Month: June 2011

Quote of the Day–We Are Cardinal Nation

This poem was on the back of one of the many of the Cardinals schedules we have lying around the house. I’m just sappy enough that it brought a tear to my eye (but if the thought of Stan Musial doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, I really have to question whether or not you have a soul)!

“We are Cardinal Nation.
We are the 3 million in the stands and the millions more at home.
We are generations of generations.
We are a father, a son, and a scorecard.
We are Ducky, Dizzy, and The Rajah. Albert, Yadi, and Waino.
We are a hard nine.
We are a kid, an old radio, and a disregard for bedtimes.
We are curtain calls and the Clydesdales.
We are sac bunts, hitting the cutoff, and the 4-6-3.
We were “America’s Team” before there was such as a thing as “America’s Team.”
We are 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 14, 17, 20, 24, 42, 45, and 85.
We are “Go Crazy Folks” and “That’s a Winner.”
We are Hornsby’s .424 and Gibby’s 1.12.
We are Bonilla’s hamstring and a rookie named Albert.
We are Robison, Sportsman’s, and Busch.
We are “Seat Cushion Night.”
We are Ol’ Abner, among other Shannon-isms.
We are “Brummer’s stealing home!”
We are 1892, and 1982. (And not to mention ’26, ’31, ’34, ’42, ’44, ’46, ’64, ’67, ’06 and ’11.)
We are the Gashouse Gang, Slaughter’s Mad Dash, and Brock for Broglio.
We are backflips on Opening Day.
We are peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and home runs that break things.
We are a porch swing, a summer night, and the crackle of the Mighty ‘MOX.
We are Whiteyball and the baby blues.
We are Mike Laga and the Legendary Foul Ball.
We are “Meet you at Musial.”
We are 42,396 on a Tuesday night.
We are 475 home runs, 3,630 hits and 3 MVPs, despite WWII.
We are George Kissell.
We are two birds on one bat. And always will be.
We are generations of Hall of Famers, 11 World Championships, and counting.
We are the first team this side of the Mississippi…
And the best fans this side of anywhere.
We are Cardinal Nation.”

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Hymn of the Day–“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest”

“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
And make our hearts Your place of rest;
Come with Your grace and heav’nly aid,
And fill the hearts which You have made.

To You, the Counselor, we cry
To You, the gift of God Most High;
The fount of life, the fire of love,
The soul’s anointing from above.

In You, with graces sevenfold,
We God’s almighty hand behold
While You with tongues of fire proclaim
To all the world His holy name.

Your light to ev’ry thought impart,
And shed Your love in ev’ry heart;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.

Drive far away our wily foe,
And Your abiding peace bestow;
With You as our protecting guide,
No evil can with us abide.

Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And You, from both, as Three in One
That we Your name may ever bless
And in our lives the truth confess.

Praise we the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, with them One,
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow!” Lutheran Service Book #499

Before and After

The schoolroom has undergone a lot of changes through the course of the year.

August 2010

Our school table has been moved to the opposite wall. Of course, someday we’re going to need actual desks, but that’s still at least a year off, maybe even two. From the standpoint of the teacher’s seat, it’s a little less convenient now, but as far as the students go, it’s pretty much the same.

We’ve added a fourth bookshelf, which was greatly needed. I figure in the future, I can fit one more in at the most, and that’s only after we move our schoolroom from the spare bedroom to the playroom, (which will be happening when we get the desks), so we’re going to have to be careful of how many more books we purchase. I’ve also added a “book basket” to the top of one bookshelf, in anticipation of using Adventures in My Father’s World next year, and also as a good central location for library books to hang out.

All of our artwork from this year is still up, even the Christmas stuff. We’ve added a few new posters to the walls, too. Of course, the artwork will be coming down soon, but I have some new stuff to hang up, including the cursive alphabet, which Turkey and Bunny will be working on in handwriting next year.

June 2011

I’ll be curious to see what kind of changes I find to make next year!

Satis Bene

If I were asked how our second grade year went, that would be my answer: Satis Bene–“Very Well.”

Turkey and Bunny have learned so much since last August, so much that it seems like a very long time ago. They have mastered carrying and borrowing in math, (which was one of the things I dreaded teaching the most!), and the “times tables” are almost memorized, which was probably my second biggest concern. They have started beginning fractions, and even a brief introduction to simple algebraic equations. That’s a lot of progress!

We have all been learning Latin, (even Moose and Ladybug–they like to recite the Sanctus with us), and I think we’re all smarter for it. It’s interesting to see word origins, and let’s face it, learning Latin just makes you feel a little superior. There, I said it right out loud. Latin makes me feel important. I’m so happy that I get to learn it right alongside Turkey and Bunny.

We’ve completed our third trip through the Bible, courtesy of a third Bible storybook. We even had Old and New Testament workbooks to go along with our reading–and Turkey and Bunny really liked that, because they’re workbook children.

They finished the Explode the Code series, two books of vocabulary with Wordly Wise, and a volume of MCP Phonics. Their creative writing, (particularly Turkey’s), has really blossomed, and it’s so much fun to read what they’re writing. Their reading has, of course, improved–they’re both bookworms, even if Turkey doesn’t like admitting it. Their handwriting has also improved–Bunny is usually still in a rush, so her writing isn’t as neat as Turkey’s, but comparing what she wrote in August with what she wrote today really demonstrates that she’s come a long way.

We had an overview of ancient history this year, from the beginning to the fall of Rome. I think Rome was their favorite thing to learn about, not because it’s what we studied most recently, but (I’m guessing) because it was something Turkey and Bunny were already familiar with, having heard of some of the people and places in Bible stories. They also both really enjoyed learning about China, especially the Great Wall of China; and Egypt, and the pyramids. So, great feats of engineering are popular here.

We also got to study many different things in science, including animals of the world, (which also overlapped nicely into geography), the human body, and outer space. It’s no big surprise that the space unit was the favorite here, and it was a nice way to end the school year, even if Turkey and Bunny didn’t really learn anything new. Review is good, right?

We read a lot of great books this year. Classics, like Charlotte’s Web, (our first read-aloud of the year), and books I had never heard of before, that became instant favorites, (such as Detectives in Togas). We read books that made us want to read other books, (who wants to stop at Homer Price when Centerburg Tales is waiting to be read?), and we read books over and over and over… (Greek Myths for Young Children was an overwhelming favorite of both Turkey and Bunny, and I enjoyed refreshing my memory of mythology as well).

Our electives were especially fun this year. More classical music–the children have picked their favorite composers, and are better than I am at identifying who wrote a piece of music just by listening to the style. We studied great works of art, (and visited the Art Museum again), and learned a bit about architecture. We also had a separate health curriculum, which was surprisingly fun, and focused on more than the food pyramid and saying no to drugs.

It was a great year–I’m really looking forward to third grade (after a vacation from teaching, of course)!

Excessive Testing Is a Dangerous Obsession

This is an interesting, but not really surprising, article from The New York Times. I’m appalled every year to see how much time is dedicated to standardized testing at Moose’s school–two full weeks! And the atmosphere in the school for those two weeks is dismal. Just who are these tests supposed to benefit exactly?

“There is a saying that U.S. students are the most tested, and the least examined, of any in the world. American policymakers are quick to turn to testing to cure whatever problems they think exist in schools. Because teachers’ judgment is mistrusted, we test students in the United States more than any other nation, in the mistaken belief that testing produces greater learning.”

via Excessive Testing Is a Dangerous Obsession – Room for Debate – NYTimes.com.

Summer Reading

If you’re looking for a way to encourage children to read over the summer, and have fun while doing it, there are plenty of opportunities available!

The most obvious–check with your library. Aside from regular story-times, many libraries also offer a summer reading program. If children read a certain number of books, whether weekly, or during the summer in general, they can win fun prizes. Our library, for example, has weekly book logs, (four in total), for toddlers up through grade eight. Upon returning the log, the children receive a prize, (something simple, like a super-ball), as well as coupons for free food–meals at places like Chick-fil-A, or free custard at the local custard place. At the end of the summer, they can get tickets to see the Gateway Grizzlies play baseball, and there are also raffles for various gift certificates, (Toys R Us and Build-a-Bear, to name two), and even Cardinals tickets.

Bookstores also offer fun programs to encourage reading. Borders has the most simple program–any child under the age of 12 simply fills out a book log with a list of ten books read. In return, the child gets to choose one free book from a list. The book list has a good selection of classics, such as Ramona the Brave and one of my favorites, The Phantom Tollbooth, as well as more modern books, like Ballpark Mysteries: The Fenway Foul-Up, and a good range of reading levels, from beginning readers, like Danny and the Dinosaur, up through children’s novels, such as Ella Enchanted.

Barnes and Noble has a similar program, but theirs is a little more challenging. Children in grades one through six, (note the specific age range), only have to read eight books, but in addition to listing both the name and author of each, they also need to make a recommendation as to who would like the book and why. In return, they also get to choose a free book, but they are limited to the selection of books appropriate to their grade level. I found their selection to be a little less appealing, but they do have some classics such as Nancy Drew and James and the Giant Peach. They even offer a few titles in Spanish, which I think is a great idea!

I don’t know if any other national chains offer similar programs, and I’m also not sure if independent bookstores would offer something similar, but it’s certainly worth checking into. Reading for pleasure is a great ability to have, and I’m glad to see so many different ways to foster this skill!

D-Day

Maybe it’s just because I went to the funeral of a WWII vet last week, but D-Day has been heavy on mind today. It seems as though people don’t really remember D-Day anymore. Yes, it’s been a long time, but it was a major event of World War II, and without it, the War could have had a very different ending.

From The American Patriot’s Almanac:

“Dwight D. Eisenhower once described the Allied forces assembled in Britain for the D-Day invasion of northern France as ‘a great human spring, coiled for the moment when its energy would be released and it would vault the English Channel in the greatest amphibious assault ever attempted.’

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, that tense, coiled spring was finally released as the Allied Fleet reached Normandy. Hundreds of planes dropped paratroopers behind German lines to capture bridges and railroad tracks. At dawn huge battleship guns began blasting away at German coastal fortifications. Amphibious craft landed on five beaches, and thousands of America, British, Canadian, and French troops fought their way ashore.

U.S. forces landing at Omaha Beach struggled with high seas, fog, mines, and enemy fire that poured down from high bluffs. Many soldiers were shot getting off their boats and died in the surf. Those who reached the sand met a wall of bullets. One commander told his men that only two types of people would stay on the beach–those dead and those going to die–so they’d better push forward. In some units on Omaha, 90 percent of the troops were killed or wounded. But the assault force managed to cross the beach and drive the Germans inland.

At Utah Beach, the other U.S. landing zone, the first wave of troops found themselves 2,000 yards south of where they were supposed to be. It was a lucky miss since the area was not as heavily defended as the original target. Quick-thinking commanders ordered troops to follow the first wave ashore to secure a beachhead.

Before D-Day was over, 155,000 Allied troops were ashore. Months of hard fighting lay ahead. But the Allies had at last established a toehold in northern Europe.”

Wrapping Up

Today begins our last week of second grade. I can’t believe we’re completing our third year of homeschooling!

It won’t be a terribly intensive week. Just a few stories left in our Bible storybook, and the corresponding workbook pages. Our math is pretty much review at this point, although we do have a big test at the end of the week. We have to finish up our phonics and handwriting workbooks, but again, at this point, we’re just reviewing what we’ve learned this year. We have a few pages left in our science book, (and we just happen to be studying space, which is great for everybody!), and a few chapters left in A Child’s History of the World. Latin is the only area where we’ll be doing a regular workload, and maybe even getting a little more challenging, as we start learning the “I Can” verbs.

We do have plenty of stuff planned for the summer, (besides reading programs and baseball and VBS). We still have some Latin to finish before we start Latina Christiana I, plus some review, just to keep our skills sharp. And when I say our, I mean it, because Latin has come slower to me than it has the children! Speaking of review, we’ll also be doing some math review this summer, especially in the area of “times tables.” Turkey is pretty close to having memorized them, but Bunny still has some work to do.

We have a few special fun things planned, too. We’re working on a bird project, to document our experiences with our nest, and all of the things we’ve learned about birds this spring. We’ll also be watching through Liberty’s Kids again this summer, partly because the time between Memorial Day and Independence Day is great for encouraging patriotism, and partly to act as a lead-in to our upcoming year of American History.

It’s been a busy, productive year, and the summer will be more of the same. Before you know it, school will be starting again, this time with third-graders (and one Pre-Ker) as my students!