Excelsior Academy

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Spring is here

I've finally got my groove back and am excited about getting back to the books. I spent yesterday and most of this morning getting our schedule and booklist locked down. I'm pleased to say ~ its done. I'm looking forward to learning alongside the kiddos and to spend time reading/researching CM more since I've let it fall by the wayside. I've tried to be more diligent and now I've actually put it in my weekly schedule to make sure I do it. ;)

Here is our schedule ~ its simple yet very effective for us especially with me working full-time. I've also listed the daily plan below it and the booklist.

Sun – Bible Devotions
Mon – Home Eco, Health, Computer & English
Tue – History & Math
Wed – Arts: Art, Music, Poetry, Bible, Shakespeare & Plutarch
Thu – Science & Math
Fri – English & Math

Lessons and review in the mornings (7:30a-10:30a); Composition, free reading, drill, copywork and recitation in the afternoons (12:30p-2:30p).

Current Booklist
Math ~ MEP Yr 5 & 6
Grammar ~ Grammar Smart Junior & Grammar Smart Perfect
Literature ~ Ivanhoe, Scarlet Pimpernel, The Good Earth, The Great Divorce
History ~ Romans & Birth of Britain
Science ~ Earth Science
Poetry ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson & Keats
Bible ~ Strong's Concordance, Ephesians, Proverbs & Psalms
Art ~ Botticelli & Friedrich
Music ~ Liszt & Mahler
Shakespeare ~ Love's Labor Lost
Plutarch ~ Titus Flamininus
Computer ~ Mavis Beacon 9

Extras
Health ~ weight training, walking, skating
Life Skills ~ CPR, cooking, gardening
Hobbies ~ knitting, woodworking
Videos ~ Standard Deviants
Skill Bldg ~ Where in the World Carmen Sandiego, Crossword puzzles

'09 Schedule
Sun
8:30a ~ Devotions
~ write journal entry

Mon
7:30a ~ Bible Reading
8a ~ Home Eco
9:30a ~ Health - Computer
10a ~ Computer - Health
10:30a – 12:30p ~ free time/lunch/rest
12:30p ~ Recitation
1p ~ Copywork
1:15p ~ Literature
2p ~ Home Eco

Tue
7:30a ~ Bible Reading
8a ~ Bible Study
8:45a ~ break
9a ~ Bible Study cont'd
9:45a ~ break
10a ~ Shakespeare
10:30a – 12:30p ~ free time/lunch/rest
12:30p ~ Plutarch
1p ~ Art & Music

Wed
7:30a ~ Bible Reading
8a ~ Math – History
8:45a ~ break
9a ~ History – Math
9:45a ~ break
10a ~ Narrations
10:30a – 12:30p ~ free time/lunch/rest
12:30p ~ Recitation
1p ~ Math Assignment
1:45p ~ Reading/Narrations

Thu
7:30a ~ Bible Reading
8a ~ Math – Science
8:45a ~ break
9a ~ Science – Math
9:45a ~ break
10a ~ Narrations
10:30a – 12:30p ~ free time/lunch/rest
12:30p ~ Recitation
1p ~ Math Assignment
1:45p ~ Reading/Narrations

Fri
7:30a ~ Bible Reading
8a ~ Math - Grammar
8:45a ~ break
9a ~ Grammar - Math
9:45a ~ break
10a ~ Narrations
10:30a – 12:30p ~ free time/lunch/rest
12:30p ~ Recitation
1p ~ Math Assignment
1:45p ~ Reading/Narrations

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posted by Dawn ;) at 9:39 PM 0 comments

Monday, December 8, 2008

Progress Day #3

Wow three days of doing school ~ yipee! It did feel good to get organized today and find my balance. I also enjoyed teaching the lessons and getting the results expected. Still tweaking the schedule and must find all our books but for now its good. I think Riley & Da Boy enjoyed their lessons too.

Tomorrow they will work on their assignments based on today's lessons. I'm working out how often I'll be able to do lessons so we covered 3 today and I assigned reinforcement work. Their reading is challenging and I hope they enjoy it. I've added recitation to their schedule and plan to do art/music/history on friday most via the musuem. Yeah looking forward to a field trip this week. Gotta go now, more later.

Til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 8:11 PM 0 comments

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Progress Day #1

We managed to get some subjects in today ~ woohoo! The plan was to do the bare minimal and we succeeded. We completed the following:
English
~ reading & writing
History
~ Old Testament (Ps/Prov)
Bible
~ same as history & copywork
Math
~ 2 lessons

The plan is to consistently accomplish something then gradually add in the rest. This past Mon we went to the OK History Center, I'd been trying to go for 2yrs since they re-opened. We had a great time and the weather was wonderful. We have even planned our next field trip and return visit ;).

Well, off to enjoy my quiet evening of reading.

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 10:38 PM 0 comments

Sunday, July 6, 2008

~ Week 4: Summer School ~

its suppose to be Wk4 of summer school but I must confess ~ "we haven't started." The kiddos have been getting out more, I've been working more and its just not happened. I don't really have an explanation for it, its just not the right time for us I guess. I do plan to pick up soon though b/c I want the Da Boy to finish up his Pre-Yr 7 stuff and move on. Riley, along with some friends, has started a Jane Austen Book Club, and she's reading everyday now ~ so not too worried about her. Summer school was to focus on reading and math along with getting better at some of the basic methods of CM (narration, dictation, recitation) but I'm confident it will happen.

August is looming around the corner which means we all will be getting back to work for the fair and that will put our school plans off too; one of the reasons I was doing a 6wk summer plan. I'm thinking God has a better plan and I will just enjoy the moment. I will implement a simple plan of reading with lots of narration and great discussions on the side.

Here is our pending booklist:
~ Group ~
Mere Christianity
Plutarch ~ AO 07-08 Term 3 selection
Poetry
Shakespeare ~ AO 07-08 Term 3 selection

~ Da Boy ~
Story of the Greeks
Story of the Romans *to be finished
It Couldn't Just Happen
Kon Tiki
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The Bronze Bow
The Cricket on the Hearth
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

~ Riley ~
Story of the Greeks *to be finished
Never Give In
The Sea Around Us
The Cricket on the Hearth
Jack and Jill *to be finished
More than a Carpenter
Little Men

This should be doable over the next few weeks or so. I'll update as we finish them.

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 1:36 PM 0 comments

Sunday, September 9, 2007

~ Something to think about ~

Charlotte Mason says that we are to give our children "something to do, something to love and something to think about." As I prepare to begin this school year, I want us to have these 3 elements in our homeschool. I know in the past I have failed but I tried. I think the following quote needs to be lived with in order to grasp the fullness of its meaning. Enjoy!

"Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done."
~ C.S. Lewis ~

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 9:51 PM 0 comments

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Summer's ending....

Wow! Summer is over and its time to hit the books. Well, not necessarily hit them but its time to crack them open. For some, they have already started or haven't stopped. ;D Around here, we will begin the day after Labor day. I decided to change things abit this year and we will mimic the public school schedule a little bit since our school year begins with work at our state fair. We will be spending lots of time there and so school needs to start differently. I plan to ease us into our studies to allow us time to really enjoy both. I don't want us to burn out and then nothing gets done. That would be too much after working so hard to get us back on track. This week is my first week back to school ~ lots of planning, scheduling and organizing. I am hoping to get the schedules done today, at least my own so that I can be more organized. I find that if I'm organized and confident than the rest falls into place no matter what. I'm planning out my entire quarter like I did when I taught computer classes. This way, I am able to tweak the plans and fill in the gaps as needed instead of being ready for a few days or a couple weeks then nothing.... which we all knows leads to nothing getting done after such a great start. I'm creating lesson planning times for myself, schedule quarterly planning too so that I can have the next ones ready. I'm enjoying the planning process and I look forward to moving into the learning process.

Changes will be made this year too. I will be separating them this year. They will both work on the same AO/HEO year but we will only do the electives together and projects. This means they will each have the same courses but at different times of the day. I've decided to do more of a tutor/class style this year. I was reading the new TOS and got some ideas on de-stressing and I'm finding that we work well together on certain subjects but not all. Yes, this will mean that I will have to do lessons 2x but they are worth it and my peace of mind is too. As I think more about this, I am more at peace and confident that this will work well for them. They are 13 mos apart and quite different in a lot of ways but academically have always been about the same. However, I will create the difference needed for each to see what they strengths and weaknesses are without the pressure to compete. Now there are times when I will need to have that pressure and its healthy but my nervous system doesn't need that kind of stimulation daily. LOL

Today, I will continue to rest and read. I'm also getting ready for our Volume 1 Study at CMSeries, our book study at CMasonStudy and helping with our local CM support group. I'm looking forward to the stimulation that comes from sharing, pondering and listening to others discuss something you are passionate about. It should help me stay focused and connected to others as we move along this wonderful learning journey. I admit I had gotten a little discouraged and was wondering why I was doing this. After the CM conference, I regained my focus and took much needed time off. We never did get to our summer studies but you know what, its ok and they are so much happier for it. I believe they just needed to hang out with me. It will all work out for our good and thats that.

You all have a wonderful sunday afternoon.

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 3:10 PM 0 comments

Friday, March 16, 2007

Reflections....

I've not been blogging much for our hs but thats okay. I've got most of it written in my journal and when I make time, I'll do a proper update. I have been thinking about what I want us to do next and what direction to proceed in. We've experienced several setbacks, nothing major, just little things that have sidetracked me a bit. More than anything, I have figured out that I am very tired and it was due to never resting while working. I don't know what I thought would happen once I stopped working but I was tired when I worked and I'm still tired because I don't rest. I was listening to a ministry cd tonight and the speaker talked about just that, resting. He discussed how God had dealt with him on resting and he didn't get it. I am like that too. Just too stubborn, pig headed or something until it hits me upside the head.

Well, life hit me upside the head last week. I have been dragging myself around, not able to get up before 9a and the worse, didn't bother to do lessons. I'd just sit, knit or do absolutely nothing. Then the car broke down and started to put some things into perspective. We've been w/o a car for 2wks now and my home has been more peaceful until this afternoon when I began to worry about how I was going to get to work. Well, enough of that, I realize that I need to rest more than I need extra spending $. I need to be more discipline with the finances I have and simply rest. My dc need me to be the best teacher I can be and that begins with me taking care of me.

Now don't misunderstand, we have been working but no formal lessons have been done. No big either, we have done Bible, we read together or alone, and we do lots of math even if its just working in the kitchen. I've managed to make lots of things by hand, you can read more here. My dc are starting to do more with their hands and we've taken 3 walks this week. Yeah! Its been a very long time since we actually did any physical activity. It has been good for us and we have been reflecting on why we are here, what we have learned and where we will go next not forgetting what we've been through. Oh, we really would like to have transportation but it has given us time to consider our ways and what is best for our family. Plus the dc have been able to spend time w/their dad too.

So as far as academics go, I think I am now finally doing what I had been praying and planning about in this post. I am finally teaching, and living, so that my dc know life isn't all about academics. It is about living a life that is full, content and in service to the Most High. This is a full life and I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it.

Have a great weekend!

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 12:22 AM 0 comments

Friday, March 2, 2007

~January Update~

Whew it has been a very long time since I last posted about our progress. It has really been slow and steady. Part of the re-adjustment to me being at home. I’ve taken up a new hobby ~ knitting and I’ve been spending more time reading, listening and being. This has allowed me to be active in other areas than hsg. But I’m returning because I really enjoy recording our progress and sharing w/others on their journey. It keeps us all connected.

So w/o further ado, here is a summary of what’s happening with the Warriors:
Jan. 10th ~ marks the first day of our new term. We began slowly with me focusing on what is most important and what schedule will work best. I used our time to have discussions with Da Boy and Riley about what they’d like to accomplish this year and what they thought needed to be improved. After this discussion, I decided that things needed to be kept short and sweet ~ very simple for my sake. We would officially begin on the 31st, my last day at the library.

Week of 1/15 ~ 1/19
I began planning our term, working to determine where was the best place for us to start. I decided on our art and picture study, it would be the same as AO. I selected the pictures to be used and then I selected our group reading material. I created a separate entry to keep up with these are listed in the sidebar.

Week of 1/22 ~ 1/26
My plan was to move them both up to Yr 7 in AO, however, I found out neither is ready for this jump. I worked out a school calendar to help me stay focused and to include breaks, exams and such info. However, it is a very flexible calendar so that when life happens we are able to roll with it. I created our daily schedule to be about a 3 1/2 - 4 hour day which will include 1/2 of drill/exercise. This week was a no lesson week due to ice storm and the necessity of prayer and planning. We spent time reading, enjoying the comfort of our cozy home and the snow. ;D

I have decided to move slowly back into the flow of learning. I will work on habits and take my time with what is to be covered and when. I will be transitioning into a full schedule by using CMs school schedule to help. We will begin with the Form 1 schedule to allow us time to develop and reinforce needed skills and habits. Our schedule will rotate on a 6 day cycle and will be done by order of day. So, if we miss a day, we begin on the next day )i.e Day 1 last worked day begin with Day 2 assignments).

Jan. 26th ~ was our first day of lessons. This was done to determine where really stood. I wanted to see how each would work on the new schedule, where they were in math and what I needed to address as I created my lesson plans. I have begun using lesson plans again and they have been a life savior.

Our schedule looked like this:
20m ~ OT Bible - Gen 5
20m ~ Penmanship - Frost poem (actually 10m)
10m ~ Recitation - Bible Ps 37:5
10m ~ French - Lesson 1 (actually covered Spanish-tape player wouldn't work)
20m ~ Math - Lesson 1 MEP Yr 5 (actually 25m)
15m ~ Break - outside
15m ~ Drill - outside
30m ~ Reading - audio Da Boy- Trumpet of the Swan, Riley - Treasure Island
10m ~ Natural History - organized books
Music appreciation ~ Schumann cd1 hour home blessing ~ living and dining rooms, bathroom and kitchen

*overall a very productive day. 30m was cut from schedule due to starting late and I wanted to be done by 12:30p.

Week of 1/29 - 2/2
Mon & Tues - reading and copywork. Da Boy began Black Beauty. I spent both days fine tuning lesson plans and working out math strategies, reading CM and printing materials.

Wed ~ snow day. No formal lessons today and my last day at work. Developed my lesson plan outline to be able to keep track of where we are and where I want to go over a 6 day period. Though there were no formal lessons, the following was done: Bible NT ~ John 2; Copywork ~ John 2:23-25; Math ~ p2 #1 & 4; and Reading.

Thurs ~ we began lessons again which was Day 2 on my lesson plan that included art study. Art study was amazing. I read over CMs notes as well as WCL2L’s section, and had tremendous results. They both really surprised me with the work. The oral narrations were very good as were their illustrations for Bible. We worked through Week #1 of math and I am finding that we need to add in more mental math and basic arithmetic for reinforcement. We began Ps 91 for recitation and I believe this will be ready in 4wks for a formal recite. I am spending time actually lesson planning like I did when I taught computers, this has been very helpful in keeping me on track, flexible and confident. Definitely a plus around here.

Fri ~ another eventful day and we managed to complete all but 1 lesson ~ crafts. We did drill, mental math and had a read aloud. I’m exhausted but I was before we started, its the second day home and I’m finding I was very tired. We did the first lesson in the “Italics” book.

At the end of this week I discovered that there was a lot that needed to be done in order for us to have a successful hs. The following is a brief list of things I am working on:
1. attitude ~ too much time spent alone has developed some tudes that aren’t appropriate
2. communication ~ nothing is said w/o it being ugly or degrading
3. responsibility ~ too much time alone has created an air that they are in charge and need to tell the other what to do
4. habits ~ they appear non-existent at this point but I am sure they just have become dormant
5. character ~ also appears non-existent though it too was new before them being left alone
6. organization ~ its a mess, enough said. need a plan

I am confident that things will improve. I will work slow and steady, individually and at their level of understanding. I will endeavor to develop confidence, trust and cooperation in them and allow them the time necessary to adjust to this again. It is an adjustment for me and them, however, I am hopeful and the Lord has not given me this assignment to fail nor left me w/o the proper resources to get it done. My main resource ~ prayer. We will work more on their level, not mine and there will be some weeks we do less and some we will do more. I am not discouraged and I am at peace with this plan.

Well that’s all for now. I’ll update soon on February and then start fresh with March. I am journaling all our progress, including the little details of what is working, why and what I do when it doesn’t. I may share some of my notes on this but for now I’ll “keep it simple ~ just the facts.”

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

*Take advantage of the awesome deal at The Old Schoolhouse ~ click the banner for details.

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posted by Dawn ;) at 11:35 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Planning Progress

I have spent my time wisely this weekend, shutup inside during the ice storm. I've managed to get the following done:
1. school calendar for 07
2. draft of our programme of study
3. drafts of lesson plans
4. organizing my lesson book
5. determine which books we still needed
6. create a to do list for etext printing and other docs

I've returned to my Jan - Dec school planning and I'm very pleased with that. I will be posting my programme of study this week, which includes our book list, but only for the 1st term. I'll post each term separately just in case there is a change in direction, I won't have to delete a bunch of entries.

I'll update later in the week, I'm not sure if I'll start blogging daily or just once a week as before. I will also be working on updating the sidebar and transferring my archives from HSB ~ very slow process. ;D

Have a great week.

til next time ~ in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 10:50 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

~ We're Back ~

Well actually, I'm back. I've been refreshed, rejuvenated and energized. I'm now ready to take back what I've laid down and begin again. Its been a long time since I looked forward to working in my home and accomplish school. Oh yes, I mean with a whole heart attitude. I realized that I had become discontent, uninspired and simply lacked the motivation to have a truly wonderful home atmosphere.

We began school today. I planned a very simple list of things to cover and we did them all. ;D For the next few weeks, we will not be doing formal lessons so that I may transition home and plan our move. We will be covering basics things though, Bible, Music, Home Ec, Mental Math, Crafts and Art. It will be all low key so that we may be able to focus on sorting, cleaning, minimizing and packing our home. Oh, and building our relationships again. The most important objective for us.

I'll update our school schedules and plans as soon as I have them solidified. I'm planning to change some of my sidebar features and add a Q&A section, some of my notes from book studies, etc. It will be a wonderful resource section, I hope. ;D

Well, off to do more cleaning. Talk w/you all soon.

~ til next time in the life & times of the Excelsior Warriors!!

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posted by Dawn ;) at 8:57 PM 0 comments