mommy4ever
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Posts posted by mommy4ever
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Here is a 2nd option, which means no extra furniture, just re-using what we have, but getting another office chair or 2.
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We are using the dining room. We eat in the kitchen.
The area has 2 walls, meaning 2 sides of the space are open to the kitchen nook and the living room.
Here is the current lay out (this is accurate to scale):
The one marked school desk is really a school desk, seat and table top. She usually drags a kitchen chair over to hold her reference books. It's a little small, plus it's really slanted so everything slides off.
I only have 1 wall I could put posters up, or a white board, but it is behind the desk which is 3 feet deep, so it's not practical, so i'm trying to pull away from the wall. The table holds 2 netbooks and a desktop. The desktop is being replaced with a laptop in the next few months :)
So... I was looking and found some laptop desks for a great price at Ikea. Nothing fancy. Just simple desks, Surface being 28 x 20. DD11 only works with us if she is doing research online, otherwise she uses the word processor sans internet in her workspace in her room. DD7, stays down here all the time.
This is what I was thinking:
This keeps us by natural light, and keeps the wall available to use. Once we are done with the desktop, we only need 1 power bar there for the computers, so not a big deal. It would keep my file cabinet(which is deep under the table now) to house the printer. Backing that would be dd7 cart for her workboxes.
I'm drawing blanks at how else to arrange it.
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What about the Fablehaven trilogy? We haven't started it yet, as dd7 took it upon herself to start reading other chapter books.... :001_huh: I'm so pleased..lol
Fablehaven is reviewed to be the 'Harry Potter' for the younger kids. Website is: http://kids.simonandschuster.com
Here is what the back cover says:
"For centuries mystical creatures were gathered into a hiding refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary is on of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely! Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite....
Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother must face the greatest challenge of their lives to save their family, Fablehaven and perhaps even the world."
It came highly recommended. So we are starting it soon!
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I didn't know there was that recommendation..lol
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We printed a sample of the LA. DD7 did 1 lesson in about 25 minutes. The second lesson was about 15. I have NO idea what booklet it would have been, there was some new things for her. She loved it. Especially the little bible stories that were used for it.
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It is based on the provincial curriculum, the topics that must be covered in a class room that unfortunately, have over 30 students, so there's a lot of time wasted. There is busy work too. But she put in some long hours. We were told that she may be able to move forward.
She did work through the holidays, and did a ton after supper, plus work during the day. I did tell her no free time until 2:30, since she'd wasted so much time. So she sucked it up and did it.
It was challenging initially. She learned about reading non fiction and making notes, a totally foreign concept. She learned about essay writing and a few other things that she didn't want to. Science wasn't much challenge, it was just doing it, the experiments. She just really applied herself, hard. She did leave the other things to the side though. No art, no fun stuff, just the core, and got it done.
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I have posted about the battles with dd11. In December we had the be all end all of a battle. I found out that she was ignoring, essentially everything but math, so I laid down the law. We sat down laid out all the curriculum to be sure she finished it. We use a sort of virtual school, I wasn't tracking, and the school hadn't had any concerns.... so lesson learned.
WELL, she decided she'd rather work in the evening than watch tv.
Currently she has completed LA, her health, and is nearly done science(2 or 3 days) and her Social(about 5 or 6 days). That will leave math, bible, art and french!
I'm SO proud of her. Not only did she focus and get it done, she hasn't had anything graded lower than an 85%! So she is putting in a good effort as well.
So I have conferenced with dh, the school facilitator and she's starting some of her grade 7 courses! We will be working on Humanities(combo LA and SOcial) and health. I don't want to over do it for her. But this will give her a nice head start to next year.
Considering where we were 8 weeks ago! I'm so thrilled! Now I don't expect that this will be the pace always, but she did it! She's beyond caught up, she's nearly done!
For the record, our school year runs to the end of June, so there is no way she can do nothing for 4 months.
I'm very please.....:thumbup::thumbup:
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Really? You ask your dh to intimidate other women for you?
I don't understand why you wouldn't just use the above script (which is very good) and deal with the problem yourself.
I'm 5 foot 2, sound like I'm 13, I'm always asked if my mom or dad is home. It's hard to be taken seriously. Since there have been previous issues here, it's time for some one else to step in. Dad is the next step
Since she is dealing inappropriately with his daughter, what difference does it make? Can't he stand up for his child?
I've dealt with women like this and they have gotten physical with me. So dh, is very calm and just talks to them. We are both the parents of our kids. If I can't get through, he tries. I don't send him in to intimidate, he comes in to co-parent. There's a difference...HUGE difference.
He gets their attention,
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This is where I get dh to step in. :lol:
He is an imposing figure when it comes to his kids.
He'd be very politically correct stating, it's been brought to his attention, by a few trusted family friends, that her 'dealings' have become inappropriate bordering verbal and physical abuse, whether these allegations are false or not, let it be known that we will not allow it to progress or continue. These 'dealings' with HIS daughter end here and now, and she should be sure nothing she does can be misinterpreted. She is not to yell, scold or otherwise 'correct' his child, that if she is having a problem with HIS daughter, it's to be brought to HIS attention of that of her mother.
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Oh!! I really like this idea!! Thank you. :)
Generally it works for most kids..lol. If something of more value is waiting, what ever they don't get to do, doesn't mean much anymore.
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I do hope so, too. She started karate, and we're seeing some positive changes in her confidence levels for her sports, so we're hoping it carries over to other parts of her life too.
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Could you have a special activity planned for after swimming? Something at home, something he would love to do? Something to ease that transition. If he's looking forward to that, not doing the gym might not seem like much after all.
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Since the gym part of it is a problem, for the remainder of the session, could he do swim lessons only? He'd still get part of interaction with out the 'drama fest'.
Whether is Aspergers or not, he does have sensory issues, as you said. You have to consider this in the activities you chose. It's not good for him to be hurting himself during a meltdown(I have one who does this too) because he's been tagged in a game. As a mom, it must be heartbreaking to watch.
Once you do find out what is happening, you should be able to get guidance towards suitable activities.
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Last March, I pulled my then 6 and 11 yo from school. This fall my 13 yo came home.
The 6 yo had to start from the beginning as she had been lost in the crowd in the classroom. She was shy, didn't make any disruption, and was left on her own, meaning she was ignored. Between April and summer she had covered enough ground to nearly complete 1st grade, we were fine. Now, it's mid February, she is nearing completion of grade 2, early. This is such a relief, considering where she was less than a year ago. I'd have thought she'd miss being with kids from school, but she doesn't. She is such a champ! She plays more than she ever did before, mostly on her own. Her imagination has grown and is sharp. She is involved in various group activities through the week for 1 to 2 hours at a time, and it's enough for her.
The 11yo took a little while, but knew she didn't want to go back to school. She'd been abused by bullies, and the teachers never intervened on her part. As a result, one was written up on her permanent record, it was THAT bad. So much for zero tolerance.
There are times she figures homeschooling is an extended break and we butt heads. But she is nearly completion of her grade 6 curriculum, probably in the next 6 weeks! She doesn't miss the class room, or the kids. Her perspective may be skewed from the norm as she was horribly bullied, so why would she miss it? I know she is healing and safe, here with me.
DD13 became a little jealous of the younger ones being home and decided to homeschool this year. She has done fantastic! However, even with the activities, she is lonesome for people. She loves to be surrounded by her peers. She has decided she wants to return to school in the fall. Which is fine with me.
So it's been interesting, 3 kids same family, really 3 different outcomes. One is natural to homeschool, but she'd only done 18 months of school, counting K. (Which was phenomenal with the teacher she had, he taught much in the manner that most homeschool. Many child led activities. Things often went off on tangents because of interest ). She is engaging with all ages in workshops and she does well by herself.
DD11 is doing good, and enjoys working in solitude. Doesn't quite take to everything, but is getting there, it's only been 10 months. She gets enough of people in her extracurricular activities, and sometimes finds it to be too much(being with the same group 2x a week for 6 months), still not trusting being in a large group.. I am thinking she should consider working with animals..lol. Yet the eldest really misses the hustle and bustle of a classroom, even when it's beyond distracting.
Even with one returning to school, it hasn't been an unsuccessful year! It's the highest grades dd13 has had! My 11 yo is gaining self confidence and doing extremely well(and that is no exaggeration) academically. The little one, well, she's my little champ. She went from a non reader, to reading chapter books in 10 months. YUP, chapter books. She enjoys most things schooly, and works well with me, we are a good team. We do have a reward system in place for her to keep her motivated. It's a wonder what $2 and a trip to the dollar store does..lol.. and I get 2 weeks good effort for that $2.
It's been an interesting journey so far. I'm very thankful for the school board we're with now. Our facilitator has been very gentle and considerate with the 11 yo, slowly gaining her trust, as she had NONE for teachers at all.
I'm already planning next year! But with only 2. But it's all good
They are the ones who need to be with me the most. Who knows, after a couple weeks in school, dd13 might be home again.( a mom can always hope..lol) -
This is what our local coop does(i'm not in it this year, found out too late):
Language:
- German
- French
- Spanish
Physical Education,
Performing Arts
Art
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For phys ed, I would suggest reaching out to your local colleges and universities as well as sport organizations will do outreach. Many will organize a sport day. Our ladies ringette team brought out rings and sticks and introduce the kids to the sport, then left the gear for a few weeks so the kids could get into it. Another organized floor hockey. I could see baseball, soccer, basketball organizations that want to grow, possibly coming in to do the same.
I'd also look at doing science :) We had a science olympics here for a workshop and there were tons. I'd look to see what the state/province requirements are for science, and build a program from that. As we all see here on the boards, science is hard to do at home. Or we don't like it(my case), so a co-op that would do those things would be beneficial and fun for the kids.
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The FAQ state that the shipment comes directly from Rod & Staff, the prices are US. It includes customs in the price, and is shipped UPS.
So they are simply a middle man, they don't carry any stock.
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Beautiful! I need to do something with our jumbled mess....
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I'm planning on making some sheets up for the next book(3). She does fantastic overall. And a lesson doesn't take that long. But I want to toss in some memory practice, a couple challenge words too. Stretch her. It seems nothing is every that challenging..lol. She gets the concepts, but sometimes forgets the rules.
So it would be more a rule review as we go, than doing spelling by worksheet.
Does anyone remember when spelling transfers over into their writing? She gets her spelling right, no problem, but write a sentence it's littered with spelling errors. I remember her saying this is a normal stage, nothing abnormal about it. How do you deal with it?
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Mr. Young premier's March 1 on YTV. It is about a prodigy student that teaches high school at the ripe old age of 15. The actor who plays Mr. Young is in RL is 17(or soon to be) and has been homeschooled his whole life :) The irony behind the casting.
He's a local boy for us. My kids are looking forward, the writers are the same as those for Suite Life on Deck, so it should be good :)
Just a young success story I thought I'd share! I'm not sure him mama is on the WTM boards or not.
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DD is working with Tesselations, and rotations, and I"m clueless on it. THe notes we have make my eyes cross.
I need a better way to show her than the notes we were given.
HELP!!
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Around here, people are asking new prices for old ones.It's insane.
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I've read various posts here. I've had a little envy of the iphones etc. But I can not justify paying for the data plan.
However, I was wondering, would the ipod touch be able to do some of those things?
We have a crazy schedule, I'd love to have it on hand all the time. Can you sync it from the computer?
What are some of the practical apps out there, I'm not into games. I used to have a pda, and loved that, but it kept crashing.
Convince me why it's a great thing? We don't have wifi readily available when out an about, so I'm not sure how practical it will be. Do the apps work without internet? IF it's completely tied to being online... well then it just wouldn't be worth it...
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I want to record some things for dd7. She is learning french, and she has her dictionary, and some easy books, I'd like to record myself reading these for her. This way she can 'study' independently at times.
How do I go about doing this? Our net books have netcam, so they have recording capabilities. Do I need anything else?
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I have been struggling with this all year. We just started again. It's going well. I started looking through the resources I had... and found that I had and a couple that are coming to be enough to do a really good job.
These suggestions wouldn't work for some one who isn't french speaking as a parent, but for a french speaking. Some of this could carry over to other languages.
With any language, you start with certain basics. Alphabet, numbers, various basic words.
This can be done by making little booklets.
I have a booklet that has a coloring picture of a witch(done at Hallowe'en).
I'll translate for simplicity.
Page 1: The witch
Page 2: This is a witch.
Page 3: This is a witch. She has a black hat.
Page 4:
This is a witch. She has a black hat. She has green eyes.
Page 5: This is a witch. She has a black hat. She has green eyes. She has a yellow broom.
etc. It's 23 pages. On each page, I had dd color what was described. So the last page has a fully colored witch. This could be used with any coloring page that has enough detail to introduce more concepts.
Reading, just like for LA, read read read! I am looking for free e-books in french there HAS to be some out there, in the mean time, the library is good. We do have a french bookstore locally too.
Build vocabulary flash cards. There's enough google images to create ANY amount of vocabulary.
Phonogram flash cards. I have oodles of these. From the blends of o: o, au, aux, eaux. To simpler bi, ci, di, fi, gi, etc.
I have purchased some resources. I have the Junior Easy French, I'm not too thrilled with it, but it adds coloring pages, phonograms, cd. I have a couple higher levels for my older kids, as well, I'll not be purchasing for them again, I don't care for it.
I have a French song CD that dd teacher in K made for them, it is all the kids singing and he includes all the lyrics(even sheet music for his original compositions). I try to get CD's and DVD from the library as well.
One resource I've never seen mentioned here is L'envolee. This is created in Ontario Canada. I have the complete set for grade 1/2 and 4/5, it was $60. It has Vocabulary(activities) , oral activities, grammar, Vocabulary(pictorial dictionary reference, almost), reading, and writing. These are reproducible, so you can copy as much as you like for the kids. There are no lesson plans, so you need to look ahead to see what pages match from other areas. But it isn't hard. They do include answer keys as well. There are no cd's with this. The site does have other resources, but I can't speak about those, we haven't used them.
Also, consider looking to see if the DVD favorites you have can be viewed in French! They already know the story, so it immerses them in the language too.
There truly isn't alot out there but I have been putting it together, and dd7 is close to being able to carrying a basic conversation in french, by playing with things. She loves the booklets I create as I can totally tailor it to her interests.
Help me with my school area?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I agree! I think that is what I'll try out. It'll be hard with the desktop at the moment, with all the cables. But I can make it work. It would mean that much more saved toward the laptop..lol. Which means WAY less cables then.
I'm going to play with it today. Gives me an excuse to clean ;)
I never thought of having it double as another table. Once it's all laptop/netbook, it'll be really easy to toss a table cloth on it and have alot of extra seating! THANKS!