The Old School Monday Welcome Back to School Party!

Moms, please get this date on your calendars!!!!!

We are starting back up with Old School Mondays this month, and our first one will be a party! Sept. 28, 10-1 there at Vintage--we will meet in the gym and then move into a classroom for the party and our main event, the "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" displays made by YOU!

Don't get scared--this is going to be fun and as easy as you want it to be! Every family (or child) who wants to participate in the event should make a colorful display representing your summer learning and adventures. I am going all out--think posterboard and cardboard booths, like at a science fair! But you can make it much simpler if you want--anything goes!

Ideas for your display:
--postcards, souveniers from travel
--photos, photo books
--hands-on objects (things gathered at the beach this summer, a necklace won at the state fair, etc. Just make sure they are objects that can be touched by the other kids who are coming and will be interested in handling them.
--Drawings, artwork

The one things I am requiring* is that your child must write something to be included in the display.

For our family display, we are making a book about visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo while in Colorado. If we are really on top of things, we will also make a scrapbook about our first roadtrip! And we will have photo displays of a wedding we were in. We will also display a pioneer journal that is in process, some postcards, some descriptions the girls wrote (or narrated to me) about what we saw and did, and some hands-on fun things to show and tell, like the rope they made at the Laura Ingalls Homestead living museum, and their prairie girl outfits.

So here is a breakdown of what our first Old School Monday will look like:
10-10:30 families meet at the gym, say hello, go set up their displays in the classroom, come back and hang out until time to start.
10:30ish welcome and introductions in the gym
then we can all head over to the classroom and look at the displays. Each child will get a turn to talk about his/her display to the group.
And then we will break out the food and party!

I am hoping that everyone brings at least one food item to share. I think, because of the carpets, that we will just have water to drink (although grown-ups are welcome to get a drink from the Abbey, which is NOW OPEN on MONDAYS! Whoo-hoo!) but let's make it a true party with food!

I also hope that everyone invites whatever homeschool families you know to participate or just show up for the party! Oh, and Ocean Grove families, please invite your ES's too!

AND I hope that during the hang-out time, we can brainstorm about other fun activities/lessons we can do in future OSMs. (See my other posting) So think about it, and come with ideas!

I will try to get there a little early to set up some tables and get some decorations up. Anyone who wants to help, or bring decorations (I am thinking easy, like balloons) please do! : )


Questions, comments, ideas--please post them to the "comments"! And PLEASE RSVP so we know how many tables to get set up! : )

I hope you all had fantastic summers, and I can't wait to see you!


*like I can really make you do anything! but this is a strong encouragement to add to the educational benefit of this fun event