Easter

1. 
   
   
   Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia!
   Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
   Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
   Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
2. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
   Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
   Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
   Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
3. Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
   Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
   Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
   Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
4. Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
   Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
   Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
   Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
5. Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
   Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
   Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
   Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
6. King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
   Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
   Thee to know, Thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia!
   Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
   
   
   
   

CompuScholar ~ A Review

My high school daughter has been working through Digital Savvy from CompuScholar, Inc.. This program is available for both Mac and PC. Does your student need to improve their computer skills? Well, this program is perfect for reviewing the basics in order to prepare your student for further more in depth computer information technology courses. This is a school year long course (equivalent to two semesters). Digital Savvy is geared for student in grades 6-12.

This course syllabus will give you a great overview of what your student will learn in the Digital Savvy course. Your student will cover topics such as:

• operating systems
• managing files and folders
• hardware and software
• networking
• online safety
• computer security
• Word processors
• spreadsheets
• presentation programs
• databases
• editing
• social media
• e-mail
• website design
• computer programming
• careers in computers

Lesson Text

There are 25 chapter in the Digital Savvy course. Each chapter contains hands-on "Work With Me" activities as well as chapter quizzes, tests, lab assignments and supplemental lessons. The lessons include step-by-step instruction as well as videos.

Each student will set up their own account. There is a separate teacher account where you can track your students progress. The teacher account provides lesson summaries, teaching objectives, suggested order of activities throughout each chapter, and discussion questions. All student accounts are self grading so there is no need to worry about grading!! The projects and activities do require the teacher to grade. 

Teacher Menu

Over the years my daughter has learned to use different programs, applications, and computer related stuff on an as needed basis. She has never taken a computer class. Though she knows many basics this program has been great for filling in the gaps. She has learned so much from Digital Savvy. At first she was not thinking that the program was going to be useful but as she worked through the chapters she has found the program quit helpful. My daughter was even more excited when she found out that I would give her high school credit for completing this course.  

Chapter Contents

The layout of the program is very user friendly. Students with minimum computer knowledge can easily follow that is being taught. The quizzes throughout the chapter ensure that the student is understanding as well as completing the required work. There is lesson text available to read or reference that is basically a script of the videos. This option is definitely great for students that learn better by reading rather than hearing. I would highly suggest that your student watch the videos even if they choose to read the lesson texts. At the end of each chapter your student will complete the chapter test and chapter project. 

As well as being extremely informative the videos and graphics are quite entertaining. I really like that CompuScholar incorporates student projects in order to put into practice what is learned in each chapter. 

Video

We are diehard Mac users. Many of my children has absolutely no experience with PC's. I do believe that is it important to learn about both operating systems but it would be nice if CompuScholar gave the user the ability to focus more on the particular operating system that they use. With that said, getting basic understanding of PC's was great. Learning Mac's and PC's are like learning two totally different languages. Both are important to have basic knowledge of and without this course my daughter would not have had this exposure. 

Quiz

As a parent I was very grateful that sections on computer security and safety were included. We can tell our children the dangers behind social media and computer safety but sometimes when it comes from a neutral source it is better received and believed. 

I will most definitely be having several of my other children work through this course. I would also highly recommend Digital Savvy to homeschoolers and educators. 

To read more reviews click here.

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Air Dry Clay

Fun With Clay

Memoria Press ~ A Review

The Iliad & Odyssey Complete Set from Memoria Press will help introduce your student to two of the greatest works of the ancient world. This set is a part of the Classical Studies and is geared for grades 7-12.

The Iliad & Odyssey Set includes:

• The Iliad
• The Odyssey
• The Iliad DVD's
• The Odyssey DVD's
• The Iliad Student Workbook
• The Iliad Teacher Guide
• The Odyssey Student Workbook
• The Odyssey Teacher Guide

For many students studying Homer's Iliad & Odyssey can be overwhelming and difficult to read and comprehend. Having a good curriculum is very helpful and Memoria Press does an amazing job at presenting both of these works in a way that accomplish that goal. My 8th grader, who is an avid reader, is fascinated with ancient Greek and Roman Mythology and was very excited to work through this set.

My 8th grade daughter has been working through The Iliad over the past weeks. Reading the book by itself can be challenging. Both The Iliad & The Odyssey are not your normal sit down and read kind of books. Memoria Press has done a great job at helping students understand Homer's classic.

Student Guide
The student workbook is broken down into the 24 books that correlate to The Iliad. Each book lesson consists of the following:

• Identify Places and Characters (pronunciations and definitions of key places and characters)
• Comprehension Questions
• Quotations (quotations of great importance)
• Discussion Questions

The Appendix at the end of the student guide is extremely helpful. It contains:

• Genealogies
• Alternative Names in Homer's Iliad
• The Friends and Foes of Homer's Iliad
• Definitions
• Character References

My daughter really liked the student guide set-up. Being able to review the important places and characters before reading a book as well as referencing while reading was helpful. She found the comprehension questions to be fairly easy and straightforward.  

Teacher Guide
I was so very grateful for the extra helps provided in the teacher guide. For each book in The Iliad the teacher's guide gives a summary of that book, important highlights to make sure the student has grasped and well as a guided tutorial for each section. The guide notates important items that you student should highlight in their guides that will be on TESTS. The teachers guide contains the tests as well as a test key.

Some of the enrichment activities suggested throughout The Iliad are:

• Drawing reference maps of the Ancient World
• Memorization
• Writing Essays
• Debates

I found the teacher's guide to be extremely helpful. It has been YEARS since I read or studied Homer's works. 

DVD's
These DVD's are the perfect complement to studying The Iliad & The Odyssey! The DVD lectures give the student a great overview of what is happening in Homer's writings. My daughter was definitely resistant to watching the DVD's, that was until she started reading The Iliad. After reading a couple of pages she looked at me and said, "What in the heck is going on. I don't get this at all." After she listened to the first lecture all of the sudden everything began making sense and she was able to understand what was going on in the book. My daughter didn't particularly like how long the lectures were but she realized that in order to really have a global understanding it "really" did take time. The lectures give background, explanations, and crucial points to getting the most out of Homer's writings.

Book
I really like that Memoria Press offers a compete set. I liked the font type and size. This may seem crazy but sometimes my kiddos are put off by books that have small fonts. They look at the pages and see so much black! The book coordinates with all other components in the complete set. The pages are nice and thick so that if your student chooses to highlight or write something in the margin it will not bleed through. These book editions feature the translations of Samuel Butler. 

At the end of the Iliad study it says:"Congratulations! You have made it to the end of one of literature's greatest epics. You are now prepared for the Odyssey!"

The Odyssey set has the same set-up as The Iliad. My daughter cannot wait to start in on Homer's next adventure. 

I have used a significant amount of curriculum from Memoria Press with my kiddos over the years. I have NEVER been disappointed with the results. I would highly recommend this curriculum set to other educators or homeschoolers. 

To read more reviews click here.

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My Daughter the Artist

Night Sky With Trees

My 17 year old daughter's newest painting.  

Strong Learning ~ A Review

Bessie's Pillow published by Strong Learning, Inc. is a book worth reading. The book is based on the true story of Bessie Markman Dreizen, a young Jewish immigrant, escaping the horrific persecution of Jews in Lithuania and her search for a better life in America.

The book is divided into 3 main sections:

Prologue: New Rocelle 1950
Part One: Leaving Home 1906-1908
Part Two: New Rochelle 1908-1925
Part Three: Going On 1925-1936
Afterword & Bessie's America

I love reading and am drawn to historical books of any kind.  Bessie's Pillow was one of those books that once I started I reading I could not put down. My 14 year old daughter devours books of any kind. We both really enjoyed this book. Bessie's Pillow is more than just a story of coming to America, it is a story about strength, resilience, and courage. The author does an amazing job at making the reader feel as if you are experiencing what is transpiring throughout the book. From horror, to sadness, defeat, and determination you will be transported back in time and come away wishing you could meet this amazing woman, Bessie. Before leaving Lithuania in 1906 at the tender age of 18, Bessie (Boshka) gets a tap on her shoulder. An acquaintance, Chana Dreizen, asks Bessie to deliver a feather pillow embroidered with flowers to her son in America. The pillow has a Yiddish phrase: May this pillow bring you peace. After reading further on into the book this phrase begins to carry significant meaning. 

Bessie's first encounter with family in America doesn't go so well. She finally settles in with Miriam and Lou, relatives who embrace her fully. Not wanting to be a burden, Bessie soon seeks employment. Her first real friend in American dies. Bessie's first job is in a factory where she is confronted with the horrors and deplorable conditions of factories. Eventually she finds more suitable employment and goes on to find Nathan, the son of Chana. The series of events begin to unfold into a beautiful love story. With love also comes tragedy. Tragedy then turns back to joy. I would so love to share more about this book but sharing more would take away from your experience as you read, Bessie's Pillow. 

A teacher's resource page is available to further explore topics such as:

• Immigration
• Progressive Era
• Statue of Liberty
• Emma Lazarus
• Immigrant Stories
• Ellis Island
• Relevant News of the Era

At the end of the book the Afterword includes photographs from Bessie's life. Also includes is a section entitled, Bessie's America which enrichment and historical facts.

My 14 year old said, "Once I started reading I could not put the book down. Not only was it a great story but I learned so much about history during this time period. Great book."

I enjoyed this book immensely and would highly recommend this book as a required read. I would suggest this book for middle school and above. The book would be a wonderful addition to your child's history education. My daughter is now interested in making her own embroidered pillow similar to the one in the book.

"I will not be locked up in such a room again, I will not be treated with

disrespect no matter how little money I have, I will not be a slave!"

~Bessie~

About Bessie's Pillow

• Title: Bessie's Pillow - A Young Immigrant's Journey (Based on a true story)
• Author: Linda Bress Silbert
• Publisher: Strong Learning. Inc
• ISBN: 978-0-89544-201-7
• Copyright: 2014 
• Pages: 290

To read more reviews click here.

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Creating A Masterpiece ~ A Review

My children have been working through and enjoying the Monthly Plan from Creating a Masterpiece. Creating a Masterpiece is an online art program that teaches students technique that result in quality works of art. The program teaches various mediums of art using step-by-step instructions. Depending on maturity level, children as young as 4-5 can work through the Beginner and Level One lessons.

There are several plans that you can purchase.

This art program provides lessons in:

• Acrylic Painting 
• Soft Pastels
• Oil Pastels
• Sculpture
• Watercolor
• Block Printing
• Ink
• Silk Dyeing
• Pencil
• Bombay Ink
• Conte' Crayon
• Portraiture
• Colored Pencil
• Copper Tooling
• Charcoal
• Glass Mosaic
• Watercolor Pencils
• Gouache
• Balsa Carving 

The program is broken down into levels of difficulty from Beginner through Level 5. There is also a section devoted to Art in History. Students can work through the levels or choose an art medium to study. Each project is broken down into short video lessons.

How we used Creating A Masterpiece 

I used this with my kiddos ranging in ages from 8 to 17. My younger kiddos liked that they could pause the video in order to work at their own pace. My oldest daughter, who is an artist, was able to skip through the lessons and create the projects at a quicker pace. Some of my kiddos have great attention spans and were able to work through a project in one sitting. My younger kiddos sometimes took up to, two weeks to complete a project. Overall, I was very happy that none of my kiddos got frustrated. They were all pleasantly surprised that they could CREATE!!!

There were a couple of things about the program that my children did not like. First, they all felt like Sharon talked down to them. They said that it was like she was talking to kindergarteners. Most of my kiddos also commented that Sharon went way too fast. This was an easy fix because they could just pause the video. A couple of my kiddos felt like there was too much extra fluff that was not necessary and they just wished that she would focus on the project. Again, this was easy to remedy because they could skip through the videos.

Each lesson is set up to help the student succeed. Lessons begin with an introduction to the project. A supply list is included for each project and a link to Dick Blick that includes what is needed for each project. Lesson Highlights, Downloads, and Helpful Hints are included to give the student extra support. The student can also download a High Resolution Image of the project. I do not think that I have ever come across another online art program that makes learning and executing art so easy!

My 14 year old said, "I never thought I was good at art but after completing the Tropical Rainbow Fish I realized I really am pretty good at art. I look forward to spending many more hours working on other projects on the Creating A Masterpiece site."

My 17 year old said, "I love every medium of art. I am not really good at creating original works of art. I was able to recreate many of the artwork pieces on this website without much effort. Some are a bit more challenging and I look forward to tackling them soon."

My 10 year old said, "I really am not that good at art but I really like art. These lessons have helped me learn how to create art pieces. Maybe with practice I will continue to improve." 

My 8 year old said, "I love art. I didn't want to try a lot of the projects because they looked so hard. I tried a couple of them and even though it didn't look much like the original it was still really fun." 

I could continue to talk about Creating A Masterpiece but I think that the results speak for itself. Without further ado, let me present to you my kiddos art!

Lesson in Watercolor: Floral Medley

Conte' Crayon: White Stallion 

Charcoal Shading: Stork

Colored Pencil: Tropical Clown Fish

Mixed Media: Candlelight

Acrylic: Caribbean Lighthouse

Wood Burning: Noble Lion

Soft Pastel: Baby Bluebird

Ink and Watercolor Pencils: Iguana 

This work is in progress.....

Here is a collage of Sharon Hofer's original artwork. 
These are a few of the projects my kiddos created.

*disclaimer - the above pictures in the collage are from the 
Creating A Masterpiece website.

Overall Thoughts

I really liked Creating A Masterpiece. I would highly recommend this online art program to others. Thank you Sharon Hofer for bringing art to EVERYONE! I will continue to use this art program for my kiddos. Go and check it out!

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." 

~ Edgar Degas ~

To read more reviews click here.

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