From Shannon Whiteside:
Some of my best memories are sitting on the couch reading picture books to my children. I am so glad it didn’t take me long to realize the importance of high-quality books thanks to Charlotte Mason. I don’t know how long I could have endured Strawberry Shortcake or Care Bears. One of the book lists that I appreciated was Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. One of my favorite authors and illustrators was Barbara Cooney. I was especially moved by her book Miss Rumphius who scattered lupine seeds across Maine to add beauty everywhere she went. I loved the message, and the pictures of lupines were so beautiful. However, it wasn’t until many years later that I actually saw lupines and realized just how magical they are.
A few years ago I was hiking near the Indiana Dunes when there in front of me was a sea of purple flowers. I took out my nature notebook and tried to capture their beauty. There is just something about lupines that makes me smile. I first built a connection with lupines through Miss Rumphius and that connection continues to grow each May when I am greeted by the lupines once again. Those flowers do really make the world a more beautiful place. I would love to know a picture book that has been meaningful to you and your family. Head on over to the Hive and leave a comment.
Notes
1. Reflective Practice Plan Book: If you have not already done so, you will want to read the “End-of-Term Evaluation” section of your plan book. There are some wonderful tips for you as you wrap up your school year. Here’s a sampling:
- Now is a great time to watch (or rewatch) the webinar on exams to get an idea of what to expect at different ages.
- If you have the student’s exam from one year ago, compare this one to it. Where do you see growth? If you do not see growth, why might that be?
- Compare student self-scoring and teacher scoring. Many times you will find that students score their work lower than the teacher does. Knowing this can make some students more receptive to any criticisms you may need to discuss.
- Have a “conference” that includes the student and both parents, if possible. This ensures that everyone will hear the same information. Conferences are an excellent way for students, teachers, and parents to come together as a team to solve problems and build relationships.
2. Exams: While not strictly required, we do find it invaluable to receive a copy of completed and scored exams for the purposes of research and book evaluation. If you are willing to share your student’s exam with us, please compile any separate files you have (from scanned pages, etc.) into a single PDF. Name the file “[Student’s Name] [Grade] T3 Exam.” Upload the exam PDF via the Dropbox link appropriate to the student’s Form:
Form 1 (Grades 1-3) Exams Form 4 (Grade 9) Exams
Form 2 (Grades 4-6) Exams Form 5 (Grade 10-11) Exams
Form 3 (Grades 7-8) Exams Form 6 (Grade 12) Exams
Complete instructions are provided at the beginning of each exam document.
3. This Week in the Hive: We were very encouraged to see all of the thoughtful and supportive responses in this post. This is community at its best!
Queries
Office Hours: We enjoyed having Lisa Cadora with us on May 18 to answer your questions on reading. Those videos will be available next week.
Here are the videos from last week:
Recitation: Demonstration and Discussion
High School Literature: American Literature by William Long
There are several exceptional Wednesdays coming up. Here is our schedule:
- May 25 No Office Hours – final lesson plan preparation
- June 1 No Office Hours – lesson plan publication day
- June 8 Join us for a walk-through of the 2022-23 lesson plans!
- June 15 No Office Hours – travel to CMI Conference
If you have questions you would like our team to address, please submit them at least 24 hours in advance by commenting on the event in The Hive.
Have a great weekend!
The Alveary Team
