This information in this post has been provided by Press4Kids. I was provided a goodie bag in exchange for my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions remain my own.
One of my favorite things when I was in school was doing Current Events. My fourth grade class were always provided these little magazines just for kids. I would eagerly wait for the teacher to give me mine, and then I would sit and read through some of the events that were happening in my country. I loved choosing the one that spoke the most to my heart and then getting up to share that information with my classmates.
I have followed that same pattern with my kids in our homeschool.
My own graduation from high school was typical of the times, a little over 20 years ago. We had the graduation ceremony in the high school gym, right before Memorial Day weekend. My parents had mailed out custom printed graduation announcements to about 20 close friends and relatives. Our church held a graduation party for us, with everyone in our fellowship invited to share a potluck and an afternoon outside where the kids could run and play and the adults could chat among themselves. To be honest, I think my parents enjoyed and appreciated the graduation events more than I did.
Dear Robert,
I knew that on December 12, 1994 — the day you were born, that this day would come. Your graduation day. I have mentally tried to prepare myself for this day now for 18 years, and yet I find myself looking back over your life and crying happy tears.
Who’s excited about Monsters University that comes out next month? I know I am? If you have any little ones at home, check out the free printables to go along with the movie.
Simply click on each photo to download the pdf for your little monster. Hope they enjoy the fun. 
“Like” MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on Facebook: http://facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity
“Follow” Disney/Pixar on Twitter: @DisneyPixar
Visit the website: http://www.Disney.com/MonstersU
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY comes to theaters on June 21st!
Note: No compensation was received for sharing these kid-friendly activity sheets from Disney/Pixar.
With all of the tragic events that have happened over the last couple of years, many children might have their faith and lives shaken up. In a world that is so uncertain to begin with for kids, it can be even more uncertain when tragic things happen. If you are a teacher, many times, you are the the first adult a child will come into contact with when tragedies around the world strike. Many of these tragedies happen while they are at school, so here are some tips on how to talk to your students about tragedy.
- Setting Their Fears to Rest: Many kids will become fearful and act out because they hear things on the news. Be sure to reassure them that they are safe and you will do your utmost best to protect them at all costs. As long as they child feels secure, they will be fine.
- Find Out Exactly What They Know: Instead of sharing all the details that you have seen on the television or the news, ask them what they have heard. This way, you can help field the info that they do know and leave out any gory details that they may not need to hear.
- Give a Simple Explanation: Many parents shield their children from details such as tragedy, so do your best to share a simple explanation — just enough to get them through the school day so that their parents can talk to them in depth when they get home.
- Listen to a Child If They Need to Talk: Many children just need to talk through what they have seen. Be sure and listen and again reassure them that they are safe with you and that you will protect them.
- Remind Them That Not Everyone Is Bad: Remind the child that not everyone is bad, just some people have problems which cause them to do bad things. This way, the child does not think that everyone he or she comes in contact with is bad.
For more tips like these, visit a new website that I recently discovered — TeachHUB.com.
I spent some time browsing the Teachhub.com website and found a lot of great information that would have come in handy when I was teaching in public and private school before. TeachHUB.com provides the latest in education technology, news and tools. It’s a great free resource for all K-12 teachers.
TeachHUB.com is a free resource for teachers and parents who want the latest in education news and technology. You can see the latest articles from TeachHUB by subscribing to their Facebook page or following them on Twitter.
Teachers can find encouragement from other real teachers, but they can also find lesson plan ideas, articles that will help them cover topics in their classroom and find new ways to teach those sweet little children that rely on them every day.
A Really Cool Infographic
TeachHUB.com recently put together an infographic on things that kids want in the classroom. I was pleasantly surprised at the things that kids wanted and loved from school. Take a look below:
Be sure to visit the TeachHUB.com website today to gain encouragement for yourself and to find tips, tools, and ideas for teaching the children in your life. Homeschool Moms could definitely find this site helpful as well.
I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, and content and opinions expressed here are all my own. To learn more about the TeachHUB.com, visit their website. #CleverTeachers #NLW13
I live in Kentucky, so it is definitely a must that this year, my daughter and I might catch the Kentucky Derby when it comes on. It usually happens the first Saturday in May. While I won’t bet on the Kentucky derby I thought I might use this time to teach my daughter some things about horses and make some delicious well known food in the state of Kentucky.
To some, horse racing is about betting and money, but to “horse-people”, like my daughter — it is all about the horses. She has loved them since she was a little girl. I started doing some research online to see what I could find and here is what I came up with:
- Homeschool Share has a great lapbook study on The Kentucky Derby.
- Tip Junkie lists 23 different party ideas for the Kentucky Derby.
- Teach.com has lots of resources such as songs, recipes, crafts, and more to learn about the Kentucky Derby.
- Follow the daily prep for the Kentucky Derby by visiting the site.
- Make your own crazy Kentucky Derby party hat — the hats are always a treat to look at.
I think we are going to have a lot of fun learning about the derby and how it got started as well as creating some yummy recipes! On the menu, we are going to work on making Kentucky Hot Browns, a non alcoholic Mint Julep, a new version of tea (because the south is known for their tea), and hopefully I will make some Fried Green Tomatoes.
We will also be spending some time at the library getting books about horses — and will definitely have to take a field trip to go riding!
How would you study the Kentucky Derby?
This is a guest post.
The idea of a child leaving the nest and attending college can be daunting for everyone in a family. Taking steps to ensure your child fully understands the application process, and is ready for the challenges and life-changing decisions ahead, will make a huge difference to how everyone copes. It’s best to start preparing him or her for college as early as possible, and prepping should be a constant and ongoing process. Here are a few tips on preparing your child for college.
It’s essential not to go overboard, but attempting to gently ready your college age child in the years leading up to a college application will make the whole process run more smoothly. Simple steps, such as encouraging him or her to manage homework efficiently, and to enroll in a small but varied selection of extracurricular activities before the senior year, will help teach the fundamental skills required to succeed at college, while also helping to build a natural résumé that has not been insincerely rushed together at the last minute. Your child’s future ambitions should also be discussed informally as they progress through the education system. This will help to give some focus to academic decisions they make. Remember some kids simply need longer to decide which path they wish to take, however, so don’t push.
2013 is the year to start applying for colleges. Your child should be sure to apply for several different institutions to keep options open, even if there is a clear favorite. Visiting campuses both in state and out of state will give a range of different options further down the line. In addition, asking teachers for letters of recommendation in the child’s junior year will strengthen their applications.
It is, of course, also essential to do everything possible to get a good score in the admission tests. ACT test dates can be found online, and it’s often worth helping a child by financing extra tuition. This will guarantee they receive all the act test prep they need, understand the significance of the exams, and are able to do their best. Tuition can be focused any on area where a child is lacking, and be personalized to suit the chosen college application strategy. Taking act tests in the junior year will mean that your child can retake them if necessary the following year.
Finances also need to be considered well in advance, and may ultimately influence which school your child selects. The aid package each college offers may play a role in the final decision, but remember these are often negotiable. Most college freshmen have never had to manage their own money before, and need help with this side of independent living.
Working with a child to create a strict budget for each week in the years before college will ingrain the value of money management. Once accepted into a school, a budget can then be created to cover college fees, books, accommodation and any other expenses. It’s worth setting some money aside for parties, and other relaxing activities. College can be stressful, and some downtime is essential. If a child is likely to struggle with money when living away from home, using a financial advisor, or the college’s counselors is a wise move.
Are you preparing a child for college this year? What steps have you already taken?
I will be honest with you — this year has been a total fail with teaching my kids. My oldest is graduating, I am working full time online, and we have had to move twice in the last year. Suffice it to say — this year has totally blown, and I can feel the homeschool burnout setting in. It is a time as parents that we focus on our teaching abilities and how well, or in my case, how horrible we have done.
So what does homeschool burnout look like?
Tell me if this sounds anything like you.
- depressed
- every time you look at a homeschool book, you slam it shut and grumble
- you compare yourself to other families who are homeschooling
- you can’t remember what you are supposed to be studying
- you find it hard to focus when you are teaching
- you dread getting started in the morning
- you find yourself daydreaming about doing anything other than school
It is inevitable — at one point or another the homeschool burnout will set in.
So, how do we get past it and get back on track? Here are a few steps that I do when I feel that all too familiar feeling creeping up on my back door.
1. Take a break
If you find yourself on the verge of homeschool burnout, take a break. It could be that your schedule has been extremely rigorous, or you have just not been creative enough and have pretty much just burned yourself out. Word of warning — if you are burned out, most likely, your children are burned out too. Take a break from the regular routine and do something different: take a walk, go to the park, take the kids out to lunch, go play at the pond, or do something other than sit inside trying to do school.
2. Change up what you are learning
A lot of times, what you are learning is the source and cause of your burnout. If that is the case, switch it up and do something different. Try doing a hands-on unit study that will give you more flexibility and creative ideas. Sometimes, that is all it takes — just a change in what is being learned.
3. Set some subjects aside until the new year
My daughter has struggled a bit with her Science and history this year. We tried really hard to get started and off on the right foot, but with everything that has gone on this year — it just has not worked. So for her sanity and mine, we set those two subjects aside for this year and will pick them back up in the fall. That is totally OK and your child will not falter in their studies. If you look at what is being learned, every 4 years, you go back over what you learned in the previous years — just on a deeper level.
4. Get encouragement from other moms online
When I am discouraged and find myself on the brink of the burnout, I go back to the women online who gave me encouragement early on in my homeschool years, as well as other women who bring out the best in me. If you need that kind of encouragement, find ladies online who are dosing out the daily encouragement and offering you a semblance of peace. You will find out that you are not the only one going through homeschool burnout. We have all been there.
5. Pray
The last tip I am going to share with you is this — when you find yourself on the brink of burnout, lock yourself away and spend some time in prayer and worship before God. There is nothing like being refueled and rejuvenated by the Father. He does what He says He is going to do, and if you come to Him tired and weary, He will remove your burdens and refresh you once again.
What about you? Have you found yourself in burnout mode? What do you do to help get refreshed and moving forward?
Would you like to know how to prepare a high school transcript for your homeschool graduate?
Robert is graduating at the end of May and I have been doing quite a bit of research on how to make his transcript and diploma as official as possible. Even though he does not want to go to college right now, he might change his mind in the future, so I am doing everything I can to get that prepared for him.
Here are some tips I found when preparing and creating a high school transcript:
Know what your state requires for graduation. After talking to some of my friends, we have discovered that graduation requirements are different for every single state, so do some research and make sure that your child has the proper number of credits needed to graduate.
Do some course planning: If you are just starting out with the high school years, do some course planning. This will help you see the bigger picture here. FiveJ’s has a great free planner that she created for her own child and has shared it with all of us.
If your child is already in the middle or at the end of their high school years, just map out all the classes that they have taken in the past, because you will need that list to fill out and complete his or her transcript.
Create a high school transcript: Using the information that you collected, now you can just drop it right into a high school transcript. You can create your own, or use this free sample that can be found here. You can also sign up for this free webinar from Lee Binz, who is amazing when it comes to chatting graduation, high school credits, and transcripts.
Make sure to include all information on your transcript so it is completely official. Include all of your graduate’s important information: date of birth, address, phone number, date of graduation. Put the name of your homeschool at the top, sign the bottom, and have it notarized.
You now have a high school transcript!
In my next post, I will share with you how to make an official high school diploma for your homeschool graduate.
I cannot believe in just two short months I will be graduating my son. It seems so unreal to me that he is 18 and ready to go out into the world as a man — and a high school graduate.
When he started his freshman year of school, I did some searching on the Internet to make sure we knew exactly what we had to cover for him to graduate. I noticed that most states have their own list of credits, so be sure to check that list to get the correct credits. However, a well-rounded high school program would include the following academic courses that are considered the core program:
- 4 years of English
- 2–4 years of Math
- 2–4 years of Science
- 2–4 years of History
- at least 2 years of a Foreign Language
- Electives (these will make up your remaining credits needed)
If your child intends on going to college, you definitely will want to make sure that you have covered all of the above subjects and then some. If they are not intending to go to college, then you can focus more on the general academic studies with focus on a trade. For my son, he has opted to not go to college, but to follow in the family trade and work with his dad in construction. For his last year of school, he has pretty much been his dad’s right hand man — and he is really loving it.
What classes will my child need to take for college?
The following is a list of classes that your child will need to take for sure if he or she is planning on going to college. You need to make sure to include a physical education class somewhere in there.
English:
English I, English II, English III, and English IV. This must include strands of reading, writing, speaking, listening, observing, inquiry, and using technology as a communication tool. English must be taught every year of high school.
Math:
Algebra 1. Algebra 2, Geometry, and one higher learning math class. The courses should include teaching on number and computation, geometry and measurement, probability and statistics, and algebraic ideas.
Science:
Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. The courses should include teaching on lab-based scientific investigation experiences and include the content strands of biological science, physical science, earth and space science, and unifying concepts.
History:
American History, World History, World Geography, and a Civics and Government course (the civics and government courses are half semesters but we had so much fun learning them that we stretched each one into a year long study). In Kentucky, only three credits are required but must include teaching on historical perspective, geography, economics, government and civics, and culture and society.
Foreign Language
The most three popular foreign language courses are Spanish, French, and Latin. My son chose Latin and took 3 years of it.
Electives
There are tons of great things that homeschoolers can use as electives. I will be covering that later in the month. The electives will make up whatever total number of credits your child is lacking.
Have you already started tackling this list of credits with your child? If not, it’s time to get started!
How to Plan a Family Reunion in 6 Easy Steps http://t.co/UzJRNySE4E - jennifer_sikora- Book Review: Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard http://t.co/tVLDRgeKub - jennifer_sikora
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Watermelon Granita - Jen's Journey
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Food, Family, and Bejeweled Frenzy? It’s Family Game Night Around Here
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Put Kool Aid ice cubes in Sprite...such a cool idea for a kid's birthday party!- baby shower idea!!
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