daddy is busy at work.  Mommy needs to clean the floors.  But tomorrow is Cutiepatootie’s birthday and we will be celebrating at a local water park and then having crab legs and cake

Have a great weekend,
T

Luckily this week has flown by and I am ready for the weekend.  Why?  So I can sleep late!  We are adjusting to the early mornings here.  I actually got up several days with dh this week.  And the kids were up today too!  It means it’s not even 8am and we are in the schoolroom ready to work.  I am not ready, lol, but they are here, so we will go with it!

Here’s our weekly report:

Math:  They did 4 math lessons.  Bugaboo did some logic work too.  Cutiepatootie is doing a math logic book with coloring pictures and she loves it.

Language Arts:  We are doing spelling 3x’s a week.  They are also working on cursive.  Letters c,a, d were covered this week and how to connect them.  In writing both have started new programs.  Bugaboo likes his program a lot.  He had copywork, vocabulary, sentence structure and today a rough draft of rewriting the story he was working on.  Cutiepatootie had several stories that she had to color and write sentences about.  She too likes her program.  Daily Grams is going well too.  Yay!

Science:  This is a new program for us and we really do like the pace and layout.  It gives them more accountability with the worksheets and I do think they are retaining more.  With it being short lessons it doesn’t make the day too long.

History:  Native Americans is our focus this week.  We have read some great books.

Music:  Lessons are going well.  They like their teachers!  Bugaboo will be moving over to electric guitar since his teacher says he has learned all the songs available for the ukulele as it only has 4 strings.

PE:  Well I put the idea out there for a free PE group that us moms organize and we had 10 of us show up yesterday to put it together.  I am very excited.  All the kids had fun.  The park is great.  And they will be playing volleyball, soccer and school yard games this fall!

All in all a great work week. We are still adjusting to being in the room on time, still adjusting to spending our time in the basement doing school, but we are making new friends and getting settled into a great fall routine.  The place is almost all unpacked with just a few things left to hang on the wall and some stuff in the garage to be moved to a new storage spot.  We like the area very much and think it’s going to be a good place to live

T

So here’s the lineup for this year’s subjects:

Daily Grams for grammar review

Writing Tales(Bugaboo)/Royal Fireworks Press Aesop’s Fable (Cutiepatootie)

All About Spelling 3 and probably 4

Horizons Math

Sonlight Core 3 History: Early American

Sonlight Science 3

Latina Christiana Latin I

music lessons( ukulele for Bugaboo and violin for Cutiepatootie)

PE:  forming a PE group for games and sports weekly

Music/Art: Composer/Artist study quarterly

That is our plan.  Already we are finding the math for Bugaboo is much longer and detailed than previous years.  He is liking the grammar this year much better than last years choice and so next year we may go with their full grammar program.  Cutiepatootie liked last years program and so she may go with that one.  Whatever works for them.

We pick up the rest of our stuff from the house this weekend and get to visit with our friends one last time.  I don’t know how often we will get back that way honestly.  We really do like it here in our new city.  We are excited about all the new things to do.  And we are kinda excited to see what winter brings here.  We know it will snow some.  How much?  A blizzard like last year?  The kids are going to need boots….so Christmas gift idea for you all right now

t

We phase in our school every fall.  It allows us to get going again without the shock of a full day that can burn anyone out the first day!  This year we are starting Daily Grams, math and Sonlight Science our first week.  Next week the goal is to have everything else added in.  This week is hot and park days have to be in the mornings, so the best laid plans are already gone.

This is our first year with Sonlight for Science but after loving the History we have high hopes that science will be fun this year.  Math is math.  But it’s Bugaboo’s 4th grade math year, so it’s important and will be interesting to see how he does.  Both kids are working a grade level ahead in math and language arts.  So far no problems, but I expect it to slow down this year or next for Bugaboo and another year for Cutiepatootie.  I can’t believe we will soon be moving into middle school territory!

We are excited about all our lessons this year and hope to get a lot of local field trips in this year with our new location being so close to so much.  We really need to hit the road back home though for some early history topics but if we have to hang out here I am sure I can find plenty to see and do.

I am off to wake up the sleeping kids who have no clue what early in the morning really means

Our first week in our new place has been good.  We have met a few people through the homeschool group nearby and even had a playdate with one family!  We are also spending more time on the tennis court and are meeting people at that park every time we go.   I remember one gal who told me when she moves she never turns down an invite.  I am taking her advice and trying to follow up with people and do things just to get out.

We spent most of last week looking for new music teachers.  We finally put money down on one place an they start next week.  The price shock is wearing off and the kids realize they may not do anything else this fall.  I am hoping to sign them up for soccer with a homeschool group out in the country, but it depends on the price of soccer shoes first.  Moving meant a pay cut, which means we all must cut back.  So family, when you think about birthday presents, think money toward sports ok?  The kids really want to play some things.  To give you perspective….their music lessons are now more than the car payment.  ACK!

We plan to start school after our last moving weekend this month.  We have a full schedule planned and are excited about our new studies.  We start American History this year as well as picking Latin back up.  In Science we are doing a spiral program, so the kids will get lots of different topics this year.  We are also starting a writing program to focus on this year with daily grammar as well.  We plan to alternate our focus in language arts from writing to grammar each year.  This is our writing year.

So life is at times hectic, at times boring, and at this point, always something new.  We do like the town a lot and the job is going well.

T

Life is changing so much, so fast.

So moving is first up.  Tomorrow we pack, Saturday we drive and unload.

Then Dh starts the job while I get the house in order and somehow find a way to organize in time to start school in August.

While the August calendar is wide open I know it will not be all free time.

The mortgage fun we are having is beyond words.  The phone calls are….interesting.  The paperwork makes me scream.

And then there is life.  It’s precious.  And we all take it for granted.  I had to hug my best friend today and say goodbye not knowing when I will be able to come down to see her.  I have to hope that others will step up and help her out.

I am not alone.  My life is not miserable.  It’s heavy right now.  I am on the brink of stress

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master: “If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen?” The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years . .” (The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast – How long then?” Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.” “But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the student. “Thirty years,” replied the Master. “But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?” (Replied the Master, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”

This is the dilemma I’ve faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.

Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn’t you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.

I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning.

John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, “We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don’t do that.” Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States. (Gatto)

To illustrate this idea, doesn’t it perturb you to learn about the idea of “critical thinking.” Is there really such a thing as “uncritically thinking?” To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?

This was happening to me, and if it wasn’t for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.

And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.

We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.

The saddest part is that the majority of students don’t have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can’t run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.

For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, “You have to learn this for the test” is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.

For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.

So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn’t have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.

I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let’s go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we’re smart enough to do so!

Erica Goldson
Athens, NY

We keep working through math daily.  Bugaboo is doing long division now!  Cutiepatootie is working on pictographs and multiplication facts.  Both are also doing logic puzzles and love them.  We are finishing up two books from our history curriculum that revolve around missionaries in different time periods/locations and are enjoying reading about other people in this world.

We went bowling twice this week and to the pool.  Plenty of time playing with neighbor kids and water guns too.  It’s going to be a fun summer

Happy Father’s Day!  We hope to surprise Daddy this year with a gift…we just need to go shopping