Everyone is ready for class.
We had our first day of Foundations. Ariel had started Challenge A (7th grade program) last week. I am tutoring Foundations and Challenge A Rhetoric class.
Foundations is always so much fun. It moves quickly and I have been inspired to learn the material the kids are learning. Each week we memorize information from 7 subjects, give a presentation, participate in a hands-on science experiment, review memory work from previous weeks, and enjoy lessons in a fine art.
This six weeks we are learning about drawing and the kids will end up with a booklet of their lessons and drawings. It’s a passion of mine and has inspired me to learn how to draw myself. It’s also a great way to introduce drawing and then continue it at home.
Presentations are another passion of mine. I am a singer and have performed numerous times in front of large audiences, but speaking in front of adults makes me want to faint. When I was told I had to teach how to give a presentation I fainted, ha ha, not really. But I had to immerse myself in all that was presentations and learn what I needed to convey. I, of course, have benefited from this tremendously. Not that I don’t want to faint anymore, but that I feel that I could do it if I had to. In all honesty, I’ve never had a problem giving a presentation in front of kids, but to my peers and elders, pure fright.
Well that is all for now!
~Mommy Hansen
We attended the swim team annual end of year pool party and had a great time. It so nice chatting with such friendly people and watching the kids enjoy hanging out with their friends. God has blessed us once again with a useful activity for the whole family which I will always treasure.
It was also very exciting to pick up the girls awards from finals. They had many ribbons, even more personal bests, and six medals! After seven years of being on a swim team, it is so wonderful to see their hard work pay off. We have been teaching them about hard work and learning a skill, as well as patience with others and teamwork. It is very gratifying to see their faces shine after their commitment and effort have brought them such appropriate rewards.
I pray that God will continue to give them opportunities to do something in such a great atmosphere, while building friendships, strengthening their bodies, and learning character. Praise God for giving us our minds. Praise God for my sweet, sweet children. Praise God for my husband being a great Dad and supporting them in this endeavor. Praise God.
Ariel is my oldest, my sweet pixie girl that is always leading the way for her littles. This year we reluctantly decided to enroll her in Challenge A of Classical Conversations. It is an excellent educational option which allows me to still homeschool and be her primary teacher and helper, but to have accountablity, encouragement and comradery with some peers and another adult.
Ariel will be taking Latin, Geography, Math, Language Arts (Reading & Writing), Biology, and Rhetoric (Apologetics). She will be completing a math lesson a day and practice tests, memorizing, conjugating, and declining Latin words, memorizing the map locations of the entire world including all states, provinces, their captials, etc. with a final project where they draw it free hand and label all these places. For Biology she will research a topic each week using two sources, fusing their key word outlines and writing a one paragraph report with a drawing to complete the assignment. For Language Arts 1 semester, Ariel will be reading scripture and writing kwo and reports using Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) and for 2nd semester she will read a classic book one week and a report on it the second week. Finally for Rhetoric she will read two books It Couldn’t Just Happen and Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door while answering questions and summarizing the chapters, as well as memorizing 3 catechism questions each week.
There is actually more, but they are minor details comparatively. No doubt, she will come away with an awesome 7th grade education this year. I’m so proud of her and her attitude is awesome. Excitement abounds for Ariel.
My sweet hubby posted two homemade signs this year. One reads “no whining zone” and the other reads “summer of fun 2010″. One we see as we walk in each day and the other we see posted on the inside of the front door.
They make me smile and so I think when our summer of fun is over I will replace it with a different uplifting phrase there, maybe a scripture on character.
I wonder each time I see this sign, “Has it been a summer of fun?” Is this our last summer of fun? I think yes it has and no it won’t be. We joined a new swim team, fun. We visited Kings Dominion theme park, fun. We had a picnic here for 4th of July, fun. The kids attended a drama camp at church, fun. We’ve been maintaining our home better, not “fun”, but rewarding. We played at the pool, visited some friends, went to some birthday parties, visited with family, cleaned some house, baked some bread, read some books… all fun and memorable! Great times were had and great memories were made.
Praise the Lord for the summer of fun!
