Thursday, February 19, 2009

Old School Monday--Monday!

Ok, Ladies, it is time to get on this blog and give some feedback! Our first Vintage homeschool gathering on the 13th was great--at least I thought it went well, and people seemed to enjoy themselves. So! Who is up for another gathering this Monday, which is when we are to start our Old School Mondays? I would like to know how many kids I should plan for, since I have a fun counting craft in mind that I might need to pick up some more stuff for. So, if you know you are coming, would you please post a comment or email me? Thanks!

Please see the older post for the details of time, place, etc.

NEW DETAIL: If you plan on joining us for these school times, please put together a "Monday Box" for your child. (Siblings can share, but you will of course want to modify the amounts of things in your box accordingly) Your Monday Box should have the following:
--scissors
--tape
--glue stick (preferrably NOT bottled glue, just to keep down the potential mess in the gym)
--2 pencils and sharpener (or you make sure they are sharp)
--eraser
--ruler would be great
--tablet of plain white paper
--some basic colors (marker, colored pencil, crayon, you choose--at least the primaries and black)

Anyone think of anything else we should have every week to be ready for a multitude of activites? A shoebox or one of those clear zippered binder organizers would work--just so that when we get together all the kids are ready to participate in what we do. Does this sound good?

Also, I have a question about how we want to get the word out about these homeschool events. We have quite a few moms who might want to attend who are not linked to this blog--do we keep this blog's postings semi-private for just us, or do we give out the blog address to other interested moms so they can know what will be happening? Might be an encouragement and blessing to the greater Vintage/Santa Cruz communities, but this is not my blog, so you all (Ali!) let me know your vision for this space and let me know what you think is best (and offer ideas). Thanks!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Update on Vintage Homeschool Days

Hello ladies,

After spending $80 yesterday on supplies for projects we are doing this week (did not have enough notice on some of them to get Ocean Grove to pay for them--bummer!), it occurred to me that when we get together to do crafts on Old School Mondays, we should all be prepared to chip in and help the hosting mom with the cost of whatever craft stuff she brought. So, I thought one dollar per child participating each time we do a craft. Does that sound fair? This would be strictly voluntary--not like, where is your dollar or your child cannot participate--but a way to help keep this going without a financial burden on whichever mom is hosting. Sound good? So if at all possible, please bring $1 for each kid who wants to make a Valentine's mailbox on Friday. Thank you!

Also, I wanted to suggest a donation for each Musical Monday Morning: one canned good per family. We will thus be benefitting a local charity when we get together for school!

Let me know what you all think about this.

Hey, and I hope you are all inviting people to join us Fri! : )

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Please bring your Box Tops for Education!

Hello moms,

Meredith's school is collecting Box Tops for Education symbols, and the classroom that collects the most will earn a pizza party. Would you please look around your house and save any of those symbols you see, cut them off, and bring them to the Valentine's Day party? Thanks!

We usually find them on Chex cereals, Cheerios, Kleenex boxes, and Huggies diaper boxes. Please ask your friends to collect them too! Even if you don't give them to us, each symbol is worth 10 cents to a school, so please encourage those you know to collect them and pass them on to friends with kids, to donate to a school. : )

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Please Mark Your Calendars

(for some odd reason I found myself saying the title, as I typed, as if I were that famous wrestling announcer saying "Now, let's get ready to rumble!" Is this a Freudian thing representing the choreographed bloody mayhem I expect to ensue when we get all our kids together in the church gym? Yikes!)

Please get on your calendars for every month between now and May the bi-monthly Vintage Homeschool Gym Morning! (Still need catchier names for these events--anyone?)

Second Monday morning of every month, from 10-11: Monday Morning Music!
--each time we will do different activities having to do with music, rhythm, dance, etc. I do not expect we will take more than an hour, but the gym will be reserved until 1:00 if any moms want to hang out and let the kids play afterwards.

Fourth Monday morning of every month, from 10-1: Old School Mondays!
--spelling bee
--snack/lunch time
--get-em-movin' game
--recitations
--group sharing
--mini-lesson/craft
(not in that order)

Huzzah! I will get this rolling, but will greatly appreciate any moms who want to come forth and take over even just one aspect of one month's gathering. For example, maybe you are studying snakes with your kids at home, and find a great, no-fuss snake project that you think would be great for a range of kids to do--you can volunteer to host the mini-lesson/craft for one morning. Or maybe you know how to play an instrument and would like to lead a sing-along for the kids on a music Monday morning--great! I am particularly hoping some moms feel like hosting the get-em-movin' game some mornings, since I can come up with great ideas, but after leading the whole morning, will probably not have the energy to lead. I will do so, though! Just letting you all know in advance the areas where I will be weakest and where your involvement will be most appreciated. Oh, and sweeping the floor after we are done would be something else we could share doing. It is all up for grabs, and the more moms who host the more fun for everyone!

Ok, let's see what else you need to know for Old School Mondays:
--Bring lunch/snack for your own child.
--Have your kids wear comfy clothes and shoes they can run in
--Please be present with your child the entire time, unless you make specific arrangements with one of the moms present to be responsible for your child for you. And please be prepared to help your child with the activities throughout the day, esp. the craft--the volunteer moms will not be able to help everyone!
--The hosting mom (most likely me) is not a teacher, per se, and will NOT be disciplining your children, so please intervene if your child is not all that interested in what we are doing and is distracting others
--We will all do the activities together at the same time. So if Johnny does not want to participate in one part, that is fine, but he should be sitting quietly with his mommy and not running around.
--Please bring friends! (As long as you will be responsible for the extra kids you bring, or bring their mommy too)
--Come when you want, leave when you want--we will have fun with whomever shows up. : )
--Our lessons, recitations, etc. may have Christian content! Esp. feel free to use the recitation time for your child to share a Bible verse he/she has learned.
(Any more guidelines we should have? Please suggest them in the comments!)

Pretty much the same guidelines for Monday Morning Music (Morning Music Mondays?), esp. those about moms being present, about keeping your own child involved and not distracting others, and about Christian content. I can't wait to teach your kids our ABC version that spells out the Gospel! : )

SO, our first Old School Monday will be Feb. 23. Our first MMM will NOT be this month--we will start this whole adventure off with the Valentine's party on the 13th, so see the previous posting for that. Our first MMM will be Mar 23.

So excited! Please give me comments so I know you read this post!

1st Vintage Homeschool Gym Day Feb 13!

Ok Ladies, mark your calendars! I am on the ball and making this happen! (Typing cannot convey the wonderment in my voice--this must be something God wants to happen, since I cannot even get my kitchen counter cleaned off this winter, yet somehow I am all energetic about this homeschool ministry at church!)

We will kick off the Spring semester with a Valentine's Party! For this first event, we will meet from 9-11 in the Vintage gym. To fully particpate in the party, please prepare in advance by having your child(ren) make valentines to share with the other kids. I don't know how many kids will be there--maybe we can all RSVP in the comments to this post, and say if we are inviting other families/kids too? I hope to invite some friends! And then if you could also bring some Valentine's ish snack that would be great too. (I am hoping we get more creative than cookies and candy, but if we are not, the kids have plenty of room to run and scream off all the sugar)

We will be making and decorating mailboxes for "delivery" of the valentines we bring (do you remember doing this in elementary school as a kid?!) so please bring a clean shoebox for the mailbox.

Any other special ideas you would like to incorporate into our party? Let us know in the comments!

More Vintage Homeschool events news to follow in a later post. . . now have to get my kindergartener over to her "real" school. ; )

I am so excited, ladies! So sorry you will not be able to join us, Ali. : ( But we will be thinking of you that day!

Artist Trading Card Swap

One of my friends just told me about this nifty idea -- called an Artist Trading Card Swap. Here is the link to the actual post about it. Asia is going to participate if we can find the paper we need to make each card. Swapping art with others around the country/world?!! This is a great opportunity and a neat art bonus!! The only requirement is the children be 4 years old!! ...oh and here are some instructions, etc. You have until Friday (Feb 6th) to sign up! Come join us!! Love Ali & Asia