Week 12 - Rockets and Review

Hello Masters families,
What an action packed day today! We kept on pace and covered an immense amount of material summing up an amazing semester. We began the day with a blast. All of the students had a great time launching their rockets and experienced success forcing their balloon rockets up, down, and across. Great teamwork! The stomp rockets were also explosive fun! Great work to all of the masters students today for a successful science adventure. Following the science time you all blew through tin whistle grammar and played a beautiful symphony of tunes together. It was fun to gather around the piano and play together for our last week of tin whistle. Thank you Mollie and Hannah for the accompaniment, you did a great job! All tin whistlers played with skill and knowledge.

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week 12:
History Sentence: Tell me about the Battle of Waterloo - Napoleon Bonaparte (stand up straight and tall) of the French Empire (put your hand over your eyes and look over your empire) was defeated (sad face) at the Battle of Waterloo (hit your sword down twice for the 2 O's) by British General Wellington (salute and make a W with your right hand) soon after the War of 1812 (draw your sword again) in the United States (point down to show you are in the U.S.).
History Timeline: Gutenberg Prints the Bible (open left hand - slap right hand over to mimic a printing press) The Renaissance (paint the Mona Lisa in the air) The Inquisition (flatten left hand open and point INto palm with right pointer finger) Columbus Sails to the New World (make a C with your hand and sail it in front of your body) Martin Luther Begins the Reformation (Nail the 95 Theses to the wall) Magellan Circumnavigates the Earth (rotate your right hand around your left fist/earth) Ulrich Zwingli and the Anabaptists (draw a large Z in the air) The Act of Supremacy (Put both fists on hips)
Science: What are some names of U.S. space missions? Mercury Gemini Apollo Shuttle
Each student received a coloring sheet of each of the NASA spacecrafts to color or attempt to replicate by drawing.
Math - Sing to the tune of BINGO "B-I-N-G-O" One-thou-sand-me-ters (sing 3 times) "and BINGO was his name-0" e-quals-one-kil-o-me-ter
English: More Indefinite Pronouns - we sang the grammar song from Mrs. Varnell to learn these pronouns. BOTH, EACH, NEITHER, EITHER, NOBODY, NONE!!!
Latin: Future Perfect Tense - In the FUTURE I'm aware o' a PERFECT heaven. (Amavero)
Each student received and placed in the front of the Latin section of their binders a handout with each of the tips to remember the Latin conjugations. Please use these to help your child remember the differences between the conjugations. We will repeat all of these conjugations during semester 2!
Geography: Eastern European Seas - Baltic Sea, White Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea
We located and labeled all of the seas on a blank map.

Zachary, great work on your "All About Me" speech and poster. We really enjoyed your detail and fascinating facts. Keep up the great work!

Today I was so thankful for an abundance of review time! We used the first 20 minutes to completely review 12 weeks of timeline, geography and science and then we dove into the awesome game "Will the Winner Lose???" We recited the 12 weeks of timeline and science as a group and individually labeled blank maps with all 12 weeks of geography!!! Amazing work. I think all of the students enjoyed the element of chance in our review game and did a great job reciting their memory work in all of the subjects. On Week 13 we will play this review game again to survey semester one.

Great work on a job well done this semester - our cups have overflowed with blessings. Enjoy the CC break over the holidays with your families. For the best success with your Foundations memory work, set aside time weekly to review through games, binder work, copywork sheets, and map drawing and labeling. I know at our home we will be working on our map drawing skills by drawing our Map of Europe more over the break as we rest from all of the new material. Any memory drilling you do over the break can be recorded on your Learning Log and turned in for tickets/CC Cash when your return from the break.

Thank you so much for the kind and generous gift today. The card was beautiful testimony to the CC family I am so blessed with. I hope you know my gratitude to all of you each week as you graciously support me in class and your children bless me with their smiles and unending effort and enthusiasm. This Thanksgiving I will be thanking God for each of you and our entire CC family - God is so good.

With much love and wishes for each of you to have a blessed holiday season,
Mrs. Gaines

Week Eleven - Celebration Heaven

Hello Masters families,
We had another blessed day together yesterday. It seems impossible that next Tuesday is the last week of the fall semester and yet, as evidenced in our Jeopardy review game, the students have learned and grown so much. Parents, I hope you enjoyed the apple cider on this cold, rainy Tuesday! I just wanted to thank you for your unending support each week. Congratulations to all of the students on your well deserved Memory Marble celebration! The cake, ice cream, and cheese balls were yummy and we completed a full Jeopardy game which covered all subjects and stirred our learning by focusing on the questions instead of just the answers! Parents, this is an easy variation on memory work to play at home. You quote the answers and let the students supply the questions. This method of review strengthens their recall of the history sentence prompts, names of the Latin conjugations, names of the pronoun lists, science question terminology, and geography headings. For a fun twist let your child quiz you in the same format and then they will be reciting all of the grammar answers while teaching YOU the questions. Teaching someone else the information is a fun way to learn, and I know my girls love to put mom on the spot!

REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
As time permits this week enjoy reviewing the memory work from semester one. Next week all of the classes will have an HOUR to focus on review! We will use our hour to do an in depth review of the material and follow up with a fun game called.... "Will the Winner Lose?" Parents you are invited to play with us. It should a fun way to show what we know from 12 weeks of "training our brains to retain".

Presentations!
Again, thank you parents for carrying on with presentations yesterday in my absence. I am sorry I missed out on Shawn, Caleb, and Sam's last presentation for the semester, but with the amazing poster work I was able to at least see the highlights of what their presentations were about. Colorful and creative displays guys - thank you for your hard work and effort! I look forward to more presenting adventures next semester with all of you. Zachary, we look forward to seeing and hearing "All About You" next week.

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week 11:
History Sentences - Tell me about the French Revolution...During the Reign of Terror (look scared) of the French Revolution, in the early 1790's (stretch your arms like you have just woken up), aristocrats were imprisoned in the Bastille (grab the prison bars with both hands) and had their heads removed (point to your head and nod forward) by the guillotine (use right hand as a blade and slice into left hand) while citizens fought (put up both hands in fists) for the "Declaration of the Rights of Man"(write on your hand).
History Timeline - The Magna Carta (cross forearms across chest), St. Thomas Acquinas (use right hand and left hand to form a "T"), Marco Polo (cover eyes on Marco and uncover eyes on Polo), The Hundred Years War (stab sword forward), the Black Death (place right hand around throat), and Joan of Arc (use right hand to make an arc), The Great Papal Schism (use both hands to make a pope hat and then split arms wide apart), John Wycliffe and John Huss (two hands together to the left and to the right of your body), Prince Henry the Navigator (row your boat), Fall of Constantinople to Mohammed the II (make a "C" shape with your right hand above your head, drop to your waist and then raise back above your head with 2 fingers)
Science - Name the other bodies in the solar system...
Asteroids, Meteors, Meteoroids, Meteorites, Comets
We talked about what each of these terms are and explained the order of Meteoroids (above the earth's atmosphere), Meteor (in the earth's atmosphere), meteorite (landing on earth - "rite" into the earth).
Math - Cubes 1's to 10's- We wrote out the equations on white boards and listened to the Cubes song on the CC audio CD.
English - All of the students placed a handout in their binders to drill the Indefinite Pronouns. We used the song from Mrs. Varnell to drill as well.
Latin - Present Perfect Tense - Memory Cue "In the FUTURE I'm aware o' a PERFECT heaven." We placed the final drill sheet in their binder for Latin this semester to drill at home, completed the sheet with dry erase, and listened to the audio CD from CC to master the Latin.
Geography - Eastern Europe - We pointed to and identified the following locations on their labeled map this week. Use prior geography knowledge to drill the locations:
Constantinople/Istanbul (on the SW corner of the Black Sea), Volga River (trace from the small body of water and curve right and down into the Caspian Sea), Moscow (located slightly below the top of the Volga River), Ural Mountains (dotted line through the center of USSR), Siberia (East of the Ural Mountains)

Have a blessed week, enjoy drilling your memory work, but be sure to record your drilling and European map drawing on your Learning Log to cash in next week. We will be shopping in the CC store Week 12!!! Turn in all handouts you have completed for Memory Marbles and any tin whistle practicing as well. This week try practicing your tin whistle songs with different DYNAMICS using STACCATO, LEGATO, and with a CRESCENDO to have some fun.

Have a blessed week!
Mrs. Gaines

Week Ten - Let the Celebrating Begin!

Hello Masters families,

Yesterday was a rewarding day filled with the luminous light of the moon and the twinkling tunes of the tin whistle. I want to begin with a huge thank you to all of the students for a much improved effort on our class motto - "MINIMUM TALKING+MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION= A SUCCESSFUL MASTERS CLASS". Everyone showed improvement in this area and the benefits were immeasurable. I especially want to comment on the heart of participation in our class. It is such a blessing to see all of the students anxious to answer questions, demonstrate the tin whistle, and present. When I see these students trusting each other and having a happy heart to participate in class, it is a testimony of Godly character - they are building each other up and serving the Lord with gladness. They bless me. Please mention this to them this week as an extra word of encouragement.

Presentations: We all enjoyed well prepared presentations yesterday with amazing visual aids. I loved seeing the hard work and creativity the students displayed on their posters. I learned about all of them and everyone in the class enjoyed seeing each student individually shine and share their lives. Sam, we enjoyed your presentation from a different perspective - great story telling and detail, good work on your eye contact. Harrison, your poster was handsome and well planned. Using the summer and the winter was a great way to organize your presentation. Jonathan, your window pane poster was a creative way for us to "look into" what you shared about your life with us. Carlyssa, your three sided display board was packed with the love of your family and the sporty side of your life. Amazing work and preparation were displayed. Hannah, we loved seeing pictures from different times in your life and what you love to do with your family. I never knew about your archery interest - awesome. This was a great week to culminate all of the presenting skills we have focused on this year- confidence, voice control, body language, and thinking on your feet. Mollie, Shawn, Sam, Caleb and Zachary, I can't wait to see what you have planned for us next week!

IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR KNOWLEDGE!!!
As anticipated the students filled the Memory Marble Jar to overflowing yesterday and we will celebrate next week during review time. I am planning the following schedule for for next week:
9:30-10 Science, 10-10:30 Presentations, 10:30-11 Review and Celebrate, 11-11:30 New Grammar, 11:30-12 Tin Whistle. The students will also be able to cash in their Classical Cash at the CC store at points throughout the morning. It will be a day filled with reaping the rewards of their hard work. It is time to celebrate a semester packed with hard work. Please remind them to hand in any additional Learning Logs to me before the opening so I can add up any earnings.

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!
Yesterday we enjoyed a fast and furious review session at the end of class where I answered questions about Memory Master, Excellence, and Power, the proofing process, and modeled using the proof sheet for review. We were able to review nine weeks of material in history, science and English in seven minutes. The students were on fire answering the questions!!! We will continue this style of review next week and prepare for our hour long review session/game in Week 12. As your schedule allows at home, use the techniques I mentioned last week for review.
Parents, this is a great time of the year to reflect on your child's strongest, favorite subjects and set any goals that they may have for the end of the year memory testing. However, remember that the memory testing at the end of the year is completely OPTIONAL. One of the main goals of all of this drill and practice is simply to "TRAIN THE BRAIN TO RETAIN". Yesterday I observed extreme growth in every student on their memory training. The brain is like a muscle, it strengthens as you work it. A little training every day reaps bountiful rewards. As you set these goals for your homeschool consider God's guidance and direction..."In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."Proverbs 3:6

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week Ten:
History Sentence: Tell me about the history of Russia... Listen to the Audio CD and act out...
Vladimir I (hold up a V with one hand and a 1 with the other) brought Christianity (make a cross on your chest) to Russia in the 900's (hold up nine fingers). In the late 1400's (use right hand and throw it over your shoulder to indicate LATE 1400's) Czar Ivan (hold up right pinky for the letter I) the Great built (hammer) the Kremlin (put two hands together to mimic the top of the Kremlin) in Moscow. Catherine the Great (fan yourself) expanded (throw arms apart) and westernized (throw a lasso) Russia in the late 1700's (use right hand and throw it over your shoulder to indicate LATE 1700's).
History Timeline: Motions continued...
Alfred the Great (throw right fist into the air above head on GREAT)
Otto I and the Holy Roman Empire (bring hand down and hold up the #1 on first)
The East-West Schism (point east then west)
The Feudal System (shake your finger)
William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings (Hold up 3 fingers for a W and then gallop in front of you)
Cathedrals in Europe (both arms extended above your head to form a steeple)
The Crusades (draw your sword)
St. Francis of Assisi (hand out alms to the poor)
Peg Dates: Final dates for this semester...
St. Jerome Completes the Vulgate 405 AD End of the Western Roman Empire 476AD Charles Martel, Pepin the Short, and Charlemagne 714-814 AD
Science: What are the phases of the moon? LEARN THESE IN ORDER
New, Crescent, Quarter, Gibbous, Full
We sent home a lot of handouts to make the most of our science question this week. First, they received a coloring sheet listing the question and answers for this week's science grammar. This sheet reveals the waxing and waning of the moon. Secondly, they received a sheet detailing all of the phases of the moon. On the back is a chart where your child can record the phases of the moon over the course of a month. Thirdly, they recieved a project they can complete to make a phases of the moon wheel to quiz their knowledge of what each phase of the moon looks like. Each student placed a brass brad in the front pocket of their binder to complete this project. Have fun with these this week!
Math: Squares from 1x1 to 15x15 We wrote all of the equations on their white boards for learning the squares this week. Listen to the audio CD and memorize the squares.
English: What are the Demonstrative Pronouns? This, That, These, Those
We listened to the Audio CD of Grammar Songs from Mrs. Varnell to drill the demonstrative pronouns and completed parts of the pronoun drill sheet in their binders.
The English grammar this year can be tricky so use the grammar songs from Mrs. Varnell and the drill sheets in your student's binder to help master this memory work.
Latin: Pluperfect Tense of the verb AMO "PLU RHYMES WITH BLUE - I'm a wearin'(amaveram) BLUE"
We listened to the audio CD, I modeled the hand motions, and completed our Latin sheets to drill the memory work. Next week I will introduce the last conjugation for the semester!!! Next semester we will review the same 6 conjugations. With all of the repetition, Latin is a great subject to master this year... and will be a HUGE help for your child for further Latin study at home and in the CHALLENGE program.
Geography: Western World (Central) We continued our learning on the World map and added three locations. Cuba (color in and mark with a C), Puerto Rico (circle and label PR), Incas (home of) label with an I, located in Peru, South America.
The Incas were a people group who controlled the land that makes up modern day Peru. Their civilization was strong in the 1400's - 1600's.

Tin Whistle - Remind your child to bring their tin whistle and tin whistle folder to class next week. Record any extra tin whistle practice on their Learning Logs for Meomory Marbles!

Have a blessed week,
Mrs. Gaines

Week Nine - November is here

Hello Masters families,
Another energetic week has flown by and believe it or not the semester will soon be drawing to a close! Sam, we missed you this week but we know you had an exciting adventure and we can't wait to hear all about it.
REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!
As we approach the end of the semester I like to focus on fast and furious review to drill, drill, drill all of our grammar. Try to take time this week to review subjects going back to week one. This can be done using a variety of methods - if your student is strong on most of the subjects you could do copywork sheets (day 1), binder drill sheets and map labeling (day 2 ), oral drill and testing using proof sheet(day 3). At the very back of your student's binder there is a "proof sheet" that parents can use to quiz their students on memory work. As your child recites the memory work in each subject area check off the boxes. I will model this method on Tuesday. This method of review really increases student speed and accuracy and it is how testing will be conducted at the end of the year with the tutor and director. I will also answer any questions you may have about Memory Power (1 subject), Memory Excellence (3 subjects or more), and Memory Master (all subjects - explained in your CC guide).
Another approach if your students is not as familiar with all of the grammar is taking 1-2 subjects (as many you and your student can endure) a day and review them thoroughly. I would select a strong subject and a less familiar subject together to maximize confidence and success. Use the proof sheet and check the weeks off as you go through the material. The next day add new subjects and review what you covered the day before. You will be amazed at their progress from one day to the next!!! All review should be a celebration of what your student has learned - for the parents and the students! Their brains are sponges and it is amazing to see what they have absorbed. DO NOT REVIEW TO THE POINT OF FRUSTRATION - HAVE FUN!
Another word of encouragement is to remember that you will have from Thanksgiving until January to strengthen any areas you decide you want your child to master. It is a wonderful time to break from new material and writing papers from Essentials. Play a lot of review games at home and strengthen semester 1 before diving into semester 2.

Presentations: Another fun week of "Put it all together" speeches kept all of our attention and kept us guessing. Carlyssa, we enjoyed your tennis star speech, great job with your costume and prop. Mollie, good job with your Priscilla Mullins speech your demonstration of stale bread was memorable. Caleb, your facts about George Washington were clearly presented and you showed great confidence. Shawn, you had a very clever presentation on love that was presented with great confidence and first person perspective. This was an awesome interpretation of the topic. Zachary, you demonstrated great confidence in your presentation on Martin Luther King Jr., good detail, eye contact and pace. I am looking forward to learning more about each student as you present your ALL ABOUT ME speeches with a poster as a visual aid. Remember that each student is to design and complete their posters independently.

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week Nine:
History Sentence: Tell me about the Age of Absolute Monarchs...
This week we labeled our world maps as we sang/listened to the Audio CD. Use this week as another opportunity to combine geography and history to connect your child's learning between subjects.
Between the 1500's-1700's, Henry VII of England (E on England), Louis XVI of France (F), Philip II of Spain (S), Peter the Great of Russia (R), and Frederick the Great of Prussia (P -located in Germany) ruled during the age of absolute monarchs.
History Timeline: Barbarian Invasion and Vikings (make a viking helmet with both hands and place on head), St. Jerome Completes the Vulgate (hand to chest then up and out), The Council of Chalcedon (use right hand to make the letter C and emphasize 3 times), End of the Western Roman Empire (slit neck), St. Benedict and Monasticism(use right hand and pass split down the middle of your body from forehead to waist), Justinian the Great (hit right fist in left hand), Mohammed and Islam (halo over head), Charles Martel, Pepin the Short and Charlemagne (squat on the word "Short")
Peg Dates: Destruction of Jerusalem 70 A.D. Constantine and the Edict of Milan 313A.D.
Science: This week we reviewed the parts of the sun and the names of the planets in our song to the tune of "Pop Goes The Weasel".
Core, Radiative Zone, Convective Zone, and Sunspots, Photosphere, Solar Flare, AND the Corona.... Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - these are the planets! ALTERNATE ENDING (Neptune, No longer Pluto these are the planets)
I sent home a planet sticker mini-poster/diagram of the planets and different bodies in our solar system, I hope your child has fun at home completing these this week.
Math: 15's You may use the Audio CD to learn the 15's by skip counting, but then focus on the multiplication table to master the material. The 15's are usually easier to learn because every other one ends in a 5 or 0.
Latin: Pluperfect Tense Memory Hint "Pluperfect Tense - I'm a wearin' blue. BLUE rhymes with PLU - I'M A WEARIN' sounds like AMAVERAM. It is a stretch, but it works:)
Complete the chart I had the students place in their binders to review and practice with the audio CD and the hand motions.
Geography: Southwestern Asia - This week we labeled on the colored map and then labeled locations on the blank map. Parents of Cycle One students - this is a great opportunity to recall locations we learned last year in this region. Have fun with a trip down memory lane!
English: Interrogative Pronouns - We listened to the Audio CD and highlighted the Interrogative Pronouns on the Pronoun sheet in their binders.

Memory Marble Madness - There is no doubt that we will fill the Memory Marble jar to overflowing next Tuesday so I am planning a celebration on Week 11. We will also open the CC store for students to spend their hard earned cash!!! I already have the celebration planned and this time it will be a suprise! Way to go MASTERS!
PARENTS, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT THIS WEEK TO REMIND YOUR CHILD THAT WE NEED TO ELIMINATE EXCESS COMMENTS, JOKING AND TALKING DURING CLASS TIME! THIS INCLUDES ELIMINATING DISTRACTING TOYS FROM THE CLASSROOM. We have a lot of fun and want to continue enjoying review games and celebrations, so eliminating extra distractions will help us maximize our learning. Thank you for the help in this area.
This is a normal time of the year for students to have developed strong friendships and with that comes extra talking:) I will be placing them around the table in assigned seats this week. However, they have a lot of opportunities to choose their seats during science, presentations, and review games - this is when they need to move themselves if they are tempted to talk or joke around. Encourage your child to sit next to someone that will help them learn and save the social time for lunch. We have been so blessed with each other this year just use this as an opportunity to remind them of our class motto:
MINIMUM TALKING+MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION=A SUCCESSFUL MASTERS CLASS

I hope you all have a great week and I can't wait to see all of you on Week 10! I hope to see all of the moms at Mom's Night Out Thursday, 7pm at Mimi's Cafe At Friendly Center.

Have a blessed week!
Mrs. Gaines

Week 8

Hello Masters!
Congratulations on another knowledge filled week. All of the students worked hard to complete review challenges , science projects, and tin whistle tunes. I need to offer a special thank you to all of the moms. It was a very hands-on week and I greatly appreciate all of your help! It was memory marble madness this week as the students earned countless marbles through papers, review questions, map drawing, completing charts, and chanting math facts. Awesome work! We missed you Mollie and Hannah and look forward to having you back in class next week, it isn't the same without you.

Presentations were very strong this week from Harrison and Jonathan. Harrison, we enjoyed your choice of costume and your "Who am I?" conclusion. We also enjoyed your organized and interesting facts about George W. Bush. Great job on your confidence and articulation. Jonathan, you did a wonderful job presenting your missionary story. You exhibited strong eye contact and volume. Your presentation was well organized and captivated your audience. Thank you for all of your hard work and for "putting everything together" for great presentations this week.

Topic for Week 9: Put it all together by using props or costumes to put on a show. I look forward to a variety of topics. We will have plenty of time for the remaining students in the class to present if you choose to. Mollie, Sam, Shawn, Zachary, Hannah, Caleb and Carlyssa
As you prepare this week plan to remain within a 2-3 minute time limit so everyone can comfortably present within the 30 minutes.

Topic for Weeks 10 and 11: All about me - see your red folder for guidelines and ideas to make this presentation fun!

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week 8:
History Timeline: Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ (make a large cross in front of your body and then point heavenward), Rome Burns, Nero persecutes Christians (snap fingers and then thumb down), Destruction of Jerusalem (wiggle fingers and move hand from above head to waist), Pompeii Burns (same hand up from waist height and make explosion motion - like volcano), Split of the Roman Empire (drop hand with two fingers into a split), Constantine and the Edict of Milan (make a "C" motion with hand and then move it from your mouth out), The First Council of Nicea (hold up 1 finger and then 3 fingers - twist wrist), St. Augustine Converts to Christianity (use finger to make a small cross over your heart)

History Sentence: Tell me about the European exploration...
We used the world map to trace the explorers routes as we played and quoted the history sentence with the audio CD. This is a great exercise to review map locations and the history sentence together.

Geography/History Maps: Mid-Atlantic World - Cape of Good Hope, Portugal, Strait of Magellan, Canary Islands, Treaty of Tordesillas We pointed to all of the locations and traced them on the labeled map and then drew them in on the blank map. The students are doing a wonderful job labeling and reviewing all of their geography each week in class. Keep up the great work!
Map Drawing at home: Just a reminder, if your time allows at home it is a great exercise to practice the skills of map drawing by using the Map Drawing #1 grid. Record all of your map labeling and/or drawing on your Learning Log each week to earn your Classical Cash!

Science: We had a great time making our solar system model on Tuesday and used it as an opportunity to practice drilling the planet names in order. Remember this is the science grammar for week 9 so we have had a great head start!
What are some parts of the sun? SING TO THE TUNE OF "POP GOES THE WEASEL"
Core, Radiative Zone "All around the mulberry bush"
Convective Zone and Sunspots "the monkey chased the weasel"
Photosphere and Solar Flare "the monkey thought it was all in fun"
AND the Corona "POP goes the weasel."
We continued the song listing all of the planets in order:
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune no longer Pluto
THESE ARE THE PLANETS!
Students may also color and label the parts of the sun handout for extra Memory Marbles.

English: Reflexive Pronouns - We completed the final column on our "Helpful Pronoun Chart" and listened to the Grammar Song #8 from Mrs. Varnell to learn the reflexive pronouns.

Latin: Present Perfect Tense "WE bought the PERFECT PRESENT" (begins with AmaWE)
WE added a new Latin chart for our remaining conjugations this semester. Use this chart to drill your Latin at home. We also used the audio CD and hand motions to drill.

Math: 14's To aid in learning the 14's you can memorize the skip counting song on the audio CD and then apply that knowledge to practicing the 14's multiplication problems. Make some flashcards at home to drill and practice.

Tin Whistle Ten: You may continue to practice playing your tin whistle at home and recording it on your Learning Log for extra marbles! I included several songs in your folder to give the students variety as they practice. Have fun!

Thank you for another amazing week. I am blessed weekly by my CC family - have a great week!

Mrs. Gaines

Tin Whistle Alert! TOOT! TOOT!

Just a reminder to bring your tin whistles and your tin whistle folder on Tuesday! TOOT! TOOT!

Week 7: Solar System, Sugar, and a Shrill Cacophony

Hello Masters,

We had a sweet start to our day on week seven. This was a fun way to celebrate our Classical learning and Memory Marble earning!!! Keep up the great work students, it is awesome to celebrate your knowledge. Thank you to Mrs. Lilly, who furnished the delicious doughnuts, and Mrs. Lambeth, who brought the hot chocolate cups to class on Tuesday. Thank you parents for your unending support during class each week to make our class time as successful as possible. Students you bless me each week as I see your amazing progress.

All of the presentations reflected a strong knowledge of topics and exhibited confidence. Shawn, we enjoyed your detailed account of the Internet game you enjoy playing. You had a well planned presentation and showed confidence through the 3 second rule and your thorough knowledge of the topic. Caleb, you demonstrated the 200IM stroke well and described the challenge in performing each one consecutively. Good work on your 3 second rule, introducing your subject, and using body language to demonstrate your points. Mollie, you exhibited confidence and clear pronunciation as you prepared a tasty treat for everyone. Your Blessings Mix presentation revealed well planned step-by-step instructions, great work. Zachary, excellent job presenting the basic skills to play soccer well. Your knowledge of the subject shined through and you demonstrated your points with authority on the stage. Good eye contact and volume kept the audience engaged. Sam, we loved your demonstration on the piano. You showed abundant confidence and a great knowledge of playing to all of us. Thank you for sharing your hard work. Thank you to all of the presenters for your effort at home and in class. You are all showing improvement and growth this semester!

Presenters for Week 8: Caleb, Carlyssa, Hannah, Jonathan, Harrison
Topic for Week 8 and 9: Put it all together... Use costumes and props, but no posters! Parents look at the red folder for ideas on how to enjoy this exciting topic.

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week Seven:
History Sentence: Tell me about the Protestant Reformation...
In 1517 (hold up 5 fingers for 15 then add 2 more for 17), Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation (make a large cross on your chest) by printing(slap 2 hand together to mimic a printing press) the Ninety-five Theses(hammer them on the door of the church in Germany) that made Pope Leo X(hold up forearms in an X) excommunicate him(point right hand away from body). Later John Calvin(stroke your beard) joined the Reformation.
History Timeline: Architectural Advances in Rome (hammer)
Rome Rises to World Power (raise right hand in front of your body to over your head)
Reign of Julius Caesar (with right hand stab yourself in chest)
Egypt Falls to Rome (put right hand on forehead and then bow head forward)
Reign of Caesar Augustus (point up and away from body like the picture on TL card)
Birth of Christ (arc across stomach)
Ministry of John the Baptist (pinch nose and tilt head back)
Ministry of Christ (right hand on heart and then out)

Geography: Continents and Oceans In your students binder you will find a sheet labeled "Continents and Oceans" that they can use this week to color and drill the continents and oceans for mastery. This sheet may be turned in for Memory Marbles next week! They can also practice labeling the World Map side of their maps at home.

Bible: Ephesians 6:1-7 Continue to review and drill all verses with the fill-in-the-blank review sheet located in your student's binder.

Science: What are the 5 kinds of stars? Giants(spread arms out wide), Dwarfs(bring them in small), Variable(clasp hands together than apart, together then apart), Novas (extend hands out in a broad explosion), Neutron (quickly bring hands back together and circle in a small motion)

Math: 13's-Multiplication from 13x1 to 13x13 Please drill these this week daily. At home we have made a set of flashcards for each of the 13's, 14's and 15's with simple index cards. You can have your child make these as a study aid. We will use our review time next Tuesday to focus on math, so review and drill all of the multiplication tables 1's - 13's in preparation for the games.

English: Possessive Adjectives We used the audio CD from Mrs. Varnell to learn the possessive adjectives and we filled in our "Helpful Pronoun Sheet" to review all of the pronouns we have learned since week 4. Continue to use this study tool at home to drill and practice.

Latin: Present Perfect Tense "WE bought the PERFECT PRESENT." (Amavi pronounced AmaWE) We used this as a reminder of how to start the conjugation and we filled in a new chart in the binder labeled "Latin Review 1st Conjugation Present Perfect". We also listened to the Audio CD and I demonstrated the hand motions as we sang.

Fine Arts: Tin Whistle 10 - For every ten minutes your child practices their tin whistle they can earn 10 Memory Marbles for the class. They can record their practice time on their Learning Logs throughout the week.

New Sheets in your Student's Binder This Week:
Bible - Located on the back of your drill sheet of Ephesians 6:1-6 is the sheet for Ephesians 6:7-12.
Latin - Drill Sheet for Present Perfect Tense
Geography - Handout for continents and oceans
Copywork Week 7 - Use for independent drill and practice during the week

Map Drawing - We added the "Foundations Cycle 2 Drawing Map #1" and the "Student Drawing Grid #1". Instruct your child to start at the top and work block by block to draw the outline of Europe on their grid. I told them to try a few blocks each day and gradually build up to include the entire map. This will be their map drawing focus for Weeks 7-12 so they have six weeks to learn this skill in a gradual manner. Again, this an optional activity, but it will strengthen their knowledge in geography and IMPRINT the locations in their minds. Periodically have them do the continents on the world map so they do not lose that skill.


Thank you for another amazing week Masters students! I enjoy and look forward to every Tuesday. Remember our review game will focus on math so brush up on your multiplication this week for lots of Memory Marbles! Also, continue to complete your Learning Logs as you drill your Memory Work, complete your Map Drawing/Labeling, play your Tin Whistle 10, and work on Presentation preparation. Keep up the great work!

Love,
Mrs. Gaines

Week 6 - Memory Marble Madness!

Hello Masters families,

We started off another amazing week with magnificent magnetic science and then advanced our way into educational presentations. Harrison, we enjoyed your informative presentation on the aspects of tennis. We all learned a lot about the sport from your confident demonstration. Jonathan, thank you for your clear presentation on the equipment that is required for golf. You showed great eye contact and described each piece of equipment and how they are used with strong descriptive words. Hannah, thank you for the craft demonstration. You used clear step-by-step instructions and demonstrated them with excellence. Carlyssa, we all learned from your fun presentation on your favorite summer hobbies. You showed your expertise with basketball and amazed us with your pogo stick skills. You demonstrated strong preparation and command of your information. Everyone keep up the great work!

Presenters week 7: Shawn, Sam, Zachary, Mollie and Caleb (if you decide to present-optional)
Topic/Skill for weeks 8 and 9: Put it all together- Put on a show, impress us with your dazzling smile, irrepressible confidence, and your amazing showmanship. See the Red Folder for ideas.

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week 6:
History Timeline: In addition to motions I showed the students that this week's titles have and abundance of ALLITERATION. Prophets of God,Roman Republic Developed, Persian Wars, Pericles and the Peloponnesian War, Greek Philosophers, Nehemiah and the Jewish Return, Alexander the Great, Alexander the Conquers Egypt
History Sentence: Tell me about the Renaissance... During the Renaissance Period, from 1350(circle left arm) to 1600(circle right arm) , da Vinci was a famous inventor (point to your brain), Shakespeare was a famous playwright (pretend to write something on your hand), and Copernicus was a famous scientist (make a fist with your left hand-sun, circle the "sun" with your right hand). Soon after, Rembrandt, a famous artist (paint in the air) was born.
Science: What are the 6 forms of pollution?
Noise (cover ears and say loudly), Air (breathe in and out, then cough), Water (pretend to take a drink of water and then make a yuck face), Land (wipe hand on the ground and then brush hands together to clean off), Thermal (wipe forehead as if you are very hot), Radioactive (dance while you say it and use hands to make an explosion)
English: Possessive Pronouns Mine yours his/hers ours yours theirs
Use the grammar song provided by Mrs. Varnell and the Helpful Pronoun Chart located in your student's binder. Remind them that in the Foundations Guide there is not a pronoun for the 3rd person singular neuter.
Math: 11's and 12's Practice from 11x1 to 11x15 and 12x1 to 12x15 Especially drill the x13, x14, and x15, this is where the students need the most work. All of them are diligently working and showing strong progress as we drill these each week in class and earn memory marbles for their efforts. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Latin: Future Tense - "In the FUTURE I will buy a bow.(AMABO)"
Amabo, Amabis, Amabit, Amabimus, Amabitus, Amabunt FUTURE TENSE
We use hand motions (found in the red folder), the audio CD, and write in the charts in the student binders each week to drill and practice.
Geography - European Features: Iberian Peninsula, Balkan Peninsula, Caucasus Mountains, Scandinavian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula
We traced the outside of each of the peninsulas in class on the blank maps. I explained that a peninsula is a body of land surrounded by water on three sides. Also, the Caucasus Mountains are located between the Caspian Sea (shaped like a bear) and the Black Sea (shaped like a train). This is a great review of Cycle 1 geography and extended learning for students who have not completed Cycle 1 Foundations. If the students are having difficulty seeing this on the blank map have them trace the outlines of the seas to help place the Caucasus Mountains.

Map Tracing - As time allows, continue to practice tracing the outlines of the continents and the tracing map of Europe located in the student binder. Next week I will be giving the students a GRID MAP to teach the students how to draw a map using a grid. We will work on this for several weeks.

FINE ARTS: TOOT! TOOT! PLEASE REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR TIN WHISTLES TO BRING FOR CLASS NEXT WEEK AS WE BEGIN OUR SIX WEEK TIN WHISTLE UNIT.

The Memory Marble celebration is scheduled for next week. At the students' request we will enjoy warm hot chocolate, marshmallows, and Krispie Kreme doughnuts next week in class as a reward for all of their hard work during class review time and for turning in handouts and work completed at home. Let's get ready to celebrate!

Class Schedule for Week 7:

Opening: 9-9:30

Science: 9:30-10:00

Celebration and Review Time: 10-10:30

10:30-11:00 New Grammar

11:00-11:30 Tin Whistle

11:30-12 Noon Presentations

I look forward to seeing all of you next week! Parents and students, thank you for being such a blessing in my life.

Love,

Mrs. Gaines

Tin Whistle Alert! TOOT! TOOT!

Attention all students and parents: Next week we begin our 6 week study of the tin whistle! So be sure to pack your tin whistles now for next Tuesday. See you next week!
Mrs. Gaines

Week 5-Comets and Cash

Hello Masters families,
What an exciting week of learning! The science project definitely created a buzz of enthusiasm that lasted throughout the day. The students also enjoyed spending their cash on well deserved prizes. I love to see the excitement that learning can create!

We followed our science morning with very well prepared presentations exhibiting strength in voice control. Zachary, you began with a clear 3 second pause and followed with interesting accounts of the book you shared with us. Good eye contact! Mollie, you presented a well organized report on your favorite series of books. You captured the audience's attention with your questioning and you revealed strong voice control from beginning to end. Keep up the good work! Sam, we really enjoyed your presentation and the details you shared with us. You had a strong introduction and exhibited good eye contact. Excellent! Shawn, your presentation on your favorite series of books was also engaging. You began with a clear introduction and well organized details. Awesome!
I look forward to the creativity and wealth of information we will gather from the demonstration presentations over the next two weeks. The skill to focus on is showing confidence. This can be achieved by presenting with authority and organized steps. Involve the audience by asking them at the conclusion if there are any questions that you can answer. Have fun with this topic and remember to mark your preparation on your Learning Log for Classical Cash!

Presenters for week 6: Hannah, Harrison, Jonathan, Caleb, and Carlyssa

Memory tips and techniques for Week 5:
History Timeline: We recited the timeline from Creation to Phonecian Civilization and the Alphabet and then dug into Week 5.
Davidic Kingdom (point forward), Solomon's Reign(point to your brain), Israel Divides Into Two Kingdoms (slice with a chop), Homer and Greek Mythology (Hit a home run), The Olympics (runner arm), Founding of Rome (pat several times at different heights), Greece colonized, Democracy Begins (use hand to form columns), Israel and Judah Fall (bend arm at elbow and make it fall down)
Peg Dates for Week 5: Trojan War 1250 B.C. Davidic Kingdom 1011-971 B.C.

I have been very pleased to see the hard work the students are putting in on these Peg Dates. We are also working on them at home and I felt it would be beneficial to provide a drill sheet for the students working on this to practice writing the dates and the events. Each student placed this drill sheet behind their timeline sheet in their binders. The title of the sheet is "Foundations Program - Timeline Card Peg Dates Drill Sheet". Hopefully this tool will make drilling the dates a lot easier. Use the front to write the dates and use the back to write in the major events from the timeline. Keep up the hard work!

History Sentence: Tell me about the Hundred Years' War :
During the 100 Years' War( flash 10 2 times, clap)
Joan of Arc( draw your sword from scabbard with left hand)
and King Charles the VII (draw your sword from scabbard with right hand)
led the French (use right hand as a ball to represent France on the map)
to defeat England (use left hand flattened to represent England on the map)
at the Battle of Orleans. (In time to the music, France punches England off the map)
In the late 1340's, rats
carrying the plague(scurrying fingers and rat face exposed)
killed (slit neck)
one out of three
Europeans. (hold up 1 finger and then three fingers.)

Geography/History Maps European Mountains
Students should practice labeling their maps with the same markings as indicated on the colored map provided by Mrs. Varnell. Mountains are labeled using a triangle and Mountain Ranges are labeled by a dashed line - - - - -. One hint I gave the students is to label Mt. Blanc as a clear triangle and The Matterhorn as a colored-in triangle, this will help them differentiate between the two. Continue to practice labeling all of the locations for weeks 1-5 as you are drilling at home. Parents call out the heading for each week and have the students recite the list while labeling... European Waters, European Countries, European Rivers, European Cities, European Mountains.

Geography Drawing: Continue to practice tracing the continents and the outline of Europe. These are in the GEOGRAPHY section of your student's binder. Practice the CONTINENT OUTLINE MAP as well as the EUROPE TRACING PAGE #1. Continue to work on this at home as time allows. This provides great preparation for Challenge A and cements the shapes of the continents and countries in their minds.

Science: How do animals react to environmental change? Adapt (put on a coat), Migrate (walk in place), Hibernate (go to sleep) A coloring sheet was included in your student's binder to illustrate these concepts.

Latin: Today we introduced 1st Conjugation - Future Tense with the CC audio CD and the drill sheet that we added to the Latin section of their binders. We continue to cover the Latin hand motions as well.

English: We introduced the Objective Pronouns with the Grammar Song provided by Mrs. Varnell and we wrote the pronouns on the Helpful Pronoun Sheet in their binders. Continue to recite/sing and write the pronouns each week.

Math: We wrote the times tables for 9's and 10's on their white boards from 9x1-9x15 and 10x1 to 10x15. The students worked diligently and earned Massive Memory Marbles for their efforts.

Memory Marbles: Without question we should reach the top of the Memory Marble Jar by next week. Opportunities to help the class reach this goal are included in the front pocket of their binders: A science handout on "How do animals react to environmental change?" and an art drawing sheet to practice perspective and OILS drawing were given out this week as OPTIONAL activities to do at home. Students are also welcome to add detail and color to their perspective art projects. I will add Memory marbles for these if they are turned in completed. Only complete these as your time allows at home. I will collect them on any week, they do not have to be completed the week I hand them out. They serve as great time fillers in our home or great on the go school work when we go to doctor's appointments, etc.

Thank you for another blessed and rewarding time with your children. I enjoy and look forward every Tuesday with you. Continue to drill and practice at home. We added the Week 5 copywork sheet in the back of your child's binder. Use these as an additional method of study, especially for those days where they can study independently and show you what they know.

Have a blessed week!
Mrs. Gaines

Peg Date Correction

The peg dates for this week are: Ten Commandments 1445 B.C.
Reign of Tutankhamon 1333-1323 B.C.

Week 4

Hello Masters families,

Great presentation day today. I am seeing progress in many areas and I look forward to continued improvement this semester. Today we were working on voice control and using the topic of sharing a story based on a book, movie, Bible passage, etc. Carlyssa, you demonstrated nice pauses and enunciation as you read your Bible passage in Genesis. Sam, we enjoyed your well planned historically based timeline presentation. You kept the audience captivated with your strong body language. Jonathan, you demonstrated confidence with a strong introduction and great structure. I also saw excellent eye contact, keep up the great work. Harrison, your presentation on your favorite book was well planned and you did an excellent job of communicating the plot with clear enunciation, we are ready to read the book. Caleb, your enthusiasm for your topic was contagious and you showed strong eye contact throughout. I am continuing to see growth from all of the presenters, keep up the hard work at home. Remember to plan, practice, and polish your presentations each week and record your hard work on your Learning Log.

Presenters for Week 5: Sam, Shawn, Zachary, Mollie
Topic: Voice Control
Skill and Topic for Weeks 6 and 7: Confidence during a demonstration... this should be fun!

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week 4:

Timeline: We are drilling reciting the timeline from week one (CREATION...) each week, continue to practice reviewing and learning the new cards each week at home. I am very pleased at the results of your hard work. Their mastery of the timeline is clearly displayed each week as we review. REVIEW ALL WEEKS EVERY DAY DURING YOUR DRILLING. This is the key to mastery. Use the motions on the video from Lake Norman if needed to learn the cards, these motions really help students transition between cards and from week to week. Concentrate on how each motion relates to the next. Watch the video posted on the Masters blog to review the motions for this week.

Peg Dates for Week 4: Ten Commandments 1445 B.C.

Reign of Tutankhamon 1333-1323 B.C.

As you are working on these at home have the titles written out and let your student drill the dates and then reverse. Again, this is an additional challenge I am presenting for our class above the Foundations curriculum, but I hope it will provide the students with a visual progression of major events as they learn the timeline this year. A little icing on the the big cake!

History Sentence: Tell me about the Magna Carta.....

English King John (hold scepter nobly) signed the Magna Carta(sign with one hand and use opposite hand as paper) in 1215, (use your arms like the hands of a clock, together straight over your head like 12 o'clock and then right arm descends to 12:15) limiting the king's power (arms straight above head again then use hands to push down). Later, England's King Edward III claimed to be (fists on hips) King of France (pound scepter 3 times) and began the Hundred Years' War (flash 10 two times) in 1337(show 1 finger on one hand and 3 one the other, pause and keep 3 fingers up for thirty and then show seven fingers hitting the beat of the 5 and 2 on SE-VEN).

Geography: European cities... London, Paris, Rome, Orleans, Barcelona

Identify on labeled map and then label the cities on your blank map with an X. As you drill have the students label all locations from weeks 1-4 each day as a complete review. Have them teach you and verbalize where all of the locations lie in relation to one another. Also have them start tracing the outlines of the European countries we are learning instead of just labeling with the letters.

Map Drawing: This week progress to the tracing map of Europe found in your student's binder. Step-by-step instructions are written on the bottom of the map. I forgot to highlight this yesterday in class, but we will practice this next week during class. Continued tracing and drawing of the continents 1 or two times a week will keep your student progressing in their map drawing skills.

Science: What are the natural cycles? Water Cycle (Raise arm and move hand with fingers moving like rain, then draw a circle) Carbon and Oxygen Cycle (Use your finger to draw a large C and O then point to each letter for 2 CO2) Nitrogen Cycle(dig in the dirt)

In the front pocket of your student's binder we placed a handout, your student can color the handout this week and turn it in for additional Memory Marbles!

English: Nominative Pronouns... We wrote out the pronouns on each student's HELPFUL PRONOUN CHART found in the English section of their binder and listened to the audio song presented by Mrs. Varnell. "Nominative Pronouns I, You , HE/SHE/IT, We, You, They (repeat)." Practice singing and writing for mastery, this is also covered in Essentials so a double benefit on your study time!

Latin: First Conjugation Imperfect Tense... We wrote on both charts for the practice of the Imperfect Tense and combined this with motions and the Audio CD. Practice writing daily to carve these conjugations in their memory. This will be a bountiful benefit for future Latin study.

MEMORY CUES FOR LATIN VERB ENDINGS: Present Tense: God is AMO-Present. (a play on the term omnipresent). Imperfect Tense: I'm a bomb (AMABAM). Bombs make things imperfect.

Fine Arts: Students may complete and color their abstract art and turn them in next week for memory marbles. A couple of students left their papers behind, but you can create your own at home if you would like to earn the extra marbles! We may meet our goal next week...I think I smell pizza in the future.

On Week 5 the CC store will be open for business, plan to save or spend your Classical Cash for a variety of prizes. The store is stocked with awesome pencil/erasers, Pop Rocks, Pixie Sticks, Punch Balls, Hackie Sacks, etc. Keep working hard and you can cash in on your diligent work. Students, do not forget to complete your logs and get a PARENT SIGNATURE before you turn them in each week.

Have a blessed week!

Mrs. Gaines

Week 3

Hello Masters families,


Thank you for another blessed week in Classical Conversations. I wanted to offer a special thank you to the moms, you were certainly there to provide a helping hand and I greatly appreciate your assistance in every way! I can really see the effort all of the students and parents are putting in at home. Keep up the hard work, you are all making amazing progress.


Presentations: Another fun week of very creative presentations were given today. Mollie, you presented a well planned and clear step-by-step demonstration of ice skating. Shawn, your paint ball action was exciting and kept us all engaged and on the edge of our seats. You showed great planning and a clear beginning, middle and end. Zachary, we all were fascinated watching your Lego building and flying expedition. You clinched us in the end with your conclusion. Great work! Sam, we look forward to your presentation next week.


Week 4 presenters: Sam, Carlyssa, Hannah, Harrison, Jonathan, and Caleb,


Weeks 4 and 5 will focus on voice control. Parents and students refer to your red folder for guidance on preparing your next presentation. Remember to practice using the 3 second rule for a confident beginning and ending. Voice control focuses on volume, articulation, inflection, and facial expressions.


MEMORY TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR WEEK 3:


History Timeline: Famine in Egypt - grab your stomach in hunger, The 12 Tribes of Israel - hold up left hand 1 finger and right hand 2 fingers to make a twelve, Second Intermediate Period in Egypt - drop your left hand and keep the 2 on your right hand, Code of Hammurabi - Put both hands together to make a book, Hyksos Invasion of Egypt - bow and arrow, Early New Kingdom in Egypt - stretch your arms up because it is so early, Moses' Birth - rock the baby with both arms, Plaques in Egypt - use both arms to make a slithering snake

****The motions that I use in class will differ from the ones on the video from You Tube. You can use what ever works at home. In the past, my daughter had a tutor that allowed the students to make up motions and those have stuck in our heads. In the coming weeks we will use all of the motions used in the video on the blog. As always these tips are just suggestions to be used as much or as little as your student needs to be able to master the material.****

History Timeline Peg Dates for Week 3: Code of Hammurabi 1792 - 1750 B.C.

Moses' Birth 1525 B.C.

History Sentence: Tell me about the Crusades.... Eleanor of Acquitaine (queen wave) and her son (rock the baby), Richard the Lionhearted (two paws up and lion face), fought the Turks for Jerusalem (punch, punch) during the time of the Crusades(draw your sword) which occurred from 1095-1291(hold up a 5 with one hand and a 1 with the other).

Science: What are the parts of the food chain? The parts of the food chain are (CHANT)producers, consumers, decomposers! I sent home a handout of the food chain. Students may color and return the handout next week for Memory Marbles.

Math: 5's and 6's from 5x1 - 5x15 and 6x1 - 6x15
Drill and practice these facts and the facts from weeks 1 and 2 specifically focusing on the x 13, 14, 15. This gradual approach will be a great benefit to your child on weeks 7, 8, and 9.

English: Pronoun Order - 1st person singular (Hold up 1 finger on each hand, bend at the elbows and swing back) 2nd person singular (Hold up 2 fingers on each hand and swing) 3rd person singular (Hold up 3 fingers on each hand and swing) PRONOUN ORDER (snap)
REPEAT MOTIONS FOR PLURAL
We added a "Helpful Pronoun Sheet" to the English section of their binders for this week showing the pronoun order on the left side column. We will use this handout during weeks 4- 8.

Latin: Imperfect tense - Use the audio CD and the chart we added to their binders to drill and practice the memory work this week.

Geography: European Rivers (sing to the tune "10 Little Indians")
Seine River, Rhine River, Danube River, Po River, Elbe River, European Rivers.....
Practice tracing the shapes of the rivers on a labeled map at home. Then practice drawing the rivers onto a blank map. This week is quite challenging and special attention should be paid to the beginning and ending points of these rivers. Watch as the rivers follow country boundaries and refer to past geography as they review. For example, "The Po River is the shortest river and it flows across northern ITALY."
For map drawing this week I recommend reviewing geography from weeks 1 -3 and drill, drill, drill drawing these rivers.

MEMORY MARBLES, LEARNING LOGS, and CLASSICAL CASH!!!!
We are halfway full on our Memory Marble jar and I announced today that I will open the CC Store on Week 5 for business. Continue to record on your LEARNING LOGS all of the Map drawing, drilling, and presentation work so that you get all the cash you have worked so hard to earn. Parents are only required to sign at the bottom to verify what your child has recorded. As always some gentle reminding will help to establish this routine of recording on their Learning Log until it becomes a habit. It is all designed to build responsibility and make all of this hard work a lot more fun!

Parents, if you know of any small prizes or candy your child loves and you would like to contribute to the CC store during the year, it would be greatly appreciated.

Have a blessed week and we will see you on Week 4!
Mrs. Gaines

Classical Conversations of Lake Norman Veritas Hand Motions

Here are the hand motion videos for weeks 1-12 and then weeks 13-20.

Maps and Timeline Motions!

Hi Masters families!


I hope you are all having a great weekend. I just wanted to post some information that several parents were asking last week about maps and timeline motions.

The maps that I have been using to display the geography locations each week can be found at http://geomatters.com/. I purchased them at the NCHE homeschool conference two years ago and bought Uncle Josh's pack of 13 laminated maps. After researching today, I see that they are now sold with a CD rom and a book of outline maps, these would also be wonderful resources. It is quite an investment, but factoring in the cost of lamination I have found it worth every penny.


I also mentioned to the students that on You Tube you can find a video presentation of hand motions to aid the students in learning their timeline cards. I am having difficulty placing a direct link to the videos, but here is the information to find them. The one that I recommend is presented by the Lake Norman CC group in NC found on You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/. The first video covers weeks 1-10. It can be found under the title, Classical Conversations of Lake Norman Veritas Hand Motions. The second video covers weeks 11-20 and can be found under the title, Classical Conversations of Lake Norman Hand Motions Part 2. I have saved these two videos onto my favorites at home and can find them just a click away. I hope this information helps you in your journey.



Have a blessed weekend!

Mrs. Gaines

Week Two We're Moving Through

Hello Masters Families!

Congratulations on a fabulous week. I would like to comment on the enthusiastic participation from all of the students. I appreciate the movement, chanting, and reciting from all of you. Our class has a wonderful spirit and good attitudes which makes class enjoyable and productive for everyone. A special thank you to Mrs. Varnell for the new tables. They provide a large, comfortable working surface for all of our binder work, map work, art, and review games. I know we will enjoy them every week.

PRESENTATIONS: I am very pleased with the preparation and energy exhibited during our body movement presentations this week. We saw examples of excellent facial expressions and large, expressive body movements to portray a variety of topics from every day activities to sports and historic events. Excellent work, I am looking forward to the creative ideas for next week. Don't forget to record your planning and practices for presentations on your Learning Log throughout the week.

PRESENTERS FOR WEEK THREE: Mollie, Sam, Shawn, and Zachary


Looking ahead.... For all of those advanced planners the presentation topic for weeks 4 and 5 will focus on voice control. We introduced the topic today in class and next week I will demonstrate an example presentation.

Memory Tips and Techniques for Week Two Grammar:

History Timeline - We reviewed week one and introduced week two today in class. Work this week on mastering all sixteen cards. Each week I will incorporate motions to help the students learn their timeline cards. These are just suggestions, but for kinesthetic learners it can make all of the difference. Try to drill the students at home looking at the pictures and reciting and then take one or two cards away until they can recite them all from memory. At this time they can definitely use the motions to help cement the order and titles in their memories.

MINOAN CULTURE- Bull horns, CALL OF ABRAM - Megaphone with hands, GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM- shake hands, HAGAR AND ISHMAEL - hand to forehead, SODOM AND GOMORRAH - look back over your shoulder, BIRTH AND SACRIFICE OF ISAAC - slit throat, THE MIDDLE KINGDOM IN EGYPT - slice right hand into middle of left, JOSEPH AS A SLAVE - two wrists crossed/tied in bondage

Peg Dates for Week 2: Joseph as a Slave 1898 B.C. The Twelve Tribes of Israel 1860 B.C.

History Sentence - Tell me about William the Conqueror... After the church split (make a church with hands then pull apart quickly) into Roman Catholic (left hand up palm out) and Eastern Orthodox (Right hand up palm out), William the Conqueror (hit left hand with right fist) defeated (punch punch) King Harold of England in 1066 (hold up 10 fingers then six fingers, six fingers), and started feudalism (hoe the fields).

Geography - European Countries - Spain, Italy, France, England, Czech Republic
Locate and Label on Colored and Blank Map

Geography Map Drawing - The students added instructions into their binder on how to draw a detailed map of the continents. Please progress at the pace your student shows readiness. Begin with the simple circles for continent placement in reference to the Equator and Prime Meridian. Next practice tracing the continents on the continent tracing sheet in their binder and then progress to the detailed drawing. We will remain at this stage for several weeks. Use these tools to practice as your time at home allows.

Science - What are three types of consumers? Herbivores (eat fruit) , Carnivores (take a bite out of your arm - meat), and Omnivores (eat fruit and arm)

When drilling the science fact practice repeating the question with the answer. The science questions have very important terms that need to be connected with the list/answer. For example, "What are three types of consumers? The three types of consumers are herbivores, carnivores, omnivores." We practiced identifying animals as herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. I was very impressed with the knowledge base that the class had about animals, great work!

Latin - 1st conjugation Present Tense We used three methods to drill the Latin today. Here are various methods to use at home: Sing the conjugation using the CC Audio CD, practice hand motions found in the red folder for kinesthetic and visual learners, and/or write the endings on the new chart placed in the Latin section of their binders.

English Grammar - A PRONOUN REPLACES A NOUN IN ORDER TO AVOID REPETITION. There is a pronoun drill sheet located in their binders that we will use in the coming weeks, this will overlap with their Essentials learning. We also enjoyed the grammar song from Mrs. Varnell. It really helps students to master this definition and emphasizes repetition, repetition, repetition.

Math - We introduced the 3's and 4's multiplication tables. Practice from 3x1 - 3x15 and the 4x1 - 4x15. The students had a blast and a thorough multiplication review with our 5 in a Row game. Congratulations Carlyssa on the victory! The class banked a total of 45 memory marbles and 6 MASSIVE memory marbles for Carlyssa's six in a row victory! Way to go Masters!

Thank you for another wonderful week. Students remember to record all of your drilling and map drawing/labeling on your Learning Log. I will collect them each week that you present. Any completed art projects or map drawings that you would like to share with me will earn the class additional Memory Marbles. Use this week to review week one and learn week two. DRILL, DRILL, DRILL! I look forward to seeing all of you next week.



Blessings,

Mrs. Gaines

Get Ready...Get Set...Go!!!

Hello Masters families,

We are off and running with cycle two and what an action packed day we enjoyed. All of the students listened and followed along well with their class procedures and each week we will continue to move more smoothly. Thank you masters students for your leadership and servants' hearts with the classroom cleanup. I know as a tutor it was a blessing to have the help of willing students with happy hearts at the end of the day.



Presentations: Excellent effort on the impromptu speeches today. I also enjoyed getting to know more about each of you during the "string introductions game". Next week we will look forward to the first round of presentations, the skill is BODY LANGUAGE. Pick a topic you can really move to and we can see how communication is not only what you say with your mouth, but what you can communicate with your body. Be bold and expressive without saying a word! Parents, the guidelines and instructions for the topic/skill is located in the back of your RED FOLDER. Please encourage your student to record their chosen topic and practices on their LEARNING LOG so they can cash in on their hard work next week.



PRESENTERS FOR WEEK TWO (Sept. 14): Caleb, Carlyssa, Hannah, Jonathan, and Harrison

PRESENTERS FOR WEEK THREE (Sept. 21): Mollie, Sam, Shawn, Zachary



MEMORY TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR WEEK ONE:

History Sentence: Tell me about Charlemagne....
Key words/dates: 800A.D. Medieval Period Pope Leo III Charlemagne (Charles the Great) Holy Roman Emperor Europe SING and RECITE with the Audio CD. Practice writing out the sentence using your copywork drill sheet in the back of your binder.

Ask your child what this history sentence means. Remember that this is the first sentence in a 12 sentence story that we will cover in weeks 1-12.

Science: What are the seven biomes? Grassland, Desert, Scrublands, Tundra, Deciduous Forest, Coniferous Forest, Tropical Rain Forest Drill and practice, remember to use the copywork sheet in the back of your binder to practice these facts.

History Timeline: Recite the cards in order adding one each time until you are reciting all eight.

(Creation, Creation-Fall in the Garden, Creation-Fall in the Garden-Cain and Able, Creation-Fall in the Garden-Cain and Able-The Flood, etc.)

Timeline Peg Dates: Drill a partner (Creation 5000 B.C. Call of Abram 2091 B.C.)
Mom say, "Creation" Student answers,"5000B.C" Mom,"Call of Abram" Student, "2091 B.C."
Repeat multiple times and then switch roles the next day.


English Grammar: 8 Parts of Speech Use the Grammar Songs track one to help memorize this list. This was sent to you in an email from Erin Varnell and can be downloaded for your daily use. There is also a drill sheet on the 8 parts of speech in the English section of your binder. This includes definitions on the back for each term to deepen your understanding.

Latin: First Conjugation: Amo Present Tense
Drill using the endings chart in your binder for Present Tense and use the CC Audio CD.

Geography: Time to earn some cash! Practice locating the European waters on your labeled map in your binder, on your colored map, and then on your blank map of Europe at home. Students remember to write down your map labeling on your Learning Log to earn cash.

Geography Map Drawing: To deepen your knowledge of geography, practice your map drawing activity for this week ,"Draw Your World" - placing your continents. This is found in the geography section of your binder. Next week we will add detail to your continents, but this week is focused on the correct placement of the continents in reference to the Prime Meridian and Equator. I demonstrated this activity in class, so the students should be familiar with it.

Bible: Ephesians 6:1 Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

Have a wonderful blessed week! Parents, remember that you are the teacher and to use these study tools as much or as little as your homeschool has time to implement.

Mrs. Gaines

Ready to begin in 2010!

Welcome Masters families!
My name is Tina Gaines and I am your student's tutor for this year in Classical Conversations. My huband's name is John, we have been married for fifteen years. We have three precious children: Mollie (11 - entering 6th grade), Meredith (9 - entering 4th grade), and Luke (2 - his grandma will be babysitting him each Tuesday morning). I am beginning my seventh year using the Classical Conversations curriculum and it has been a bountiful blessing in our homeschool. Please contact me with any questions you have.

I hope you are all enthusiastic and excited after our information packed morning! It was a joy to see all of again after the summer and I am looking forward to a blessed year with each of your families. In preparation for week one just look through the notebook that I sent home with your student as a peek into what we will be doing this year.

Reminders for Week One:
1) Please review the first two pages in the notebook with your child. We will strive to love, honor, and serve God and his people each week in class. Think as a Christian Student! Think as a Classical Student!
2) Please bring two dry erase markers (fine point) and two Vis A Vis markers (fine point). Store them in the pencil pouch in the front of your student's notebook.
3) Please sign up for the online connection for our Classical Conversations Community, ccofgreensboro.blogspot.com. Please remember to individually subscribe for the Foundations page, the Masters page - Mrs. Gaines, and for every other page (class) that is relevant for your family.
4) There is no need to study ahead for class. I will introduce the new material each week in class and give you and your student tools, tips and techniques to help master the material. Just arrive ready to "train your brain to retain". After week one, you will review the material covered in class and then come the next week ready for new information.
5) Presentations for week one will be impromptu so there is no need to prepare a presentation. The presentation schedule for the first semester is found in the back of your red folder. We will review this schedule each week in class highlighting specific skills and topics.

Thank you for a wonderful morning, I am looking forward to seeing you on week one and I will be praying for each of your families. We really missed you Harrison and Jonathan, but I hope you are enjoying your vacation. We will see you in September. Here is a list of the students in our Masters class: Carlyssa Boone, Sam Conrad, Mollie Gaines, Caleb Lambeth, Shawn Lilly, Harrison Mohl, Jonathan Mohl, Zachary Shaw and Hannah Varnell. Enjoy the rest of your summer or your start to the new school year, I will see you on September 7th.

Many blessings,
Tina Gaines

Have a Wonderful Summer

Dear Masters families,

Thank you for the honor of tutoring your children this year. I can't express enough in words how much each individual student blessed me this year. I have so many fond memories of our time spent learning together. Thank you for all of your hard work and preparation (costumes, makeup, enthusiasm, etc.) that made last night's closing program extra special. AWESOME, AMAZING MASTERS! We missed you last night Maddie, it wasn't the same without you.

Thank you again moms, dads, and all of the students - Addie, Ross, Carlyssa, Mollie, Kody, Elisabeth, Jonathan, Harrison, Maddie, and Hannah. God was glorified through your unending dedication. Congratulations to all of you on your academic achievements of Memory Power, Memory Excellence, and Memory Masters! Have a wonderful summer, I am looking forward to seeing all of you again soon. Hopefully we can arrange some park dates and mom's nights out over the break.

Love and hugs,
Mrs. Gaines

Week 23

Hello Masters families,

We had another wonderful week filled with celebration and review. I wanted to start with a very heartfelt thank you to the moms that were such a huge help on Tuesday. You were there to help in an endless list of ways. Thank you for help with reviewing and checking the memory work, testing students for memory excellence and power, helping with the end of the year performance(Math Sound Off), setting up and organizing the ice cream party, setting up and selling the CC store treats, classroom clean up and set up etc. etc. etc. I can't thank you enough for the support you have provided this year each week and at home. Thank you again, you have all blessed me so much and I have treasured the time we have had to grow together as a CC family.

This is my favorite time of year as the students, parents, tutors, and director all get to see the fruit of hours of hard work from a year of dedicated homeschooling. I am amazed at the glory of God's hands on these children as I watch them reveal how much they have learned this year. This week we were able to review the math multiplication tables 1's-15's, all of the math formulas, all of the Latin declensions, all of the English grammar, and a large portion of the geography/map labeling for this year. The students literally flew through the review! There is no question that their brains are trained to retain. Way to go moms and masters students. Next week we will continue to use as much time as possible drilling our memory work and covering as many subjects as possible to celebrate our learning.

END OF THE YEAR PROGRAM:
All of the students are doing a great job on the Math Sound Off. We had so much fun this week learning to march and chant...SOUND OFF! Please take a few minutes this week and next week to review your lines. Practice sitting and standing as you sound off. Remember that our "costumes" should be very simple. If you have access to camouflage clothing or accessories (hat, bandanna) this would be a great addition to our performance. If you do not, please let me know and I can help to locate something for you to wear on Monday night. PLEASE DO NOT GO TO ANY TROUBLE, THIS IS JUST FOR FUN. The students have also come up with the idea to use some face paint to put math symbols on their cheeks. This alone will be a great way to show our math spirit.

MEMORY TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR WEEK 23:
Presidents: Drill using the presidents song on the Audio Weekly CD.
History Sentence: We discussed the history behind the liberation of South America and then used the map of South America and a world map to point out Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, and Spain as we sang the sentence.
Geography: To help the students learn the countries of South America we listened to a geography song. I sent home a copy of the words with each student to practice this week. We will drill again next week using the same song. On the back of the words I also included a copy of how to draw North America and South America.
Math: The Distributive Law - practice saying and writing to master this math formula.
English: Linking Verb song
Science: We practiced chanting the answer to the question,"What are some kinds of clouds?"
Cumulonimbus, Cirrus, Stratus, Cumulus, Stratocumulus
C C S C S Classical Conversations Study Clouds in Science
We also studied the Latin roots for these science terms. cumulus (a heap) numbus ( a cloud ) cirrus ( a curl of hair) sternene/stratus ( to spread out ) altus ( high )

I look forward to our final week together in our Masters class. I am already missing seeing all of you each week. We should have a wonderful day. Remember we will be having class pictures, Math Sound Off practice, lots of review, and a pizza party at lunch! Have a blessed week.

Love,
Mrs. Gaines