Classical Conversations Christmas Party

Yes, we're in our second day of the new year, but, today was our Classical Conversations New Tampa post-Christmas "Christmas" party.

When we took a vote a couple months ago this was the best available date for the majority. We were sad to still be missing people as a number are still traveling!

We still had a good turnout with lots of food and a great time of fellowship.

We had some small games - guessing how many goodies were in the jars as well as a pass the gift game with a personalized "Left-Right" story all about our campus.

This guy also rocked his first time on a ripstick!

Funny story about Ray's shirt. It was washed with Kate's new Christmas dress - her dress full of gold sparkles. EVERYTHING washed with it now glitters gold, including the shirt & jeans Ray wore to the party. Not noticeable in the photo, but, definitely noticeable in person.

VBS & Pool Parties

Last week I shipped the oldest kids off to VBS in the mornings. I took them to Briana's house where the bus picked them up at 8:10am. The kids were SO thrilled that they were able to take a bus! The moms were doing a happy dance too - they didn't get dropped back off until nearly 12:30!

The two youngest boys had fun playing together all week & shopping with their moms.

Friday night the kids had their end-of-week performance. Addison was especially excited.

Haha! I have no idea what Kate was doing!

On Thursday I dropped the kids off for VBS & then went back to my neighborhood for a pool party with our new CC group in New Tampa!

I've been so thrilled about getting together with our new group. After four years of driving & not living close to the friends in our group it's such a treat to live by the families we'll be meeting with each week!

Classical Conversations New Tampa Information Meeting

Classical Conversations New Tampa

Classical Conversations Tampa Open House

We're going where AGAIN?!?

As a Support Manager with Classical Conversations one of the privileges that come with my job is to visit the campuses that I oversee.

Two weeks ago we had the last day of our first quarter before break. I was able to spend that day in the Challenge I class on my campus (roughly equivalent to 9th grade). What a change of pace from the stage of life we're in at my home right now! It was a lot of fun for me to be with them.

 

It wasn't until the next morning that I told my kids, "Get dressed! We're going to CC again."

We visited three other campuses during that week (you know, our "break") and I love the opportunity my kids get to change their environment & integrate in with other students they've never even met before. Considering their ages they're really quite graceful when it comes to the whole thing.

We visited our newest campus - 2 students & the director is the tutor. It's such a sweet little group! Visiting so many campuses really lets me see the beauty of CC in all of it's forms, large & small.

 

 

 The next day we went to another campus, the same one that has hosted our practicum for the past two years.

 

Jackson didn't enjoy Challenge I debate but I did!

 

A few days later we visited a campus close to home & they're in their second year. It was fun to see how the Foundations program has grown & as I visited the classes I was able to catch Kate & Clay giving their presentations.

 

 

One of the best things I heard all week was at my last campus visit. I was talking to a mom that I know from gymnastics - she initially heard about homeschooling from me & came to visit my campuses a few years ago but didn't sign up until this Fall. Now that they're a a quarter of the way into their year she told me she keeps thinking, "Why didn't I sign up for this when Jessica first told me about it??"

I love hearing that the program is such a blessing & encouragement to these families, just as it is for me!


We were tired at the end of the week but we also had fun, too! While each campus changes year to year there's enough familiarity from previous visits to become more comfortable at the campuses & to have some familiar faces to greet. It's such a blessing spending time with all of these sweet families!

Homeschool Classroom

Our homeschool room is (mostly) finished!!! 

(To take a look at what this room looked like just last month go here)

I'm so happy to have this done! It was all Ray's doing really - I most likely would have left this as the guest room and continued using the kitchen as our classroom. I don't know why I would have done that because it drove me crazy having the school supplies that would fit in the kitchen, the rest of the supplies scattered around the house & the table constantly in use.

We still have some organizing to do & little things to finish, but, I'd say it's about 90% complete.

I must mention the table. A LARGE table for only $30!!! Certainly not my first choice in style or color but it's solid & big enough for us. I'm so happy with it!

Our Classical Conversations Memory Work whiteboards are directly across from the double doors. 

The boards were $7 each at Target and the timeline cards are in page protectors with sticky velcro on the back of the page protector. The other velcro sticker is on the wall so I can easily take page protectors off of the wall.

It makes me so happy to have a place for all common items to go together. This is so much more efficient & helps me be so much more productive. Hiding on one of those shelves I have 10 copies of "Climbing Parnassus" to give away - anyone want a copy?

I got this idea from Briana - a place to put all of the crafty items where they are organized but too high for tiny hands to reach them! This is another unit that came from IKEA & I purchased the chalkboard stickers for the front of the containers.

Another awesome craigslist find! I really wanted the Expedit 5 cuve by 5 cube but IKEA was crazy & DISCONTINUED THE ITEM!!! I found this one on craigslist for only $100 - a bargain compared to the original price & it was still in great condition!

The paper chain on the wall is our school day count - at the end of the school day we add another link to the chain. Florida doesn't require us to keep track of our school days so I'm only doing this for my own benefit & accountability.

The wall opposite the shelves holds two maps - one of the U.S. & one of the world. I bought these a few years ago (it was either 2009 or 2011) at the Target Dollar Spot! Once the baby is past the stage of ripping things off the wall I'll probably position these one on top of the other.

While we lost our guest room we gained a much more functional space for our family. Also, we purposed made sure the kids rooms are able to hold more people than kids we have & this table is easily moved to add an air mattress. In other words, please come visit, we still have space for you!

Homeschooling Through Middle and High School

There will be a meeting about "Homeschooling Through Middle and High School" on Monday, August 4 at 6:30pm. All are welcome!

Why Classical Conversations Works For Us

The other day the kids pulled out some blocks while waiting for breakfast. Kate said, "I'm building the Eiffel Tower!"

I remembered that I have a little fold out book about the Eiffel tower, as well as a small replica that was brought back for me from Paris.

On a whim, I decided to do a quick study with the kids on the Eiffel tower. We discussed some of it's history, location, materials used to make it, weight, size, etc.

 

At lunch time, we revisited the Eiffel Tower with some flashcards I have from the Target dollar spot. One set is on landmarks around the world & another contains flags of different countries.

As I was reading about the history of the Eiffel Tower again & telling the kids that it was built to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the French Revolution in 1789, Kate yelled out, "I KNOW THAT!!!"

She then quoted to me about the French Revolution beginning in 1789, storming the Bastille, the reign of terror & aristocrats. 

This past year we had a history sentence that we memorized about the very topic. I just loved seeing how it added depth to our studies! It also corresponded with geography that we had memorized as well as mathematical conversions.

 also really love the flexibility that the classical conversations program provides. First, it's mission "To know God & make Him known" is at the forefront of the program & next is that it makes it easy to follow a classical method of learning while also providing a community of support & accountability.

Something that is also REALLY important to me is that I can keep curriculum flexibility. Classical Conversations is an excellent skeleton on which to build your curriculum. Our Eiffel Tower study was a prime example! We were able to include history, geography, science & math just from a simple statement my five-year-old made in the morning, without stressing out because I deviated from set school lessons. How great that the kids can all learn this together & each go to greater depths with the material depending on their own capabilities?? I love that we're not bound by set grade curriculum so that each child is learning something completely different - rather, the same material is made more difficult as the child gets older.

We finished up our impromptu addition to our school day by each of the kids replicating the French flag.

 

 Even I had fun with this study!

 

Window Into Challenge - Homeschooling Through High School

Tuesday, April 15 at 7pm, Classical Conversations will be hosting a Window Into Challenge event. Central Florida Gulf Coast Area Manager, Laura Bennett, will be leading the event for us & this is the perfect time to be encouraged in your homeschooling journey! 

If you currently have a high school student or you're interested in seeing a vision for your younger child, we invite you to join us!

Window Into Challenge

Monday, March 17 at 7pm, Classical Conversations will be hosting a Window Into Challenge event. Central Florida Gulf Coast Area Manager, Laura Bennett, will be leading the event for us & this is the perfect time to be encouraged in your homeschooling journey! 

If you currently have a high school student or you're interested in seeing a vision for your younger child, we invite you to join us!

Christmas Party!

Today was our Christmas party with our local Classical Conversations group. I just love our Christmas parties! It's one of the times we can all get together & not discuss school (well, not too much!).

One of our families hosted everyone at their home. So gracious!

There was lots of delicious food...

talking...we didn't want to leave! It was so easy to escape the realities of the demands waiting for us when we left as we all sat here together. It was just lovely & so relaxing!

and playing...

The tree house also doubles as the start of the zip line! (The trampoline was almost always in use, but, I was too lazy to walk down to it. )

The older kids hung out in the library...

The younger kids played outside...

And, were "encouraged" to stay downstairs!

Clay was all over the place but found great fun throwing sticks into the pond.

Jackson did what he does best: floated from person to person giving big smiles & sleeping in my arms.

We also took the opportunity to pass out Christmas gifts to our tutors & friends (& I also saved on postage & hand delivered Christmas cards - because I'm cheap!).