4th grade history deals with Westward Expansion. For my homeschool, Elizabeth sometimes plays the Oregon Trail. Look, she made it to Oregon the other day!!
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Slip and Slide
The weather has been warming up. Elizabeth has created her new waterslide! She runs the hose down the slide and then manages to slide quite a way down the yard!
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Adventures in Homescholing due to Coronavirus
Here are some pictures of the kids working at our Happy Homeschool. Originally, we were supposed to homeschool for 6 weeks. We pretty much knew that wasn't going to happen and eventually school was cancelled for the year. The first few weeks, I did my best with what we had. Eventually, the school figured out a plan and the teachers began giving assignments. When school was officially cancelled for the year, they announced that middle school students and up would still have grades.
Everyone wears a different hat at our home school. Apparently, we have very low standards.
Nathan always had a chromebook checked out to him from school. On March 20th, we were able to go to Elizabeth's school to pick up one for her as well. The teachers communicate with the kids on there and give assignments.
Friday, April 24, 2020
The year of Coronavirus
The kids' teachers have been telling them to write a journal to write what happened during this time of "living through history" with this outbreak of coronavirus.
The end of February was when we started to hear about coronavirus showing up here and things started to get a little crazy. I was worried when Mom and Dad left for Hawaii since coronavirus was starting to pop up places.
We first heard of an outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland and so Washington became the first official outbreak state! We later found out it had been circulating a bit earlier than that so perhaps Washington wasn't the true first outbreak site.
The first week of March, we heard that the state universities were closing down for the rest of the year. After that, things started to go crazy.
People decided to hoard toilet paper, bottled water, and all cleaning/sanitizing supplies. The stores were empty of these things. Then, they started to hoard rice, beans, and pastas.
On March 6th, we heard that a few west side school districts decided to shut down schools for 6 weeks. That was pretty shocking as we had never heard of that happening before!
The news started releasing guidelines on social distancing and to try to stay 6 feet away from all people.
Elizabeth finished her 2nd trimester of school on March 11th and had an early release. She and I went to her conference that afternoon. We did not know that March 11th would be her last day of being at school for the whole year!
I went to an all day training on March 12th at the Best Western conference room here in town while Grandma Pam babysat Elizabeth. 100 people sat shoulder to shoulder and we were a bit nervous wondering how this was possible or allowed? At every cough, people jumped and got nervous.
That night, the parents decided to try to get home from Hawaii early due to the outbreak and the fact they were both sick and coming down with pneumonia due to their colds. After Nathan had tennis lessons that night (his last tennis lesson), he and I drove the parents car to the airport to drop it off for them since they were coming home the next day during the snowstorm. Grandma Pam was at home with Elizabeth. Jeremy met us at the airport on the way home from work and just drove us home.
On March 13th, I went to work while Grandma Pam babysat. It was a Friday the 13th with tons of snow predicted. We were hearing rumors of schools being shut down. I checked out books that would be helpful with homeschooling in case we were out of school for 6 weeks. Grandma Pam brought Elizabeth and dropped her off at school with me so she could head home due to SNOW.
It was just freezing that day! That afternoon, the governor announced he was closing all Washington schools for 6 weeks. Elizabeth and I checked out books. Of course, I had a gut feeling that we would be leaving for the whole year and not 6 weeks. I think most people did. When we got home, we told Nathan that school was cancelled for 6 weeks.
My parents flew in from Hawaii late that night while it was snowing. My Dad said it was a rough drive home in the snow and considering the fact they were both super sick. They did get tested for coronavirus and they did not have it.
It snowed a lot that Friday night. Elizabeth had fun playing in the snow the next day. Then, she went to Charlotte's 10th birthday party on the 14th. That was our last social activity!!
The next week, I had to work 1 day to get books and supplies to all the parents who wanted them. Parents would roll up in their cars and we would deliver things to them wearing gloves. Jeremy took the day off to watch the kids.
After that, the kids and I basically stayed home all the day. We left to pick up supplies at school such as Elizabeth's chromebook on the 20th and various textbooks and science labs for Nathan. The only other place we went weekly was to Walmart but we only just did the pickup. We never left the car.
As I type this (on April 24th) the kids and I have still been no other places other than our car at Walmart and to their schools to do outside pick up stuff.
Jeremy is obviously an essential worker so he goes to work and back. We designated him the grocery shopper since he's out in the world anyway. Walmart pickup is out of a LOT of stuff so he makes another weekly trip for me where he actually goes inside the store wearing a mask to try to find things that I couldn't get at pickup.
My weekly work is now transferring books from one library system to another. We are changing library systems at the beginning of next school year so the entire catalog has to be transferred. This can be done at home so I try to do this while homeschooling.
Jeremy's work has changed a bit. They now take their temperatures when they get to work. They are required to sit 6 feet apart at briefing. They are now asked to take as many calls as possible by phone and not make personal contact if at all possible. When they do get out of their cars, they are required to put on a mask, gloves and goggles.
So with no school, it was on to try to homeschool! The first few weeks, we didn't have much. I bought the kids some workbooks of the different subjects and we worked in those. I read them history and science and we tried to do some science experiments. I had them do the online math programs their school had. The libraries closed down shortly after school closed so we checked out as many books as we could. Once the kids ran out of reading those books, we tried to check out some online books. The kids don't like online books as much.
After a few weeks, the teachers at school began sending home real assignments thank goodness! I felt like I was really failing the kids since I didn't really know what I was doing and was just trying to make sure they did something!
Eventually, school basically went to an online version of school. The teachers are required to assign things and the kids are supposed to complete them. We just got work this week that for middle and high school students they have to complete their assignments because they will actually get getting grades. Originally, they said it might just be pass/fail.
The kids usually work on schoolwork for about 4 hours a day. They often have Zoom meetings to attend to with their teachers. They have online lessons their teachers have posted that they watch. For Nathan's P.E class, they fill out a log of what physical activity they've done during the week. It's hard to practice his cello with the group so that doesn't work well!
As of today, April 24th, we do not believe any of our immediate family has had coronavirus. They are finding that some people apparently have it without symptoms! We would like to be in this group, but knowing our luck, that will not be the case.
Time to go do more homeschooling!
The end of February was when we started to hear about coronavirus showing up here and things started to get a little crazy. I was worried when Mom and Dad left for Hawaii since coronavirus was starting to pop up places.
We first heard of an outbreak at a nursing home in Kirkland and so Washington became the first official outbreak state! We later found out it had been circulating a bit earlier than that so perhaps Washington wasn't the true first outbreak site.
The first week of March, we heard that the state universities were closing down for the rest of the year. After that, things started to go crazy.
People decided to hoard toilet paper, bottled water, and all cleaning/sanitizing supplies. The stores were empty of these things. Then, they started to hoard rice, beans, and pastas.
On March 6th, we heard that a few west side school districts decided to shut down schools for 6 weeks. That was pretty shocking as we had never heard of that happening before!
The news started releasing guidelines on social distancing and to try to stay 6 feet away from all people.
Elizabeth finished her 2nd trimester of school on March 11th and had an early release. She and I went to her conference that afternoon. We did not know that March 11th would be her last day of being at school for the whole year!
I went to an all day training on March 12th at the Best Western conference room here in town while Grandma Pam babysat Elizabeth. 100 people sat shoulder to shoulder and we were a bit nervous wondering how this was possible or allowed? At every cough, people jumped and got nervous.
That night, the parents decided to try to get home from Hawaii early due to the outbreak and the fact they were both sick and coming down with pneumonia due to their colds. After Nathan had tennis lessons that night (his last tennis lesson), he and I drove the parents car to the airport to drop it off for them since they were coming home the next day during the snowstorm. Grandma Pam was at home with Elizabeth. Jeremy met us at the airport on the way home from work and just drove us home.
On March 13th, I went to work while Grandma Pam babysat. It was a Friday the 13th with tons of snow predicted. We were hearing rumors of schools being shut down. I checked out books that would be helpful with homeschooling in case we were out of school for 6 weeks. Grandma Pam brought Elizabeth and dropped her off at school with me so she could head home due to SNOW.
It was just freezing that day! That afternoon, the governor announced he was closing all Washington schools for 6 weeks. Elizabeth and I checked out books. Of course, I had a gut feeling that we would be leaving for the whole year and not 6 weeks. I think most people did. When we got home, we told Nathan that school was cancelled for 6 weeks.
My parents flew in from Hawaii late that night while it was snowing. My Dad said it was a rough drive home in the snow and considering the fact they were both super sick. They did get tested for coronavirus and they did not have it.
It snowed a lot that Friday night. Elizabeth had fun playing in the snow the next day. Then, she went to Charlotte's 10th birthday party on the 14th. That was our last social activity!!
The next week, I had to work 1 day to get books and supplies to all the parents who wanted them. Parents would roll up in their cars and we would deliver things to them wearing gloves. Jeremy took the day off to watch the kids.
After that, the kids and I basically stayed home all the day. We left to pick up supplies at school such as Elizabeth's chromebook on the 20th and various textbooks and science labs for Nathan. The only other place we went weekly was to Walmart but we only just did the pickup. We never left the car.
As I type this (on April 24th) the kids and I have still been no other places other than our car at Walmart and to their schools to do outside pick up stuff.
Jeremy is obviously an essential worker so he goes to work and back. We designated him the grocery shopper since he's out in the world anyway. Walmart pickup is out of a LOT of stuff so he makes another weekly trip for me where he actually goes inside the store wearing a mask to try to find things that I couldn't get at pickup.
My weekly work is now transferring books from one library system to another. We are changing library systems at the beginning of next school year so the entire catalog has to be transferred. This can be done at home so I try to do this while homeschooling.
Jeremy's work has changed a bit. They now take their temperatures when they get to work. They are required to sit 6 feet apart at briefing. They are now asked to take as many calls as possible by phone and not make personal contact if at all possible. When they do get out of their cars, they are required to put on a mask, gloves and goggles.
So with no school, it was on to try to homeschool! The first few weeks, we didn't have much. I bought the kids some workbooks of the different subjects and we worked in those. I read them history and science and we tried to do some science experiments. I had them do the online math programs their school had. The libraries closed down shortly after school closed so we checked out as many books as we could. Once the kids ran out of reading those books, we tried to check out some online books. The kids don't like online books as much.
After a few weeks, the teachers at school began sending home real assignments thank goodness! I felt like I was really failing the kids since I didn't really know what I was doing and was just trying to make sure they did something!
Eventually, school basically went to an online version of school. The teachers are required to assign things and the kids are supposed to complete them. We just got work this week that for middle and high school students they have to complete their assignments because they will actually get getting grades. Originally, they said it might just be pass/fail.
The kids usually work on schoolwork for about 4 hours a day. They often have Zoom meetings to attend to with their teachers. They have online lessons their teachers have posted that they watch. For Nathan's P.E class, they fill out a log of what physical activity they've done during the week. It's hard to practice his cello with the group so that doesn't work well!
As of today, April 24th, we do not believe any of our immediate family has had coronavirus. They are finding that some people apparently have it without symptoms! We would like to be in this group, but knowing our luck, that will not be the case.
Time to go do more homeschooling!
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
School Announcements-Emails we get from the school
Richland School District school buildings may be closed but learning continues! Teachers, school principals and district administrators have updated the district’s At-Home Learning program so students stay engaged in their education through the remainder of the 2019-20 school year while following guidance for social distancing in response to the novel coronavirus.
“Our teachers have taken the challenge of distance learning head on and are doing amazing work with our students,” says Superintendent Dr. Rick Schulte. “Phase Two of our At-Home Learning program is aimed at supporting their efforts and answering some of the long-term questions created by Gov. Jay Inslee’s decision to close all school buildings across the state for the school year.”
Many initial elements of the program will stay the same, including:
- Weekly communication between teachers and their students and families
- Instruction provided by individual teachers on currently established schedules
- Supplemental resources and activities for students at all levels
- Use and support of district-issued Chromebooks
- Support for our students with unique needs
Here’s a breakdown of how At-Home Learning will be enhanced beginning the week of April 20:
Student Participation
Teachers will begin monitoring student participation in distance learning on a weekly basis. This will be done in a variety of ways, such as participation in online video lessons, record of conversations between students and teachers, turning in assignments and confirmation that provided materials are picked up.
Teachers will begin monitoring student participation in distance learning on a weekly basis. This will be done in a variety of ways, such as participation in online video lessons, record of conversations between students and teachers, turning in assignments and confirmation that provided materials are picked up.
Grading (UPDATED)
Elementary students will not receive traditional grades for the third trimester of the school year. Elementary teachers will use formative assessment strategies such as demonstration of skills in a video chat or turned in projects to measure student progress.
Elementary students will not receive traditional grades for the third trimester of the school year. Elementary teachers will use formative assessment strategies such as demonstration of skills in a video chat or turned in projects to measure student progress.
Students in Grades 9–12 and middle school students taking credit-bearing high school level work will be graded using the following principles:
- Do no harm!
- Every student will get an opportunity to improve their grade with their March 17 status as a baseline.
- No student will receive a “pass,” “fail,” or “no credit” grade for any course.
- Teachers will assign an “incomplete” for students who cannot engage in an equitable way.
- Every class taken during the closure period will be given a statewide designator on the high school transcript to denote the unique environment in which the course was taken.
- Students assigned an “incomplete” for a course will be given opportunities to reengage in the learning standards based on local school district decisions in consultation with the student/parents/guardians, including but not limited to:
- Summer school,
- Courses in the following term or year,
- Independent study,
- Competency-based courses,
- Online courses, or
- Backfilling the incomplete grade with the letter grade obtained in the next course taken in that subject area
- Are assignments or work from April 27 to the last day of the semester required?
- Yes, those assignments are required in order to get a grade instead of an Incomplete (I).
- What happens if a student does not continue to do required assignments after April 27?
- The student will receive an Incomplete (I) instead of a grade.
- The student will not receive a reduced grade (a grade lower than what they had on March 17).
- The student will not receive a failing grade.
- The student will be given additional opportunities to complete the course at other times.
- The student will not receive the grade as of March 17 because the course was not yet completed.
Seniors who are on track to graduate also have an option on an individual student basis to receive a waiver of certain graduation credit requirements.
Learning Materials
The district and schools will distribute materials to assist students learning from home, such as kits for hands-on courses in Career & Technical Education. Chromebooks will also be made available to first grade students who have limited or no access to technology at home.
The district and schools will distribute materials to assist students learning from home, such as kits for hands-on courses in Career & Technical Education. Chromebooks will also be made available to first grade students who have limited or no access to technology at home.
Seniors
Our goal as a district is to get as many students to meet the state graduation requirements as possible. With compassion, communication and common sense, our counselors and administrators will be working with at-risk seniors on a weekly basis.
Our goal as a district is to get as many students to meet the state graduation requirements as possible. With compassion, communication and common sense, our counselors and administrators will be working with at-risk seniors on a weekly basis.
Special Education Supports
Individual teachers and itinerants/therapists will create and assign/distribute/present continuous learning opportunities as defined by OSPI and aligned to each student’s Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) to help them continue to make progress toward their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and success in special education courses that support graduation. Special Education Case Managers will collaborate with each student’s IEP team to create a Continuous Learning Individual Plan (CLIP), with services and service minutes determined in the CLIP. IEP teams will consider accommodations and modifications that are necessary in the at-home learning environment.
Individual teachers and itinerants/therapists will create and assign/distribute/present continuous learning opportunities as defined by OSPI and aligned to each student’s Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) to help them continue to make progress toward their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and success in special education courses that support graduation. Special Education Case Managers will collaborate with each student’s IEP team to create a Continuous Learning Individual Plan (CLIP), with services and service minutes determined in the CLIP. IEP teams will consider accommodations and modifications that are necessary in the at-home learning environment.
Families experiencing difficulties in establishing or maintaining communication between students and teachers should contact their school’s principal for assistance. The district will also survey families periodically for the remainder of the school year to provide feedback on how At-Home Learning is serving their children.
Please stay tuned for more information from our teachers and schools as we move forward. Thank you to all our families who are critical partners in teaching with our staff in these unique times.
Monday, April 20, 2020
No School
We were not too surprised to find out that we would not be going back to school at all this year. It's still pretty hard to walk by this sign on my daily walks! It's just unbelievable!
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Puzzle
Nathan started this 1000 piece Star Wars puzzle on January 24th. He got it for Christmas from our neighbor. He finished it up on April 16th. He was pretty proud! It wasn't really a top priority for him before we started homeschooling but once we were home all day, he really started working on it.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Science Projects
The kids like to do fun science projects with Dad for homeschooling! On his days off, they learn interesting things.
They did some fizzy science experiments.
Nathan did a science experiment that involved melting starbursts.
On one of Jeremy's training days, he came home and had to clean his guns. That was the science lesson for the day! Mechanics of a gun and how it works!
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Easter
We had a quiet Easter at home. No one could come. Pippa couldn't come sniff the ham and lurk around. We didn't go to church.
Elizabeth wrote some questions for the Easter bunny.
She made a cute poster to put up on Easter morning.
Since Auntie Laura wasn't there to do Easter nails for her, she did them herself!
Friday, April 10, 2020
Spring Break Fun!
We finally had our first 70 degree day!
A friend of ours sews masks. One afternoon, the kids and I took a bike ride over to her house to pick up masks for our family. She had left them on her front porch for us and they were cougar themed!! They are great and we wear them when we go pick up materials at their schools.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Sidewalk Art
Elizabeth has been working on a lot of pretty sidewalk chalk art.
Making mosaic designs using masking tape is a big fad during this lockdown.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Copied from the Internet-Coronavirus history
Just so I never forget..... April 2, 2020-copy and pasted from the internet
-Average gas price in Washington is $3.09
-Schools closed-online education only
-Self-distancing measures on the rise.
-Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
-Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
-Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
-Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
-Entire sports seasons cancelled.
-Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
-Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
-funerals even impacted!
-No masses, churches are closed.
-No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
-Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
-Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
-We are to distance from each other.
-Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
-Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
-Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
-Shelves are bare.
-Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
-Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
-Fines are established for breaking the rules.
-Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
-Press conferences daily from the President and the governors. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
-Government incentives to stay home.
-Barely anyone on the roads.
-People wearing masks and gloves outside.
-Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
-Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
-Schools closed-online education only
-Self-distancing measures on the rise.
-Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
-Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
-Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
-Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
-Entire sports seasons cancelled.
-Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
-Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
-funerals even impacted!
-No masses, churches are closed.
-No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
-Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
-Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
-We are to distance from each other.
-Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
-Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
-Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
-Shelves are bare.
-Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
-Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
-Fines are established for breaking the rules.
-Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
-Press conferences daily from the President and the governors. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
-Government incentives to stay home.
-Barely anyone on the roads.
-People wearing masks and gloves outside.
-Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
-Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.
Why, you ask, do I write this status?
One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Bonfire
Jeremy and Nathan went up to Ellensburg for a bonfire. Elizabeth was really sick and I stayed home with her. Jeremy took a few photos. Nath...
-
Does anyone else have a nude waterpark in their backyard? Because I do. The shadows are strategically placed here, but Nathan is totally nak... -
Elizabeth has been begging me for bangs for a while. They will take a bit more maintenance, but hopefully her hair is straight enough they ... -
We had so much fun at the end of the year preschool picnic yesterday! The weather cooperated and we had a fun time playing at the park. Ever...