Mount Vernon Homeschoolers

Mount Vernon Homeschoolers

November 2003 Newsletter #38 Editor: Suzanne
Student editor: Alex

We mothers may have overbooked October. We had a wonderful month filled with learning adventures. We lost K, the big child, at the apple orchard. She wondered off and found big apples and we explored every inch of the orchard and Mom was lost, but K knew where she was every minute.

We have 55 pounds of apples to eat.

Last Month's activities

The Planetarium at the Smithsonian was a special treat. We spent last month on lapbooks and planet study. The youth gave presentations at Sherwood Library and they were awesome. We had posters and looked at their books. The Time Traveling around Alexandria was so much fun. There are still a lot of locations to see. The Ft.Ward civil war battlements, the Frank LLoyd Wright house, Christ Church and thrilling to walk in G .Washington's footsteps at Gadsby Tavern. Grist Mill has restored the mill and that was interesting. History need not be dull around this part of town. We still intend to time travel for history the rest of the year.

Every Wednesday Activities

We met weekly for Math and in the month of November we are adding writing and grammar using several books, Painless Grammar, a workbook for writing, vocabulary books with testing to place the participants and a writing exercise book. And, one other exercise, this is Novel month of November. Let's write one together.Happy to publish the work in the December newsletter.We can print or copy the work as originally done and all work will be returned to the author.

Math-it is being used for the younger ones and we appreciate Paul working to tutor the teens. They enjoy Math with Paul.And, the idea of homework for homeschool causes the editor to laugh secretly. We have daylight to dark sessions lately and the notebooks are filling up with information. Using some of our previously stored curriculum and that is good. Good for the children to be around other children.

No time for play group. We have Wednesday booked for learning. There hasn't been a much interest in playing this year.We don't see a lot of new faces. We take walks, ride bicycles and play with others often enough that using Wednesday for math and language arts is working well.Call each other for individual play time.

Special Birthday Event

November 1, Saturday at Vans Skateland 2:00-4:00 come skate with us or skateboard for Oleg's Birthday Splash. Join us at the mall for a stroll while Oleg and the ones who are interested skate.

Election day

November 4 -- Election day A day for a lesson in civics. Take your child to vote.

Huntley Meadows

November 3, 4 School takes a holiday and we are going to Huntley Meadows with paper and pens to draw nature. What kinds of birds, tadpoles and animals are in the water or making nest now? 10:00 at the entrance both days. We will only stay an hour or two. And, compile the nature rubbings and books the second day. Take them home and label and compile a fall notebook.

Lake Ridge Brownie Troop

Nov. 13 Lake Ridge Brownie Troop Meeting and homeschoolers are invited by Pam.

Email Pam at tonyepler@comcast.net Pam has brought some exciting ventures to the group and thanks. The group meets on the 2nd and 3rd Thursday 2:30-4:00 at Old Bridge Methodist church is at the corner of Lake Ridge and Old Ridge road. They have two rooms so siblings can have an activity and the brownies can earn badges.

Brownie Troop Party

Nov 20 Class party to make thanksgiving crafts. Badges cost $2. The location remains the same.

4-H

Originally cooking class Demonstration
We were planning this for Sherwood Library and started talking about concepts of measuring units and were thinking about liter units, measuring tapes, rulers, measuring cups, pint,quart, and bushels when I realized my children have no idea of a bushel. We could set up several tables and present the measurement as a station project. We want this to lead to map reading and judging distance on a map. Another session would deal with continents and lap books about favorite countries and map making with some kind of map with mountains rivers or land forms shown for a particular area chosen by the children or teens.

We would bring scales, rulers, tape etc. and bring M & M or leftover candy or flour or sugar or cereal to measure.

Or, we could bring some recipe for jello making or biscuit making and combine ingredients and make something.

Nov 25 4-H meeting

Gallon jug bird feeder demonstration and project. Meet at Lisa's to work on a scarecrow bird feeder. Bring a hanger and some old clothes to finish. We will cut and paper mache the scarecrow head. We will have to transport the head home to dry for several days. And then we can gather back together and finish the project or take the instructions home and do it there. Let us know what your preference might be. We are also planning to hand our some recipes and ask mother and child to make the recipe and bring it for a brunch. We will meet at Lisa's house.

November is Novel Writing Month.

Seriously, we could decide on a theme like the mythic journey and plot a chapter apiece and publish a novel. K has already started with a weird house project. We only need 50,000 words and it could be a series of short stories. We could publish at the end of next months newsletter.A decision on the format or theme could be helpful if we are going to make a unified piece of work. Let's talk about it.

Thanksgiving Holidays

November 26, 27 and 28 Thanksgiving Holidays We have been discussing another polar bear camp-out and if anyone is interested in pitching a tent and sleeping in the great outdoors, let Lisa N. or Suzanne know. We might be ready for Prince William Forest.The camp out was wonderful.Skyline drive was in color and the sky was clear. Everyone wants to go camping some more. Thanks, Lisa N. for some great camping gear and the suggestion for the triple layers.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
November / 2003
						1 Van's Skateland 2:00 to 4:00
2	3 10:00 Huntley Meadow	4 Election Day 10:00 Huntley Meadows	5	6	7	8
9	10	11 4-H 11:00	12	13 Lake Ridge Brownie Troop meeting	14	15
16	17	18	19	20 Lake Ridge Brownie Troop class party	21	22
23	24	25 4-H Lisa's house	26	27 Thanksgiving	28	29
30