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Ms Brooks

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Everything posted by Ms Brooks

  1. When I went to Thailand 20 plus years ago. All my immunizations were up to date including polio. I also got a gamma globulin shot to boost immunities.
  2. FWIW-My oldest DD graduated from LS in 2014. She did one year of K12 online and did not learn a thing, so I switched her to LS Gifted Academy. At the time, LS science did not meet UC science requirements, so she took an in person summer biology class and the rest her science were AP with the exams. If I could afford to go all LS with my youngest DD I would, but we just don't have the money to have my youngest DD enroll full-time. Overall, LS was an excellent academic experience for my oldest DD. She went to the in person graduation ceremony and prom dance with students she met and talked with online through her LS classes. She also went on a school sponsored trip to Costa Rica as part of a student environmental summit program-A great in person experience. As a college student, she was well prepared for independent coursework. Many of her peers floundered because they did not master time management before college. For my youngest DD I am going to do a blend of individual LS classes for math and English (these classes are too impacted to get a seat at the local JC), electives through our local JC, and classes I know that I can teach well. If you have any specific questions about LS ask.
  3. I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I am also read DD's history and literature assignments so we can discuss.
  4. Top concern from a long-time homeschool mom (20+ years) homeschooling last kiddo no.4. 1. The cost of doing high school well. $$$$$ 2. Making sure DD has job skills and life skill, as well as academic skills 3. What to let go of and let DD make her own choice balanced by what to push regardless of what she might want at the time.
  5. I am a big fan of the short story, so I have many book collections aimed at the high school/ college student. Perrine's Literature Structure, Sound, and Sense eighth edition. A great selection of short stories. Bedford Introduction to Literature Reading, Thinking, and Writing seventh edition-This book has a large selection of short stories. The pages are nice. Not so thin as a Norton Reader. Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing AP edition- I am using this in 8th grade. I like the short stories, poems, and plays. I find it is well suited for an introduction to writing about literature. The selection of short stories are themed with contemporary as well as classic short stories.
  6. DD-13 just announced she wants to go for Biomedical Engineering in college. What kind of classes besides the obvious math, English, and science should I include in her 9th grade year? I am planning on doing a blend of online JC classes and individual classes from Laurel Springs. The only class I feel comfortable teaching is an AP Human Geography course. Thanks!
  7. If you are shopping for new books for the rest of the school year don't forget to check out the classified board here at The Well Trained Mind.
  8. In the north bay SF-Not only is the river cresting tomorrow at above flood stage at 39 feet, but there are mud slides too. Trees are down everywhere landing not just in roadways but on houses too. Hey, the frogs are happy!
  9. Windy, dark, and rainy. 6+ inches so far. Roads look bad. Lots of closures due to flooding.
  10. Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Moving onto something new.
  11. We live off grid, so a generator is essential to our power system. Our electrical needs are modest compared to folks in town. Our generator boosts our batteries when solar gain is nonexistent. For winter power outages you need to look at your household usage. What runs on electricity? If the power goes out, what can you live without? Maybe you want to convert your hot water to a on-demand propane hot water system. We have a propane refrigerator. Woodstove for heat? You best bet would be to get a propane generator hook-up to run your house in the event of a power outage. If you cannot afford a propane generator hook-up, then get the biggest generator you can afford. Have the forethought to buy gas, lots of gas, before a storm, and limit your generator usage since it is a direct draw of energy with no storage. Invest in candles.
  12. My suggestion is to invest in your clothes. Spend $$ on clothes that fit well, are well made, and meant to last. Many times I find high-end fashions gently worn at second hand stores are preferable to in style cheap off the rack. T-shirts are great! If you can't find pants that fit like they were made for you, wear skirts with leggings to keep warm. I like these Lands End heavy black pants. They smack of athleisure, but they're so comfortable and not too much of a " I just got out of the gym" look if you wear the right top combination. These pants wash and wear exceptionally well.
  13. DD goes to university in the UK. She applied with 10 AP exams, and her scores were all in the 4-5 range. Acceptance was swift. If I understand correctly, those AP classes are somehow equivalent to A-Level exams.
  14. Don't expect your health insurance to cover your son out of state. I found this out the hard way.
  15. On the HSC I bought last year, there is a suggested assignment for each section, e.g., "All even 1-60." Those problems are then worked out in a video via whiteboard. I've done the solution manuals for years, but in this case I think listening and watching the problems being solved is much better than going over problem sets with a solution manual.
  16. We are currently using Foerster's Algebra I with the HSC. DD reads the chapter, does even problems, and corrects with HSC. I review the corrections. If there are too many missed problems, DD reviews the video part of HSC and reworks the problems. DD find Foerster's a piece of cake compared to our slog through Singapore Dimensions Math 7A & B. The word problems are not as challenging as Singapore; however, the explanations are much better in Foerster's. DD will finishing the book this year. Problem set vary in the amount of time they take. It really depends on the material. We do math 5 days a week, one section a day plus corrections. 1-1.5 hrs a day. I found that having DD watch the corrections helped her recognizer her mistakes going forward. I think watching someone who knows how to solve a problem is much better than me trying to lamely explain why she got the problem wrong. I also create reviews pulling both odd and even problems from completed chapters.
  17. I thought further investigation into Chris McCandless's story revealed that his reliance on a botany book about the edibility of native plants was in error. The roots of a native plant he believed safe to eat were in fact poisonous. Both Into the Wild and Into Thin Air consider a kind of righteous personality that pushes boundaries with tragic consequences. Krakauer does not invite the reader to judge these people, rather he encourages the reader to examine their motivations. "Of course he died! He was a moron!" is perhaps why a young reader should wait to read these types of books.
  18. I drove 3+ hours in the rain two weeks in a row, but they are both home now. One flew in from the midwest; the other flew in from the UK. Flight delays into SFO were minor, driving to SFO was a nightmare. Now everyone is sick. :crying:
  19. Butthole Surfers-Pepper You could always plug those bands into Pandora and see what they come up with.
  20. I concur. I read this book in tandem with my 8th grade DD this past fall. I would not recommend this book for a younger child, and even in 8th grade, I did not discuss all of the deeper topics raised by this account of an accent on Mt. Everest gone wrong. Regentrude is right, this book is written for an adult/high school audience. It asks some important questions about who if anyone should be on Everest, what is left behind, and how culture is changed for this pursuit. A 6th grader might enjoy George's Secret Key to the Universe more.
  21. As an older adult athlete who came to a sport after the age of 50, I do battle with having a fixed mindset vs a growth mindset all the time. I train, i compete, and I come in last. For my age group I am very slow. It can get discouraging. Yes, there are days when I wonder why I continue with my sport, but continue I do. Every time I get in the pool I give myself a goal to work on. Can I get fast enough to be competitive? I'm not sure, but I'm working on it. I am hoping that in time I will speed up and my age group will slow down enough with age that I my times will be more competitive. At the end of this Ted Talk there is a bit on self-talk. I think this is important. Mindset is very fluid. I think a mindset is always at work whether it is a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. It is this self-talk that determines how one approaches a challenge and the motivation behind that approach.
  22. Thanks so much for sharing this video. I stopped at less than 2 min. into the video and hit pause. The cult of specialness, "I am too good to work hard," really struck a chord with me. I find that the adolescent ego has a hard time navigating between the fixed mindset of a know-it-all and a more inquisitive growth mindset. Often the adolescent mind blends the two depending on the circumstance. Deliberate practice is very challenging to both teach and learn. Unfortunately, our culture is moving toward an intolerance of mistakes/failure. Expectations are for perfection with no room for growth. To make mistakes in a math problem set lowers one's grade, but without those mistakes a student does not learn.
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