email conference

Quick and easy update: I'm sharing with you, my friends, the email I just sent to the kids' teacher. State law mandates that we have biweekly communication with our supervisory teacher; and this week we're doing an email conference. So, clever me, thinks, "why reinvent the wheel?" and I'm reposting here what I sent to her two minutes ago.


The following is our email conference to Mrs. Shaw, the week of February 4, 2008:

From E: We are VERY TIRED of long division and are looking forward with great enthusiasm to doing Something (ANYTHING) Else. The kids forget the algorithm (Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Pull down) if the dividend gets too large. This is a concept that we'll have to go back to, or just keep reinforcing at the lower levels before trying the 4 (or more) digit dividends. We've already had to make corrections just to pass several lesson assessments. (How frustrated they get when they have to do something over!) On the plus side, just about everything else is VERY interesting right now. History (the Age of Imperialism) and science (invertebrates) are great; spelling, vocab and GUM are usually "no-brainers", and the kids just finished their 2nd novel of the year. Da wants to go directly to choosing a new novel, so I will go ahead and let him do that.

Field trip ideas... hard to say. I pick and choose which field trips to attend, depending on how the school %'s are going for that month. I have a love/hate relationship with the monthly requirements--but since you tell me it's not only %'s, but also hours total, that makes it a little easier. (Did I mention we are VERY TIRED of long division?)

Elluminate classes-- is it too soon for them to learn to begin taking notes? They do enjoy the online interaction and using the board to draw, type, etc.

Also - question regarding Power Glide/k12 partnership.... I checked into it, and I would have to purchase a separate language curriculum for each child. It's still a pretty good deal, though I am wondering - is this something that WAVA will be offering in the future as part of the basic education package? (IOW, should I save up my money, or just be patient?)

Sa chimes in: "I just finished reading Pippi Longstocking. It was the funniest book I remember reading! I would enjoy knowing Pippi as a friend. The next book I plan on starting is a Nancy Drew book."

Da's input: "I am writing a book right now called Children: Adorable Little People or Savage Bloodthirsty Monsters? We're going to be discussing whether we little people are almost perfectly harmless, or savage monsters who raid the kitchen during holiday time. I just finished reading Catherine, Called Birdy. She tries to drive away any suitor that her father brings in. I liked the book because it had many funny parts. I am also writing another book called A Child's Guide to Adults, which will be placed in the library."

(Erin comments: He really is writing that book. It's quite funny.)

Well, that's about it from here. Sounds pretty normal for us, doesn't it?

Cheers and blessings,
E