School Check-in for the Week of Sept. 14th-18th 2009

This week was pretty productive.   I always want to fit more in, but I need to get over myself and realize that slow and steady wins the race. 

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Geography Jeopardy

This was so popular my kids have asked if we could do it every week with a different subject and if they could take turns acting as host.   I made up a jeopardy game using facts from our past year of geography in order to get everyone ready for the final on Monday.   We used our Lakeshore cash.   It was amusing to see my children flashing around their wads of cash.   The game took alot longer then planned so we still have double jepordy to get to and then prizes to bid on with their Lakewood cash! 

Math: E has worked through lessons 42-44 in Teaching Textbook.  We are mired in fractions, and we are taking this tramp at a slow pace.  E-R and I-E also worked with fractions this week in Singapore.  They covered equivalent fractions, covering fractions, and simplifing fractions.  A short review on time finished our math week for us today.

Language Arts:    The highlight of studying The Mouse and the Motorcycle for E-R and I-E has been their Ralph journals.   After reading each chapter, they write in a journal pretending to be Ralph writing about his day.   It is good practice writing and they have really thought about point of view this week.   E has continued reading The Golden Goblet.   I love this book's themes.   So much thought-provoking thinking comes from our discussions of Ranofer's choices.   E is working on an essay to compare and contrast two different careers--just as Ranofer compares and contrast goldsmithing with stonecutting.    We made it through chapter nine of Shurley and reviewed three-point paragraphs.   I was surprised that all my students remembered how to write them.    I expected to spend two weeks on them, but we ended up spending just two days reviewing.   Next week we are moving on to Three-Paragraph Expository Essays. E continued on in his Painless Vocabulary and Thinking Skills books.   E-R and I-E worked on Explode the Code and everyone continued on with Sequential Spelling.  I only got to spelling with E and A-M twice this week.   I'm trying to keep them together.  The problem is we have to wait until A-M gets home to do it and by that point I'm done with school.   I'll have to rethink how I'm doing spelling with the two of them. 

Science:   Oh science,  I had such grand plans, but after looking at the book I'm using for earth science, I realize I need more guidance.   E-R and I-E didn't get any science in this week.   E worked one day with his science encyclopedias and the internet links that went with them.   He couldn't do his workshop and attached experiment because I bought the wrong size battery for his motor.   So today I got the battery and then the motor had something wrong with it!   He took it apart and worked on fixing it for about an hour.   Later he attempted to fix it with Dad and still things didn't workout.   Now he thinks he needs a little tiny screw to make things work.   We talked about how things don't always work out in science even for professional scientists: he wrote up the experiment explaining the problem with his faulty equipment.  

French:  E completed a review and lesson 10.   He spent today downloading the audio component to our new computer--which by the way N figured out how to get the sound up and running.---Thanks N!

Spanish:   Since the sound is now working on the computer E-R and I-E stared using Rosetta Stone to work on learning Spanish vocabulary.   They are working on it free form right now.   Whatever they do is bonus.   It will help them when they take a formal Spanish class at a later point.   E-R loves it and asks to do it in her free time.   She started her own Spanish notebook just for fun.  I told her that I had a workbook that went along with Rosetta Stone.   It was like Christmas for her--she was so excited when I got it out for her.  

Reading:   I-E completed lessons 66-69 and E-R lessons 37-30 in their McGuffey's Reader.   Today I-E chose to read The Tale of the Patty Pan and E-R read The Tale of Timmy Mouse.   

N at El Camino:   This week N completed his first class--World History-with an A.    I'm very proud of his progress.   Mrs. Stout set the course up to take four weeks and he set a goal to finish in three which he did.   His final project was a powerpoint presentation on the causes of WWII--he earned a 100%.   So far this year he has a 100% in his Japanese class.   Leadership has been going much better then last year.   N is leading the committee on monthly activities and tonight was the first fun night.   Turnout was excellent and all went as planned. 

A at Foothill:  A worked on working with a group this week.   This was a new experience for her.    Her group worked on a newscast from South Africa.   She was a roving reporter reporting on the AIDS epidemic.   The project went well.   She has also been struggling with managing her time regarding homework.   She seemed to have done better with this later on this week.

All in all not a bad week.   We are still trying to hit our stride in some things and also waiting for curriculum to arrive for art and a few other things.    I need to work on going to bed earlier and getting up earlier.   I feel better when I get up between 5:30 and 6:00.   Then I get to have my own quiet time, exercise, and clean up a little before everyone gets up.   I managed it twice this week--aiming for three times this coming week.