First Day of 6th and 8th Grade August 2023

We started the new school year on August 1, 2023.  This year Cruz is in 8th grade, and Ben is in 6th grade.  Time is passing quickly with these two!  Here is a look at our first day of school.

 

me and the boys

It is our ninth year to homeschool.

 

We had pancakes for breakfast.

 

our school room

 

 

 

We had a full day of classes.  In addition to that, the boys filled out these "back to school" pages.  We always do them on the first and last day of school.  It makes a fun keepsake from their school years.

 

 

Here is a YouTube video of our first day of school.

 

I will try to do a post soon on our curriculum choices for this school year.

Last Day of School 2022- 2023 (5th and 7th grade)

 On Friday,  May 12, we wrapped up our school year. Here is a look at how we celebrated.

 

We bought Cruz this easel for his third birthday and have used it for most all special occasions ever since. We have moved twice since then and just keep dragging it around.  The sentimental side of me will probably never want to part with it.

 

I had their signs waiting for them on the table.

 

Last day of 5th grade.

 

Last day of 7th grade.

 

Can you guess what we had for breakfast?

Pancakes, of course.

These were chocolate chip, banana, and pecan.

 

We also had fruit and bacon.

 

 

 

me and my boys

 

This is how we were really feeling about the day!!

 

 

We took a few more photos in the school room while we completed our final lessons. 

 

They also filled out their final day of school interview pages. I have been printing these for the first day and last day of school since they started preschool. I keep them in binders for each boy.  I print them from two websites: Positively Splendid, and 123 Homeschool 4 Me.  They make a great keepsake!

 

My guys bought me flowers as a teacher appreciation gift.

 

We went out for lunch to McDonald's.  That seems to be our tradition.

 

last day of school lunch at McDonald's in Antigua

 

The boys then spent the afternoon at Awana class.  That evening we had friends over for supper and fellowship.  I made a pot of taco soup and we ordered a few delivery pizzas. 

 

I made this sunshine chocolate chip cookie cake for dessert.  That is another last day of school tradition of ours. 

We are glad to be done with classes for a few months.  We have a very busy summer planned but are excited about getting to do something besides school everyday.  

Hooray!! 

Homeschool Days September 2022

Here is a look at what we have been learning lately-

 

 Cruz ready to start class.

 

In our Bible reading time we finished the book of Acts. We read James and are almost finished with 1 Corinthians.  At the end of each book Cruz has to give an oral summary for his Awana class.  They also recite a memory verse a week at Awana. 

 

 

During September we studied and prayed daily for the Seminole, Inuit, Deleware, and Lumbee Indians.

 

 

We read these chapter books.  Cruz also read short stories on John Wesley, Harriet Tubman,Gladys Aylward, Menno Simons, and Martin Luther.

 

They love to sit on the couch while doing their reading assignments.

 

In Math, Ben is working on fractions.

 

Cruz in is Pre-Algebra.  

They both take a math test every Friday.

 

Ben working on cursive handwriting.

 

Reading a history lesson. They sit beside me, and we all take turns reading the textbook out loud. We are doing Sonlight American History this year.

Ben practicing his spelling words outside one recent sunny day.

 

Ben taking his weekly spelling test.  Both boys have a test every Friday.

Ben is loving his Apologia study of swimming creatures! During September he learned about pinnipeds. Specifically, he studied seals, sea lions, manatees, and walruses.

 

 

We did a fun experiment to learn how a layer of blubber helps keep animals warm in freezing waters.  We used latex gloves, ice water, and petroleum jelly.  On one hand, we put a layer of petroleum jelly between two gloves.  The other hand only had two gloves. 

 

It was a little messy but that is what makes it fun. The hardest part was getting another glove to go over it.

 

He tested each hand individually to see how long he could leave it in the ice water. 

 

Testing both hands at the same time.  The hand with the extra layer of jelly was much warmer.

 

 

He had a chapter on aquatic herps.  Here he is watching videos on sea turtles.

 

To get a better understanding of how big leatherback turtles are, we went outside and drew an outline on our driveway.  He was quite surprised to see the size!

 

He did a chapter on primeval reptiles.  During this study he learned about fossils.  Here he is mixing mud for an experiment.

 

He was learning how aquatic animals float when they die making it very hard for them to fossilize.  We used a seashell and some Cheerios to demonstrate it.

 

 

In another experiment we used three different types of sediment (sand, silt, and clay) to see which one preserved fossil details the best.

 

Mixing plaster of paris to make his fossil molds.

 

He loved seeing the results.

 

 

Cruz is doing an online self-paced General Science class through Apologia.  He loves the format and it is teaching him great independent study skills. During September his topics were on documenting and interpreting experimental results and scientific analysis.

 

 

Doing an experiment to understand a flame's oxygen use.

He used three different size glasses to test the experiment and timed each one to see how long it took for the candle to burn out.  Obviously, the largest glass had the most air/ oxygen allowing the candle to burn longer.  At the end of every experiment he has to write a lab report explaining the experiment and what he learned. 

 

In September Ben started attending a Homeschool Hub for kids K4- 5th grade.  They meet once a week for two hours and have worship, devotion, library time, and play time.  We have not been able to go every week but have been twice already.  It is a fun outing for him and a great opportunity to be with other kids.

 

Guatemala celebrates Children's Day on October 1 every year.  As part of the celebration the Homeschool Hub planned a fun day for the kids.  They had games, crafts, candy, and a hot dog lunch.  Here they are playing one of the games.

 

 

In addition, the boys joined Encounter Academy for a field trip to a Mayan museum in Guatemala City. 

 

Lastly, Ben is thoroughly enjoying his weekly tennis lessons.  He and a neighbor friend Josue go together on Saturday mornings. Here they are with their coach doing drills.  There are four boys total in his class.   

 

It's now looking like fall in our schoolroom,

 

and our Pac-Man is eating his way through the school year.

 

It was another excellent month of learning and growing.  These are fun days!