Texas HOME Educators - January Newsletter

 

Calendar of Events

January 04 Co-op Classes

January 11 Ballet Classes

January 18 Family Field Trip

January 25 Ballet Classes

 

Co-op Classes

09:00 Musical Theater

11:00 Service Scouts – this month, we are collecting fleece blankets, cat beds, toys without studding, leashes without hooks, dog food, and cat food to take to the animal shelter. Each member will need to bring one of these items to earn their patch; but feel free to bring more than one item to donate.

 

Ballet Classes

09:00 Ballet I (ages 3-6)

10:00 Ballet II (ages 7-10)

11:00 Ballet III (ages 11+)

12:00 Beginner Pointe (ages 11+)

 

Classes are held at Studio D in Lumberton, Texas. Girls attire is black leotard, pink tights, pink ballet shoes, and hair in bun. Please do not wear ballet shoes outdoors. Ballet tuition is $25 per month. Pointe tuition is $25 per month. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Reed at 409-504-8135.

 

Family Field Trip

Register by January 11 for our KSBJ Tour on January 18. Our tour begins at 2:15 p.m. at KSBJ, 1722 Treble Drive, Humble, TX 77338. There is no cost for this field trip; but we are limited to 20 people. Please text Susan Reed at 409-504-8135 to reserve your spot for the KSBJ Tour.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - GIVEAWAY

I have a special gift for ONE of my readers this Christmas, a copy of the Winter 2018/2019 edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine – the trade magazine for the homeschool community! Inside the cover of every issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, you will find:

·         Practical suggestions that address your homeschooling challenges;

·         Ideas for teaching academic subjects across all ages;

·         Curriculum resources and current developments;

·         Technology trends you need to know about;

·         Information to help you balance academics with family life;

·         Expert advice on teaching the special needs learner;

·         And inspiring personal stories from real homeschooling parents.

So how can YOU receive this ONE copy of the Winter 2018/2019 edition of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine? Your name will automatically be in the drawing if you follow my blog through email and if you follow my Facebook group page; but if you would like an extra entry, share this post of your personal Facebook page and tag me under your post; and I will announce the recipient for this FREE gift on Christmas Day!

Happy Homeschooling! 



Teaching Our Children to be Cheerful Receivers

Christmas will soon be here and as much as our family enjoys the blessings of giving, it is not always easy being a cheerful receiver. Sometimes we receive gifts that we do not like or gifts that we will never use; but this should not stop us from being a cheerful receiver. If your children need help learning to be a cheerful receiver, I would like to encourage you to gather up some unusual Christmas gifts like an ugly sweater, a used book, a bar of soap, etc. - just be sure each child has a gift to unwrap. Use these gifts to teach invaluable lessons on being a cheerful receiver.

Children may not always understand why a gift was given, so we need to encourage them to be thankful and teach them how to be a cheerful receiver. What good is an ugly sweater? Well, this will really keep one warm on a chilly winter night. What good is a used book? Maybe the gift was given from someone who read it cover to cover and wished to pass on their love for reading with their favorite, autographed book - never judge a book by its cover - or maybe its a book out of print with special meaning. What good is a bar of soap? Perhaps its a homemade bar of soap, talk about the labor of love put in to making that bar of soap.

It may not always be easy to be a cheerful receiver; but there is always something positive we can say about the gifts we receive. As parents, we need to be a cheerful receiver too. When it comes to teaching our children, much more is caught than taught. We cannot expect our children to rise above our example.

A-Z Gift Guide of Games

Are you looking for some Christmas gift ideas for the kids? Something fun? Something educational? Here is an A-Z gift guide of games for some family fun!

A – Apples to Apples

B – Battleship

C – Chess

D – Dutch Blitz

E – Eye Found It

F – Family Charades

G – Guess Who

H – Hi Ho Chery-O

I – I Spy Dig In

J – Jenga

K – Kingdomino

L – Locale

M – Mancala

N – Head Full of Numbers

O – Operation

P – Phase 10

Q – Q-bitz

R – Race Across the USA

S – Scattergories

T – Triominos

U – Uno

V – Video Games

W – Wits & Wagers

X – Explore the World

Y – Yahtzee

Z – Zoo opoly

Happy Homeschooling!

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women - Crew Review

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan is a hardback devotional book written for girls ages thirteen through eighteen; but the topics included apply to all women. The book is beautifully designed with foiled cover, two-color interior pages, and a ribbon book mark.  As the title implies, there are 365 devotions labeled by day and not by date. Each day features an easy-to-read, relevant devotion paired with a Scripture passage about a biblical woman you can look to for wisdom and inspiration. Each devotion is just a single page, and each page includes four lines at the bottom as journaling space to help you reflect on the day’s message. Lindsay A. Franklin uses the inspiring stories of ancient women in the Bible – such as Eve, Esther, Ruth, Mary, and many more – with an occasional humorous text to keep young women’s attention and draws practical truths from God’s Word for everyday life. The devotions speak about the things that matter most in a young woman’s life and encourages them to see truth through God’s Word because each young woman is beautiful, valued, adored, cherished, and beloved.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. I would hope to see a King James Version in the future; but our family simply read the Bible passage from the devotional book and then read the Bible passage from the King James Version before we read the devotion for the day. I am using this devotional book with my three daughters as part of our daily devotions because each devotion speaks to the pressures and changes young women are facing right now, giving them real-world applications to keep God in the forefront of their life. The Bible has so much to say about the unique challenges – the heartaches and high points – of being a female. There are dozens of women in the Bible, some named but many unnamed. Through their stories, we discover role models and cautionary tales, tragedies and triumphs; and all these stories of ancient women are surprisingly relevant to our lives today.

Lindsay A. Franklin not only encourages the young women, but also the aged women as she reminds us that we don’t grow in godliness and stretch our faithfulness only for our own wellbeing. We are also looking to pass along a legacy of faith to others. Each of us will leave something behind – a legacy of the life we lived and what mattered to us most. Another aspect I like about this devotional book is that it inspires you to dig deeper into God’s Word. After we read each devotion, we discuss the truth being presented and we use our King James Version study Bible for cross references and commentary notes.

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women would be a great gift idea for any young woman on your gift-giving list. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and encourage you to visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women.

 

My Illinois

Experience the history of Illinois in a whole new way with a unique, reader friendly, newspaper format. My Illinois consists of 32 issues filled with colorful maps, photos and illustrations that draw the reader into the fascinating history of Illinois. This history of Illinois is told as if it is current news, where people and places of the past come to life as if they were with us today.

As a direct teaching aid, the teacher’s manual provides the instructor with everything needed to make teaching Illinois a success. The text of each issue is accompanied by lesson goals, detailed notes and background information which provides the essential facts for each lesson. Interactive questions encourage the student to ask questions, and strive to create teachable moments between the student and instructor. The teacher’s manual also includes the answer guide to the mid-term and final tests.

My Illinois was written for the fourth-grade classroom; but is well suited for higher grade levels. I used this curriculum with my sixth grader; and I would recommend it for fourth through eighth graders. After growing up in Illinois, I was happy to review this product and teach my daughter about the land of Lincoln. I especially enjoyed teaching Issue 31 because Illinois farms feed America. I have seen the importance of farming and it takes a lot of hard work to grow the crops and raise the animals. My daughter has learned so much about the history of Illinois through this curriculum. My Illinois is a great way to teach state history! Instead of overwhelming the student with another textbook, each issue consists of a 4-page handout covering a specific time period or topic. Make My Illinois a part of your student’s curriculum and prepare to embark on a journey neither of you will ever forget.

-Product review by Susan Reed, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, November, 2017