Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Completing the Home Education Notification Form

Aug1

I thought this worth posting since school is just around the corner.

Lisa McAfee's avatarSchoolmarm Ohio

photoIt’s nearly time for school to begin! You may be wondering, “How do I  let the school know I am going to homeschool?”

In order to homeschool here in the great state of Ohio, you must submit the necessary paperwork in order for your child(ren) to be excused from compulsory attendance. The notification form can seem a bit intimidating, but once you have gone through this step-by-step explanation you will realize it wasn’t too difficult after all. Please have the Ohio Home Education NOTIFICATION FORM  in front of you for reference. This is not legal advice- please contact HSLDA or a state/local homeschool organization if you have questions.

A. This is just the introduction- no need to put anything here.

(1) Fill in the upcoming school year- Write the current school year on the blank.

(2) Write your name and address. There is no need for you to…

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Amoeba Sisters: Biology Fun

Jul29

Biology can be boring, intimidating and frustrating if you don’t have an understanding of the topic. I have a great resource for you called Amoeba Sisters. These are 10 minute or less videos with fun cartoons and interesting biology topics. They also have gifs that you can print off as well as worksheets.

Here is a link to the videos:  Amoeba Sisters 

What about looking at their website? Clicking on the picture will take you to the website.

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Have a fabulous week! ~Lisa~

Grandma Moses

Jul22

Grandma Moses is one of my favorite American artists. I love how she painted simply and portrayed everyday scenes of farm life. I admire how she began her painting career when she was in her late 70’s after her arthritis got so bad that she couldn’t embroider any longer. I want to be like her when I grow up, not giving up because you can’t do something any longer, but finding another course to pursue.

Anna Mary Robertson, one of ten children, was born on September 7, 1860, in upstate New York in the town of Greenwich. She married at the age of 27 and had 10 children, 5 of whom died in infancy. She loved to cook, bake and embroider and her first paintings were gifts to family and friends. During the nearly 30 years that she painted, she created over 1600 canvasses! Grandma enjoyed a rich life and passed away on December 13, 1960, at the age of 101.

Have you ever done an art study with your student? Grandma Moses’ artwork would be interesting and fun for all grades. Here are some paintings to investigate.download.jpg

You can ask questions such as:

What is the theme of this painting?  What do you like about this painting?

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What season is this painting depicting? What clues let you know? images.jpg

What is taking place in this picture? Which of these buildings have a water wheel? Do you know what purpose there is for a water wheel? (It provides electricity/ power to a building.)

Further things to do:

  • Study more paintings of Grandma Moses. CLICK HERE
  • Visit a building with a water wheel, Clifton Mill in Clifton, OH has a working grist mill powered by a water wheel that you can visit and a restaurant attached to it. To learn more, CLICK HERE. Make a day of it and go to John Bryan State Park or shop in the little town of Yellow Springs.
  • Have your student copy a quote by Grandma Moses. (picture and quote courtesy of http://www.brainyquote.com)Screen Shot 2019-07-21 at 2.04.32 PM.png

Have a great week! -Lisa- 

 

5 Great Read-Aloud Books

Jul15

Have you ever read a book to your children? I loved this time that we spent together as a family. We had a lot of discussions, laughs and even cried (or at least I did ). Well-written books should evoke a response from us such as joy, empathy, sorrow, just to name a few. Here are some books to consider for your Read-Aloud time:

Moose Country by Sam Campell-  Although this is not a well-known series, if your child likes nature this book, and others in the series. will be ones they will enjoy and want to read many times. They are about the life of a man who lives in the Canadian wilderness and the antics of the animals that he loves.

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Mr. Popper’s Penguins– by Richard Atwater  Imagine Mr. Popper’s dilemma when penguins arrive at his house! This is a classic book that everyone loves.

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Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a silly, funny book of poetry that is the perfect introduction to this genre of literature. You will find your children wanting you to read “just one more”.

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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien Mrs. Frisby, a field mouse, has a problem and must have the help of rats of NIMH to save her family. The race against time makes this book hard to put down.

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson The Herdman family are a bunch of unruly, loud, and obnoxious kids who want to run the Christmas play. read what happens in this funny and touching story. There are also two more books in this series should you wish to read more.

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 If you have a book that your family has enjoyed, please let me know. I would be happy to add it to the list.

Have a great week! -Lisa-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Helpers

Jul8

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Community helpers cover a broad spectrum in our society and children are taught about them in early elementary school. Having hands-on activities is a fun way to discuss what a community helper is (someone who serves the community) and what types of things they do. You can use these as an introduction to a unit for Social Studies, something you and your child do together, or independent activity as a culminating activity.  Click on the image of each picture to take you directly to the link.

Whose Tools is a free folder game for your student to learn about helpers.

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Community Helpers Matching Worksheet Does your daughter or son know what tools each of these professionals need for their job?

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Free Sorting Mats of Community Helpers. You can laminate these for durability to be reused. This is only a sample and you can purchase additional mats for this unit.

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Community Helper Hats You can use these hats for play or for sorting. The directions are easy to follow to make the hat, and there is also a video should you wish to watch it. The police officer hat is free and if you would like to receive all 10 hats, sign up for the newsletter. Screen Shot 2019-07-08 at 6.19.31 AM.png

Does your student like to play with puppets or write stories? Here are some adorable community helper bag puppets to make and use.

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Books for your children to enjoy:

These two books are interactive, which I think will make these books interesting and enjoyable.

This is a fun matching game book with information about various jobs in the community. There is a story for each profession and a rhyming text for younger students to read.

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This looks like such an interesting book. “If your hands can mix and mash, what job might you have? What if your hands reach, wrench, yank, and crank? The hands in this book–and the people attached to them–do all sorts of helpful work. And together, these helpers make their community a safe and fun place to live.” (www.goodreads.com)

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Have a great week! -Lisa-