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Imprimis

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Posts posted by Imprimis

  1.  

    Open question to all: the crowds are exactly the same the last week of March/first week of April, right?

     

    March and April are typically busy months for Florida theme parks, but because Easter fall so late this year (April 24), the last two weeks of April will most likely be the most crowded.

     

    If possible, stay onsite to make the most of your visit. At Universal Florida, guests of their 3 onsite hotels----Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific---get front of the line access for most attractions in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (not Forbidden Journey and The Hollywood Rip Ride Rock-it). I can't tell you how much time this saves. For us, it was invaluable. You also get early entry into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

     

    If you don't stay onsite, getting to the parks very early, even before they open, is a good idea.

     

    Of course, the Wizarding World is one of the busiest areas of Islands of Adventures---but, when we were there last month, we were able to get on The Forbidden Journey with very little wait after 5pm--it was not like that last summer when we were there---the exceptional crowds were there from open to close.

     

    A small tip if you want to get into Olivander's Wand Shop , which is VERY tiny and always has a crazy-long line just to get in---enter through the back door.

     

    None of us tried the Pumpkin juice, but we all loved the Butterbeer, and my 15 yo loved the Pear Cider.

  2. Please, please, do not miss Forbidden Journey (the attraction inside Hogwart's Castle). It is the most amazing ride/attraction I've ever experienced. Not only because of the theming, but it uses technology never used before and it is flat-out spectacular!

     

    If you don't want to ride, you still should not miss the queue, which wends its way through the grounds, conservatory, and castle. It is an attraction in its own right. Exquisite attention to details. You will feel as if you are at Hogwarts :001_smile:.

     

    Have fun!

  3. When I was coaching, I appreciated the lists. We all know the spellers can be given any word in the dictionary but nobody can master that- so the Spell It list was a great place to start. And it was more than just memorizing- the kids expanded their vocabularies and learned a lot about other languages.

    After all this study, many kids can work through lots of words they've never heard or seen.

     

     

     

    The Spell It! list is a great place to start---actually, I'd say it's more than necessary to know the Spell It! words if a speller makes it to a regional/district bee.

     

    But the mistake I've seen some kids make, is attempting to only memorize the spelling of the words on the list, rather than learning the definitions, the correct pronunciations and the patterns unique to certain language origins that can help them spell not only the list words, but off-list words, as well.

     

    Over the years I've watched good spellers go out on the Spell It! words "zwinger," "Wagnerian," and "vorlage," in the regional bees because they didn't recognize the words when they were pronunced, as they don't look like they sound :001_smile: Had they known the definitions they may have been able to recall them, even if the pronunciations threw them.

     

    By taking the time to learn what the words mean, making note of the spelling patterns, and, perhaps learning some Greek and Latin roots, not only will spellers get more out of their bee participation, they will (more importantly!) increase their language skills.

  4. Off list words do often seem easier- but for most kids, they are actually more difficult because they haven't been studied. Our local bees use Spell It words and usually a couple have worked hard enough to master that list. Then if they go off list, those kids miss what seems like an easy word- it's because it hasn't been drilled.

     

    Yes. If you're in a highly competitive region, the student will not be able to win by memorizing the Spell-It! list.

     

    It's necessary to be able to put (sometimes unfamiliar) words together by using deductive reasoning with the help of language origin clues and word patterns.

     

    In addition to being well-read, it's helpful to be as familiar as possible with spelling patterns for various sounds.

  5. I completed the George W. Bush memoir Decision Points, which I found candid and interesting. His sense of humor shone through nicely.

     

    I also finished The Last Station by Jay Parini--- historical fiction about Leo Tolstoy's last year of life. Parini based the book on diaries and writings of those living with or employed by Tolstoy during his last years: his wife, daughter, personal physician, secretary, etc. I thought it was very well done.

  6. So far the university is backing up the idiot.

     

    I agree. If they had fired him for gross inappropriate conduct (if ever a term applied to a situation - this is it), then I would be less harsh in my opinion of the school/department.

     

    Ok, call me naive (maybe even really naive ;)), but, how is this type of "demonstration" even legal in this setting?

     

    What if there were students there under 18?

  7. IMO Fall of Giants was nowhere near as good as Pillars. I think because the era is so familiar I the characters seemed more like cartoonish archetypes than people. I loved Pillars, and I'd recommend Fall (for all it's faults it's a breazy nice read), but the books don't compare, sadly.

     

    Thank you---

     

    I loved the epic feel of Pillars and World Without End was hoping Fall of Giants would be just as engrossing.

  8. No.

     

    While we could afford private schools, I would not consider them unless I was unable to continue homeschooling for some reason.

     

    For me, it's not just academics, it's the fact that I genuinely LOVE having my kids around me. I love teaching them, learning along with them, and instilling a love for learning in them.

     

    The flexibility homeschooling affords us is another plus; we tend to be a bit impulsive at times, and like to load up the kids and take off for a few days to get away :001_smile:

     

    All that aside, I am very focused on academics. It's extremely important to me that my children are fully prepared for college and I strive to give them a first-rate education.

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