Update on Our Family

Hello Families,

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to connect with wonderful families. I love seeing your pictures, hearing about your student's milestones, and sharing with you in your hard times too. Over the years I have been privileged to connect with so many great people and hear your stories.

I wanted to update you on my family's life. On August 5 our 13 year old son told us he had a lump on his leg which led to us discovering he had Stage 4 Ewing Sarcoma. We were blown away.

He has had his second round of fourteen two-week chemo treatments (3-6 days of chemo and then we are home). There will also be radiation and surgery. We are looking at 10-15 months of treatment. Our church, friends, and family are trying to help us as we navigate this new normal.

As far as portfolios, I am still accepting them and will continue to accept them for the 2016-2017 school year. It might take me a few days longer so I appreciate your patience. My plan is to still accept portfolios for the 2017-2018 season, but I may need to make modifications to my system. I will post more details in January 2018.

If you would like to keep up with our family's news you are welcome to do so through our Caring Bridge Site.

Thank you,

Becky Boerner

Guest Post: Starting School by Lisa McAfee

My sweet friend Lisa McAfee on starting school.  

Starting School 

When thinking about the first week of school, consider easing into routines and subjects. Sometimes setting a new routine can be one of the most difficult things to do after you have had a break from school.

Consider starting school midweek. As far as setting a routine for school, I always began school on Wednesday.  That way we had three days of school instead of a full week. It was an easier transition for the children AND for me.  We could get used to the routine in a more gentle way than hitting the school year full force.

Get a good night's sleep. The day will be much better if you allow time for everyone (including you, Teacher) to get a full night's rest. Going on little sleep makes it difficult to concentrate and focus. I know from personal experience! :)

Start every day at the same time. Whether you plan on starting at 8:00 or 9:00 (or later), have everyone ready to begin school and stay consistent. The first week may be begun an hour later since you are easing into things, but I actually found that when I did that my sons were not happy with me when they had to get up early the following week. Instead, I shortened the day that we finished school, and I made sure that emphasized that. lol

Eat breakfast. For years I would skip breakfast and then have to listen to my stomach gurgle and try to keep my mind on my work, all the while wishing it was lunchtime. That was not the smart and now I have my husband to thank because every morning he makes us a delicious, nutritious smoothie that he either puts on my desk or hands to me as I am flying out the door to teach. Breakfast breaks your fast and sets you on the road to teaching and learning.

Go over your schedule. I think it is good to preview the day with your daughter or son, even if you just say, "This morning we are going to be learning our numbers and practicing our ABC's."  Your child knows what is going to be happening and you have said it, providing some accountability to yourself as well.

Begin with a few subjects. As far as subjects are concerned for the first week, I just concentrated upon reading and math. I found a good read aloud book to start our day. With everyone beginning the school day on a pleasant note, we then went into math. Reviewing formerly learned concepts and providing successful experiences will set a positive tone for the year.

Celebrate the beginning of your new school year. You can end the day with a fun activity, a special dinner, or a board game your son or daughter likes to play.  Relax before going to bed so that you are ready to begin again.

You are a remarkable teacher and mother. You are going to have a great year! 

~Lisa

https://schoolmarmohio.com/

Contest: Amazon Card For the Solar Eclipse

Contest at the end of the post. Scroll to the end.  You so not need to live in Ohio or homeschool to enter to win.

I remember back in 1979 viewing the solar eclipse from my elementary playground in Kansas City. We made the pinhole cards and all stood outside with a warning that WHATEVER YOU DO, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN(!), etc., etc. I remember the sky turning a strange color and I remember our teacher being so excited she was practically bobbing up and down. It was an amazing experience, and I loved being outside for such a long period of time during the school day.

Coming up on August 21, 2017 from 2 to 3 in the afternoon, most of the US will see a full to partial solar eclipse. We will not have a full eclipse in Ohio, but it should still be pretty amazing, with the shadow of the moon crossing the nation from coast to coast. This kind of eclipse does not happen very often (last one: June 18, 1918) and is worth enjoying with our students.

Which leads me to the Ohio Homeschool Assessment summer contest. No, really! Since it has been about 40 years since I viewed my last eclipse I think we need to run a contest for a $40 Amazon card. Maybe you can use it to finish up school shopping, buy some coffee to make it through your morning, grab some books or music, or start your Christmas shopping. Any of those would be awesome!

So embrace the eclipse of 2017!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you have problems please email me.  ohiohomeschool@gmail.com

Helpful Links and items:

NASA Total Eclipse Site

Space.com eclipse information

Fox News Story



Make sure they are Prime so they ship in time.

The Berenstain Baers Bless our Gramps & Gran by Mike Berenstain

In The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Gramps and Gran, the newest title in The Berenstain Bears Living Lights series, Mama, Papa, and the cubs decide it’s high time they honor Grizzly Gramps and Gran.

It’s almost Grandparents Day and the Bear family has never celebrated this special day before. So working as a team, the cubs, with a little help from Mama and Papa, come up with a fun and creative way to show Gramps and Gran just how much they are loved and appreciated.

Mike Berenstain has written and illustrated The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Gramps & Gran for children 4-7 years old. The book tells the story of how the bear cubs plan to celebrate Grandparents day in Bear Country. Together the cubs brainstorm with their parents all the special things their grandparents do for them, and then come up with a plan to celebrate. The book ends with a page of suggestions for readers of how they can celebrate Grandparents Day with their grandparents.

This was a sweet story. The illustrations are in the tradition of Mike Berenstain's parents Stan and Jan Berenstain, and are colorful and engaging for young readers. The story has a nice tie-in with the biblical Noah, his wife and their many grandchildren. I loved seeing a family tree of Noah’s family.

I have never celebrated Grandparents day in the past. After reading this delightful story I decided that observing Grandparents Day with my kids is something that I would like to do. I am looking forward to helping my children celebrate their grandparents this year. I am also going to read the story to my preschool class at co-op and then have them make cards for their Grandparents. I highly recommend this book.

Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
  --Proverbs 17:6

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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