This week marks our first week of school for the 2012-2013 school year. We are easing into it, especially since we are starting in the middle of summer and because Eli is joining us this year. I didn't want to overwhelm him with all of our usual daily activities, so we are starting out with a definite Delight-Directed unit on the Olympics with some math review and reading. It has been a pleasant week with lots of good work and lots of fun. I have been very impressed with the positive attitudes of my two little students. Even though we only do about 2-3 hours of school work a day, I have found them spending the majority of their free time playing Stack the States or Minecraft on the iPad. They have built some pretty impressive structures on Minecraft. Then they begged me for Stack the Countries, and have been begging me for months, so I thought this would be a great time to do it with the Olympics.
Here is our week in Collage form.
1. For the first day of school, Eli and Brynne drew themselves to decorate the fronts of their unit study binders.
2. They made gold medals with oven-baked clay painted a shimmery gold.
3. We did lots of Olympics literacy and math activities from 15 Summer Olympics Math and Literacy Activities. It was my Favorite Resource this Week.
4. For our Olympics torch, the kids painted three sheets of aluminum foil red, orange, and yellow. Then we crumbled it up together and stuck it inside a rolled up piece of brown construction paper. It will stay "lit" on our entertainment center until the conclusion of the Closing Ceremony.
5. For our read-a-loud, we are reading Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery from the Geronimo Stilton series.
6. Brynne and Eli also made Olympics t-shirts by stamping rings with toilet paper tubes and paint. Then they personalized their shirts.
Other than school work, I am working on packing up all of our homeschool supplies to move to our new house. Even though we will be spending the next several weeks (or months) renovating the house, we will still be doing our school work every day in the midst of the mess.
I will be participating in a couple of different blog hops soon:
The 5 Days of Blogging ~ Back to Homeschool Blog Hop by the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
and the 4th Annual "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop by iHomeschool Network.
During those weeks I will share our curriculum, methods, schedules, school room, and more. Hopefully we will be settled enough by then for me to share it all with you.
Join Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers for her Weekly Wrap-up Linky, and Mary at Homegrown Learners for her Collage Friday Linky. I am also linking up with Susan's Favorite Resource this Week Linky at Learning All the Time.
Hi Nicole - we are doing the Olympics unit study, too -- this coming week is our first official week back. I hope I'm ready!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for you to start renovations on your home - a blank slate sounds full of promise!
Love the kids' t-shirts!
Sounds like another great week. So much excitement in your life!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to participating in the blog hops. :)
Am I behind? Everyone starting school so early? Thanks for sharing your resources.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful start to the school year! All the best with you upcoming move!
ReplyDeleteYou're moving AND teaching at the same time? How are you not going insane?!!
ReplyDeleteI love the Olympics themed activities.
Looks like a great week! The Olympics are such a perfect starting point for so much learning :) Thanks for sharing your Olympics resources and linking up at Favorite Resources.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole! Your kids look so happy in the photos together, I think you're all going to have a great time homeschooling together. I look forward to reading updates on your big move and house renovations...and schooling all the while. Kudos to your family for making changes to lead the lifestyle you want. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteLove all the fun Olympic learning this week!! My girls have been wanting Stack the Countries too...you are right about the timing being perfect right now with the Olympics going on. I should get it for them:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you as you move, remodel, and homeschool!!