Oh boy - BIG BROTHER

Well, it seems as if Big Brother is on our back... I just received a letter from our school district. They claim we are out of compliance because I didn't give them a copy of my diploma or send them the children's health records.

Oi vey! First of all, my legally notarized affidavit attests that I indeed have a high school diploma (I didn't mention all the education that occurred after that - LOL) and that I am claiming a medical ethical/religious exemption. (Ethically, they have no business knowing about our personal health! It is my responsibility to see to/protect their health and welfare AND THEIR PRIVACY!).

You'd think that school districts have enough to worry about with all the children that attend their schools. They have to nitpick our little home schools, especially over such redundancy?
I called the Dept of Education and verified that my document was enough to satisfy the state law. IT IS!!

I just finished a nice polite "Sorry-but-you-have-all-the-info-that-I-am-required-to-give-you-by-law" letter and am sitting here trying not to fume, but to let it go...

4 weeks down

Has it been two weeks already? Wow!

We are finishing the end of our 4th week of school and all is going fairly well. I offer things up to Heaven daily, but I can't complain...

Fratello Maggiore does not have the concept of the timing of his subjects yet. Although, to me it does seem that he is slowly making progress. Micro baby steps are STILL baby steps...

Fratello Piccolo seems to really love learning, no matter the subject! Hallelujah!!! He is constantly asking to do more and I am happy to let him :-)

Half Pint is happy doing dry-erase writing skills and art projects. We read a lot of books to her and she still enjoys "reading" to her tank full of fire belly toads.

We are currently hosting a Flat Traveller named Ladybug. We hope to take her someplace cool this weekend.

School has started

Oh my goodness! I can hardly believe it has been that long since my last post. Time flies and every time I sit down to post, life's events seem to turn me away. God's Will be done, I say!

School has begun here at St. Francis. Fratello Maggiore has started his middle school years. His work load is heavier that last year, but is still perfectly reasonable. If you ask him though, I have now enslaved him :-)
His work is as follows: followed by the time it should take to complete each day

• Singapore Math 5 30 minutes
• CHC Grammar 15 minutes and Spellers level D 20 minutes
• Handwriting 5 minutes
• Reading comprehension Stories of the Saints 1 15 minutes
• US history (Sea to Shining Sea) 15 minutes
• Geography (Cath Geo Bee and Map Skills 5) 15 minutes
• Science (Universe in My Hands) 15 minutes
• Catechism: Faith and Life 5 and Exploring the Mass 20 minutes
• Latin: Latina Christiana 1 15 minutes

I give him twice as much time per subject to complete his work. Anything not done by the end of his time is homework and he must do it before dinner in order to participate in any extra evening activities. You'd think I just chained him to the floor or something the way he has been carrying on about this the past two weeks. I am trying to be patient and teach him that it can be done if he stays on task. He'll have a ton of free time again once he gets this concept...

Fratello Piccolo has been doing a super job with schooling so far. A few moans and groans, of course, but he stays on task and he does not mind working ahead to finish early. His school work looks like this:

• Singapore Math 3
• CHC Grammar and Speller, level B
• Reading comp. Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls
• Handwriting
• Georaphy of Continents and Countries (Cath Geo Bee and Map Skills 3)
• Behold and See 3 Science
• Catechism: Faith and Life 3 and Called to Serve
• Latin: Prima Latina

Half-Pint just told me that she wants to do school now! I asked her the other day what she wants to learn and she said excitedly, "Maf!" I said "Math? OK then, we'll start with your numbers and letters. OK?" She nodded quickly and went dancing away to play with her animal figures. So I have been giving her things to count and things to match and pre-writing skills worksheets.

One of my favorite homeschool tips: to honor the copyright, but to make a consumable into a non-consumable, I simply cover the workbook page with a clear plastic report cover and have the student write with low-odor dry erase markers. I quickly check the work and remove plastic and erase!!

St. Francis Cafe is now open

Well, we tried to switch to a feeding system for the outdoor cat. (Mom's idea in the first place... I thought making the responsible boy do his daily deed was working pretty well.)
I didn't think about the food outdoors until we suddenly became the St. Francis Cafe and our first (noticeable) client was a SKUNK!! It sure was a good thing we didn't happen upon Pepe Le Pew whilst he was still upon our porch, or someone would still be sitting in a tub full of V8 tonight!
I'm thinking that said boy in charge of feeding cat will now have to set food out each a.m. and take it inside each p.m. Hmmm...

Well, at least I don't have killer roses (check out Sister Mary Martha's blog).

WARNING - Adult content!

An IM from a friend who lives in the same school district I do. It leaves my scratching my head and wondering about the state of the world. My prayers are with my friend on this one! Please pray for her children on this matter. On condition of anonymity, I got her permission to post this:
_____________________
my friend: you still there?
me: yup
my friend: you aren't gonna believe this
my friend: ds#1 just handed me a paper he had in school...... a test
my friend: on contraceptives
my friend: wt (expletive deleted)??
my friend: he had to write a paper on whether or not he wants to have s** [word for marital act] then he had a contraceptive match-up test.....can you believe it???
me: Oh my goodness! that is exactly why these guys are home with me!
me: that is ridiculous!
my friend: yes it is
my friend: they also discussed with them s** [word for marital act] toys!
me: what grade is ds#1 in?!
my friend: what do s** [word for marital act] toys have to do with anything?????? He is in 8th grade!
me: talking about such things is PORNOGRAPHY!
my friend: yep
me: what can you say [to the school] about that?
my friend: i really don't know, i'm (expletive deleted)
me: I'll pray for ya on this one - this is totally uncalled for! 8th grade?! I wasn't introduced to such topics until college and then I had to get special permission to take a course that "talked a little more explicitly about personal matters of sexuality" Students had to be 21 or older! Oh, and my college course talked about diseases and rape - not toys and related stuff!
my friend: i can't believe they did not get my permission to do this
me: you'd better check this out - but I believe that the schools have taken the position that they no longer have to bother getting permission from the parents on any "health education" matters
my friend: s** [word for marital act] toys? health education?? lmao
my friend: the kid can't spell but he knows how to use a d****??
me: <---- shaking my head -- exactly the sad state of things, yes?
my friend: i need to get him alone and find out exactly what was said
me: oh goodness - how sad! it still blows my mind what kids are 'taught'... mercy!
___________________

Sts Margaret of Cortona, Agatha, Dymphna, Maria Goretti
Pray for us...
Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us...

The End of the school year

Well, the 2006-2007 school year is now in its final death throes... LOL A little spelling to finish is all we require now. I have the lesson plans for 5th and 3rd grades ready for next school year. All of next year's school books are already on the shelf so that I can now relax and enjoy the summer. I won't have to do any work until the night before we begin the 2007-2008 school year.

Fratello Maggiore gets his portfolio and evaluator's letter turned into the school district tomorrow morning. I am happy his 4th grade is now finished. He starts middle school work next year already! He is now starting to earn time for the local library's reading program.

Fratello Piccolo is finished with 2nd grade and is already working on his summer math workbook. He is well into earning time for the local library's reading program, also, and is happily enjoying "summer break."

Half-Pint is busy playing with her backpack full of animals and reads the book Froggy Gets Dressed to her tankful of fire-belly toads each night after she gets her own bedtime story. She loves helping Mama and Daddy with yard and garden work.

The past month has brought us many blessings:

I just heard that a friend of ours had her 4th child! I am so happy for her family!

Another friend is awaiting her 6th child - she is in my prayers daily.

Mom and I were inducted into the Sisters of Mary Immaculate Collaborators. We now pray with and for the Sisters daily. It was a blessing to attend the 3rd annual meeting yesterday!

The boys attended another karate competition over the Memorial Day Weekend. They only competed in sparring and Fratello Maggiore placed second in his division. Fratello Piccolo was eliminated in the first round, but his spirits quickly picked up when he decided to learn to be quicker.

We had another homeschooling family over one Sunday afternoon. We had such a great time! All the kids seemed to get along and we parents only had to referee once. LOL - you'll have that though - personalities and/or wills clash even in the best of circumstances... I pray that my family and Carmela's can get together again soon! We love being the "country mice" with all the space and peaceful neighborhood where my "city mice" friends can come and escape the hustle and bustle. All the adults had an equally great time talking and getting to know each other better. I think nest trip is for us to go to the city so I hope we can do that soon :-)

The kids and I attended the latest Byzantine Mass and picnic that followed. This time was not as well-attended as the previous gathering, so we missed seeing some of our friends. Fr. Paul gave a great talk about Pentacost and had the kids compare two icons he brought. We mothers decided to pray about starting a Catholic Co-op nearby. The boys had a blast playing Jedi Knights so much that I had to make them sit and eat lunch!

My grandmother seems to be doing well. I have been praying for healing for her and also for her sister who had some surgery. I know my grandmother has missed her terribly.



Now our summer can bring some warm weather joys: camping, hiking, gardening, summer reading, and BARE FEET!

Yearly wrap-up

Well, our year is nearly over. Our 180 days (PA state law) have been completed for nearly 3 weeks now, but we all know what a joke that is since homeschooling never stops...
The boys are nearly finished. This is what they had to complete this year:

Fratello Maggiore
God's Little Angels - summer reading
My Catholic Speller, C - still has 8 lessons
Language of God, C - still has couple weeks of work left to do
Faith and Life 4 - what is left will be summer reading
Writing Can Help - finished
Called to Serve - finished
Singapore Math 4 - still has a couple weeks of work left to do
Ancient History, Greece - finished
Mythology - finished and tested
Latin - finished and tested

Fratello Piccolo
Devotional Stories for Little Folks - summer reading
My Catholic Speller, A - still has 9 lessons
Language of God, A - has a week of work left
Faith and Life 2 - what is left will be summer reading
Little Acts of Grace - summer reading
Writing Can Help - finished
Singapore Math 2 - finished
Ancient History, Greece - finished
Latin - finished

This is it. Except for wrapping up things, the kids are done. All I ask of them during the summer is reading and math review. They have joined the library's summer reading program so the things we put off for summer reading will count toward their hours :-) I also have some math workbooks that will keep their minds from straying too far all summer. I figure about 15 minutes of math twice a week should to it.
I am already planning next school year so that I don't have to do it over the summer. Fratello Maggiore's lesson plans are done. Fratello Piccolo's are next. Once they are finished, I can sit back and relax with gardening and camping all summer ;-)