Ella Fine Arts Spring '11

1.  piano
-  Ella is working on piano and basic music theory this term.  She has lessons for 1/2 each week with Rochelle Henbury and practices 20min/day 4 times a week.

2.  dance
-  Ella has re-joined Fitkidz gym and has been working on an integrated hip hop and gymnastics routine that will be performed on May 29, at the provincial Gymnaestrada



3.  sculpture
- After we made play dough for Ella's science, she used it to make this awesome sculpture!

We've been blown away by Ella's drawing lately. Sometimes she draws out of books, but other times the characters are straight out of her head, and they're often hilarious, like this evil genius shown here. A few more:

• Monster at the bed
  
• Two fun male characters from a cartooning book.
  
• An angry old guy with a newspaper, probably a vision of my future.
  
• A mean girl, complete with speech bubble accusing the cat of misdeeds.
  
• Funky owl -- I believe this one was just made up, not out of a book.
  
• Backpack girl, showing some serious flair.

Ivy and Ella: Active Living Spring 2011

A couple of minutes of video of some of the girls' active living from this season:

• One of the last backyard skates of the year after a late freeze (and snow!)
• Inside, trying an exercise video online
• Ivy's first downhill skiing, followed by Ella's very first run
• Ella working on her gymnastics/dance routine for her spring show. She's been working hard in class and doing some practicing at home as well.
• Trampoline fun with the cousins in Manitoba
• Dancing with the cousins, Wii-style
• One of the hotel pools on the MB trip
• Ella doing skateboard pushups(?!) in the cul-de-sac
• Ivy on the scooter
• Ivy trying out the track on her new bike
• Ella on the track

The kids have been loving being outside as the weather gets nicer. We feel lucky to have a big yard these days, where they can wander outside and explore. We've been enjoying biking into town (and back) a couple of times a week, as well as visiting the local parks.

Bike Upgrades

Since the weather turned nice the kids have been out on bikes, especially since Jeremy built them a bike track!



Ivy now has a new-to-her racing BMX, Ella moves up to Ivy's old BMX and Ezra moves up to Ella's.  Now all we have to do is get out to that track! 

The girls have been biking to their gifted classes for a few weeks.  Although it's only about a 10min ride one-way it's been great for fresh air, a feeling of independence (even though one of us is with them), and just pure fun.  The big hill on the way home is always a challenge to be conquered.

Winnipeg Trip

During the first two weeks of April the kids & I took a road trip to Winnipeg.  It reinforced for me how much learning really takes place while we're experiencing things, not necessarily reading and writing them down.  Here's a list of the topics that come to mind.

Socials
Obviously geography is huge when you drive from the Okanagan, through the mountains and out onto the plains.  Changes in terrain, altitude and weather were duly noted.  While we were in Winnipeg there was a critical focus on the impending flooding.  We saw the Red River rise over the week we were there and we spent a fair bit of time trying to explain how river diversions and flood gates work to protect the houses within them (and what it means down and upstream).  On the way home through SK we ended up taking a 65km+ detour due to flooding on the trans Canada highway.  Not what we had been planning!

One morning we took a trip to the historic Forks area and had a lovely breakfast in the market, which Ivy wrote about in her blog.  We briefly talked about the value of the forks to the First Nations of the area and how it was the heart of Winnipeg.  It was neat to see the 2 rivers converge and note how much more quickly one was moving (the Red River) than the other (Assiniboine).  We were disappointed that the Manitoba Children's Museum was under construction, since we've enjoyed it in the past, but look forward to returning again a different year!

The girls probably wouldn't count this as learning, but I toured them through many of my childhood haunts, houses and schools.  I love the idea of helping them establish a sense of roots and family  history.  Whether or not it succeeded I may never know!


While we were in Winnipeg we made a visit to see the kids' great grandma in the hospital.  They have met her a few times but hadn't seen her in over a year.  It was the first time they had visited someone quite ill in a hospital and it was a bit shocking for all of us.  They slowly absorbed what they were seeing in the hallways, in her shared room and in conversation with her.  She was conscious and her memory is amazing, but physically she was very weak.  We took half an hour in the lobby afterwards (over snacks) to talk about what we had seen and how we felt.  This isn't in the curriculum anywhere but was a major learning time.

Ivy may not recall this as it was late evening after 12 hours of driving, but we had a reasonably long discussion about Canada's political parties and how our voting system works (based on all the election signs we were seeing).  We touched on the concepts of "left" and "right" wings and how we might compare to some other countries in general.

Language Arts
In the car the girls listened to books on tape to help pass the time.  They also got a new DSi game called "Scribblenauts" that I love.  You face obstacles and can type in the name of any tool you want to help you overcome it (eg. you reach a deep river and need to cross - you could type in "bridge", "jet pack", "trampoline" or whatever you can come up with).  It's very creative and requires correct spelling!  One rainy day we walked the 2 blocks over to the library near my parent's place and spent some happy, mellow time choosing books to read over the next days.

 Active Living
The kids' only 2 cousins live in Winnipeg and they're active!  We met them at the pool one evening and followed it up with pizza.  We also took the time to watch Marissa (11years old) do some gymnastics training.  Since Ella  has just gotten back into this it was neat to see her facility and what level she's working at.  On a few of the sunny afternoons we took advantage of the selection of outdoor toys available.  Frisbee, skipping, football, catch, lawn "darts" and shovelling leftover snow were popular activities.  We only made it to a playground one day but it was good for over an hour of exploring!  On the road trip itself we had a few stops at motels with pools, which was good for blowing off some accumulated energy.

Science
On the way home we spent 2 nights in Calgary, with the dual purposes of hanging out with my brother and his partner (Uncle Mark and Roel) and seeing the Calgary Zoo.  Ella blogged about it on her new site (we're hoping to add updates most Mondays).  Although it was chilly the kids hadn't remembered ever being at a zoo and were blown away.  I had never been to one like that either!  They fell in love with the Red Pandas but enjoyed seeing almost everything there.  Ella especially liked the elephants and Ezra was thrilled with the zebras, tigers and monkeys.  Mom was most enamoured with the (warm) tropical & butterfly gardens.  There were some neat science displays there that were related to solar heat/light.

Our last night on the return road trip was in Vernon, an unusual stopping point for us.  We slid into town with 15min to spare to watch some of Ivy's friends in their dance performance.  Afterwards, we checked into our lovely hotel and had a long swim.  The next morning we visited the Okanagan Science Centre for the first time.  As it was very quiet, Ivy pronounced it "much better" than the one in Vancouver.  I could not tear the girls away from the flight simulator!


Math
There was a LOT of discussion about how many hours/kms there were until the next stop, and how many left in the day.  It lead to a lot of talk about how fast I may have been driving to get those results...

Not bad for two weeks without textbooks!

Active Fall

Although we have missed recording some days, the girls have been busy this fall! Their most recent discovery was rollerblading. The thrift store was kind and provided 2 sets of skates and pads that (mostly) fit. They diligently swept off the cul-de-sac and started experimenting with the different feel of the wheels compared to ice skates. They both did fantastic and are putting on speed.

One of our favourite activities continues to be swimming. Our last dunk in the lake was about the second week in October. On Thanksgiving we spent the weekend in Canmore with family and they spent hours in the pool with cousins. We also went for a long walk that included an intense staircase. Certain members of the family were sore for days afterwards! The girls have also enjoyed the Summerland pool where they can swim independently.

Biking has dropped off a bit now that the temperatures are lower but through to the middle of October we were riding a couple of times a week (mostly Jeremy & the kids). There are a few special spots in the area that they like to ride to: the ball fields, Apple Barn, Shrek's House, and the Car Museum parking lot where they demonstrate their newest tricks.

Ivy and Ella both showed interest in hip hop this fall. Ella went to a gymnastics/hip hop combo class for a month but found that it wasn't as challenging as she expected (or at least not in the ways she had hoped). It was an interesting experience but she decided not to pursue it after the month was up. Ivy watched a class of hip hop as well and was invited to try it out. I have great admiration for the way she went in and gave it her absolute best, even though it was really tough. She hung in there and learned some fun moves. At the end she chatted with the teacher who told her at that point that the other kids in the class had all been dancing for 3-4 years and that she'd done fantastic for a first go! She did decide that it wasn't going to be a priority for her either but was glad she'd tried.

Our family enjoys the home school skate every Wednesday at noon here in Summerland. Many of our friends go as well so we get to have a social event in addition to our active living. We all love skating and look forward to our own rink in the yard again if the weather cooperates.

the grande rendezvous

Or something like that. We called it the "fur trade party".




Step 1

Come in costume. Some participants were representing the First Nations, others were voyageurs. We also had one native guide and one bourgeois shop keeper.


Step 2

The voyageurs and guide grabbed their packs and canoe (wagon) to do their trade route. Along the way they encountered rapids, lost a pack overboard, took wrong turns and had to portage.









They did finally find the village where the First Nations were patiently waiting to trade their furs for shiny goods. This village was particularly friendly and gave them a generous gift of pemmican and dried berries for the return trip.




On the journey back there was more bad luck. A raid by an unfriendly tribe resulted in the loss of several furs, most of the supplies and an injured voyageur. The last push back up the rapids was cold and tiring.


Step 3

All of the participants earned the right to trade goods. The store was stocked with basic items ahead of time and everyone came with items to trade. The number of trades was unlimited and numerous side deals were cut outside the confines of the post.


Step 4

No party or end of fur trade season celebration would be complete without food. A warm soup made from local ingredients (trademark recipe of the JEB club, original made by Ivy, Cassandra & Jessica) was complemented by hot bannock. The baked beans with pork, "pemmican" (beef jerky) and creamed corn may have had a more authentic vibe but were less popular on this particular day. A beautiful wooden box contained a wonderful variety of nuts and dried fruits. There is little historical precedent for apple and rhubarb pie to finish it off but it was appreciated anyway!




Step 5

A creative mother & daughter team brought a guitar and music along and taught us several French songs. The voyageurs often used songs to keep rhythm for paddling and also to pass the time.

Nature Walk

On a hike up a local creek tonight the girls helped identify many native plants and some that are not so desirable, in this region. A sampling of native plants we named were; oregon grape, saskatoon, rabbit brush, yellow salsify (had to look that name up when we got home), night flowering catchfly although we call them salt & pepper flowers, old man's whiskers, and dalmation toadflax.

Active Living - Spring 2010

I have neglected to make a daily record of the girls active living this term so I'll make a summary report.

In an average week we go for several walks on nearby trails or around our property. Ivy and Ella spend a significant amount of time outdoors working on forts, riding bikes and helping with yard projects. We went to the home school skate nearly every week until it ended in April.

Ella has been asked to join the "pre-competitive" group in gymnastics so for the past month she has increased her hours to 4.5/week. The classes are much more intense and have specific times set aside for physical conditioning. In one 3 hour session Ella did 73 push-ups, although that was unusual! She loves the increased intensity and time in the gym. So far it's been a fantastic match and the coaching has been great. Here's a short video of Ella learning a new beam routine.




Ivy finds it harder to find physical activities she really enjoys. She participates when we do things but does not tend to like vigorous activity. This has been an area of challenge and we are still working on it. Ivy is game to try new things without the pressure of a class setting. Ivy and I had fun at "buddy night" at karate and are considering signing up in the fall as a way to stay engaged in regular exercise. Yesterday we took her bike to the Glenfir bike park and she rode over a few of the jumps, getting a feel for it. There were some fun moments and some more on the edge of terrifying but a good experience overall!

Ivy and Ella have spent a lot of time in the back corner of our yard, building a little village with personal huts. It is always evolving to suit the creative needs of the week. This week was all about wizards and collecting ingredients for potions.




Ivy loves to climb trees and explore once we're out on a trail...it's getting going that's hard!



On sunny Tuesday mornings we like to go into town and walk around the farmer's market, visit the library, play on the playground and have a picnic. Here the kids are heading out on their own to buy some apple chips to supplement our sandwiches. They love being responsible for the money and do a great job of keeping track of it.



This is not a great picture but shows all the kids on one of our walks at the Adams Bird Sanctuary in Summerland.

Girl Guides

Both Ivy and Ella (Brownie & Spark respectively) have been involved in the Girl Guide program this year. They attended camp where they participated in crafts, games and chores! Ivy's highlight was the careful packing of the exact recommended list, complete with correct knots and groundsheets. Ella loved the newness and sociability of the whole thing.

The girls participated in the Remembrance Day parade - Ivy carried a flag and Ella got to help lay a wreath.

Vancouver II

Back to Vancouver in October...

We put in many miles of walking. One afternoon Ivy and Ella were pretty keen to get back to the Granville Island Kids Market to spend some carefully saved money. We walked from our hotel to the taxi-bus stop (which was most of the way there). The ride was fun but much too short. Ella had very little trouble deciding what to spend her money on - a small penny whistle and a deeply discounted leather walled. Ivy took her time and ended up choosing a sparkly gel pen and saving the rest of the money for future considerations!

active living

This fall Ella has been enjoying gymnastics every Saturday. Other activities the girls like to do include biking, scooter, hiking, skating, swimming whenever possible, playing in the yard, raking and climbing around at various playgrounds.

Ella got home from gymnastics on a sunny day and immediately set to work raking leaves. She loved the new suit too much to take it off!



Ella took Irish Dance in summer and loves it. She was very disappointed that the teacher she had did not continue teaching this year. She continues to dance to Ivy's fiddle tunes when she's practicing.




We like to hike down the hill behind our house on the "secret trail". On this particular day the girls spent some time exploring the orchard. This trip involved checking out spectacular icicles made by sprinklers that were left on through a cold night. At the end of the walk they were rewarded by watching the small herd of alpacas that live on a farm down the road.

Fort Langley & Science World

In September the girls and I took part in a trip to Fort Langley that was arranged by another home schooling parent. We covered the bases of BC & Canadian history as well as getting some good exercise! The group arranged to add a voyageur canoe trip up an arm of the Fraser River. It poured rain but the kids were good sports and so were the adults. The hot tub was all the sweeter at the end of the day.






We swam in the hotel pool every day. The kids got a full workout on the waterslide while we supervised from the hot tub.


On the way to and from Vancouver we enjoyed listening to Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism on CD.


Since were were near the big city anyway, the girls and I navigated our way to the King George skytrain station and rode it downtown to Science World. It provided a great hands-on boost to our science learning, particularly for the "Structures" unit.

The Eureka Gallery
This area commanded most of our attention and the girls had a blast playing with all kinds of force, motion and water based activities.

Our World
In this gallery we experimented with different ways to generate electricity. Solar, wind and a crank come to mind.

-from the website:

Our World encourages us to find solutions for a better future—while examining the environmental, social and economic factors that all need to come together to make for a sustainable society. Through colourful, bright and imaginative exhibitory, Our World engages our attention, while focusing on the everyday choices that we make and how those choices will impact our lives, both immediately and in the future.

Search Gallery

After a bit of time in the main areas we were all ready for the quiet of the Search Gallery. It ended up being one of our favourite spots. It wasn't the flashiest by a long shot, perhaps that's the answer. It's hard for us to learn in environments where there is a lot of noise and activity.

A world of discovery awaits you in our newly-renovated
Search: The Sara Stern Gallery. Gaze in wonder at a T. rex skeleton, climb inside a giant 800-year-old Western Red Cedar, crawl through a real beaver lodge, stroke a collection of animal coats, hear vibrations travel through rock, visit the poison dart frog and discover our updated discovery boxes.

This calm, contemplative gallery will mesmerise you on a journey through the past and present of some of nature’s magnificent wonders.

Osoyoos Field Trip

Ivy, Ella and I really enjoyed the field trip to the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre on June 1st with the HLP. We learned a lot about rattlesnakes, local ecology and the Nk'Mip culture.





These signs were everywhere and it was almost enough to make us paranoid. The one snake we saw (other than the ones that were being released) was lounging under the walkway with a big bulge where it was digesting a small rabbit!

Witnessing a rattlesnake release!

A short learning time in the big pithouse. It was cool & shady after a warm hike.


We took the opportunity to celebrate the end of the school year. We had ice cream, spent a few hours at the beach and enjoyed the mini-golf and bumper boats at Rattlesnake Canyon. We finished up with supper at one of our favourite restaurants - the Best of India in Oliver. A wonderful end to a fun & successful year! The girls did a fantastic job of figuring out this home schooling thing.

yard play

These are some of the ways the girls have been getting exercise this spring. They have been playing tag, skipping, making obstacle courses, playing on the slide, gardening and generally running around!

Girl Guides

Ivy and Ella joined Girl Guides this fall. They are enjoying all aspects of the program so far.

Ivy is a Brownie. Last week she researched a project called "Symbols of Canada" which was presented to visiting Guiders from England. Ivy had an opportunity to go camping with her group and learned new games, practiced a skit and participated in chores.

Ivy sold cookies as part of her membership responsibilities and worked hard on her math so she could give correct change. She learned the relative values of coins and small bills. She used addition to find out how much multiple boxes would cost and subtraction to figure out change. We counted the money several times during the sales period to make sure the sold boxes balanced with the cash.

Ella is a Spark and the focus has been on learning to be a good friend. She has enjoyed playing new games and is beginning to make friends with the other girls.