madameblogalot

My daughter got her rough draft back from her fist assignment. She did really well! She got the 15/15 points with some good comments from her teacher: “Beautifully done! Great story! It was a joy to read.” She was very happy about that! The only editing comment the teacher made was to say that my daughter should have written “my brother and me” instead of “me and my brother”. My daughter knew that and wished she had not made a “stupid mistake”! I told her that after all, it is a rough draft!

My daughter submitted her first written rough draft to her online school today. It was rather stressful for her as the rough draft had to be typed, have things in proper order, voice, and person. It also had to have proper spellings throughout the piece. It was a very polished rough draft she sent in!

My daughter will be starting a new venture this school year. I have signed her up for an online school. She will have most courses online (obviously) as well as have some text books and work books. This is all provided tuition free and we will even be given a computer (for school use only) along with a subsidy for internet access. This is because the school is part of the public school system. It serves students in grades 3-8. We will have to show work done every day and my daughter will also have to take the state tests. She will have teachers and I will just be a facilitator. We’ll see how it goes. If it goes well, I would prefer her to continue this route (another online school offers high school) than have her attend a brick and mortar public school next year. It should be interesting and will definitely bring some changes with it this year.

Folks around here are getting ready for their kids to go back to school. Many private schools start next week with public schools starting the following week. As for me, I have not even started getting things ready for my daughter! My son has been unhappy with his school this past year. He was trying to get a transfer, which was denied. We looked at a private school, but at the price, we could send him to college. Of course I wish he would come back to being homeschooled, in a different manner of course. I have found some really good online school options. I am looking at one of those for my daughter as well. An acquaintance asked me yesterday when I will start school with my daughter. I told her since I am trying to get things situated with my son, I am holding off a bit, but by the end of September for sure!

My cousin has been homeschooling her middle school aged son. He enjoys his freedom, but has also been known to put tasks off. The other day, he found out that he could even pursue post high school education using online degree programs. When he brought this up to his mom, she talked with him about the habits he is establishing now and how that would affect someone pursuing an online college degree.

I came across a very helpful and informative website for folks who are truly interested in continuing their education online. It is full of information, articles and links which would be a great springboard for those just starting to research the possibility of getting an online degree or certification.

The site starts with basics, even giving a glossary of terms used when discussing online educational options. There are articles explaining accreditation, choosing a school, degree differences and for-profit vs. non-profit schools. These articles have some good basic information to get the prospective student ready for what they may find in online education planning. There are also many helpful links. Students can access online college sites as well as learn how to finance their online education. Learning about loans, scholarships and grants will prove helpful to any prospective student.

The trend toward pursuing degrees online seems to be growing. It no longer attracts only the older, strongly motivated adult student. The movement is showing more and more younger undergrads gravitating to the opportunity of online degree programs.

I did not know that Debutante Balls were still given for young girls coming of age. But we recently learned that a friend of my son’s is joining with several other girls this summer for just such a party for their “Sweet Sixteen” birthdays. My son was asked to escort his friend to this grand occasion.

This is a very formal affair, one which takes a lot of preparation and commitment on the girls’ parts. Of course, this being “After Six“, the escorts have to wear a tuxedo. The girls are required to wear a formal white gown. But before all this gala can even take place, the students have to commit to several nights of etiquette classes and rehearsals. The girls involved have to write an essay and follow several rules of conduct before being permitted to take place in the ball. They will also be expected to gain a sponsor and write the appropriate Thank You Notes.

I hope all goes well for my son’s friend and that he will be able to be her escort (he will be out of town during the last rehearsal, so we are not sure they will allow him to escort for the occasion.) His friend’s mother said that if he did attend all the classes and such, she would even rent his tux for him!

I just finished reading Tom Sawyer today. I have been having my daughter do some writing activities over the novel, which she finished reading about two weeks ago. So I thought I’d better finish it. She said she did not enjoy it that much. She went on to say that she doesn’t like any book I make her read for school. That both this book and Tuck Everlasting would probably have been more enjoyable if it was not “required” reading.

I guess I know how she feels. I did not really enjoy most of the things we were required to read in school. The only one I remember enjoying is To Kill A Mockingbird. And I think Tom Sawyer was a little different than anything she has read before. I know it is good for her to stretch herself, even if she doesn’t realize it now!

No, this is not a post about differing political parties! This last Sunday, my husband brought up some facts about “left brained” people and “right brained” people. He started with a little experiment. He said to clasp our hands together. Then we were to look down and see which thumb was on top. Which ever was on top, the opposite side of our brain is the one we tended to use more. Then he read a list of traits exhibited by the “lefties” and the “righties”. The right brains tend to have great ideas, tend to see the big picture, also get distracted and drop the ball on these great ideas. They seem less organized. They can be perceived by the lefties as being less smart. There were many others that he read, but I knew as he read that he was describing himself. The leftties are the opposite. Like lists, can’t come up with creative ideas, but can take a righties idea and follow through with it. Not as easily distracted. Seen as more organized, etc. The lady next to me asked my husband if he knew what I am. Based on the lists, he knew he is a rightie and I am a leftie. The thumb experiment did not really work for every one, but based on the lists, it was easier to tell which side of the brain one tends to rely on more often.

This weekend I am taking my son to the play Frost vs. Nixon. It is a reenactment of the televised interview between David Frost and Richard Nixon. I am looking forward to it for a few reasons. I don’t know much about the Watergate scandal; it’s something I’ve never really understood too well. My son loves history and I think this will be the kind of show he will like. And of course, spending time with my son is good.

But in preparing to see this show, I think I missed a great opportunity. There is a study guide available. I read through it when I first ordered the tickets, but decided I just would not have time to go through it with my son since he now attends public school, though we would both enjoy the study. I did think about printing it out and letting him read through it before and/or after the show. I think it will help answer some questions and help to understand that era better.

But I had the perfect opportunity to use this guide and to spend the time studying with my son while he was out of school for two and a half weeks due to Hurricane Ike. I did have him do some studying every day he was home, but this would have been the perfect study for him. It would not have required a lot of time each day and would have set up the performance perfectly. It would have been the kind of thing we did when he was being homeschooled. What kind of a homeschool mom am I that I would let such an opportunity go to waste??!! I do regret that I did not think about/remeber it at the time! I did print out the study guide today for him to read through, but it would have been just right to have him do the assignments while he was home for those 12 days! I am lamenting the missed opportunity to have homeschooled with him again, if only for a couple of weeks!!

A few posts back you see where I talked about my daughter reading Tuck Everlasting. One of her assignments was to post a review on Amazon.com. You can find her review of the book here . Although she did not really review the book outside of saying “good book” and filling in four stars, I do like how she summed up the story.