From the Nest Up

February Fun!

2012-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for some fresh ideas for February, here are some links to help:

ABC Teach - Valentine's Day - Printable activities such as Reading Comprehension and Writing activities
Enchanted Learning - Valentine's Day - Printable cards
Art Projects for Kids - Valentine's Heart Painting - This site has awesome art projects to try!!!
The Crafty Crow - Valentine's Owl Craft - Fun site I just discovered.

Valentine's Day is a great time to focus on learning about friendship and what it means to be a good friend. Take some time as a family to look up what the Bible says about friendship. Below is a website to help you start this learning.

Grace Parenting - Bible Verses about Friendship for Kids

Catch your children in the act of being kind to others and let them know that you noticed. :) You could even come up with some random acts of kindness to do for someone in your family or neighbourhood.

Happy February!
Mrs. Siebring

Quick Learning Checks

2011-10-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

A fast and effective way to ensure that your child is understanding what he/she is learning about is to do a quick check at the end of a lesson. It is important to know when your child is understanding a topic and when he/she may need further time spent on a topic. This can sometimes be difficult to tell, especially if your child is working independently for most of the school day.

Checking your child's understanding on a daily or weekly basis is a great way to know that learning is happening and also a quick assessment tool that you can use to send me in a weekly communication.

Here's an idea for a quick check (5 minute assessment tool at the end of a lesson):

Look at the topic your child is learning about - ex. more or less than

Choose 2 content questions about the topic; these questions should take only a minute or two to answer -

ex. Circle the correct symbol: 23 < > 32
ex. Choose which number is greater and then draw that many circles: 12 20

Choose 1 reflective question (these are general and can be used for almost any topic or subject):

ex. What did you do well today?

Have your child answer the questions in oral or written format. Send your assessment in to me as your weekly communication!

Examples of “reflective” questions

1. What did you do well today?

2. What is one thing you learned today?

3. What do you know about fractions(or any topic or concept) that you did not know before today?

4. What is your goal for your work tomorrow?

5. Identify something you learned today about math (or other subject) or about yourself as a learner of math (or other subject).

Good questioning skills promotes better learning! Throughout the year, I will attach "Question shells" to my newsletters or blog. "Question shells" are broad questions that can be used for most topics and will extend your child's learning about a topic. I encourage you to try them out as you work with your children at home. :)

HAPPY LEARNING!

Thanksgiving Activities

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have compiled a list of websites to visit if you're looking for some THANKSGIVING activities to do with your child:

Bible Study

Printables

Book List

Recipes for Kids

Thanksgiving Table Games

Drawing Pumpkins - Art Project (Gr. 4)

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ~

Fall Bucket List

2011-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of homeschooling is the time that you get to spend together as a family. As an online teacher, I also have the privilege to stay home with my children, watch them grow each day, and give them time, which is a precious commodity these days. When my sister sent me a link to a "Fall Bucket List", I was excited about all of the fun family activities on the list and the chance to make memories with my children. Many of you are probably already doing these activities each fall but I would like to share them anyways because there is a lot of learning that can be built into these activities. :)

Apple Picking
Make Leaf Art
Go on a Hay Ride
Enjoy a Bonfire with S'mores
Make Caramel Apples
Visit a Corn Maze
Go to a Pumpkin Patch
Make Fall Cookies
Take a nature walk (bring the camera)
Bake pies

Here are some ways to extend the learning:

Learn about harvest time, talk about what it must have been like during pioneer times and how important it was to save food for the winter months.
Take pictures of your leaf art and make other fall art projects to submit at portfolio time. Try to use a variety of materials to create art (paper, paint, leaves, chalk, etc)
While cooking, practice math as you see measurement in action.
Create a map of the corn maze (very tricky), then try to reconstruct it at home with blocks.
Make a list of all the things you can do with a pumpkin, try at least two of the things on your list.
Draw the progression of apple growth. (ie. seed, tree, etc)
Make apple prints (cut apples in half, dip them in paint, then stamp them on paper). Have your child create a pattern using different colours of paint.

If you participate in any of these activities, please let me know or better yet, take pictures! I would love to get to know your family better this year.

Blessings!

Father's Day Ideas

2011-06-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for some way to let your Dad know how special he is to you, try some of these ideas:

1. Make a card telling your dad why you love him. Try to think of at least 3 things that he does that you are thankful for.
2. Give your dad a coupon for a chore that you will do for him in the coming week.
3. Write your dad an acrostic poem. For example, write DAD or your dad's name down the side of a page, then think of a word or sentence to go with each letter that describes something special about your dad. Decorate the page with illustrated pictures or a collage of pictures of you and your dad.
D - Dependable
A -
D -
4. Check out the following links for activities, crafts, or printable cards for Father's Day:
Disney Family Fun

Father's Day Crafts or Gifts

Psalm 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

Taking Care of the Environment

2011-04-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

With Earth Day being recognized this month, it is a great time to teach your children about taking care of their environment. We are called to be good stewards of all that God has provided us with; one of these things is the world around us, the beauty of creation.

Activities to try as a family:

Garbage Walk - Go for a walk as a family, wear gloves, bring a garbage bag and pick up any trash that you encounter on your walk.

Recycling - Have your child participate in recycling at home or visit a recycling depot to see what can be recycled.

Make a recycled craft - Use only materials that have been used to create something. Take a picture of the project.

Talk about ways to save water, electricity, and other items that are commonly wasted. Try picking a place that your family might normally drive to and choose to walk or bike instead. Keep track on a Calendar of the ways that your child cut back on consumption.

Make a worm compost.

* Make sure that you let me know about any ways that your child takes care of the environment. :)

Dental Health Month

2011-03-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

April marks the start of dental health month in BC. It is a wonderful time to focus on how well your children are brushing their teeth and to promote good habits that lead to healthy teeth!

Here is a link to check out with activities and information:
Healthy Teeth

Also, there is a "Brush to Win" contest put on each April by the BC Dental Association. Visit the following website, print off the "Brush to Win Calendar" at the bottom of the page. Then mail your child's calendar to me at the end of April. Your child has a chance to win $30 just by brushing their teeth everyday. There are 8 prizes to win.
Brush to Win Contest

Have a wonderful Spring Break!

Burn Awareness Week

2011-02-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for grade appropriate activities to help your child learn about burn safety? Feb. 6 - 13th is Burn Awareness Week and a great chance to teach your children some important safety lessons.

Check out the following website:
Burn Awareness Week

You will find learning activities for each grade level from Preschool to Grade 7 :)

New Reimbursement Forms

2011-02-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Third Party Service Provider Forms have been made easier than ever! I am not the most savvy person when it comes to technology so I was amazed that the online form did appear to be very SIMPLE! All you need to do is sign in to your ASIS account and fill out the form online. It will be submitted straight to your Anchor Academy teacher (me) and then passed on to the office. This should allow for faster processing; the amount should be paid within 30 days of submission. Also, this form can be filled in at anytime of the year; you no longer have to worry about missing an important deadline.

How do you get an ASIS account? Simply visit the Anchor Academy website www.ark.net. Then scroll down until you see the ASIS logo on the right side of the page. You will see a link that says, "Parents register here". Once you click on the link, you will be able to sign up for an ASIS account.

What will an ASIS account do for me? It will allow you to submit reimbursement forms without the hassle of photocopying, faxing, scanning, or emailing. You will also be able to see how much money is left in your family's CCA (Course Credit Allocation) fund, helping you to know if there is money left for a specific activity your child may want to participate in. In the future it may even allow you to see your child's report card.

With every new system, there is a learning curve. I was shown how to access and complete the form, helping me to feel comfortable with the process. If you are unsure how to get started or have any questions at all, I would be happy to walk you through the process over the phone. :)

Making Math Fun!

2011-01-31T13:40:00.000-08:00

You may be feeling like your child needs a "pick-me-up" in their math practice during these winter months. Why not check out some useful math websites?

I list the following site first because it is easy to navigate and a great way for your child to get some math practice in on a busy day.
Math Practice by Grade - Awesome!

The following link has ideas to try with your children as well as online teaching and games, you can pick a specific topic for your child to practice. This site can be overwhelming as there are so many options!
Cool Math 4 Kids

Some Math Crafts and other fun:
Math Cats

Online Math Games:
Fun Brain

Have fun!

December Fun

2010-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

I love the holiday season and there are so many ways to brighten up learning around Christmas.

Here are some fun ideas:
Choose a recipe to make together - This is a fun way to practice measurement and reading at all levels. When in the classroom, I would often make a big recipe page for younger students with measurements beside pictures, instead of words. Gingerbread cookies are always fun to make and can be even more fun to decorate after!

Make greeting cards - Although a fun craft idea, this is a great opportunity to practice letter writing and addressing envelopes. So many skills are met by doing this simple activity... printing practice, art, writing with a purpose.

Talk about Christmas Traditions - Make a Web of all of your families Christmas traditions. Then have your child talk to a friend or neighbour about his/her Christmas traditions. Look for similarities and differences and write a journal about them. This meets a variety of Social Studies learning outcomes by seeing the differences between families.

Have your child make Christmas wish list. Then talk about your child's everyday needs with him or her. Compare needs versus wants. Brainstorm a way that your child could meet someone's needs this Christmas... clothes, food, or blankets to a family in need, rather than just wants. Bonus marks for putting your plan into action!

Check out the newest Art Project website (Art Projects for Kids) that I have attached beside this post. There are creative ideas for Christmas and other art. Don't forget the traditional ideas for Christmas like making snow flakes, a nativity scene, ornaments, etc.

I hope that your family takes the time to participate in one or more of the above activities. I would love to see pictures of both the process and the finished project so send them my way when you are finished. I will add the work to your child's 2nd portfolio!

Merry Christmas!

Remembrance Day

2010-10-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

How does your family take the time to remember those who fought for the freedom of our beautiful country each November 11th? When I started teaching elementary school, I first began to realize that in order for our children to realize the importance of Remembrance Day, we need to be teaching them about Remembrance Day. What are some ways you can do this?

Visit a local Cenotaph or war memorial, talk about the many names that are listed and count how many people are listed from your community
Take part in your community Remembrance Day events
Visit your local library to find children's books about Remembrance Day; read and discuss them with your child
Read the poem, "In Flanders Fields", and have your child write a reflective journal about the poem using pictures or words
Write to a present day soldier that you may know and thank them for dedicating their life to keeping our country safe
Check out the following website for more ideas to use with kids, including art projects, colouring pages, recipes and stories of animals who helped in the war: Veterans Affairs Canada - Kids' Zone

I would love to hear what your family does this Remembrance Day. Please write me an email and let me know how you chose to remember. Also, if you had a relative who fought in the war, have your child share that with me in a journal, over the phone, or in an email.

Fall Art Ideas

2010-10-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, you are probably enjoying the beauty of the Fall. I love all of the leaves that are changing colour and the crispness of the air. It is a great time to make some art projects to put up on your fridge or give to visiting relatives.

Here are a couple of ideas (click on the links in the Art Project Box to see the specific instructions):

1. Fall Leaf Butterflies

2. Standing Fall Tissue Tree

3. Autumn Hand Print Wreath

4. Pumpkin Pop Up Card

5. Leaf Rubbings

6. Fall Leaf Placemats

Please email me pictures of the art projects you complete or add them to your portfolio at the end of the term.

ENJOY!

Keeping Active - A Part of BC Curriculum

2010-09-20T06:23:00.001-07:00

Daily Physical Activity is not only important for children but a part of the Education program in BC. Every elementary student should be doing something active for 30 minutes each day (K - 15 minutes). This sounds like another thing to try to fit into the day but when you realize all of the sorts of things that you could do for this, it is actually a great program to build an active society.

Some ways to fulfill the DPA (Daily Physical Activity) requirement are:

Skipping
Walking
Playing Active Games
Raking Leaves

Can you think of other ways to stay active in everyday life? If so, email me your answers.

Don't forget to record any activity that you do on your PE Log :)

An Introduction to Mrs. Siebring

2010-09-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a little about myself so that you would know who you are working with this year, just as I hope that I will get to know your family over the course of the school year. First, let me just say, "Welcome Back to School!" I have always enjoyed the excitement of September and the new beginning of going back to school. Ever since my first day of school in Grade 1, I have attended school in some shape or form every September (elementary, highschool, college, and finally teaching). I love the anticipation of buying school supplies and the excitement of the first day. I love the routine that I eventually settle into somewhere in the first few weeks of September.

This year is no different for me. In fact, this year my husband is going back to school as well. Our family has recently moved to Castlegar, BC where my husband will be attending Selkirk College. I am looking forward to the newness of this school year and pray that you and your family will enjoy this busy, yet exciting time.

This is my first year at Anchor Academy. I left classroom teaching after I had my son, Gray. He is now 16 months old and I am so thankful for the opportunity of working from home. Children are truly a gift from God!

I plan to use this blog to post important information you might need, school dates to remember, and share ideas of things to try at home with your children. Please bear with me as I get a few things up at a time.

Blessings for a wonderful school year!