"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."
Albert Einstein

Books We Are Using This Month

Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho
Grade 1-6. The traveling poet, Basho, walks across his island Japan, taking in the beauty, traveling simply, writing poetry, and making friends with fellow countrymen.

Grass Sandals encouraged Michaela to make her contribution to the newsletter this month a poem written Haiku style.

Hamlet

A Child's Garden of Verses: A Classic Illustrated Edition

In my experience, Robert Louis Stevenson is one of those timeless, ageless authors whose writings make for good copywork for any age!

Joseph's word of wisdom for January 2009:

"Learn from your mistakes."

Spend Some Time

"Make a memory with your children,
Spend some time to show you care;
Toys and trinkets can't replace those precious moments that you share."
Elaine Hardt

January 2009

Just Sharing Some Thoughts

You've arrrived! Thank you. And Welcome! We've already been very busy here at our house, this month of January 2009. It always feels good to fall back into a school-days routine after a busy holiday season. Maybe you agree.

Yesterday it occurred to me that our end-of-year testing which is required in North Carolina will be right around the corner. By June 30th we need to have mailed our testing results and attendance records to the Division of Nonpublic Education in North Carolina. I try not to let that be a scary thought. In fact I've begun to see it as a much-needed tool in my efforts to make sure my children are progressing. It also keeps me from allowing too much stuff and nonsense. It's sobering to think that I am responsible for our children's educations and that come testing time we could fall short.

That said, it surely is a fine balance to have just enough of the three R's, memorization, and actual pushing of children versus delight-led learning and pure fun chasing after rabbit trails. Alas, they both work to educate, but in our experience too much of one is not a good thing and yet some of each is required.

"Education is not a preparation for life: education is life itself."
John Dewey

Poetry Corner

Isabella
by Joseph

In the roaring, deafening song of the sea,
I hear it.
The soft rustle of silk on skin.
Silent as a whisper.
I turn and see her standing in the spray of the sea.
A beauty that cuts through the gloom like a knife.
Golden curls, slightly matted to her face.
A face to stop mens' hearts,
and eyes that make time cease to exist.
I call her name,
"Isabella."
For she must be Isabella.
For no other creature has such beauty.
I run to her as if in a dream.
A dream of flying, soaring,
a never-ending joy.
I cannot believe it.
I've found her, the beauty Isabella.
I reach her.
She turns and says,
"Young man, youth of wishful thinking, leave this folly.
I am Isabella, the beauty of legend, but I am also Isabella the tempest.
Do not chase me as others have."
The storm gives one last surge.
I close my eyes against the savage wind
and like that she's gone.

A Beautiful Day
by Michaela

I smell a rosebud
and I see a butterfly
in the summertime.

What is Haiku?

According to the book Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho, traditionally haiku is a form of poetry "characterized by 17 syllables broken into three lines with five, seven, and five syllables respectively." A Haiku poem should appeal to "two of the five senses -- sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste, or the additional sense of movement."

Science Corner

The word for January is cephalopod. (We love words around here.) Ever heard the word "cephalic" in medical talk? It means head. The "cephalo" part of the word "cephalopod" means head. Are you getting our drift? "Pod" means foot. cephalopod = head-footed.

There is an amazing video on-line that shows you what cephalopods can do -- the amazing way in which they can blend in with their surroundings. This video is worth watching all the way to the end (it's not very long--it's quite loud when it starts). Trust me. Just click here. Note: I cannot vouch for the quality of content on the entire TED site, so investigate further with care.

Regarding Homelife

In some of my "teacher" reading this week, I came across a thought I like very much:

"A home atmosphere is pleasant when words are gracious."

That quotation is from Karen Andreola's A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning. It seems like a theme around here lately has been the need to speak with grace. This was just one more reminder, and I know the home atmosphere is better when we all speak to each other with grace.

"I touch the future,
I teach."
Christa McAuliffe

Doll House Corner

Our doll house adventures have been most gratifying over the last couple of months. Michaela was surprised at Christmas with a large wooden doll house so that she may expand her creative endeavors in doll house furniture and accessory making and story telling. (You know I love playing dolls just as much as she does!)

We are incorporating the doll house into learning activities more and more. One of our readers, Tracy, suggested that my daughter write a story about the mysterious, foreign doll who moved into the doll house. I agree that that is a fabulous idea and it is on the list of upcoming lessons for Michaela.

I have found that my daughter writes so much more enthusiastically when she gets an emotional spark from the writing prompt. What better prompt than this new doll we are enjoying so much? Thanks, Tracy!

And speaking of the mysterious doll, who did not have a name, another of our readers, Chris, suggested Mei Ling. Michaela LOVES this name and so Mei Ling she is. We are pleased that the other dolls finally know her name. Thanks, Chris!

Featured Site

We want to share a site with you that has helped us very much in the doll house this month.

Michaela's word of wisdom for January 2009:

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today."