Just one more website for you to look at: http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/ If you remember the PBS show, Zoom, this site has lots of hands-on activities for kids to do. I like this site a lot, because, first of all, it's free! They also have the activities typed out on instruction sheets to be read by the student--in simple to follow directions. I used their ClubZoom info to teach a science club at my kids' school a few years ago and it was a blast!

We do just candy & a few little things (like matchbox cars or pencils). But here's a fun thing we did a few years ago: We had a huge egg hunt with the cousins. There were a total of 8 kids. SIL and I prepared an equal number of 8 colored plastic eggs w/candy and coins inside. Then each kid got a specific colored basket and was told to collect only eggs of that color. (I think we had to have a light blue and a dark blue to get to 8 colors...red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, purple, pink). It took a little of the competition out of it...which was our goal. :D Everyone was happy...and we could tailor the eggs to each person. So the toddlers got appropriate things and the olders got a few with quarters or even a dollar bill. Anyway, my kids loved it and so we've continued the color theme just for our family, too. We do hide the hard-boiled eggs we've colored (we make sure to count them...so we make sure we find them all!). We typically do the easter egg hunt the Saturday before Easter--and then focus more on Sunday the religious side of the holiday for us. Thanks for the thread...I haven't even thought about getting any candy yet! And it will be here, soon!

In random order, the things I *love* about our public charter school: --Curriculum (Saxon math, Shurley English, Core Knowledge) --Orchestra, Band, Choir starting in 5th grade --General Music class-teaching theory, note reading, singing, recorders --Art-fabulous art teacher with real instruction in art and art history that relates to each grade's history subjects (no tp tubes involved) --Classroom teacher doesn't have to teach PE, library, computers, art & music--there are specialty teachers for all of this (most public schools around here have the classroom teacher doing it...so it doesn't get done nearly as well!) --Leveled learning for math, spelling, and reading--this means each student is assessed to determine their level & then placed in small groups for instruction. Math is taught at the same time for all levels, all students rotate around to various teachers to take the appropriate class (based on level & pacing within that level) --They do computerized assessments in math, language arts, science, and reading four times a year. They use these scores to determine strengths & weaknesses of individual students and then base instruction on this. They give a lexile range of reading level for each student and then assign reading books from that range. --healthy school lunches --two or three recesses per day --Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, Science Fair --Several school-wide events that are fabulous family events (Core Knowledge Fair...each grade has displays & activities to share what they've been learning in history/science) (Science Exploration Night...a local university sets up displays within classrooms & you go around learning about magnets, weather--hands on exploration) (Art Festival...student work on display, local artists present & working on their art, opportunity to create a few works of art yourself, etc) --Field trips to worthwhile locations related to history/science topics --After-school activities--always a variety of things offered at reasonable prices (karate, fencing, science club, arts & crafts, guitar, lego robotics, etc) --School uniforms --School emphasis on character education --guest speakers & assemblies (we've had Jim Weiss, a well-known character education dude (can't remember his name, so maybe not so well-known!), our state governor, local university students, professional musicians, ...) --parent involvement is encouraged (even required!) --homework load is just right...math assignment most days, expectation to read for at least x amt of time, spelling practice, occasional projects/reports --being a member of a community...smaller school, so we know each other, teachers know siblings of students, etc. There is a great sense of belonging...it is a focus of the administration --they sing the Star Spangled Banner & say the Pledge every morning --Teachers are awesome (well, most of them...) and parents can request to have or NOT have certain ones (doesn't always work out, but they listen & do try to place your child with the teacher you request--esp when your reasons are more than social!) --Great administration--parents are involved and serve on board, principal works well with parents--listens to concerns, makes changes. Parents are involved with curriculum selection & implementation --Great families...one of the complaints many people have about charter schools is that they tend to only attract families with involved parents (because you are required to 'put in the time')--but what it means is that you have a greater percentage of families who really care about education and are fully invested in it! Okay...I think that's a pretty good list of positive things I love about our public school. Is it perfect? Nope. Are there things I'd love to see changed? Sure. I don't love the writing instruction at the school--some teachers are better than others, but I would love to see a better approach including copywork, dictation, narration, essays rather than so much creative writing and journaling. I do wish they had a better plan/program for gifted students--again, some teachers differentiate better than others, so you just have to get the right teacher and it works out okay. And I very much dislike having to keep reading logs for how many minutes my kids have to read each day. Anyhow, in a nutshell...my kids love their days at school. They have happy, kind teachers who are trying to do their best to meet their needs. They have lots of friends and enjoy being with other kids during the day. They love recess and lunch. They are learning a lot of exciting things about Greece and Astronomy. Of course, there are sometimes kids who aren't very nice, there are occasionally grumpy substitute teachers, and sometimes the lunch tastes terrible.

Wow...powerful blog and a beautiful testimony of this sweet Mama's. What a miracle.

I have read the rest of the thread, but wanted to come back to comment on your original post. First of all, we have a lot in common! I also have advanced kids who need more challenge, teachers who say they agree & want to do more, a desire to homeschool, AND a dh that is totally opposed. We tried homeschooling last year with our oldest--and it was great--but the need (dh...ds, too) to be 'normal' like everyone else won out. :glare: I am pretty happy with most of the curriculum at our younger kids' school (Saxon math, Shurley English, Core Knowledge history/science/art/literature/music) but I feel completely clueless at the junior high...seriously, the only way they want parental involvement is on the PTA...so you can bring refreshments to the dances. So...I totally get where you are coming from. And I think you are doing an awesome job! I think it's great to be so involved in the classroom (especially as it sounds like your school encourages & appreciates this) and also think it's great to be so helpful to the teachers. I can understand your frustration with being sent to the copy room or other such things, when what you'd really like to be doing is being in the classroom. Your original post asked for how others of us have handled this. I have also felt like it is better to be direct with the teachers, but haven't wanted to burn bridges or cause problems...yet, I need to get my points across & be involved. Here's what I do: I say quite directly that I want to be IN the classroom...helping in any way she needs me to...but my reason is because I want to be watching my child & her interactions wtih classmates, her work habits, her behavior, etc. (Not that we have behavior problems)....But I just approach it from a different angle--not that I want to watch the TEACHER specifically (even though I do like to see her in action, but it's not my main goal)--but that I would like to be in the classroom to observe my daughter & her interactions. I offer to take a small group aside, teach whole-class, read storytime books, grade papers, cut things out, etc. But I'm pretty direct that I'd really prefer to be in the classroom while doing these things...just to get a feel for how things are going with my child. So far my teachers have understood and love to have my help. Our school also encourages parental involvement and we are welcome to come into the classroom at any time. My reason isn't to be a 'helicopter' parent either. But there is something about being there & watching & knowing what is happening...observing as the year goes by and seeing how things work within the classroom. I personally love getting to know the other kids better, too. Now, having said that, I can't imagine being there more than one morning a week plus special events (field trips, assemblies, parties, etc)...mostly because I have a dd2 that keeps me from doing so. But if I were to spend so much time there, I'd want to get paid! (As it sounds like you are doing!)

I never give money, but if I'm just leaving the grocery store, I have given out food & water bottles before. I do want to teach my children to be generous and look for ways to help others, so we actively seek for ways to do so as a family in other ways. I live in the area where Elizabeth Smart (remember that? 7-8 years ago?) was abducted...by a guy her kind-hearted father had hired to do some work since he was homeless. It makes me less inclined to help in that type of way, that's certain. I know every situation is different...and that's what makes it difficult. I think you've just got to follow your heart. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, just get the heck away. On the other hand, if someone is truly in need, I'd think you'd sense it.

Have you had the one on the computer wear headphones? And place the computer so the others can't see the screen, perhaps?

Just the other morning, ds7 said, "I can't wait for high school science. You get to digest frogs!"

My dd10 wants so badly to have someone 'hire' her as a mother's helper. She says she's willing to do it for $2/hr. :D I think it's a great idea to have your child get familiar with a sitter, give you a little time, give her a little experience. But I don't think a young teen should expect to be paid too much for that. I also agree that after a babysitting course, the fee would go up.

What about the older Arthur books. Not the ones like the TV show but the older ones with Arthur the monkey and his sister. Sorry, the author's name is slipping my mind. But they are very sweet & remind me of the Little Bear type of books.

Most definitely bring a little potty to have in your tent with you for middle of the night potty breaks! We've gone camping with our four many times...and it is so much fun! Dirty, yes, but fun! Baby wipes are an essential thing to pack. If you have someone you can borrow a baby backpack from it would make things better for hikes & even just keeping baby occupied around the campsite. We also have borrowed one of those playpen things that opens like an octagon--a little fence thing--that we set on a big quilt near the tables & chairs for our littlest. Make sure to bring some toys that will keep baby happy. Treasure hunts are something we love to do with ours-bring a little bag to fill with pine cones, rocks, twigs, leaves, etc. As for food, our favorite thing to have is tinfoil dinners. I prepare them before we go & keep them in a cooler. Ground beef patties (or stew meat) w/seasoning, sliced potatoes, carrots, onions, with a little worcester sauce, wrapped in foil packets. Then you just put them in the coals. And nothing beats s'mores...messy, yes...but worth it! As for bedtime, we love to sing songs around the campfire until the kids are sleepy, then we snuggle in sleeping bags and read stories by flashlight.

Burned

Oh, my goodness. That was absolutely beautiful. I can hardly see through my tears. What an amazing mama and what a way with words. I cannot believe the beautiful photography on that blog. Sweet reminders to cherish the things that matter most in our lives!

Thanks for the ideas, ladies. It helps to know I'm not alone in this! Even though I don't know any of you...sometimes it just helps having someone else to think things through with you! I'm going to give up for a little while. I still don't get it, but it is just frustrating me too much to deal with it! She WANTS to wear panties, and WANTS to sit on the potty, and stays dry...but will go for hours doing the dance & not peeing on the potty. Then she'll just completely lose it when she least expects it (usually right after I've had her sitting on the potty...ugh!). She was dry this morning...she happily sat on the potty, then wanted off, put on her cute little panties, played til she started dancing, we went through the process several more times...then when she was trying to reach something up high, she just lost control & peed all over. I'm a little worried that going back to diapers is going to mess up the process for her & cause it to drag out for years & years, but it would probably be better than having a psycho mommy, right? Now I have to decide if I should just put potty/panties completely away for a few weeks and try again...or if I should have her wear diapers but keep putting her on the potty when she's been dry for awhile & hope that some day it will click. I wish there was some potty camp I could send her to! I'd pay good money for that one!

I like this a lot better than "no, thank you helping"

There is a special place in heaven for the mothers of boys!

Oooh, thanks for sharing! I'm crossing my fingers I can find those at my library...they look great! Amazon has the softcovers for $6.95, they list $24 as the library-binding edition. They also say they are for ages 9-12. ETA: Our library has them! Yeah!

My dh grew up in a family where they had "No, thank you" helpings. I didn't. In my opinion, politely saying "No, thank you" means I'd rather not have any tonight, but thank you for offering. I've never understood the idea of letting a child say that, but then making them try the food anyway. Now, having said that...I'd have no problem with the concept if it was phrased differently! So there's my probably not so helpful suggestion....call it something else! :D Maybe something positive & full of alliteration or about a favorite character...a Tiny Taste of This & That...or a Big Girl Bite of the Day...or Buzz Lightyear's Taste of the Night. I don't know. Maybe I'm just weird. I think it makes sense to put a small spoonful of a new food on a child's plate and expect them to try it and be respectful about it. I always try to have at least one or two things that I know my littler ones will eat well, so they can fill up on that. I also often prepare a plate of several fruits/vegetables and say they need to try at least two different kinds. (This way the one who hates broccoli can eat the tomato & carrot, while the one who hates tomato can eat the broccoli & pineapple). As they get older, it helps to talk about 5-a-day and have them counting them up, too. Not too long ago, when I was trying to get dd2 to try something new, I mentioned at the dinner table that I had read somewhere that it takes trying a new food ten times before someone will grow to like it. A few mintues later, ds7, says, Mom, that didn't work. He had cut his zucchini up into ten bites...eaten all ten and he still didn't like it. ;)

Okay, well at least I don't have to be nervous for you anymore tonight. :D I hope you felt things went well. And I hope you get a good night's sleep tonight!

It sounds like you're doing it just right. I agree with a pp that you will know if you are pushing...ds will let you know by his behavior & attitude. One thing to consider--especially if you get to the point where the levels you are currently teaching seem a bit easy. I've found that it is helpful to sometimes change the 'challenge focus' around a bit. In other words, sometimes my kids are at a challenging level of math, but the other areas of school are a bit easier; a few months later the grasp of the math concepts may have improved, so we can stretch & grow in another area (perhaps adding in some challenging vocabulary or grammar), so that we are not stretching and growing in ALL areas at ALL times. Does that make any sense? Also, I find enrichment to be a great way to make sure we are stretching & growing. Find an area or two that your ds is interested in--outside of academics--for him to be learning a new skill/ability. Something that he has to work at, practice frequently in order to improve, so he can see himself facing challenges & overcoming them. I think this is SO important and it is what my dc have often been missing in public school. This could be music lessons, learning to play chess, swimteam, building models, etc. Find something he can't just pick up and already be good at! You don't want to add on too much, of course, and it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to push him to be a concert pianist...he may want to change activities frequently...but I think there are many benefits to doing this.

But is the interview over? Or are you still waiting for it to happen?

What kind of curriculum guidelines are there? Are we free to supplement with our own curriculum choices within our classes? What is the school's philosophy for working with students who have disabilities or who require differentiation? (In other words, how do they 'think outside the box' if there is a need?) What requirements are there for after-school hours? Are there times that both my dh and I would need to be working? (speaking of after school hours, of course) I don't know...I haven't had an interview for almost 14 years and I can't exactly recall which position it is you are applying for. But I would agree with the suggestion to focus on questions about the teaching position and school policies & such for the first interview. Maybe a few cultural questions, but not many. You're going to do great! You've certainly got lots of cyberspace positive vibes on your side. :D Good luck!

is pushing me over the edge! I'm just wondering if any of you have had a kid who will hold it *forever* and willingly sit on the potty and stay dry...but not be able/willing/??? to pee into the potty. What happens is she holds it and does the potty dance, I tell her to take off her panties & sit on the potty, she does, sits for a few minutes but doesn't pee and then puts them back on & runs off to play. Then she continues to dance & grab herself...so we go through it all again. She obviously has to pee. We've had a few times where she just simply loses it (after trying for two hours in the manner above) all over the floor; twice now she almost made it back to the potty; once she actually did it all in the potty. Dd is 31 months. I wouldn't be pushing this at all, but the fact that she is dry quite frequently during the day, is dry when she wakes from naps, is obviously holding it for long periods of time--makes me concerned that she's going to get an infection if we don't help her figure out how to release. The other day we were out & she had on a diaper and was holding herself & dancing the pee dance...several moms around me asked if I needed to run her to the potty and looked at me like I was crazy because I wasn't doing so. I've tried sitting the potty in front of the TV, reading stories to her, giving a treat when she sits & also when she is successful, blowing on one of those pinwheels (I read somewhere that the blowing action helps you to forget about holding it in), and we just tried playing with a sponge in water. Anyways...I just feel like I'm going a little nuts. I know it's a whole process, but I just don't know what else I can try. Maybe I just need to put diapers back on her and let it go for awhile (but as she's holding it in even in the diapers, I'm not sure if that's really the problem). I just need a magic wand! Okay...so has anybody dealt with this issue? Any ideas?

We thought we had bought two female guinea pigs a few months ago. The very first time we put them down for 'floor time' there was some mighty suspicious behavior going on...and we were quite fearful that we had male & female. After close looking (Wow...it IS hard to figure out sometimes!!!), we discovered we have two male pigs. But for a few hours there we were quite worried we would be in your same shoes! Good luck with it! I've read it's kind of a dangerous thing for the mama pig, sometimes they don't make it...I hope all goes well for you! And that you can find homes for the new babies...

Eeek...that is very scary! Especially as I looked and saw you're in Utah, too! Which city was this in?