Read the rest of the article here...
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Earlier cutoff date to enter kindergarten a step closer in California
A bill that would require pupils entering kindergarten to reach 5 by Sept. 1 and that would create another level of instruction for younger children was passed by the Legislature and awaits the governor's signature.
Read the rest of the article here...
Read the rest of the article here...
Enrolling NOW!
We are now enrolling for Fall 2010. Our first day will be October 4th. Enroll now and the enrollment/supply fee is only $25 and the monthly tuition will be $100 per month for the entire school year! Email us at anna@moldingmindshomeschool.com for more information or to schedule a time to look around.
Parent Handbook
Goals and Objectives
Build a positive self image
Increase your child’s confidence and independence
Learn to share with others
Alphabet and number recognition
Language skills and early writing
Social and emotional development
Ordering and sorting
Identify and use shapes
Gross and fine motor skills
Music and worship time
Discover that learning is fun!
Philosophy
We believe that each child is unique and special. Our program is designed to meet each child’s individual needs. We have a great responsibility to the children in our care and will provide your child with a safe, inspiring and educational environment...one intended to create a lifelong love of learning in your child.
Tuition Fees
There is a $50 enrollment/supply fee due at the time of your child’s enrollment. This fee is a non-refundable and due per child. Upon enrollment, you will need to return the Enrollment Form and a signed copy of the Parent Handbook.
Tuition is $125 a month due the first of each month. A late fee of $10 will be applied if tuition has not been received by the 10th of each month.
We also reserve the right to withdraw your child from the program for any reasons due to the best interest of your child and the other children enrolled.
School Hours
We are a Monday and Wednesday program, from 8:30-1:30. We ask that you do not bring your child before 8:25; this ensures ample time for the teacher to prepare their day. You are expected to pick your child up no later than 2:35. After this time, a fee of $1 per minute will be applied.
We follow the Forney ISD schedule. If FISD schools are closed for holidays or bad weather, we will be closed as well. Please check your local TV news or radio to find out about school closings. You will not receive a call from us regarding bad weather days.
What to Bring
Your child will need a backpack of some sort with an extra change of clothes. Sometimes little ones get busy and forget they need to stop and use the bathroom. We also believe in getting messy while learning and may need to change our clothes if we have too much fun.
Your child will also need a sack lunch every day. Please send finger food items, nothing that needs to be heated or that needs extra preparation time. This takes away from our play and learning time and requires a teacher to be away from the classroom.
If your child still naps, you will need a nap mat and a blanket. These can be left at school or brought back and forth from home.
Please keep all of your child’s personal toys at home.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Please bring your child to the door for drop off. I will not be able to leave the house to come out to your car due to other children who may have been dropped off or not picked up(in the afternoon). In general it is easier on the child and the parent/caregiver if the parent/caregiver does not come into the house at drop off as drop off can be a frightening experience to a young child who has never been away from their regular care giver. If you have questions or want to speak to your child’s teacher, please try to do this outside of school hours. The morning and afternoon pick-up procedures help eliminate congestion of people and help everyone to start their day more smoothly. We promise, there will be plenty of times when we have school get-togethers where you can observe your child interacting with their friends.
Health
If your child will be absent, please be sure to let us know. If your child has been sick, please make sure they are well upon returning to school. Persistent coughs, green runny noses, rashes, and fever are all reasons to keep your child at home with you. Your child should stay home if they have a fever above 99.5. Your child needs to be clear of all contagious symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school. We will call you and ask that you pick up your child if they are sick or complaining of aches or pains. If your child requires medicine during the day, we will need a signed letter from you with all medication labeled.
There are no tuition credits for absentees.
Clothing
Please have your child wear comfortable clothing and shoes. We do not promise that your child will come home nice and clean. It is our goal to teach your child and sometimes we might get messy in the kitchen, during centers or outside time.
Emergency Contacts
You will need to provide emergency contacts on your child’s enrollment form. These contacts can be used when a parent is not able to be reached. You can also use these contacts to pick up our child if you are not available. We do ask that you send a written note regarding a different person picking up your child. The person picking your child up will need to provide a driver’s license.
Playground Time
We will take the class outside every day, weather permitting. We have a playground, picnic table, trampoline, water slide, riding toys and a sandbox. If the weather is not cooperative, we will have extra playtime in the classroom.
Build a positive self image
Increase your child’s confidence and independence
Learn to share with others
Alphabet and number recognition
Language skills and early writing
Social and emotional development
Ordering and sorting
Identify and use shapes
Gross and fine motor skills
Music and worship time
Discover that learning is fun!
Philosophy
We believe that each child is unique and special. Our program is designed to meet each child’s individual needs. We have a great responsibility to the children in our care and will provide your child with a safe, inspiring and educational environment...one intended to create a lifelong love of learning in your child.
Tuition Fees
There is a $50 enrollment/supply fee due at the time of your child’s enrollment. This fee is a non-refundable and due per child. Upon enrollment, you will need to return the Enrollment Form and a signed copy of the Parent Handbook.
Tuition is $125 a month due the first of each month. A late fee of $10 will be applied if tuition has not been received by the 10th of each month.
We also reserve the right to withdraw your child from the program for any reasons due to the best interest of your child and the other children enrolled.
School Hours
We are a Monday and Wednesday program, from 8:30-1:30. We ask that you do not bring your child before 8:25; this ensures ample time for the teacher to prepare their day. You are expected to pick your child up no later than 2:35. After this time, a fee of $1 per minute will be applied.
We follow the Forney ISD schedule. If FISD schools are closed for holidays or bad weather, we will be closed as well. Please check your local TV news or radio to find out about school closings. You will not receive a call from us regarding bad weather days.
What to Bring
Your child will need a backpack of some sort with an extra change of clothes. Sometimes little ones get busy and forget they need to stop and use the bathroom. We also believe in getting messy while learning and may need to change our clothes if we have too much fun.
Your child will also need a sack lunch every day. Please send finger food items, nothing that needs to be heated or that needs extra preparation time. This takes away from our play and learning time and requires a teacher to be away from the classroom.
If your child still naps, you will need a nap mat and a blanket. These can be left at school or brought back and forth from home.
Please keep all of your child’s personal toys at home.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Please bring your child to the door for drop off. I will not be able to leave the house to come out to your car due to other children who may have been dropped off or not picked up(in the afternoon). In general it is easier on the child and the parent/caregiver if the parent/caregiver does not come into the house at drop off as drop off can be a frightening experience to a young child who has never been away from their regular care giver. If you have questions or want to speak to your child’s teacher, please try to do this outside of school hours. The morning and afternoon pick-up procedures help eliminate congestion of people and help everyone to start their day more smoothly. We promise, there will be plenty of times when we have school get-togethers where you can observe your child interacting with their friends.
Health
If your child will be absent, please be sure to let us know. If your child has been sick, please make sure they are well upon returning to school. Persistent coughs, green runny noses, rashes, and fever are all reasons to keep your child at home with you. Your child should stay home if they have a fever above 99.5. Your child needs to be clear of all contagious symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school. We will call you and ask that you pick up your child if they are sick or complaining of aches or pains. If your child requires medicine during the day, we will need a signed letter from you with all medication labeled.
There are no tuition credits for absentees.
Clothing
Please have your child wear comfortable clothing and shoes. We do not promise that your child will come home nice and clean. It is our goal to teach your child and sometimes we might get messy in the kitchen, during centers or outside time.
Emergency Contacts
You will need to provide emergency contacts on your child’s enrollment form. These contacts can be used when a parent is not able to be reached. You can also use these contacts to pick up our child if you are not available. We do ask that you send a written note regarding a different person picking up your child. The person picking your child up will need to provide a driver’s license.
Playground Time
We will take the class outside every day, weather permitting. We have a playground, picnic table, trampoline, water slide, riding toys and a sandbox. If the weather is not cooperative, we will have extra playtime in the classroom.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
What a Difference a Year Makes
I was cleaning out some of Brianna's old workbooks getting ready to start the new ones and as I was flipping through I began to notice how different her work looks now as compared to then. I thought it would be fun to document some of her accomplishments over the past year.
Last year she could count to 10 and recognized about half of the numbers.
This year she can count past 100 and can reason out larger numbers. She recognizes all of the numbers and can write them.
Last year she scored about 70% on letter recognition and about 90% on letter sounds.
This year she can count past 100 and can reason out larger numbers. She recognizes all of the numbers and can write them.
Last year she scored about 70% on letter recognition and about 90% on letter sounds.
This year she has mastered sounding out simple words with short sounds and is now working on two vowel words and special blends. She reads at a strong 1st grade level.
Last year she could copy what I wrote for her with some difficulty.
This year she has begun to use creative spelling to write her own stories. We have a pen pal and are regularly writing her.
Last year she could look at pictures or items and count them all together (or "add")
This year she has mastered adding and subtraction and we are now starting on double digit numbers.
She just finished learning her first complete Bible verse, John 3:16.
Of course this doesn't account for all of the changes seen in my baby girl, but I hope you will find this encouraging. Most weeks we did 2-3 days of school. Most days we did 30 minutes to an hour of "sit down" school. Sometimes we skipped 2 weeks just because we needed a break. I didn't really have to "teach" her much of what she learned. I simply exposed her to it. We were sort of half unschooling. This year we have been more organized, but I am still convinced that I don't teach her half of what she learns. Here's to another great year of growth and learning!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Over Achieving Parent
When my girls potty trained I wasted no time throwing them into outside activities. From gymnastics to play dates to music lessons we were doing it all! My calendar was filled with an activity for every day of the week. I was tired. They were overwhelmed. My house was a mess and my family was suffering for it. So we dumped it all, and then I started feeling guilty. Guilty that my children were going to fall into that "weird homeschooler" category. Guilty that they won't be able to carry on a conversation or that they will no know how to function outside of our house. And then, I got real.
It isn't just homeschooling parents that suffer from "Over Achievement Syndrome" either. This is one that falls across the board. I'm not really sure what clicked that made me decide enough was enough, but slowly I cut out all but our music lessons and the occassional homeschool get together. I stopped doing produce co-op, I took the girls out of karate, dance, gymnastics, soccer, cheer leading and whatever else we were in at the time. I decided that being at home around the table as a family was more important. I decided that my kids could learn to socialize with their family and that unless we kept ourselves locked in the house it was unlikely that they would be any weirder than any other 1st and 2nd grade child. It's not that I don't want my kids to experience all of these things; I just want it to be reasonable, and I don't want it to interfere with them just being 2, 5, and 6. My kids will not need to schedule their playtime.
Whatever happened to growing up like we did? When I was a kid the majority of my time was spent at home outside playing with no one but my 3 little brothers. That's right. My brothers. My YOUNGER brothers. We lived in a fairly rural area so we had no friends in our neighborhood and GASP we were forced to play with each other. Without the benefit of being on an xbox, wii or playstation. I guess, I am probably a little weird, but over all I managed to socialize enough to snag me a hubby (maybe he just happens to be as weird as I am?).
Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's ok not to be busy every moment of every day. I don't have to justify why I pulled my eldest out of dance, why I won't let my middle do gymnastics or my youngest play soccer. Slowly, but surely I am trying to stop trying to be an over achiever.
Friday, September 3, 2010
A Well Planned Day Review and Giveaway!
Dance on Mondays and Tuesday nights. Violin Tuesday afternoon. Piano on Thursdays. Or is it Violin on Thursdays and piano on Tuesdays? Math test today! I really need to clean out that closet! Late fee?! I'm sure I paid that on time!
If this sounds like your current day let me tell you, I have found an AMAZING homeschool day planner. A Well Planned Day is a homeschool mom's dream come true. Packed from cover to cover with planners and advice, everything from your lesson plans to your grocery lists are covered. A Well Planned Day has enough space for up t0 4 student lesson plans as well as pages for daily schedules, chores, goals and little tidbits of advice from other homeschooling parents.
Also, in A Well Planned Day is a daily and monthly cleaning schedule, book lists, monthly expense reports and weekly Bible verses. Trust me when I say that A Well Planned Day will be a definite blessing to you!
Now for the fun part! I have TWO of these wonderful planners to give away! To enter all you need to do is follow my blog and post a comment (if you already follow just post a comment) ! Want a second and third chance? Follow me on Twitter and/or on Facebook. Please post a SEPARATE comment for each entry (up to 3). I will chose the winner using random.org on September 18th!
Chaos at the Molders
I apologize for the long silence. It has been a bit chaotic around here. I recently had to resign from the homeschool co-op I teach at due to moral conflicts. I am at peace with this decision but it is a bit scary to lose even my little bit of income as it paid for most of our extras. Please keep myself and several other teachers who also had to resign in your prayers.
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