The Best Of PA

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Danielle Cooper < ellymay19@gmail.com > Date: Sun, Aug 27, 2017 at 11:37 AM Subject: RS Activities To: bog06006@byuid.edu

Cute girls at the Zoo We have been busy around here, busy with learning and lots of fun!  It was a successful school year, with lots of activities, field trips and read alouds.  We are still continuing onward till June and then will phase into easier "summer school".  But here are a few of the things we have accomplished thus far.   Read Aloud Books for School Year of 2015-2016   Ancient History: Gilgamesh The King: Retold By Ludmilla Zeman Ancient Egypt: Tales of The Gods: Retold By Marcia Williams Classic Starts: The Iliad Classic Starts: Roman Myths Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: By Lynn Curlee Who was King Tut: By Roberta Edwards The Childrens Plutarch: Tales Of the Romans Greek Myths: Retold by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaires Voyage To the Pharos: BY Sarah Gauch Cleopatra: By Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema   Holiday Reading: Rip Van Winkle Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Tell Tale Heart...

My friend from Jillian B Photography took pictures for us last week and here is a sneak peak!!  There is so much I haven't blogged about like our 3 day canoeing and camping trip in August.  Then there was a weekend get away to Jim Thorpe for Danny and I.  And then we all got sick and there was Thanksgiving and Christmas. I need to get on top of it all!! Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

It was a busy July!  Here is what we did: 1) My brother Devin s graduation Party 2) Had a 4th of July Party 3) A one day Art Camp at Hendershots 4) Flint Hill Farm Boshkowskis 5) A visit to the local pool with Finkbeiners 6) Canoeing on the Lehigh River with Allreds 7) Carnival and Fireworks with Boswells 8) Pioneer Day picnic at Church  9) Shakespeare Camp 10) Shakespeare for Kids Play at DeSales 11) Celebrate Dannys Birthday 12) Pizza on the Grill with Finkbeiners What did you do in July?? Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Our very generous neighbors, the Kunsmans not only let us pick their apples but also let us use their pavilion, burners, pots, etc., to make applesauce. Plus we invited some friends the Lawracys.  We went home with a lot of applesauce! 😀  We have the most generous neighbors ever!!! Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

I was just taking notes for myself, after reflecting upon such a successful summer camp. It excites me and thrills me so much that I am already planning next year's.  Hope this helps anyone who wants to do this in the future! 1) Memorize something important such as historical documents or classic stories : make it fun with singing, hand motions and expression 2) Be theatrical when teaching: wear costumes, makeup, use fake accents 3) Crafts:  making things = making memories. Using your hands reinforces what your learning 4) Snacks:  Have yummy, healthy snacks to eat and the more themed the better 5) Games:  Trivia games and ones that get kids moving are stimulating and strangely calming for the learning moments 6) Performing.  When kids perform what they learn, not only do they have a good time but they also are more likely to remember it! 7) A finale:  There should always be something to look forward and work towards at the end: A reward, play, Big Game, CA...

Yesterday Hayzel got a hold of my lip gloss.  Brinley notified me right away. She then asked if she could wear some which I obliged.  Of course all three girls wanted lip gloss, so they all got some.  Hayzel is hilarious first insisting to put it on herself....until she realized that wasn't happening.  I showed her how I did it on myself and she pursed her lips.  Brinley was ready to go and walked the walk with her hands out and ready.  Elly did the same and then said: "Look, I'm a Mommy!"

So I was listening to this podcast about eating healthy. One of the hosts was explaining how he was always skinny and could not pick up weight.  Elly was in the room and she said: "I don't know why he would complain about that.  I like being skinny.  That's why I stretch everyday." Ahh if only streching were the solution to being skinny.  It is cute what a 7 year old thinks. Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

We are missing 2 girls, one just moved and another is on vacation It will be a year in September since we started our own kid book club.  It isn't anything fancy, usually I find a nice picture book and Read it aloud.     Their crafts, well okay apparently Brinley is holding Hayzels' craft.  It is flowers made from paint and toilet paper rolls     Then we discuss the characters, setting, plot etc. (About a 5 minute conversation...these are 7 year olds) Painting away     Afterwards we do a craft related to the book, then follow up with a treat.  The kids also get a chance to catch up and play. We have been consistent and the girls always look forward to it.    Painting away      This is specifically designed with Elly in mind, however I am starting an Alphabet Club for Brinley once a month.  A chance for her to get together with her friends, focus on a letter, read a...

 Elly has been blessed with a beautiful voice.  And seriously people, it's not just me with all my motherly admiration.  I have had people approach me and tell me she has such a clear beautiful voice. She has a natural gift my almost 8 year old.  And so we know another young lady in our church who is equally as blessed start giving Elly voice lessons a few weeks ago.  She loves it!  And look what her teacher Mrs. Cecliy made!! Awesome!! Sent from my LG G3, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Our acting crew In the middle of a scene Today was our last day of camp.  I am so happy with how everything turned out. And can now take a sigh of relief.  Tomorrow we all meet up for "Shakespeare For Kids" play.  But this is what we did for our last day: Day 4 of camp: Human Tic Tac Toe 1) Play Human Tic Tac Toe.  It was a review game of all we learned the previous days before Goofy picture 2) Set Up our Stage Props and have a Dress Rehearsal.  The kids acted out the scenes where King Oberon puts the love potion in Queen Titiana's eyes and Puck puts the love potion in Lysanders' eyes.  Then we see Hermia wake up asking where Lysander went, Lysander waking up and seeing Helena, tells her he loves her.  Puck turns Nick Bottom into a donkey. Queen Titiana also awakes and beholds Nick Bottom the donkey and proclaims her love.  The kids REALLY enjoyed the acting!!  What a great way to end camp!! More Huma...

Out curtain backdrop Well if Shakespeare Camp wasn't fun enough already, my friend Anna take Wednesday and really piled on the fun!  This is what we did day 3: The Book Anna used 1) Went over all of lines again in song form with hand motions (Skip to my Lou) "I know a bank, Where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips, And the nodding violet grows, Quite overcanopied, With luscious woodbine, With sweet muskroses, And with Eglantine" Hayzel really tried to help out! 2) Anna gave us a lesson on the Theater and how Will Shakespeare got into writing and acting and creating a theater with friends.  She showed us pictures and quizzed us. 3) Craft Time: Then we set to it and got to creating props: Cardboard Trees and curtain backdrop to paint!  It was a blast and impressive!  The kids also colored woodland animals and cut them out to go on our backdrop and trees. finished product 4) Snack Time: We had apples, dip and nuts....

Elly making her fairy wings For our second day of Shakespeare Camp we did the following: These kiddos are ready for anything! 1) Review our Shakespeare lines in song form (Skip to My Lou), but also added these lines: "Quite overcanopied,  with luscious woodbine, With Sweet Muskroses, And with Eglantine" 2) Then we sat down on blankets by a nearby tree (me on a chair) and I read to them the kids version of "A Midsummer Nights Dream."  It was the Shakespeare Can be Fun version by Louis Burdett.  It is great!  I read in funny voices, act it out and ask questions every 2 pages.  They were all very engaged!  And I take a break half way through to play a game. 3) We played Shakespeare Jeporady: Combined the kids into 2 groups  Wing Making Table 4) Craft Time and Face Painting!  We made leaf crowns, paper plate wings and decorated water gun swords.  Did more face painting. 5) Break!  Let the kids play tag and run ...