Last night Sarabelle and I rode down the mountain to attend a meeting at her high school to learn about the course options available to Grade 9 students for the 2007 school year. After the Powerpoint presentation by the oh-so-hot-and-much-too-young-to-be-a-high-school-administrator assistant principal, Sarabelle took me by the hand and skipped around the room introducing me to all her teachers quizzing them intensely on the elective smorgasbord.
At one point while we waited to speak to one instructor, I leaned over and discreetly speculated that all the girls probably had crushes on Mr. [Hottie Assistant Principal]. Sarabelle looked like I'd offered her road kill for dinner. "Mr. [Assistant Principal]?!" Mom!!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Good and trashy
Books I am trying to pick up:
The Norton Book of Classical Literature
The Iliad and The Odyssey (but at least I joined a book group)
The Bible
Book I couldn't put down:
Valley of the Dolls
I was going to try and justify it by telling you it was the perfect summer reading for lazing on the beach and lounging by the pool this past weekend, except that, um, it's winter here.
The Norton Book of Classical Literature
The Iliad and The Odyssey (but at least I joined a book group)
The Bible
Book I couldn't put down:
Valley of the Dolls
I was going to try and justify it by telling you it was the perfect summer reading for lazing on the beach and lounging by the pool this past weekend, except that, um, it's winter here.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Returning Resident
Jorge was granted a Returning Resident Visa which makes it a little easier for us all to receive one sooner or later. It may be necessary for him to return to Florida for a short time to complete a critical job that has stalled. Rather than be worried about holding down the fort while he travels halfway around the world, I am looking forward to having him return with my now empty trunk packed full of books.
Priorities:
The Wall Chart of World History
The Timetables of History
Asimov's Chronology of the World
Must. Have. Timelines.
Asimov's Guide to the Bible: The Old and New Testaments
"And now for the rest of the story..."
Franklin: Writings
Poor Richard's Almanack
Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue
Still working on my pet project.
Five Acres and Independence
Fruits of Warm Climates
Fruits of the Rainforest
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
'Cause I need to know.
I'm sure there will be more.
Hey! If he takes back that other large backpack with the extra winter coats...
Priorities:
The Wall Chart of World History
The Timetables of History
Asimov's Chronology of the World
Must. Have. Timelines.
Asimov's Guide to the Bible: The Old and New Testaments
"And now for the rest of the story..."
Franklin: Writings
Poor Richard's Almanack
Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue
Still working on my pet project.
Five Acres and Independence
Fruits of Warm Climates
Fruits of the Rainforest
Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
'Cause I need to know.
I'm sure there will be more.
Hey! If he takes back that other large backpack with the extra winter coats...
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Conference
Grice’s teacher, Miss Ruth, requested a meeting two weeks ago to discuss Grice’s educational achievements thus far. My stomach instantly knotted up.
I cleared all the hurdles I was anticipating:
Why did you choose to homeschool? Initially for continuity, we moved around for a few years; then because we lived on an island and it was easier; finally because we enjoyed it and were doing well with it. (I reluctantly left out the part about doing a better job than the schools and all my other rants. Miss Ruth said home education sounded like the best of both worlds.)
How is Grice feeling about school so far? She’s enjoying it. She attended public school last year in a school with about 35 kids, so she’s comfortable with the smaller surroundings. She thinks it’s a little easy, though. (Miss Ruth suspected as much and encouraged an open dialogue about it, which was a relief.)
Is there anything else I should know about her with regards to school? She tested for general giftedness this year and scored an average of about Grade 10 on a standardized basic skills test two years ago. She’s very shy and could use a bit of a push when it comes to participating, especially in sports, she’s very athletic. (Miss Ruth sensed my unease about appearing to brag and was very supportive. She also agreed to gently prod Grice into some of the upcoming events, one being the WestPac math competition. No doubt she was thinking of boosting the team scores, unfortunately Grice was out with the flu that week.)
And some I was not:
What type of books does she like to read? Non-fiction, though she enjoyed classic literature during read-alouds. She’s very perceptive, she knew the secret identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel the instant the character was introduced.
What are her strongest subjects? What subjects does she enjoy most? Math and science. She enjoys writing.
And we went on to have a great chat:
She explained that Grice was in the 5/6 class not based on her ability, but because the 6/7 class was at capacity. I told her about Grice’s spelling, how it was a challenge for me to get results but easy for her last teacher, and how it slipped again once we returned to homeschooling. This led to a comparison of British vs. American spelling. She assured me there would be no penalties for Grice on this account and thought it would make for an interesting lesson to the rest of class about cultural variations in English. Then we got on to comparing measurements. No problem there. Grice has learned both our standard and metric. Miss Ruth sadly relayed that grammar had been reduced to identifying parts of speech and some basic punctuation, not like in her day, but would expect more from Grice in this area, possibly in conjunction with more opportunities for writing.
I asked how Queensland Education works. Do they dictate curricula? (My choice of verbs most intentional.) I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had recently adopted an outcomes approach. Certain outcomes must be met by the end of the year but teachers are free to use whatever method works best with a particular child. As requested, I had brought along some of the work Grice had completed for me at home, which so far amounted to only her Saxon 8/7 math. I explained we had just begun this book and that it uses the spiral approach. Miss Ruth asked if she could keep it to review at home. I’m wondering if she’ll let Grice work on that in class if the outcomes match up.
TEACHERS’ REPORT CARDS:
SARABELLE
English and SOSE (that mishmash of history, reading, social studies, civics, and environmental studies): D
Math: C
Japanese: A
Manual Arts: A
GRICE
Miss Ruth: A+
ELLE
Miss Kim (who has indicated Elle should probably be moved up a grade but is reluctant to do it now, past the half-way mark, preferring to let her settle in instead, and who has eagerly accepted my offer to volunteer in the classroom): B
I cleared all the hurdles I was anticipating:
Why did you choose to homeschool? Initially for continuity, we moved around for a few years; then because we lived on an island and it was easier; finally because we enjoyed it and were doing well with it. (I reluctantly left out the part about doing a better job than the schools and all my other rants. Miss Ruth said home education sounded like the best of both worlds.)
How is Grice feeling about school so far? She’s enjoying it. She attended public school last year in a school with about 35 kids, so she’s comfortable with the smaller surroundings. She thinks it’s a little easy, though. (Miss Ruth suspected as much and encouraged an open dialogue about it, which was a relief.)
Is there anything else I should know about her with regards to school? She tested for general giftedness this year and scored an average of about Grade 10 on a standardized basic skills test two years ago. She’s very shy and could use a bit of a push when it comes to participating, especially in sports, she’s very athletic. (Miss Ruth sensed my unease about appearing to brag and was very supportive. She also agreed to gently prod Grice into some of the upcoming events, one being the WestPac math competition. No doubt she was thinking of boosting the team scores, unfortunately Grice was out with the flu that week.)
And some I was not:
What type of books does she like to read? Non-fiction, though she enjoyed classic literature during read-alouds. She’s very perceptive, she knew the secret identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel the instant the character was introduced.
What are her strongest subjects? What subjects does she enjoy most? Math and science. She enjoys writing.
And we went on to have a great chat:
She explained that Grice was in the 5/6 class not based on her ability, but because the 6/7 class was at capacity. I told her about Grice’s spelling, how it was a challenge for me to get results but easy for her last teacher, and how it slipped again once we returned to homeschooling. This led to a comparison of British vs. American spelling. She assured me there would be no penalties for Grice on this account and thought it would make for an interesting lesson to the rest of class about cultural variations in English. Then we got on to comparing measurements. No problem there. Grice has learned both our standard and metric. Miss Ruth sadly relayed that grammar had been reduced to identifying parts of speech and some basic punctuation, not like in her day, but would expect more from Grice in this area, possibly in conjunction with more opportunities for writing.
I asked how Queensland Education works. Do they dictate curricula? (My choice of verbs most intentional.) I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had recently adopted an outcomes approach. Certain outcomes must be met by the end of the year but teachers are free to use whatever method works best with a particular child. As requested, I had brought along some of the work Grice had completed for me at home, which so far amounted to only her Saxon 8/7 math. I explained we had just begun this book and that it uses the spiral approach. Miss Ruth asked if she could keep it to review at home. I’m wondering if she’ll let Grice work on that in class if the outcomes match up.
TEACHERS’ REPORT CARDS:
SARABELLE
English and SOSE (that mishmash of history, reading, social studies, civics, and environmental studies): D
Math: C
Japanese: A
Manual Arts: A
GRICE
Miss Ruth: A+
ELLE
Miss Kim (who has indicated Elle should probably be moved up a grade but is reluctant to do it now, past the half-way mark, preferring to let her settle in instead, and who has eagerly accepted my offer to volunteer in the classroom): B
Ayn Rand
How to best describe the unease I feel as a Libertarian-leaning person in a socialist-leaning country, and the reason I simply cannot vote Democrat? One word: Anthem
LearnOutLoud.com is featuring Ayn Rand’s tale as August’s Free Audiobook of the Month selection.
From Wikipedia:
Anthem is a dystopic science fiction story taking place at some unspecified future date. Mankind has entered another dark age as a result of what Rand saw as the weaknesses of socialistic thinking and economics. Technological advancement is now carefully planned (when it is allowed to occur, if at all) and the concept of individuality has been eliminated. As is common in her work, Ayn Rand draws a clear distinction between the "socialist/communal" values of equality and brotherhood and the "productive/capitalist" values of achievement and individuality.
Considering following up with Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead? In the words of Ayn Rand, from Chapter 11:
I am. I think. I will.
LearnOutLoud.com is featuring Ayn Rand’s tale as August’s Free Audiobook of the Month selection.
From Wikipedia:
Anthem is a dystopic science fiction story taking place at some unspecified future date. Mankind has entered another dark age as a result of what Rand saw as the weaknesses of socialistic thinking and economics. Technological advancement is now carefully planned (when it is allowed to occur, if at all) and the concept of individuality has been eliminated. As is common in her work, Ayn Rand draws a clear distinction between the "socialist/communal" values of equality and brotherhood and the "productive/capitalist" values of achievement and individuality.
Considering following up with Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead? In the words of Ayn Rand, from Chapter 11:
I am. I think. I will.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Capitalist Pig
Mountains. Tropical climate. Near the sea.
Is anyone else wondering how much real estate in Cuba will be once this all blows over?
I'm going to make myself a Cuba Libre, slip into my hammock, remember a friend who didn't live to see this exciting time, and dream of a life as a campesino.
Oh, to be a fly on a wall, or better yet, on a plate, at Versailles.
Is anyone else wondering how much real estate in Cuba will be once this all blows over?
I'm going to make myself a Cuba Libre, slip into my hammock, remember a friend who didn't live to see this exciting time, and dream of a life as a campesino.
Oh, to be a fly on a wall, or better yet, on a plate, at Versailles.
Some Kind of Education
Sarabelle got off the bus last week and asked if her face was red. No, I replied, wondering what had happened and waiting for her explanation. “Good. Then I kept my cool.”
A boy on the bus had been asking a lot of questions about where we live and where her younger sisters attend school. I assured her that he was probably not a psychopathic stalker and was merely curious since we are the new kids on the block, Americans, and everyone knows who we are anyway so being evasive is basically pointless. Then he asked her if she knew what a bone is.
“What did you say, hon?”
“I ignored him.”
“Good.”
“Then he called me a stupid bitch.”
“Well, you know, if it ever happens again, although I would prefer you not reduce yourself to his level, you have my permission to flip him off and ask him if he knows what that is.”
Relaying that story to my mother, a big supporter for attending an educational facility, she suggested she knew how I felt, how my heart must have broken for her. Wrong. I was infuriated. At myself. For allowing myself to be influenced by Immigration Lady, who suggested we would be more seriously considered for Returning Resident Visas, the authorization to leave the country and be allowed to re-enter, if we could show a long term commitment to the country by including report cards for the children among other “proofs.” According to Immigration Lady, we are likely to be here for the full two years with only a slim possibility of attaining maximum three-month Returning Resident Visas, but after two years we become naturalized citizens anyway, so we can essentially do whatever we want in the meantime, “proofs” or no “proofs.”
My sweet innocent is also appalled by the lack of respect given the teachers by the students, the general low interest in academics, the vulgar language, and nearly non-existent discipline in her school. But she made herself a wooden top in manual arts, volunteered to be a guide for the visiting Japanese students, is perfecting shading and sculpting in art, is looking forward to choosing fabrics for her home economics sewing project, and is generally enjoying herself, so we shall sally forth.
For now.
A boy on the bus had been asking a lot of questions about where we live and where her younger sisters attend school. I assured her that he was probably not a psychopathic stalker and was merely curious since we are the new kids on the block, Americans, and everyone knows who we are anyway so being evasive is basically pointless. Then he asked her if she knew what a bone is.
“What did you say, hon?”
“I ignored him.”
“Good.”
“Then he called me a stupid bitch.”
“Well, you know, if it ever happens again, although I would prefer you not reduce yourself to his level, you have my permission to flip him off and ask him if he knows what that is.”
Relaying that story to my mother, a big supporter for attending an educational facility, she suggested she knew how I felt, how my heart must have broken for her. Wrong. I was infuriated. At myself. For allowing myself to be influenced by Immigration Lady, who suggested we would be more seriously considered for Returning Resident Visas, the authorization to leave the country and be allowed to re-enter, if we could show a long term commitment to the country by including report cards for the children among other “proofs.” According to Immigration Lady, we are likely to be here for the full two years with only a slim possibility of attaining maximum three-month Returning Resident Visas, but after two years we become naturalized citizens anyway, so we can essentially do whatever we want in the meantime, “proofs” or no “proofs.”
My sweet innocent is also appalled by the lack of respect given the teachers by the students, the general low interest in academics, the vulgar language, and nearly non-existent discipline in her school. But she made herself a wooden top in manual arts, volunteered to be a guide for the visiting Japanese students, is perfecting shading and sculpting in art, is looking forward to choosing fabrics for her home economics sewing project, and is generally enjoying herself, so we shall sally forth.
For now.
Road SCHOLA
Here is the newest incarnation of our travel blog.
See you there (although I hope it looks better than it does from where I'm sitting, changes made are not showing up immediately -- sheesh.)
See you there (although I hope it looks better than it does from where I'm sitting, changes made are not showing up immediately -- sheesh.)
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