School by Zelle

School is different here than at home.  The main difference is that we go to school in our flat with my mom as our teacher.  Sometimes, we get to go to school in our pajamas, but Mom prefers us to get dressed.  She says it helps you feel ready to learn.  

The main way we can get in trouble at school here is if we break one of the home school rules.  They are:

1.  Try not to ask mom any questions about school until she has had her coffee and checked her email.  (This is a biggie, let me tell you.)

2. Brush your teeth before school.

3. You may not quit.

4. Mom cannot easily help two people with different assignments at the same time, so be respectful and take turns.

5.  When you don't want to do something, you cannot say, I'm hungry, to get out of doing it. (This is a newly added rule as a result of ...guess who?)

6. Put school stuff back in the cabinet when we are finished.  (Our home school table is also where we eat.)

We usually begin around 9:00 with our Neo (to teach us keyboarding) and our Math Facts practice.  It is like taking a timed multiplication test every morning which is not always so fun, but they are getting easier.  Bishop likes to cheer me on which is sometimes appreciated and sometimes not.  I cheer him on as well.

 

We write in our journals every night, but sometimes we catch up at school if we were too tired.

 

Next, Bishop works on his sounds and dictation while I alternate between English, Math, History, Spanish and Science.  I choose two subjects each day and alternate.  My teachers at home gave me lots of work so that I could keep up.  It makes me feel nervous to get behind, so sometimes I do extra.  That is the hardest thing besides missing my teachers and friends.

Next, we usually take a break and have a little recess.  We walk down to our favorite pastelaria and have pastries and coffee and visit with our friends, the owners.  As you can see, there are lots of choices.  I usually get a galao, which is a milky coffee, and a pastry.  Bishop always, always, always gets a version of a doughnut with this coarse sugar all over it.  Sometimes, I get that too.  They taste different, but I think I like these better even though DD and Krispy Kreme are hard to beat.  

Then, we will take a walk down to the basketball court and shoot baskets or climb in the trees.  Bishop usually tires us out so we watch him a while until it is time to get back to work.

If it is raining, which it has been doing a lot lately, our favorite "break" choices are playing chess or Phase 10.  Sometimes, Mom even lets us watch a little television in Portuguese.  That is really interesting, and I think I am actually learning a little Portuguese that way.

Next, Bishop reads to Mom and I continue with whatever subjects I have left.  Often, I write a journal entry or complete an assignment to email to my teachers back home.  Mom likes to teach but not to grade, so my teachers still do this part.

I try to practice my clarinet each day.  I had to get clever with a homemade music stand.  It works just fine, and so far the neighbors haven't complained.

It is usually around this time that Bishop is worn out by school.  

Overall, school is good.  I feel like I understand the material and it is great getting one on one instruction.  We can go really fast some days and that is fun.  I really miss my friends, joking and learning with them, and I miss all of my teachers.  I'll keep you posted about language classes  which started last week and any new homeschool developments which hopefully will not include any new rules.