Homeschool Xmas Party

Today was our homeschool Xmas party. Everyone brought either a potluck dish or activity. I brought ginger bread cookies.



Ko-Ko made a 3D snowflake that one of the Moms found instructions for on You Tube (easy search but my iPhone doesn't always like to give me you tube links).


Another Mom brought simple foam Xmas crafts. Ko-Ko enjoyed both of these a lot. Then it was off to the gym. It was a good day for kids and Moms.


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Attawaiskat housing crisis

Attawapiskat has been in the news while we have been learning about Shannen's Dream. What started out as an education in politics, finance, the state if education and pollution had grown. Ko-Ko is learning about the very tough realities of our people, even here in the province we live in. It's a lot for a child to learn, however is is a lot harder on the children living this reality. Our lesson lengths vary, dependent on what she cam handle in a day. Could I be following a curriculum with easy topics and realities removed by the passing of hundreds of years? Sure. But what is the more relevant education? That once long ago Canada did not treat Native people in a good way? Or that here, today, nothing had changed?


Another video



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More On Attiwapiskat

Attiwapiskat has made the news
again. And again it is not good. Again the government is failing in it's financial duties. Attiwapiskat is in such dire circumstances that they are begging for evacuation.
Read the news article here.




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A Varied Discussion.

So as our exploration into the book Shannen's Dream for a school continues we spent a lot if time discussing different educational options and how those vary place to place. We talked about how lucky we are to live somewhere with many options. We also talked about how not everyone had those options, even here in Ontario. She was surprised that in some countries not everyone can go to school and that those same people may not have the option even to homeschool. I think this will be a good lead into our next book where educational options will be an underlying them to another issue.

On Friday we joined our roommate and her family at a Remembrance Day service where their family was invited to lay wreaths for the soldiers in their family who have passed on (both from WWI and WWII). Today we followed up by watching a program about Vimy Ridge and the art the soldiers left behind. She finished up with some art. It was a good and very full day. I should have broken it up more though I think she was intellectually tired about half way through the Vimy Ridge program.


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A DAY OUT

*With pic
So after some regular school work Ko-Ko and I went out. While on the bus we planned the weeks meals together and then created the grocery list from the plan. While out she practiced using the bank card and we used the calculator on my phone to see if we were keeping the grocery list in budget ($6 over). To finish off out trip we went for sushi. She read the menu and tried to teach me how to use chopsticks. I failed again. A good day and I believe ad much learning out of the house as in the house.



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Schooling Out

Yesterday while Ko-Ko worked on her math I created some school work for today. The work was all based on the boom we have been reading "Shannen's Dream For A School". We covered spelling, vocab, and some pages dealing with both geography and whats going on in the story. With no computer I had to handwrite it all. I do miss my computer and printer.

Today we were heading to the Native centre to pick up a support letter and make copies of my court papers. I brought the school work with us.



Ko-Ko worked away with great dedication and zero issues. With and ADD child this is not always the case and required patience and creativity on my part, sleep on hers ;) Maybe (I thought) we should work here everyday. LOL Ok in reality I know that is not the real solution. There are simply good days and difficult days in real life. It's just nice when the good days happen when you have an audience :)

Also I think the return to our old style is a good thing.


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Old Lessons

When I started homeschooling in December 2008 I went with school at home. I didn't realize there were other methods. In less then a year I was looking for other methods and became a unit study, lab book, educational games, projects and experiments, living book junkie type :)

Well old lessons need to be re-learned sometimes. I went with a curriculum this fall out of fear (custody case).

It wasn't great. For Ko-Ko it just doesn't sink in doing worksheets.

So we are back to our old ways (still using curriculum for math).


Right now we are reading "Shannen's dream for a school". A true story about the kids in Attawapiskat (northern Ontario). We are doing vocabulary and spelling from words in the book. Chosen when she asks what they mean. Geography and geology based on the book. Plus the book is about currant history and politics. What more could you ask for? Art, well she has made some lovely protest signs just like the kids in the book.

So glad to be back at it our way. And I totally recommend this book.

http://www.janetwilson.ca/shannen-and-the-dream-for-a-school.html

You can also learn about the Shannen's Dream foundation and watch you tube videos of the kids speaking so google away "Shannen's Deam".


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