Homeschool Weekly Wrap-up: Classical Conversations, Garden & Field Trip

Right now we are modifying our homeschool into a little more of a classical model. I had a secret desire to do Classical Conversations but after finding out the costs involved I know that program is out of our reach. I am however ordering some of their CD's to do with the kiddos as well as incorporating some of the memory CD's we have by Kathy Troxel into our regular school day. So this week I set up an audio station for the kiddos to begin to work on the weekly memory work.Hopefully, I will be able to set up an audio schedule next week. So here is what happened at Roosterhill Academy this week....

Monday- We started school late after the kiddos ate their pink pancakes with strawberry topping! The kiddos completed their Everyday Homeschool Schedule and we had a wonderful Fajita Dinner complete with Daddy presenting everyone with a red carnation!

Tuesday- Today we went to Producer's Co-op (Local Farm/Ranch Supply) to get our seeds, plants & a fig tree. We spent the afternoon with sweet Bethany weeding boxes and getting ready for a Spring garden. We completed our busy day homeschool schedule and our second grader took a science and reading test. We read a chapter of Freedom Train. Then we were off to soccer evaluations...yes soccer has begun at Roosterhill.

Wednesday- We started school late because we had a wonderful visit from the twins social worker. She brought the kiddos some fun books including Chicken Little and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The kids spent the morning playing in their new play house. Then we had roughly 2 hours before our sweet Art teacher arrived. The kids spent the next 1 1/2 hours in art drawing and tracing utilizing their new skills! Then back to the grindstone as we attempted to finish our everyday school work before we went to a friends birthday party.
Thursday- We spent the morning in the garden weeding and getting it ready for the compost. Our piano teacher arrived a little bit early and she helped us weed before lessons. The girls are getting ready to perform in the 'Grand Concert'. Which is a concert in which several children all play the piano at the same time! After piano lessons were done we completed our busy day homeschool schedule. Then dinner time was upon us. At dinner time we read 2 more chapters from our read aloud Freedom Train. Right now Harriet is about to get on the Underground Railroad. I am still having a hard time explaining to the kids that it was not a real railroad! But we are really enjoying this book together.

Friday- We went on a field trip to the local African American Museum on a field trip. It was actually very interesting this museum has collected the stories of local African Americans 90 years old or more and created a film documentary. They also have their pictures and their stories on a wall to view. It had a little bit of everything a Klan Outfit, Slave Pictures, African Garb, Toys from young African Americans, Military Uniforms and more. We really enjoyed our visit. The children were able to talk to an elderly black woman about some of her experiences in the segregated south. I think it was enlightening for them. The curator reminded them we went through a lot so you could enjoy the freedoms you have today. Right now I am finishing this blog post off so we can sit down and read another chapter of Freedom Train with my dear ones.

So as you can see this week was very full of interruptions, impromptu learning experiences & gardening. Most weeks we are pretty productive this week we went forward but I am sure as I grade and review the weeks progress this weekend I'll have to rewrite some of the upcoming lesson plans. This week my Dad is suppose to be in town so I do not think we will be very productive next week either, so I'll probably have time to write out new lesson schedules. :)
Finally, I'm looking for a preplanned history program for my 2nd grander who loves to read! Do any of you do Sonlight? Could a good reader complete most of the work on their own with out a great deal of parental help? What about Winter Promise? Story of the World is also on the list. I'd love to hear about your favorite history programs while I look and pray.

Have a blessed day and if you want to see more of what homeschoolers are doing around the country you can check out the Weekly wrap-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers!