Oh, the former President of the Maine College of Art just became the president of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, maybe there are or will be similar merit aid programs there.

The difference between an art school and a university offering a degree in art B.A. or B.F.A. according to the schools we have toured seems to be that in a university the student will be taking about 50% of their coursework in art. In an art school it is generally 75%. Maine School of Art (MECA) has a merit scholarship program for between $8000 and $18000 a year for all four years that is based on academic performance in high school. Of course, the total bill is around $40,000. The University of Southern Maine has an accredited BFA and just opened a game design program which includes animation and it is not super expensive as universities go. MCAD in Minneapolis has a strong animation, graphic design, comics, game side to it. It is pretty expensive. Savannah College of Art and Design is supposed to be a leader in the animation/design area. Some of best animation and design schools are probably in Florida or California, but my child is not interested in going to either of those states so we haven't checked them out. You may also want to see if the schools your child is interested in (art school or university with an art department) is accredited. Also watch out for for profit art schools. A lot of the "Art Institutes" are for profit schools. http://www.allartschools.com/art-school-accreditation/

Number one: Encouraging a sense of wonder. Rachel Carson puts it best: "One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" I also would emphasize the experience of the beauty the world has to offer before getting into the horrors. (So beauty in elementary, early middle, problems/horrors in late middle and high school). Yes, we can turn to Rachel Carson on this one too: “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.†Again Rachel Carson: “Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life.†Number Two: Direct experience coupled with nonfiction books written by experts and with literature. So go outside and observe ants then read some of E. O. Wilson's books or articles on ants. Go to Chitradurga Fort in India; read the section in the Mahabharata about the dangerous giant Hidimbasura who, legend says, lived there and caused havoc. Observe spraying in nearby agricultural fields and read Silent Spring. Constantly discuss facts and issues with your children in a challenging way, encouraging them to hone their thoughts and not rely on sloppy thinking or pure emotion, and to look for more information in books written by experts (or by attending lectures by experts or by corresponding with experts or by listening to poets or storytellers). (You would have to specify that long distance and international travel, while great, is not a requirement or risk turning off those for whom such travel is unaffordable. Much can be done with local travel, attending festivals, and use of museums).

NPR BBC Education articles in the Washington Post Science Times section of the NY Times

E. O. Wilson, professor of biology at Harvard, has done a lot of work on the evolutionary role of tribalism. His conclusions are not accepted by the "selfish gene" tribe of biologists, but his work makes sense to me and will probably spur more research in the future. And here he is in a popular magazine: http://www.newsweek.com/biologist-eo-wilson-why-humans-ants-need-tribe-64005 His book is much clearer than this short Newsweek article. https://www.amazon.com/Social-Conquest-Earth-Edward-Wilson/dp/0871403633/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477619492&sr=1-1&keywords=the+social+conquest+of+earth

Silk long underwear would probably be most comfortable seeing that college students spend time outdoors on their way to class and then time in heated classrooms. It is also thin and more comfortable under clothes. L.L. Bean, Cabelas, and Lands' End carry silk long underwear. The pointelle style does not snag or run.

Just saw in my facebook feed that Stars Hollow is based on Washington, CT. So there you go! http://www.npr.org/2016/10/22/498745463/ahead-of-revival-gilmore-girls-fans-descend-on-the-real-stars-hollow?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2048

To understand where your dh is coming from read Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicky Robin. When you and your husband work, you and he are trading your life energy for money. The things you buy with this money should be life giving goods (food, housing, clothes, heat, etc.) or goods worth the sacrifice of your time (education, practical car, etc.). If you start to see material goods as "costing" a certain number of hours from your lives, you will begin to put a lot of them back on the shelves. E.g. $15 beeswax candles = 30 minutes of dh life energy. https://www.amazon.com/Your-Money-Life-Transforming-Relationship/dp/0143115766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476801308&sr=8-1&keywords=your+money+or+your+life For practical advice look at The Simple Dollar blog archives. Here is one of several getting started posts: Here is a good starting one: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/the-10-core-principles-of-the-simple-dollar/ Here is a link to his frugality archives: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/category/money/frugality/

Proprioceptive motor disorder? The sensors in the joints, muscles, etc. don't communicate well with the brain so there is lower awareness of where the parts of the body are relative to each other and where they are in space. Symptoms include: Sensory Seeking (pushes, writes too hard, plays rough, bangs or shakes feet while sitting, chews, bites, and likes tight clothes) Poor Motor Planning/Control & Body Awareness (difficulty going up and down stairs, bumps into people and objects frequently, difficulty riding a bike) Poor Postural Control (slumps, unable to stand on one foot, needs to rest head on desk while working)

My state, Maine, has had an influx of Somali refugees as well as refugees from other countries into the Portland and Lewiston areas. Though not everything has been completely smooth, people are especially proud of how Lewiston has modeled a successful transition for the refugees and has brought them into their community and learned from them. A lot has been written on it, but I think this simple piece about how the French speaking Somali and Congo refugees have helped revive the traditional Franco American culture of Lewiston epitomizes the kind of synergy that happens when people welcome others into their communities. I am a Mainer who would love our state to accept more refugees, especially from Syria. http://www.pressherald.com/2016/07/31/when-cultures-click-it-could-mean-a-renaissance-for-french-speaking-in-maine/

Here is another one Alice Eastwood. Flower Watching with Alice Eastwood (Children's book grades 4 to 6) https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Watching-Eastwood-Naturalists-Apprentice/dp/1575050056/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476585037&sr=1-4&keywords=alice+eastwood Alice Eastwood. Alice Eastwood's Wonderland : The Adventures of a Botanist (high school/college) Might want to get this one from a library. Rare. https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Eastwoods-Wonderland-Adventures-Botanist/dp/B0007DRV4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476585037&sr=1-1&keywords=alice+eastwood

You didn't mention the age of the daughter interested in botany. Kate Furbish (any age) There is a nine page biography of botanist Kate Furbish from Maine in this book. You can read almost all (minus two pages) in the Amazon "look inside" feature. Her botanical illustrations have just been published in a $350 folio. The originals are in the Bowdoin library. https://www.amazon.com/Maines-Remarkable-Women-Daughters-American/dp/1493023225/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476582413&sr=1-6&keywords=kate+furbish#reader_1493023225 Asa Gray (high school/college reading level) Asa Gray American Botanist https://www.amazon.com/Asa-Gray-American-Botanist-Friend/dp/0801837413/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476583317&sr=8-1&keywords=Asa+Gray Alexander von Humboldt (high school/college reading level) The Invention of Nature Alexander Humboldt's New World https://www.amazon.com/Invention-Nature-Alexander-Humboldts-World/dp/0345806298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476583499&sr=8-1&keywords=alexander+von+humboldt+biography Robin Wall Kimmerer. Gathering Moss (not a biography. nonfiction about moss). Braiding Sweetgrass. (not a biography but personal essays, high school/college) Kimmerer is currently teaching at SUNY ESF and kindly responded to an email I wrote her. Perhaps your daughter would like to ask her some questions. Professors email addresses are usually available on the university website. Kimmerer has the interesting perspective of blending science and Native American wisdom. https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Moss-Natural-Cultural-History/dp/0870714996/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476584959&sr=1-1&keywords=gathering+moss https://www.amazon.com/Braiding-Sweetgrass-Indigenous-Scientific-Knowledge/dp/1571313567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476584313&sr=1-1&keywords=braiding+sweetgrass

We were just there for our second honeymoon in August. It is very easy to drive in Quebec City. I am from rural Maine and did not freak out (which is big, I always freak out in driving in Boston and NY). But the old city and adjacent areas are completely walkable unless you are differently abled. If your hotel is in the old city or just above, you don't need your car. If you are driving in, there are parking areas near the river and the old city. The one we used was a reasonable price per hour. The only thing I didn't expect was that there is a bus lane on the right of some streets that is for buses only at some times of the day. So if you are making a right turn, you cannot travel in the right lane; you have to wait until you are very close to the turn to move to the farthest right lane. The other thing was that there seemed to be a greater number of speed cameras and red light cameras than I have every seen. And let me tell you, they will send the speeding ticket to you in the US (hubby was driving, just so you know). As you know from Chicago, snow or freezing rain would be a serious driving hazard during your trip.

Mothing is super easy. The insects come to you. Just about zero work. Mothing is a really fun and easy way to see hundreds of beautiful insect species in your backyard. Leave on your incandescent or florescent outdoor lights (anti bug bulbs, and LEDs don't work for this) to draw in moths and other insects. If you'd like, replace one outdoor bulb with a UV blacklight bulb and you will attract even more moths. You and your child can step outside, observe, take photos (the photos capture the detail of the unbelievable color and patterns many moths display), go back inside to identify or do other things, and go back out again in twenty minutes or an hour and find a whole new set of moths (during the height of the season). The species that visit your lights change over the seasons as well so check your lights throughout the year. Of course there will be fewer in the colder months. Some moths tend to fly after midnight, but many come around right after dusk. Other insects I have seen at my lights include: scorpionflies, caddisflies, fishflies, dobsonflies, June bugs, praying mantis, etc. I have also attracted toads, which are not at all insects, but do love the well lit dining table I set. Now, do turn your lights off after you are done moth watching, so they can get on with the business feeding and of making new moths. A good entry level book is John Himmelman's DIscovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Backyard https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Moths-Nighttime-Jewels-Backyard-ebook/dp/0892725281/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475512413&sr=8-1&keywords=john+himmelman%27s+moths If you get really into mothing, you can set up a white sheet illuminated by a black light and/or paint trees with moth bait, but I have attracted over 200 species of moths and 30 species of other insects without this effort using only my porch light. Planting bee balm in your garden will attract day flying moths (as well as bees, butterflies, and more). Also, if you get really into mothing, the slightly expensive but excellent Peterson's Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America is the best print reference. https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Northeastern-America-Guides/dp/0547238487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475512583&sr=8-1&keywords=peterson%27s+moths

I had two gifted preschoolers (one is now 16 and the other 11). Both, with minimal phonics instruction (games with letter sounds), taught themselves to read by three. (I continued phonics and spelling rule instruction through spelling curricula up until middle school. All About Spelling, Logic of English Foundations, and the Writing Road to Reading are three good choices for this.). My kids had access to many books our home library and from the public library, and I continued to read aloud to them both through middle school. (See The Read Aloud Revival podcasts (fyi: they have a small amount of religious content) for more info on the importance of read alouds. Scroll down and start with podcast #1. http://amongstlovelythings.com/read-aloud-revival-the-podcast/ ). They also played daily with blocks, Legos, art supplies, and engaged in imaginative play. However, the part I considered "homeschooling" was a intentional effort to learn about the world firsthand. We spent hours at the pond, in the field, in the woods and saw and learned the names of hundreds of plants, insects, animals, and fungi. We went to art museums, history museums, transportation museums, zoos, train museums, science museums, etc. and saw and engaged with hundreds of machines and artifacts and scientific concepts. We went to local events such as raptor shows, archeological shows, rock and gem shows, quilt shows, Native American pow wows, and agricultural fairs. In this way, they were exposed to an enormous amount of background information that the typical child in brick and mortar preschool rarely encounters (see current thread on this forum about the new preschool teacher who was told "weather" was too abstract a concept for five year olds. That made me choke.) We were once complimented by a teacher that saw us playing in a waterfall on the Appalachian Trail. She told us we were great parents. That her second graders were having a hard time with their reading and it was because they had almost no life experiences outside the walls of day care or school. Even though there was a thirty foot waterfall in their town, a five minute walk from the road, none of them had visited it, and if they encountered the word waterfall in their reading, they would have no reference for it, and their understanding would never be as good as our kids' who felt the spray, heard the crashing water, dropped sticks in from the top and saw them hit the weathered rocks at the bottom. My kids were able to hold paleoindian projectile points in their hands and try their hand at knapping their own from a flint form because we attended a local educational event held by our county archeological society. The kids in the local school were denied the opportunity to see the huge collection of Paleoindian artifacts a local farmer had collected from his fields (and had shared with the school children in previous years) when the new principal declared that arrowheads and spear points were not of interest to modern children and "the past" was too complex for a child that age to understand. Um no. So use your neighborhood, your local museums, arboretums, nature centers, interesting events, interesting people, use them all to teach your gifted child directly about the world nearby, faraway, long ago, now, and in the future. This is the meat of an advanced education. Experiencing of the wonders and beauty of nature and human creativity will endow your child with the knowledge to make connections, draw inspiration, and understand more of the written word than any worksheet or curriculum ever will. p.s. My hyphen key is no longer working. Sorry!

I hate gift cards. Millions of pounds of plastic dumped in the landfill or burned in incinerators each year for a transaction that takes moments to make? These things are layered with different types of plastics very difficult to recycle and not accepted by most recycling companies. I believe you can (inconveniently) mail them to a company that makes them into hotel key cards or something. Paper checks or electronic deposits are much preferred by this family. So the OP can add an environmental reason to her other legitimate complaints when she talks to the billing office.

Score for Charlotte Mason: 15 Score for Classical Education: 20 Score for Montessori Education: 3 Score for Project-Based Learning: -9 Score for Reggio-Inspired:5 Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 2 Score for Traditional Education: -17 Score for Unit Studies Approach: 8 Score for Unschooling Approach: 6 Score for Waldorf Education: 8 The two top ones seem right since I used classical and CM methods when I was homeschooling and the very bottom one (traditional education) is definitely my least favorite, but I found myself answering neutrally to an awful lot of questions because I would have had to qualify them to answer in any other way. I have no idea what questions why Waldorf or unit studies came out so high since I do not use any elements of either (unless perhaps it was a focus on nature that tipped toward Waldorf, but there is no way to differentiate between Waldorf and CM nature which are very different ). Some of the questions were repetitive and I found myself thinking that the repeats were wasted opportunities for getting at more subtle differences between philosophies. Other questions had so many elements that I couldn't answer because I agreed with one or two of the things listed but not all.

I know a Violet Ariadne!

I am watching Gilmore Girls with my daughter. What keeps coming to mind is how Stars Hollow reminds me of Cicely, Alaska in Northern Exposure as each town has its own personality and the characters peopling the town are unique and humorous. Taylor in Stars Hollow is Maurice in Cicely, Luke is Holling, Lorelai is Maggie, Kirk is (a much less sophisticated version of) Ed. The one big difference is that there is no mother daughter duo in Cicely which I think is my daughter's favorite part of Gilmore Girls.

Janeway. Not cheap, but no religious instruction: Audubon http://hogisland.audubon.org/family-camp-name-change

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Staples has a line of nicely smooth paper notebooks. They are spiral bound and hardcover. The logo looks like a convoluted M in a circle and underneath it says by Staples: Notebook. Premium heavyweight paper. On the website they are called Staples Business Notebooks. http://www.staples.com/M-by-Staples-Business-Notebooks-Coilbound-8-1-2-x-11/product_803211?externalize=certona

Here is one example of a workbook that would include the types of questions frequently asked on these tests. This one is for 4th grade, but I am sure with a little research you could find ones for 2nd and 3rd grades. However, remember that the most important thing you can do for your children's language arts is to read aloud to them (slightly above their grade level) every night. This will have results far more important than an inference workbook ever will.

There are several things in the language arts testing (like the STAR) frequently used by public schools that are very different than a homeschool currculum. They do A LOT of testing on making inferences and they do vast amounts of "find the supporting evidence in the text" for assertions made in the questions. Stuff that is totally developmentally inappropriate in early elementary, but its there in the tests! I know there are workbooks on inferences. I have no idea if there are workbooks on supporting evidence. You may be able to find sample questions online for the test your child is taking.

I have read this article twice and come away with the most bizarre split personality feeling each time. I completely agree with what the author says (especially the importance of her cross cultural examples and especially her evisceration of the "science" of standardized education as well as the morality of subjecting individuals to such a process) except for her virulent anti phonics stance. It is almost a refutation of her own argument... children learn from parents/community, by example, through experimentation, at different times, in different ways EXCEPT never by phonics! Some kids do need this spelled out to them and to keep this information from them is antithetical to the premise that children learn in different ways (plus B does not say "buh" and D does not say "duh" or we would play buhall and walk the duhog). Sure they shouldn't be drilled and tested endlessly on phonics concepts , but phonics and spelling rules should be made known to them in case their reading would benefit from it. So I loved, loved, loved 90 percent of it and was like "um... personal blindspot maybe?" about the other 10 percent. I believe that American public schools are headed down a dangerous and soul crushing path of homogeneous instruction and inflexible testing regimes and I simultaneously believe that a five to ten minute phonics lesson each day for a year or two or including phonics in spelling is not going to crush anyone's passion for reading. Now, endless worksheet after worksheet and testing to make sure all kids are up to Year 2 Month 3 in phonics precisely at Year 2 Month 3 is nuts and maybe that is what she is talking about.