Adventures of The Haven School for Boys: Week One Rehash

Woot, woot! Week one of the 2012-2013 school year is in the books. It is such a satisfying feeling. Much planning and anticipation go into the first week, in the efforts of setting the tone for the weeks to come. It amazes me how much the summer break matures them. It feels more like a full year, rather than 2+ months. Samuel is actually big enough to thoroughly engross himself in cutting, stickering, drawing, etc., for chunks at a time. Can I get a hallelujah?! Now, to teach Daniel to entertain himself... : )

We continued with the Haven School Olympics. The long jump and team relay were especially a hit. Samuel was always the first leg...and he also voluntarily ran the second leg with Joshua, after the baton pass. And every couple of races, he would get a little over-excited and toss the baton with great gusto into the ficus tree, instead of completing the pass. Olympic spirit--he's got it.

Having a fluent reader in James is something that I do not take for granted. Gone are the painful days of segmentation and blending. Can I get another hallelujah? Our reading-aloud sessions are not so much about the "how" of reading anymore, but the craft and interpretation of reading. We pause to digest new words, analyze the plot, or just laugh together. We're reading through Champ: Gallant Collie, a story about a sheep dog with a serious "Peter Pan" complex, whose puppy-like ways are finally challenged when disaster strikes in the form of a flood and predatory mountain lion. There is no substitute for great literature (and I include the Bible in this category!) and the way it grows us as individuals. Currently, James' favorite genre is...wait for it...comic books. In his free time, whether it be car travel or rest, I can find him with his face buried in one of the following books: TinTin, Garfield, or Calvin and Hobbes. Truly--I don't mind. I think that reading comics often takes a good deal of interpretive energy, and besides--Matt and I enjoy the occasional chuckle when James shares a good one.

Serious Case of Comic-Bookitis

While we eat breakfast, I play a broadcast of CNN Student News on the iPad. I think I referenced this last year, but it is a wonderful way to cover worldwide current events in a concise, kid-friendly way. Well, some of the stories are not exactly kid-friendly (we are talking about current events, after all), but I always have the option of fast-forwarding the less appropriate topics. One that crosses my mind was about the spike in homicides in the city of Chicago. John and Marilyn--MUST you insist upon riding your bikes to work?! I digress. From there, we study the geographic locations of the stories, and then consult our map. The boys take turns putting stickers on the map, and then I number each one, writing a corresponding caption on a clipboard posted next to the map. I am hoping that they develop a comfortability with navigating the map, as well as a working knowledge of issues impacting our world.

Another geography-related exercise we enjoy during our lunch hour is reading from a book entitled My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. My goal is to read and discuss 1 to 2 poems on a daily basis with the boys. They will not always be geography related, but this particular book seemed like a fun place to start. We have worked our way through poems from the Pacific States, and are currently winding our way through the Mountain States. Poetry offers an unparalleled journey into the world of descriptive and metaphorical language, not to mention it has a way of worming itself into your soul like great music does. The best part about our poetry reading is that we get a visit from Chico, our personal Haven School Mascot. He is a friendly fire-breathing dragon, and his knack for reading poetry puts mine to shame. The boys prefer him, hands-down. I must credit my genius sister for encouraging me to buy a puppet at our last teacher-store browsing session. The boys talk directly to Chico, completely forgetting the voice behind the fluff. I am tempted to get another few characters to accompany Chico, but admit to being terrified that I don't have more than one puppet voice! This is where I need to channel my Uncle Art, master of voices and characters. I best practice up before committing to another adoption.

Chico, Our Beloved Masot

As we work our way from the west to the east coast in our poetry book, I take out the chunk of states we're studying, plus the ones we studied previously. They put them together every morning as part of their pre-breakfast work. I happen to have two of these puzzles because my fabulous neighbors found one at a garage sale!

I have probably inundated you with enough detail for this week. I'll pull back on the bit and control myself. Did I get the right horse term, there? I suppose one pulls back on the reins, which controls the bit, right? Goodness knows I don't have first-hand experience with anything equestrian-related. That gene skipped me entirely. Thank you all for your enthusiastic support of the Haven School for Boys. We feel the love, and we love sharing our progress/ journey with you. Blessings in your coming week!

Heavenly Sunrise
Not a bad way to start the day...my morning walk

Claver! Claver!
Xavier's mid-week "House Rally," where students compete against one another for house points. Papa is singing "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" with Samuel as a prop