Cycle 2, Week 8 Reminders and Resources

Hello families! I appreciate your patience this week during our power outage. The kids were champs about it and everyone was so calm and understanding even when it got pretty stuffy in some of the classrooms. Here are a few quick reminders for you for week 8 along with some resources that you can explore during your studies at home.

1. Make sure your calendar fundraising money is turned in to Ashley.

2. Don't forget your student's tin whistle. There are lots of free songs that they can practice on CC Connected if you get tired of hearing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on repeat for hours on end. Haha!

3. Monday was scheduled to be "Wacky Tacky" day, but several students asked if they could wear their Halloween costumes instead. That will be fine as long as they are not wearing anything scary - NO GHOSTS, WITCHES, VAMPIRES, ZOMBIES, ETC. Please use your judgement here and remember that not all families in our community celebrate Halloween. We want to be respectful of those who do not. Thanks for your help with this.

4. If you want to bring food or winter coats/hat/scarves to donate to Highways and Hedges for the homeless, I will leave my car unlocked on Monday. Just put it in the trunk and I'll drop it all off at H&H on my way home.

5. The CC Market will be available in the fellowship hall each week if you want to sell your handmade items, baked goods, curriculum, books, etc. Several of you do direct sales and you are welcome to put catalogs or products out as well.  I'll have some crochet goodies there to share and I think a few others are planning to bring some things as well. Please clearly label prices on your items and mark who the money should go to. You can use your earnings towards tuition for next year or for Christmas shopping or whatever you want. Children are welcome to participate in this as well.

6. The Nelson family welcomed their new son this week. Stay tuned for information on meal sign-up (this is being coordinated by their church and we will just join in) and an upcoming baby shower. They were leaving the gender as a surprise and wanted to wait on a shower until after the baby arrived. We will also be scheduling a baby shower for Megan Anderson soon!

Thanks,
Amber

Resources:

Fall Fun (Extras) -

Make pumpkin stamps from apples here.

Giant list of 35 super fun pumpkin crafts and activities here.

History and Geography - 
This week these two are very connected. Take time to read the back of the timeline card for "Age of Exploration" and you'll see why.

Voyage of Magellan

Detailed explanation of Treaty of Tordesilles (for older kids)

Animaniacs Ballad of Magellan

Amerigo Vespucci Quick History

Free European Explorers lapbook

Science - 

Solar System Song

Solar System Brownies

Solar System Hats (Abecedarians made these in CC this week)

10 Amazing Facts About the Sun

Solar System Project for the Ambitious CC Mom - ha!

Great visual to talk about the earth's rotation vs revolution

Edible model of the sun's parts

Parts of the Sun printable

English - 

Reflexive Pronouns Song

Reflexive Pronouns Free Printable Worksheet

Tin Whistle - 

Make a giant music staff to learn notes

Note Name clues

Tin whistle Sheet music for "Everything is Awesome" song

Review Games - 

Make a fortune paper game (remember these from middle school?!) and use with subjects/weeks

Printable CC Bingo game

A big list of review game ideas

Another big list of review games

Week 7 - Reminders and Resources

Good morning, sweet friends! I hope you had a wonderful day at CC this week and have managed to get some nice ear plugs to get you through this quarter's many hours of tin whistle practice. Ha! Just a few reminders to share with you this week and then some resources to explore together with your children if you so desire...

Reminders:

1. Calendar fundraising money should be turned into Ashley Paruch on Monday. Also if you want to participate in the PDQ fundraiser, talk to Ashley about that.

2. Starting on Monday, we will start a "CC Market". We will use a table in the fellowship hall area for this. You and your children can bring any type of handmade items, baked goods, used books and curriculum, etc. that you wish to sell to others in the community. Mark it clearly with pricing and leave a note to show who is selling it. You can leave an envelope where friends can pay with an honor system or collect money at lunch - you are responsible for collecting your own money. The funds you collect can be used for your family's own tuition or you may choose to donate all of it or a percentage of it to the scholarship fund.

3. We need some volunteers to start planning our Medieval Feast Thanksgiving/Christmas party. If you want to help with this, please email Amber this week.

4. Don't forget tin whistles on Monday!

Resources:

History - 
Video about Protestant Reformation
Lots of fun ideas for exploring the Reformation

Science - 
5 Kinds of Stars song
Psalm 8:3-5 - great passage to look at this week
DIY Galaxy Dust Play-Dough
Magic School Bus Sees Stars Episode

Tin Whistle - 
Check out this Pinterest board of tin whistle fun that another CC mom put together.

Geography - 
Free 7 Continents Printable Book
European Peninsulas Quiz

Extra Stuff - 
Stained Glass Knight Coloring Sheet
Craft Stick Catapult Project
Design Your Own Knight Shield
Medieval Unit Study - this isn't a freebie but it looks pretty neat for older kids - maybe for Christmas break time?

DON'T MISS THIS ONE... If you don't look at anything else from these resources all year long, PLEASE take time to watch this and marvel at the beauty and wonder of God and how even the stars sing His praise! https://youtu.be/7zWKm-LZWm4 

Week 5 Reminders and Resources

Hello families! It was so nice to be back with you for Week 5 and pajama day was lots of fun, wasn't it? Here are a couple reminders for you on upcoming dates and then you'll find resources to help you with continued study on your Foundations memory work this week.

Reminders

Tin Whistle - Don't forget to purchase a tin whistle for each child in your family before week 7! You can get one from classicalconversations.com or on Amazon here for just $6.95. Just make sure you have a tin whistle in Key of D!

Fundraising - please email Ashley Paruch if you want to participate in the Barnes and Noble fundraiser this spring. We are also going to do a Chick-fil-a calendar fundraiser (Yay!) so check with her for information on how to participate in that as well.

Fall Break & Apple Orchard Field Trip - We will not have CC on Monday, October 10, but we will be traveling to the Apple Hill Apple Orchard for a field trip that morning. Bring a picnic lunch. If you plan to participate in the tour, please call Cindy Frady and let her know. The cost for the tour is $8/person.

Clothing Swap - We will have a clothing swap on October 8 at West Hickory from 10-12. Bring your gently used clothes, shoes, purses, etc. to swap with other moms. Kids clothes are welcome too! You can also bring your children and any toys they wish to share and they can have a toy swap while moms shop each others goodies. All leftover clothing will be donated to Highways and Hedges for the homeless and needy in our area.

Resources

History
Joan of Arc coloring page
ASL for history sentence
Make a medieval marshmallow catapult
Black Plague Simulation activity

Geography
Europe map worksheets

Latin
Picture Cues flashcards

Grammar
Pronoun Matching Activity
Pronoun Practice Worksheet
Cute Looney Tunes Pronoun Video

Science
Nitrogen Cycle video
Animals Sorting Activity (from week 4)
Water Cycle Project


Fine Arts
Perspective Medieval Castle Drawing
Simple Perspective Train Drawing
How to Draw a Medieval Castle Tutorial

Other
Printable Bingo Board for CC Review

Remember to Visit CC Connected for TONS of resources too! :) Also note that I have not explored these resources in depth so make sure you screen them carefully before setting your kids loose to use them.

Week 3 - Reminders and Resources

Hi families! I apologize for getting this list out to you a couple of days late. Ally is sick and being a mom always comes first! Hopefully, you can still use some of these resources during the week. I also want to thank you for being so receptive to the reminders I gave you Monday morning. The day went so much smoother with all the children under supervision and tutors having adequate support from parents in the class. I'm thankful for the sweet spirit in our community and your willingness to pitch in anytime you are asked. So let's move on the announcements for the week and resources for Week 3...

Reminders:

* "Do the Unthinkable" 5k is this weekend! You can sign up here or contact Tammie Goodwin for more information.

* Old Salem homeschool days  - this week. A few of our families were interested in going on Friday. Check with Megan Anderson for more information.

* Clothing Swap will be Saturday, October 8 from 10-12. Please note the change of date on that! Bring kids clothes, toys, adult clothes, accessories, etc. The kids can set up and sell some of their toys or other handmade items and parents can shop each other's gently used items to enjoy new free clothes for the family. All leftover items will be taken to Highways and Hedges Ministry for homeless/needy families in our area.

* Apple Hill Orchard Field Trip - Monday, October 10, arrive at 9:15. Tour will last about an hour and then you can pick apples, one bag per participant. Bring a picnic lunch. Cost is $8 per person including adults. We need to know who is coming and have money turned in by next Monday if possible. You can give your money to Cindy Frady or Amanda Walters.

* Ashley Paruch is working on a big fundraising event for our community that will help you to earn money towards your tuition for next year. We will do a book fair at Barnes and Noble. Our job will be to come up with a fun community event to draw in business to Barnes and Noble. We plan to host this in the Spring and to make this event a success, we need to start planning soon. If you are interested in participating in this fundraising opportunity, please contact Ashley at abparuch@gmail.com. Thanks to Ashley for handling our fundraising this year!

* On Mondays, feel free to stop by the fellowship hall for coffee/tea/hot chocolate. Thanks to Angela Mirovsky for setting this up along with our science materials.

Have an announcement to add? Please email me and I will add it here or forward it out to the group. Just please be patient with me as it may take me a day or so to get it done - I know you understand how it is when you have a little one under the weather. You can also ALWAYS call my home number if you don't get a quick reply on email/text. 855-0822

Resources:

History -
Read more about Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Read some fun facts about Richard the Lionhearted
A fun book about the Crusades - my kids love this one!
What were the Crusades? Find out here.
Make your own Crusader shield or t-shirt - lots of good ideas here.
Here's a link from my family's Cycle 2 ideas for medieval - the blog is very old and outdated but the pics might spark some new ideas for you.

Geography -
Western European Countries Song
Trace those maps!
Map drawing help - check here.

Math - 
5's dance video
6's song
Older kids might like these multiplication games.

English - 
Pronoun Order robot chant by a very fun CC mom.

Latin - 
Keep using your latin visual aids from CC Connected and sing those songs!

Timeline - 
Set a timer and see how fast kids can put scrambled cards back in order.
Mix it up by trying to recite the timeline facts without music.
Play musical chairs while listening to the timeline song.

Science - 
The Dirt on Decomposers Video
Food Chain Video
Magic School Bus Food Chain Episode

Week 2 Reminders and Announcements

Hello parents! Week 2 was so much fun, wasn't it? I enjoyed spending the day with you and your children and learning more about History, Grammar, Latin, Geography, and much more! The highlight of the day for me was hearing your children share stories during assembly of how they have been "Overcomers" at home during their first week of CC studies. What amazing children (and parents!) we have in this community!

I have a few announcements to share with you as well as a few reminders on rules that we need to really pay attention to on Week 3. 

No CC on Labor Day

Enjoy a week off to review the first two weeks of memory work and have a short breather before we jump back in. 

Too Much Traffic

Now that our kids have had a few weeks to adjust to the routine of CC, I need to ask that parents remain in ONE class for the entire Foundations morning. We have a lot of traffic in the halls, a lot of people going in and out, and it's a big distraction for both our tutors and students. Friends, I'm having to jump from room to room every 15 minutes to make sure we always have a parent on hand because everyone is moving around so much! 

I know it is tough to pick one class and stay put, but unless you really have an urgent reason to check with the other child, will you please try to do this? Nursery parents are the exception as I know you do need to step out to nurse and tend to babies - that's perfectly okay. But if you have multiple Foundations kids, please stay in one place. Try rotating which class you go in from week to week so that you can enjoy time with each of your children without getting stuck in the hallway traffic jam. ;)

Trust the Model - And Your Tutor!

During the CC day, it is soooo tempting to jump in and start teaching material to the children, responding to their curious questions about the memory work. I would ask that you please refrain from doing this as much as possible for a couple reasons. First, it is taking away from the beauty of the CC model- on community day, we are simply introducing the memory work and "drilling it" or learning methods to get that information to stick in their growing brains. The teaching takes place later at home and at the parent's discretion. For many of our students, just memorization alone is all they need this year. The memory work is enough! If you want to expound on Charlemagne or Biomes or another fun topic, go for it! But please wait and do that at home during the week. 

Second, these well meaning teaching moments are really making life hard for our wonderful tutors who have to stick to a very tight schedule of crisp 30-minute sections. We depend on that schedule to keep our routine running smoothly with many classes sharing space for science. I promise that your tutor is not teaching more details on purpose - she has been trained NOT to do that so that YOU can be the teacher at home. In fact, if she starts teaching more details rather than relying on the memory work alone, I would have to step in and ask her to stop.

I love that I am having to remind moms to stop being so awesome... you guys are the best. But please do keep this in mind and try to avoid stepping in to teach or offer extra information. If a child has a question about the memory work, the appropriate response would be, "Ask your teacher!" If it's your child, just remind them that you have all week to learn about that at home. It will build excitement for what is coming the rest of the week.

Coffee/Tea/Hot Chocolate

In the fellowship hall, we have a K-cup coffee machine available for you to use anytime. We have it stocked and ready for you with coffee (caf and decaf), cocoa, cider, and tea. Just fill your cup with water, pour it in the tank in the back, and then add the K-cup of your choice and hit the brew button on the side. Enjoy your complementary fix anytime you need a pick-me-up! If you want tea, just run your water through without the K-cup and it will be the perfect temp to add a tea bag, which we will also have available. Thanks to Angela Mirovsky for setting this up each week!

Walk/Run 5K Training Group

-Some of our families are meeting up to walk/run together to train for an upcoming 5K. 

-Meet up at the Hickory Foundation YMCA outdoor track

-Wednesdays at 6:00pm and Saturdays at 8:30am, for next 4 weeks
-Come to one or both meeting times.
-When we gather we will...Pray, go over a few running pointers, stretch, run, stretch again, and then go home!

Moms and kids come on out and join us! Dad's are welcome too if they want to join in for some fun!:)

Contact Tammie Goodwin for more details!

Salad In a Jar Workshop

Hosted by Amanda Walters

'Salad in a jar' workshop this Wed. At the Walters home!

Lunchtime with kids between 11:30-1:30 OR come after supper (or your workout at y track w Tammie)

Just mamas (and older kids who want to learn) anytime between 6-8. 

We have a fenced in back yard so kids can bring scooters or skates or balls! 

825 2nd St. NW

Bring your lunch & kids on over and we will eat together then let kids play & Mamas will prep a salad in a jar. I'll teach one then you can make your own. Just bring a a jar of you have one and any veggie or topping to share. I'll have plenty of lettuce & a few extra jars as well. 

Hope you can make it! Exercising at Y track with a few of you you ladies & husbands & kids has jump started our school year & focus on our health again in a positive way. It's so much more fun to get healthy together! I'm a Dr. Sears Health Coach and tho I'm not working teaching classes at the time I'd love to pass on some nuggets I learned from him and help us build health into our families. Plus, I've major slacked over the summer and am ready to get back into shape! - Amanda Walters

CC Clothing Swap

On September 24 from 10-12 at West Hickory
Bring clothes/shoes/etc. your kids have outgrown. Bring adult clothes too if you want! We'll have tables where we can place them all out by size and then you can shop the clothes other moms bring in and take what you need for free. 
Kids can bring toys to swap
All leftover clothing/toys at the end of the day will be picked up by Highways and Hedges Ministry in Conover to help the homeless/needy in our area.
Contact Lisa Eckhardt for more details!

Cycle 2, Week 2 - Resources

Geography - European Waters

One of our favorite ways to study our maps is to look for familiar shapes in the countries or bodies of water. This week, you can make some fun connections this way! The Baltic Sea looks a little like a bunny so we call it the "Baltic bunny". The Adriatic Sea is next to Italy, which looks like a boot, so we always remember that Adrian wears boots when she travels to the Mediterranean (which is the big sea nearby!). The North Sea is a fairly easy one to remember if they know that north is at the top and the English channel is where we slide down past England. Hope these cues help!

Song - https://youtu.be/nfTZ-grVj1Y

Info on English Channel - https://www.britannica.com/place/English-Channel

Info on Adriatic Sea - https://www.britannica.com/place/Adriatic-Sea

Video about Mediterranean Sea - https://youtu.be/8_XPdzoljZw
*Please note - I have not watched this whole video so you might want to preview first. The first minute or two looked great when I bookmarked it for my kids.

Science - 3 Types of Consumers

Gather up some magazines or grocery store ads and cut out all the food photos your can find. Then let your kids group them depending on who would eat these foods - carnivores, herbivores, omnivores

Cute Animal Diet Game Online - http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/animaldietgame.htm

More Info - https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/animal-nutrition-and-the-digestive-system-34/digestive-systems-195/herbivores-omnivores-and-carnivores-746-11979/

Video -  https://youtu.be/VejLXTsJrJc?list=PLIeO20rB1MxaPExwPXfom6d9ZjjUtZEVI

History - William the Conqueror

Video about feudalism - https://youtu.be/PuwaXWcX1L8?list=PLIeO20rB1MxaPExwPXfom6d9ZjjUtZEVI

More Info on William the Conqueror - http://mrnussbaum.com/united-kingdom/william_the_conqueror/

Coloring Page - http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/william-the-conqueror

Latin 

Keep singing those songs and check out some of the flashcards and visual resources other parents have shared on CC Connected. Follow your tutor's lead here!

Math - 3's and 4's

Check out this website for lots of printable dot-to-dots that help with skip counting - http://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/connecting-dots/skip-by-3.php

Fun Song for 3's - https://youtu.be/MWxPKnLtnus

Fun Song for 4's - https://youtu.be/VSn2O4mTYD4

English - Pronoun Definition

This mom is way cooler than me so I love her grammar "raps". Check out her pronoun definition rap - https://youtu.be/4biJ5Bs51Nw?list=PLIeO20rB1MxaPExwPXfom6d9ZjjUtZEVI

Scripture Memory Work - Ephesians 6

You will find TONS of videos and songs for Ephesians 6 on Youtube on CC Connected. On community days, we will be using the motions from this video because they are pretty simple and easy to remember. Note - the actual scripture starts around the 1:30 mark of the video if you want to fast forward.  https://youtu.be/UT4-rJqaipQ

Printables and Copywork (Thanks Mrs. Bliss!) - http://www.homegrownlearners.com/home/2014/1/21/ephesians-6-copywork-printable-posters-free-download.html

Cycle 2, Week 1 - Resources and Reminders

Hello families! What a wonderful first day we enjoyed together... it was such a blessing to see our whole community of families together and digging into the Cycle 2 memory work. My kids had so much fun and came home loaded with lots of new knowledge to share with us over dinner. Here is this week's round up of resources and reminders... I will try to post these on Mondays from now on. The first day left me feeling pretty wiped out! ;)

REMINDERS

1. We are going to add a second helper to the nursery each week to make sure our babies are cared for.  Savannah McNeil has graciously agreed to serve in this area! I'll also be in and out as I can and will help with any teeny babies who are too small to leave with the "crawlers".

2. Feel free to bring blankets so we can "picnic" outside like we did yesterday - that was so much fun! If the weather is bad, we can sit under the covered areas in the parking lot or eat in the fellowship hall or even at tables in the Masters 2/Essentials classroom.

3. We will start learning Ephesians 6 on Week 2.

4. Job Rotations for Week 2:

• Family Presentation: Harvin
• Nursery: Walters 
• Tables/Floors: Frady
• Trash: Nelson
• Playground Duty: Peterson, Harvin

RESOURCES

SCIENCE - 7 Types of Biomes

* Biomes Chart - http://sciencespot.net/Media/biomewebqst.pdf

* Biomes Video - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/236790892886927607/

GEOGRAPHY - Continents and Oceans

* Continents Coloring Sheet - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/242350023671345301/

* Continents Crossword - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/226939268695547393/

* Continent Hopper Activity - http://www.pbs.org/parents/adventures-in-learning/2014/12/continent-hoppers-see-seven-continents-world/

* Map Skills - Refer the the Cycle 2 maps in your foundations guide and practice identifying the continents and oceans. Older kids could draw the world map from memory and then label it.

ENGLISH - Parts of Speech

* Parts of Speech Flower - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/Ae1BNgyggt1Lzde4mD_J7-3qQLRW9GPlcajcFLinTtfwSPwgbfxEfOo/

* Try making an octopus with the 8 parts of speech on its legs.

LATIN - 1st Conjugation, Present Tense

* Use the song on the Cycle 2 CD's or app. You can also find many great visual cues for the Latin on CC Connected.

MATH - 1's and 2's

* Use sidewalk chalk to write your skip counting numbers outside.

* Play skip counting hopscotch

* Sing the songs while dancing, marching, hopping, jumping, or skipping.

* Caterpillar 2's worksheet - http://www.worksheetfun.com/2013/03/19/skip-counting-2/

* Fun skip counting video - https://youtu.be/oBas_4F-YzY

HISTORY - Charlemagne

* Make a crown from construction paper and act out the history sentence.

* Make a hat to represent Pope Leo 3 - http://www.solagratiamom.com/2013/08/wonderful-wednesdays-week-1-popes-and.html

* Charlemagne coloring sheet - http://www.hellokids.com/c_27174/coloring-pages/famous-people-coloring-pages/famous-french-people-coloring-pages/french-kings-and-queens-coloring-pages/king-charlemagne 

TIMELINE - 

* Play the song while working on other projects and practice putting the timeline cards in order.

FINE ARTS - 

http://www.halfahundredacrewood.com/2012/06/classical-conversations-fine-arts/

MORE FUN IDEAS...

http://gettinskooled.blogspot.com/2013/06/cc-cycle-2-week-1.html

http://everydaymemories-ari.blogspot.com/2013/07/plans-for-cc-cycle-2-weeks-1-and-2.html