[Sorta... I missed Wednesday! I had SUCH a stressful day yesterday!!!! And today too! So one day late, here is my Wanna know Wednesday....]
When does school start?
For the Kastner Family... school starts the Wednesday after Labor Day. When I taught at H.C.S., I absolutely ADORED the idea of having the Tuesday after Labor Day off before school starts. Therefore, when we started homeschooling, that was the model we adopted. (Well except for the year John had brain surgery... that year we had brain surgery the Tuesday after Labor Day so school did NOT start the Wednesday after Labor Day.)
As the years have passed, I have developed more reasons for placing our "First Day of School" on that day. Like:
In my experience, going "back to school" is not much fun for homeschooled kids... no new school clothes... no seeing your friends after a long summer apart.... no new teacher, new class, new room... it is all the SAME... therefore, it is my belief that a SHORT first week of school is good for not-too-thrilled-about-going-back-to-school children and the parents who have to teach them :)
Soooooo when does school start for you?
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
SUCH a DORK!
I full well know what a dork I am... No one in their RIGHT mind should get THIS excited about school supplies, curriculum, lesson plans.... However this time of year ALWAYS takes me back.... to a time when I got paid to do what I love to do... See right now
1. I have one job where I get paid... period.
2. I have another job where I get paid to do what I like to do...
3. and I have one job where I don't get paid to do what I love to do...
But when I was a teacher, I got to do what I LOVED to do. I got to plan lessons, impart knowledge, see that light bulb of comprehension go on above a child's head.... and I got PAID (although not very much) to do it! AWESOME! This time of year always takes me back a little!
Alas, I digress...
I know how dorky it is to get THIS excited about things like this:
*two weeks ago I bought expensive zipper binders for the boys.
I searched and searched for JUST the right ones. I needed a 3-ring binder part for their dividers (can I get a WITNESS??? who was in my 6th grade class? remember the BINDERS???? my kids do them too!!!!) I also needed file sections for 1.) work to be completed 2.) work to be graded 3.) work to be filed. I found them... paid $10 each for them (nearly puked at the price but rationalized, "They should last more than one year, right???") this was a BIG purchase for me and I hemmed and hawed and loved EVERY minute of picking those binders!
*at least once a week ALL SUMMER LONG I visit the A Beka site...
refill my shopping cart with the books I'm gonna buy... Then hop on over to ChristianBook.com to virtually shop for our math curriculum....
Tomorrow I get to click PURCHASE on my orders. I'm seriously so excited I'm not sure how I'll sleep tonight!
*I wait with anxious anticipation of the first day of "traditional" school then I wait a few more days... and I CHARGE to Walmart list in hand and snatch up all the clearance school supplies I can fit in my cart. LOVE IT! Can't wait for it!
Also, first week of school planning is under way!!!! It's gonna be a first week of school CELEBRATION like the Kastners have never seen before!
1. Each child gets to pick a favorite meal to be consumed during the first week.
2. The first day we have a CAKE to celebrate.
3. Fireworks! Last year we did FIREWORKS to celebrate the end of the first day of school... think we'll do those again.
4. Presents!!!! We're having presents this year!'
(I'm sure there will be more hoopla! I have over a week still to come up with more crazy ideas! so stay tuned)
9 MORE DAYS!!!!!!
1. I have one job where I get paid... period.
2. I have another job where I get paid to do what I like to do...
3. and I have one job where I don't get paid to do what I love to do...
But when I was a teacher, I got to do what I LOVED to do. I got to plan lessons, impart knowledge, see that light bulb of comprehension go on above a child's head.... and I got PAID (although not very much) to do it! AWESOME! This time of year always takes me back a little!
Alas, I digress...
I know how dorky it is to get THIS excited about things like this:
*two weeks ago I bought expensive zipper binders for the boys.
I searched and searched for JUST the right ones. I needed a 3-ring binder part for their dividers (can I get a WITNESS??? who was in my 6th grade class? remember the BINDERS???? my kids do them too!!!!) I also needed file sections for 1.) work to be completed 2.) work to be graded 3.) work to be filed. I found them... paid $10 each for them (nearly puked at the price but rationalized, "They should last more than one year, right???") this was a BIG purchase for me and I hemmed and hawed and loved EVERY minute of picking those binders!
*at least once a week ALL SUMMER LONG I visit the A Beka site...
refill my shopping cart with the books I'm gonna buy... Then hop on over to ChristianBook.com to virtually shop for our math curriculum....
Tomorrow I get to click PURCHASE on my orders. I'm seriously so excited I'm not sure how I'll sleep tonight!
*I wait with anxious anticipation of the first day of "traditional" school then I wait a few more days... and I CHARGE to Walmart list in hand and snatch up all the clearance school supplies I can fit in my cart. LOVE IT! Can't wait for it!
Also, first week of school planning is under way!!!! It's gonna be a first week of school CELEBRATION like the Kastners have never seen before!
1. Each child gets to pick a favorite meal to be consumed during the first week.
2. The first day we have a CAKE to celebrate.
3. Fireworks! Last year we did FIREWORKS to celebrate the end of the first day of school... think we'll do those again.
4. Presents!!!! We're having presents this year!'
(I'm sure there will be more hoopla! I have over a week still to come up with more crazy ideas! so stay tuned)
9 MORE DAYS!!!!!!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
It's coming!!!!!!
The beginning of the school year is RAPIDLY approaching! In fact, so rapidly I haven't finished purchasing supplies!!!! I'm so excited and ready for the year.
Here's a sneak peek:
*Hannah's in Kindergarten!!!!!
*brand new (EXPENSIVE) binder system
*History of War (Noah's social studies... he's gonna LOVE it!)
*Science by Dad (crazy MythBusters style science experiments... the MESSIER the better!)
*Psalm 27... that's our first memorization this year... good stuff. You should READ it!
*Family Reading... 1st novel: Pilgrim's Progress
and....
DRUMROLL....
*I really TRULY hope to blog BETTER about homeschooling! This poor site is my most neglected blog.
So get to swimming Kastner kids! the end of summer approaches!
Here's a sneak peek:
*Hannah's in Kindergarten!!!!!
*brand new (EXPENSIVE) binder system
*History of War (Noah's social studies... he's gonna LOVE it!)
*Science by Dad (crazy MythBusters style science experiments... the MESSIER the better!)
*Psalm 27... that's our first memorization this year... good stuff. You should READ it!
*Family Reading... 1st novel: Pilgrim's Progress
and....
DRUMROLL....
*I really TRULY hope to blog BETTER about homeschooling! This poor site is my most neglected blog.
So get to swimming Kastner kids! the end of summer approaches!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wanna know Wednesday...
Team sports... what are you doing about them?
Jeremiah has been BUGGING me forever to find a basketball team for him to play on. I have been googling for three straight days. WOW! I cannot find much in my area! However, here are a few tidbits I picked up:
1. According to WIAA bylaws, homeschool children canNOT play on Varsity public school teams. (This was a shocking revelation to me as I had always been under the understanding that they could, but NOPES they cannot compete at the Varsity level.)
2. Dodge County does NOT have many rec leagues! GRRRRRRR! I found a soccer program out of Brownsville that also includes kids from Mayville (the Mayville branch's link is broken right now) and little league in Mayville (which we are just a few days too late to sign up for), but both seem so OFFICIAL! I don't want my child on the fast track to the big leagues... I just want him to have a chance to experience these sports and see if he wants to pursue them any more.
3. Washington County Home School Athletics seems GREAT! (WOW! do I wish they had one of these in Dodge County!) They have a few middle school and pretty many high school teams. However, they give preference to athletes who live within a 20 mile radius of West Bend, and we don't. Also I can't get a reply to my request for information from them. Finally, they don't have a cheer team, which we all know is an IMPORTANT factor in this household.
4. Mountain Top Christian Academy will allow my children to play on their teams; however, at some point (when they are a little older) they require the participants to take one PE class through their school to be a part of their athletic program. (I'm not thinking that will happen for us... kinda defeats the purpose of HOMEschooling in my opinion.)
Sooooooooooooooooo I'm trying to start a team.... I know! I know! I need another thing to do just like I need another hole in my head! But Jeremiah REALLY wants to play! BAD! I wrote a proposal for a basketball team/cheer squad and submitted it to the Program Director at the TAG Center. Wouldn't it be IDEAL if my kiddos could have a team just 10 - 15 minutes away???? If you live near "ish" to Mayville and would have an interest in Boys' Bball and/or Girls' Cheer, shoot me an e-mail and I'll keep you posted on the status.
So finally to the Wanna Know part! I wanna know what you're doing for TEAM SPORTS? What you've found? What you've tried? What you've heard about? Even if it is outside MY area, SHARE because
1. it might give me an idea.
2. it might give someone else in your area an idea.
[On an aside, John's has been teaching our children martial arts for a LONG time, and he is now trying to get certified in a new type of martial arts called Christjitsu. We're hoping he will actually be taking that public and teaching it to others outside our family soon. If you're interested in that, let me know and I'll have him keep you posted on it.]
Jeremiah has been BUGGING me forever to find a basketball team for him to play on. I have been googling for three straight days. WOW! I cannot find much in my area! However, here are a few tidbits I picked up:
1. According to WIAA bylaws, homeschool children canNOT play on Varsity public school teams. (This was a shocking revelation to me as I had always been under the understanding that they could, but NOPES they cannot compete at the Varsity level.)
2. Dodge County does NOT have many rec leagues! GRRRRRRR! I found a soccer program out of Brownsville that also includes kids from Mayville (the Mayville branch's link is broken right now) and little league in Mayville (which we are just a few days too late to sign up for), but both seem so OFFICIAL! I don't want my child on the fast track to the big leagues... I just want him to have a chance to experience these sports and see if he wants to pursue them any more.
3. Washington County Home School Athletics seems GREAT! (WOW! do I wish they had one of these in Dodge County!) They have a few middle school and pretty many high school teams. However, they give preference to athletes who live within a 20 mile radius of West Bend, and we don't. Also I can't get a reply to my request for information from them. Finally, they don't have a cheer team, which we all know is an IMPORTANT factor in this household.
4. Mountain Top Christian Academy will allow my children to play on their teams; however, at some point (when they are a little older) they require the participants to take one PE class through their school to be a part of their athletic program. (I'm not thinking that will happen for us... kinda defeats the purpose of HOMEschooling in my opinion.)
Sooooooooooooooooo I'm trying to start a team.... I know! I know! I need another thing to do just like I need another hole in my head! But Jeremiah REALLY wants to play! BAD! I wrote a proposal for a basketball team/cheer squad and submitted it to the Program Director at the TAG Center. Wouldn't it be IDEAL if my kiddos could have a team just 10 - 15 minutes away???? If you live near "ish" to Mayville and would have an interest in Boys' Bball and/or Girls' Cheer, shoot me an e-mail and I'll keep you posted on the status.
So finally to the Wanna Know part! I wanna know what you're doing for TEAM SPORTS? What you've found? What you've tried? What you've heard about? Even if it is outside MY area, SHARE because
1. it might give me an idea.
2. it might give someone else in your area an idea.
[On an aside, John's has been teaching our children martial arts for a LONG time, and he is now trying to get certified in a new type of martial arts called Christjitsu. We're hoping he will actually be taking that public and teaching it to others outside our family soon. If you're interested in that, let me know and I'll have him keep you posted on it.]
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
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