Art Gallery ~ Fall 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fruit of the Spirit -December Journaling Ideas - Peace

Scripture Copy work ~ Discuss with your child the meaning of "peace" in the following scriptures and then have your child copy one or both of the scripture(s) into his/her journal.

Isaiah 9:6 ~
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a child is given;
And the government will be upon his shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Philippians 4:6,7 ~
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Definition ~ Have your child ponder on the word "peace" and then record his/her own definition of "peace" in his/her journal. Have your child look "peace" up in a dictionary and compare definitions.

List making ~ Have your child brainstorm a list of descriptive words that represent "peace" or "peacefulness". Some ideas to start him or her thinking may include: "lagoon", "stillness", "bedtime prayers", "contentment", "baby sleeping", "breeze", etc.

Haiku ~ Have your child write a haiku entitled "Peace". A haiku is a 3 line poem: The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables and the third line has 5 syllables. If your child has completed the "List Making" journal entry above, then words and phrases from that entry could be used within the haiku poem.

Journal Starters ~
One time when I felt peaceful was when ...
I show a peaceful attitude by ...
I can feel God's peace when ...
Peace is when ...

Another Jeannie Fulbright article:
Choosing Peace Over Hurry

Be Blessed!

Resources Used By You!

Near the beginning of each school year, part of my job involves writing up a Student Learning Plan (SLP) for those students who are on an Individualized program. While writing up the SLPs this year, I came across several resources that were new to me and that I thought may be of interest to some of you. Enjoy browsing!

Visual Arts - Grades K-3
Artistic Pursuits

Visual Arts - Grades 3 and up
Lambs Book of Art

Early Readers - Grade 1 approx.
Bible Stories for Early Readers

Chapter Book Series - Grade 3 approx.
Adventures in the Kingdom

Chapter Book Series - Grade 3 approx.
Canadian Flyers Adventures

Biblical Copy Work Books - Grades K-3
Primary Copy Books

Science - meets Grade 2 learning outcomes but is written for ages 8-12
The Dirt on Dirt

Science - Grades K-2 and Bible - Grades K-3
God's Amazing Creatures and Me

Keyboarding
BBC Dance Mat Typing

Another Jeannie Fulbright article:
Whose Character is Being Shaped Anyways?

Enjoy!

Recently I have been browsing through Jeannie Fulbright's website and blog. Jeannie is the writer for a Christian Science curriculum by Apologia Science called "Exploring Creation". Her website and blog go far beyond science lessons - they truly bring encouragement and a sense of peace to the homeschooling parent. Throughout this month I will provide links to some of her encouraging words and ideas. If you would like to check out Jeannie's website, here is the link: Jeannie Fulbright

If you would like to read Jeannie's thoughts on how long a homeschool day should be, click here: What are they Doing in School All Day?

Fruit of the Spirit - November Journaling Ideas - Patience

Below are some journaling ideas that you may like to use this month with your child:

Definition ~Have your child come up with a definition for "Patience" or find its definition in a dictionary and record it in his/her journal.

Copywork ~ Have your child copy the following "Patience" scripture into his/her journal:
I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. ~ Psalm 40:1

Observe and record ~ During the next month, encourage your child to look for ways that he/she and others are showing patience. Have him/her record his/her observations through pictures and/or words.

Webbing, Charting, or Listing ~ Corinthians 13:4 says, "Love is patient and kind". Encourage your child to think about what this means. How can he/she show love to others by being patient? Have your child record his/her thoughts using a web, chart or list.

Acrostic Poem ~ Write an acrostic poem for the word "Patient" using words, phrases and ideas that were brainstormed in the previous activity. Information on how to write an acrostic poem can be found here: Acrostic Poem

Prayer Journal ~ Have your child write a prayer asking God to help him/her to demonstrate patience when having to wait.

Short Story Picture ~ Have your child look at the picture below and think about who the koalas could be waiting patiently for, why they are waiting and what might happen once the "somebody" or "something" awakens. Have your child use the following sentence as the first sentence of his/her short story: "They sat patiently waiting for him to wake." Then have your child write 2-5 more sentences to tell a short story about what happpened next.

End of the First Term/ Quarter - Friday, November 13th

The end of the first term/quarter is just around the corner. If you haven't started already, then NOW is the time to start organizing the samples that you plan to include in your child's end of quarter package/portfolio.

I encourage you to use this time of the school year to sit down with your child and go through the work that has been completed over the past couple of months. Talk about what has been accomplished well, goals for the next term/quarter, favourite projects or activities, etc. Use this time as a learning experience for your child.

***(This next section is just for those families on the Individualized program [DLI]. Those families on the Standard program [DLS] should scroll down to "What to Include in an End of Quarter Package")

For those families on the Individualized program, the parent and child can work together in choosing what to include in his/her portfolio. Some ideas for presenting your portfolio include: using folders for various subject areas, using a binder divided into subject areas, using an electronic web album (like Picasa or Smilebox), or simply placing everything into a big envelope.


What to Include in a Portfolio:

The following items should be included in your child’s portfolio:

4 Language Arts samples
*** Please include a VARIETY of samples some of which may include: a journal entry, a personal letter, poetry or story writing, tests or quizzes related to spelling or grammar, a reading log, a recording of reading aloud or of a recitation, a list, a chart or a diagram, etc.

4 Math samples
i.e. chapter or unit tests, speed drills, photos of hands-on math activities, a photocopy of the rules of a favourite math game, etc.

3-4 Science samples
i.e. chapter or units tests, an experiment log, an observation or nature journal, diagrams or charts, a photo of student doing an experiment or on a field trip, a list of books related to Science, etc.

3-4 Social Studies samples
i.e. chapter or unit tests, a field trip journal (may include photos), a list of fiction and/or non-fiction books related to Social Studies topics, map work, a mini report/presentation (written, pictorial, or oral), an audio or video recording presenting Social Studies information, etc.

PE Log and PE Assessment Form (if student is taking structured sports lessons)

3 Visual Art samples (for those using Visual Arts as their Fine Arts focus)

Music and Dance Assessment Forms (if student is taking music or dance lessons)

1-2 Health and Career samples
i.e. devotional material, goal setting chart or sheet, list of activities completed relating to health and career topics (i.e. nutrition, healthy living, friendships, responsibilities in the home, safety)

Work Habits Form - This form is a parent assessment of your child's work habits. As well there is an area to include scripture memory information.

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What to Include in an End of Quarter Package:

The following items should be included in your child’s end of quarter package:

Grades 1 - 3
*All completed pace tests
*All completed supplement assignments - The Quarter 1 supplement assignments include:
All About Me
Reading Response
Math Supplement Activities
Science Supplement Activities
Social Studies Supplement Activities
Fire Safety Activity
*Reading Log
*PE Log and PE Assessment Form (if student is taking structured sports lessons)
*3 Visual Art samples (for those using Visual Arts as their Fine Arts focus)
*Music and Dance Assessment Forms (if student is taking music or dance lessons)
*Work Habits Form - This form is a parent assessment of your child's work habits. As well there is an area to include scripture memory information.


Kindergarten
*The last completed pace in all subject areas (Word Building, English, Math, Science and Social Studies)
*All completed supplement assignments - The Quarter 1 supplement assignments include:
All About Me
*Student Assessment for Quarter 1
*Printing Practice worksheets (optional)
*Fire Safety Activity
*PE Log and PE Assessment Form (if student is taking structured sports lessons)
*Music and Dance Assessment Forms (if student is taking music or dance lessons)
*Work Habits Form - This form is a parent assessment of your child's work habits. As well there is an area to include scripture memory information.

Work Boxes - Creating an Independent Learner

At the beginning of the school year it is fairly common for homeschooling parents to start asking:

How do I motivate my child to do school work?

How much school work should my child be doing each day?

How can I help my child to become a more independent learner?

Although every family is different, I have recently come across an organizational technique that may be the answer to all of the questions above. The technique is called workboxes. Apparently there is a book written that describes how to implement workboxes within a homeschooling environment, however I have found the process described quite clearly in the links provided below. If you would like more information regarding workboxes, then please contact me via email or phone.

Ever Heard of Workboxes?

Workboxes are Working for Us

How We're Using Workboxes

Working the Workboxes

A Thought About Thankfulness

"Teach your children how to be content. Show them how much they have that others do not. Only when you learn to be thankful for what you have will you learn to be content. The secret to human contentment is thankfulness" ~ Ezzo

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ~ 1 Timothy 6:6

Pace Go-Alongs

Some families have indicated in their communications that they like to add a "special" go-along activity for their child as he/she completes the paces. Below are some resources for those of you who would like to complement the paces with a little something extra.

Grade 2

Science Pace 1014
Some book ideas:
From Seed to Plant ~ Gail Gibbons
The Ecosystem of a Garden ~ Elaine Pascoe
A Mountain Alphabet ~ Margriet Ruurs


Science Pace 1015
Some book ideas:
Moon Plane ~ Peter McCarty
The Planets in Our Solar System ~ Branley
Stars ~ Birch
Dot to Dot in the Sky ~ Hinz
Constellations ~ Sipiera


Social Studies Pace 1014
4-H Virtual Farm


Grade 3

Science Pace 1026
Tree Book

Science Pace 1027
Virtual Telescope
Constellation Hunt

Social Studies Pace 1026
Just for Kids: Water

Social Studies Pace 1027
Geography Games

Fire Safety Week Oct. 4-10

Participating in Fire Safety Week is a great opportunity for your family to review and practice your home fire escape plan. It also helps to cover some Health and Career learning. Below are some website links that may prove useful to you and your children during this upcoming week!

Sparky the Fire Dog - Family Fun
Fire Prevention Week Kit (This is an informational resource that you can use as a discussion guideline. Near the end of the resource you will find some kid's worksheets.)
My Fire Inspection Checklist
Home Fire Escape Plan
Five Steps to Fire Safety (colouring page)

Fruit of the Spirit ~ October Journaling Ideas ~ JOY

Below are some journaling ideas that you may like to use this month with your child:

Copywork ~ Have your child copy the following "JOY" scripture into his/her journal:
"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ~ Nehemiah 8:10b

Copywork Assignment ~ Have your child look up in his/her own Bible one or two favourite verses about joy. To help you get started here are some references:
Romans 15:13
Psalm 33:1
Proverbs 15:13
Proverbs 17:22
1 Thessalonians 5:16

Music and Journaling ~ Listen to the song "Hymn to Joy"by Beethoven at the following website: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. Play the song once and have your child listen and move to the old hymn. Play the song a second time and have your child draw a picture in his/her journal to represent the song. Encourage your child to write a sentence or two at the bottom of the journal entry that describes his/her drawing.

Webbing, Charting, or Listing ~ Have your child brainstorm words and phrases that are descriptive of JOY. Encourage your child to record ways that people demonstrate joy. (Here is an example of a web layout: Webbing)

Prayer Journal ~ Have your child write a prayer asking God to help him/her to demonstrate daily joy even during trials and hardships.

Acrostic Poem~ Encourage your child to write an acrostic poem for the word/phrase "Joyful", "Joyfulness" or "Filled with Joy". First, have your child brainstorm words or phrases that are related to joy. Then, have your child match the brainstormed words with each letter in the acrostic poem. Following is an example of an acrostic poem:

J is for jovial faces
O is for often praising
Y is for your pleasant words
F is for feeling content
U is for up in spirit
L is for laughing often

The Heart of a Child

As I officially embark on my second year of home schooling, I am reminded of one of my main reasons for continuing this experience: the heart of my children.

Last year, my children and I were great at working through our choice of curriculum. However at the end of the year, I felt like I had minimized the effort and time put into instilling God's truths into their hearts.

During this past summer the phrase "Lessons are caught, not taught" kept crossing my path. It's not scripture, but it sure got me thinking.

The most important lessons that I want my kids to catch are the one's about their relationship with God. But the question is, how do these types of lessons get caught? After pondering for a time, the answer became clear:

How I live out my relationship with God (along with my husband) is huge in helping our children "catch" this type of learning.

During this upcoming school year my goal is to become more conscious of how God is present throughout each day. I want Him to filtrate through general conversation. I want His truths to be acknowledged through what we view and read. I want my family to begin seeing others and the world around them through His eyes. Hmmm... it sounds like some pretty big lessons are in store for us.

Young Naturalists' Club of BC

The Young Naturalists' Club of BC is an environmental action program for children ages 5-14. There are many BC communities that provide this club to families. To see if there is a YNC near you, click here: YNC

Children will discover "nature in their own neighbourhoods, explore local ecosystems, learn about native wildlife and plants and take part in environmental actions to protect their habitat."

A family membership for a year is $15 and includes: a welcome pack, explorer days (fieldtrips), awards, and a quarterly subscription to NatureWILD magazine.

It sounds like a great opportunity to encourage some nature lovin' within your family!

Here is the link to the Young Naturalists' Club of BC website: YNC Home Page

Mrs. Holder's Top 10 Tips for a Successful Homeschooling Year!

1. Choose a Homeschooling Scripture ~ Scripture is filled with tons of encouragement for the homeschooling family. Choose a scripture that fits into your goals and heart’s desires for this upcoming school year. A scripture that I have had in the past is: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap”. ~ Galatians 6:9

2. Write out your Homeschooling Convictions ~ On a recipe card write out your reasons for homeschooling your child. Place the card on your fridge or inside your kitchen cupboard door for easy access on those days when you need a reminder of why you have chosen to homeschool.

3. Pray for Daily Grace ~ Homeschooling is filled with blessings, but can sometimes be challenging and tiring. Thank goodness that God is bigger than all of our weaknesses. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” ~ 2 Cor. 12:9

4. Take Some Time for a Devotional ~ A great way to start your day is with focusing on God, either with a personal or a family devotion. Make it a part of your homeschooling routine.

5. Read Books from Veteran Homeschoolers ~ One of my favourite ways to get inspired is to read a great book from someone who has already travelled the road of parenting and homeschooling before me. Some of the authors that I have enjoyed in the past include: Ruth Beechick, Ted Tripp, Sally Clarkson, and Jessie Wise. Most of these authors also have great websites that can be an encouragement to you throughout the school year.

6. Plan with Flexibility ~ This is one of my biggest challenges – I tend to plan too much and then feel pressured to complete it all. I am learning the art of picking and choosing and letting go.

7. Guide with Gentleness and Encouragement ~ When your levels of frustration and stress start rising, stop whatever you are doing and come alongside your child with a gentle word and a helpful spirit. Nothing can calm a stressful situation quicker than a softly spoken word. “[E]ncourage one another and build each other up”. ~ 1 Thess. 5:11

8. Make Changes – It’s okay! ~ There’s a quotation that says, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” If something in your homeschooling paradigm is not working, then pray about it and make changes. Take time to assess how you and your child are doing and keep your eyes and ears open for ideas and resources that can help make your homeschooling experience the best that it can be for your family.

9. Find some Quiet Time ~ Schedule quiet time into your day. Right after lunch can be a good time for everyone to find a comfy corner and spend some time reading, resting or reflecting – that means mom and dad too!

10. Be Joyful and Have Fun! ~ Homeschooling is a huge blessing. Delight in the specialness of everyday moments that you and your child get to experience together. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:12

Baby O' Mine

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Journal Writing ~ Fruit of the Spirit

Journal writing is strongly encouraged for Grades 2 and 3 students. Grade 1 students are welcome to start participating in journal writing once they are able.

Throughout the 2009-10 school year I will be providing journal writing ideas relating to the Fruit of the Spirit. These journal ideas will be posted on this blog near the beginning of each month. Throughout the month feel free to pick and choose from my journaling ideas or to design some of your own. (The Fruit of the Spirit journal writing ideas for September are provided at the bottom of this post.)

Please note: Last year I provided journals for students to use. However, this year I am leaving the journal choice up to you. For students who like to include drawings with their journal entries, you may consider providing a Hilroy notebook that has the pages split in half with a blank space on the top and lines on the bottom.

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Some Other Journaling Thoughts ...
Journaling should be a joy, not a burden. Usually at the end of the year your child will delight in going back through his/her entries.

Journaling should be flexible. You are welcome to implement journal writing in whichever way you see fit. Below are some ideas to encourage a variety in your child's journaling:

Copy Work ~ Have your child copy quality literature into his/her journal. "Quality Literature" may include scripture, poems, quotations, hymns, etc.

Journal Prompts ~ Provide an idea or prompt for your child to write about in his/her journal. Some journal prompts can be found here: Journal Prompts

Shared Writing ~ This process is accomplished by passing the journal back and forth between the parent and child. Each participant takes a turn to add to the journal entry until both concede that the entry is complete. A more interactive way of writing!

Personal Journaling ~ Journal writing can be a very personal experience. Your child may desire to use his/her journal to record words and images that are meaningful just to him/her. Ideas may include: writing out goals, hopes, dreams, birthday lists, responses to changes in his/her life, drawing images from a vacation or outing, etc.

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Fruit of the Spirit ~ September Journaling ~ LOVE

Copywork ~ Have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." ~ Galatians 5:22,23a

Copywork ~ Love Scripture ~ "Let us love one another, for love is of God." ~ 1 John 4:7

Music and Journaling ~ Choose a worship song from your own music collection that talks about God's love or loving one another. Play the song once and have your child listen and move to the worship music. Play the song a second time and have your child draw a picture in his/her journal to represent the song. Encourage your child to write a sentence at the bottom of the journal entry that describes his/her drawing.

Webbing, Charting, or Listing ~ Have your child brainstorm words and phrases that are descriptive of LOVE. Encourage your child to record ways that he/she could show love to others. (Here is an example of a web layout: Webbing)

Prayer Journal ~ Have your child write a prayer asking God to help him/her to demonstrate love to others.

Love Response ~ Throughout the month encourage your child to record, through drawing and/or writing, ways that he/she has demonstrated love to family, friends, neighbours, and strangers.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

School Year Memories

The end of the school year can be a perfect time to reflect and reminisce about the past 10 months. Your reflection can be as simple as spending some quiet time thanking God for bringing you through another year with your children. Or, you may like to write in a journal and describe the highlights from the school year. Another idea is to go for a lunch date with your kids and discuss what they enjoyed and disliked about the past year. Whatever fits your style, try to take some time to reminisce.


For those who like to feed their creative side, you may like this memory keeping idea. (A parent included this as part of her child's learning samples during the past reporting period.) This memory keeper consists of brown paper lunch bags bound together to create little pockets that can store photos. A very sweet idea.

I also decided to reminisce a bit and used a Picasa slide show (below) to review some of my daughter's "learning moments". This was simple to do and can be emailed to family and friends at the end of the school year.

However you choose to reminisce, I hope that it will bring a smile to your face and help you to see the worth of what you are doing as a homeschooling parent.

Learning Moments Caught on Camera ...

End of Quarter Packages and Portfolios

The end of the school year is officially Friday, June 12th. Some families have already completed this year's curriculum and others are wrapping up the last few assignments. However close you are to completing this year's goals, please start thinking about organizing your child's end of the year assessment package. The learning samples that should be included in your child's assessment package are similar to previous quarters/terms. Below are links to previous posts to use as a guide when organizing your child's package.

End of Quarter Packages - Standard (DLS) Students
Portfolios - Individualized (DLI) Students

Please note: Grades 2 and 3 students should include their hard covered journal for this final reporting period.

Copy Work: Please have your child copy the following poem into his/her journal:

Dear God in Paradise

Look upon our sowing:

Bless the little gardens

And the green things growing.

~ Author Unknown

Journal Writing Idea: Write a little prayer asking God to bless some of the wonderful things in your life.

Finishing Well

As we approach the official end of the school year, I wanted to write something wonderfully insightful about "finishing well". The insightful part wasn't happening, so I decided to share someone else's more eloquent words with you. Marilyn Rockett has written an encouraging article on "Finishing Well" - not with just the completion of one homeschooling year, but with the completion of one's homeschooling journey in general.

If you need some encouragement in this area, please click here: Finishing Well

Blessings!

Journal Idea: Have your child choose one of the Spring images from below and then write about it in his/her journal. The journal entry may be as simple as listing descriptive words about the picture or as complex as creating a little story about the scene. An interesting idea is to ask your child to write about something that could happen to the picture. For example, in the "Spring Flowers" picture a swarm of honey bees could fly into the scene and start sucking nectar from the flowers. A little tip: If you click on the picture, you will get a larger image.

Rocky Mountain Spring

Spring Flowers

Ring Around the Rosie

Resources on My Mind

*** If you were not able to make the BC CHEC in Kelowna, but would like to obtain some of the great sessions on CD or MP3, you can do so by ordering here: BC CHEC Mp3s or CDs . To view the list of session titles, you will need to click on "Order Now" once you arrive at the BC CHEC website.

*** I have had a couple of parents share with me great FREE resources from a website called CurrClick. You can order resources from this site, but they also have many FREE resources available (with new resources available) on a regular basis. Very exciting and a great discovery! Click here to browse: CurrClick

*** I am presently compiling a list of excellent Bible resources. If you have any contributions to this list, please email me.

Finally, I so appreciate it when parents email me a great resource that they find online or a book that is a great read. Please keep them coming so that I can share them with everyone! Bless you all.

Copy Work: Have your child copy the following poem into his/her journal. Make sure to discuss when a writer uses a colon (when he/she wants to include a list). You may also want to discuss the meanings of each of the descriptive words and have your child explain how they each relate to the corresponding season.

Four Seasons ~ Author unknown

Spring: showery, flowery, bowery.

Summer: hoppy, croppy, poppy.

Autumn: wheezy, sneezy, freezy.

Winter: slippy, drippy, nippy.

Journal Ideas:

1) Sit down with your child and brainstorm your own words for the seasons. You can write a poem, some phrases, or just some descriptive words that come to mind.

2) Listen to Antonio Vivaldi's composition of "Spring". If you do not have this recording on a CD, then you can access it here: Vivaldi Spring . You will need to click on the "play" symbol that appears on the video area.

Allow your child to listen to the music once and think about images of Spring. Then have your child listen to the music a second time while describing these images in his/her journal.

I Will Survive!

Click on the following link to view a humourous video about surviving the life of a homeschooling parent. Enjoy!

I Will Survive!

May will be the last month for Journal Writing Wednesdays. For this month, the journal writing topic will focus on Spring! Yes, it's beginning to feel a lot like Spring around here and I'm ready to start celebrating!

Copy Work: Please have your child copy the following quotation into his/her journal:

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection,
not in books alone,
but in every leaf of springtime. ~ Martin Luther

Journal Idea: Look out your window and describe some of the "new life" that you see.

Journal Starters:

I was good to the environment during the past month by ...

Thirty years from now I think that the earth will be (more/less) "green" because ...

If I was a fish that was living in a lake and I came across a plastic bag during a daily swim, I would ...

Copy Work: Please have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! ~ Psalm 66:1

Journal Ideas:

Idea #1 ~ What part of creation do you think "shouts for joy the most"? Is it the bubbling brook? or a song-filled bird? or a grand rainbow stretched across the sky? Or maybe it's someone you know - your grandma or your dad or maybe even you who is simply overflowing with joy for all that God is and has done. Write about this joyful part of God's creation.

Idea #2 ~ Draw a picture in your journal illustrating the scripture: Psalm 66:1.

Need some reading? ...

A Holy Experience

By Sun and Candlelight

Preschoolers and Peace

Copy Work ~ Have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:

For lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land. ~ Song of Solomon 2:11-12

Journal Starter:

The part of God's creation that makes me feel like singing is ...

Journal Idea:

In the Spring, people often start their vegetable gardens. Growing your own food is a great way to take care of the environment. It's good for the soil (composting) and it's good for the little critters that live in the soil. Oftentimes food has travelled a long ways to get to your local grocery store and along the way much pollution has occurred. This is not good for the environment.

If you were to plant your own garden, what foods would you grow? Write about your garden.

Journal Writing Wednesdays will return next week ...

It's Not Easy Being Green ...

Environmental concerns have become a societal norm. As a family, you are no doubt already completing environmental learning throughout your daily life and routines.
Since April 22nd is Earth Day, I thought that it would be appropriate to provide some environmental activity ideas at the beginning of this month. Each grade level (kindergarten to grade 3) contains some environmental learning outcomes:

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Kindergarten
Demonstrate the ability to observe their surroundings
Describe features of their immediate environment
Demonstrate responsible behaviour in caring for their immediate environment

Grade 1
Identify the characteristics of different environments
Demonstrate responsible behaviour in caring for their immediate and school environment

Grade 2
Describe their responsibility to the local environment
Describe how the physical environment influences human activity

Grade 3
Demonstrate a sense of responsibility for the local environment


The activity ideas below are only suggestions. If you feel that your child has not received much “environmental learning” so far during this school year, you may consider studying some of the suggested scripture, printing off some of the colouring pages, or checking out some of the activity websites. If you do complete some environmental learning, then please communicate this in a “Brag-a-Little” email or in your child’s portfolio.


SCRIPTURE
Discuss the responsibility that God has given to man in taking care of the earth. What can you do to help take care of God’s creation on a daily basis?

Psalm 8: 3-8 – Psalm 8:6-8: “You have made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”


Discuss how God responded to His creation - “It was very good”. Discuss God’s creation today. Is man keeping it “very good”? What parts of God’s creation fascinate you most?

Genesis 1:11-13, 20-25 - creation of plants and animals. Genesis 1:31- “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”



WEBSITES
EEK! – Environmental Education for Kids
Recycle City
Just for Kids
Earth Day Ideas and Activities
Eco Kids games and activities


READINGS
The Lorax ~ by Dr. Seuss
This book is a fun read as an introduction to the need of sustainability in the environment. Unfortunately, the dialogue in the story does include some ruder language: i.e. “You stupid guy!” and “Shut up, if you please”. When reading this aloud to my own children, I changed “stupid” to “silly” and “Shut up” to “Be quiet”.


PRINTABLES
Recycling Colouring Pages (kindergarten/ grade 1)
Nature’s Recycler’s Colouring book (grades 2/3)


COMMUNITY
Earth Day Event Schedule for communities in BC

One of the memory verses that our family has learned this past year is found in Psalm 90:12:

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

We learned this verse while reading the story "The Snowy Day" by Jack Ezra Keats. The story is about a little boy who spends the day discovering the many delights that a snowy day can hold, including the warm bath at the end of the day while recapping his adventures to his mother. Amidst a day that others would call quite "ordinary", this little boy found some extraordinary moments.

Have you found some extraordinary moments amidst your homeschooling days? Something that makes yours and your child's day just a little more special? Something that helps you to number your day and to be reminded that it is a gift from God?

I have a few ideas that I have used with my own family that I will share with you. But I would LOVE to hear about the special ideas that you use with your family too. You can email me your ideas or type them in the comment area at the bottom of this post. May we bless each other and may you and your family number your days this week.

Some ways that help us to number our days:

~ A mailbox for each member in the family. I use a wooden container with a number of sections - each section is labelled with the initial of the person's name. In the evening I will sometimes put a little something into my kids mailbox slot for them to discover in the morning. Sometimes I even discover something special in my own mailbox!

~ Story time on the couch by candlelight.

~ Taking a photo of a special moment each day and then reviewing them at the end of the week.

~ A little journal - similar to the mailbox idea - a little message or drawing is placed inside the journal and then positioned by the recipient's breakfast bowl.

~ Having quiet time all together (including myself) in the afternoon. Everyone finds a comfy spot in the living room and reads quietly for a set amount of time.

~ Having a tea party together with real tea, real china cups and real cookies.

~ Making a gift for someone - baking for a neighbour, a card for a cousin, or a special picture for daddy.

For the month of April the Journal Writing Wednesdays will focus on the theme of being "Green". Being good stewards of the world that God has given to us is one way that we can honour Him. I will include a variety of journal ideas throughout this month. Feel free to pick and choose or create your own ideas to best meet the writing needs of your child.

Copy Work Idea: Please have your child copy the following quotation into his/her journal:

There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.
-Mother Teresa (1910-1997), A Gift for God, 1975

Journal Starter Idea:
In my home my family doesn't throw away _____________ . Instead, we reuse it by ...

Another Journaling Idea:
Make a list, chart or web of household items that can be reused for a task other than their original purpose.

And the winners are ...

The winner of the "Stepping Out and Writing a New Form of Poetry" award is Faith with her poem The Hungry Fox . Faith chose a limerick format for her poem and did a great job using rhyme and action words. Faith's copy of her poem was also illustrated! Enjoy!

The Hungry Fox

The fox jumped to catch a mouse,
he jumps as high as a grouse,
he lands his face in the snow,
the hungry fox was too slow,
the red fox went to his house.

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The winner of "The Poem with the Most Character" award is Jeffrey. His poem, A Brat and His Tiger, is filled with tons of personality and makes you smile. Jeffrey has a neat rhythm and rhyme happening throughout his poem. Enjoy!


A Brat And His Tiger

Calvin is a child.
Hobbes is a tiger.
Calvin is wild.
Hobbes is a biter.

Calvin and Hobbes fight,
even if its not right .
They bite on sight.
It makes them look a fright.

They get in trouble a lot.
When they get caught,
they think they're in a tight spot.
But maaybeee they're not.

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The winner of "The Best Revised and Edited Poem" award is Abby. After Abby completed her editing and revising processes, her poem, My Sweet Cat, took on a life of it's own. Her poem will make you smile and has excellent rhythm and rhyme. Enjoy!

My Sweet Cat

My cat likes to purr
All day and all night
She's a very sweet cat
But she goes left and right!

She knocks into things
Cause she can't see just right
But a super smart cat
When she turns on the light!

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The final winner is Kara with her poem My Frosty Winter Dream . Kara's poem is awarded "The Poem with the Best Imagery" award. When consulting with a couple of colleagues, it was agreed upon that Kara's poem had a poetic edge and is deserving of a "Grand Prize". Her poem incorporates excellent description and imagery and has a nice flow of rhyming couplets. Enjoy!


My Frosty Winter Dream

The snow is gently sprinkling
Out in the cold winter night.


The glittery trees are twinkling
Because of the bright moonlight.


The cool breeze is blowing
I can feel its frosty bite.


The stars are softly glowing —
My dream is perfectly white.

End of Quarter Packages - Standard (DLS) Families

What to Include in an End of Quarter Package for Grades 1-3:

* All completed pace tests

* All completed supplement assignments - Quarters 2 and 3 supplement assignments include:
Reading Response
Math Supplement Activities
Science Supplement Activities
Social Studies Supplement Activities
Nutrition and Friendship Activities

* Reading Log

* PE Log - Please complete the PE Monthly Challenge Form on the backside of the PE Log.

* Work Habits Form - This form is a parent assessment of your child's work habits. As well there are areas to include scripture memory information and the contact information for your child's music or dance instructor.

* 3 Visual Art samples (for those using Visual Arts as their Fine Arts focus)

***Please note: Grade 2 and 3 students should not include their hard covered journal that was sent to them at the beginning of the year. This journal will be requested at the end of the 4th quarter.

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What to Include in an End of Quarter Package for Kindergarten:

* The last completed pace in all subject areas (Word Building, English, Math, Science and Social Studies)

* All completed supplement assignments - Quarters 2 and 3 supplement assignments include:
Student Assessment for Quarters 2 and 3
Printing Practice worksheets (optional)
Nutrition and Friendship Activities

* PE Log - Please complete the PE Monthly Challenge Form on the backside of the PE Log.

* Work Habits Form - This form is a parent assessment of your child's work habits. As well there are areas to include scripture memory information and the contact information for your child's music or dance instructor.

Since Spring Break takes up half of the month of March, I thought that I would deter a little from my usual Journal Writing Wednesdays and make a writing suggestion that I am looking forward to doing with my own daughter once she becomes a more capable writer.:)

My suggestion is for you as a parent to write the first sentence of a story on a page in your child's journal. Then place the journal on your child's bedside table and ask him/her to continue the story with another sentence, or two, or three. When your child finishes his/her part, he/she will put the journal on your bedside table. Now it's your turn to write a few sentences of the story. Continue this process as long as there is interest. You may be surprised at the saga you and your child can write!

Happy Writing this March!

The following encouragement is some writing ideas that I recently emailed to a parent. I thought that there may be other parents who need some encouragement with their "reluctant" writers too. The following encouragement was taken from a Marilyn Hahn workshop on "Awesome Writing Strategies for the Reluctant Student". Enjoy!


P – Purpose
When was the last time we as adults wrote without a purpose? Probably when we were in school! As adults we usually write with a purpose. We write grocery lists, e-mails, journals, letters or cards, “To do” lists, reminder notes, stories or poetry if we’re feeling creative, blogs, etc. These are the reasons that Marilyn suggested why we all write:

T – to Tell something
R – to Request something
I – to Inform about something
P – to Persuade about something
E – to Explain something or to Encourage someone

All of these reasons to write require another person’s interaction.


P – People who care about kid’s writing
Find an audience. Marilyn suggests that 80% of your child’s writing should have some sort of audience – meaning that it should be sent outside of the home. Even a spelling test can have purpose if you have your child write at the top: “Dear Grandma, I’m writing this spelling test for YOU!” Then mark it, put it in an envelope, and mail it to Grandma.

When your child has an audience, editing starts to matter. Your child will want to write neatly, spell words correctly and reread and revise his/her own work.

Audiences can include: family members (make sure you train them to praise your kid’s writing and NOT point out the spelling errors) (smile), people who work in the church or the community, a friend or cousin or Sunday School teacher, the fireman, the police officer, the doctor, a favourite author or illustrator, the Prime Minister or the Queen (she always writes back!)

Use the yellow pages and let you child find people that he/she would like to write too. The people to write to are ENDLESS!

Here is the link with the queen’s address and some sample letters:
Writing to the Queen


P – Process and the Product
It is easy to get caught up in the rut of presenting children with a piece of 8 1/2” by 11” lined paper and asking them to write something. Marilyn says “Boring!”. Here are some of her ideas on how to spur writing on:

- Write on brown paper bags. Hole punch and then tie them together with a ribbon to create a paper bag book.
- Make the paper smaller. A post-it note looks a lot less intimidating than a piece of binder paper.
- For young writers use a piece of blank white paper rather than lined paper.
- Create an Author’s Gear Box - This is an investment but well worth it. Buy a compartment kit with the little drawers and shelves etc. Take your child shopping to Staples or Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store and let him/ her choose writing items to put in their Author’s Gear Box. Items may include: erasers, gel pens, colored pencils, stickers, binder rings, paper clips, paint, scissors, sticky notes, rad tacks, etc. The materials in the Author’s Gear Box are ONLY to be used when your child is writing.
- Use “Roget’s College Thesaurus” – (Grade 3 and onward) – Let your child look through the thesaurus and find words to create a really cool sentence, This can gradually increase to paragraphs and stories.
- Writing Poetry – Use “Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary” and use Shift F7 on the keyboard to provide a thesaurus. Look through old National Geographic magazines. Pull out a great picture. Have your child highlight up to 50 phrases (max. 4 words in length) in the written text about the picture. Cut the phrases out, arrange in a poetic order, glue onto the picture from the magazine – this is called a Found poem.
- Store your child’s writing in a plastic sheet protector. Immediately, the writing looks polished!


P- Passion
Capitalize on your child’s passion. Write about personal interests.


P – Partnership
This “P” is one of the most important but also one of the hardest. Marilyn suggests sitting shoulder to shoulder with your child and doing a similar writing assignment at the same time. In order to find time to do this, you can schedule “family writing time” into your week.

Copy Work: Please have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:

Let us love one another, for love is of God. ~ 1 John 4:7

Journal Idea: It is sometimes easier to love people who we know well, like our family and friends, than to love a stranger. Can you think of what you could say or do to show love to a stranger? Write a list of your ideas.

Copy Work: Please have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. ~ John 15:13

Journal Starter: I like to show my best friend love. Three ways that I do this are ...

The gray days of winter are seeming a little endless lately. I can't help but feel disappointed when I wake up in the morning and another layer of snow has blanketed the ground. I am missing afternoons at the park and the ability to send my kids outside without bulky layers of clothes. I will admit that the sun has been peeking it's rays down upon me during these past couple of days, so I am hopeful.

For some encouragement during some of your gray days, take a few moments to browse through this website called Home Hearts . When you arrive at the site, click on any of the topics of interests on the left side panel. There is much wisdom and spurring on throughout the website. May you be blessed as you visit: Home Hearts

Copy Work: Please have your child copy the following scripture into his/her journal:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ~ Matthew 22:37

Journal Starter: I show God that I love Him by ...