Social time with a new friend

Spring time with new acquaintances.  Ice-cream, pottery, and shopping.  

Harp Audition and Evaluations; Phase II MasterClass

And the video for the new song is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBuz_bAMls

Spring Break and Taylored Curriculum

Taylored Curriculum started as an educational supplement to the "traditional" school year and subjects taught therein.  During the vacations and breaks, Taylored Curriculum would offer new and exciting opportunities that are overlooked in school.  During the academic year, Taylored Curriculum supplemented with experiences that are often missed if not consciously planned and executed.

Taylored Curriculum has become the primary education method (of course with the help and under the guidance of our 'consultants').  However, during the breaks, there is *still* a need to supplement.  This spring break didn't really feel much like Spring.  It was cold, and overcast most of the days.  Nonetheless...

...we made it work.

Full week included:

• Archery experience for all.
• Visit with lawyer for Haley, who thinks she may want to consider a career in law or politics.
• Self defense class for all.
• Music lessons for Hana by Haley.  Haley and Ian continue their instruments.
• Mental Math continues
• Jack and Jill speech preparation for Haley with a "first run" within the chapter.

• Jack and Jill charity work for Hana and Haley. 

• Cooking practice and lessons for Haley

Donations

This afternoon Hana's Jack and Jill age-group event was meeting at the local library and assembling "care packs" for recipients at the Soup Mobile Homeless Shelter.  They spent time being gracious and thankful for for their blessings while sharing some of their abundance with those who may find it useful right now.

Mommy and Haley girls day out

I believe its EXCEEDINGLY important to take the time, set the precedent, of the importance of mother/daughter bonding...especially at this age!!!  So we spent the afternoon hanging out:  book store; gelato; mani/pedis; lunch; and bonding!!  

Mental Math

Haley and Ian in Taiwanese MENTAL MATH with Ms. Hu.

The goal of mental math is to make students become accustomed to using both halves of their brains instead of having to rely upon only the left half or on calculators.  Exercising both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously helps children's' mental coordination.  Students develop mental facilities and powers of reasoning that will help them in other subjects as well. The multitude of reasoning abilities from the right half of the brain cannot be replaced by any machine. Mental math can be considered to be a training tool that stimulates the usage of the right half of the brain along with the left. Extensive usage of mental math not only improves a child's math potential but also has been shown to assist them in their concentration levels, memory, and overall development.

Preparation for NEXT year!

As planning for the next academic year commences, we have reserved spots in summer camps...including:

Haley:
Debate camp
Math (private lessons) have been arranged for Haley so she can do algebra next academic year
Spanish immersion for everyone
Piano will continue
Harp will continue
Mental Math will continue
Mini-internship with Attorney Theresa

Ian:
Robotic camp
Graphic design camp
Video game design camp
Considering re-entry to martial arts
Mental Math will continue
Spanish immersion

Hana:
Gymnastics is going to keep her busy
Spanish immersion
She is too young for Mental math

Misc:
We may do horseback riding in July.
Probably NOT swimming outside of recreation
I'm looking to have them experience a shooting range


I HAVE ordered almost the entire curriculum for Haley for next year - which is nice.  All books except 2.  And a few that will be ordered in bulk by the school.

Awaiting Ian and Hana's curriculum.

Hana learns music

Haley graciously teaches Hana the harp and piano.  This helps Haley develop her pedagogy while simultaneously allows Hana exposure to music.  Win-win.

Self Defense Class

It's essential to be smart in order to be safe.  And having a few "trick" up your sleeve helps build confidence, and may save a life one day.  Graciously, Ian's martial arts teacher agreed to teach a self-defense class to the kiddos.  They had a great time.  Just look at those smiles!!

Haley considers a degree in LAW

Haley had the opportunity to spend time with Attorney Theresa Lyons.  She will spend extended time with her later in the year.  But for now, just the exposure is great!  And the time she spend in court with the other attorneys and the JUDGE were monumental!!  

AND it's that time in her life where a book like this is extremely useful.  An added bonus is that it was written by a friend and fellow Artemis Medical Society member.  

Archery

Opportunity to experience archery all started with a Groupon.  We had a great time as a family.  Now Daddy and Haley want to go back.  Ian didn't like the "violence" of it...so he'd prefer to stay home and play Nintendo.  :)

Texas Music Teacher's Association World of Music Exam

Haley got a 92% on her World of Music exam.  She gets a medal for her performance!!

World of Music

The World of Music is designed to teach music history. There is no theory requirement. Tests for grades 1-3 are based on The World of Music by Carolyn Jones Campbell (copyright 2008 by Texas Music Teachers Association.) Tests for grades 4-12 are based on The World of Music, A Music History Syllabus, by Elinor L. Duff (copyright 1979, 1980 and 1981, by Texas Music Teachers Association.) Study materials are available from the TMTA office. Students scoring 90 or above are awarded medals. Additional awards are given to students who have earned medals from grades 4-12 (Janet McGaughey World of Music Award) or who have earned medals every year (Carolyn Jones Campbell World of Music Award). A twelve-year participation certificate is also available.

American Harp Society Auditions and Evaluations Phase I

Stars by Susann McDonald:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq8-VKBcmKI

The Water is Wide (Traditional):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gVyzKzcHrM

Audition/Evaluation Feedback:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csRqvuzsPoM

LOVE

Summer Curriculum Planning

Time to plan and schedule SUMMER Curriculum!!

So far we have for Ian:

• Robotic Camp
• Computer animation and video game design.

For Haley:

• Debate (this year she's old enough for debate team, vs last year which was more Speech).

Hana:

• Is doing 9 hours of gymnastics a week (3 three-hour days).  I expect this to increase.  Gymnastics is Hana's main extracurricular at this stage/age as it is very consuming and demanding.  

• In Hybrid school (and reinforced at home) she's doing math, handwriting, phonics, Spanish, science, and language arts (although many of these are integrated into common lessons).  Hana is making GREAT strides. 

 Thankfully for Mom and Dad, most of the kindergarten HOME work is just practice/reinforcement of the lessons taught in the school.  This allows me to focus on *teaching* Ian (which is necessary because HE does not cover everything at school as he is older and there's more expected of him)...and supervising Haley.  Haley DOES get an intro to MOST of the topics expected to be covered at home.  And when there's gaps, she has access to her instructors, and I've bookmarked a few great websites for her reference in the various topics so she can teach HERSELF (or at least attempt to do so).


Plan: 

• Debate for Haley
• Math Camp AND Mental Math class
• Piano
• Harp
• Something for writing - pending

For Ian

• Science Camps as stated
• Mathnasium AND Mental Math class
• Guitar

For Hana

• Gymnastics

*note:  the math Hana is doing at this point is counting to 100 and writing the numbers, etc. so mental math is not necessary and will not be useful until she understands the basic operations.  Music is being taught to her casually by Haley.  Gymnastics is VERY time consuming and we are careful not to over-schedule as it stifles creativity and prevents the children from being able to manage their OWN time.

ALL

• Some horseback riding (I'd like this to be an ongoing summer thing so the children become competent riders).
• Spanish and cultural events.  

Vocab, Reading, Mental Math, Track & Field

With the first semester successfully completed, we are well into our 2nd homeschool/Hybrid school semester.  Continuing at Hybrid school are the standard courses:  Math, Science, History, and English.  Supplementally at Hybrid school is Spanish.

We have initiated the Vocabulary that we postponed first semester

Piano and Harp continue.
Taiwanese Mental Math to begin on Friday to supplement the school math curriculum.
TRACK AND FIELD started this week as well for Haley.

Haley is now reading more on her own.  Initially, as stated before, we read to her, or purchased audiobooks which allowed her to follow-along, internalize the content for discussion and knowledge, and build her literary repertoire.  However, now that she is cruising through the 5 subjects from school (cutting her work down from 8+ hours/day to 4) she has TIME to do the vocabulary AND read on her own so she practices speeding up and retaining content herself.  Additionally, the first semester we had to defer a project or two, but this month, Haley has already largely completed her project (with time to spare).

Ultimately, I feel that the time (the entire 1st semester actually) spent learning time-management, note-taking, organization, finding the main idea, prioritizing, and all those other "non-subject-matter" learning tools, was time WELL SPENT.  Haley is now independent.  Wakes up, does what she's supposed to do on home days, and is done in a timely matter.  Yay TEAM!!

***
For Ian, he continues guitar, and knows the basic notes and a song!
Also, he, too, has been enrolled in Taiwanese Mental Math.
I am now moving on to teach Ian how to go to his calendar, and begin his home-school day without the requirement of an adult.  This is a work in progress.

Haley and Ian begin TRACK and FIELD

Haley has been very EAGER to try track and field.  But since her plate was so full with school (catching up academically) and participating in the enrichment activities, this activity has been on the back burner.  So now that it is FINALLY time...she was ECSTATIC! As Ian sat with us on the bleachers watching Haley run, he decided (on the spot) that HE wanted to run too.  So we let him.  

Teammate runs the last yards with Haley, motivating her to finish her 440 strong.

Mommy's Birthday so a chance to celebrate

Social event of the month!  Zydeco party at the Elks Lodge.  Ian even got up to dance.  

Fancy ride to a fancy restaurant in a limousine.  What a great evening with the family socializing and practicing living a fine life.  :)

Which doll looks the most like you?

Self-esteem "experiment" based on something I saw online:
There are various examples, stories and articles demonstrating the fact the even as young children, "light-skin is the right skin."  However, here's a very non-experimental "response" to some of that thought...

 Hana's response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_rdoSs7Fqg