10th Grade coming to an end!

The second part of this year has been the worst year with CapoCA. Amy had to take the CHASEE testing which put her 18 lessons behind immediately, add to that illness, injury and a horrible skin infection and we just are so ready to call it quits for the year. She is currently about 15 lessons behind which is good considering she was close to 50 behind at one point. Talk about stress!! Her grades are still good and she is still a member of NHS. But there has not been much room for fun stuff this semester. Each weekend has been dedicated to catching up, service projects, portfolios, etc. So, the good news is that Amy passed the CHASEE tests, both of them, the first go round!! So very proud of her, so this next year she will not have to worry about falling behind due to testing. Studying payed off for her big time. She will be taking Geometry this fall so I ordered myself a geometry textbook to brush up on the subject over the summer. I will more than likely be calling Lisa B. alot for help! It looks super confusing!! To encapsulate this year; we went to Italy, which was awesome to be able to do that for a month while school was in session. Amy got her permit to drive, we made it through the year without any broken bones, just a bunch on injuries and weird infections. She made new friends and lost some old ones. She discovered some new learning techniques and really improved on her time management skills. I will post how she does on her finals, until then take care!

Happy Presidents Day

As I write this I am cozy in my pj's and am drinking a nice, hot cup of tea. The weekend has been busy but full of fun. It is always nice to have a few days off from school!

We took advantage of this time off and caught the late showing of Arriety, I highly recommend it!! We also spent alot of time as a family, caught up with some friends and just relaxed. I hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend as well and that everyone is nice and rested up for tomorrow.

Cat

End of First Semester of 10th grade

Wow! The time has flown by! We started the school year off a little early this year, thanks to Lisa Way, who allowed Amys classes to be unlocked so she could work before school started. This was done because we, as a family, had made plans to travel to Italy for the month of October. And we did! It was so nice to be able to board the plane in October and not have to worry about any school for the entire month.
We had an amazing time and I know we could not have done this type of trip is Amy was enrolled in a traditional school.
We saw beautiful works of art, ate gelato every day, walked the Spanish Steps and prayed in cathedrals that were around before the Renaissance. Just amazing!!
So now we are into finals week and I have scheduled the classes so much differently this year. Very relaxed, one final per day and just letting Amy get up when she wants to and allowing her to have as much time as needed to complete her work. It is soooo much better.
I know that once the new semester starts this luxury will change a bit, but for now as long as she gets her work done by June I don't mind if she runs a few lessons behine each day. I am so over that "got to have everything in by today" mentality. It just caused way too much stress.
So, I hope everyone is doing well and that your semester has been good. Now that I am back and things have fallen into place I will post more regularly.
Until then,
Happy Learning!
C

Last Day of School

Wow! The year is finally coming to a close. Amy conquered algebra and biology and looks like she will be finishing the year with pretty decent grades. This year took its toll on me, I have two grey hairs to prove it. Looks like this summer I will be learning the joys of haircoloring!
So, let's look at what we learned this year:
1. Time management is definitely important.
2. Look ahead in the planner so Amy can work ahead to cover for test days.
3. Note taking is super important, she is playing with the big boys now!
4. Don't stress. It will get done, maybe not on my schedule or in the fashion that I want, but it will get done. (I have had to give up micromanaging!)
5. Chocolate is very good....caffeine is even better!!
6. The teachers at CA rock!!
7. The friends I have made through this school are amazing and I don't know what I would have done on somedays without them.
8.I have an amazing daughter who I love very much and who surprises me daily, thanks Amy for making this year super interesting!!
9. Never let said daughter near the Diametecous earth. She will make it look like an indoor blizzard and it will take weeks to get rid of.
10. Laugh, do it often. And enjoy life...
Now, onto planning for 10th grade......
Have a great summer!!!
Cat

What happened to March?

Somewhere along the line I lost a month. Maybe I will get it back at the end of the year, right in time for Christmas. But for now I will just pick up in April, which is where we are, right?
The first week of April has been Springlike. A few moody days and then others that are full of sunshine and smiles. Amy is super happy to be done with the point-slope formulas but is dreading each biology lesson because she is learning about worms. All kinds of worms. And bugs. Icky. I made shrimp for their lunch yesterday and it just turned out that she was learning about anthropods that day in biology. So, I used the shrimp that we were cooking to teach her about the segmented bodies, exoskeleton, etc. I don't think she will ever eat shrimp again!!
Well, off to have a cup of tea and learn about tapeworms, ugh...

Time for Margaritaville!!

After my last post on how "wonderful" our life was in lala land a mean spirited fairy waved her evil wand and put a nasty curse on our week. Now I am trying many different spells and potions to eradicate said spell. It seems that the margaritta mix works the best. I think it has something to do with the salt warding off evil algebra spirits. It also makes mommy very happy!! Part of this nasty curse is that I have this uncontrollabe urge to pull out my hair whenever I see the point-slope formula or need to explain the importance of fungi. Come on, seriously?! Do we really need to know how they sexually reproduce? I just want to know which ones are edible, not if they dimmed the lights and played soft music before ending up on my plate.So, when my husband wakes up to go to work tonight he will find his once beautifully tressed wife is now a middle-aged bald woman with a penchant for margarittas. I will slurringly tell him it was our lovely daughters algebra and biology that drove me over the brink.
I need to get more salt.

Update on New Schedule

Wow! What a difference! We are starting our third week of this new schedule and I am amazed at how well Amy is doing. She and I had agreed that the schedule that is posted on our whiteboard would be followed each day. We both agreed that if we were still in our pj's at 9:00, when classes start, that we would have to stay in our pj's until classes ended. There were other agreements as well, such as lunch breaks, PE, etc.
So, the first week she tested out the schedule and me as well to see if the boundaries were in place. One morning she stayed in her pj's and when 9:00 rolled around I reminded her of our agreement and she stayed in her pj's until her first break. She then chose to use her free time to shower and get dressed. The second test came a day later. She was invited to a soccer game after school and was super excited about it. Well, 9:00 rolled around again and even though she was dressed, she was still upstairs in her room listening to her music. So, when she sauntered down at 9:30 I reminded her of our agreement again and asked if she wanted to work later and miss her soccer game or work through part of her lunch. She was amazed that I was being this strict, but I think she was also really glad that I was not caving. So she worked through her lunch and was a happy camper.
Her grades are improving in Biology and Algebra and she just seems more content.
I was talking to my husband about it and he said that he needed alot of boundaries when he was a teen and that he loved schedules. So maybe she takes after her dad. I hate shedules. But I am finding that they are a wonderful tool to use!

Direct Variation

This is for a couple of people who have asked about Direct Variation.
One thing that helped Amy was to remember that in the formula y=kx the k is the constant of variation. So if you have y=2x the constant would be 2.
Here is an example of one of the problems to find the constant.

8x+2y=0
First move the 8x to the right side, since you are moving it to the right side it becomes a negative.

2y=0-8x
Now you need to isolate the y by dividing the 2y by 2. Remember whatever you do the right you have to do to the left so you need to divide the 8x by two as well.

2y/2=0-8x/2

Now you are left with y=0-4x
Since the zero added to the -4x does not change it's value you now have
y=-4x
this is a direct variation because it follows the formula y=kx the -4 is the k in the formula.

I hope that helps a little, it is a really confusing concept!
More later!

Day Two Of New Semester

A new semester almost feels like the start of the new school year to me. It is a time to fix the areas that weren't working, set new goals and to put the past to bed. This week has started out really well. I revamped our schedule and also put together notebooks for Amy. These notebooks are divided into Chapters and Units so when she needs to study for the tests she can find the information and her notes quickly. I am also sitting down with her and showing her how to take notes like a college student. I figure she might as well learn now! Our new schedule has us getting up earlier and having an actual schedule to abide by, but today it was so worth it. At two o'clock Amy sat down to look over her emails and to contact her teachers and she looked at me and said, "I feel like I accomplished so much today!" It made me feel as if I did my job as a "learning coach" and a mom. I know there will be days when things do not go as well as today did, but I am glad that she and I agreed about the changes that needed to take place and that Amy is on board with them.
More later!

End of Semester One!!!!

So, Miss Amy finished up all her finals, finally, and ended up with an A on her Algebra final. I was sooooo happy that I took her to the comic store and let her pick out a graphic novel that she had been wanting. Her semester grades are B's and A's and I am very pleased.
Since we do not have any classes scheduled until Monday, we took advantage of the California sunshine and messed around in our garden and then hit the beach for an impromptu photo session. I am posting those pics for you to enjoy a virtual day at the beach.
We are just going to relax for the remainder of this week and not even think about classes until Sunday night. I definitely need the break and Amy does too!!
Enjoy your week!

Finals Week-Pure He**

So, first semester is now over. I went into this freshman year with the mindset of letting Amy take the reins and see how she managed her time and classes. Well, this week with finals it all came crashing down. So today we had a come to Jesus meeting and things will be alot different in the second semester.
I felt so bad today, because I felt like I had failed Amy by letting her "learn the hard way." But after our meeting we discussed the changes that need to be made on both our parts and she said she will be happy with the structure and rules.
Rules, I do not like them-I am a bit of a gypsy, but when it comes to the success of my daughter, I will toe the line.
So here is our schedule for next semester, granted there will be flexibility based on appointments and life in general, but here it is:
7:30 Rise and Shine! (Shower, eat, etc.)

9:00 Classes begin-I explained to Amy that if she or I are still lounging in our p.js at 9:00 then we stay in our p.js until school is finished.It takes us both forever to get ready!!

9:00-9:45 Language Arts, nice way to start the day!
9:45-10:30 Algebra (this semester she will be keeping a notebook with daily work that she needs to show me.)
10:30-10:45 Break for snack
10:45-11:30 Biology (same here, daily notebook, daily work)
11:30-12:00 Spanish
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:45 Health/Game Design on alternate days
1:45-2:00 Review for tests next day, email or call teachers with questions,prepare for upcoming portfolios, etc.
2:00 Classes over for day

This leaves her plenty of time to be creative with her writing and photography. It also will give her time for family chores and hanging out with friends.

Wish me luck!!

Christmas Break!!

I don't know who is happier that Christmas break is here, me or Miss Amy! She worked up until five o'clock on Friday and then shut down the computer, closed her books and sighed a huge sigh of relief. Highschool is hardwork!!
Over the break I think we will hit Knotts Berry Farm and the rest of the days we will just let unfold.
I know we all need the rest and time to catch up with family and friends.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Must Be Thanksgiving!

Well, I just polished off the last of Miss Amys Halloween candy so it must be time for Thanksgiving! She wanted to work ahead so she could have the whole week of Thanksgiving off but with the demands of highschool it looks like she will be working up until the Tom Turkey pops. It is a struggle when our local highschool has a different holiday schedule. Her friends have all of next week off so they are planning mountain trips, etc. and she does not want to get behind since she just barely got caught up from our trip to Hawaii. Life is tough. (right) I wish I had it as good as she does when I was in highschool!
This week our biggest challenge has been Spanish and Biology. Spanish because it is well a different language, and Biology because she hates to take notes and the class is HARD! I kept telling her take notes, take notes....then I contacted her teacher and asked her to ask Miss Amy to take notes. What a difference! She listens to Ms. Patzin, me not so much....if only she could come and live here!!

More Halloween Musings

So, Miss Amy and I went to CVS to get some random necessary things; this weeks gossip mag and purple nail polish, when I hear "Santa Baby" piping through the air. Santa Baby? Really? It was the day after Halloween! Did I sleep to long and actually miss Thanksgiving? Which actually would not be a bad thing considering it takes me a week to prepare a feast that is devoured in 15 minutes. I looked around the store and it is decked out with dancing Santas, gift wrap and all kinds of presents that are the top of everyones wish list; The Ove-Mitt and pleather jackets (one size fits most.) I asked the gothic cashier what was up with the carols and he replied that they had started playing on Halloween. Creepy. So I made a decision. Next Halloween when I send Miss Amy out with her gaggle of friends I am going to instruct them to carry jingle bells. After knocking on a persons door they are to no longer say "tricks-or-treats!" the new catch phrase when begging for candy will be "Merry Christmas!"
Egg Nog anyone?

Halloween Hangover

Is it possible to OD on Kit Kat bars? Woke up Moday morning feeling like I had spent the night partying, must be getting old when Kit Kats can do me in!! There should be a warning on the wrappers, "The surgeon general has determined that the consumption of this candy when over the age of 45 is dangerous to your health. Due to the fact that you are over 45 and have lapses in memory you will forget how many treats you have eaten, so you will eat the entire bag, and you will get fat and die."
Okay, so back to school stuff...Amy bombed her biology quiz. See, Kit Kats are deadly!! Forget drug awareness, we need to just say no to Halloween!! I told her not to worry about it. Afterall, I fed the fish bird food and de-chlored the parakeets water the day after. So, we are spending today going over cells, mitosis, prophase and other cell related stuff so she can do well on the unit test. I am just hoping she and I did not kill to many brain cells so we can function today.
You know what sounds good right now? A Kit Kat bar!!

Rough Week

Amy si having such a hard time getting back into the swing of things after our vacation. The first was okay, I guess the novelty of getting back to school and all, but this week she just crashed and burned. She is super excited about Halloween, and also a field trip that she is taking on Sunday with the school. She also has a bunch of extra-curricular activities going on this week that of course are way more fun than school. So Tuesday night she was up until 11:30 working on classes, (I thought.) When I checked her planner to see what was going on and why she had so much work to do I found that nothing had been done for two days! Aack! When I approached her about it she explained how she is just distracted by all her other activities and asked me to step in and ban books, T.V., laptop, friends and Nintendo until classes are through for the day. I told her I would do this. I felt proud of her for asking for help and I have been stepping in to be the "bad guy" this week to help her stay focused. Ninth grade is a huge transition and even though our kids are more mature than when they were in eighth they still need us to be on the sidelines stepping in when we need to and backing off when necessary.
I just hope next week is better!!

So Proud Of Miss Amy!

Today just validated why we chose to pull Amy out of traditional public school and work with her at home. I posted earlier this week about her "daunting" algebra test and I was sure it was going to be a killer exam for her because I felt she was not paying attention as closely as she "should" be. Well, when I administered the test today she basically just breezed through the thing!! I was totally surprised and yet at the same time I knew she was capable of this type of work. It was a validation that she is listening to me and her instructors. It was just a good day in Algebra Land!!

Back To Reality!

I don't think any of us wanted to get up this morning and get back into our daily routines. Hawaii was a wonderful trip, full of memories and lots of relaxing which we all needed, but now it is time to get back to business. This morning Amy slept in a little, and I have been drinking a nice cup of tea while listening to the rain and going over her schedule for the day. She has a Algebra test to take which looks pretty daunting to me! I think I will spend at least an hour with her today going over some of the key concepts to refresh her mind and give her some practice problems to work on and then have her take the test tomorrow.
Other than that it is just a nice quiet Monday here!

Off to Hawaii!!

Well, Amy managed to get ahead on all her studies so she can fly off to Hawaii with a clear schedule. We are packed and ready to go. The only plans we have are for a luau on Saturday night, other than that it is total rest and relaxation.
I will post pictures when I get back!
Aloha!

Working on Saturday

Next week we take off for Hawaii!! Can you say "Alooooooha?!" We are getting pretty excited about it and Amy is working this weekend to meet her teachers requirements. Some of them have requested that she complete all her work before she goes, others have requested she work while in Hawaii and still others are letting her finish at her own speed. So this weekend is all about Biology, English, P.E. and Spanish. It has actually been a nice change from the usual routine. She did some work this morning, and now she is at her babysitting gig and when she gets home she will complete the rest of her work. I have had music playing all day and it has just been really relaxing.
I will definitely have to post some of the pictures she takes when is Hawaii. Her photography teacher has requested some underwater pictures of tropical fish so those should be pretty.
Thats it for now, back to packing and planning!
Aloha!