_In The News July 2007 Vol. 10-7
President’s Message  Summer
brings with it a time for relaxing, for having fun, for enjoying
family and friends and for trying new things. Because we are
outside so much of the time, we may tend to scatter and not take the
time to spend talking with our children or our friends. The warm
evening hours give opportunity for quiet reflection of the days
events. A shared spot on a step, a porch swing or a blanket on
the grass encourages talk. Although my days are busy, those
quiet, after dinner hours give me an opportunity to hear from my
neighbors and friends about the new and/or favorite things they have been
doing. Just when you think you have done everything and
know where every place is, you learn something new! I have
learned so many places to visit or things to see virtually in my own
backyard. I am grateful for what I learn in the quiet, warm
evening hours of summer.
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Enjoy the simple pleasures of summer
this month!
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Receive an additional five percent off the registration fee when enrolling for e-Tutor Virtual Learning before the end of August. Simply put the word "Special07" in the referral spot on the entry form. If you would like more information call 877-687-7200. |
Not
long ago, a friend down the block invited me to dinner. I was astounded
to learn that she has turned her kitchen into an incubation room for
monarch butterflies. She has them at all levels of development,
from eggs, to baby caterpillars, to cocoons, and to the hatching
butterfly. 
Several
years ago, Julie planted milkweed plants along her alley. She
searches for butterfly eggs every day. It is hard to spot
them, they are tiny white spots, smaller than a pinhead,
on the milkweed plant. Once the egg hatches, they turn black and
it is even harder to see them. The little black spot is
the baby caterpillar. She places the eggs in a plastic container with
damp paper until they hatch. Once they hatch she puts them in
another container with milkweed leaves to grow and develop. Once
the caterpillar is large it will build a cocoon, where it stays until
it has developed into the beautiful monarch butterfly. She sets
these out in her garden so the process can start over again. 
Julie
shares the adult caterpillars with the neighbor children. They
keep them in a plastic container, feeding them milkweed leaves, until
they hatch into butterflies. I credit all of the monarch
butterflies in my garden to Julie and the neighbor children who help
her grow them. The habitat for the monarch butterfly has
continually decreased from encroaching industry, homes, roads and
business. It is thro
ugh the efforts of people, like Julie, that
the creatures of our environment continue to survive. She
says it doesn't take much for each of us to do our part. 
Fall
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The strongest and sweetest song remains to be sung. Walt Whitman (1819-1892), Poet |
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COMPUTATION
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ALGEBRA
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Adapted from Ginn and Co. |
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Mathematics
Curriculum
Summer reading is
invaluable for our children. Sharing books with others
encourages children to develop an independent reading habit while
motivating them to read about people and subjects that interest
them. The following ideas for sharing books are intended to
encourage children to express ideas in artistic and dramatic form.
These are wonderful ways for children to share with their parents,
siblings and friends what they have read.
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It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong. Warren Buffett, Investor and Business Leader |
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Can you be a silly-willy or are you too far gone? If you can't act a little goofy once in a while, it might just be that you've grown so parental you've become disconnected from your mischievous, playful side. It could mean that you've forgotten about having fun in life. Are you more than likely to be slightly cranky? Or, worse yet, are you on the verge of becoming terribly bored and boring? Are you a workaholic? Do
your children often see you laugh? Sadly some parents squelch
their children with too much seriousness, mistakenly equating teaching
responsibility with always being stern and hardworking. Perhaps
they don't know that silliness is a natural way of burning off excess
energy after learning a new task or feeling a strong emotion. If
you find yourself giving lectures about the good old days, you're
stuck in a rut. It's probably time to take a leap forward, let
your hair down, and see another point of view. Perhaps
you've been feeling a little weary and have started noticing the frown
lines across your brow? If this is the case, you might need the
therapy that only a child can deliver: jump on a trampoline and
read Dr. Seuss out loud for starters. Ask yourself, "When
was the last time I goofed off?" "When was I slightly
foolish?" Yesterday, last week, last year: It's never too
late! If you find yourself full of negativity and worry that
nothing is going your way, stop to play a silly game with your child
for just a half hour. Try Simon Says, or follow-the-leader, or a
game of Crazy Eights. If doing it for yourself is not compelling
enough, do it for her....let her see the child in you for a change;
she'll be delighted. Add silliness to your breakfast with cinnamon toast, hippopotamus pancakes, and orange juice tea through a straw. At noontime slurp root-beer floats and gobble heart-shaped mashed banana sandwiches. For your silly dinner try veggies and fingers dipped in peanut-butter sauce and sip hot chocolate soup. Silliness is healthy, too. If you've become a stodgy, old crank, ask a child to teach you to play. When feeling uptight, worried, or in a stew, pause for a silly moment; think silly, act silly, walk silly, talk silly. If you're hopelessly out of practice, look to your child for a cue; you won't find a more willing coach. Your child's laughter is the best remedy for what ails you. Wonderful Ways to Love A Child, Judy Ford |
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Welcome Mathematics In Your Home!
You can help your child succeed in mathematics by......
Adapted from Illinois
Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Keeping spirits high and our children motivated and energized to help around the house is among the most puzzling and critical to family harmony as the summer moves on. Consider these approaches:
Adapted from Crain's Chicago Business |
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We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. Robert H. Shaffer |
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A novice parachutist couldn't open his chute on his first jump. As he was falling toward the ground, he saw another individual flying upward past him. Calling out to the passerby, he said, "Do you know anything about parachutes?" The man going up replied, "No....do you know anything about gas stoves?"
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Learning at home is very important to your child's development. As a parent, you have an opportunity to make an enormous difference in how much and how well your child learns. You are your child's most important teacher. What you do as a parent helps your child:
You child is never too young to learn. The early years of a child's life provide the foundation for later learning and they can be some of the most fruitful years of all. Summer activities and family trips are good chances for a child to explore and see new things, like the ocean, mountains, cities, farms.....in fact anything that's different from what he or she normally sees at home. Vacations provide a great chance to broaden your child's horizons.
Have fun helping your child learn! Learning is fun for everyone...you and your child. Enjoy it together! Adapted from National School Public Relations |
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A growing body of data indicating that
television violence is harmful can no longer be denied, according the
Catherine Walters, author of Cultural Violence. Films and
television programs provide male role models who use physical force or
weapons to solve problems or achieve goals. Violent movies are
called "action movies," and the most popula The media have also glorified war, gangster killings and murder as ways to resolve conflict. The most popular sports are the most violent ones....notably football. "We have become so accustomed to violence in the media that increasingly extreme acts must be portrayed to generate audience response," Walters says. Adapted from Illinois Association of School Boards |
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I am a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. Stephen Leacock |
Ancient Stones of Scotland: This fascinating site is part of SCRAN, a searchable archive of history and culture. Links lead to pictures of natural and manmade stone outcroppings, with the local lore included. The glossary can pump up your vocabulary a bit, too. http://www.stonepages.com/ancient_scotland/ What is Photosynthesis? A
hot list of photosynthesis, courtesy of Arizona State
University. Some articles are geared to elementary and middle
school, other articles are appropriate for college students.
Learn about photosynthetic pigments, preparing starch slides and how
photosynthesis rates are measured in nature. Visual Thinking: Sketchbooks from the Archives of American Art: Although it would be more effective if many pages from these sketchbooks were shown, this website gives examples of sketchbooks from thirty American artists. Examples will give students in studio art classes ideas for their own sketchbooks, and samples of different styles. http://www.aaa.si.edu/exhibits/pastexhibits/sketchbk/sketchbk.htm All Magic Guide: The magician in all of us will enjoy this website devoted to slight of hand and illusion. Streaming video allows you to see how some basic illusions are created. Articles explain how to do-it-yourself. Links are available to Magic TV (TV picks having to do with magic), books and videos. http://allmagicguide.com/ Exploratorium: Global Climate Change Research Explorer: At this website, you can explore scientific data relating to the atmosphere, the oceans, the areas covered by ice and snow, and the living organisms in all these domains. Study the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and global effects and access current research of our changing world. There are great links included for student researchers. http://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/index.html California Academy of Sciences: Anthropology Collection Database: Searching for Anthropological artifacts is a snap with this website. Choose Search the Database, then choose the category. Be sure to check the box for image if you want the items returned in your search to include an image. For a test, try the category 'Raw Materials,' check image, then take a look at some of the materials humans have used in their creations. http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/collection/collintro.htm Best of History Web Sites:
This U.S. - based website reviews some of the best history websites
available. Top level categories include Prehistory, Medieval,
U.S. History, Early Modern European, 20th Century, World War II, and
Art History. Many of the websites we have selected before, but
sometimes it's just good to have more.
Enjoy Time Away This Month! From the Knowledge HQ Staff Copyright © 2007 Knowledge Headquarters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.knowledgehq.com |
To help your child
understand the importance of mathematics, it is necessary for parents
to talk about mathematics and identify how it relates to all aspects
of life....at home, at work and at play. 
d fun at
home. Such as:
Maps
and Schedules
and order others to implement them, don't be surprised if the
implementers drag their feet. Children enjoy having some
control over what they are doing, even if it's only being asked
for their opinions. 
.
r television
shows have countless murders and assaults every hour. 
