i got the idea when i saw two girls
at the botanical garden for earth day.
their shirts read: yes
i’m homeschooled
yes
i’m socialized
yes
i had class today
i got the tree image from istockphoto
and did the rest with a little photoshop.
not that anyone would buy them,
but they are not for sale to the public.
it’s an exclusive thang. [smile]
only members of
good tree montessori homeschool
can buy them.
also, it’s a unity thing,
like for outings and what not: we love homeschool.
yes, we do!
we love homeschool.
how about out you?
i’m homeschooling,
but thinking and planning ahead, see.
it may be the case by the time my children
want to go to college
– if that is indeed what they want to do –
or apply for some job
that they just can’t get around
a requirement for a high school diploma
despite any displayed talent, natural ability or actual experience.
here are a few institutions
that allow you to get that paper
while still giving you the room
to tailor your child’s homeschool curriculum:
i’m on a yahoo group where a woman — an american citizen living abroad — posted a question about homeschooling in germany where homeschooling is illegal. a replier to the post shared advice from the home school legal defense association saying that as a US citizen she did not have to comply with foreign homeschooling laws AND because she was living out of the country, she didn’t have to comply with even US state law. now, who would have known THAT with HSLDA?
the Home School Legal Defense Association or HSLDA “is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms…members receive legal consultation…are represented through negotiations with local officials, and…are represented in court proceedings.” HSLDA advocates on capitol hill, in state legislatures and in the media.
founded in 1983, HSLDA “employs over 60 staff members in both full and part-time positions” and all nine attorneys are homeschooling dads. after the initial, affordable membership fees there are no other cost even if you have to go to court, although most potential problems are resolved without any court action.
if you’re not sure if you want to join, sign up for their newsletters via email — called their e-lert service — so you can get a feel of all they do legally for the right to homeschool.
it’s probably old as the internet, but i found this online and added a few green edits:
Q: How does a homeschooler change a light bulb?
A: First, mom checks all the books on electricity out of the library. Then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison, and do a skit based on his life. Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles. Next, everyone takes a trip to the store where they compare types of light bulbs as well as prices. They decide to buy compact fluorescent light bulbs that save electricity as well as the environment. They figure out how much change they’ll get back if they buy three bulbs for $3.99 and pay with a ten dollar bill. On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Alexander Hamilton as his picture is on the ten dollar bill. Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed. And there is light.
sanaa and rahmah started swim lessons last monday
at the m.l.k. jr. natatorium
on boulevard near the king memorial.
it’s a good deal:
7 weeks, 2 times a week for $30.
it is a diverse group skill-wise,
some kids served as someone for my newbies to look up to,
while others were on the verge of tears.
rahmah left the first lesson
after only a few turns in the water.
i’d left to go get the goggles i’d forgotten
in the rush to get there on time,
but ishaq told me
she’d started screaming and ran away from the pool to him.
a nearby mom said all her children cried for weeks
when they first started swim lessons.
we might move her to the saturday aqua-tots class.
sanaa almost strangled the poor instructor
during her turns in the water.
today is the second lesson
and both of them are excited about returning,
despite the challenges of the last lesson,
alHamdullilah.
from the matter and energy section
in basic montessori by david gettman,
this is one of the exercises that help to
“make a child aware that air is an important part of the physical environment,
and to demonstrate some of the air’s properties.”
plus it’s fun.
“we have air in our lungs.
when we blow through the straw
we blow air.”
kids probably do this anyway.
but done with explanation
– and a little dish soap and food coloring for fun –
now it’s a science lesson.
oh, what a entertaining family event this was!
want to get a child excited about european history?
come see it reenacted with costumes, dialect and all
in this quaint medieval-themed fair.
open only on saturdays and sundays
the georgia renaissance festival will be in town
until june 1st.
we went on the opening weekend
when they offered 2 for 1 adult tickets.
plus kids 6 and under are free.
that was great because EVERYTHING else
– except the entertainment –
cost a pretty penny.
for example, bottled water was in the $2 range.
the best thing to do,
is bring a picnic lunch
and eat it in the parking lot.
if you get your hand stamped
you can re-enter until an hour before closing.
i wish i’d worn a costume of my own,
but even that could be had for a price.
this wagon rental was an excellent investment.
a stiltwalker welcomes us.
irish harpist
on the way to our first show, we saw an ugly wench
– that’s what they called them back then –
flirting with a guest.
an indian condor,
part of the birds of prey show.
elf, fairy and hobbit ears for sale.
the junior joust for all ages.
the royal lipizzan stallions.
one did a trick where it lifted all its feet off the ground in a grand leap;
the other trotted like it was doing horse-ballet.
sword — and balloon — swallower and nose driller named thom sellectomy.
he ended up swallowing the whole length of the balloon.
there were many deep throat comments from the audience[...ahem].
on the way out, we catch a thumb war!
another show you can’t miss
is the joust.
get there early and catch a bench
cause it fills up fast.
there was the typical night in shining armor
against the villainous dark night
from spain, no less.
there was much cheering, boo-ing, hisses and laughter.
one warning,
be prepared for the privies (port-o-potties).
they were clean and not that stinky as far as portable bathrooms go.
i was just planning to do a trash walk in our community,
picking up trash in our neighborhood,
but there is so much going on around the city.
atlanta parent has a lengthy list of earth day celebrations around the city,
many of them free.
my favorites:
Earth Day Celebration
Georgia Tech
April 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Live bands, a life-size maze, a farmer’s market and more than 60 educational displays on how to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Raynard The Fox and Captain Planet will be on hand to get people excited about recycling old electronics and shoes. This year’s theme is “Take Action: Code Green,” encouraging people to take action to improve the Earth. 350 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta. 404-894-2004. Free.
Earth Day in Oakhurst
Oakhurst Community Garden Project
April 20, 2-4 p.m.
Author Grady Thrasher reads from his new children’s book, Tim and Sally’s Vegetable Garden, and helps kids plant seedlings. Activities include a flying critter puppet-making station from the Center of Puppetry Arts, drumming activities, face painting, a treasure hunt and cake contest. 435 Oakview Rd., Decatur. 678-642-4977. Free.
Earth Day in the Garden
Atlanta Botanical Garden
April 22, 10:30-8 p.m.
Celebrate Earth Day with half-price admission to the Garden and take part in educational opportunities. The day starts with nature-themed stories and songs in the Children’s Garden. From 1-7 p.m., enjoy a series of one-hour presentations about everything from African Forest Conservation to Battling the Global Amphibian Crisis. 1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. 404-876-5859. Adults, $6; children 3-17, $4.50; under 3, free.
in addition, here are some crafty ways to reuse things around the house from kaboose.com.
yeah, you can learn a lot in the classroom
but equally important
and is learning about our neighborhood, community, world and environment.
being in atlanta is GREAT for this.
i’m always on the look out
or on some email list or yahoo group
so i can find out what’s up!
one of the latest was touch-a-truck
a few saturdays ago in march
in the decatur high school parking lot.
while rahmah went with me
to our regular saturday morning african dance class
sanaa and aya went with ishaq around the corner
to “see, touch and explore” all the big trucks they see in their neighborhood:
the city of decatur fire truck, dump trucks, tractors, police cars, motorcycles and more.
to top it off: it was FREE!
if it isn’t but once a week
or once a month
we go out,
especially when the weather is nice.
plus it gives us a good balance
after being in the house all day homeschooling and living life.
