Masterful Masters

Hello Masters families!

What an awesome Week Eleven! Yesterday we had an unusual classroom setup, but as usual all of the students rolled with the changes. Thank you all for your flexibility. The changes seemed to precipitate a bit more talking and silliness, but I think the nearing Christmas season and end of the semester had something to do with it as well. I want to take a moment to express how blessed I was by each of your children's enthusiasm and effort during our "Show What You Know" review time. It was such a precious time to carve out just a few minutes and watch each one of them individually shine. God was truly glorified through each one of them. Moms, the fruit of your labor each day in your homeschool was revealed. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. To all of the students, I just want to say I was blown away by your quick and accurate memory work recitation! AMAZING MASTERS! I predict we will have a large group of Memory Masters, Power and Excellence winners. Altogether in the "Show What You Know" you earned 157 Memory Marbles! Additionally in the review game(thank you moms) you earned 42 more marbles for a total of 199 marbles!!!

I also wanted to mention there were so many moments of Christ's light shining on Tuesday- Moms serving with love and kindness - one student kindly helping another with the science project - students happily sharing music during tin whistle - a student helping me set up the classroom, without being asked - siblings looking out for each other - students showing honesty and integrity - friends working and learning together, cheering each other on - students volunteering to help clean up at the end of class - moms with unending love and dedication to their children - our cups runneth over at Greensboro CC!!!

Look for a future post with the information about our Week 12 review game, "Are You Smarter Than A Masters Student."

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week Eleven:
History Timeline - The Magna Carta - arms crossed over chest, St. Thomas Acquinas - T with arms, Marco Polo - cover and uncover eyes, 100 years War - Draw your sword, grab throat, make an arc with your hand above head, The Great Papal Schism - make a pope hat with your hands, John W. and, John H. - hands giving to the left and right, Prince Henry - row your boat, Fall of Constantinople - make a C with your hand and go from up to down then hold up 2 fingers and raise them above your head
History Sentence - Tell me about Constantine: Byzantine sign language B, Emperor pound the ground with your scepter, Constantine sign language C, Emperor pound the ground with your scepter, Justinian's sign language J, all men sweep out your hands to indicate all, Basil II's sign language B, #2, Muslim Turks use 2 hands to make a dome over your head(like a mosque), Conquered pound hand with fist, Byzantine sign language B, Crusades wield a sword
Math - Practice cubes song on Audio CD "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
Latin - 5th Declension Nouns Endings sung to the tune "A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea" To remember the 5th Declension tune do the 5 finger wave to say goodbye to the sailor going out to sea.
Science - What are some parts of a flower. Identify the parts on your flower science project as you drill. Also, I sent home a science lab sheet with a space for you to draw and label the parts of a flower. ( I had 3 of these left over at the end of class so I know some students went home without them, I will have them at class next week.) Sing this song to help memorize this science question:(to the tune of BINGO) In week 11 we need to learn the parts of the flower... PETAL, STAMEN, ANTHER, PISTIL, SEPAL, PETAL, STAMEN,ANTHER, PISTIL, SEPAL, PETAL, STAMEN,ANTHER, PISTIL, SEPAL, these are the parts of a flower.
English - under - left fist under right forearm underneath - swing left hand under right forearm until - make a T with your right forearm on top and left forearm as the stem up - point up(left hand) upon - drop left arm on right arm
Geography - Byzantine Empire: CONSTANTINOPLE/ISTANBUL preserved the culture of ROME and spread Christianity beyond EPHESUS, CYPRUS, and ANTIOCH.

Optional Classical Cash:
Tin Whistle Ten -play your tin whistle and record it on your Learning Log
Geography - Africa and World Map Drawing and/or tracing - record on your Learning Log
Science Lab Sheet - Draw and label the parts of a flower

Thank you Masters families for another wonderful week.
Blessings,
Mrs. Gaines