James is basically finished with the original packet the school sent home. Amelie is more than halfway through the math, and wrote 2 of the three essays. They're supposed to be sending out new packets Monday. The kids also each have a pen pal on the staff at school. Amelie's got the librarian, who sent her a bookmark that she'd drawn a character from the Wings of Fire books on, so Amelie enthusiastically wrote her back, described the plot of a book in the letter, and included a picture she'd drawn of a character from Wings of Fire as well. James has not been so enthusiastic, but the teacher he has sent a vellum pokemon which Leah and I colored to hang up in the window, and her return address shows that she's close enough to walk by, so he and Sam are going to walk by her house on their big walk today.
The various zoom (online meeting) schedules changed AGAIN this week, and new guidance came out that the teachers are not going to grade students' work over the period of distance learning - that they'll practice and review. At Ridgeway, the elementary school students don't get letter grades anyway, so that's not much of a difference. For the high school and middle school students, they'll be able to improve their grades if they do extra work remotely, but they will be "held harmless" and grades won't be lowered or failed based on what they're able to do (or not able to do) remotely.
I know from several of my friends teaching or who have kids in other districts that the communication has not been as clear, and also that expectations for students (and their parents) have been much more overwhelming. I'm hoping that'll change because of DESE guidelines.
Monday
It looks like I didn't take any photos on Monday. I poached Sam’s phone and found this one:
I promise that we’re still checking off the list each day: chores, walk, piano, math app, journal, school with me in the AM, and school with Sam in the afternoon. Though I did let them skip out on afternoon school on Friday.
Tuesday
Leah spilled water behind the chair, so I overturned the chair to clean, and these two were THRILLED with the overturned chair/cave.
One of the parents in Amelie's kindergarten class donated a set of manipulatives to all of the kids, and we have used the set every single day with both kids this whole time during math time with me in the morning. There aren't many pictures of math in the morning, since I'm the one doing that part, and I'm the doing the blog/taking most of the pictures
They have especially come in handy for fractions and time.
Wednesday
I think Amelie has been eating blueberries. She's also been collecting violets in the yard.
James is making yet another set of Pokemon-esque cards.
James was having a pretty unmotivated day, but then Sam did an impromptu music lesson with him, and he liked it enough to write his own song after the lesson was over (the higher note is a “d,” and the lower note is a “g.”
More unprompted writing from James. I don't know what she did, but this says:
Wanted 1000,000 pay if caught. Description: Name Amelie, Height 56 inches, Weight 900000000 pounds, long (hair?), two eyes, two ears, one nose, glasses. If found call 911.
Sam took the kids to Grindstone for several hours for homeschool PE, and I stayed home in peaceful silence and fixed the vacuum cleaner. Here they are wading across the creek.
Here they are on a hike:
Thursday
We took our walk to the small neighborhood park. The playground is closed, so they're climbing more trees than usual.
Friday
Friday was munch-and-read. Amelie's making her way through Harry Potter 5.
Leah and I have been painting and doing playdough.
She requested that I make a crocodile eating a fish.
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