Friday, July 13, 2012

Homeschool Servants


The biggest goals within our home school is to teach the values of being a servant for Christ. I want to grow to love and serve God WITH my family.

We all want the best for our kids, but we do need to pull back a bit on what the world and society says is the best – and look at God’s best.

Praying for lady in care home
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. 

For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.  
Galatians 5:13-14 (The Message)

This world is deteriorating quickly and we need servants to be manned to help those around us in crisis – whether emotional, spiritual, or physical. Why can’t our kids be part of the solution too?  We tend to isolate & shelter them into their routine, and if God burdens our hearts for a need, we just do it ourselves around their schedule…IF we can help. 

We tend to be a people of routine, so if school, sports, and friends become the total emphasis of a child, then as an adult that is where their drive will continue.  But if we instill the importance to our children of being the hands of our Savior, then they will grow with a love and importance in their heart to be Jesus' friend to this world.

Now I’m certainly not expecting my kids to shoulder a ton of responsibility, but there's always something they can do so there's an emphasis on being helpful towards people around them, and beyond.

Some ideas are...
  • Serve at a local soup kitchen.
  • If there’s a natural disaster locally, go volunteer to help disperse supplies and be part of the clean up
  • Go to a care home periodically to befriend & pray for the residents.  Many have no one to talk to. Maybe bring flowers for the ladies - or some sort of small gift item of choice.
  • Gather some money in change, make some sandwiches (or whatever you’d like to) and go to a local Laundromat and make someone’s day.
  • Bless someone you know who's having a hard day - Make them a meal, rake & mow their lawn, wash their car...the sky is the limit with what you could do!
  • Serve at a local food pantry. 
  • Volunteer with animal rescues.
Beach Clean-up
I'm loving all the input and wisdom from the blogging community so if you have any other great ideas to add to the list, I'd LOVE to hear them!  I'm putting together a calendar of "servant events" for the up-coming school year and I'm looking for more creative ideas to do with our kids, and the homeschool group I'm putting together for our area (obviously things to do that are within safe areas).

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Planning 2012-2013 School Year ALREADY?!?!

I actually rolled all the weeks into one post

First, let me share the family schoolroom rules...

I take my hat off to all the wonderful blogging Homeschool Moms who are already planned, prepared, and organized for this coming school year...can you come to my house???  PLEASE???

So, I'm now inspired to get my game face on...Thank you all!!!!

Our School room

We moved a few months ago, and I do miss our fun schoolroom wall that my creative hubbs made for us...sniff, sniff 

Here's a tribute to THE WALL

Here is our new set up - The Wall has been replaced by a big window which I do love too; and we finally found a spot for the wood letters I made for the office


Curriculum for 2012-2013 School year

My Saving-Grace this year... 
Is it weird that getting this planner was better than Christmas????  I absolutely LOVE IT!!!  It has everything for school & household (including tear-out shopping lists, report cards, and a huge section for planning the Christmas holiday season) - WOW!   When I saw the first article in the planner started with "Successful Homeschooling for the Scatterbrain", I knew we were meant for each other.

English, Math, Spelling, & History - Grades 4 & 5

We had a very successful school year doing the Rod & Staff curriculum for our core subjects.  It's extremely simple to follow & teach (might I add easy on the budget too) so we're going to stick with it again for this year.  It's laid out so you do 1 lesson a day which I appreciate for it's simplicity.



Geography
We began the "Flat Stanley" project at the very end of this past year as a fun geography project and they loved it.  So, this year, we're going to put a map of the world on the wall, and place pins on where "Flat Anna" and "Flat Summer" travel to throughout the year and study the countries they visit.  The girls will then make a scrapbook of their adventures.  
Science
We LOVE doing Apologia Science.  We will be working through "Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy & Physiology".  This has wonderful experiments like putting a tooth (that NATURALLY fell out...just wanted to clarify) in coke to watch it be eaten (I'd like to think it turns them off from all things sugar - here's hoping), make an edible cell (with Jello, Skittles, Twizzlers...), make a clay little person...and LOTS more.

We also have the companion journal which my girls love working in.  It has scripture memory, crossword puzzles, mini lap books, and places for illustrations & journaling.  We started this book this past year, but were privileged to do a lot of cross-country traveling, so science was the subject that didn't get worked on as much as we hoped.

Exploring Creation 
Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
For the spring semester, we're also planning on doing "Exploring Creation - Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day"  

This also has the companion notebooking journal. This has many different activities that we love.

Bible with some history...
 
This year we're going to do the Apologia "Who is my neighbor - Biblical World View on Servanthood"  I've read many positive reviews on this curriculum, just got it today and we can't wait to get into it.




 
 As always, Apologia created a companion notebooking journal that DID NOT disappoint!  It has a lot of fun activities that go with the textbook.
 




Here are my cuter-than-ever students...

Miss Vanna White
The newest "Deadliest Catch" crew member
Every year I look forward to being a part of sowing new things The Lord wants to instill into my girls.  I'm humbled by how much God is doing in and through them.  I'm honored by the opportunity to be their teacher & Mom.

Here's to another year of God's teaching & blessing - and serving HIM as a family.