2010-2011 School Year Completed!

Yesterday was our last day of "regular" school!!
(Cheers and much dancing!)
Next week we will be doing term exams, and this is always looked upon as a fun school week by all the boys.

During the last few days we have spent a good deal of time discussing our favorite book selections from this school year.  I asked each of the boys for their three top favorite selections. This proved and impossible task, so I stretched it to five favorites.

 After much deliberation, Keishon narrowed his favorites down to these five books:

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Men of Iron - Howard Pyle
Wind in The Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Book Of Indians -  Holling C. Holling
The Heroes - Charles Kingsley

Nick's five favorites are:

Pinocchio - C. Collodi
Sea Bird - Holling C. Holling
Child's History of the World - V.M. Hilyer
Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
Peter Pan - James Barrie (not pictured, because we borrowed this one from the library)

Add just didn't get the four or five limit. He was nearly in tears because he had so many favorites and he wanted all of them on his picture.  So here he is hiding behind his six favorites.

Pagoo - Holling C. Holling
Seabird - Holling C. Holling
Zlateh  the Goat - Isaac Bashevis Singer
A Child's History of the World - V.M. Hilyer
Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
Dr. Dolittle - Hugh Lofting

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear them trying to pick favorites from among all these wonderful books.

As we finish up this year, I am already busy planning our next school year.
And, I am counting the days until the Childlight Conference.  
I can't say enough good things about this annual Charlotte Mason Education Conference.  I look forward to it each year for inspiration and encouragement.  Teaching from a CM perspective takes a tremendous paradigm shift, and this can be really daunting.  The Childlight Education Conference is the perfect place to take your questions and come away with answers, and the courage to tackle the task ahead.  I can't wait!!!

I know that this conference will be a bit different for me, since I will be taking Itty Bits with me.
But you know, I wouldn't trade my little sunshine for the world!  I could just eat this little gal up!
Seriously, do they make cuter babies anywhere?

But back to school subjects, before I get too entirely sidetracked gushing about my baby love. (Grins)

I am already really excited about our next school year, and can't wait to have all our new books in hand.
The CLUSA pre-pilot year has been really good for me (though it has also been really hard at some points, too)
This next year we will only be piloting Y4, and I will be making a few adaptations to bring all the boys on board for most of our studies.  Of course, Math and that sort of thing will be at appropriate levels, and K. will have a heavier load than the younger two boys.

Our history time period will be running roughly from about 1650 to 1770.

Our book list for the year has no less than 50 books, 64 if you add in free reads.
This probably should be overwhelming, but I feel like a kid in a candy store.
This might be due to the fact that many of our books for this year are selections that I have never read and I can't wait to get my hands on them.  These books come recommended by people that I know and trust, so I am quite sure that even the ones I am not familiar with will be wonderful.

It seems that maybe this year I will actually learn something about astronomy.  Hah! about time, Right?
Surely, one of the eight science books will help me to get over my desire to see the dots in sky connected with little lines.

Maybe it will be
Night Watch, a Practical Guide - Terence Dickinson
or
Stars: The New Way To See Them - H. A. Rey

I am also looking forward to reading what George Washington has to say in his book
"Rules of Civility".  I think we could use some of that civility around here.