Peek at our WeeK: January 9-13

Our first week back went very well! It always does though. By the time we start back after our break everyone is ready for routine, especially me! That being said, our routine was still not quit back because we had a nice little snowstorm over the weekend. My poor kids still had school while all the neighbors were off, but they said they didn't mind and understood. Not to mention the high was in the 20s, which I know is not a big deal for some of you! We, however, are not used to those temps here in the South.

Here are a few highlights of the week...

Rose (6th grade): Resurrection to Reformation Unit 19

 

 We utilize a number of other wonderful resources. This is a World History book from Usborne. We have been given so many wonderful resources between the reviews I write and the generosity of family and friends. I've bought a few, but only a very few beyond our regular curriculum. Many times we use these for research or further study of things that are interesting to the girls. Here, Rose is doing some research for one of her boxes using the book and our globe.

We finished up a short unit on fractions in Math Mammoth and this week began chapter 5 in Principals of Mathematics again. This chapter on fractions did not quite click with Rose, so we took a break from the book to study them in a different curriculum. This was exactly the right course to take. The chapter is going very well this time around!

Rose really loves the notebooking pages from Heart of Dakota. They are so very beautiful! Lots of paintings, maps, and space to write what she is learning. We use Frixion erasable pens and they write beautifully on the pages which are a little slick. Anytime she needs to draw she uses the Frixion pens for outlining and skinny sharpie markers to add color details. 

Beth (4th grade): Preparing Hearts for His Glory Unit 35

My girls love grammar! I love that they love grammar. There is so much good that comes from understanding the structure and parts of sentences. "New" research suggests there is no benefit from learning to diagram sentences. I disagree mostly because of experience. I do not claim to be a researcher or to have studied extensively, but my experience as an English teachers has shown me otherwise. I have 9 years of experience teaching 7th and 8th grade English. The students who come into my classes with a strong grammar background, including diagramming sentence, are better writers. They know not only how to form sentences, but how to add to them in a creative and correct manner. So that's my soapbox about grammar and writing! 

I feel a little teary as we end our studies in Preparing this week. It is such a rich guide, full of new things and introducing so many topics. One of my favorite things about this guide is the introduction to other religions. I know that may seem odd to some, but I love that we explored several other belief systems in a way that helped my daughter see why we believe the truth of God's Word. I do not shy away from telling my girls about these things because I want them to know it is okay to come to us and to God with questions concerning their faith. Beth accepted Christ as her Savior when she was four. There is so much growth which will happen for her as time passes and I want her to feel free to come to us with any questions she has. She will encounter other religions and we believe it is important we introduce those to her so she does not feel like we have been hiding anything from her as she grows up. 

Grace (1st grade): Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory Unit 27

 Grace told me this week she absolutely loves school! She never complains, gets excited about everything we do, and usually tries her best. Sometimes she does rush through an assignment, but that is usually because she is so excited to get to something new. If she had to pick one thing she probably doesn't love as much as others I think it would be Bible memory. She does this very well, but seems to feel it takes too long. She likes to move quickly! I am very pleased at how her understanding of the verses is growing. Where at the beginning of the guide I usually had to guide her to an understanding, she is getting it more and more all on her own. It is such a beautiful thing to see her spiritual growth through our studies!

This week we cooked cornbread for her history project. It was delicious! This was my first time cooking it from scratch, but it is a recipe we we will come back to again I'm sure. We have only seven more weeks to spend in this sweet guide. Grace is excited to move forward. I'm sad to see it pass. It is bittersweet with her each time we finish a guide because she is our youngest.

In looking ahead I am considering using a different text in both Bigger Hearts and Preparing Hearts. Some of the resources from Master Books may be a better fit for us. We do want to keep the feeling of living history though so I will see what I think as time gets closer. 

Other highlights...

Rose scored 4 points in her first basketball game with Upwards! 

Beth made a Snow Panda sculpture once it started melting enough to stick together. We don't usually get snowman or snowball making snow! 

Grace cheered in her first Upwards basketball game! She is totally in her element and I'm totally out of mine with this, but she is doing a great job and this program is very good, and probably the only cheer program that we would be comfortable with our girls participating! 

Busy week and lots more busy weeks to come this year. I'm glad it got off to a good start!