Guest Speaker

This has to be a perk of belonging to a co-op. Where else could I get to meet the president of a college and ask any question I may have about the homeschool-highschool-college transistion? Or about majors? Or about the value of a liberal arts major?

Dr. Thierfelder joined our group for lunch and discussion this week. Hearing his explanation of the value of educating the "whole" person is certainly food for thought. Jenny Ryan, director of Campus Ministry, joined our discussion also. Very inspiring to learn about so many young people enthusiatic for our Faith!

Visit Belmont Abbey to learn more about the history and tradition of Excellence and Virtue right in our own backyard!

Thanksgving Freebies

Last post had a Thanksgiving activity that is free but not uniquely Catholic. Here's a link to Pflaum Publishing to print some activities that do focus on our Catholic heritage. You have to join on their site, but it is free. These family pages are updated quarterly. Enjoy!

Turkey Day!

This activity isn't especially Catholic, but it is seasonal and very, simple! Create a turkey out of leaves from your yard. The idea is from DLTK's website, "Fall Leaf Turkey". And I used the body from the this other turkey craft at DLTK. Just to make it even more simple!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Little Rendezvous

A Field Trip Success! I wasn't sure our family would get to join co-op on this trip to Rendezvous Mtn. The drive seemed daunting and traveling with a baby is always a challenge. Yet the clear weather and a little reminder that trips like these are a "perk" of homeschooling tipped the scaled in favor of going. So very glad we did! Enjoy the pics.

Here Holly and Joseph are waiting on the Ranger to explain about "friendly logging" strategies.
I'm the logger cutting down the "trees". I hope this was time I was being eco-friendly!

Mary Hannah and Elizabeth are being cut to make perfume, of course!

A pleasant group of trees, awaiting their fate!

Gathering for the forest lesson.

What a mom can see from the Ranger Station: Our beautiful Appalachian Mtns.

What a baby can see from the Ranger Station.

Yvonne, Nicholas, Joel and Ellen take in the view.

Eager students learning about the animals in the forest!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween is almost here! I can't believe it. One of the best parts of participating in a Catholic Homeschool Coop is the ability to celebrate our faith in every holiday.

Last year we held an All Saints Parade, helping our children dress as a Saint and learn about that person's life. Bill choose St. Francis and dressed as a soldier, pre-saintly life! Little Mary Hannah choose St. Therese of Liseux and dressed as Theresa would have at Mary Hannah's age. Theresa was a beautiful little girl and her parents tried to keep her from being to prideful with so many compliments.

The best article I have seen yet is in this month's edition of Faith & Family Magazine. The pictures and saints descriptions are great to start your own costume. My favorite of all of these is St. Michael the Archangel, a warrior angel, what's not to love about that?!

Also here are a few other useful links on being Christian and celebrating Halloween: Should CAtholics Celebrate Halloween? and Debra Furman owns a business just to make saints costumes in Kansas.

Enjoy the holiday, best wishes controlling the massive amounts of candy :-) , and if you can share a story or two of the Saints to your children too!

There are others!

Ok, so I am all excited about the K-3rd group. But there are others! For the 3-5th graders, there is a great literature unit on Sarah Plain and Tall. I loved the movie, and know the girls are enjoying the book!

Mary is leading this class. The unit study is from the 5 in a Row series. According to their website, it is not marketed but a scret shared among friends! Our daughters are enjoying this course, so consider it shared!

Upcoming Field Trip?

Hopefully our troop of interested learners will be making a journey to Dan Nicholas Park towards the end of October. More details as they become available.

As I mentioned before we began the year with a trip to All-A-Flutter Butterfly Farm. After several exciting and successful trips last year, we are doing are best to hit the road again this season too!