Meal Planning
From Sarah Stabenow, Marketing Coordinator:
We often liken a Charlotte Mason education to a scrumptious feast for our children, rich in nourishment for their minds. We discuss education using food metaphors and lay the table with living ideas. This is actually one of my favorite topics to discuss, but today, I want to get really practical. What about the daily question of the literal nourishment of their bellies? As Mason wisely teaches us, education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. So, how do we structure our days to ensure our growing students are filling their bodies with nutritious food?
Confession time: I've definitely fallen into the trap of neglecting meal planning, inadvertently resorting to quick-fix, overly-processed foods while I'm busy feeding my children’s minds with Shakespeare and geometry.
Lately, I've been on a mission to revamp our breakfast and lunch routines-you know, the meals that happen during the school day! I recently posed the question in the Hive, and let me tell you, the wisdom of our community has been so helpful – with practical tips, family-favorite recipes, and meal rotation strategies that simplify life.
And since we are Charlotte Mason educators, I'd like to spotlight some excellent books on the new 2024-25 Program, such as Cooking Class and Baking Class by Deanna Cook and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat. The latter book has become a staple in our house! Teaching our kids to cook not only equips them with essential life skills but also helps with the never-ending question, "What do we have to eat?” Instead, you can ask, “What will you make?!”
Grab a seat at the table and join the ongoing conversation in this Hive post. When our students’ bellies are well-fed, their minds are primed for learning.
Notes
1. Employment Opportunity: Gillingham Charter School, a CMI-accredited school in Pottsville, PA, has multiple job openings. Learn more here. (To see job openings, “Click Here to Apply.”)
2. Student Experiences: We're excited to feature Alveary students in action! Whether it's sharing a notebook, reading a short narration, or highlighting a favorite book, we want to see your student’s Alveary experience. See this Hive post for details.
3. CORE: The spring cohort runs February 27-April 29 and class meets on Mondays from 8:30-9:30 p.m. EST. Sign up here.
4. Practicing School Observation and Training: Join us for this three-day event hosted at Blue Willow Tutorial—an Alveary/Charlotte Mason school—located in Athens, Tennessee. Learn more details here.
5. Office Hours: Do you have questions about Mason or Alveary ? Join Dr. Shannon Whiteside and other Alveary team members at 3:30 EST on Wednesday, February 21.
Query
Will Alveary+ be useful to me if I prefer printed lesson plans?
The Alveary+ enables you to customize and print a list of the specific lesson plans you have scheduled for one or all of your students for each day of the week. In this tool, you enroll your students in the subjects you want, arrange the order of lessons for each day, and then print out your custom lesson plans for the day, week, or more. You can also create a course for music practice, chores, etc., and include that in your daily lesson plan list. There are several other features that are handy for print users, such as adding a reminder or note to a lesson and having it show up in your printed plans. Additionally, if you have an unexpected sickness or vacation, you can easily make that adjustment in Alveary+. You can see an initial demonstration here.
