Important Information for First Field Trip!

Thank you to everyone who is volunteering so much time! Please see your flyers for directions to the McCarthy farm.

• Volunteers for Cakes: Qualkinbush, Schwartzmiller, Durgin. Please remember to make the cake per our discussion last Monday.
• In case of Cancellation: Please check the blog Monday morning before leaving to make sure there has not been a cancellation due to weather.
• Dress Code: Please remember that even on co-op field trips, the dress code applies. So long as the goal of Christian modesty is met as outlined in the Codes of Conduct, there should be no worries about your attire. Plan to get VERY dirty!

A Simulated Archaeological Dig!

Schedule of Events

10:00-10:30 Welcome! A Note About History & Archaeology
          --Alecia and Kenneth Rolling
10:30-11:00 Stories from the Farm’s Past!
          --Megan McCarthy
11:00-11:45 Bag Lunches Outside in Picnic Area
12:00-3:00 Students Gather in Assigned Areas as follows:

• Preschoolers: Meet at orange cones.

12:00-2:00 Sandbox Digging and Water Color Painting
 2:00-2:45 Layered Cake Archaeology

• K-3rd Grades: Meet at tables.

12:00-2:00 Transparent Shoebox Archaeology
2:00-2:45 Eat Cake!

• 4th-6th Grade: Meet at Dig Site

12:00-2:30 Simulated Dig.
2:30-2:45 Wrap-up Findings and Eat Cake!

3:00 Bon Voyage! See at the co-op next week!

If you have further questions, feel free to email or call.

Most Sincerely,

Alecia Rolling

Curriculum Committee

Schola Rosa Homeschool Cooperative

*This image was in the public domain. 

Hymn for Weeks 4-6: Concordi Laetitia

Virtue: Week Three (Patience)

Patience

Patience: The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Synonym: Calm                                            Antonym: Irritated

“Patience obtains all things.”- from St. Teresa of Avila’s Bookmark Prayer

(see prayer in full below)

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them- every day begin the task anew.” - St. Francis de Sales

How to Practice This Virtue:
You and your sibling both need the scissors. Your sibling is using them first. You patiently wait your turn.

You have a question to ask your teacher but she is talking. You raise your hand and patiently wait for her to call on you.

Your meal is sitting in front of you and you really want to start eating. But you can’t eat until your mom sits down and everyone says grace together. You sit patiently and do not eat yet.

 

St. Teresa's Bookmark Prayer

Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.
God alone suffices.

Virtue: Week Two (Cheerful Obedience)

Cheerful Obedience

Obedience: Compliance with someone's wishes or orders or acknowledgment of their authority.

Synonym: submissive                                            Antonym: misbehave

“A Christian faithful to obedience, knows not delays, but prepares his ears for hearing, and his hands and his feet for labor.” -St. Bernard of Clairvaux

How to Practice This Virtue:
You just sat down to read your book when your mom asks you to do the dishes. You wish you could just read one chapter and then go do dishes, but you decide to be obedient and do the dishes first.

Your teacher has told you that you can’t go outside to play without permission. But you see your friends go so you assume it must be okay. Just as you’re about to go outside, you decide to be obedient and you find an adult to ask first.

Addendum

Sorry! I meant to include that the projects mentioned were optional!  Most could be completed with little supervision. I would ask that the story for English (4 sentences) be completed and return in the binders.THANKS!

Week 3 -Grades 4-6

Thank you to everyone who has pulled through for the 4-6 grade class!! It is definitely a work-in-progress, but we will get there!!  I would like to formally notify everyone that Mrs. Clark has decided that the co-op is one too many things on her plate and will not be returning to teach.  I will be the main teacher.  Your children have been wonderful to teach!!! Thank you!

A few points first off: Please make or purchase dividers for the binder.  We made a red construction paper divider in class. It is simple and easy. This would definitely work.  Please label the dividers: History, English, Latin, Science, Religion,and Art.  We have placed Geography handouts at the end of history and Poetry will be placed in with English.  If you wish to subdivide that is fine, but not necessary.  Hopefully this will help us to save time. Speaking of time, we ran out again!! Mea Culpa!!

Your children will have handouts from History.  The one labeled Ancient Mesopotamia should be cut out to glue onto the half a piece of construction paper and then three-hole punched.  The bottom pictures and words will be glued onto the "Words to Know" page.  They should have an example of each of these already completed. ( If you have any questions, please call me at 667-2983.)  Further you have a handout for today's ziggurat. (I will be posting an additional picture displaying the final product.) The instructions are simple and can easily be completed without parental assistance AS LONG AS you make certain that only the dotted lines are cut!!! I went over the manner in which the page should be cut and folded with them at the end of class (rushed!!)
Instructions: Cut out the entire rectangle to be able to paste onto a piece of construction paper. Fold the construction paper in half so as to hold the rectangle in it. Fold ziggurat rectangle in half (along line labeled fold) and then CAREFULLY cut only the dotted lines.  Open up the folded ziggurat paper so that it forms an L.  Push in the middle area which was cut and then fold along lines labeled "fold" to form a step.  Cut out the ziggurat (temple).  Glue the ziggurat temple to the front of the step(so that it sits above the words explaining a ziggurat). Next, join the center crease of the rectangle to the center crease of the construction paper. Use a glue stick to glue one half of the rectangle down(not including your step!!). Once it is secure then bend the rectangle down, in half, and put glue on the remaining half with a glue stick. Then simply close the folded construction paper down.  Lift up the construction paper and you have your pop-up ziggurat! FUN!

IN CLASS: History: we covered the rule of Hammurabi with a focus on the importance of a codified law in the development of society.  We also discussed how Babylon, a city-state, basically usurped Sumer into itself.  This was the rise of the Babylonian Empire.  We read from the Founders of Freedom and The Old World and America.  I also brought in other texts, one showed a slab which had the Code of Hammurabi written in cuneiform.

We then began our lesson from Intermediate Language Lessons.  The students should have a story of at least four sentences written for you to see.  (Please have them complete this at home if they did not have time to finish.)

We discussed our Latin by completing the lessons from the workbook.  I would recommend that parents purchase the workbook as it leads to a more complete understanding of the Latin in the reader.  I will make some copies, mostly for the multiple siblings who cannot totally share a workbook! (Nor do I expect them to do so!) The students should be comfortable with the idea of First Noun Declension ending in A such as puellA, or feminA.  They should be able to use a simple sentence telling you the meaning of these words.

Science was the most anticpated with the use of microscopes! Do not worry if your student did not have a chance!! We will continue to have the microscopes set up so that all will have an opportunity!! Thank you to those who have continued to supply our class with their donated microscopes.  We also went over the classification of a dog and lion. The classification was written out on sketchbook paper.  (If you wish to work with your student at home, or he/she did not finish, this chart is located in the back of your teacher's edition of CCM.)  This is sort of a practice run for us to do the same on a posterboard!  I figured it might ease anxiety for all those type A's.

We did not have Religion this week.  Hopefully you can do this at home.

We have a greatly varied skill set level within our class, so please speak with your student to see if he/she is comfortable with the required tasks.  In class, we may need to move to another subject even though some students may not have completed the task. This has been a source of visible stress for some students. Please ensure that your student understands the need to proceed and realizes he/she can continue the work at home. Please speak to your students about raising hands and being polite to the rest of class by not talking to their neighbors during class time.  This is especially necessary as we have 13:5 boy to girl ratio, assuming my count is correct. Hopefully with week 4, we will proceed into smooth waters with no more changes to the class setup.  I believe this will help to settle the class as well.  THANKS!!

A Bit About the McCarthy Farm - Sight for the Archeological Dig....

If you asked me ten years ago if I could imagine myself living in an old house in the country, I probably would have laughed and said "no way!" However, now that my family is here, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

The house was built in 1796 and has had two additions and many renovations - one in the 1970s, which was completed by my husband's parents, and one by us, which literally has only been finished for a few months. Since we have been focusing on the inside of the house, we have not been able to complete the "farm" (adding the fences, animals, etc). So if you are venturing out here on Monday, you will only be greeted by our one chicken, Georgie, but I can assure you the history of the house and the dig will be worth the trip.

One note about the house (we will save the other stories for Monday) - it has never been sold to a stranger...meaning that since 1796, only three families have lived here. The house has simply been passed on to various family members. With the passing down of the house has come many stories about the area. We hope that you will be here to enjoy some of them during the first part of the archeological dig.

If you have any questions about the directions, please feel free to call me.

Hope to see you Monday!

Today's tip...

Going your child's speed - it may not be your own.

I am working with S and doing a random shapes and animals activity book.  It is asking him to draw a mouse, clearly he is not ready so I will make one and he will trace it.

Deflecting/Mom Genius
Now M is begging to work with me, so I am having him help S write some words in his book.
Success - now M is writing new words and S is watching, and Mom has two minutes to finish dishes...

Kindergarten - 1st Grade Week Three

Here's a recap of our co-op day:

Religion - We discussed the Blessed Trinity and tried to begin to understand part of this 3-in-1 mystery with a quick demonstration - one flame lighting three candles, and a little cutting, folding & gluing project involving a three-dimensional paper equilateral triangle which hopefully made it home with your child today.  This project was not an easy one, and overall the children did very well following directions in putting it together. The one triangle has three sides (not including the one on which it sits, its base), and the children drew a symbol to represent each person of the Trinity (maybe sun/moon, cross, dove) on each of the three sides.  We also discussed how our family can be compared to God's family. In His family there are three persons; how many persons in your one family? We drew a simple family tree to demonstrate.

English - Picture Study,  Lesson 23 in PLL

Poetry - worked on learning the second stanza to "The Swing" while swinging our arms through the air in rhythm with the poem.

History - we discovered that having a "story time" and asking the children to sit on the floor and listen to the Old Testament story and then do a corresponding coloring page afterwards works better for our class. They can be more attentive to the story without the distraction of coloring and the frequent requests for a different colored pencil or a sharpener :) during the story.  The coloring page then serves as a visual reinforcement of the story afterwards. We read and discussed the story of Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac - a heavy one for this young age, but I gather many of them understood the basic underline of the story, obedience no matter how difficult.

Note about History Pockets: many copies of History Pocket materials were placed in your child's binder this week. Some of them will be found in the "History section" of their notebook if it has tabs separating the subjects.  We were running out of time, so some of the sheets were placed in the front pocket of the binder. There are several activities/projects for them to do at home which parallel the Old Testament reading/time period we are doing in class. In the binder is also a 3-hole-punched manila folder in which to keep any projects that are not easily hole-punched for keeping in the binder can be placed. (i.e. the character puppets to color, cut out and - I'm guessing here - paste to popsicle sticks)  Thanks to the one(s) who is preparing all these great materials for our students!

Geography - we reviewed the continents and oceans in front of the large world map hanging in the "atrium" with a fun song from the Geography Songs CD (done by Larry & Kathy Troxel).  We then sat with our CCM maps and looked at the country of Russia (CCM memory work Week 3), counting the number of rivers and lakes we could find.

Science - We are in insect heaven!  We spent the first several minutes of science time excitingly observing all the different bugs everyone had brought in today - from large praying mantis to blond wooly bear caterpillar.  Our study this week was the earthworm (from the phylum Annelida in CCM memory work Week 3).  We read about them in the Nature Reader (Book Three for those who would like to continue reading during the week), studied the ringed bodies of some live ones freshly caught (umm, rather bought) this morning, and sketched one for the "nature notebook"/Science section of our binders.  We also saw the progress our ants have made in their gel farm environment.

Looking forward to the Archeological Dig next week!

Kathryn

Art at Schola Rosa, Year I, Week 3: Papyrus!

This week in art class we pretended to be ancient Egyptians making paper! What did we do? We tried to simulate the process of making papyrus from the papyrus plant.

1. We dipped strips of blank newspaper into a bucket of water, flour, and glue. 
2. The strips were laid out in rows for the first layer.
3. A second layer was made with the strips at a 90 degree angle to the first row. 
4. The students pressed the paper with blocks of wood.
5. Finally, students soaked up water from the paper using a sponge. 

The papyri have gone home with the art teacher to dry and will be used during Week 4 for a charcoal project. Have a wonderful week and enjoy trying to make more crafts as you have time!

Important Information for Week 3

Greetings in Christ! With great excitement we are all preparing for Monday! Please remember to pick up handouts at the front table in the Morning Assembly Room before leaving at the end of the day. Many of these are important (Presentation and Snack schedules, for example!). See email accounts for presenters and preschool snack duty.

How to prepare?

1. K-6th Students need the map for Week 3 (Classically Catholic Memory); children can share.
2. 4th-6th graders also need Puella Romana.
3. Bugs and Student binders! 
4. If you have any outstanding fees, please bring payment in cash. 
5. Here are some other preparation tips for a successful first day: http://www.scholarosa.blogspot.com/2012/09/tips-for-successful-first-day.html

When to arrive?

1. Hall Monitors should arrive at least 15 minutes early (11:45am). We ask that a hall monitor be present outside during playground time to assist escorting children to the bathroom
2. Teachers should plan to be at least 1 hour early (11:00 am) to set up classrooms and/or supplies before the co-op begins. 
3. Music Teachers should arrive about 30 minutes early to set up any props for music lessons and to become acquainted with the classrooms. 
4. All other families are invited to arrive as early as 11:00 am on Monday (weather permitting) to picnic outside. We ask that as few children as possible be in the building during prep time. Arrive at least 10 minutes before noon!

Some Rules to remember:

1. Keep your children with you at all times unless they are in class. During Morning Assembly and during Dismissal, children should be with their parents and not wandering around nor chatting with other children. We especially remind parents with older children not to allow the older children to go about in the building without adult supervision. 
2. It is our responsibility to watch our own children and to guarantee their safety. If we are concerned or worried about anything at any time, it is our responsibility to bring it up. Christina Durgin will be on hand in the hall way to field concerns. 
3. Do not touch anything without asking first. VA Hills is not our property, and it is important that we respect their property by not touching things without permission. (This is a good rule to go over with your children before they arrive.)
4. Remind your children of the old adage: If you do not have something nice to say, then do not say anything at all. This is especially true in art class, where many students are sensitive about showing their art skills in a group. 
5. Also, talk to your children about good listening: We listen with our eyes by looking at the person talking; with our mouth by keeping it closed; with our body by not wiggling, and with our ears by hearing. :) You can apply the appropriate motions to the reminders, if you like. :)

When to leave?

1. Dismissal: This week we will try calling family roll at the end during Dismissal and making sure everyone has their children before wishing you "Bon Voyage!" 
2. If you are not responsible for clean-up, we kindly ask that you leave ASAP after the Dismissal. This allows clean-up to go more quickly and smoothly. Feel free to let the kids play a bit outside before you leave, but have them use the bathroom before doing so in order to avoid returning into the building. This allows all of us to get home more quickly. Remember that all children must be under adult supervision at all times, so have your children with you or with a friend at all times. Please be sure your friend KNOWS she is watching your children before leaving them. 
3. If you are responsible for clean-up, please have your children use the bathroom before cleaning. Clean as quickly as possible, then vacate the building. :)

**Special Notes for Teachers**

• Please arrive early enough to allow yourselves time to meet in the Art Room before Morning Assembly for a very brief meeting. 
• Please remember to bring the History Pockets activities for binders. 
• Please bring your construction paper and pencils to leave in the storage cabinets. 

Please email with any questions between now and Monday!

May Our Lady of Ransom, pray for us!

Blessings,

Alecia Rolling

FREE- 7 Continent Coloring Pages

CurrClick is offering a free product right now that happens to go along with what we're learning in Geography! 

 There is a coloring page for each continent. On the bottom, there is a place for the child to trace the name of the continent. These pages are meant for younger children. They would make great practice for tracing the shape of the continents!

Click here to get this free product.

Ember Wednesday: A day of Fasting and Meditation

Propers from the Sixteenth Sunday After Pentacost for Meditation this week.

Introit: Ps. 85. 3,5
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to Thee all the day; for Thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee. Ps. Bow down Thy ear to me, O Lord, and hear me; for I am needy and poor. V: Glory be to the Father.

Collect
O Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always precede and follow us, and make us continually intent upon all good works. Through our Lord.

Epistle: Ephesians 3. 13-21

Gradual: Ps. 101. 16-17
The Gentiles shall fear Thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. V. For the Lord hath built up Sion, and He shall be seen in His majesty.

Alleluia: Ps. 97.1
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle, because the Lord hath done wonderful things. Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 14. 1-11

Offertory: Ps. 39. 14, 15
Look down, O Lord, to help me; let them be confounded and ashamed that seek after my soul to take it away; look down, O Lord, to help me.

Secret
Cleanse our hearts, we beseech Thee, O Lord, through the effects of this sacrifice: and in Thy mercy make us worthy to partake thereof. Through our Lord.

Communion: Ps. 70. 16-17, 18
O Lord, I will be mindful of Thy justice alone: Thou hast taught me, O God, from my youth, and unto old age and grey hairs, O God, forsake me not.

Postcommunion
In Thy loving kindness, O Lord, purify our souls, we beseech Thee, and renew them by this heavenly sacrament, that in both the present and future, even our bodies therein may find relief. Through our Lord.

Extending Week 2 Art Lesson at Home

We tried out our cylinder seals today! A couple of tips:

1. The surface of the cylinder needs to be smooth and even to have a successful roll.
2. The air-dry clay can be carved after it is dry, so feel free to “edit” your work.

Here is our trial run:

Art at Schola Rosa, Year I, Week 2

This week in art class, students made cylinder seals!  We took the ancient cylinder seals of Mesopotamia and the East as our inspiration. Please see your art handout in students' binders for more information about these artifacts as well as more fun art ideas for home this week.





Read more about cylinder seals here!

Kindergarten - 1st Grade Week Two

We had a lovely second day of co-op.  Below is a general explanation of the classwork we did, by subject (Art & Music excluded, since they are taught by different teachers).

Religion - we reviewed the Lesson 1 catechism questions (from the back of Our Holy Faith, Book One), reciting the questions and answers in tandem, one group asking the questions and the other giving the responses; next week we'll be doing a little project to help us learn about the Blessed Trinity.

English (Grammar) - our Picture Study this week was a painting of three kittens (Lesson 11 in PLL), and many of the kids willingly offered ideas to the lively discussion.

(Poetry) - we began "The Swing" by Robert Louis Stevenson, first stanza (from CCM Week 2)

History - we read the story of Noah's Ark (Tomie dePaola version), while looking at some beautiful black line illustrations in The Ark by Arthur Geisurt and doing a coloring page from the Dover Old Testament coloring book.  We discussed the important parts of the story.

*** We took a short recess break outside to play a "name game" with a bouncing ball, to help the kids get to know each other a little better. ***  (a great idea of Mrs. Cummings')

Geography - we found time this week!  We went over the continents (which we had skipped last week due to time constraints) from CCM Week One, and also briefly went over the oceans for Week Two.

Science - (possibly the most fun) We studied ants!  We read about them, studied a "giant" one in a micromount, observed them in action digging tunnels in our class ant farm, and sketched them.  Ask your child to show you what they drew.  You may want to continue reading about them in the Seaside & Wayside nature readers (on the "Recommended Reading List"). Ants are discussed in Book 3, beginning on page 9.  There are also several great picture books on ants which you may find at the library.


Note to Parents:

The children received their nets and bug catchers/cages today (one set per family if there are siblings in the same class). They are encouraged to take them home to catch some examples of animal life (insects, worms, etc.) and to bring them back to Schola Rosa next Monday, either to show the class what they caught and/or to use to go hunting during class as well.

Binders - if you haven't already done so, consider adding some divider tabs to your child's binder to separate their work by Week, or maybe more preferably by subject: Art, Religion, English, History, and Science.

Sunday tips....

on those hectic days..

Sleep in till 9:00 and let your husband manage the busy morning routine - especially if you are nursing all night.  You will have more patience and  a few more positive ideas to streamlining your day! 


Also read Ginny's Gems!  So great if u have lots of kiddos!

My routine - yes you may laugh it makes no sense but works sorta,

Skip the coffee, it keeps me up at night. 

Two eggs and toast.  Lots of vitamins, but specifically a good pre-natal.  Some OJ and then..

S the four yr. old, does dishes while I manage....

M and J put away cereal and milk so they can use the table for Math and Phonics books.

Older two help little ones get dressed, and I send the ever bouncy M and J to get the laundry I saw everywhere upstairs. 

(Girls are still sleeping usually.)

 9:30  -If not they are up and mostly happy as they nursed before I came downstairs. 

8:00 - kids eat and A or Z has already been instructed to put away dishes before I get up (hopefully)

10:00 - I yell at them to start school as usually they are hiding.

9:30 - I also expect rooms to be pretty clean before I come down stairs.

10;00  -Finally we start school, M and J at table and the ever destructive toddlers pinned down to something specific (like washing dishes, cups ect. ) Or coloring or puzzles or something constructive.  I even pull out a water bottle and have them wash window with it even if they come out dirtier it is better than WWIII in my house. 

10:00 - 12:00  We play the Memory CD a few times pausing at intervals to reiterate what was said or to say it more slowly, when I decide there is some sort of peace in which to do so.  Could be first thing or could be when they eat lunch. We also try to fit in Math and Phonics pages at this time.

12:00 Lunch and then, we have a small break - even Mom, to think(/kids play sports) - for two minutes while Mom fixes breakfast dishes and puts rest of lunch mess away. ( that M or Z help to make.),  Then I nurse, again.  And listen to m read,  while I change diapers, switch laundry ect..

AM and PM - Older two work upstairs - in seperate rooms or else forget the focus.  With some kind of motivation like do it or else do it all summer.  Or they carry babies around and hopefully have enouph time to do the basics of school in the afternoon.

Still, I  have not checked Math papers for the first week or two of school, hopefully I find time to work it in.  Plus whatever else I am forgetting,  It may just be a homemaking sort of education this year,

We think M is learning to read and J along with him.  That is half the battle!  I review his reading at night as he struggles.  And try to do some fun reading as well.   

Dad reads, history pages, bible pages, or science pages at night.  We learn randomly but we learn.

More Ideas On How to Use CCM at Home

Alecia and Kathryn have already provided some wonderful ideas on how to continue what the children learn at co-op throughout the week at home. But I thought I would go ahead and share what we're doing in our home too.

Going over the lesson plans provided under the "Program Details" tab, I noted that most of what the kids did in class does not need to be gone over at home (especially since we are also using Catholic Heritage Curricula for our main schoolwork).  So, we just embellished a bit. ;)

I only have time to explain what we did for Classically Catholic Memory. If I find some more spare time (not likely), I'll be back to talk about Connecting With History. :)

We listened to the CD daily and also practiced the hand movements taught to us at Schola Rosa for the timeline. Then we went through each subject separately.

Religion: The questions and answers of "Who made the world?" and "Who is God?" go perfectly with Connecting With History. So I combined the two. (More on CWH if I get a chance to come back).

Latin: For every prayer we have said together as a family, we start by praying the Sign of the Cross in Latin.

History: Again, this ties in with CWH. More later.

Science: I had the children sort buttons and then we discussed how they decided to sort them. By color? By shape? By how many holes they had? This was a great intro on how and why living things are sorted, or classified. We discussed what "taxonomy" is. Then we did the suggested activity in the CCM where you copy the pictures in the appendix, cut them out, and then sort those just as the children sorted the buttons. I also taught the children the mnemonic device for classifications of living things that is suggested in CCM. Drowsy Kings Play Chess On Fine Glass Sets. I also had them write the classifications on a piece of paper, started with Domain on the top and written very large. Then, with each proceeding word, they would write it underneath and make them smaller and smaller. The point of this was to show the kids that the group of living things will get smaller and smaller the more they are classified. This sent us down a rabbit trail about binomial nomenclature and why scientists use Latin to name things. Which was a great way to talk about why the Church uses Latin. Don't you love it when things tie together like that? My children and I will slowly be putting together a lap book about Animal Classification (it's on sale right now, too!). I bought the lap book printables from CurrClick. If you've never heard of them, I highly recommend it for those who are interested in making lap books. They do all the prep work for you and have every subject imaginable. I was really tempted to buy one of the Ancient Egypt lap books I saw there too, but decided that the projects done at Schola Rosa will be enough. ;)

Math: I printed out a 100's chart and had the children color in the numbers, counting by 2's. We've also done a lot of skipping and singing, thanks to Jamie's suggestion! ;)

Geography: The kids practiced singing "There are seven continents", to the tune of "Are You Sleeping". They also took turns labeling their CCM maps. We are also doing a separate continent study for geography where the children are "traveling" to each continent. We have been working on Australia, so even my four year old was able to point that one out pretty quickly!

Poetry: I asked each of the children to describe rain. Then they had the option to write their own poem about rain if they felt so inclined.

Art: CCM has beautiful images of art scattered throughout their book. In Week 1, you will notice Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. Why not use this as an opportunity to learn about Michelangelo? Stop by the library, pick out some books on him. We talked very little about his life and concentrated more on the masterpieces he has created. My children tried to recreate the hands from The Creation of Adam and realized how difficult it is. If it's that hard to draw hands, think about how much more difficult it would be to paint the entire Sistine Chapel! And on your back, no less! They certainly appreciated Michaelangelo's work even more after that. (I thought about taping some paper under the kitchen table and letting the kids try their hand at painting that way, but we didn't get a chance too)

There you have it! Lots of fun ways to learn more and give some substance to the memory work. Happy Learning to all our Schola Rosa families!

Important Information for 2nd Co-op Meeting

Dear Ladies,

Greetings in Christ! With great excitement we are all preparing for Monday! Please notice the attached documents in your email account, which include:

1. The Updated Music-Art Rotation Schedule
2. The Presentation Schedule for K-6th
3. The Snack Rotation for Preschool (Please use veggies and fruits only to avoid problems with food allergies; this week students are learning C and D!)

Please see your email accounts for who is presenting in K-6 and for who is in charge of Preschool Snack.

How to prepare?

1. K-6th Students need the map for Week 2 (Classically Catholic Memory); children can share.
2. 4th-6th graders also need Puella Romana and Intermediate Language Lessons.
3. Student binders!
4. If you have not turned in supplies, please bring those. 
5. If you have any outstanding fees, please bring payment. 
6. Here are some other preparation tips for a successful first day: http://www.scholarosa.blogspot.com/2012/09/tips-for-successful-first-day.html

When to arrive?

1. Hall Monitors should arrive at least 15 minutes early (11:45am). We ask that a hall monitor be present outside during playground time to assist escorting children to the bathroom
2. Teachers should plan to be at least 1 hour early (11:00 am) to set up classrooms and/or supplies before the co-op begins. 
3. Music Teachers should arrive at least 30 minutes early to set up any props for music lessons and to become acquainted with the classrooms. 
4. All other families are invited to arrive as early as 11:00 am on Monday (weather permitting) to picnic outside. We ask that as few children as possible be in the building during prep time. Arrive at least 10 minutes before noon!

Some Rules to remember:

1. Keep your children with you at all times unless they are in class. During Morning Assembly and during Dismissal, children should be with their parents and not wandering around nor chatting with other children. We especially remind parents with older children not to allow the older children to go about in the building without adult supervision. 
2. It is our responsibility to watch our own children and to guarantee their safety. If we are concerned or worried about anything at any time, it is our responsibility to bring it up. Christina Durgin will be on hand in the hall way to field concerns. 
3. Do not touch anything without asking first. VA Hills is not our property, and it is important that we respect their property by not touching things without permission. (This is a good rule to go over with your children before they arrive.)
4. Remind your children of the old adage: If you do not have something nice to say, then do not say anything at all. This is especially true in art class, where many students are sensitive about showing their art skills in a group. 
5. Also, talk to your children about good listening: We listen with our eyes by looking at the person talking; with our mouth by keeping it closed; with our body by not wiggling, and with our ears by hearing. :) You can apply the appropriate motions to the reminders, if you like. :)

When to leave?

1. If you are not responsible for clean-up, we kindly ask that you leave ASAP after the Dismissal. This allows clean-up to go more quickly and smoothly. Feel free to let the kids play a bit outside before you leave, but have them use the bathroom before doing so in order to avoid returning into the building. This allows all of us to get home more quickly. Remember that all children must be under adult supervision at all times, so have your children with you or with a friend at all times. Please be sure your friend KNOWS she is watching your children before leaving them. 
2. If you are responsible for clean-up, please have your children use the bathroom before cleaning. Clean as quickly as possible, then vacate the building. :)

**Special Notes for Teachers**

• Please arrive early enough to allow yourselves time to meet in the Art Room before Morning Assembly for a very brief meeting. 
• We have bought History Pockets-Ancient Civilizations for co-op use! This means many of your history projects are now taken care of if you wish! Call Alecia Rolling ASAP if you wish to use such a project for Week 2.
• Please bring your construction paper and pencils to leave in the storage cabinets. 
• Music Teachers, I have printed the lyrics for Adoro Te Devote to handout on Monday. :)

Please email with any questions between now and Monday! 

May St. Francis, Saint for September 17th, pray for us!

Blessings,

Alecia Rolling

History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations

Want to do some history projects at home along side Schola Rosa? Here is one resource we are using this year! History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations. 

You can see a good blog post and pictures demonstrating the use of this book below:

Reflections from Drywood

Classically Catholic Memory at home

A few additional ideas for incorporating Classically Catholic Memory (CCM) work at home:

~ all of us loved Jamie Spiering's motions for learning the TIMELINE phrases; we worked on them today for just a few minutes and we had them down!  Thanks Jamie (and Alecia; I have a feeling you were in on this too!)

~ assign "listen to CCM CD Week One" to all older children as Independent Work, written in their assignment book, student planner, or whatever else you use to plan your student's day

~ listen to the CD all together as background to the beginning of LUNCH time (no kidding, we did this today, and will probably continue to do so, as we don't have a lot of "wiggle room" in our morning schedule; with four youngish school age kids K, 1st, 3rd and 4th, we're trying to fit a lot in on school days and many of you are in the same boat)

~ if you can remember, leave the CD near your purse, car keys, etc. and grab it on your way out the door to soccer, swimming or other activities. Fit in another listen while on the road.

As for CWH History, I have yet to figure out exactly how to map out all of the readings from the various books suggested for each Unit for my children's different ages.  I realize there are suggestions built into the CHW manual, but with each reading assignment I still wonder - should we read this aloud as a family?  read it to younger ages only, other to older, assign as independent reading?........oh boy, so much good stuff.  Notebooking is a whole 'nother mountain to conquer. I'm used to History programs (like Story of the World) that lay it all out for you, maps, Activity pages all included. Any ideas on how to tackle RC History would be much welcome.

For now, my younger ones are reading Bible stories with their father, older ones are reading a Core Text with me. I have yet to send off the older ones with independent reading, but partly that is because I want to read it all along with them!

Continuing Schola Rosa at Home in the Rolling House

In our home the children are still quite young. The four Rolling children range in age from 5 to 1 at present, so thinking we're doing history in an in-depth way would be an exaggeration. They simply get to enjoy learning ancient history through story-telling and illustration this year! We will continue with our regular reading program at home and review the Picture Study from Primary Language Lessons at least once per week after the co-op meeting. For Science we will continue learning about animals by finding things that are living and non-living! This means at least one nature walk this week!

What are we doing at home for WEEK ONE after our regular school time (after the 3 R's)?

1. Daily: Listening to Memory Work on Classically Catholic Memory CD; we listen to this just after school time when everyone is winding down to draw in their free time.
2. Daily: Read Aloud Time. In the a.m. Mama Rolling reads stories from our favorite illustrated children's Bible, Unser Bibel (Sorry, it's in German!). In the p.m. Papa Rolling will be reading The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis.
3. 2-3 Times per Week: Listen to Jim Weis's Old Testament Stories and Jewish Traditions CDs. We can all listen while Mama nurses or changes a diaper. 
4. 2-3 Times per Week: Coloring Pages from A Coloring Book of the Old Testament. 
5. Read once this week: Archaeologists Dig for Clues (There are some words in this book that could have been replaced with better vocabulary... for example, the word "urinate" could have been used instead of "pee" when talking about types of soil stains in an archaeological dig. I just gloss over them for now.)
6. Do one fun activity from: Old Testament Days.
7. Go on a nature walk to discuss the differences between living and nonliving things. Read Nature Readers as animals emerge. The Fall is great for the study of animal life! 
8. Review Picture Study from Primary Language Lessons, and have oldest child practice narration. 
9. 3 Times per Week: Music with Mama or Papa. We will focus our singing instructions on breathing technique. 
10. Daily: Art! Some days I provide paper and crayons only for free time. 2-3 days per week we use water color or oil pastels. The children love to do picture studies for art by looking at a beautiful piece of artwork for inspiration!

Seems like too much? Try writing down the list by spreading it out on your calendar. I find that these short activities fill-in the gaps in our day, a filler which has become more important now that we have non-nappers. 

ART: Week One, Year One Schola Rosa

This week in art students created their own mini-cave painting. The idea was taken from Education.com. For details about the artistic principles and skills to reinforce at home this week, please see your student's binder. The handout can be seen here: ART 1 HANDOUT. All images for handouts are in the Public Domain and free for use as of 2012.

Students were instructed to rip the edges of their paper after the paintings dried. For those of you who opted to leave the artwork till next week, all pictures are safely stored away in the Schola Rosa Cabinets until next week.

Here are some pictures of their work!

First Day ~ Kindergarten & 1st Grade

I was asked to report on our day so the parents may know what we covered in class and what they may like to follow up with at home, so here is a general play-by-play of our day.......

We read, we sang, we cut, pasted, and colored and hopefully absorbed and learned while doing all these fun things.  In Religion we talked about God's House, the Church - some of the things we do in church and some of the things found inside and practiced the Sign of the Cross.  One little boy - I absolutely remember who it was but don't know if it's appropriate to mention specific students on the site - shared with me several times during the Religion lesson "my dad told me that". Thumbs up for catechesis at home! In English we did a Picture Study and read a short dialogue from the Nature Readers on squirrels and the children seemed to enjoy that exercise quite a bit.  We also worked on memorizing "Rain" for this week's Classically Catholic Memory (CCM)'s Great Words I for Week One.

During History, we read the story of Creation while working on a coloring page and then made a creation collage - another hit among the children.  At this point they needed some time out of their chairs, so we headed out for a "nature walk" and called out everything we saw that God created and then named some things made instead by man.  Back in the classroom we discussed living vs. nonliving things for Science and read a book/sang a song titled "Are You Living?" to the tune of "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?" Good effort was made by most to sing along and even do the motions, but the kids were pretty spent at this point.  We did not get to the map work for Geography (CCM Week One is naming the continents), but hope and plan to do so in future weeks.

As regards general classroom etiquette, they learned to raise their hand and wait to be called before speaking and to form a line -   Beware those who say home schoolers don't know how !

All in all, a great start to the year. Three hours is a long time to stay attentive and tranquil for this age group, but they did beautifully. I imagine you have some sound sleepers at this hour :)  I enjoyed getting to know your children and look forward to our next time together.

Kathryn Stocco

September 10th: WEEK ONE at Schola Rosa

St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Patron of Holy Souls

Thank you to everyone for a wonderful job! Teachers and Volunteers (that means all mothers) were phenomenal and beyond our expectations. We have a few logistical glitches to work out, but over all we think it was a successful day.

You can read about today's Saint here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11065a.htm

Please check your emails for updates this week as we prepare for a new week! Also, look forward to your teacher's blog notes about the first day.

As promised, you will find lyrics to Adoro Te Devote in your email accounts. Below is the music for you to listen to!

Important Information for the First Co-op Day

Greetings in Christ! With great excitement we are all preparing for Monday! We hope you have received all your books and you are wrapping your head around the history program! Please see your email accounts for the following documents:

1. The Updated Directory
2. The Updated Student List
3. The Updated Teacher/Volunteer List

How to prepare?

1. K-6th Students need the map for Week 1 (Classically Catholic Memory); children can share.
2. 4th-6th graders also need Puella Romana and Intermediate Language Lessons.
3. If you have not turned in supplies, please bring those. 
4. Here are some other preparation tips for a successful first day: http://www.scholarosa.blogspot.com/2012/09/tips-for-successful-first-day.html

When to arrive?

1. Hall Monitors should arrive at least 30 minutes early (11:30am) to be briefed on the duties to be completed and on the exits/entrances to watch.
2. Teachers should plan to be at least 1 hour early (11:00 am) to set up classrooms and/or supplies before the co-op begins. 
3. Music Teachers should arrive at least 30 minutes early to set up any props for music lessons and to become acquainted with the classrooms. 
4. All other families are invited to arrive as early as 11:00 am on Monday (weather permitting) to picnic outside. We ask that as few children as possible be in the building during prep time. Arrive at least 10 minutes before noon!

Some Rules to remember:

1. Keep your children with you at all times unless they are in class. During Morning Assembly and during Dismissal, children should be with their parents and not wandering around nor chatting with other children.
2. It is our responsibility to watch our own children and to guarantee their safety. If we are concerned or worried about anything at any time, it is our responsibility to bring it up. Christina Durgin will be on hand in the hall way to field concerns. 
3. Do not touch anything without asking first. VA Hills is not our property, and it is important that we respect their property by not touching things without permission. (This is a good rule to go over with your children before they arrive.)
4. Remind your children of the old adage: If you do not have something nice to say, then do not say anything at all. This is especially true in art class, where many students are sensitive about showing their art skills in a group. 
5. Also, talk to your children about good listening: We listen with our eyes by looking at the person talking; with our mouth by keeping it closed; with our body by not wiggling, and with our ears by hearing. :) You can apply the appropriate motions to the reminders, if you like. :)

When to leave?

1. If you are not responsible for clean-up, we kindly ask that you leave ASAP after the Dismissal. This allows clean-up to go more quickly and smoothly. Feel free to let the kids play a bit outside before you leave, but have them use the bathroom before doing so in order to avoid returning into the building. This allows all of us to get home more quickly. Remember that all children must be under adult supervision at all times, so have your children with you or with a friend at all times. Please be sure your friend KNOWS she is watching your children before leaving them. 

**Special Note for Teachers**

You will receive your annual copies budget on Monday in a sealed envelope. If you have questions after receiving it, please contact us via email or phone.

Please email with any questions between now and Monday!.

May Mary Mother of God, pray for us on this feast day of her nativity!

Blessings,

Alecia Rolling

Tips for a Successful First Day

The first week of a homeschool co-op can be overwhelming and stressful for many mothers, but there are some things you can do to prepare and to avoid the worst. Here are some of our tried and true suggestions:

1. Gather your supplies this weekend and put them in a safe place to grab Monday morning and to load directly into the vehicle. I like to put my supplies in our trunk on Friday, so I have time to remember all the things I have forgotten between Friday and Monday.
2. Pick out clothes for EVERYONE the night before the co-op day, put them in a safe place, and inspect all children the following morning well before departure time. (Leave no room for the unexpected missing shoe as everyone is walking out the door!)
3. Review the Co-op Rules with your children over the weekend. The #1 rule and virtue we will be covering the first week is: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING BEFORE ASKING FOR PERMISSION. The facility is not our property. We demonstrate patience and charity when we follow this simple rule.
4. Pack plenty of snacks for the car trip to and from the co-op. If the natives are restless, all is lost!
5. ARRIVE EARLY! See this post for tips on arriving on time.
6. Make sure you have a quick dinner already planned or already in the crock-pot. There is nothing worse than getting home later than expected and still having to cook!
7. Plan to relax with the kids when you get home. Some time to reconnect, chat, and rest is great for the entire family after such an eventful afternoon. Time for some snuggles and stories.

Photo credit: phaewilk from morguefile.com

Preschool Craft- Week Six

Week Six- The Most Holy Rosary (October 7th)

Story Time: "Holy Rosary" by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik

Craft Time: Paper Bag Rosary Books

This idea came from the very talented Lacy of Catholic Icing.
Since her tutorial is way better than anything I could ever do, I'll send you her way to see the Rosary books.

The children who are making these books are rather young. So I prepared as much as I could. All they will need to do is glue the various prayers and pictures onto their books. We all know young kids love to glue things! I couldn't find the stickers that Lacy used, so I printed out small images. These should be great motivators for getting the kids excited about praying the Rosary. :)

Preschool Craft- Week Five

Week Five- Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4th)

Story Time: "Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi" by Tomie dePaola

Craft time: Paint Birdhouses

St. Francis is probably most known for his love of animals (even though this is such a very small accountability of what he was about and accomplished!). In honor of the saint who even preached to the birds, the children will be painting little birdhouses.

Preschool Craft- Week Four

Week Four- Feast of the Guardian Angels (October 2nd)

Story time: "Angel in the Waters" by Regina Doman

 

Craft time: Crayon Resist Watercolor Painting

What You Need:
-Watercolor Paper with printed image (Instructions on how to do this found in Week One)
-White and skin-colored crayons
-Watercolor paints

This project is a lot like the watercolor painting from Week One. The difference is that this time the children will be using their crayons to color in the wings and the skin of the angel and child. (They may use the white crayon to color anything else they want to keep white, too). Then when they paint, they will see that wherever a crayon was used, the paper will resist the watercolor.