First Week of Kindergarten

Our first week went very smoothly. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are our scheduled learning days. The rest of the week is kind of take it as it comes. Our goal per week is to do 20 hours of learning time. That's in order to reach the goal of 900 hours for the school year (PA requirements for elementary grades). In this first week we completed 30 hours of learning time. Now, before you say, "They are crazy!", we include things like, going to the park, zoo, playing with friends, watching educational shows, playing computer games and so on. Anything that is educational we are including. The subjects that we are keeping track of are Bible, Fine Arts, Home Ec., Language Arts, Math, Phys. Ed., Science, Social Skills (sharing and such), Social Studies, Spanish and Technology. Anything else goes into Miscellaneous. Yes, I know, a lot of subjects but we don't do all of them every day. We mix and match.

When I asked Emma what her favorite thing she learned this past week was, she answer the Praying Mantis. Let me tell you about this. Thursday night I came home from MOPS and as I was waiting for Drew to open the door, I looked to my right and saw a praying mantis on our tomato trellis. I was so intrigued. I tossed the idea of waking the kids to see it but I decided to just take a picture of it to show them in the morning.

When I first found the Praying Mantis

The next morning I showed Emma the picture and then I showed her where I saw it. Then I decided to see if it was still around. Low and behold it was hiding in the lily plant just a foot away from the tomato plant.

The next morning in the lily plant.

After we found it again, Emma was asking questions about it. So we did research on the computer and learned all about them. In doing research we learned that they are not protected in the US other than in Connecticut. So, we got a clear container and gently scooped it up with some leaves from the plant and studied it. We kept it for maybe 6 hours. Long enough for Drew to see it when he got home. Then we released it.

In the container that we caught it in.

The kids studying it closely.

  

I never thought I would grow attached to an insect before but I have to say, ever since we released it, I have been concerned for it's safety. Especially since, the very next day after releasing it back onto the tomato plant, the landscapers trimmed down the lily plants. I can't help but think that it got thrown into the trash right along with the trimmings.

Releasing it back onto the tomato plant.

Climbing back up the trellis, free.

We had a great first week. This coming week we'll have guest teachers :). Drew's sisters are coming to visit and they both happen to have their teaching degrees in elementary education. How perfect right?

Emma is a Kindergartener!

Yesterday was Emma's first day of Kindergarten. We made it a very special day for her. It started with giving her a shower so that she was all fresh and ready for learning, just as if she were going to school. Then she got dressed in her first day of school outfit. Came down for her first day of school breakfast of her choice, pancake and eggs. We took photos of her in her bookbag and outfit and then got started with her learning time. She chose to do her spanish first but we had to load the program so we read first instead. Then she did 2 sections on Rosetta Stone Spanish edition. The rest of the days learning activities included playing with blocks, doing math worksheets, Bible lesson, helping with lunch and dinner, drawing and going with me to Hobby Lobby and learning how to read prices. We picked up a box for her to decorate and put her school papers in once completed. On the way home from Hobby Lobby, Emma said, "Mommy, we had a very good day!" which I agreed.

Her total hours for yesterday came to just short of 7 hours.  In Pennsylvania we aren't required to report to anyone until the child is 8 years old or in 3rd grade. Right now we are trying to do what we would need to if we were reporting so that we can get used to it and start good habits. We can either report the days spent on school or the hours. We'll be recording both but will report the most impressive one. 1 day or 7 hours down.

First day of Kindergarten breakfast of choice.

Ready for learning.

Using blocks to add and subtract.

5+1=6, 4+1=5

Counting the blocks.

First day of Kindergarten lunch, toasted cheese sandwich.

Practicing her writing outside.

Benjamin and Hannah playing with the blocks outside.

Our Summer of 2011

Beginning our school year this coming Monday is forcing me to look over our very, very busy summer. I can think of many educational activities we did with the kids.

Zoos that we visited include, of course the Erie Zoo, as well as the Lehigh Valley Zoo, the Nashville Zoo and as posted previously, the Cleveland Zoo. The kids also enjoyed going to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, the Presque Isle Beach and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. Other activities include their first visit to the Atlantic Ocean, reading the bible together, swimming in pools, playing at the park, doing random school activities and doing crafts. I'm sure there are things that I am missing but you get the point. We've been busy!

On top of all of those activities, one of the most important things that we did was spending time as a family as well as spending time with several members of our extended family.  To end this post I'll share photos from throughout our summer. Enjoy!

Caves that are naturally air conditioned. You could feel the cold air coming from them.

At the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Spending time with my sister and her family again, this time at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Getting ice cream where my niece, Alexis, works.

Visiting with old friend, Melissa and her family in TN.

Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN with my sister and her family plus two.

Our kids at the Opryland Hotel.

We were at the Jersey Shore and found a grasshopper.

Benjamin's turn to hold the grasshopper.

Playing on the beach at the Jersey shore.

Learning time and numbers. Please excuse the jammies and messy hair :).

Playing a Smurfs Dance game for wii.