Why Home School?

Source: TopMastersInEducation.com

Election Results {Joseph Victorious}

In a very close race for senior patrol leader, Joseph emerged victorious after the Boy Scout troop's election last week. Joseph will serve as the assistant senior patrol leader for the next six months, and begin his term as SPL in May 2013. 

Running against three other Scouts (worthy opponents all), and on his third attempt at being elected to this top position in the troop, Joseph carefully wrote and rehearsed his election speech and made sure all his merit badges were sewn onto this sash.   The question and answer session following the speeches gave Joseph an opportunity to practice impromptu speaking and crowd pleasing.

A series of junior leader trainings, or JLT (with sessions led and taught by the Scouts) and a planning meeting will kick off the new leadership terms this week, and a new round of boy leadership will begin again.  I must admit, I am pleased with the election results.  Hopefully this is a sign of good things and sound leadership to come...

Almost Eagle {Board of Review}

Pack 222 Webelos and Bears 2004

One of these Scouts is about to join the Rank of Eagle Scout...

Hints:

• today was his last day of high school
• he earned Life Rank at age 12
• tomorrow he'll be in a cap and gown
• he is an extraordinary young man

Zachary's Board of Review is tonight!!

Finals Week {+ Annual Testing}

It's that time of year again~time for our home school students' annual standardized tests.  Coinciding with Zachary's final final exams for high school (at the community college), our household theme this week is EXAMINATION.

The ONE law for home schooling in Washington State requires every home school to provide annual assessment for each student of the compulsory attendance age (8+).  This testing and the mandatory form filed with our local school district each school year formally declaring our intent to provide home based education are only things we are bound by law to do as home schoolers in Washington State. I guess there could also be a law requiring us to feed and water our students and provide them recess, but I've never seen it in print.

So long as we home school teachers here in Washington have either a year of post high school education or have completed a home schooling certification course, we are deemed worthy by the powers that be to provide our children with a custom home-based education in whatever way we see fit.  So far we're seeing great results academically, socially, morally, and corporeally with our own eclectic Catholic home school program which we continually adapt according to each student's needs and interests (with an ever sharper eye on university entrance requirements thanks to Zachary's recent college application process).

The results of our students' tests are ours to keep and do not go anywhere other than into a file cabinet for proof that the tests were completed.  Often, the tests reveal what we already know in terms of which subjects are strengths and which are weaknesses.  For example in about 5th grade when Zachary dipped a few percentile points in the math computation section, we decided it was time to start using a math curriculum. 


When the timer goes off, the boys depart rapidly from the testing table (otherwise known as the dining room table) and enjoy a bit of mayhem (or a snack) before I call them in to report for the next section.  They take their tests as they spend their school days ~ doggy distractions, neighborhood noise, etc.  When the annual tests are completed, the boys current grade level 'officially' ends and the new grade level begins.  This means I am about to have another high school student as Joseph wraps up the final days of his 8th grade year and launches into the realm of Freshman.  Peter will complete 6th grade and move up into the 7th.  Zac will begin packing for his first year at the University of Notre Dame, and his years of home school formally come to an end this Friday as he graduates in a cap and gown from Whatcom Community College having completed his high school (home school) diploma and his AA degree.

Jello Shooters Served to Minors {and other tidbits}

Logos Bible Software for Catholics continues a generous e-book give-a-way each week during the Easter season.  This local company employs a few of my favorite Catholics, and many faithful Protestant friends, and is rocking the world with holiness in e-form.  I have downloaded each of the first 3 free books, the most recent, Explanation of the Apocalypse by Venerable Bede.  (Don't be concerned when Logos checkout requires your credit card information to proceed; the give-a-way is totally FREE, it's just a mandatory step in the process.)  There are i-apps available for reading on i-devices, or you can download free Logos software for reading on your windows system.   Now if I can somehow figure out how to transfer the free books to my Kindle...

Zac and Tim up on the roof of the carport, Zachary's nearly complete Eagle Project.

Even as son #1 prepares for his first year at the University of Notre Dame, son #2 receives outside counsel to convince us to let him attend public high school.  When he stated the primary reason for our refusal to consider public high school, "My mom and dad are worried about the immoral environment," the reply, "That's just propaganda," was offered in rebuttal.  Talk about an opportunity to grow in humility:  Your home school just doesn't seem to be measuring up, does it?  Maybe your kids would be better off in the local public high school? (This caring soul has yet to approach us directly to offer this suggestion; I pray that I/we can be charitable in hearing the concerns/suggestions.)  We are convinced that even if our children's academic experience in home school should fall short, their love of learning and passion for their areas of interest will lead them to deeper knowledge in higher education.  The fact is, we are putting the primary focus on the formation of their eternal souls; we trust that all other pieces will fall into place as they should. 

Have you read Raising Pure Teens yet? 

Tucker in character

Ezra's little brother Apollo's surgery was successful, and he's home from the hospital with a new g-tube for feeding.  Apollo and his family are in our daily prayers; please pray for his ongoing medical issues and for his family.  We had the outrageously awesome opportunity to hang out with Apollo's siblings while he was in hospital, and sang happy birthday to his eight year old brother, Hezekiah.  Avi and Tucker delighted us with their costume play, and lively spirits. 

Peter and Brendan with their jello shooters on Cinco de Mayo 2012.

I'm a monkey's aunt, according to our delightful nephew, Jacob, who was in town for the day yesterday.  Peter and I had the pleasure of joining him and his brother, Brendan, and my brother Peter John for a Cinco de Mayo dinner in downtown Burlington.  Somehow the children were served jello shooters, which they had barely tasted before declaring them un-edible.  Peter John confirmed that they were alcohol-laden, and we wondered if the memo from the bar to the wait-staff somehow got lost in translation.  No harm, no foul; just lots of laughs and a few funny photos of middle school aged boys pretending to be drunk.  We love our time with cousins...

"Mom, do NOT take my picture!"

 
Inheriting Tim's extremely wide feet, Joseph recently endured over an hour of torture to find a pair of hiking boots at the last minute before this weekend's journey into the wild.  The poor child nearly died of embarrassment at having over 8 rejected pairs of hiking boots piled up behind him on the bench at REI.  At long last, however, a pair was found to be endurable, and we proceeded to the check out.  The cost of the boots exceeded our wildest expectations, but since they are the same size Tim wears, we consider them to be future hand-me-ups when Joseph is ready for the next size in a few (weeks?) months.

Caleb, Isaac, Christian, Zachary, Judah and Joseph at departure for a 2-night 15+mile trek in the foothills of the North Cascades.

Texting from the wildnerness while on a 2-night backpacking trek with Scouts, Zachary requested the lyrics to "Light My Fire" by the Doors.  I imagine there was some fire-side skit being hatched, or perhaps his dream of lighting a funeral pyre on a Scout outing on the shores of Baker Lake were finally realized?  In any event, I texted him the lyrics in a reply, which may or may not have arrived in time to be employed in the night's entertainment. (Yes, this is against troop policy to use electronic devices on a camp-out, shame on us!)  Zac, Tim and Joseph will arrive home tonight in time to attend 5th Sunday of Easter Mass with Archbishop Sartain on the WWU campus with the NCCM.  Yours truly shall serve as liturgical photographer...I can't wait!

Now go check out Conversion Diary!

Clean Dogs, Book Burning and Broken Skin {7 Quick Takes}

Ordinary dog washing doesn't have the thrills that dog-washing-while-dodging-water-balloons has.  Just ask Joseph, who somehow managed to wash both dogs and avoid being pelted by water balloons on a recent sunny afternoon. Neither Charlie nor Rocky found anything thrilling about being hosed down and shampooed when they had excitedly assumed someone was going to take them for a w-a-l-k when the sounds of the gathering of leashes and collars reached their ears. 

Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled that Joseph decided to bathe the beasts without even being asked.  However, the placement of the bathing operation (a few feet from the front door) did make me wonder if we are ready for dog washing 201.  Having deleted all the carpet on our main floor and stairs, the visible damage and dirt from dogs and boys has been severely reduced, mostly, sort of.

A 2+ hour webinar last week especially geared for home school students with entrepreneurial tendencies was a huge hit with Joseph and Peter.  But the real huge hit came at the closing infomercial where you can 'join' the program for only three easy installments.  The boys were ready to sign up, and granted, if the promises for potential income were to come true, the program would pay for itself several times over.  But let's just say we did not hit the 'buy it now' button.  The e-tips gleaned may bear fruit in some future money making scheme, or it may fade away like the great ideas of yesterday.

It's not every day you get to have a book burning at Church!  With the new translation of the Roman Missal, the proper way to dispose of the old books is burning, and I'll bet you can guess who jumped at the opportunity to head up this service project in the hours before our Easter Vigil began.  Before long, the fire ring was surrounded by males of all ages ready to pitch printed pages into the flames.

"Hi!" he said.
"Hi!" he repeated.
I think perhaps Luke heard a reply!

Another day at the office for Zachary at the Eagle Project carport site on Saturday, with a few adults and a brother to cut the 2x12's for the outriggers to hold up the fascia and install the 4x6 supports.  Once again the weather was amazing and although a hefty to-do list remains for the project to be complete, a little progress is better than no progress.

Zachary's shin took had a run-in with a slab of concrete at his Eagle Project during clean-up yesterday.  I'm pretty sure that lower puncture wound needed a stitch (or at least some glue), but my vote wasn't counted in the official balloting.  According to Zachary's version of the mishap, either he was leaping over a tall building in a single bound, or he was testing the strength of the concrete.
Tim's take sounded more like someone avoiding ten whole steps by taking a shortcut.  You decide!

Thanks, Jen, for hosting 7 Quick Takes!

Axe Wednesday {Dam Construction}

 Peter VS the fallen tree

If there's one thing the boys won't be giving up for Lent this year, it's their new axes.  Given by a variety of givers at Christmas, these hand held tools of destruction construction would be sorely missed.  The latest favorite home school science project, dam building, just wouldn't be the same without these axes.  After years of attempting to successfully inhibit the creek's flow, Joseph and Peter have finally met with a quantifiable measure of success.  The new lake across the street is proof; the new resident Mallards are witnesses.  It's been a long time coming, and this new success story is worth sharing.

{No living trees were injured in the making of this project.}

Our new (feathered) neighbors take a leisurely paddle.

Unfortunately for our downstream neighbor who taps into the creek for home made hydropower (and who has been spotted busting up the boys' past dam projects under the cover of darkness), this new dam might actually be having some minutely measurable effect on the flow power of the current.  We shall focus on the positive side of this story: boys with free time playing (and working) for hours in the woods, celebrating a small victory over nature.

the creek with natural and boy-made blockages from years gone by

the new dam home school science project

Like an axe, Lent offers us another opportunity for small victories over nature.  Simple sacrifices offer us a chance to chop off some of our natural inclinations to prefer the comforts of a soft life to the type of disciplined life the Gospel calls us to live.  When we tell you we are entering into a holy season of profound preparation for the celebration of Christ's Resurrection (Easter) we are most certainly NOT talking about plotting out an egg hunt or blowing up inflatable bunnies (nothing against bunnies or eggs).  This is the real deal: the special time we set aside each year to purposefully choose ways to grow closer to God and to one another.  Happy Axe (Ash) Wednesday; may your Lent, too, be blessed!

 Newly created habitat for our feathered friends and probably others yet to be discovered

Washington State AA Champions {Sehome Swim and Dive Team}

AA STATE CHAMPIONS 2012

Sehome HS Swim & Dive Team

Making headlines and winning admiration from all corners of our state, Sehome HS swim and dive team captured the title of Washington State AA Champions for the fourth straight year.  Front page spreads yesterday and today celebrate the team winnings and the individuals who made it happen:

PREP BOYS' SWIMMING: Close-knit Sehome team hoping to continue championship success

DAVID RASBACH - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/19/2401575/prep-boys-swimming-close-knit.html#storylink=cpy

FEDERAL WAY - Sehome senior Zac Adams wore a smile as big as the trophy he was lugging off the pool deck at the King County Aquatic Center on Saturday, Feb. 18.

And why shouldn't he?

(Read the rest of today's Bellingham Herald article.)

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/19/2401575/prep-boys-swimming-close-knit.html#storylink=cpy

 

4th straight title: SHS Swim & Dive State Champions '09, '10, '11 and 2012

True to his super-analytical side, Zachary figured out the team's stroke and distance statistics for the season:

• 7 million strokes swam by the team this season
• 150 thousand strokes per swimmer
• 142 miles swam per swimmer this season
• 5000 yards swam per day, per swimmer

 Impressive numbers, impressive team, impressive season.

Prior to the state meet finals, Captain Zachary lead his last team cheer with gusto.

Hauling off the loot, Zachary claims the trophy for Sehome 

CONGRATULATIONS SEHOME SWIM AND DIVE TEAM;
CONGRATULATIONS CAPTAIN ZACHARY!

Breaking News {College Admission}

When a fat envelope arrived in today's mail for Zachary from Thomas More College in New Hampshire, we decided to bring it to him down at the AA state swim meet where he is team captain and an alternate swimmer for a relay.  After the prelims tonight we met up with him in the lobby of the King County Aquatics Center for an envelope opening party.

Although I had a nightmare last night that he was denied admission, the contents of  the envelope proved otherwise.  The congratulations letter announced not only his admission to Thomas More College, but also offered him a presidential scholarship to offset the private school tuition.  A T-shirt was also included, and Zachary was very pleased indeed with the mail call.

Of course there may be additional admission letters coming to our mailbox soon.  And who knows, maybe other offers of scholarships and awards?  At any rate, this one is the first, and is an incredible gift for our home school senior on a big weekend, now with even more reasons to celebrate.