tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39265730899593912642024-02-19T11:55:08.508-05:00Square PegsTrying to fit into this round world. Musings of a Home School Mom.Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-38516778882656139312016-10-19T21:27:00.000-04:002016-10-19T21:27:29.351-04:00Homeschooling in New York State: Q & A session #1*<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-i1sckG-LQJkPh8RqriP4GGPKbZfP0O9rxtG6J432t92FTr73KEFNWwVzRtuEfabZgx5IOOAYCytUF5ZNuxRlpkx8uxL_Jq211jVYp_fjcPCU9__9QkAp62-Rz4FTsfSz16axfYmtmo/s1600/Wooden_Building_Blocks_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-i1sckG-LQJkPh8RqriP4GGPKbZfP0O9rxtG6J432t92FTr73KEFNWwVzRtuEfabZgx5IOOAYCytUF5ZNuxRlpkx8uxL_Jq211jVYp_fjcPCU9__9QkAp62-Rz4FTsfSz16axfYmtmo/s400/Wooden_Building_Blocks_2.png" width="398" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions about homeschooling in NY?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some answers!</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We decided homeschooling is the best option for our family, but we don't know where to begin. How do we know what's required to teach? What do we need to send to the school district? Is Kindergarten mandatory? What about testing? Do I need to be a certified teacher? Help!"</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the life of this blog, I've encountered all these questions, and more, so I thought it was time to address all the questions I've come up against in one post. Hopefully, you'll learn everything you need to begin your homeschooling journey or to streamline the journey you're already on. In either case, good luck! And always feel free to ask any questions I may have missed by commenting down below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My child will be 6 on December 21st. Should I send my <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/05/letter-of-intent-to-home-school-new.html" target="_blank">Letter of Intent</a> (LOI) now? (A.K.A., what is the compulsory age of attendance in New York State?)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The compulsory age of attendance in NY is 6, however, the cutoff is December 1st, so if your child turns six <b><i>after </i></b>December 1st, then you do not need to send in an LOI or do anything else to alert the school of your choice to homeschool until the following school year. For example, if your child turns 6 on December 21st of 2016, then you would not need to send in your LOI until the 2017-18 school year. If, however, your child turns 6 on or before December 1st, then, yes, you will need to send your LOI to the district for the current or upcoming school year as per the state's regulations, which I'll discuss a little later on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is Kindergarten mandatory?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technically, there is no "grade" that is mandatory. All NY requires is that children be in attendance beginning at the age of 6 until the age of 16. As far as homeschooling is concerned, you are free to decide at what "grade" level your child should work. If you feel your child is too advanced for Kindergarten when you begin schooling, then you are free to begin them at 1st grade or any other grade level you feel is appropriate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Do I need to de-register my child from their school? The school told me I need to come in to sign some forms before I can take my child out of school, is that true?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply put, no. If your child's school insists that there is something you must do - some paperwork to fill out or forms to sign or procedure to follow - before they'll "let" you withdraw your child from school, then be prepared to confront them with the state regulations. If your child is of compulsory attendance age, there is nothing you need to do other than to turn in your Letter of Intent as outlined in the regulations. If you feel your child's school is going to give you a hard time in this area, you may want to have a copy of the <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/pages/10010.html" target="_blank">state regulations</a> on hand with which to make your point and to make it known that you are familiar with what's required and don't intend to let the school give you the run-around.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We just decided to homeschool our kids, but it's now January, and the school year started in September. Can we still pull our kids out? Or do we need to wait until the end of the school year? I read somewhere that the Letter of Intent is due by July 1st. Is it too late now?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Normally, the Letter of Intent is due by July 1st before the upcoming school year. However, the state regulations make provisions for those who decide to homeschool after the school year has already begun. In that case, your LOI is due within 14 days of when you begin homeschooling in your district. So, you can pull your child from school at any time during the year, and within 14 days from the day you pull them, your LOI is due.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We just moved to the area, and the school year has already begun. Can we still homeschool? Or do we need to enroll our kids in the public school until the next school year?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as the state regulations make provisions for those who decide to begin homeschooling after the start of the school year, so it is with those who move to a new school district after the start of the school year. Your LOI will be due within 14 days of when you begin homeschooling in your new district.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Do I need to be a certified teacher in order to homeschool my child? What qualifications do I need?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only provision NY makes for a person to homeschool is that the person doing the teaching needs to be "qualified". As the parent, there is nobody more qualified to teach your children than you are. You know your child's educational needs better than anyone. And if ever you found yourself thinking you are unable to teach your child something, then you know how to find a way to teach that thing to them, whether it be a tutor, or a video tutorial, or homeschool co-op class. You have what it takes. You know your child's needs. Therefore, you are qualified. Thankfully, the state of NY doesn't require anything more than that in order to teach your child at home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Nothing written in this blog post is intended to be construed as legal advice. This is simply the author's understanding of the New York State home education regulations through 6 years of homeschooling her own children in the state.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-71611435970741487222016-10-10T20:44:00.000-04:002016-10-10T20:44:31.008-04:00I'm Disgusted by Those Who Support Trump, but I'm Still Voting for Him.<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5bVAS31BanM_MFDjcv5IuJEh5YDQGEAZvmwPDTvitPtKHntT3FhR6WW7aYhiqHvBJr6mqZNT3jURde1CeH0RZ62TOEYTXQvupZt9E0UrqymGps9aCZZCF0fRu4BeRb2DxAtMZ2e-6qA/s1600/Cp53PHCUIAA-lvP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5bVAS31BanM_MFDjcv5IuJEh5YDQGEAZvmwPDTvitPtKHntT3FhR6WW7aYhiqHvBJr6mqZNT3jURde1CeH0RZ62TOEYTXQvupZt9E0UrqymGps9aCZZCF0fRu4BeRb2DxAtMZ2e-6qA/s320/Cp53PHCUIAA-lvP.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Oh, really?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At
what point did degradation, sexual assault, and rape become better than
indirectly causing someone’s death?
That’s the argument – that Donald Trump has said some horrible things,
and is accused of doing some horrible things, but at least he didn’t indirectly
cause the death of anyone, like Hillary did (i.e., Bengazi). At least he didn’t delete his emails to cover
up the fact that he may have divulged national secrets to the wrong people.</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine someone
saying,</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I robbed a bank, but
at least….</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I abused my children,
but at least….</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cheated an elderly
couple out of their life savings, but at least….</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I raped a woman, but
at least….</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO! There is no “but at least” in
any of these situations.</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trump
says, “It’s locker room banter.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scott
Baio, actor and Trump toady, said “<span style="background: white;">And ladies
out there, this is what guys talk about when you’re not around,” he added. “So
if you are offended by it, grow up. And by the way this is what you guys talk
about over white wine when you have your brunches. This is the way the world
works, take it easy. ”</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Folks
all over the internet are posting memes that read, “I’m more concerned about
what Hillary has done than I am about what Trump has said.”</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">[Listen, ladies. If your men are talking like this, then you
need to find yourselves new men, because I promise you, not all men talk like
this, and the ones who do are disgusting pigs.
Chances are very good that your men do not treat you the way they should. Chances are very good that your men will one
day act upon the words they have spoken.
It’s not normal. It’s not “the
way the world works”.]</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So,
what is it that Trump said?</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I
tried to fuck her.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I
moved on her like a bitch, and she was married.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“When
you’re a star, they let you do it. You
can do anything you want. Grab them by
the pussy.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now,
replace the words ‘her’, ‘she’, and ‘them’ with the names of your
mother/wife/sister/granddaughter/daughter/friend/self and say those statements
again. Better yet, have your
husband/father/brother/son/grandson/friend read them back to you with those
names in there.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still
just “locker room banter”? Still willing
to say, “but at least…”?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay,
then how about this:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
a 1989 deposition, Trump’s then-wife Ivana, under oath, accused Donald of
raping her. She said he was angry at
her, threw her onto the bed, pinned her arms back, tore her hair out of her
scalp, and then forced sexual intercourse on her.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
1997, a woman named Jill Harth filed a suit against Trump claiming that Trump
made unwanted sexual advances, groped her without her consent, and even
attempted to rape her at a time when she and her romantic partner George Houraney
were working out a deal to throw an event at one of Trump’s Atlantic City casinos. Harth said he <em><span style="font-style: normal;">forced her into a bedroom
belonging to his daughter, Ivanka, forcibly kissed, fondled, and restrained her
from leaving, against her will and despite her protests</span></em>. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
another incident, Harth stated, “He pushed me up against the wall, and had his
hands all over me and tried to get up my dress again.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In April of 2016, a woman
known only as Jane Joe filed a lawsuit against Trump in which she alleges that
when she was 13 years old, Trump raped her. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jane Doe says that as a
thirteen year old, she was enticed to attend parties at the home of Jeffrey
Epstein with the promise of money modeling jobs. Mr. Epstein is a notorious
<span style="color: windowtext;">“billionaire
pedophile”</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>who is now
a Level 3 registered sex offender - the most dangerous kind, “a threat to
public safety” — after being convicted of misconduct with another underage
girl.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jane Doe says that Mr. Trump
“initiated sexual contact” with her on four occasions in 1994. Since she was
thirteen at the time, consent is not an issue. If Mr. Trump had any type sexual
contact with her in 1994, it was a crime.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the fourth incident, she
says Mr. Trump tied her to a bed and forcibly raped her, in a “savage sexual
attack,” while she pleaded with him to stop. She says Mr. Trump violently
struck her in the face. She says that afterward, if she ever revealed what he
had done, Mr. Trump threatened that she and her family would be “physically
harmed if not killed.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This case has a witness,
referred to as “Tiffany Doe”, Trump’s party planner at the time, whose job it
was to get attractive adolescent women to attend these parties.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But,
it’s just locker room banter. Right?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At
least he didn’t neglect his duties, leading to the deaths of innocent people.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
should be more worried about what Hillary has done than by what Trump has
said. Right?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh. Wait….</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do
you honestly believe that violent rape of women is somehow better than
indirectly causing the deaths of people?
Somehow, rape is better than death.
Somehow.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every
2 minutes in America, a woman is raped.
Tell HER that rape is better than death.
Tell HER, “But at least you didn’t die.”
I doubt she’ll share your sentiment.
I’m fairly certain that, to her, what she endured was equivalent to
death. Her life is changed forever. For all intents and purposes, her former self
IS dead.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You
people who proudly display your Trump signs in your front yards. You people who slap a Trump bumper sticker on
your car. You people who post memes on
social media several times a day, touting your support for Trump. You people who can be heard in conversation
saying, “I used to despise Trump, but the more I hear him speak, the more I
think he’s a good guy.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wake
up!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How
can you openly and brazenly support this man who not only degrades women every
time he opens his mouth, but speaks explicitly about sexually assaulting women
and refers to it as “locker room banter”, and who is also accused of, and most
likely guilty of, raping women and underage girls?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How
can you be proud to support this man?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How
can you want other people to know that you support this man?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because,
at least he didn’t……</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s
the long and the short of it: Clinton
and Trump are equally horrible. Neither
of them is better than the other. There
is not one of them about whom it can be said, “But at least they didn’t….” Clinton is responsible for many, many
senseless deaths. Trump is responsible
for raping women and abusing young girls.
Neither of those things is better than the other. Anyone who openly supports either of these
candidates should be ashamed.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You
will find in my yard no signs. You will
find on my car no bumper stickers. You
will find on my social media no supportive memes. And you will never, ever hear me say that
either of them is a good person.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But,
I will be voting for Trump come November.</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">[Please
note that voting for a person and openly supporting that person are two
entirely different things.]</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">My
reason is simple: <span style="background: white; color: #191919;">Aside from<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white;">Cabinet secretaries<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #191919;">and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span>Supreme Court justices<span style="color: #191919;">, whose nominations<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>require
the approval of the Senate<span style="color: #191919;">, the</span> President
of the United States<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #191919;">currently has the authority to unilaterally appoint over
300 people to high-level positions within the federal government</span>. With the introduction of a Republican
president, we can be assured that these positions would be filled by
Republicans, and, for me, that is important.
Also, the protection of the right to life and the 2<sup>nd</sup>
amendment, which Trump supports, and which will be affected greatly by either a
right- or left-leaning government.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
won’t be voting for Trump because he’s a good person. He’s not.</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
won’t be voting for Trump because he’s better than Hillary. He’s not.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
will be voting for Trump, but you won’t see me supporting him, and, if you
openly support him, you should seriously reconsider. It’s not something to be proud of. It’s not something to seek “likes” for on
social media. And it surely isn’t going
to convince anyone who wasn’t already convinced to vote for Trump.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trump
is exactly what Hillary called his supporters – deplorable. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-77764879055731960762016-08-08T16:53:00.000-04:002016-08-08T17:04:58.256-04:00Individualized Home Instruction Plan Revisited: simplifying the process<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little over 3 years ago I posted my original explanation of the <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/05/individualized-home-instruction-plan.html" target="_blank">Individualized Home Instruction Plan</a> (IHIP) for New York State. It details what is required by the state and also provides an example of my own IHIP form, which I used for about 4 years.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over time, though, as I became more comfortable with the process and more familiar with the requirements, I trimmed the fat, so to speak, on my IHIP form. Rather than writing a detailed description of what we planned to cover in every single subject, I deep-sixed the descriptions and simply listed the name of each subject, followed by the primary resource we planned to use to teach each of them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This simplification saves a lot of time and makes it easy to use the same form year after year by just deleted the previous year's primary resources and replacing them with the new resources.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can choose to do your IHIP either way, long or short, whichever suits your style best. Really
all you need to include is your child's name, age, grade level, a list
of the main resources you plan to use in each subject (a list of
required subjects can also be found in the regulations), the dates
you'll be submitting your quarterly reports, and the names of who will
be teaching your child (i.e., you). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />My
school district sends us a form to fill out for the dates on which
we'll submit our quarterly reports. I just use their form, because it's
straightforward, and doesn't infringe on any of our home schooling
rights (something that is important to me). You can choose any 4 dates
you desire, but I find it simpler to use the dates suggested by the
State (November 15th, January 30th, April 15th, and June 30th).</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They also send a form for the entire contents of the IHIP, but, if your school does the same, you are <b>NOT </b>obligated to use it.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is what my IHIP looks like now:</span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>INTRODUCTION:</b> <br /><br />We are creating an integrated, interest-based curriculum using a hands-on approach to learning. As such, materials and activities listed in one subject area may also apply to other subject areas. In addition, we believe that one of the great strengths of homeschooling is the flexibility to individualize the child’s learning experience so that skills and knowledge are learned at the time the child is most ready and motivated. In keeping with that belief, the materials we will use may include, but not be limited to, the following list as well as the resources listed under each subject heading below: reference materials (including atlases, dictionaries, maps, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, videos, DVDs, CDs, magazines, newspapers, and internet resources), classic and contemporary literature, workbooks, worksheets, journal/narrative/poetry writing, creative thinking, fact gathering, music, hands-on activities, experiments, projects, field trips, group activities, art supplies, free play, conversations, Christian Service Brigade (similar to Boy Scouts), and real life. We provide a rich and varied educational environment at home for Joe and also take advantage of the many library, community, and internet resources available. <br /><br /><b>ARITHMETIC:</b> Primary Resources: Pre-Algebra by BJU Press. <br /><br /><b>ENGLISH</b> (including Library Skills): Primary Resources: Wordly Wise 3000 by Kenneth Hodkinson and Sandra Adams; Research in Increments by Susan Kemmerer; Editor in Chief by The Critical Thinking Co.; The Great Library Scavenger Hunt. <br /><br /><b>HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY:</b> Primary Resources: From Adam to Us by Notgrass. <br /><br /><b>SCIENCE:</b> Primary Resources: Exploring Creation with Physical Science by Apologia. <br /><br /><b>HEALTH EDUCATION:</b> Primary Resources: Health in Christian Perspective by Abeka. <br /><br /><b>MUSIC:</b> Primary Resource: Piano lessons, including lessons in music history and theory. <br /><br /><b>ART:</b> Primary Resources: Artistic Pursuits for Junior High by Brenda Ellis. <br /><br /><b>PHYSICAL EDUCATION:</b> Primary Resource: Daily outdoor play, seasonal activities (swimming, biking, hiking, snow sports), fitness education. <br /><br /><b>PRACTICAL ARTS:</b> Typing, Life Skills. Primary Resource: Typing.com online typing tutor, DIY.org, as well as real life. <br /><br />Primary instruction to Joe will be provided by his parents. Supplemental instruction will be provided by others, as necessary.</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that's it! Short, to the point, and meets all New York State's requirements.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-73808071298663044872016-05-26T16:02:00.000-04:002016-06-16T12:59:16.882-04:00Homeschool Curriculum Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.700969730046277.1073741830.429693773840542&type=3" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.700969730046277.1073741830.429693773840542&type=3" border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6N7UE7DnKiVS0wzdPgnoHhshM6nI399F4VpSU6i9h1snQvKgXu7fM4ks0BqilkkDcES02QzgwyG2y0l7EGI-UvF63Q8m2mMyQMYl9dTM2yG450uJSB_4k0yZAy5cxQfnDY_LPNCuOmI/s400/MEMDAY.png" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What better way to kick off the summer of 2016 than with a huge homeschool curriculum sale? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No way. No better way whatsoever. Okay, maybe a chicken BBQ and some watermelon and some Popsicles followed by a swim in the pool would be a better way, but those things won't help you prepare for the coming school year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the time of year I typically begin planning for our next school year. The sooner the better, I think, for finding great deals and steals on curriculum, and I want to keep my costs down as much as possible. Can you relate?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knowing I'm not alone, last year I started what I hope to be an annual tradition of compiling all my unneeded or unwanted curricula into one place and offering it at hugely reduced prices for others who may be looking to spend very little but still want quality items. As a result of the success of that sale, I decided to continue it again this year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, without further ado, I give you the second annual.....</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.700969730046277.1073741830.429693773840542&type=3" target="_blank">ONLINE HOME SCHOOL CURRICULUM SALE!</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clicking
the link above will take you to the event on my blog's Facebook page
(p.s., feel free to 'like' my page while you're there). All
instructions for purchasing curricula are written on that page. If you
have any questions, please feel free to message me on Facebook or
comment here, and I'll gladly help you out. I'm pricing all items well
below retail, so you're getting an awesome deal! And you don't even
need to leave the comfort of your living room.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you prefer, you can also visit <b><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Hall-Hobbies-and-Homeschool" target="_blank">my eBay store</a></b> and shop there. All the items that are available on my Facebook page are also available in my eBay store, but my store has a few other items exclusive to eBay.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before you leave (I know you're aching to get to the sale!), if you're in need of a planner for your new school year after you decide on your curricula, I have one of those for you , too! Printable, customizable, and affordable. Only $5 for unlimited access to the files on Google Drive. Visit my <b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2016/05/affordable-homeschool-planner-2016-17.html" target="_blank">AFFORDABLE HOME SCHOOL PLANNER</a></b> blog post for more information. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2016/05/affordable-homeschool-planner-2016-17.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2016/05/affordable-homeschool-planner-2016-17.html" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-0eleNpgkGIhjGP3jCd7MwS9n8zsT3egI5AFRuHo-Dd_i9CF5L778Qf11OZp0yprLZsdeCZcDKma6IzUv42nBASPIrZxyvxoUhUDO4cCkn_byaljZByONxRIqhwDJbSCKroqLjVLhhE/s200/2016-17+Planner+Cover.jpg" width="154" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-76095463782928534362016-05-20T23:09:00.000-04:002016-05-21T21:48:38.103-04:00Affordable Homeschool Planner 2016-17<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Any recommendations for an <b>affordable </b>planner that I can use to keep track of doctor appointments for myself and hubby also?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I'm trying to find planner sheets and figure out how to plan for schooling year round."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Does anyone have a really awesome planner that you can <b>print and bind yourself</b>? I want it to be cute and <b>functional </b>for homeschool, possibly even have a <b>chore chart</b>."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Looking for a good planner (<b>lots of space for writing</b>) for everything daily."</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any of those sound familiar? All of them applied to me a few years ago, so I scoured Pinterest and Google and Etsy and all the Facebook groups trying to find the perfect planner. Most of them were far to fancy for me. I don't need a menu planner or a budget guide or an address book. I just wanted something to keep track of my kids' assignments and to mark off attendance and days off. I also needed a new system for assigning chores to my kids. Nope. I found nothing. And I couldn't see the point of spending $20 or more on a planner that I only needed a third of.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What's a homeschooling mama to do? Create her own, of course!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I felt like I couldn't be the only one looking for the type of planner I wanted, so over the past couple of years, I decided to share my Simple Homeschool Planner.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMY16vYdIHcAHYxFXA_V7l9eVLF7W_c3rttN76qxPDKAnD-QP5jGK1oNXXxbmS5dmVfJjMWGJmbZjEKoHlGKoy0LTyi0SE8Z5OItYRtsFUnFBVVIUoEebxBnIqIRAUrUYeYhDlwHalV8/s1600/Untitled+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMY16vYdIHcAHYxFXA_V7l9eVLF7W_c3rttN76qxPDKAnD-QP5jGK1oNXXxbmS5dmVfJjMWGJmbZjEKoHlGKoy0LTyi0SE8Z5OItYRtsFUnFBVVIUoEebxBnIqIRAUrUYeYhDlwHalV8/s320/Untitled+-+2.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm offering it again this year, but with a couple new features.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">HERE'S WHAT'S INCLUDED:</span></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>A planner cover page</b>, as you can see in the photo above. <b>A full academic year calendar</b> for marking attendance and planned days off, vacations, and holidays. <b>Monthly pages by subject</b>, which is where you fill in your lesson plans/assignments for each day. One month per page, from July 2016 through June 2017. The pages are color coded, and run Monday through Friday. <b>Weekly appointment calendar pages</b>, running from July 2016 through June 2017. Finally, I've included a <b>chore system</b> like I use with my own kids. Two wheels with spaces for 6 chores each, one wheel for easy chores and one for hard chores. I'll explain more of that in a bit.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFpd5Ev5Gbs2mVfEbJa2dPDYT-JFfwaKF5cgxe1x8qTn-UL5KuBBPbtmTQSs80V__VD2mB4x9u4Y2oInd2X5biHdKIn5e1apDDBk_wd7KyxKytSB3SRUlYKDgKsXLCwI7-qnegpzGpTA/s1600/Planner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFpd5Ev5Gbs2mVfEbJa2dPDYT-JFfwaKF5cgxe1x8qTn-UL5KuBBPbtmTQSs80V__VD2mB4x9u4Y2oInd2X5biHdKIn5e1apDDBk_wd7KyxKytSB3SRUlYKDgKsXLCwI7-qnegpzGpTA/s400/Planner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:</span></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All pages are in PDF form, except the chore system, which is a MS Word document. I suggest that you print all your pages in duplex mode (back to back) in order to save paper, but you can do whatever works best for you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The subjects included are Math, Language Arts, Science, History, Health, Music, Art, Bible, Phys. Ed., Practical Arts, Foreign Language, three Electives, and a Miscellaneous.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each subject is a separate document, so you can choose to print as many or as few subjects as suit your needs. Once printed, match up the pages how you like. Match up all the July pages, then all the August, then September, etc.. Or, include all months of one subject, then all of another, etc. It's really up to you. I wanted this planner to be customizable and meet the needs of people with different needs. The same goes for arranging your appointment calendar pages and your full academic year calendar. Whatever way you want to arrange your pages is perfect!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the chore system, you'll see two color wheels labeled "hard" and "easy". It's a MS Word document, so when you open it there, you'll be able to edit the text for each chore to customize them with your own chores. I use this system with my own kids, and it blew my mind how much it cut down on the arguments and procrastination that our past systems had caused, because it's fair for everyone. I have two boys. They spin the spinner on our chore wheels and get 3 hard and 3 easy chores each. They spin once a week, so each week they get a new set of chores. Besides being fair, it also cuts down on the monotony of being stuck with the same chores week after week. Instructions for assembling the chore system are included with that part of the download. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The least expensive way to bind your pages is with a 3-hole punch and a 3-ring binder. It can be time consuming but works just fine. You'll need a 1" to 1 1/2" binder. I prefer the ones with the clear plastic cover where you can slide your planner cover page in the top opening.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year, though, I sent my files off to Staples and had them print and bind my planner. It was more expensive, but the quality was better, and I didn't have to spend the time assembling it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, <b>how can you get your hands on this dream-come-true planner?</b> I'm glad you asked.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the past, I've been able to share my planner for FREE, and the response has been amazing! This year, though, because of the amount of time and work I dedicated to it, I find I need to charge a small fee for download privileges. I want my planner to be accessible to as many people as possible, and even though it's not free this year, I think you'll find it's still very affordable. You can have unlimited access to the files for <b>only $5.00</b> (U.S.). No catch. No hoops to jump through. No annoying spam sent to your Email after the fact.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Simply click on the PayPal button below to make your one-time payment of $5.00. Once your payment is processed, you'll be sent a link to the files, located on Google Drive, which you can access as often as you need. Your link will be sent to the Email address associated with your PayPal account.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you would like to get an idea of what the planner looks like, you can check out <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2015/03/free-simple-homeschool-planner-2015-16.html" target="_blank">last year's free planner</a>. Keep in mind that the chore system and the appointment calendar are new this year, so you won't see those.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope you love this planner. It has been perfect for me and meets my needs in a way no other planner I've ever looked at could. If you don't want or need anything fancy but crave something functional, then this planner is for you!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As always, please do comment below with what you think of the planner and with any questions you may have.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://hsbapost.com/2016/05/20/homeschool-blog-and-tell-hsbat-may-2016/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSS16kQehEG0fcNi9Y0a-MMmYwFrtEBv_DuQrpkNcCIckTOs9BGh01CjPY5f-8I8drV2O0pSKOkQFAX2Xoo_k2KcpraVR60QhlfVAyIZJ7Gw8-1QJfo-qtN7TMAzYugb2rLDgEyuVc15Y/s320/homeschool-blog-and-tell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-10929204385722745802016-05-12T17:19:00.000-04:002016-05-28T01:04:53.124-04:00Mistakes New Home Schoolers Make: Part II<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CALL THE SHOTS</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This goes hand in hand with my first post on meeting with the superintendent and begs the same advice: <b>DON'T DO IT!!!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">States vary widely in how much paperwork is required for home schooling. Some states require nothing. Others, like my home state of New York, require paperwork be submitted several times throughout the year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those of us in states that require paperwork of some kind, I advocate for becoming intimately familiar with your state's home education regulations. At some point, your school is bound to ask for more than you are required to give. On the surface, that doesn't seem like a big deal. And just giving them what they ask for seems like the easiest thing to do, so you don't have to worry about them hassling you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big reason many people choose to home school is because of the amount of control the government has over their kids. We want less government involvement in our lives. We want to decide for ourselves what our kids should learn, when they should learn it, and in what way they should learn it. We don't want our kids lives stored in a government database.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we want to continue to home school our way without the schools and government stepping in, then we need to offer them no more than what we are required. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0lC7QGMsEnwmbjHLJ7q4SMCviXvVpJb5Fra0kkzOz5ncFBeVqW_pE7WMT9hlMYQmdNpwHzIJR0bdBIlfUTFsheU2OByfIVUG61B0LLCGmapj-4ef1ib_vNPaP-wk4hS9W4uZA0ZFzRg/s1600/speed-limit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0lC7QGMsEnwmbjHLJ7q4SMCviXvVpJb5Fra0kkzOz5ncFBeVqW_pE7WMT9hlMYQmdNpwHzIJR0bdBIlfUTFsheU2OByfIVUG61B0LLCGmapj-4ef1ib_vNPaP-wk4hS9W4uZA0ZFzRg/s200/speed-limit.gif" width="151" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Imagine if:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You're driving down the highway at a speed of 55mph where the speed limit is posted as 55mph. You get pulled over by a police officer. He says he clocked you going 55mph, and he's going to write you a ticket for speeding, because the town you're driving through would really like it if people drive 40mph. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would you not argue? Would you not take it to court and plead your case to the judge, citing that the law allows you to drive 55mph, so you are not required to drive less than that? Of course you would. Because it doesn't matter what the town you drove through wants people to do. What matters is what the law says, and unless and until that law is changed, you have the right to drive 55mph through that town.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I cannot think of a single legitimate reason why a person would acquiesce to driving 40mph and simply accept the ticket the police officer hands you without question.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The same holds true in homeschooling. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In New York State, <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/pages/10010.html#c" target="_blank">this is what is required</a>:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/05/letter-of-intent-to-home-school-new.html" target="_blank">Letter of Intent (LOI)</a></b> - a simple, one paragraph letter stating that you intend to home school your child, naming the school year and grade level of said child. Nothing more; nothing less. I've seen many parents say that their school told them they need to come in to meet with the Superintendent (or any other school official) to discuss this. You do NOT. Other parents have said the school told them they have to come to the school to "sign out" their child and fill out some paperwork. You do NOT. A one paragraph letter. That is all you are required to do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/05/individualized-home-instruction-plan.html" target="_blank">Individual Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)</a></b> - this can be as simple or as complex as you desire, but here is all the state requires: your child's name, age, and grade level; ONE of the following four things - either a list of <a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/syllabi" target="_blank">syllabi</a>, a list of curriculum materials, a list of textbooks, OR a plan of instruction - for each required subject; the four dates you've chosen to submit your quarterly reports, evenly spaced throughout the year; the names of who will be teaching your child (yourself, and any tutors you've contracted). That's it. You do not need to list out every single book you'll be using and describe every single thing you'll be teaching with how many hours a day you'll spend on each one. Your IHIP can be covered in a single paragraph. If your school asks for more details, you do NOT need to provide them. My school district sends us a packet after they receive our LOI with their own IHIP form they suggest we fill out and return to them. I toss it in the garbage. You are under no obligation to fill out any forms your school requests of you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Attendance records</b> - yes, you are required to keep a record of your child's attendance. NYS requires 180 days of instruction (900 hours in grades k-6 and 990 hours in grades 7-12). You are NOT, however, required to turn in your attendance records, UNLESS your school asks for it. Just keep it on hand.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2015/04/quarterly-reports-revisited-simplifying.html" target="_blank">Quarterly reports</a></b> - four times throughout the school year, you'll need to submit to your school a report of your child's progress. This is another thing that can be as simple or as complex as you desire. Your reports must include the number of hours of instruction completed during the quarter, a description of the material covered in each subject, either a grade or a written evaluation of the child's progress in each subject, and a statement that at least 80% of the planned material was covered that quarter (or an explanation for why it wasn't, if that's the case). All this can be accomplished in one or two paragraphs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/06/annual-assessments-new-york-state.html" target="_blank">Annual assessment</a></b> - in grades K-3, you can do the same thing you did for your quarterly reports, except summarize your entire school year rather than just one quarter. In grades 4-8, however, NYS requires you submit the results of a commercially published norm referenced achievement test, such as the CAT test or the PASS test (there are several others they accept, but those are the most popular), every other year. You can choose to test every year, if you prefer. Or you can test in grades 4, 6, and 8. Or in grades 5 and 8. Whatever you choose, it must be at least every other year beginning with grade 4, and on the years you choose to forgo testing, you'll need to submit a written narrative in the same manner as your quarterly reports. For grades 9-12, you must submit test results every year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's it. New York doesn't require anything more than those five items. If your school district requests anything beyond those items, you do NOT have to provide it. Become intimately familiar with the state regulations so that when confronted with a difficult school district, you can point them to the regulations and stand your ground in refusing to give an inch, so that they don't ask for a mile. After all, you wouldn't pay a speeding ticket for driving 40mph in a 55mph zone, would you?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nothing contained within this blog or this article should be construed as legal advice. Please consult a lawyer if legal advice is what you are seeking. </span></i></span><br />
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Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-53718432294790540732016-05-09T14:59:00.000-04:002016-05-09T15:01:03.045-04:00Mistakes New Home Schoolers Make: Part I<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are new to home schooling, or are considering home schooling, then you'll likely find your mind riddled with questions. What curriculum should I use? How many hours a day should we "do school"? Should I ask my school's Superintendent for advice? Will I want to wring my kids' necks before our first month of schooling is complete? (Yes, by the way. Yes, you will want to wring your kids' necks at least once before you end your home schooling journey. But, I promise, it's worth the struggle!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Allow me to answer a few of your questions by addressing some mistakes new home schoolers often make that can have you pulling your hair out in no time. Trust me; I learned the hard way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You've made the decision to home school. You've read over your state regulations. You've talked with some people who've done it or are doing it. You think you've got this whole home school thing figured out. You just want to be sure you've dotted all your I's and crossed all your T's. What's next?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't do it! It's tempting, I know. It's the Superintendent, after all. He or she knows all things school. Right? Wrong! The Superintendent knows all things PUBLIC school. Many of them are in the dark when it comes to home education. But they won't tell you that. They'll print a copy of the home education regulations, they'll read over them once or twice, and they'll answer your questions as if they're an expert. This is where you'll run into trouble.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had the regulations figured out, for the most part. I just had a few questions about testing, because our first year of homeschooling was also the first year we were required to test. I knew I could choose who to administer the test, but that the Superintendent could say no to my choice. Conveniently, I had a friend who happened to teach in our district, and also happened to have been my son's 1st grade teacher, so she knew him well. I asked her if she'd be willing to administer his test to him. She said yes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enter Superintendent.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She agreed to meet with me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After much hemming and hawing about the type of test I should use and why they think it's the best one, I told her that we had asked our friend to administer the test to my son, and that we'd probably be using the CAT test (not the one they thought was best). The Superintendent about came unglued! She hollered at me, "I don't appreciate you speaking with my employees without going through me first, and I'm not comfortable with you using the services of anyone employed by our district."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Excuse me?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If she were at all familiar with <a href="http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/pages/10010.html" target="_blank">our state regulations</a>, she would not have reacted that way. In New York, the parents may choose which test to use, which location to test in, and the date and time of the testing, and the Superintendent has no say. The parents may also choose the person they want to administer the test (no need to be a certified teacher, either). The only thing the Superintendent can do is either consent or not consent to our choice of person. He/she cannot dictate who we choose. Which means that I was well within my rights to ask my friend to administer the test. Not only that, but it also made sense to ask her before I spoke with our Superintendent, so that I would know whether or not our friend was even willing and able, and so that I could find an alternate person in the case that our friend was not willing or able.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My intention was to be prepared in advance, to save time, and to streamline the process. Our Superintendent, however, didn't see it that way. She thought I was usurping her authority when, in fact, she was usurping her own authority, because she didn't have an understanding of our state's home education regulations.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It took several written letters between her and me, as well as the threat of bringing in a home education lawyer and taking the matter to the school board, before she finally relented. I don't think she realized she was in the wrong even after I showed her the regulations that supported my stance, but it was the end of the school year, and I think she was just plain tired. Turns out, she resigned that summer. I don't know if our interactions had anything to do with that decision, but I do know that we haven't had any difficulties with the two Superintendents we've had since, neither of which did I ever meet with to discuss home school related issues. I learned my lesson.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While it might seem like a good idea to meet with your Superintendent, either because you think they might know the regulations, or because you want to establish a good rapport with them, it's probably in your best interest to skip that meeting. Instead, becoming intimately familiar with your state regulations. Get to know other home schooling parents who have been doing it for a while and can help you understand the requirements, whether in person or via social media. Research. Google is your friend here just as much as it is in finding curriculum.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the best resources I've found for learning the ropes as a new home schooler, and even as a seasoned one, is Facebook. In particular, a group called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrossingOverToHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Crossing Over to Homeschooling</a>. It's meant for new home schoolers to find home school resources as well as answers to their questions.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A good resource for help in understanding your state's regulations is the <a href="http://www.hslda.org/" target="_blank">Home School Legal Defense Association's (HSLDA) website</a>. In my dealings with our superintendent, I turned to HSLDA's articles several times. Often just the mention of them is enough to keep a school district from giving you a hard time when they are trying to usurp their authority regarding the regulations.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't worry! It sounds daunting, but if you familiarize yourself with your regulations and find resources to draw from in helping you understand and utilize those regulations, you will have no trouble navigating this journey called home schooling. I wish you luck!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-54507885805644555812016-05-05T16:12:00.000-04:002016-05-05T16:13:48.301-04:00Biology: Anatomy & Physiology - Home School Co-op Dissection Class<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">My kids and I participate in
a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Houghton-Area-Homeschoolers-153763981344279/?fref=ts" target="_blank">local co-op</a> for homeschoolers.
Each semester, parents are required to teach a class. For some bizarre
reason that I have yet to figure out, I chose to teach a dissection
class. (My gag reflex is strong!) Over the semester, we dissected a
worm, a grasshopper, and a frog.</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br />
We started by comparing and contrasting both the lives and the anatomies of
these animals. For our last class, though, I didn't have anything
planned.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br />
My class helper contacted me a couple days before class saying she'd been in
touch with a retired biology professor from our local <a href="http://www.alfredstate.edu/" target="_blank">State College</a>, and she'd agreed to visit our class to do a demonstration. I
had no idea what she would show us. Okay, I was downright
terrified! How fresh would her specimen be? I was positive I
couldn't handle dissecting fresh roadkill (which was offered to her by my
helper - yikes!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br />
Our guest brought with her a preserved feral cat. I'm not gonna
lie. It was difficult. I had a lump in my throat the whole
time. One student had to leave the room. The teacher who uses the
room after our class came in and sprayed air freshener when we were
finished. It was gross.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br />
But, it was also fascinating and educational. And I video recorded the
whole thing!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br />
Our guest taught the students the appropriate terms to use and showed them how
the anatomy of all mammals - including humans - is similar.</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br />
If you have a student interested in this sort of thing, you'll want to show
them this video. If you have a weak stomach, though, you may want to hand
them your computer and walk away. Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-65492358424032824442015-12-03T09:50:00.004-05:002015-12-03T09:52:53.358-05:00A Day in the Life: A Homeschool Family Vlog Day<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We decided to try something new. This past Monday, I carried my video camera around with me all day and made a video log (vlog) of our day, which I posted to YouTube. The boys had fun being part of it. I think we're going to try to make it a regular thing. I just need to make sure the boys don't catch me on camera sitting around in my PJs!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you enjoyed this peek into our lives, stick around! Follow me here on the blog, then head over to YouTube and subscribe to our channel. All comments are welcome as well. Have a great day!</span><br />
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Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-85350585518641335902015-10-14T19:59:00.001-04:002015-10-14T20:01:23.349-04:00Are You Gonna Eat That?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's a little fun the boys and I had exploring a bit of Japanese culture by trying snacks and candies straight from Japan. After which, they did some research about Japan to round off our study. Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to comment on the video or on this blog post and let us know what country we should try foods from next, or give us other ideas for unique food challenges. </span></span><br />
<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-87057073869591966002015-06-01T16:24:00.000-04:002016-05-09T14:25:48.300-04:00Home School Curriculum Sale 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">THIS SALE HAS ENDED</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.563583363784915.1073741829.429693773840542&type=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Facebook Curriculum Sale" border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJxw-QmeKWFYT_-6tBlHIFgz1C_exzUWcNMw2mg4RFoHBxQmNcE3bEbpq2-aBhyENG5RQtJH8_stdO3exwuxiRLUuMfzAyg8n_tG7zFtr8x1GJE7U4VsnVG_xqMHFxNMTZ4AoTRIhoYc/s400/11265299_563583393784912_5837626501664951346_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ding! Dong! The school year's gone! It's time to buy curriculum. Ding! Dong! The long school year is gone! (Did you read that to the tune of Ding! Dong! The witch is dead! from the Wizard of Oz?)</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know about you, but I've already planned out which curricula we'll be using this coming school year. Now, the task is to find what we need for as little cost as possible. Usually, I take to the internet to compare prices and get a sense of what those items are going for, then, in June, I head to our local <a href="http://www.fln.org/events/event/682398-2015-06-09-homeschool-sale/" target="_blank">Homeschool Curriculum Sale</a> that's held each year at the <a href="http://www.fln.org/" target="_blank">Family Life Network</a> building. If you are in the Western New York area, you should definitely check it out. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year, I rented a table at the sale and attempted to sell my used curricula. I did sell some but still had quite a bit left over, so I planned to attend again this year. Sadly, when I went to register for the event, all the tables were booked. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A homeschool blogger I follow on Facebook held a curriculum sale through her blog's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/benandme/timeline" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, and she sold everything she listed. I thought it was an ingenious idea! So, with credit given where credit is due, I thank <a href="http://benandme.com/" target="_blank">Ben & Me Blog</a> for the idea, and I introduce to you my first ever...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.563583363784915.1073741829.429693773840542&type=1" target="_blank">Online Home School Curriculum Sale!</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clicking the link above will take you to the event on my blog's Facebook page (p.s., feel free to 'like' my page while you're there). All instructions for purchasing curricula are written on that page. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me on Facebook or comment here, and I'll gladly help you out. I'm pricing all items well below retail, so you're getting an awesome deal! And you don't even need to leave the comfort of your living room. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-30081131411114297252015-05-25T20:46:00.001-04:002015-05-25T20:46:48.428-04:00Five Rules for Social Media Etiquette<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LD2VFk2752tU1wK4xLR4SfSr60nMuC4t63xmGsVYV2mujtA-5A8iFDiVPNuQB0GCI4MKGllApoN3u37LxzTdTsvJbkFJVuPONy2rLszXHXcWzPO4R-OrSWtfhM9Ksy1gL_F2r-Dni8g/s1600/FIVE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LD2VFk2752tU1wK4xLR4SfSr60nMuC4t63xmGsVYV2mujtA-5A8iFDiVPNuQB0GCI4MKGllApoN3u37LxzTdTsvJbkFJVuPONy2rLszXHXcWzPO4R-OrSWtfhM9Ksy1gL_F2r-Dni8g/s320/FIVE.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Social media - an awesome gathering of people via the internet where free speech abounds. Sometimes to the detriment of relationships, both digital and IRL. (That's <b>I</b>n <b>R</b>eal<b> L</b>ife, for those of you who aren't up on your internet lingo).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Follow these five rules for social media etiquette, and your friends and family will enjoy your internet presence for years to come, or, at least until some other form of communication becomes popular. Telepathy, anyone?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>#1 - Never correct grammar on posts not made by you.</b> No matter how much it causes your angina to act up, do not do it! Nobody appreciates it. Even if you try to pass off your grammar OCD as a joke, nobody will be fooled. They might block you from viewing their future posts, though.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>#2</b> <b>- Post food pics.</b> But only about once a month. Admit it - you like seeing photos of a succulent, well-plated, 4-star restaurant meal. For some people, it inspires us to get cooking and try to one-up our friends' photos. For others, is allows us to live vicariously through our friends. We can imagine we're eating a $20 steak as we bite into our Mickey D's Filet-o-Fish sandwich. However, if a friend posts a food pic every day, or even several times a week, we're going to get sick of them. Unless they have a career as a Foodie (a.k.a., an awesome cook/chef who also blogs their recipes), nobody wants to see their meals every single day. Stun us once a month with Olive Garden bread sticks or fresh-baked cookies that came out perfectly plump. Because, honestly, if my cupboards are bare this week, and I'm eating tuna sandwiches for lunch every day, I'm gonna want to punch that person if I see one more photo of a gourmet pizza or pretty pink homemade ice cream.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>#3</b> <b>- Never post anything political, religious, having to do with parenting, or anything that could be construed as falling into one of those three categories.</b> In this day and age, people are not grownup enough to handle dissenting opinions on anything. Someone will disagree with what you've posted, and you'll hear about it. Your relationship with that person will never be the same again. Even if it's someone you considered to be a close friend in real life. Whether they comment on your post with veiled venom, or they private message you and let it rip about how awful a person they think you are, or they simply gossip about you to others and eventually you find out that someone you've barely ever spoken to is telling other people how awful a person they think you are. That's how it works these days. It resembles a middle school playground. When someone disagrees with something you've said, or if they feel hurt by something you've said, instead of coming to you and talking about it in a mature way so that you might maintain a healthy relationship, they do one of two things: either they'll blow up and say some colorful, bitter things to you (you know, kind of like a school yard brawl), or they'll talk to others in the corner of the playground, and they'll all point at you and whisper, and you'll know they're not saying nice things about you, but you can't ever defend yourself, and now, instead of that one person being upset with you, there are 10 more people upset with you, and they don't even know why. All they know is someone told them they should be. So, avoid the juvenile kerfuffle altogether by only posting cute kitten memes. Or musings on the weather. Or pics of your dinner (but be sure to see rule #2 first).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>#4</b> <b>- Stop sending game requests! </b> I know you love that Farm Fanatic game. I know you want people to send you seeds for your new field or coins so you can buy a new barn. Some of us may even play the same game. The problem, though, is that <b>most </b>people <b>don't</b> play the game. Or any other game. A good 95% of the people on your friends list don't play games on social media. When we log on to our social media account, and we see that little red notification telling us that someone has interacted with us, we get a twinge of excitement. Someone has sent us a message. Or someone has posted on our wall. Or someone has commented on a post we made. Whatever it is, we get excited. As ridiculous as it is, we feel it's proof that someone likes us! They really like us! But finding out that little red notification was only a game request makes our hearts drop just a little. It's silly. We know. But, please stop giving us false hope! Eventually, we get annoyed with you and may even block you. Or, if you keep on, we may even unfriend you. Which, if you think about it, won't really bother you at all, and you may never even notice it was done, but it's still not something we want to do. We like seeing your posts that have nothing to do with games or apps. So, please stop. Put an end to game requests. Do it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>#5</b> <b>- Stop sharing memes or posts that attempt to shame people into some sort of action.</b> For example: "REPOST THIS IF YOU'RE NOT ASHAMED OF GOD!" First of all, see rule #3. Secondly, I never repost obnoxious, shaming memes, because they're obnoxious and shaming, and making my friends and family feel irritated and shamed isn't something I would like to do. Finally, if I choose not to repost your obnoxious, shaming meme, it in NO WAY means or implies that I am ashamed of God. I'm not ashamed of God. And I'm pretty sure God doesn't care one little bit whether or not I share your meme. I am, however, ashamed for <b>you </b>that you would stoop to such a level of ridiculousness and probably didn't stop to think about what you were even sharing. Please stop.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How do I know these five rules hold true? Because I'm guilty of breaking nearly all of them. I'm not popular.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, I'm doing my part to keep your friends from turning your name into a verb. Or a four letter word. You'll thank me one day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What other social media etiquette rules have you encountered? Which ones are you guilty of breaking?</span></span><br />
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Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-47776174533810164432015-05-20T16:17:00.002-04:002015-05-20T16:17:58.929-04:00Book Burst: Creative Writing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">If
your kids are anything like mine, putting a blank piece of paper and a pencil
in front of them and asking them to make up a creative story or to write a
report on a book they’ve read is like handing them a worm and asking them to
eat it.<span> </span>It’s torture for them.<span> </span>And it brings tears and temper tantrums.<span> </span>For that reason, I decided to come up with a
new, fun way for my boys to both learn how to write a book report AND practice
writing creative stories of their own.<span>
</span>Thus, Book Burst was born. This exercise helped my boys enjoy writing, so I wanted to share it with you in hopes that your kids will benefit from it as well. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Below are images of the Book Burst book report form. The one on the left will take you to a jpeg image version (8.5x14 size), and the one on the right will take you to a Microsoft Word version, (8.5x14 size, but you can also choose 11x14) where you'll be able to edit the categories, if you'd like. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_71rtq0C538eHNpcjVVeG9Uenc/view?usp=sharing" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMGastHATebpWjZHCGqqv2_ed2YUaDXoArdFACnpPxrNXnZ1dBwD1r02l2N-A8CElwdDu1OfnVC_DwQbjw9QHqeMZYiBlc1-LZB_R5pJQqltmei5GXVN4JFAPevgnc8NLS9CyyVVpe3I/s320/Book+Burst.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_71rtq0C538eHNpcjVVeG9Uenc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Jpeg version</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_71rtq0C538UC1lak5JVWVVVEk/view?usp=sharing" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMGastHATebpWjZHCGqqv2_ed2YUaDXoArdFACnpPxrNXnZ1dBwD1r02l2N-A8CElwdDu1OfnVC_DwQbjw9QHqeMZYiBlc1-LZB_R5pJQqltmei5GXVN4JFAPevgnc8NLS9CyyVVpe3I/s320/Book+Burst.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_71rtq0C538UC1lak5JVWVVVEk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">MS Word version</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In
this exercise, your child will choose and read a simple book.<span> </span>We started with Golden Books.<span> </span>As you and your child become more comfortable
with this exercise, you can move on to more challenging books as you see
fit.<span> This can easily be adapted for older kids, even into middle school, but choosing chapter books with a higher reading level. </span>But, for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll use Golden Books as our starting point.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Step
1:<span> </span>Choose and read a book.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Step
2:<span> </span>This is where the project got its
name.<span> </span>We’re going to “burst” the book
open into its parts.<span> </span>Go over the Book
Burst page with your child.<span> </span>You’ll
notice 10 categories listed on each book spine. - title, characters, main
character, setting, plot, six words, three important things, first sentence,
last sentence, and moral of the story.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span></span>After reading the chosen book, your child will fill out the Book Burst
page with information from his/her chosen book.<span>
</span>You’ll want to be sure your child understands what each category
means.<span> </span>I still occasionally need to
remind my 12-year-old what setting, plot, and moral mean.<span> </span>‘Six words’ simply means for your child to
write down six words from his/her chosen book that were new to him/her, or that
he/she doesn’t remember the meaning of.<span>
</span>‘Three important things’ is where your child will write three things
that happened in the story that stood out as important.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Step 3:<span>
</span>Time to get creative!<span> </span>We want our
kids to be able to write stories of their own without it being a chore.<span> </span>Using the Book Burst page as a prompt, your
child will have all the building blocks for creating their new story.<span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Using the<span class="text_exposed_show">
characters, setting, six new words, and moral of the story that your child identified in the book he/she read, have them re-write the story into something completely different and new. Be sure to emphasize that they're <b>not </b>just copying the story they read, and they're <b>not </b>just re-telling the story in their own words. Instead, they're using the basic building blocks of that story to create a <b>new </b>story all their own (which is why they're not using the title, plot, three important things, or first/last sentences - these must all come from your child's imagination).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show">Turn the <i>Pokey Little Puppy</i> into a scary story. Make the <i>Little Engine that Could</i> become a circus clown. Introduce <i>Brer Rabbit</i> to <i>Peter Cottontail</i>. Anything can happen!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show">If you think your kids need even more help with story writing creativity, check out my other creative writing project, <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/06/story-in-bag-creative-writing.html">Story in a Bag</a>, where the kids begin with a few objects, build a book report outline with those objects, then write their story using the outline. My boys loved Story in a Bag even more than Book Burst! But both could be used together for a great creative writing project. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show">Want to start even smaller and more simply? Get your kids writing more creative sentences with <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/01/stretch-sentence-creative-writing.html">Stretch-a-Sentence</a>. Start with "The dog", and end with "The chubby, mud-covered St. Bernard sat beside the white picket fence, staring at the lazy, hairless cat that lounged in the sunlight." Turn it into an art project, too, but having your kids illustrate their finished product. They'll love it!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show">Let me know what you think of these creative writing projects. My kids thought they were fun, and their writing improved with each one. I hope your kids have similar experiences. Good luck!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span></span> </span></span></span></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-75357108488409618362015-05-03T23:08:00.000-04:002015-06-10T13:54:49.162-04:00Totally Worth the Wait Beef Stroganoff<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tonight for dinner I made the most delicious Beef Stroganoff I've ever had. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not a food blogger, but this was so good, I felt it just had to be shared. This Beef Stroganoff isn't quick, nor is it particularly simple to make. But, I promise you, it's totally worth the effort!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VYiTfLZ_QFlEB49DG82Xlz3wdakQjuDczGtFoTnY7wXXYQEKvUD0zrzbQu3pTuavobiUOY3N7GEV5kC11xT9lxq9X8LMNNfRJOpJZuhsYn_j1lPkdQ1TFovpAUONh-5GwpP0I1bwqiU/s1600/medium-egg-noodles-10-lbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VYiTfLZ_QFlEB49DG82Xlz3wdakQjuDczGtFoTnY7wXXYQEKvUD0zrzbQu3pTuavobiUOY3N7GEV5kC11xT9lxq9X8LMNNfRJOpJZuhsYn_j1lPkdQ1TFovpAUONh-5GwpP0I1bwqiU/s1600/medium-egg-noodles-10-lbs.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL5kQxCwH3YQoqz52vkGooGKVn-Ym7NsWus3nuwHucRnjOdJU2LJYbx70nLLPZNitySxhvrtrnHjUvj0G06rPF9TgNIJsZcKDRxmeV71TTgK4wBz5GtPCYXrv-ispAMZ4c-TnaPFxxkk/s1600/Sliced-beef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL5kQxCwH3YQoqz52vkGooGKVn-Ym7NsWus3nuwHucRnjOdJU2LJYbx70nLLPZNitySxhvrtrnHjUvj0G06rPF9TgNIJsZcKDRxmeV71TTgK4wBz5GtPCYXrv-ispAMZ4c-TnaPFxxkk/s1600/Sliced-beef.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>INGREDIENTS</b>:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 lb. wide egg noodles</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. butter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 large high-quality steaks</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">salt and pepper</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 yellow onion, thinly sliced</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 pints button mushrooms, stems removed, quartered</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 cups boiling water</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 tsp. Better than Boullion beef flavoring</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 Tbsp. flour</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/3 cup sour cream</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 Tbsp. parsley</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>DIRECTIONS</b>:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spray broiler pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cut fat from steaks, then season with salt and pepper. Place steaks on broiler pan, and place pan in broiler on lowest rack. Broil steaks 4 minutes, flip, then broil 4 more minutes. Check for doneness. If steaks are too pink for your liking, broil 2 minutes at a time until desired doneness is reached. Remove steaks from broiler and set aside. Pour drippings from broiler pan into a small bowl and set aside.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a large pot, melt butter. Add mushrooms and sautee 20-30 minutes on medium-low heat until mushrooms are browned and shrunken. Add reserved steak drippings. Add onions and garlic. Sautee an additional 10-15 minutes until onions are soft and begin to brown, stirring often.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the meantime, combine water and beef flavoring and stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup of the beef broth to the pot. Let the mixture cook for an additional 5 minutes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and flour until smooth. Pour mixture into the pot and stir to combine. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meanwhile, slice the steak into approximately 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces. Add steak to the pot and stir to combine. Stir in yogurt and sour cream until combined and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with additional pepper and parsley to taste. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Serve over noodles. </span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There you have it. Hopefully my instructions were clear. Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<center><a border="0" href="http://our4kiddos.blogspot.com"
target="_blank"><img src="http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee430/LMBMommyof4/9c2d3d39-9e5d-4351-b060-d6251ee13eaa_zpseda17cd5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 9c2d3d39-9e5d-4351-b060-d6251ee13eaa_zpseda17cd5.jpg"/></a></center>
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<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-24315692376295216902015-04-09T17:29:00.000-04:002015-04-09T17:30:51.628-04:00Quarterly Reports Revisited: simplifying the process<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Almost 2 years ago, I began posting about how to homeschool in New York State, from submitting your <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/05/letter-of-intent-to-home-school-new.html">Letter of Intent (LOI)</a> to completing your <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/06/annual-assessments-new-york-state.html">Annual Assessment</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This week, my own 3rd quarter report was due, but my family and I have been sick, and I just didn't have the energy to deal with it. In my <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/05/quarterly-reports-new-york-state.html">Quarterly Reports</a> post, I shared a lengthy sample of how to write a quarterly report. It's the way I've done it every year since we started homeschooling in 2011. Until today.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the name of expedience and stress reduction, I decided to simplify my quarterly report process this time around, so I revisited a <a href="http://homeschoolinginnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2005/08/sample-quarterly-report.html" target="_blank">sample provided by Angela of Cityschooling</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like how short and simple it is, but I also felt the subject areas needed more detail in order to properly align with state regulations. So I took the beginning of my lengthy reports and combined it with Cityschooling's shortened version, with just a little bit of added detail. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It took all of 30 minutes to complete, compared to my usual several hours of going back through papers and textbook table of contents to figure out what we covered during the quarter. I also decided to forgo the report card that I usually include with my quarterlies, since it is not required and just adds more work for me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Below is what the end result looks like. You're welcome to model your quarterlies after this, if you'd like, or stick with the longer report form I shared in my previous post. Either way, I hope this helps you out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">QUARTERLY REPORT</span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Date: April 10<sup>th</sup>, 2015</span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Student’s name: Joe Smith</span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Quarter beginning and ending dates:
1/10/15 – 4/06/15</span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Hours of instruction this quarter:
250+</span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Joe is progressing at a
satisfactory level or above in all subject matter. <br />
<br />
We have had instruction in all the following areas, as per Section 100.10 of
the Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education and Joe’s
Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP): Arithmetic – long division, order
of operations, writing fractions in higher terms and lowest terms, proper and
improper fractions, equivalent fractions; Language Arts - spelling, penmanship,
and reading; Social Studies – U.S. History and Geography, a study of the
history of Sumo wrestling, and a study of the Louvre Art Museum; Science –
mechanical advantage, load force and effort force, pulleys, a study of Geodes;
Health/Safety – the ear, the eye, oral health, effects of drugs and alcohol;
Music – weekly piano lessons including music history and theory; Visual Arts –
line design, creativity prompts, introduction of grid drawing; Practical Arts –
cooking and baking, household maintenance, introduction to building
construction and electrical work; Physical Education, and Bible. <br />
<br />
We have covered at least 80% of the planned material for this quarter. <br />
<br />
Joe had ONE absence from instruction this quarter due to illness.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mrs. Josephine Smith</span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which method do you prefer? Long or short? Do you have a different method you like better?</span></span><br />
<br />
Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-33225070436627750672015-03-20T16:36:00.000-04:002015-03-20T16:36:18.980-04:00FREE Simple Homeschool Planner 2015-16<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's the time of year amongst homeschoolers when parents are beginning to plan out the upcoming school year and searching for the perfect planner to help them get organized.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year, I was in the same boat. But I couldn't find a planner anywhere that fit what I wanted. So, I created my own, and <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/08/free-simple-homeschool-planner.html">shared it with all of you lovelies</a>!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It worked perfectly for us, so I decided to go ahead and update it for the coming school year. Same simple planner, new year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's how it works: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All pages are in PDF form, in
hopes that the font I chose will remain intact whether you have it
installed on your computer or not. But, if it doesn't, I'm also
including the ZIP file of the font that you can download, if you want.
Everything will work fine without it, though.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First, the cover page, which you can see in this image. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFhb8RAIdB6VhuVNaBcVsW9w8xMGRe5aDE2u4fonPpeMrNqqTpTjxdMZIWeWcOShH0D4nr6f-v0SmtoMR-q54jca9Q20KNgQR6EAWesvpm5wQeseb7VuyyyE5bOINeFWz3Oweoy0vMXU/s1600/2015-16+Planner+Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFhb8RAIdB6VhuVNaBcVsW9w8xMGRe5aDE2u4fonPpeMrNqqTpTjxdMZIWeWcOShH0D4nr6f-v0SmtoMR-q54jca9Q20KNgQR6EAWesvpm5wQeseb7VuyyyE5bOINeFWz3Oweoy0vMXU/s1600/2015-16+Planner+Cover.png" height="320" width="247" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, a full academic year
(July 1st through June 30th) calendar page. Here you can mark off
planned days off, vacations, and holidays. It's a year in review page.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, monthly pages by
subject, which is where you will fill in your lesson plans for each
day. One month per page. When you print these, you can choose to
either print them back to back (aka, duplex printing), or you can just
print one month per page, which is what I prefer, so that when the pages
are bound, the binding is always on the left side of the page I'm
using. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The subjects are color coded,
but, to save on ink, you can print them monochrome. Also, you'll notice
there are only 5 days per week on the monthly pages. They are Monday
through Friday weeks. I know, many of us school on the weekends, too,
but I found the 5 day week planner to be most efficient for me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After all pages are printed,
match up the month of July 2014 pages for each subject (putting them in
whatever order you like), then match up August, and place them behind
July, then September, and so on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
subjects included in this planner are Math, English, History, Science,
Health, and Bible. There's also a calendar with no subject heading,
which you can print as many times as you like to use for any other
subjects you need a planner for. Also, each subject's calendar is a
separate file, so if you aren't teaching Health, for example, you can
skip printing those pages. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The simplest way to bind your
pages is with a 3-hole punch and a 3-ring binder. You'll need a 1" to 1
1/2" binder. I prefer the ones with the clear plastic cover where you
can slide your cover page in the top opening.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Done! Now you can start planning your days.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let me know if you like this, if
my instructions were clear, and if you have any suggestions. Also,
feel free to share the link with your homeschooling friends. But,
please, be sure to give credit where credit is due. The link below will
take you to Google Drive, where you can view and print the planner. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_71rtq0C538fm9fMzFQRURkSWplRjR2dG1zMW9JcEQxZzFER3Q5dVVtcG00aHBpczRnaDg&usp=sharing" target="_blank">Free Simple Homeschool Planner</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-56402339244234564892015-03-17T13:43:00.001-04:002015-03-17T13:44:30.395-04:00A Homeschool Mom Apologizes: 10 things public schoolers believe - Part I<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">People who don't homeschool seem to not really know anything about homeschooling apart from the stereotypes perpetuated by social media memes and random (rare) news stories of psychopathic homeschool parents who locked their kids in a closet and starved them to death.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many people think pocket protectors, social awkwardness, and parental abuse and neglect are the sum total of what homeschooling is.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so, as a homeschooling momma, I feel I need to apologize on behalf of all the other homeschooling parents like me, to you, the public schooling parents who think we are doing our children a disservice.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqA3BzKCRa4atIRMoHxkHr_H1QJxY78uRrK180zs4c06E6-k7NJfZfenw3FlhdzOzvQF1w_p4QnfzQp1D7duxeFs5vNa0nB-zT2TEKbcrV5IPdVtpzNZTAv_ex8rOxA03eSiz1loRwAw/s1600/Sorry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqA3BzKCRa4atIRMoHxkHr_H1QJxY78uRrK180zs4c06E6-k7NJfZfenw3FlhdzOzvQF1w_p4QnfzQp1D7duxeFs5vNa0nB-zT2TEKbcrV5IPdVtpzNZTAv_ex8rOxA03eSiz1loRwAw/s1600/Sorry.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">I'm sorry my kids are different, maybe even a little weird.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Actually, this is one of those "sorry; not sorry" moments. I'm sorry many of you feel that being different is necessarily a bad thing. I'm <b>not </b>sorry that my kids don't conform to societal norms. Frankly, I see that as a <b>good </b>thing. </span><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: small;">I don't want my kids to keep up with the Joneses. I want them to think for themselves, to follow after their own interests, and to not worry about the latest trends and fashions. I want them to grow into much more deep and complex people than that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just today, talking with my 12-year-old son about playing on the local playground, I asked him if that was something "cool" for kids his age to do. He responded, "I don't care if it is. I'm not trying to be cool. I just want to be myself." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, if my kids build the Eiffel Tower out of Legos and continue to think girls have cooties while other kids are texting on their smart phones and going to school dances where they make out with their girl/boyfriends, I will smile with pride and tell my kids what a good job they're doing. And buy them more Legos.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">I'm sorry you feel you couldn't do it.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because, you could. If it's really something you felt led to do, you could. You'd figure it out. But, when you say you couldn't do it, that's not really what you mean, is it?<b> </b>More likely, what you mean is that you don't really know or understand what homeschooling is all about</span><b><span style="font-size: small;">, </span></b><span style="font-size: small;">and you don't know how you would go about it. Or, what you mean is that it's not something you've ever felt you or your kids are led to do, so you've never given it any thought.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's unfamiliar and uncomfortable. That's okay. We understand. We've been where you are. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But there are single mothers who homeschool effectively while working two or more jobs, completing online degrees, and raising multiple children. Maybe some day you'll want to learn more about it. Maybe not. But believe me when I tell you - yes, you could do it. We're living proof!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">I'm sorry you think a child should be in the public school system in order to be properly "socialized".</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What is it, exactly, that you mean by "socialization"? I suspect you mean social interaction with other kids their own age. I suspect you mean, "How will your kids learn to make friends?" Or, "How will your kids learn to interact appropriately with people outside your own home?" More specifically, I think you mean that without peer interaction within a public school setting, homeschooled kids will be socially awkward. Weird. At the same time, though, I think you mean, "How will your kids play sports, and don't you feel as though you're depriving them of important moments in the life of typical students - like pep rallies, and the prom?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My knee-jerk reaction is to ask how often in your own daily life you find yourself sitting at a desk quietly for nearly 8 hours a day amongst 30 people your same age where you're only allowed to interact with them for a total of about 1 hour of those 8. Is that what you call socialization? Of course, that's slightly exaggerated, but only slightly.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My more rational response is this: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If socialization is the way in which a child learns to interact with the outside world beyond their own home and immediate family, then I promise you we are meeting - and probably exceeding - your expectations. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most homeschoolers I know have so much going on in their schedules that it makes me exhausted just to hear about it. And, yes, there are also some homeschoolers who fit the stereotype of never leaving the house and living in a bubble all their lives. Those, however, are the exception, not the norm. My family falls somewhere between the two extremes. Here's what our typical schedule looks like:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Sundays, we attend church. This isn't just sitting in a pew and listening to a Bible lecture. My 10-year-old joins in the children's church program. He is with about 30 other kids ranging in age from 4 to 11. They hear a Bible lesson, they sing songs, they play games, they make crafts, and more. They are not restricted from interacting with each other, as kids are in a classroom setting. My 12-year-old is too old for children's church, so he volunteers as an assistant with the younger kids. He helps teach the Bible lessons and helps to keep the kids from getting too wild. It amazes me how many little kids find him at other times throughout the week and run up to give him a hug. The adult teachers of the children's program rave about how good he is with the kids and how helpful he is to the teachers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Tuesdays, we attend a local homeschool cooperative group. A simple way to describe it is set up in a similar way that public school is. Parents teach numerous different subjects, and the kids are broken down into age groupings. They choose which subjects they want to learn. There are class periods each day, so they get to take 3 classes. During their classes, they are grouped with kids their same ages (give or take a couple years), and they sit at tables and listen to the teacher, similar to public school. Before and after classes, however, all the kids - from age 0 to 12th grade, and all their parents - play together in the gymnasium, have lunch together, work on projects together, and are responsible for cleaning up the building before they leave - together.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Wednesdays, both boys take piano lessons. This requires them to interact with an adult one-on-one. Once a month, though, the piano teacher holds a joint workshop for all her 20 students where they all get together to listen to a seasoned musician play for them as well as just hanging out with kids and adults who share their interest in piano. Twice a year, they take part in a recital, performing in front of all the other students and their families.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After their piano lessons on Wednesdays, they participate in our church's after school religious education program, which we call Wild Wednesday. About 50 kids from the local public school get out of school early and meet at our church where they learn a Bible lesson and how to apply it to their daily lives. They sing songs, do crafts, and play games. My 10-year-old takes part as a student along with the other kids ranging in age from 1st grade to 5th grade. My 12-year-old is, again, too old to participate, so he works as a volunteer, assisting the Children's Pastor with anything she needs, and, again, being a role model to the younger kids.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Thursdays evenings, both boys with their dad attend a program called Christian Service Brigade, which is similar to Boy Scouts, but is specifically Christian oriented. They interact with other boys (and their dads) between the ages of 7 and 12 where they learn hands-on life skills as well as how to apply that week's Bible lesson to their lives. Despite its name, not all the kids who attend are Christians. So my boys have had to learn to get along with some rough around the edges kids.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Fridays, once a month, our whole family attends what is called Fab Friday at our church. It's a family oriented event with a different theme each month, and the purpose is simply family-friendly fun. We have movie nights, talent shows, pizza and games nights, cookie decorating, sometimes we go bowling or roller skating, and once a year the kids have an overnighter. My boys get to interact with people ranging in age from 0 to 100+. They play foosball with fourth graders and puzzles with parents, and they look forward to it every month.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This schedule is just a normal week. During the warmer months, my boys attend a summer Bible camp and a basketball camp. My youngest plays summer soccer. We go camping with friends and family. And year-round, they invite friends from the neighborhood over for biking, or go-carting, or sledding, depending on the weather.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is not atypical of homeschooling families. Most have similar schedules. You tell me: are my homeschooled kids lacking in socialization? Sure, they may never go to a prom, but honestly, if that's the measure of a successfully socialized kid, well.... I'm happy to keep my kids <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/06/five-home-schooling-myths-dispelled.html">weirdly unsocialized</a>. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9C7_pyT0HJs2bP-HSYfMsNMm2kHsLoZEv6z5SWdw0lB2xQZI9BU1N3tdvB6CjDjK0Wv9_w9_hj7LcFxfx2UlAeCa4vUTj4G-XXIP2g4-QfpL4Qwj-u7aIIu0an8fOVZsRr6rc42HIns/s1600/socialization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9C7_pyT0HJs2bP-HSYfMsNMm2kHsLoZEv6z5SWdw0lB2xQZI9BU1N3tdvB6CjDjK0Wv9_w9_hj7LcFxfx2UlAeCa4vUTj4G-XXIP2g4-QfpL4Qwj-u7aIIu0an8fOVZsRr6rc42HIns/s1600/socialization.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/6924666559/in/set-72157624389427502" target="_blank">Thomas Hawk</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meme credit: used with permission by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hiphomeschoolmoms/timeline" target="_blank">Hip Homeschool Moms</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do any of these resonate with you? If you're a homeschooler, do you hear them often from non-homeschoolers? If you're a public schooler, have you ever thought these things?</span></span><br />
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<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-6572733239366225022015-03-11T17:02:00.001-04:002015-03-11T17:03:33.953-04:00Order of Operations in Math: not open to interpretation<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some things are debatable. Open to interpretation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like evolution. Religion. White chocolate or milk chocolate. Chicken or beef. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other things are static. They just are. There's no debate. No different interpretations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Like photosynthesis. DNA. Gravity. And Order of Operations in mathematical equations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can debate gravity all you want. You can claim you have a different interpretation of how gravity works until you're blue in the face. But, at the end of the day, you're still going to meet an impactful death if you jump off the Empire State Building.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Likewise, you can debate Order of Operations all you want. Also known by its acronym, PEMDAS (which stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtratction), you can claim that everyone interprets PEMDAS differently until you're blue in the face. But, at the end of the day, if you try to solve an expression in any way you feel like solving it, without following the rules of PEMDAS, you're <i><b>not</b></i> going to arrive at the correct solution.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite what Common Core methods are taught nowadays, it's <i><b>not </b></i>okay to get the wrong answer as long as you can show how you arrived there. There is only <i><b>one </b></i>correct answer to a math problem. We need to know and understand how to arrive there, but we also need to know and understand how to arrive there <i><b>correctly</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In division, for example, more than one method exists for solving the problem. Long division. Short division. Other methods I'm not even aware of. But as long as all those methods arrive at the same answer, each method is correct. 6 divided by 2 equals 3. Always. 150 divided by 5 equals 30. Always.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In mathematical expressions, where more than one operation exists, <i><b>how </b></i>you arrive at the solution is of utmost importance. There is only one method by which you can arrive at the correct solution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For example, (5+5)-5x5+5/5x(5-5).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the above expression, one can not simply work from left to right without taking into account the different operations that appear in the expression. Let's simplify the expression working from left to right:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5+5=10-5=5x5=25+5=30/5=6x5=30-5=25.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">25 is, by the way, not the correct solution. In order to understand why it is not correct, we need to understand PEMDAS.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"The basic rule that multiplication has precedence over addition [Order of Operations] appears to have arisen without much disagreement as algebraic notation was being developed in the 1600s" <a href="http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=mathmidexppap" target="_blank">~Greg Vanderbeek, University of Nebraska, 2007.</a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-DidcAoyP3OGcIvNLILC3LmFRSrdA2nErhnFR6rQYtqcwqvZhTnfVK8WexYZb_dB9KlkUgTIpDl2AdpIebvoXkzWfNh8dBstyLjMSBV_vwxLrcOcu5VKv64qwXoHVaHZ9s-go760c0A/s1600/pemdas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-DidcAoyP3OGcIvNLILC3LmFRSrdA2nErhnFR6rQYtqcwqvZhTnfVK8WexYZb_dB9KlkUgTIpDl2AdpIebvoXkzWfNh8dBstyLjMSBV_vwxLrcOcu5VKv64qwXoHVaHZ9s-go760c0A/s1600/pemdas.jpg" height="400" width="308" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction) tells us that, when solving a mathematical equation or simplifying an expression, there is a particular order in which we must approach the operations. If parentheses are present, we must work with the operation inside the parentheses <i><b>first</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, we tackle any exponents. (<span class="_Tgc">Exponents are a shorthand way to show how many times a number is multiplied times itself.) In our example above, there are no exponents, so we move on to the next step.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">Next, we address the multiplication AND division, in the order they appear from left to right. Multiplication does not take precedence over division or vice versa. They are equal as far as which we must do first. The only deciding factor is which appears first when reading from left to right.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">Finally, we work with the addition AND subtraction. As with multiplication and division, one does not take precedence over the other. We work from left to right.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">Following the Order of Operations, then, here is the correct way to simplify our above example:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(5+5)-5x5+5/5x(5-5)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(10)-5x5+5/5x(0) <b>Parentheses</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10-25+1x0 <b>Multiplication/Division</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10-25+0 <b>Multiplication</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-15+0 <b>Subtraction</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-15 <b>Addition</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The solution to our expression is -15.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What if there are no parentheses or exponents in the expression? Can we then just work from left to right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For example:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5+5-5x5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10-5x5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5x5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">25</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It seems logical, doesn't it? However, whether or not parentheses or exponents are present in an expression does not change the fact that PEMDAS must be followed. In this case, we would simply begin with step 3: Multiplication/Division, and follow it up with Addition/Subtraction. Like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5+5-5x5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5+5-25 <b>Multiplication</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10-25 <b>Addition</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-15 <b>Subtraction</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">The solution to our expression is, again, -15.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">If a group of students are asked to measure the circumference of an inflated balloon, chances are good that they each will come back with slightly different measurements, because one may stretch the measuring tape tighter than the other, or the balloon may lose air between measurements. The circumference of a balloon, though still a mathematical solution, is debatable. It will be interpreted in different ways.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">The solution to a mathematical expression, however, is static. Only one method exists for arriving at the correct answer. We need to know and understand this method in order to properly teach our children. Unless, like Common Core methods taught in public schools, you feel it doesn't matter whether or not they arrive at the correct answer, as long as they can explain how they got there.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">Personally, I think that does our children a disservice. I'd even go so far as to say it's a failure.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="_Tgc">I certainly don't want an architect building a house for me who was taught that way. Can you imagine? If he measured and did his calculations incorrectly, no matter how well he could explain how he got those calculations, the construction of the house would not be sound. At the very least, it would be crooked. At worst, it would cave in on itself. Either way, finding the correct solution to a math problem really <i><b>does</b></i> matter. I prefer my houses still standing.</span></span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do you think? Is gravity, or is math, open to interpretation?</span></span><br />
<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-27347346202175477972014-09-25T17:33:00.000-04:002014-09-25T17:33:05.857-04:00Cutting Back at Christmas: avoiding the budget blowout<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUUfhQiA0i_NlWL-hU5EUwFkXyvEmgysFHRVhVZKhNb9WDhBIgWNPNmXJdVW3ROZSel0vVCwDYq88gMVWyVQx_oDLpJgq6ssS_mQt_M1NtUala8zslCRJovNc9oKfDdFrO9f2BLWD-F8/s1600/xmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUUfhQiA0i_NlWL-hU5EUwFkXyvEmgysFHRVhVZKhNb9WDhBIgWNPNmXJdVW3ROZSel0vVCwDYq88gMVWyVQx_oDLpJgq6ssS_mQt_M1NtUala8zslCRJovNc9oKfDdFrO9f2BLWD-F8/s1600/xmas.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things you want;</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things to wear;</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things for learning;</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things to share.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was tempted to write nothing more than the above little ditty, because it really does sum up what my hubby and I are planning to do in purchasing Christmas gifts for our boys this year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been wracking my brain, trying to figure out a way to cut back on our gift-giving expenses. It just all seems so extravagant, and we really don't have the funds to continue spending the way we have in past years. Plus, there's a good chance we'll be adding a new member to our family this Christmas, and I know I'm going to want to spoil her. My step-daughter will be welcoming a new baby girl, making me a Gramma for the first time at the tender age of 38. Gosh! I feel so old! But, I digress.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today, my mind wandered while I watched the minutes tick by, wishing I could be outdoors in the warm sunshine, since there aren't many such nice days left before the snow flies, and the idea hit me. I'd heard similar ideas before. Something along the lines of giving one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing to read, and.... I can't quite remember the fourth category. As I pondered it, though, I realized that model doesn't really fit us. My boys detest reading, so that would be a wasted gift. And, they don't really need anything, either. Which leaves one thing they wants, and one thing..... that I can't remember.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, I know Christmas is not about the gifts, but gift-giving is a part of our family traditions, and both giving and receiving gifts is something we all enjoy. I just can't imagine only giving my boys two gifts. It would be a let-down, not only for them, but for me! I <b><i>love </i></b>giving gifts to my kids! I love the looks on their faces when they see what's inside the packaging! I love the smiles and the hugs and the thank-yous. Basically, I love making them happy, which I do all year long without gifts, but Christmas time just brings something more magical to it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only problem, then, is the cost of all that gift-giving. We really stretch our budget, and, oftentimes, break it. That's not something I want to face this year, because it causes stress at a time when we should be focusing on enjoying time with family and friends, and on the true meaning of Christmas, of course - the birth of Christ.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, to try to avoid the stress, and to (hopefully) not break the bank, this year we'll be trying this new approach:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things you want;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things to wear;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things for learning;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two things to share.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do you do to avoid busting your budget at gift-giving times like Christmas?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-30728619432260741912014-09-17T15:14:00.002-04:002014-09-17T15:14:49.810-04:00Prioritizing Extracurriculars<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The question came up a couple of times lately - what extracurricular activities do your kids take part in, and how do you prioritize them?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At first, I just listed off the activities my boys are in. But, after I saw the question again, I started to think more about it, and we actually do have a structure to the way in which we decide what (regularly scheduled) activities to participate in.</span></span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Faith. Family. Fellowship.</span></span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The motto of our home school is this: God first. Everything else falls in line.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To that end, the activities we choose first are those that help in building our faith. Apart from attending church services on Sunday mornings, our boys are part of three other regularly scheduled activities sponsored by our church that occur during the public school year. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmRA6s7iQBT49AiNUafiUukeyQrR79KMbw-b-Mg418mTlvSgPeqOy3-bipglqeQg-6VQrMINyX2D3LAsSeOa-pg6trr-lQFpYJUwXT5EiJo5zATOiqdjsRB2ZjRv5t-sF-EFeaqsTHcQ/s1600/Extracurriculars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmRA6s7iQBT49AiNUafiUukeyQrR79KMbw-b-Mg418mTlvSgPeqOy3-bipglqeQg-6VQrMINyX2D3LAsSeOa-pg6trr-lQFpYJUwXT5EiJo5zATOiqdjsRB2ZjRv5t-sF-EFeaqsTHcQ/s1600/Extracurriculars.png" height="357" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First is what our church calls Wild Wednesdays. You may have heard of Christian Religious Education, which is a program where public school students go to a local church during the last hour of school one day a week and are taught about the Christian religion Wild Wednesdays is just that, but with a lot of fun activities thrown in, too. My youngest son is in one of the Wild Wednesday groups, and my oldest is a group helper.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, the boys and their dad meet with other boys and their dads at our church one night each week for Christian Service Brigade, which is a program similar to boy scouts, but with a greater emphasis on Christian living, and is intended to build a strong bond between the boys and their male mentors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, as a family, we attend what our church calls Fab Fridays. Once a month, we meet with other families from the community at our church for a night of fun. Everything is family friendly and Christian oriented, but there's not usually a specific message or teaching. It's just a night where we play games, eat snacks, make crafts, and generally have tons of fun!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After activities that strengthen our faith, we choose those that strengthen our family. I already mentioned one above - Fab Fridays. That falls into both the faith and family categories. Currently, it's the only organized activity we're involved in as a family, but, if we have the opportunity to do something together (such as camping or field trips), we'll choose those things before choosing others (like sports or music lessons).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The third category we have for choosing extracurricular activities is for those that encourage fellowship. In other words, everything else. Sports, music lessons, technology, friends, summer camps, etc.. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Up until this summer, our boys have participated in our town's Little League program every year since they were 5 years old. This year, my youngest chose to play soccer instead. They made it to every game and every practice.... unless it fell on a night that one of our faith or family building activities was scheduled for. Which usually meant they weren't starters on their teams, but that was just fine with us. They still had fun and learned the sport as well as teamwork, but they also learned that God and family come first, which we feel is important for them to understand.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last extracurricular activity the boys take part in regularly is piano lessons. They travel with me when I go to work on Wednesdays and take their lessons from our Pastor's wife, who lives next door to my office. Wednesdays, as you'll remember from earlier, is also the day for Wild Wednesdays, so after their piano lessons they simply walk across the parking lot from the parsonage to the church building, ready for Wild Wednesdays to begin.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So far, I've talked only about activities that we have scheduled on a regular basis. Often, though, opportunities come up for the boys to get involved in an activity or program that takes place for a smaller chunk of time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For example, in the summers, they attend our church's VBS program, which lasts just for one week. They also attend both a summers sports camp and a summer Bible camp, each lasting for one week. Last year, my oldest son performed in his first play with a local school that offered parts to area homeschoolers. He had a couple practices each night for about 2 months, then two nights of the final performance. Lastly, as a family, we take a few weekends each month in the summers to go camping (RVing, really) and to go on field trips (A.K.A., vacations).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We tend to work the temporary activities into and around our regularly scheduled ones and make some allowances for changes, depending on the activity. For example, in order for my oldest to be eligible to perform in the play he was in, the director required each performer miss no more than two practices. Because it was important to him, and because we anticipated it being a growth experience for him (and it was), we placed high priority on it for the two months it lasted.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I feel it's important to prioritize your child's extracurricular activities, or you can end up feeling overwhelmed and drowning in all you have to do. Our schedule may look full and busy on paper (or computer screen), but when we know what our priorities are, we know when we can say no to something. Being too busy can have a negative effect on both faith and family, and since those are the two most important priorities for us, it's easy to cut something out of the schedule to be sure we maintain our health in both those areas.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How do you prioritize your child's extracurriculars? Do you have a system? Or are you feeling overwhelmed? Let's chat!</span></span><br />
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<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-20325839683084667272014-09-09T12:48:00.000-04:002014-09-09T12:50:47.868-04:00Great Curriculum Adventure II<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm running just teensy bit behind schedule this year, as far as purchasing curriculum is concerned. Oh! Wait! We homeschool. There is no schedule. Silly me. Okay, maybe I'm just feeling the crunch, because we've done no formal lessons since June, and it's nearly September. I feel as though all the knowledge gained last year is seeping out of my boys' brains like water through a sieve the longer we go without lessons. I think I was better prepared <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2013/07/great-curriculum-adventure.html">last year</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's jump into it, shall we?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>MATH</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year we used Bob Jones University Press' Math 5 for my 6th grader. It was a success! We rarely had to fight over math work. But, we also only made it a little over half way through the book. So, this year, we'll be sticking with BJU, but I also wanted to try out something about which I've heard rave reviews - Teaching Textbooks. They are CD-ROM based lessons with a workbook to reinforce the lessons. On first glance, the first half of Teaching Textbooks 7 seems to be review of what we did in BJU 5 last year, so we're going to do a mixture of BJU 5, BJU 6, and TT 7. Should be interesting!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGdNwdQmvvmceaVVAJbkgHWLXexOyKqzCuNSM3nTIyliqu8KY6xRe9KfHGhnZHxuMTi-JGzHGidBv1MJaGl0PiB0vrtB8kfcqZjMdyYo_ibXwVLTEWTuW2Xy_eMpMl9wMz9KEmZppdJo/s1600/tt7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGdNwdQmvvmceaVVAJbkgHWLXexOyKqzCuNSM3nTIyliqu8KY6xRe9KfHGhnZHxuMTi-JGzHGidBv1MJaGl0PiB0vrtB8kfcqZjMdyYo_ibXwVLTEWTuW2Xy_eMpMl9wMz9KEmZppdJo/s1600/tt7.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvcz-p1SQb6cB5mZ8SiIN_Nzi0339jV_Ql8IPAm6FQarIfgylaOpqy0ly0D0PMk4Au7inthxPdrVDkh19h2SSY7cmKba3Vz21q_DiDypiQa_LLvlPk4-zyOB1K6mDDtZ6gtiOvPyhyphenhyphen9Q/s1600/bju6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvcz-p1SQb6cB5mZ8SiIN_Nzi0339jV_Ql8IPAm6FQarIfgylaOpqy0ly0D0PMk4Au7inthxPdrVDkh19h2SSY7cmKba3Vz21q_DiDypiQa_LLvlPk4-zyOB1K6mDDtZ6gtiOvPyhyphenhyphen9Q/s1600/bju6.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My younger son is still a math whiz. Last year, we started multiplication, and you'd think he'd been doing it since birth. Thank goodness! Because I am horrible at math and was not looking forward to teaching this to him. Last year we used Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley's Mathematics for grade 3. We've used the Foresman/Wesley curriculum every year for him, and it seems to work well. We'll be using this for as long as the pre-common core versions are available on eBay. So, Foresman/Wesleyan Mathematics for grade 4 this year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDIrEM11Ntjzn7U8p8pVMtj-bYUkVYk6IL3o3V8kgxnSrmPl5lXXHs8sU7_a1TxZT_eKbZi12DbHZYyaoC_E6cYJXXhSw5Rpur9byJsuuxLNP7EsafCYOttVog4pBlYu1uSCitq3XFbI/s1600/foresman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDIrEM11Ntjzn7U8p8pVMtj-bYUkVYk6IL3o3V8kgxnSrmPl5lXXHs8sU7_a1TxZT_eKbZi12DbHZYyaoC_E6cYJXXhSw5Rpur9byJsuuxLNP7EsafCYOttVog4pBlYu1uSCitq3XFbI/s1600/foresman.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">LANGUAGE ARTS: (A.K.A. ENGLISH)</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year I branched out and used several different resources for this subject, which you can check out in my Great Curriculum Adventure post from last year. We ended up not fully completing several of those books, though, so we'll be continuing with them this year, as well as adding a few new ones to the mix.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For reading, we'll be finishing up the Reading Detective books, which turned out to be perfect for my boys. They grew in their reading comprehension abilities by leaps and bounds last year with this curriculum.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year, for spelling, we used Bob Jones University Press's curriculum, which didn't end up being quite what I was looking for. It was a lot of busy work. So, this year, we're going to give <a href="http://www.growingwithgrammar.com/1swsProduct_Page.html" target="_blank">Soaring with Spelling</a> a try. I asked a bunch of other homeschooling moms for suggestions in this area, and Soaring with Spelling was a popular suggestion. Hopefully, this will end my search for the perfect spelling program.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Penmanship. This is such a struggle for both my boys. Their handwriting is sloppy, and they hate having to write. Last year, we tried <a href="http://www.areasonfor.com/handwritinginfohome.html" target="_blank">A Reason for Handwriting</a>. It was good, but not quite what I was looking for. I again asked a bunch of homeschooling moms for suggestions, and by and large, the number one suggestion was <a href="http://www.hwtears.com/hwt" target="_blank">Handwriting without Tears</a>. It's definitely different than other programs I've looked at. I'm hopeful it will be the one that makes my boys enjoy handwriting. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For grammar, we'll be continuing what we started last year - Grammar Minutes and The Language Mechanic. I was happy with these, and the boys seemed to enjoy them. No need to change what's working.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Writing. Another subject where we'll continue what we started last year, because it worked, and the boys enjoyed it. We're using Jump In: a workbook for reluctant and eager writers. But we'll also be adding another aspect for my oldest - study skills. I found the <a href="http://www.studyskillssystem.org/study-system-for-home-educators/" target="_blank">Victus Study Skills System</a> DIY workbook. It seems very intensive, but my son has zero concept of how to study, and I feel that's something important for him to learn if his future plans include attending college. We shall see if this program is successful.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year, I found the <a href="http://www.notgrass.com/notgrass/Uncle-Sam-and-You/" target="_blank">Uncle Sam and You</a>
curriculum from the Notgrass company. What I like about this is the
student workbook that accompanies it. Jam packed with fun activities to
reinforce each lesson, it looked like it might make learning history fun. Thankfully, the boys really enjoyed it. But, we only made it about half way through the curriculum, so we'll be continuing it again this year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, my oldest is required to do Geography either this or next year. Last year, I found a curriculum called <a href="http://www.barefootmeandering.com/50states.html" target="_blank">50 States and Where to Find Them</a>, which was being offered for FREE for a limited time. I jumped on it, knowing I could use it at some point. That point has come, and we'll be using it this year. I think the boys will like it, because it involves crossword puzzles and coloring pages. It breaks the states down into small regions so the boys can learn them in bite sized pieces. I have high hopes for this one!</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SCIENCE</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year, we used Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy, which we absolutely loved! This year, the boys told me they wanted to use Apologia again, but they wanted to do the Chemistry and Physics curriculum this time. I was all set to purchase it, but at the last minute, my oldest tole me he changed his mind. Grr!!! Okay, I can make this work. Ha! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My son decided he wanted to do an engineering type program. He wanted to build machines. So I did some research and found a really fantastic looking program. Unfortunately, I misunderstood the pricing of it, and it ended up being far too expensive for us. After much more research, I finally landed on <a href="http://www.knex.com/knex-education/" target="_blank">K'nex Education</a>'s <a href="http://www.knex.com/shop/16770/exploring-machines/" target="_blank">Exploring Machines</a> curriculum. Since it arrived at our house, the boys have been begging to start school! What better way to do school than with toys? It is an actual curriculum, though, so they'll be learning while they're having fun. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HEALTH & WELLNESS</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year, we used Alpha Omega's Monarch Health Quest online curriculum. What a wasted effort! The curriculum itself was not bad, but my boys just cannot work together on a computer curriculum. They distract each other, they fool around, they fight. They nearly flunked the course. Not because they couldn't do the work or understand the material, but because it was the wrong method of learning for them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This year, we're using the good old fashioned textbook and workbook method. I'll be reading the lessons aloud to both boys at the same time, and then they will be set loose to complete worksheets relating to the lessons. I think this will work much better. The curriculum we'll use is called <a href="http://www.lampposthomeschool.com/electives/health1/total-health/" target="_blank">Total Health: talking about life's changes</a> by Susan Boe. Another thing I am drawn to with this curriculum is its Biblical base.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">VISUAL ARTS</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is always my favorite subject, but also the one I find most difficult to teach, which is odd, considering I studied art in college and was just shy of earning my B.A. in it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last year, we tried <a href="http://www.milestonebooks.com/list/Rod_and_Staff_Art/" target="_blank">Art with a Purpose</a> Artpacs by Myron and Rachel Weaver. Disaster! I don't know; I suppose these would work for someone, but they were just so dry and lacked any real lessons. My boys and I were not impressed. So, once again, on to something new.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We're trying two different books this year. First, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/creating-line-designs-book-grades-7/randy-womack/156500003x/pd/50003X" target="_blank">Creating Line Designs</a> (book 4) by Randy Womack. It's exactly what it says - creating line designs. It's really a book full of connect-the-dot pages, but it teaches kids to follow directions, create a straight line, and use lines in creative ways. Each page gets progressively more difficult. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our second book is a journal type book called <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/art-doodle-love-dawn-devries-sokol/1112558437?ean=9781617690129" target="_blank">Art, Doodle, Love</a>. It is filled with pretty, blank pages with different creativity prompts written on each. I'm hoping this will inspire my boys to use their imaginations and realize they can create anything they want using any materials they want. It's technically for women, but I took a look at it, and it will work just fine for my boys. Sshhh!!! Don't tell them! </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BIBLE</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simplify. That's the plan this year. With our Bible curriculum, at least. Last year we used Apologia's Who am I? curriculum, which was fantastic! But, it was just a little too advanced for my boys. So, I decided to make it much more simple this year. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my oldest, we'll use the <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/book-fidgets-doodle-journal-christian-youth/9781426769863/pd/769863" target="_blank">Book of Fidgets: a jot & doodle journal for Christian youth</a>. It's filled with art and writing prompts that line up with various scripture passages and faith questions. My boy is an artist, so this is perfect for him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My youngest will use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Doodle-Book-Pictures/dp/0310727162" target="_blank">The Bible Doodle Book</a> by Zonderkidz. Each pages has a chapter from the Bible illustrated, but not completed, along with a prompt for completing the pages. We'll read the scripture together, then he can get creative and complete the pages.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">MUSIC</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nothing new here. The boys take piano lessons during the public school year from a friend of ours. They'll continue their lessons this year, too. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PRACTICAL ARTS</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last, but not least, Practical Arts is required for my oldest this year, so we'll do it for both boys. Practical Arts, from what I understand, is basically Life Skills. Things that we old folk used to call home economics, shop, technology, keyboarding... that sort of thing. To that end, we'll be working on a few things - critical thinking, cooking/baking, typing, and skill building. For critical thinking, we're using Word Winks and Perplexors. Cooking/baking will be my boys and me in the kitchen, planning meals, shopping for ingredients, and putting the meals together. For typing, I found a free typing tutor that I downloaded last year called Typing Instructor for Kids. It resembles a video game, but teaches typing skills at the same time. Finally, for skill building, we'll use the website DIY.org. It lists numerous different skills, and within each skill are several projects to complete. Upon completion of a certain number of projects, the child earns a patch. It's similar to a Boy Scouts skill building program, but, as the name of the website suggests, we will do it ourselves.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That. Was a lot. But, really, it's not. As I write this final paragraph, we've actually begun our second week of our fourth year homeschooling, and, so far, it's been our best year yet! All of the curriculum I chose has proven to be perfect! I'm hopeful it will continue to be so throughout the rest of the year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are your thoughts? Have you used any of these resources? If so, how did you like them? Let me know what's on your mind in the comments.</span></span><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-26956750554732641742014-08-26T15:33:00.002-04:002014-08-26T15:35:48.990-04:00Me vs. I: the Grammar Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiTTKKiFP9qj4-mFjuGIXG7QuOSI0fF1-wIgzTnuOvfiNILOqMhmY0on69GW6M1iJR1gLDxi5c51WIcZ1AEOgqVdmax4EjRf8f9lt-bpjW97sO21KQWgBYEaHjgGUifVU1ctA1BgoOSo/s1600/EnglishIvsMe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiTTKKiFP9qj4-mFjuGIXG7QuOSI0fF1-wIgzTnuOvfiNILOqMhmY0on69GW6M1iJR1gLDxi5c51WIcZ1AEOgqVdmax4EjRf8f9lt-bpjW97sO21KQWgBYEaHjgGUifVU1ctA1BgoOSo/s1600/EnglishIvsMe.png" height="170" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The dilemma of whether to use '<b>I</b>' or '<b>me</b>' in a sentence is actually much easier to understand than most people think, once you know the trick to remembering when and in what order to use each word. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many people don't give it a second
thought to say, "Me and Bill (or Bill and me) are going to the ball
game."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What you should say, instead, is this: "Bill and I are going to
the ball game."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is another set of people, though, who use '<b>I</b>' in everything, thinking it makes them sound like they've figured it out.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For example, "The ball game was too boring for Bill
and I, so we went home."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of the above usages are incorrect, though. Here's why:</span></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The trick is to break the sentence down into two separate sentences.</span></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Take
this one, for example: "Bill and me are going to the ball game."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who is going to the ball game? Bill is going to the ball game. Me is
going to the ball game. Wait... that doesn't sound right, does it? 'Me' is going to the ball game? You have to ask your self who is doing
what and see if it makes sense when you break the sentence into two
parts.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this case, the correct usage is as follows: "Bill and I are
going to the ball game." Who is going to the ball game? Bill is going
to the ball game. I am going to the ball game. That makes sense.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Second example: "The ball game was too boring for Bill and I, so we
went home."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Break it down, now. "The ball game was too boring for
Bill." "The ball game was too boring for I." See? That doesn't make
sense.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What you should say, instead, is this: "The ball game was too
boring for Bill and me, so we went home."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Break it down. "The ball
game was too boring for Bill." "The ball game was too boring for me."
Now it makes sense!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a final note, no matter which form you use - 'I' or 'me' - the other person always comes first. "Bill and I" or "Bill and me". Never "Me and Bill".</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hopefully, I explained this well enough. Please let me know if I just made it even more confusing, or if you found it helpful. Thanks for reading!</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/08/you-aint-seen-nuthin-yet-grammar-series.html">Previous post: You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet</a></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-6524527356566118162014-08-19T17:29:00.000-04:002014-08-19T17:29:12.674-04:00FREE Simple Homeschool Planner<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to school!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many homeschoolers are gearing up for their first day of school. I know we are. I ordered all our curricula, and the boys peek out the windows at mail delivery time each day, eager to see if another book is arriving. As soon as all our books arrive, we'll be ready to start. Well, almost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We need a plan! Lesson plan, that is. You can find dozens of planners made for homeschoolers. They're popular among bloggers. Filled with not only calendars, but also grocery lists, contact lists, meal plans, goals - like the one found here on a blog named <a href="http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/our-homeschool-planner/" target="_blank">Living Well Spending Less</a>. Appointment keepers, journal pages, attendance trackers, reading logs, and more, like you'll find in this in-depth, customizable planner (which is what I used last year) at <a href="http://www.tinasdynamichomeschoolplus.com/free-printables/7-step-curriculum-planner/" target="_blank">Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, I don't need all that. I use Outlook to keep track of appointments and contacts. I use <a href="https://www.homeschooltracker.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">Homeschool Tracker Plus</a> to track attendance, keep reading logs, and more. And I use good old fashioned pen and paper for meal planning, grocery lists, and journaling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What I need is a simple calendar system. A calendar for the full school year for each subject, where I can write in lesson plans for each day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's it. Simple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I went looking for one. I took to Google, Facebook, Amazon... No luck. Everything I found either had what I wanted, but with lots of other things attached, or only had something that was close to what I wanted, but not quite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I decided to make my own. Exactly what I want. And, why not share it? I figure someone out there is looking for just this type of planner, too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's how it works: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All pages are in PDF form, in hopes that the font I chose will remain intact whether you have it installed on your computer or not. But, if it doesn't, I'm also including the ZIP file of the font that you can download, if you want. Everything will work fine without it, though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First, the cover page, which you can see in this image. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, a full academic year (July 1st through June 30th) calendar page. Here you can mark off planned days off, vacations, and holidays. It's a year in review page.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, monthly pages by subject, which is where you will fill in your lesson plans for each day. One month per page. When you print these, you can choose to either print them back to back (aka, duplex printing), or you can just print one month per page, which is what I prefer, so that when the pages are bound, the binding is always on the left side of the page I'm using. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The subjects are color coded, but, to save on ink, you can print them monochrome. Also, you'll notice there are only 5 days per week on the monthly pages. They are Monday through Friday weeks. I know, many of us school on the weekends, too, but I found the 5 day week planner to be most efficient for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After all pages are printed, match up the month of July 2014 pages for each subject (putting them in whatever order you like), then match up August, and place them behind July, then September, and so on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The subjects included in this planner are Math, English, History, Science, Health, and Bible. There's also a calendar with no subject heading, which you can print as many times as you like to use for any other subjects you need a planner for. Also, each subject's calendar is a separate file, so if you aren't teaching Health, for example, you can skip printing those pages. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The simplest way to bind your pages is with a 3-hole punch and a 3-ring binder. You'll need a 1" to 1 1/2" binder. I prefer the ones with the clear plastic cover where you can slide your cover page in the top opening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Done! Now you can start planning your days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For a first effort, I'm pretty happy with this planner. For next year, I'll probably play with the design to make it more visually appealing. This year, I went more for practicality. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let me know if you like this, if my instructions were clear, and if you have any suggestions. Also, feel free to share the link with your homeschooling friends. But, please, be sure to give credit where credit is due. The link below will take you to Google Drive, where you can view and print the planner. <b><br /></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_71rtq0C538cFdIUDc5aUY5S1k&usp=drive_web" target="_blank">Free Simple Homeschool Planner</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-23796823669101708972014-08-18T13:08:00.003-04:002014-08-26T15:34:19.082-04:00You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet: the Grammar Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsptmqWZMN2mtvIpB0Tww5y9FHq__hxMW-BWBouOSgwwN77QY6HVFYOITAwvzlDmwbHQDpZ5qTI0QzyiW_qfPZEXvTsunV2fi1SGITOCZBftRXVmRvATqWVYF5Uc-zKpbHzdh-JKTcy0/s1600/EnglishSeenAint.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsptmqWZMN2mtvIpB0Tww5y9FHq__hxMW-BWBouOSgwwN77QY6HVFYOITAwvzlDmwbHQDpZ5qTI0QzyiW_qfPZEXvTsunV2fi1SGITOCZBftRXVmRvATqWVYF5Uc-zKpbHzdh-JKTcy0/s1600/EnglishSeenAint.png" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's talk about the word 'seen' - a word many people misuse regularly, and don't seem to even realize it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I <b>seen </b>Bill at the ball game the other day. I <b>seen </b>a cat cross the road. I <b>seen </b>a bug on the window. I <b>seen </b>when you did that.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The use of the word 'seen' in the above examples is so very wrong. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What you should say, instead, is this: I <b>saw </b>Bill at
the ball game the other day. I <b>saw </b>a cat cross the road. I <b>saw </b>a bug on the window. I <b>saw </b>when you did that.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only time it is acceptable to use the
word 'seen' is in a cases such as these: Have you <b>seen</b> my jacket?
Or... The movie couldn't be <b>seen </b>by the people in the back row.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When in doubt, just figure out a way to say what you want to say without using the word 'seen' at all. For example: I can't find my jacket; do you know where it is? Or... The movie screen was blocked from the view of the people in the back row.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That way, you're always safe. Using the word 'seen' incorrectly, unfortunately, has the effect of making a person sound less intelligent than they actually (probably) are. That may sound harsh, but it's true. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, let's discuss the word '<b>ain't</b>'.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why
should you never, ever, ever use that word? I don't care if you DO
find it in the dictionary! It's not a word, and using it, just like the word 'seen', makes a person sound
ignorant. Harsh, I know. But, true. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Ain't'
is a fictional conjunction made up of the words 'Am', 'Is', and 'Not'.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When have you ever in your life used those three words
successively in a sentence? Have you ever in your life said something
like, I <b>am is not</b> going to take your lip anymore, young man! Or, I
<b>am is not</b> joking.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No. You have never. Because it makes no sense. Neither does 'ain't. Please don't use it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/08/have-got-is-do-not-grammar-series.html"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Previous post: Have Got is a Do Not</span></span></a></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/08/me-vs-i-grammar-series.html"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next post: Me vs. I</span></span></b></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></b><br />
<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926573089959391264.post-58988120844033781932014-08-11T15:11:00.002-04:002014-08-18T13:11:24.677-04:00Have Got is a Do Not: the Grammar Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RKAwLPVsyOcjuRsim1F1ML-60dV6BOP_QPwde5wEaOkAJ5uVOgNbf24NpT_5cwayl8F0qBy-DVV1B4zaI2B6G1Xd576l7OZHwHTHciTic4IJ7ZI9g5mHd7Q-fnYxDE0zuGfn-Nrb_gU/s1600/EnglishHaveGot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RKAwLPVsyOcjuRsim1F1ML-60dV6BOP_QPwde5wEaOkAJ5uVOgNbf24NpT_5cwayl8F0qBy-DVV1B4zaI2B6G1Xd576l7OZHwHTHciTic4IJ7ZI9g5mHd7Q-fnYxDE0zuGfn-Nrb_gU/s1600/EnglishHaveGot.png" height="162" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've got an idea. You've got an idea. We've got... They've got....</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There
is more than one problem here. First, redundancy. "I have got." "You
have got." "We have got." "They have got." 'Have' and 'got' mean
essentially the same thing here. There's no need for both words. Simply say, "I have an
idea." "You have an idea." We have... They have.... Or, if you want to sound all fancy like, you can even
say "I've an idea." "You've an idea." We've... They've.... Using "I've
got" is like saying "Done did." I done did my chores. You done did
your homework. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Second problem, assuming we're speaking
in the present tense, is that "got" is past tense, so it does not work.
Therefore, don't say "I got an idea." "You got an idea." We got... They
got.... Not when you're speaking in the present. Not when you're
speaking about something that's happening right now. 'Got' is only
appropriate when you're referring to something in the past. I got
sick. You got the mail. We got together. They got an eviction notice.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Get it? Got it? Good.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/08/that-which-and-who-grammar-series.html">Previous post: That, Which, and Who </a></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://foursquarepegs.blogspot.com/2014/08/you-aint-seen-nuthin-yet-grammar-series.html"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Next post: You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet</b></span></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />Square Pegshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056391486262540832noreply@blogger.com0