study guides

http://books.wwnorton.com/studyspace/

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/

http://quizlet.com/find-flashcards/

Scout Camping

a camping we will go, a camping we will go, hi ho the merry o, a camping we will go

From Tween to Teen

6th Grade Field Trip

Robotics Academy

This project is a 10-week, resident summer internship for students specifically interested in robotics who have taken active interest in robotics in demonstrable ways.
› Find out More

Digital Learning Network

DLN offers videoconferencing or Webcasting at no charge, providing interactive educational experiences to students and educators from kindergarten to university levels across the Nation and around the world.
› Find out More

Happy 12th Birthday

Court of Honor - First Class

“When are you going to cut your hair?”

“You look like a girl.”

“Excuse me, Miss?”

For 2½ years, I have had these teasing comments from friends, family and strangers about my long hair. My brothers in law are in the Marines, you should hear them. At first I let my hair grow to be different but as my hair grew, I learn about cancer. Recently Ember Hill, passed away from cancer. My Nana has cancer, her dad died from cancer, then two of his brothers, and his sister lost all her hair from chemo for cancer.

What is Pantene Beautiful Lengths? A charity organization that provides real hair wigs for girls that have lost their hair due to chemo therapy treatments for cancer.

I know that a girl with cancer going to school without hair is hard. You think people are mean to me, imagine not having any hair at all! I'm growing out my hair to donate to the organization, giving a child a chance to fit in and not be teased, stared at, or made fun of.

Teasing and name-calling have been a daily situation for me. Every time I turn around, my long hair has been causing a bit of confusion along the way. Everyone thinks I am a girl, if I am in my Boy Scout Uniform, they ask if I am selling Girl Scout Cookies. I just ignore it and smile. I can take the teasing a lot better than a girl trying to survive the fight of her life.

I don't care that they think I'm a girl. I'm helping those kids. They need my help. And just so you know, yes, I am going to do it again for my Eagle Project and I hope that more people will help me. Pantene Beautiful Lengths wigs are FREE of charge!! Human hair wigs can cost quite a bit of money, they distributes them to women at no cost. All it takes is 8 inches, Will you make the pledge?

New Look Same Kid

por favor hable español

Spanish language learning games

www.digitaldialects.com

Learn Spanish language with free to use and fun online games. Games to learn Spanish phrases, greetings, vocabulary, numbers and grammar. Suitable for students of Spanish language at different levels, and as a classroom or homework learning resource.

Reluctant Writers

Tons of resources for writing can make writing challenging:

favorite resource:
before you write, know what your about to write, each paper answers a different question and a different audience:   http://www.timeforkids.com/homework-helper/a-plus-papers
and Razzle Dazzle Writing  is an amazing tool

12 steps:
1. think it
2. talk it
3. do it
4. draw it
5. explain it
6. gather vocabulary
7. watch modeling
8. write it
9. read it aloud
10. revise it
11. edit it
12. share it

Lets get organized:
Computers Crash, Issues happen, many people can help 'edit', we work in the cloud.

We use Google Docs or Microsoft Windows Live Skydrive to start your online file folder.

lets start with a prompt:

“GREATEST DAY EVER”

Brainstorming, One Word at a Time

Make a list of words that you think of for that day:

this is usually easiest to start with nouns: (this is your who what where list)

boat
water
seagull
ocean
waves
muffin
island
fish
cloudy
sunshine
sand
breeze
train

then add verbs to each of those nouns

white boat
grey water
nosy seagull
salty ocean
cool breeze
white capped waves
poppyseed muffin
mountainous island
fat fish
ominous clouds
blinding sunshine
sparkling sand
clicky clack, clicky clack of the train

then we need to add in some Senses

• What did the boat feel like?
• What shape did the clouds look like?
• What sound did the bird make?
• What did the sea smell like?
• What did the muffin taste like?

Eventually you will organize these random thoughts into a when and why. Your writing the three body paragraphs first. Then once you have organized them and see where your story is going, go back and write your introduction.

What was the point of the day, what did you set out to do? What changed? Did you enjoy what happened instead of what you planned to do? Do not directly answer these questions with we started out blah blah blah and we ended up blah blah blah, but actually write about it and let the story unfold. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a HAPPY story, and it doesn’t have to be HAPPY thoughts, but it does have to be emotionally charged, visually stimulating, and evoke a response in the reader. 

When that is all done, write your summary, use lots of imagery, lots of senses. Length: how much is enough? 100 words per grade is my recommendation, 1/5 of that for each paragraph, five senses, and five W's.

Helpful words to use like a shopping list, scan and incorporate:

• Positive Emotion Words
• Negative Emotion Words
• Strong Verb Words
• Sight Words
• Sound Words
• Smell Words
• Taste Words
• Touch Words

Organizing your Paper:

  

Student Name:
Teacher Name:
Class / Subject:
Paper Due Date:

TITLE

INTRODUCTION

-- BODY

-- BODY

-- BODY

CONCLUSION

First Week Back to School

Amundsen, Erik Week 1   Target 3%

Fundamentals of Algebra & Geometry 2%

Language Arts
Intermediate Language Skills A === 1%
   Composition ============== 0%
   Grammar ================ 2%
   Vocabulary ===============  3%
    Literature ================ 2%

Welcome Back to OLS ======= 100%

TX Science 6 =============== 7%

History Social Studies 6 ======= 1%

Intermediate Art ============ 1%
Music Concepts =========== 0%

PE 6 =================== 3%
Health 6 ================ 3%

The 2011-2012 School Calendar

The 2011-2012 School Calendar

Schedule

Monday:
[9]Science (2 lessons)
[11]PE - bike Hike (1 lesson)
[12]Lunch
[1]Health (2 lessons)
[3]Friends
[6]Dinner
[8]Literature (2 lessons)
[9]Bed

Tuesday:
[9]Math (2 lessons)
[11]Art - Craft (1 lesson)
[12]Lunch
[1]Grammar / Vocabulary (2 lessons)
[3]Friends
[6]Dinner
[8]Literature (2 lessons)
[9]Bed

Wednesday:
[9]History / Geography (2 lessons)
[11]PE - Swimming (1 lesson)
[12]Lunch
[1]composition / spelling (2 lessons)
[3]Friends
[6]Dinner
[8]Literature (2 lessons)
[9]Bed

Thursday:
[9]Math (2 lessons)
[11]music - piano (1 lesson)
[12]Lunch
[1]Grammar / Vocabulary (2 lessons)
[3]Friends
[6]Dinner
[8]Literature (2 lessons)
[9]Bed

Friday:
[9]Math / Geography (2 lessons)
[11]Science - experiment (1 lesson)
[12]Lunch
[1]Spelling (2 lessons)
[3]Friends
[6]Dinner
[8]Literature (2 lessons)
[9]Bed

6th Grade Math Recipe:

======================================
WEEK 1
======================================
Monday:

• Read Introduction (Fundamentals book) x-xii

Tuesday:

• Read Foundations (Fundamentals book) 4-7
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 2-4

Wednesday: [NUMBERLINE]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 8-9
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 5-7
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 10-11

Thursday: [ORDER OF OPERATIONS]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 12-13
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 8-11
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 14-15

Friday: [NUMBER PROPERTIES]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 16-17
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 12-14
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 18-19

======================================

WEEK 2
======================================

Monday: Your Choice

• Study Hall

Tuesday: [TRANSLATING WORDS & MATH]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 20-21
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 15-17
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 22-23

Wednesday: [TRANSLATING MIXED OPERATIONS]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 24-25
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 18-20
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 26-27

Thursday: [PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 28-29
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 21-25
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 30-31

Friday: Your Choice

• Study Hall

======================================

WEEK 3
======================================

Monday: [IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IN WORD PROBLEMS]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 32-33
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 26-28
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 34-35

Tuesday: [ESTIMATION AND REASONABLENESS]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages36-37
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 29-32
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 38-39

Wednesday: [PRECISION]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 40-41
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 33-35
• Do Problem Set (Fundamentals book) Pages 42-43

Thursday: [REVIEW]

• Do Topic (Fundamentals book) Pages 44-45
• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 36-37

Friday: [CHECKPOINT]

• Do Guide (Student Guide book) Pages 38-39

How I explained this to my student: the school bought the Fundamentals book, the teacher saw it, and created the guide book to explain the gap between the Topic and the Problem Set, he said that makes a lot of sense.

Brain Dump

Why I would recommend K12 and Virtual School: the good: less distractions, less drama, less anxiety in the morning, evening, and just generally during the day. the bad, you still have to do the work, you still have to teach and learn, and get an education, it is the 'job' of our children and it doesn't change by changing locations, and this is a school at home program, not a fly by the seat of your pants party, that being said, you have a lot of options for gifted and talented learning that you would be excluded from in a typical Brick and Mortar school, they guard them programs with an iron fist, you also have a blossoming Individualized Education Program, you are your only limitation when it comes to small group education, minimal distractions, preferred seating, and one on one education that is based on mastery in stead of dumbing down courses, teaching to the middle or lowest common denominator, or worse, teaching to the test. there are fail safes to keep the child progressing, there are accountability models, and you will be expected to contribute, work hard, and it is not for every family. It is a lifestyle, not just send them off in the morning and hope all goes well, you can make it spectacular or you can fight it tooth and nail and wonder what in the world you got yourself into. we are gone on explorations around the globe 24 weeks out of the year, without penalty, I can not imagine my children becoming life long learners in any other circumstance. It is an amazing opportunity for children to learn to love learning, and become self directed learners. it does take awhile to teach them to be inquirers, the schools have conditioned them to be spoon fed without questions, and that sucks all the creativity right out of them.

When I feel intimidation, it is just the fear of the unknown. you didn’t know what kind of wife you would be, just dived in, didn’t know what kind of mom you would be, just dived right in, same with educating your children, if you were able to successfully get them to learn to feed themselves with knife and fork, use a toilet instead of a diaper, ride a two wheeler, tie their shoes, put on a seat belt, wear a coat in 32'F weather, you are the perfect type of mom to home-school. WHY? because you give a care about them. that you will mess it up, is HIGHLY unlikely, why? because there is a script built into the lesson plans, there is a schedule built into the OLS, there is progress reports that you will see daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and your students will take assessments daily, weekly, and three times a year and every spring to let you know that your doing a bang up job! just worry about how your going to spend all that free time that you would be looking for shoes when the bus is coming in the morning, and how your budget is going to react to NO SCHOOL LUNCHES and you cooking at home, and better yet, eating today’s science experiment for desert tonight. it doesn’t take a PHD to teach, it doesn’t take a MASTERS to teach, it doesn’t take a BS to teach, it takes someone that wants their kids to want to be inquiring minds and not mushrooms sitting in the back of the class and molding.

Gym / PE, we take bike hikes every week, we ride to different parts of our community, sometimes we ride to the piano teachers house, sometimes we ride to the store to get groceries. PE is what you make of it, it could be a day at the park, it could be a day at the beach, it could be a day at the amusement park, it could be a day at the health center, it could be a number of things, just teach your children to be active. we have even had Wii days of PE.

What I love is that it is a complete turnkey system in a box, if you MIGHT need it, it is in there, if you could use it, it is in there, and if you must have it, it is IN THERE. the script for teaching the class is in there, the grading each assignment is in there, the workbooks and reading books are in there, the science experiments are in there for the most part. we had some that we had to go get supplies last year, things like plant fertilizer and jelly jars from the recycling box.

The first year was a mix of deschooling and inquiry schooling. Getting the children to stop expecting me to stand at the front of the classroom and spoon feed them nuggets of knowledge, & evolving into a more lifelong learning model of them asking a question, and following it down the garden path to find out who, what, where, when, and why. the second year, was a mix since I added another child from B&M to the equation and he was confused why he didn't see his brother doing as much work as him, because he was still getting deschooled and his brother was quietly working independently and it would just be such a confusing thing for him.

We discovered that the first 9 weeks was a lot of review, things he already knew. COOL. at some point I would have to start teaching SOMETHING right? well the second quarter came and went, and we were still plodding along nicely, stressing reading and keeping up with everything else to various degrees. he was gifted in science, he could breeze through it like no bodies business, wow, I had a gifted child right? well, not exactly, if we spent the day doing the fun stuff, then we didn't keep up on the not so fun stuff like social studies and math, so we had to ration the science and balance our day with everything else. the best thing I learned was that everything is cyclic, that means that if you do not get it the first time, do not fear, it will come back around again, that spelling words will be there next year and the year after, that vocabulary will be there, the next year and the year after, that fractions will come around every year until they finally get it and understand what a fraction is. so that means that no matter what, I will have an opportunity to reteach and they will finally get it eventually.

The best thing that I discovered is that I had more flexibility to change the approach, to change the technique, to change the direction of a lesson so that my child could benefit from more than one presentation method. say a video game would help, yippee, use it. say a trip to the museum would help, wow, go for it, say you would rather give an oral test, YES YOU CAN. it doesn't have to be all or nothing, just keep plodding along. now say your are keeping track of the clock, what if you didn't make 3% this week in EVERY SINGLE SUBJECT, YIKES, what will happen, you will catch up next week, you have the entire quarter to have everything balance out so find what works for you. if you make 3% in one subject, you can change topics or you can push ahead and do 6%, just keep it balanced 25% max per quarter, and then bring the next subject up to that level, until you have ALL of them at 25% before moving ahead in a 'fun' subject. all the teacher tools have literally a script in there so that you can not mess it up, once you get comfortable, you can deviate and shoot more from the hip and teach off the fly.

Here is my take after 24 months of this 'experiment', figure out what is the worst possible thing that could ever happen? is it that you children will not make as much progress as they were in B&M? that they will stop learning all together, or perhaps forget everything that they ever learned and work for Taco Bell? now that you can see the worst case scenario, think about this. In an IEP meeting for a child that is challenged, they set a goal, what would you like to see by the end of the year? would you like to see your child reading on level? would you like to see your child able to complete an entire assignment without you doing 90% of it? would you like to not have homework consume your evenings? now break that goal down by 1/4, what would you like to have accomplished by the end of the first quarter, the second quarter, and so on. find measurable improvements based on what you find in your family to be worthwhile. for us, we really wanted our child to be able to READ, that was the first year goal. to ENJOY reading was an expectation, and to ENJOY READING on LEVEL was the end of the year Plan. if nothing else, if he was able to do that, we had succeeded.

Solar Oven

3:00 pm

cut up: onions, potatoes, poblano pepper, salt, pepper, raspberry vinegarette, olive oil, toss and secure in Caste Iron 5qt dutch oven

3:15 place in back yard.

6th grade Math

hmmmm

http://www.ck12.org/

Kahn working the book

6th Grade Curriculum

and once again the UPS man Ding Dong Ditched us

that is some intense packing

Science Supplies are always a happy moment.

SCHOOL WORK.. MY FAVORITE!

Just the Essentials Please!

We up-cycled one of the k12 boxes to keep the books organized on the desk.

Works Space stocked and ready to go.

What if I mess up?

the first year was a mix of deschooling.. getting the children to stop expecting me to stand at the front of the classroom and spoon feed them nuggets of knowledge, evolving into a more lifelong learning model of them asking a question, and following it down the garden path to find out who, what, where, when, and why. the second year, was a mix since I added another child from B&M to the equation and he was confused why he didn't see his brother doing as much work as him, because he was still getting deschooled and his brother was quietly working independently and it would just be such a confusing thing for him. Here is my take after 24 months of this 'experiment', figure out what is the worst possible thing that could ever happen? is it that you children will not make as much progress as they were in B&M? that they will stop learning all together, or perhaps forget everything that they ever learned and work for TacoBell? now that you can see the worst case scenario, think about this. In an IEP meeting for a child that is challenged, they set a goal, what would you like to see by the end of the year? would you like to see your child reading on level? would you like to see your child able to complete an entire assignment without you doing 90% of it? would you like to not have homework consume your evenings? now break that goal down by 1/4, what would you like to have accomplished by the end of the first quarter, the second quarter, and so on. find measurable improvements based on what you find in your family to be worthwhile. for us, we really wanted our child to be able to READ, that was the first year goal. to ENJOY reading was an expectation, and to ENJOY READING on LEVEL was the end of the year Plan. if nothing else, if he was able to do that, we had succeeded. we discovered that the first 9 weeks was a lot of review, things he already knew. COOL. at some point I would have to start teaching SOMETHING right? well the second quarter came and went, and we were still plodding along nicely, stressing reading and keeping up with everything else to various degrees. he was gifted in science, he could breeze through it like no bodies business, wow, I had a gifted child right? well, not exactly, if we spent the day doing the fun stuff, then we didn't keep up on the not so fun stuff like social studies and math, so we had to ration the science and balance our day with everything else. the best thing I learned was that everything is cyclic, that means that if you do not get it the first time, do not fear, it will come back around again, that spelling words will be there next year and the year after, that vocabulary will be there, the next year and the year after, that fractions will come around every year until they finally get it and understand what a fraction is. so that means that no matter what, I will have an opportunity to reteach and they will finally get it eventually. the best thing that I discovered is that I had more flexibility to change the approach, to change the technique, to change the direction of a lesson so that my child could benefit from more than one presentation method. say a video game would help, yippee, use it. say a trip to the museum would help, wow, go for it, say you would rather give an oral test, YES YOU CAN. it doesn't have to be all or nothing, just keep plodding along. now say your are keeping track of the clock, what if you didn't make 3% this week in EVERY SINGLE SUBJECT, YIKES, what will happen, you will catch up next week, you have the entire quarter to have everything balance out so find what works for you. if you make 3% in one subject, you can change topics or you can push ahead and do 6%, just keep it balanced 25% max per quarter, and then bring the next subject up to that level, until you have ALL of them at 25% before moving ahead in a 'fun' subject. all the teacher tools have literally a script in there so that you can not mess it up, once you get comfortable, you can deviate and shoot more from the hip and teach off the fly.

How Schooling at home went today

Let's Grow Smart! (Space and the Solar System, Grade 2- 3) [Workbook]
Creative Edge (Editor) for a $1.00
on Page 25, we were working on a Letter Scramble:


SLEEPA EB DEMORFIN REETH SI A TAANS SLUAC!


and we thought, wow, that is hard: but it was talking about APOLLO 8, and reported "after their trip around the moon on Christmas Eve."

so we Googled Apollo 8 Christmas Eve. and got this link: Apollo 8 but it was not until I got to this clip that we discovered the quote. Thanks for your help:
Astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr.


Please Be Informed There is a Santa Claus.


but then we wandered off into the tour of the solar system and discovered Colby. but that was not enough, so we went on a journey to the stars

It Grew Again

Your sex is male
Your height is 5 ft. 3.0 in., or 160.1 cm.
Your weight is 104.0 lb., or 47.3 kg.
Your birthdate is 09/29/1999, so your age is 11 years 10 months.

Your height is 95th percentile

That means you are 95th in height compared to 100 kids your age and sex.

Your weight is 80th percentile

That means you are 80th in weight compared to 100 kids your age and sex.

Your Body Mass Index is 18.5, which is the 63th percentile

That means that your BMI is 63th compared to 100 kids your age and sex.

The healthy weight range for your height and age is 84 to 117 pounds (38 to 53 kilograms). This range corresponds to a BMI between the 5th and 85th percentiles for your age and sex.

Calculator

Literacy through Photography

Literacy Through Photography (LTP) is the in-school education program created by FotoFest International to help students in grades 3-12 strengthen basic learning skills, particularly writing and critical thinking skills. It is a comprehensive program that includes curriculum and teacher training. LTP uses photography and visual imagery as tools to stimulate students’ writing, analytic abilities and communication skills.

Course Adjustment

The first year, we followed the recommended schedule, that didn't work. the second year we blocked, Monday was math madness, that worked for Monday, but the rest of the week was awful. We are still going to block schedule, but I think we are going to do FUN things on Monday, like Science and Spelling and knock it out, and save the things that we just detest like social studies for Friday and hope that by then we will be so motivated for making progress that they will be fun.

As for organized: I went to the TEACHER section of Office Max and got hanging hourly project managers. weekly assignments for all subjects, if they are completed by the end of the week, they get the weekend off, if not, then they keep working until Sunday Night and then, done or not, I will mark off the 3% so that the ominous word "BEHIND" does not come up. because that has killed our spirit more than any other word and we just never seem to recover from one semester until the next and I would rather blow off bits and pieces over month than the entire last 10-20% of the year. I use http://calendar.google.com​/ to organize each week of enrichment activities as well as class connects and it helps having a popup / SMS keep us on track

Always remember that failure is not an option. once you get that as a mantra, the rest is elementary. I have 5 children, all of which are in school at some level. two in college, one in high school, one in middle and one in elementary. I have two grand children, one will be in PreK this fall, one that is 8 months, and one on the way, due in February. everyone needs to be nurtured, managed, and fostered. my key in addition to calendar is skype, I can have a meeting with any of my kids and connect to answer questions, work through assignments, and even coach through exams when they are in college 5 states away. Project management is how we break everything down into manageable projects.

Co-Conspirators

Children with Sensory Integration Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder may not have difficulty forming friendships, but they may have a hard time keeping friendships because of impulsive behavior.

Imagine the joy at seeing a real bond between two brothers that have traditionally agitated each other for years.

Brick and mortar school seemed to foster more agitation instead of co-operation between these two. It has taken two years to see this level of companionship.

Dad did not want me to take this picture, he knew the sound of the camera or the flash going off would break the spell.

It is not a great stretch of the imagination to see how the grouping of children according to birth year can breed envy of those older, contempt for those younger, and alienation from siblings. Spending all day in an institution run by adults (each equally requiring and supposedly deserving of respect and unfailing obedience) can provide competition in a child’s mind and heart for loyalty to and trust in his parents and the family’s own culture and values. The fact that most of our nation’s children are “socialized” in that system defines popular culture on those terms. Parents must be alert and active to combat these pressures, even if the children are schooled at home, and especially if they attend public or private school. The survival of our families and the souls of our children depends upon it.

T. J. ed.

Frequently Linked Documents

To get Registered:
k12 txva-enroll-form

 All Registered, now what?

k12 Customer Support

http://help.k12.com/

k12 Start

http://k12start.com/

Supplies list

http://tinyurl.com/txva-supplies

Work Samples Cover Sheet
http://preview.tinyurl.com/txvaworksample

PE Logs
http://tinyurl.com/txvaPElogs

Simplified Progress & Attendance
http://tinyurl.com/txvaProgAtten

Gingerbread Flyer
http://tinyurl.com/txvagingerbread

Tutorial

http://k12start.com/get_started.php

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr



Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3, 5-6

Summer Reading

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

Rick Riordan

Summer Enrichment

Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Excellence Through 50 Target Skills

Melissa Forney

Caught'ya!: Grammar With a Giggle

Jane Bell Kiester

Journaling with https://docs.google.com

Today's Entry

Sam Houston State Park

SECOND CLASS

8a.	Tell what precautions must be taken for a safe swim.
8b.	Demonstrate your ability to jump feetfirst into water over your head in depth, level off and swim 25 feet on the surface, stop, turn sharply, resume swimming, then return to your starting place.
8c.	Demonstrate water rescue methods by reaching with your arm or leg, by reaching with a suitable object, and by throwing lines and objects. Explain why swimming rescues should not be attempted when a reaching or throwing rescue is possible, and explain why and how a rescue swimmer should avoid contact with the victim. FIRST CLASS

9b.	Successfully complete the BSA swimmer test.*
9c.	With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and as rescuer. (The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water.)

Camp Invention

The SPARK Program

Join us on a W!LD animal adventure and explore the most spectacular and inventive animals on the planet. During the W!LD: Wondrous Innovations and Living Designs™ module, children explore W!LD and wondrous animal inventors. During the week, participants explore how cuttlefish use camouflage to hunt and hide, paper wasps that make “paper”, snails that create iron plated armor, fire beetles that use infrared light, and geckos that climb walls using nano hairs. Mother Nature’s very own inventors are sure to spark your imagination on thisW!LD animal exploration.

Mysterious coded messages have been left at The Curious Cypher Club™headquarters, and it is up to the Camp Invention participants to solve this puzzling mystery. Each day, children solve a different coded message and use the same code to send a message back to the culprit. After working on their codes each day, children work together to build a clubhouse using materials such as PVC pipes, rolls of corrugated cardboard, and other upcycled materials. After a week of solving coded messages and using their engineering skills to build a unique clubhouse, children uncover the culprit, end the message sending, and are awarded membership into The Curious Cypher Club!

During the Bounce! An Atomic Journey™ module, children investigate the science of atoms and molecules by experimenting with bouncy balls! A dynamic mix of chemistry and physical science, children bounce their way through atoms, molecules, mixtures, and compounds to figure out how cool matter (like a bouncy ball) is created. Children gain experience designing and conducting their own experiments and investigations as they explore how atoms join together to make molecules that shape our entire world! Children design high-bouncing investigations, practice moving atoms like nanotechnologists, conduct inquiry-based static electricity experiments, and make salty solutions, slimy compounds, polymer snow, and their very own bouncy ball to take home!

Children shake up traditional games to create new experiences that will have them thinking and upcycling their way to a brand new kind of fun! In the Game On: Power Play™ module, children are challenged to use nontraditional equipment (such as water balloons) to play classic games. Each day features fresh ideas that will have children mentally and physically engaged and completely entertained. The laughter is contagious as children use fun ways to enhance their level of cooperation and coordination in these innovative, team-building exercises. Children's minds and bodies are put to the test as they combine physical activity, creativity and fun!

During the I Can Invent: Edison’s Workshop™ module children walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison as they create and market a multi-step machine. Creative problem solving is fostered as children imagine and assemble the unthinkable! Younger children work in teams to create multi-step inventions using pieces and parts of broken appliances and other upcycled materials. Older children work in teams to build complicated, multi-step machines that solve a challenge. All children further explore the process of invention as they market their inventions. A participant favorite, children of all ages find this module incredibly challenging and exciting!

Keeping Busy

Texas Virtual Academy

USA Swimming

USA Triathlon

US Chess

BSA Handbook

Bilingual Kids

Piano

Drawing Anime

Pearland Triathlon

Perseverance

“Stay the course, light a star,
Change the world where'er you are.”

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other”

Grades and Attendance

Report Cards are nearly ready...

here is our year in review and how we did not move smoothly, but towards the goal we did move.

the goal was 3% per week, that rarely happened with any consistency, usually we just feast and famine our way through the year.

First Aid Merit Badge

bandages, tape, cotton balls, alcohol, ointment, tweezers, scissors, advil

call 911, apply pressure, do not peak to see if it clots

do not make your sister mad, she will shoot you with a bb

wear a helmet when you pedal

stabilize broken bone with splint, make a stretcher with tshirts

leave it in, get help

snake bite, ID snake, call 911, get to ER, do not cut and suck

First Aid

DONE