Family Advent Activities

How will you keep "Jesus the reason for the season"? In particular how will you celebrate the anxious waiting for Christmas?

Visit mum2twelve for the Jesse tree readings as well as other family Advent traditions.

Happy Advent!

Catholic Homeschool Community Growing

Just 3 years ago, when I began homeschooling, I searched the web as best I could for local Catholic Homeschool groups. Few and far between. As in, there were few groups and I lived far between them each.

But today, that's a different story! What good news! Visit ARCH, (Association of Roman Catholic Homeschoolers, a ministry and support group for Roman Catholic homeschoolers in the Triad) to find various portals Catholic Home School groups available in the Triad area.

So exciting to see how much our community of homeschoolers has grown in such a short period of time!

God, continue to guide our schools to seek you, to know your Truth and Word and to find fellowship with one another!

Where has the time flown?

Already reaching the end of our first semesters activities. Tomorrow we celebrate All Saints day, much like years in the past. My favorite activity tomorrow will be the Litany of the Saints. I like that better even than singing "The Saints Go Marching In".

In other news, Bill and Michael were able to participate in a local homeschool science fair. They didn't win but learned about "how your teeth rot" and enjoyed seeing all the other projects as well.
Several families enjoyed a field trip to Apple Hill Orchard. On what turned out to be the only dry day that week!

One other activity this fall, I did not get pictures. Some of us joined in making rope rosaries in honor of the Month of The Rosary, October.

So glad to be a part of such a great community of Catholic Home School Families! Leave me a note if you stumble here. I'd love to hear from you.

Revised Fall Schedule

Final planning meeting last night. Made the adjustments needed and got details for the book lists. Things I am particularly excited about are:

• the science lab, that was so great last year
  
• Fr. Draper being kind enough to teach our Catechism class
• Art through Faith (of course I love anything Art and Faith)
• Trail Guide to US Geography, I know the boys will enjoy this
• Merchant of Venice (glad that this will support Lee's high school studies)
• PE stays! Thank you Yvonne!
  

Again, I hope you can click on the picture to see the schedule in a larger view. If you are interested in joining this coop, we are always glad to welcome newcomers. Leave a comment so I can reply with more information. Or you can just come to visit for a day and see for yourself.

First day is September 9th, we meet for 11 weeks in the fall and then start again January.

Fall 2009

Summer has flown by and we will have our final planning meeting this week. Some of the highlights of the upcoming year include:

• the return of Latin for elementary through middle school
  
• a Christmas program about the Saints
• the middle school book club was a hit, so we are continuing this for the MS
• Sewing!
  

Can you click on this picture to see it larger? I hope so.

A few changes need to be made, Melissa, fearless PE leader has moved. We will definitely miss you! Who else will be brave enough to referee kick ball with the 3-MS group? And if you look closely at the schedule, there are still a few question marks remaining.

It will all come together later this week. I know I am looking forward to our next co-op year!

Celebrate! May the month of Mary

Mary, We love you!
My favorite part of the whole year: May Crowning!

Fr. Draper led the group in song while the children placed flowers for Mary at the statue outside St. Francis. (Not all the families arrived in time for the procession, but that's ok. I got their pictures later :-)

Bill and Andrew take their turn.

All the students line up before the processin begins.

The Elementary Class - Continents
Everyone brought show and tell for this class and Mrs. Jean brought really delicious Amish bread to share too, yum!

Ready to share.

The boys Catholic Mosaic class

My second favorite part of the year: Art Class!

The children really enjoyed watercolors today. I learned as the weeks passed that it is totally acceptable to encourage the kids to "use as much color as possible". They really made some colorful pictures today, and worked for the entire class time.

Even the boys took their time to create something unique!

Not letting any dust gather, we meet to begin planning next year's lessons soon. We all agreed the group science class was a good idea to continue next year. The book club was a lot of fun for the Middle School students too. Other ideas up for discussion include: Latin, Biology lab for High School, and A Uniquely Catholic Christmas Program.

Thank you to everyone for such a great year! We have so enjoyed our time at St. Francis. Especially to Fr. Draper for saying Mass each week.

Happy Summer!

Knitpicky

The girls had a great field trip recently. Mrs. Olive took them to Knit Picky in Winston Salem. What a great yarn shop! The items they had were so beautiful and handmade, the yarn so soft and luxurious. Mrs. Olive showed the girls different types of yarn, some hand made and some hand dyed. The trip was the start of their spring project. Fun!