So WHO (ha-ha) in Western WA will be attending the WHO convention this weekend? I will be there Friday, listening to SWB and working in the WHO booth from 1:30 - 3:30. Would love to see some folks. We had talked about dinner together afterwards (though that was at the first mom's dinner a while ago) Kate in Seattle

I have two doing Running Start right now and at Highline community College 15 - 18 credits is full time. I don't understand where you are wanting to use CLEP tests? In subjects at home, outside of CC? And you would put them on a high school transcript from home. UW would not accept them but it wouldn't make a difference. Or are you talking about using CLEP tests to test out of some stuff at the CC? Then probably those credits wouldn't transfer. UW is SO picky. They give the least amount of credit for AP tests as well. When I went to college, back in the dark ages, my Seven Sisters school exempted us from a whole YEAR of class. At the UW you are lucky to get 1 quarter's worth of credits, and often you need a 4 or a 5. And, just so you know. If a student doesn't finish their AA at the community college, and goes on to a 4 year school, the additional classes taken at the 4 year school can fill in and complete the AA requirements. I know two students doing this, one at UW and one at Whitworth. Kate in Seattle

with last dd (now 10) my water broke near term. labor did not begin spontaneously within 48 hours, midwives came to home to administer antiobiotic ( i was positive for strep b?). The backup doctor said as long as nothing came into contact with my cervix (no exams, no sex, no baths) we could continue indefinitely. i was tired of only being able to sit and leak! By the third day I was considering going to hospital, just to get it over with. Fortunately, I went into labor Monday night and delivered at home, just as planned. I think traditionally many drs induce labor or do C-section within 24 to 48 hours, but this is not absolutely necessary. Kate in Seattle

A dear friend is planning a trip back East (a BIG deal for those of here in the other Washington) and wants to know is Williamsburg is 'worth it'. Any deals out there you know about? What is 'best'? What to avoid? This is her family's first trip back east. Will be staying with a cousin in the DC area for 1 week of the trip. Thanks so much! Kate in Seattle

I work at a Borders (in an airport) and started at $10.21/hur. It was bit higher than normal because I had "so much book knowledge' according to my boss. All I had done in the last 18 years was stay at home, homeschool and read! Within three months I was promoted and got a raise. And I am still home with my kids during the weekdays. But I do have full support of dh to make it work. I'm in a metropolitan area, don't know how that figures in to pay rates. Also, only need to work 32 hrs/week to be full time, health care benefits and participate in 401(k)

a variation to the salt water gargle is the one prescribed by our Health Center during my college days. Add a crushed aspirin to the 1 tsp of salt - and the water should be warm - about body temperature. Kate in Seattle where I will see you in June! at WHO

I LOVE the decade report idea and am officially stealing it as of now. Wow! great idea. Some other history things I have my rhetoric kids do in my co-op. Timelines (yes, this is a grammar level exercise but it is a good overview). They are also repsonsible for explaining the significance of the events they have chosen for their timelines. A creative project - cooking something, writing a skit, making a video. I had some great ones on the crusades last year. a Living History - have to dress as a person from the time period we are studying and speak as that person. Has to be completely memorized and in character. Fun to do if you have a group. A research paper every year. A newsletter for the six week unit (editorials, ads, letters to editors, interviews, fashion reports, they are very creative). Sometimes a nice way to pull a unit together. Maps - I use the World History rhough maps. Sometimes they have to do large poster size maps and explain them. I am going to do some required movies next year (moderns) as so many movies are part of our current culture. Any ideas on great books AFTER 1950 that are appropriate for conservative Christian co-op? Again, great idea - and now it is spread across the country! Thanks, Kate in Seattle

I have read the book many times but have never watched a movie or TV version. DD needs to watch one to write a movie review for a co-op assignment. Which one do you recommend? Thanks so much, Kate in Seattle

the baldwin project? kate in seattle

two thoughts take the compass test and see how well you score. if you can afford it, start aleks, take the placement 'quiz' and work HARD at it. Honestly, if you worked a solid hour a day at ALEKS I bet you would whiz through pre-algebra and algebra. Best to you, kate in seattle

I am delighted to 'hear' from you directly. I have been praying. Blessed Easter! kate in seattle

I am using AHAP - Johnson and Spielvogel for Year 3 with my co-op class. Don't worry about any of Western Civ being heavy on American History. The chapter on Revolutions spends 3 pages on the American Revolution and 12 pages on the French Revolution. The Civil War is covered in a paragraph (I have the 5th edition). I am alternatiing units on American and European History. The first unit we did American colonies and the first section of AHAP. Then we did the Enlightenment in Europe for the second unit. Third unit was the American Revolution. This unit the history topic was Napoleon & the Industrial Revolution and we read British Romantic Literature. Next unit the focus will be on Reaction & Revolution (& Westward Expansion) and for literature we will read Amerian Romantics & Transcendentalists. I think it works well. kate in seattle

have you been to an eagle court of honor? I could email you the general outline of what our troop does if you need ideas. I hope I am planning one in a few months! kate in seattle

My son is in the same position (actually, we are waiting to hear back from Eagle Board that his project passed) but he has turned 18 during the waiting. He told me he had to have a plain Scout shirt (no red tabs for him as he is not a Venturer) no badges, no sash with merit badges (though we could display that on the table, etc.) no 50 mile, no patrol insignia. does that jive with anything you have heard? kate in seattle

You have been given some great suggestions - also for your consideration: Faerie Queene - Spenser (at least book 1) Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Stevenson Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Joyce (or Dubliners)

I agree with Holly that all of one kind in a year might be a bit much. Also, it makes the reading very unequal. Three epics (Illiad, Odyssey, Aeneid) probably equal 20 or more plays as far as reading is concerned. I would not do poetry as a separate unit. I would read my main focus for the year (plays or novels or whatever) chronologically and then add in a few poems a week which correlate time-wise). Are you thinking "history of novel" or just "classic novel"? I would schedule the dramas (better word than play) around what you can see. So check out the schedule for ACT, Seattle Rep, SCT, Intiman, 5th Ave, Paramount, etc. and read what you can go see. Drama was meant to be SEEN and if you are going to seriously study it, you need to see it. don't forget to add in Greenstage, Wooden O and Seattle Shakespeare. I would read those plays, see them, and then watch movie versions of them. How do different directors bring out different parts of Shakespeare - great material there for essays. I would definitely add the Aeneid to your epic list. It is actually (according to my Aeneid class prof) the most quoted 'ancient' work in Medieval and Renaissance times. Because Greek was 'lost' to most of Western Civ for quite a while, the Latin Aeneid was a much more familiar work. You see it again and again - Inferno, Paradise Lost are two huge examples. Alan Rawn of the Northwest Classics Society does some UW Experiemental College classes in the epics. Those are a fun way to go through them. And the Vandiver Teaching company tapes are not-to-be-missed. Well, that is already probably more than you want to know. I always have something to say about book lists. BTW - you haven't been blogging much lately! kate in seattle

I can anser this one - it is the year I am teaching right now! (I teach a small class of 7 high school kids once a week) Over the summer - Sophie's World We incorporated most of "How to Read a Book" over the first six weeks of class. We use "A History of the American People" and Speilvogel's "Western Civ" for our history texts. Reading list: Pilgrim's Progress Mourt's Relation Life & Diary of David Brainerd Mercy of Pocahontas - John Smith a sermon by Edwards a sermon by Wesley Paradise Lost - Milton On the Social contract - Rousseau Christianity for Modern Pagans - Kreeft (a favorite) Second Treatise on Government - Locke An argument against the aboltion of christianity - swift Selected Federalist papers Declaration of Independence War for Independence - Marrin Autobiography of Ben Franklin Selected speeches of Robespierre A Tale of Two Cities Frankenstein Pride & Prejuidice Jane Eyre Oliver Twist Diary of an Early American Boy Selected essays by Emerson Selected short stories by Poe Scarlet Letter Last of the Mohicans Bartleby - Melville In addition they have read two poems each week (we meet for 30 weeks). At the beginning of the year, they had to write an explication for one poem. Now they know how to do this it has tapered off to one or two explications per six week unit. They have had other writing assignments as well as other history assignments, but that is our reading list. It looks long, but it is very doable. hope that helps, kate in seattle

Why do you participate in a co-op? outside accountablility for high school kids. encouragement and support. academic rigor. friends in like-minded families. How often does the co-op meet? once a week, on Thursdays, 8:30 - 2:30 What subjects are offered? Our co-op is based on the 4 year history/science sequence recommended by SwB. We also have an early morning elective period and an all-family (except Rhetoric kids) Bible time. Schedule looks kind of like this. 8:30 - 9:30 is early morning elective Grammar level - art/art history logic level - mapping the world by heart rhetoric - 2nd year latin These choices change from year to year. For Rhetoric students we have offered Aplogetics in Year 1, Latin for years 2 & 3 of the sequence and Understanding the Times for Year 4. We have offered IEW for younger kids and formal logic, as well. 10 - 10:45 all children & parents - Bible Rhetoric (high school kids) - Toastmasters 11:00 - 12:30 - AM session 12:30 - 1:15 - lunch 1:15 - 2:30 - PM session We meet for 5 6-week units. At the younger grades we have 3 history units (1, 3, 5) and 2 science units (units 2 & 4) Right now we are in Year 3 (Early Modern). We are in Unit 4, which is a Chemistry unit. Each mom teaches one 6 week unit at one of three levels (beginning grammar, advanced grammar or logic) We have two moms who teach Bible all year (we also go through the Bible in a 4 year rotation) And two moms who do 'hands-on' projects/re-enactments. We have two paid positions for Rhetoric. They do great books and history in the AM and have a lab science (using either ABEKA or Aplogia) in the PM. What are the biggest advantages for you? Outside accountablility for older students. Meeting with other like-minded families who are committed to classical, Christian home-schooling. What are the disadvantages? Losing one day a week. Having to work really hard on Fridays, as it is our 'monday'. After all those years of Sonlight and Friday afternoon field trips and art lessons, it is hard to change! How did your co-op get started? A group of moms who wanted more accountability for academic rigor. It had been meeting for several years before someone found WTM. This is our second time through the cycle (i.e. we have done WTM for 7 years). I started out as just a mom but am now the Rhetoric great books and history teacher. Our co-op is amazing and wonderful. The leaders pray, pray, pray and co-op runs really well. kate in seattle

A fun book to read might be "How to Read Literature like a Professor". It discusses several different aspects of literary analysis. The last chapter is a short story and you are aksed to write an analysis. Then he explains all the things in the story you should have picked up based on the knowledge gained from reading the book. This should be available used on amazon, or even at your library. kate in seattle

Next year we will be on Year 4 of the WTM cycle. I know some of you have discussed your favorite American titles lately; any suggestions for British and 'world' titles? My current list is long, but just reading the American titles showed me I had missed some great ones. Thanks for any and all suggestions. Kate in seattle who hasn't figured out a sig line

I haven't been on the boards since the change to the new format. Please know I am praying for you and Stacey. hugs and prayers, kate in seattle