I'd like to hear some feedback from this past Tuesday's meeting. There are times when it seems that questions are raised that don't get fully addressed (because of time, failure to understand the breadth of the question, etc.) or that people with different ideas might hesitate to reply to once one answer has been given.
We truly want the WHHE to be a place of mutual learning and open discussion. I invite you to come back soon to read a comment from one of the women at the meeting and to join in on the conversation.
Other topics are welcome, too, of course.
Blessings to all,
Jennifer
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
A Couple of Links
Some of the big points of discussion at our meeting last night were Habit Formation, Character Training, and Hero Admiration. Liz mentioned the "Revolutionary Parenting" simulcast to be held on Saturday, March 14, 2009.
This is a link you can click on to get to the Revolutionary Parenting homepage where you'll find the basic information about the seminar.
http://www.ccn.tw/RevolutionaryParenting/
And this is a link to the simulcast host locations. They are listed in alphabetical order by province/state, so you'll need to scroll down to find the Ontario listings. It also indicates that new host locations might be added, so you might want to check back from time to time if the locations they have now aren't convenient for you. (I must say that I'm quite pleased to see that my own little city has a host church already planning for that event!)
http://www.ccn.tv/RevolutionaryParenting/hostsitelist.htm
This is a link you can click on to get to the Revolutionary Parenting homepage where you'll find the basic information about the seminar.
http://www.ccn.tw/RevolutionaryParenting/
And this is a link to the simulcast host locations. They are listed in alphabetical order by province/state, so you'll need to scroll down to find the Ontario listings. It also indicates that new host locations might be added, so you might want to check back from time to time if the locations they have now aren't convenient for you. (I must say that I'm quite pleased to see that my own little city has a host church already planning for that event!)
http://www.ccn.tv/RevolutionaryParenting/hostsitelist.htm
PLEASE NOTE that I know nothing more about this seminar than what I've read on the pages I've linked to above. If you're trying to decide whether to attend or not, you'll have to do your own fact finding mission! And, if you do find out anything or already know something about this seminar, it would be great if you'd post it in the comments here so that others can benefit from your knowledge.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Welcome Gloria
Sandra Z and her husband Tim are so pleased to have little Gloria Joy Katherine in their arms after months of waiting and questions. While in utero Gloria and Sandra had multiple ultrasounds in order to determine the extent of a structural problem with little Gloria's heart.
Gloria was born by scheduled C-section on Monday morning, February 9. She is strong, but the complications with her heart are what was expected. She has also had a positive test for Down's Syndrome.
Sandra and Tim have begun a blog to track their journey with Gloria, and you are invited to visit there to get a glimpse of their sweet baby as well as to read some of the information about what they are expecting to happen in terms of surgeries, etc. (Prepare yourself: this little girl is too precious for words!)
Welcome, Gloria! Congratulations Sandra and Tim (and Philip, Reuben, and Lydia). We hope to see you at a meeting soon.
By the way, if you have an announcement such as a birth, adoption, or other occasion that you'd like to share with the WHHE group, please do! Simply email me (talsma at cyg dot net) and I'll make sure it gets posted.
Gloria was born by scheduled C-section on Monday morning, February 9. She is strong, but the complications with her heart are what was expected. She has also had a positive test for Down's Syndrome.
Sandra and Tim have begun a blog to track their journey with Gloria, and you are invited to visit there to get a glimpse of their sweet baby as well as to read some of the information about what they are expecting to happen in terms of surgeries, etc. (Prepare yourself: this little girl is too precious for words!)
Welcome, Gloria! Congratulations Sandra and Tim (and Philip, Reuben, and Lydia). We hope to see you at a meeting soon.
::
By the way, if you have an announcement such as a birth, adoption, or other occasion that you'd like to share with the WHHE group, please do! Simply email me (talsma at cyg dot net) and I'll make sure it gets posted.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Flesh and Blood - an article by Art Middlekauff
There is a new post entitled "Flesh and Blood" on the ChildLight USA blog. Art Middlekauff looks at what Charlotte Mason believed about the natural and supernatural process of sanctification. This is something that is foundational to her philosophy of who children are, yet it is often misunderstood because many of us interpret her perspective from her writings about education and not from her writings on the human soul.
My little introduction here is for no other purpose than to encourage you to read Art's post. It is, as is characteristic of Art, thoughtful, respectful, and insightful.
My little introduction here is for no other purpose than to encourage you to read Art's post. It is, as is characteristic of Art, thoughtful, respectful, and insightful.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
ChildLight Charlotte Mason Conference 2009
The ChildLight USA website now has information about the upcoming CM conference to be held in Charlotte NC in June. There is an registration form available there as well.
Please check out the info on the site and consider whether this is something you might be able to attend. Those of us who have gone in the past have been completely impressed with the quality of the conference, the mix of people, the hospitality, and more. It is amazing to be in a setting with so many people who have a similar approach to education, yet come from both school and homeschool settings, Canada, the US, even Korea!
Please check out the info on the site and consider whether this is something you might be able to attend. Those of us who have gone in the past have been completely impressed with the quality of the conference, the mix of people, the hospitality, and more. It is amazing to be in a setting with so many people who have a similar approach to education, yet come from both school and homeschool settings, Canada, the US, even Korea!
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Prang Refills
I'm going to go ahead and order bulk refills for the Prang Oval 8 watercolours. I'll order yellow, blue, and red. If you would like to purchas a refill 'tablet' from me you can do that at the meeting. I'll try to have them with me.
Living Books at ChildLight USA Blog
Carroll Smith has posted a new item on the ChildLight blog, a piece about Living Books. It's thoughtful writing, well worth the visit, and a prelude to more.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Prang Refills, Anyone?
Our family's dry brush painting has taken a bit of a stall over the winter months, but, as we prepare for spring's return, I realize that our supplies need to be replenished.
I went looking online for a place that would sell refill paints for the Prang Oval -8 watercolours and found on in Ontario. They sell the refills in packs of 12 of the same colour for $6.95 and offer free shipping with orders over $35. That would involve me buying a lifetime supply of refills for our family! So I thought maybe there are others of you out there who would like to combine an order for refills. If you're interested, please comment or email me, and I'll work out the details with you. (It would work out to about $0.65 per refill tablet once taxes are factored in.)
For sure I'd order yellow (two of our three paint sets are almost completely out of yellow!), blue, and red, but other than that I'm open to requests.
I went looking online for a place that would sell refill paints for the Prang Oval -8 watercolours and found on in Ontario. They sell the refills in packs of 12 of the same colour for $6.95 and offer free shipping with orders over $35. That would involve me buying a lifetime supply of refills for our family! So I thought maybe there are others of you out there who would like to combine an order for refills. If you're interested, please comment or email me, and I'll work out the details with you. (It would work out to about $0.65 per refill tablet once taxes are factored in.)
For sure I'd order yellow (two of our three paint sets are almost completely out of yellow!), blue, and red, but other than that I'm open to requests.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Meeting Tonight
Tonight's meeting, rescheduled from last week, is going ahead.
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Meeting Rescheduled
Our meeting for January has been rescheduled, and will be held
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2009
7:30-9:00pm
Hope to see you there.
(Don't forget to check in on that day if the weather is at all iffy.)
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
MEETING TONIGHT IS CANCELLED
The weather outside is spotty and changing rapidly in some areas, so for everyone's safety we are cancelling the meeting.
So sorry to those who made dessert for tonight. I hope you have a family at home eager to share it with you!
We're planning to reschedule for next week, so please watch your email inbox for confirmation of that. We'll also have that information posted here.
Have a good night everyone.
Jennifer on behalf of the leadership team.
So sorry to those who made dessert for tonight. I hope you have a family at home eager to share it with you!
We're planning to reschedule for next week, so please watch your email inbox for confirmation of that. We'll also have that information posted here.
Have a good night everyone.
Jennifer on behalf of the leadership team.
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Happy New Year!
I hope you've all enjoyed the holidays, time with loved ones, celebrating faith and hope. Now a new year is upon us and we have much to look forward to. As you look ahead, consider reading this post by Leslie Noelani Laurio on the ChildLight USA blog. Leslie is inspiring, as always, and it would be so good to be inspired in the direction she is addressing.
Enjoy!
And see you in a couple of weeks: our next meeting is Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at Karen's home. Contact me if you need directions.
Enjoy!
And see you in a couple of weeks: our next meeting is Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at Karen's home. Contact me if you need directions.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Self Education
The philosophical portion of our meeting in January is supposed to be spent discussing 'Self Education'. An intriguing topic for anyone involved in education of any sort.
With perfect timing, Christine has posted an item about Self Education on her blog, The Real Life Home, as part of her Charlotte Mason Basics series on Fridays. You might like to head over to The Real Life Home and have your appetite whetted for the meeting that's to come. As always, Christine is direct, humourous, and engaging, while offering lots of valuable insight into the subject.
Other than this, I'm pretty sure this blog will be quiet until after Christmas, or maybe into the new year, so, on behalf of the entire leadership team:
With perfect timing, Christine has posted an item about Self Education on her blog, The Real Life Home, as part of her Charlotte Mason Basics series on Fridays. You might like to head over to The Real Life Home and have your appetite whetted for the meeting that's to come. As always, Christine is direct, humourous, and engaging, while offering lots of valuable insight into the subject.
Other than this, I'm pretty sure this blog will be quiet until after Christmas, or maybe into the new year, so, on behalf of the entire leadership team:
Blessed Christmas to all.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
On Memorization
For anyone who has tried to memorize extended passages, be they Scripture, poetry, Shakespeare, or whatever, it quickly becomes clear that the "say a line over and over until you know it and then add another line" method really doesn't work. Nor does trying to cram it into the mind quickly before being 'tested' on it (as I and so many others I know did for English class and Sunday School); the words are there for the 'test' but fly out the window of the mind as soon as the direct attention to remembering is done.
This fall my children and I worked on memorizing a parable. Sixteen verses of Scripture. Not a huge chunk, by any means, but one of several longer portions that we've done as a family. Our memorization method was simple. I read the passage out loud every morning after breakfast, and again (most days) after lunch. Sometimes I'd read it a couple of times, but mostly just once. When it was quite familiar, I would sometimes pause part way through a line and let them finish the sentence, which they did quite easily, quite naturally, and quite happily. By the end of a month my two eldest children (12 and 6) and I could recite the passage without error. Now, almost 2 months after completing our memorization, we can still do it!
This week there is a new post on the ChildLight USA blog on memorization. Tina Fillmer has written an interesting piece entitled Memorization "Learnt Without Labour". I hope you will take a couple of minutes to read her article. It fit so well with my family's experience this fall that I felt I ought to share the news.
If you're interested, you can read about my family's experiences memorizing the parable by visiting PeaceLedge and clicking on the 'memorization' topic on the left.
This fall my children and I worked on memorizing a parable. Sixteen verses of Scripture. Not a huge chunk, by any means, but one of several longer portions that we've done as a family. Our memorization method was simple. I read the passage out loud every morning after breakfast, and again (most days) after lunch. Sometimes I'd read it a couple of times, but mostly just once. When it was quite familiar, I would sometimes pause part way through a line and let them finish the sentence, which they did quite easily, quite naturally, and quite happily. By the end of a month my two eldest children (12 and 6) and I could recite the passage without error. Now, almost 2 months after completing our memorization, we can still do it!
This week there is a new post on the ChildLight USA blog on memorization. Tina Fillmer has written an interesting piece entitled Memorization "Learnt Without Labour". I hope you will take a couple of minutes to read her article. It fit so well with my family's experience this fall that I felt I ought to share the news.
If you're interested, you can read about my family's experiences memorizing the parable by visiting PeaceLedge and clicking on the 'memorization' topic on the left.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Thanks to Laurel and Christine for facilitating the meeting yesterday, and to Karen for opening her home to us so beautifully.
But even more, thanks to all of you who contribute so much to the conversation each evening. Yesterday's talks about the Science of Relations and Narration were engaging partly because of the participation of so many people. I love hearing how other people work Charlotte Mason's principles into their homes and home education;the questions, too, indicate the search that we are all participating in to some degree or another. I appreciate how much people are doing to make themselves vulnerable as those questions are brought out.
What a wonderful group we have! Blessings abound!!
But even more, thanks to all of you who contribute so much to the conversation each evening. Yesterday's talks about the Science of Relations and Narration were engaging partly because of the participation of so many people. I love hearing how other people work Charlotte Mason's principles into their homes and home education;the questions, too, indicate the search that we are all participating in to some degree or another. I appreciate how much people are doing to make themselves vulnerable as those questions are brought out.
What a wonderful group we have! Blessings abound!!
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Bakers, Take Note
I know that it can be a labourious task to type up a recipe, but many people are interested in the recipes for the desserts that have been brought in the past. If you have contributed a dessert or are bringing one to this week's meeting, please consider writing it out by hand and giving it to me at the meeting. Then I'll do the work of keying it in and publishing it on the blog. Please think about this.
Oh, and don't fool yourself into thinking, "It can't be my recipe they were interested in." The requests have been pretty far flung!
Oh, and don't fool yourself into thinking, "It can't be my recipe they were interested in." The requests have been pretty far flung!
Check Out the ChildLight USA Blog
There is a great new blog post at the ChildLight USA blog. It broadens the vision of a CM education way beyond the limits of our own home schools, and, in reading it you will find yourself drawn into deep thought. Enjoy!
Sunday, 23 November 2008
What Do Charlotte Mason and "Naked and Blue" Have to Do With Each Other?
How many of us have desired the results of a Charlotte Mason Education: the creativity, expressiveness, deep thinking, and so much more that comes from an immersion in living literature and history, only to have it fall to the wayside under the pressure to complete curriculum, achieve tangible, measurable results, and meet (other's and our own) expectations of achievement?
How do we set our priorities for the educational pursuits of each day? Which tasks are 'musts', which skills have to be in place (and when)?
For some interesting - and entertaining - ponderings on these thoughts, hop over to the ChildLight USA blog, where Sandy Rusby Bell has written a post entitled "Naked and Blue at My Back Door".
How do we set our priorities for the educational pursuits of each day? Which tasks are 'musts', which skills have to be in place (and when)?
For some interesting - and entertaining - ponderings on these thoughts, hop over to the ChildLight USA blog, where Sandy Rusby Bell has written a post entitled "Naked and Blue at My Back Door".
Monday, 17 November 2008
Charlotte Mason Educational Review - Summer/Fall 2008 Issue now available
ChildLight USA has just released the Summer/Fall 2008 issue of the Review. In it you will find an article by our own Deani (!) who spent several days at Ambleside this summer, going through the archives of Charlotte Mason's works with several other CM scholars.
It also includes early information about the 5th Annual Charlotte Mason Educational Conference to be held June 10, 11, 12 and 13, 2009 on the campus of Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. This year's conference theme is "For the Beauty of the Earth". Members of WHHE have attended for the past three years and it is a time of great inspiration and encouragement in our educational endeavours, while at the same time offering time for relationships to grow. It would be wonderful if we could get a van full of WHHE members to go next June! Boiling Springs or Bust!!
It also includes early information about the 5th Annual Charlotte Mason Educational Conference to be held June 10, 11, 12 and 13, 2009 on the campus of Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. This year's conference theme is "For the Beauty of the Earth". Members of WHHE have attended for the past three years and it is a time of great inspiration and encouragement in our educational endeavours, while at the same time offering time for relationships to grow. It would be wonderful if we could get a van full of WHHE members to go next June! Boiling Springs or Bust!!
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