Second Semester Begins

Co-op starts back up 

Monday, Feb. 3rd!

I know we are all excited to come together again to join in efforts to educate our children!

Please see "Science" and "History" tabs for additional activities.  

We will be building and drawing "Castles" on Monday as we cover Medieval times this semester!

Introducing Mary's New Baby -- A Little Late

I can't believe it took me so long to get these beautiful pictures up of Mary's beautiful new little girl. My sincerest apologies to Mary and the entire co-op crew.

We've all had the opportunity to meet her, but I wanted to make sure I posted some of the pics from her first days out of the womb.

Once again, congratulations to Mary and Mark and the entire family. Leah is absolutely precious.

Leah Catherine M.
Born 9/24
9 lbs-8oz, 21"

Some Helpful Updates

Just wanted to alert you to some updates to the blog. You'll notice that I've included a permanent search field in the right column in case you need to access information from a past post. Simply type a keyword, and all relative posts should pop up.

I've also added the link to the online suite just above the search field so you don't have to find the post in which it first appeared.

Below the Timeline Videos and Supporting Curriculum, I've added a link that will have upcoming field trips listed.

I hope these updates will help you in your homeschooling adventure, both during the week and at co-op.

Also, we've had requests from some other SHHE moms to read the blog and view the pictures of all the wonderful things going on during our co-op. We'd like to get your feedback on whether you'd be willing to let us invite fellow SHHE members per request to get access to the site so they can get a peek -- a nice gesture for those who missed out this year but might want to sign up later should spaces open in the future, or for our board members who are interested in seeing firsthand what this SHHE-sponsored program is all about. We will also be inviting Alicia Rolling, founder of the Schola Rosa program, so the national headquarters can see all that we're doing with their program.

Please leave a comment indicating whether you are okay or not okay with allowing access to SHHE members who request to read the blog. Final decision will be made by Aryn and Kelly.

Below are some more pictures from this past Monday's meeting, including fun with volcanos and mosaics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week Two Recap

So sorry I'm behind in blogging this week. I had a writing deadline to meet, and while it pays a little more than the Schola Rosa blog, it isn't nearly as fun. ;)

Also, I didn't post a Fieldtrip Fridays for two reasons:

1. I didn't receive any fieldtrips to post.

2. I forgot.

Since I don't have 18 degrees and an IQ of 215 like the founders of the Schola Rosa program, I was having some trouble finding the actual login site to access our Schola Rosa online suite last week. Fortunately a quick email to Mrs. Zuk solved that problem for me, so I'm posting the link here in case anyone else suffers from occasional bouts of cyber-illiteracy.

Here are some photos from week two that I thought you'd enjoy. Mrs. Ferris also sent some photos from the icon art project as promised.

 

 

 

 

 

And here's some exciting news. Your children have proved to be geniuses, and you are doing such an amazing job running the co-op, that I've convinced the Powers That Be to give everyone the day off next Monday.

Don't say I never did anything for you.

So, please don't show up for co-op next Monday, Sept. 30. Instead, go somewhere fun or spend a day stressing that you're failing miserably in homeschooling.

I'm kidding. But, seriously, don't show up next week.

I thought I'd leave you all with an enjoyable quote from comedian and Catholic Stephen Colbert:

"Females need to nurture constantly, so they hate any time alone where they are left to think, shower, or sleep. For a Mom to be happy, every moment away from her children must be filled with the soul-wrenching thought, 'Am I a bad mother?' The answer to that question is a resounding, 'Yes.'

"A good mother cooks, cleans, drives, organizes charity events so her children earn community service points for college, and expects nothing in return except love and breakfast in bed one day a year.

"So, a word to all you Femini-Idi-Amins: Stop 'liberating' moms by trying to make them join the workforce. They're already doing the job that God put them here to do: Everything."

Field Trip Friday - Sept.13

Greetings brave co-opers. Congratulations on getting through your first week. Nobody's quit publically yet, so we're off to a good start.

As promised, here are two field trip possibilities submitted to our fearless leaders by Mrs. Nevins. Just a reminder that no field trip is mandatory unless it involves a spa day for all mothers while the kids remain tied down seated comfortably in some kind of catatonic edified state in front of an episode of Magic School Bus.

You are welcome to organize anything and make it as formal as you want, but please remember that free is a favorite word in the homeschool world.

Upcoming Field Trips

Homeschool Day at Vertuccio Farms.

Monday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cost if $5 per person with a non-perishable food item.

Ages 3 and younger are free.

Vertuccio Farms is located on Power Road between Elliot and Ray.

 

ASU Earth and Space Exploration Day
Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost is free.
Registration is required.

They will have activities that complement what we learn this first semester, including volcano activities and lab tour, EarthScope - Earthquake activities and Geology Field trip to A Mountain, plus much more.

 

 

 

Icon Drawings

Icons? More like I can. Check out some samples our kids worked on in art on day one. Mrs. Ferris snapped some photos of these initial sketches and traces. Tune in next week for pictures of the pieces after they've been painted.

If you want to submit photos or any other information for our blog, please check out this post for details on what I'm looking for.

Also, I am going to blog one post a week called Field Trip Fridays, which will highlight upcoming field trip opportunities. Please submit your field trip information no later than Wednesday by 7 p.m.  each week to have your trip included in the upcoming Friday post. If I receive it after the deadline, I will hold it over for the following week. If no field trip ideas arrive, I will draw one name of a lucky mom from a hat who will win one of two exciting gifts: an all-expense-paid vacation to some exotic destination... uh... to be determined later, or a chance to buy me a Mocha Frappe from McDonald's.*

In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of our talented children.

 

 

 

*Disclaimer: Some details in this post may be exaggerated or entirely false.

First Day of Co-Op!

"Nobody had to go see the discipline person, today! Oh, but poor Mrs. Fowler; she didn't have a job."

These, the words from my 1st-grader when I said I felt this first day of co-op couldn't have gone any better.

Of course, we know the success isn't measured in how few demerits were handed out but in how few potty accidents occurred (okay, my daughter was the only one -- thanks for bringing it up).

In all seriousness, it seems it wasn't just rain pouring down over our little co-op in Gilbert, Ariz. Grace flooded the hall of St. Anne today. You could feel the Holy Spirit at work, and I think from what I could tell in talking to other moms, we all seem to feel this co-op was just what we needed in our homeschool journey -- the right fit at the right time.

Hats off to our teachers and assistants today, who managed to make it look like we'd hired them on from local prep schools (no, you're not getting paid; get that out of your head). Kudos to the snack and coffee ladies, who added just the right touch of allergen-free hospitality. A super thank-you to our music instructors, whose vocal talents managed to balance out the off-key notes disseminating from some tone-deaf bloggers moms who shall remain nameless. Great job, as always, by our fearless director, who presented the concept of faith while doing a mean monkey impersonation. Bravo. And let's not forget our kids, who overcame the desperate inclination to pounce in puddles to arrive on time, ready to give their all and learn to say words like "cuneiform".

This is a labor of love, but I think we'd all agree, these kids are worth it. God gave them to us -- and rumor has it He knows what He's doing. So let us finally say thanks to Him for the fruits that did and will continue to grow from this first day of co-op. In the words of Fr. Sergio, "I thought it would be louder."