Avoiding trouble talk for Youth

Preteen and teen youth learn about what happened to Trayvon Martin, and how to avoid inadvertently getting into these (and other legal situations).  

Haley asked the criminal defense attorneys that came to talk to the children about "being smart and avoiding trouble" some EXCELLENT questions:

"So, what if I'm WITH someone who is smoking weed and I breathe the smoke, can that affect me? And if it is found to be in my system, how can I let the judge know that I didn't actually smoke the weed myself?" - Haley age 11

Did you know...that if a 13 year-old takes naked photos of herself and texts them to her 13 year old boyfriend...they both COULD be charged felony child porn charges if...say a school teacher confiscates the phone and happens to see the photos? And felony child porn conviction = registered sex offender for 10 years for a child under 17!! Who knew...

Visiting the Pumpkin Patch at the Arboretum

Little projects

By Haley

By Hana

Homeschool study day - at her desk

Little plant and soap sculpture

Ian made a botanic environment.

Hana carved a fish in a bar of soap.  So creative.

Quizlet

We discovered Quizlet.  Wonderful homeschool tool!!
We are using it for Spanish, and Life Science review.

Field Trip: Henrietta Creek Orchard

Thoroughly enjoyed our field trip to Henrietta Creek Orchard where the children learned about farming, making clothing from cotton (from the plant, to making thread, cloth, etc).  Bees, pollination, farming, and homesteading were the cornerstones of this experience.  

Teen leadership conference and JIGGY youth project - with Jack and Jill

The children attended the Jack and Jill conference at the University of North Texas Dallas.  There they learned about healthy living, exercise (although Ian had to sit it out since he has been having right hip pain thought to be transient synovitis*) and peer interaction.

*Ian had to put martial arts, horseback-riding, and afterschool PE on hold until he's all healed.  

Hana switches to homeschool and Hybrid School

Hana starts Hybrid School and SO happy to be with her siblings!!  She was happy to go to Public School, and we were excited to give her the opportunity that was afforded to Ian and Haley.  But after further consideration, it just makes more sense to have them all together.  And I underestimated how much "easier" and more "excited" she'd be to be with her sister and brother.  And they with her!!

Hana is eager to do her "at home" work and is diligent and agreeable!!  

UPDATES:
Haley is in a routine, completing her 5 classes (History, Language Arts, Pre-Algebra, Life Science, and Spanish) in addition to maintaining her piano instruction and harp lessons.  Because of the intensity of the courses (she's learning about protein synthesis in LS, and distance algebraic word problems in math...) we have not yet started Latin or Vocabulary study.

Ian had to take a pause on physical activity because while we were in Washington DC he started limping. And upon follow-up with pediatric orthopedic surgeon, it was recommended that he rest his leg/hip.  So no more martial arts, horseback riding, or afterschool PE.  But he is starting harmonica lessons this week!!

Hana continues to do gymnastics, now 2 times a week for 90 minutes.  And, for now, (with kindergarten, and gymnastics) that's enough.

Field Trip - Washington DC

Lots of travel education!!  Washington DC is PRIME for leaning about history and politics.  We had the opportunity to visit MLK, FDR, and WWII Memorials.  We went on a twighlight tour of the Monuments.  We spent time in the Capitol Park.  Stayed in a luxury hotel at the city center, and mixed-mingled like VIPs at the W Hotel with Disney Jr.  Great practice socializing and ettiquette.  And they ROCKED IT!!

"Myiesha, your children are so accustomed to this...they act like the First Family!"  Yeah they do!!  :)

Hana earns 2nd place in Jack and Jill of America Children's Cluster Speech competition

Socialization? With other pre-teens? Not a great idea....

And this article exeplifies how non-essential and potentially damaging "socialization" can be.  Totally overrated!!  I had this conversation with Haley just yesterday, and she agrees that the psychiatric bin that is "school" is uncomfortable at best.  She states she didn't really have real relationships with these "random" children...and noticed that most of them were to total opposite of good role-models and she often questioned the necessity of being forced to spend so much time with people she neither likes nor has anything in common with.

What is she to learn from them?  What are they going to "teach her?"  How to interact with 12 year olds?  I prefer for Haley to learn how to interact with adults - being that she's going to spend the large majority of her time as an adult, with adults and its adults who can actually do useful things for her and help promote her.  Learning to to "fit in" with a group of 6 grade girls...is not a valuable skill.  Learning how to socialize with people of all ages - particularly those who make the rules and are in positions of authority, is a much more valuable skill.

Most people admit that "teen-agers are difficult" and "aren't much fun."  Why would I want Haley to learn to be like that?

"Our current education system was created in the late 1800s and...set up to supply the factories with a skilled labor force... Unfortunately, most people learn in those classrooms to hate education for the rest of their lives...

The factory system doesn't work in the modern world, because two years after graduation, whatever you learned is out of date. ...Education needs to be combined in interesting and creative ways with work.

The more young people are infantilized, the more psychopathology they show.

Teens in America are in touch with their peers on average 65 hours a week, compared to about four hours a week in preindustrial cultures. In this country, teens learn virtually everything they know from other teens, who are in turn highly influenced by certain aggressive industries. This makes no sense. Teens should be learning from the people they are about to become. When young people exit the education system and are dumped into the real world, which is not the world of Britney Spears, they have no idea what's going on and have to spend considerable time figuring it out.

What's the worst part of the current way we treat teens?
The adversarial relationship between parents and offspring is terrible; it hurts both parents and young people.... They don't realize they are caught in a machine that's driving them apart from their offspring—and it's unnecessary.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200703/trashing-teens?fb_action_ids=10151857751479476&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

Article: Truancy and why we are glad Hana's out of Public School

I had to share these two article that totally capture my sentiment as a new homeschool mom.  As we take take the opportunity for Hana to participate in Artemis and Disney Jrs Doc Mobile tour...and then go to Washington DC to practice our etiquette, fancy dress, manners, and learn United States history in Washington DC...we were super happy with our decision to avoid being criminally accused of being bad parents.




"Leanna’s teacher reports that she “follows classroom rules” and “always participates.” She never disrupts class, loiters at the mall or stashes marijuana in her backpack. But this bashful girl snuggling up to her mom, butterfly-princess-glitter-wand in hand, landed in court a few months ago. And now her mother has a stain on her permanent record."

"Her offense? Leanna was late to school."

"On Tariq’s official Collin County record, the offense appears as “Failure to Attend School – Parent/Guardian Contributing.” It’s a Class C misdemeanor… coupled with a four-hour wait that required Leanna to miss school...."

"Many parents are not even aware until their court summons arrives that aiding and abetting tardiness can go on their permanent records. But for these families, the courtroom becomes the place to hash out their organizational problems, get a court-ordered parenting class and maybe even learn how to get their children dressed in the morning, all on the taxpayer dollar."

"The law refers to children at least 6 years of age…enrolled in *public* preschool…. While some 4-year-olds don’t attend school at all, those such as Leanna who are enrolled in preschool must be on time or face a court date for nonattendance. And the law does not distinguish between tardies and half- or full-day absences...."

http://www.dfwchild.com/features/911/Elementary-Truancy

Of note:  we would have received a threatening letter had we not pulled her out.  This was made known to us - eventhough we organized this trip and "cleared" it with the school leadership.  Nevermind kindergarten is not compulsory....

Hybrid School Update

Haley and Ian have been going to school 2 days a week, from 9-3p for the 1st two weeks.  Then in September began going from 9-4p.

Haley's subjects are:
Life science - learning about the cell, tissue structure, organs.
History - in Ancient times.  She started her reader this week.
Math - order of operations, word problems with the standard 4 operations.
Language Arts - Grammar (nouns, verbs, etc) writing (which is MUCH better).
Spanish - greetings

I will say that she works from about 10-4p on "home days" and then mixes in 90 minutes of piano and 30 minutes of harp each most days.

Ian's subjects are:
Math - which is addition and subtraction
Spelling
History - Ancient history as well
Language Arts
Handwriting

He spends about 2 hours on home days doing his assigned work.

***
And today, Hana was switched over from Public Kindergarten (where we thought she'd thrive) to Hybrid school...for lack of diversity, and the school's lack of ability to squash racial rheteric.  This child has been through too much to allow her to experience the racism of adults via their kindergarteners.  Such as shame.  But nice to have an alternative....

Letter to the Hybrid School 2 weeks in.

Where do I begin?!!  Your school has been such an awesome and blessed gift to our family!!  Haley is thriving!!  My SWEET baby girl is balanced, supported, nurtured, and encouraged.

When she attended Public Elementary School (and Intermediate School), the anxiety of trying to "fit in" and the judgement she experienced distracted from her education and changed her personality.  She was disconnected from us much of the time (both physically, and psychologically).  While academically she was okay, I KNEW she was not performing at her maximum.  Every day the most pressing "issue" was her 'on-again-off-again' friendship with various "random" children (each with their own social issues).  It was like she was a beautiful flower trying to bloom in a hostile environment.

Now, she is excited about learning.  The teachers "love her."  Especially math (NOW her favorite subject).  English/literature teacher has offered feedback that I think will change our life (audiobooks for our slow reader to get her excited and motivated to read).  Already, it's done wonders!!  I love the responsiveness of the teachers.  AND best of all, I like that I am an integral part of Haley's life (and education) and not standing on the outside asking permission to be involved in my own daughter's affairs.  

Thank you, for allowing us to participate in your school!!

Feeling very blessed.

***

Friday afternoon Downtown Fort Worth and STEM

Science, technology, engineering and math is all the rage!!  Especially for young children and girls.  We had the opportunity to expose the children to a celebration of STEM and medicine via Doc McStuffins event with Mommy, and Artemis Medical Society. 

So glad that we don't have to "worry" about "missing school" and being accused of not "teaching" our children.