Meditation, Happiness and Gratitude.

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Mama

Well I have started reverting back to my old ways again. For the past two weeks, I have meditated each day for a minimum of 1 hour a day. Sometimes I manage to do this first thing in the morning, while at other times it is in the afternoon or evening. The most important thing for me is the fact that I have started doing it again. And don’t I feel great!

Thankfully I have kept all my meditation CD’s and books, from when I used to teach Meditation within my classes, so it is just a matter of deciding what way I wish to meditate. The difference it is creating for me - is immense – as always! I feel more active, less stressed and better able to deal with everything that comes my way. My only thoughts – why did I step away from daily meditation for so long?

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ePals – Connecting Students and Teachers around the world

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Mama

I just wanted to share with you all a great website that I came across a while back, it is called ePals.com

In using this website we have come across other home educating families in various parts of the world as well as some other great people to communicate with and share ideas.

ePals is a Global Community of collaborative learners, teachers, and academic experts in 200 countries and territories.

ePals provides Connections to students, classes, and school districts worldwide that are safe and secure.

ePals is the safe and protected solution for linking classes, schools, and school districts globally via ePals SchoolMail, ePals SchoolBlog, and Classroom Match.

ePals Projects:

In the classroom or from home, guide your students’ learning with a global, online perspective. ePals provides learning units, instructional resources, best practices and member-created projects all arranged by topic. ePals teachers help us have the best and most efficient resources available for you to use in your classroom. As well, ePals continuously works with groups of educators to develop collaborative projects that include the following key components:

* Interactive: Students research and share data with global peers
* Cross-curricular: Math, sciences, languages, technology, social and cultural studies
* Inclusive: Projects accommodate multiple learning styles and age range

Some subjects currently being discussed on a global scale include:

Global Warming

People and Culture – The Way We Are.

A Worldwise look at Natural Disasters

& Digital Storytelling

Just to Name a few!

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Thursday’s Child – at the Theatre Royal, Hobart, Tasmania

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Mama

Today JAHG and I ventured into town to meet up with some other home ed families. We were going to the Theatre Royal in Hobart to see the play ‘Thursdays Child’. The performance was for children aged 12 and up, but as I had a particular interest in this play JAHG was to come along with us also. This is the second time we have been the the Theatre in the last few months.

The performance was incredibly moving at times and a wonderful portrayal of the book. Set in the depression years, the story told of the hardship and tribulations of the characters. The six performers managed to capture our attention and fill our world with wonderful creativity and tell the story of TIN and his family in a most beautiful way.

Based on the award-winning Australian novel, by Sonya Hartnett , Thursday’s Child is Tin, born on a Thursday and, like the old nursery rhyme, ‘has far to go’. A strange and lonely child who digs, his wanderings take him underneath the earth into the subterranean tunnels that he’s pre-destined to roam. Told by Tin’s sister, Harper Flute, it is a story of a family’s struggle on their desolate farm during the great depression. The play explores the spirit of struggle with change and misfortune, and is a poignant and intriguing story, ending in great hope.

Thursday’s Child is travelling around the country to a theatre near you, so I urge you, if you get the chance, to see the play as it is well worth your time and effort.

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Malunna Community Group – Molesworth, Tasmania.

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Mama

The Maluuna Community Group in Molesworth is currently running a number of activities and has extended an invitation to Home educating families and others within the community to come along and join in.

The Group runs from 9am to 4pm Every Thursday and has great facilities for all ages. It is situated in a beautiful setting with lots of room for indoor or outdoor activities.

Some of their upcoming events in May include…

Fun and Friendship in Singing

Sing Along, Thursday the 14th of May 2009 (and every other 2nd Thursday each month)

Come along and join in the fun with us as we sing along to the ABC “Sing” Book. A fun get together and no singing experience necessary!

There is a secure area for indoor play for the children allowing you the freedom to join in as well as watch children who may be too young to join in all the fun.

This will be a regular monthly event happening every 2nd Thursday in the month.

All Voices and All ages welcome!

Time: 10.30 am onwards

Cost: $2 a Family per week

Includes: Free Coffee / Tea and Cake / Morning Tea

What you need to bring: Drinks for your children and if you wish to stay and enjoy most of the day, please bring lunch and / or afternoon tea with you also. A BBQ is available for your use if you wish to use it.

Where: Molesworth Community Hall, Molesworth Road, Molesworth.

Coffee and Cake

Coffee and Cake, Thursday the 21st of May 2009 (and every other 3rd Thursday each month)

This is a friendly and informal get together where parents can chat over a nice coffee / tea and a slice of cake.

There is a secure area for indoor play for the children in wet weather as well as a huge outside oval and playing area for outdoor activities.

A BBQ is also available if you wish to bring along some sausages or similar to cook up for a warm lunchtime treat.

This will be a regular monthly event happening every 3rd Thursday in the month.

All ages welcome.

Time: 10.30 am onwards

Cost: $2 a Family per week

Includes: Free Coffee / Tea and Cake / Morning Tea

Where: Molesworth Community Hall, Molesworth Road, Molesworth.

A Taste of Poland

A Taste of Poland, Thursday the 28th of May 2009 (and every other 4th Thursday each month)

Come and experience the language, culture and food of Poland. We will be learning basic polish Language skills, while enjoying polish music, food and activities related to Poland.

There is a secure area for indoor play for the children allowing you the freedom to join in as well as watch children who may be too young to join in all the fun.

A polish style morning tea will be provided.

This will be a regular monthly event happening every 4th Thursday in the month.

All ages welcome.

Time: 10.30 am onwards

Cost: $2 a Family per week

Includes: Free Coffee / Tea and Cake / Morning Tea

DIRECTIONS

Molesworth Community Hall, Molesworth is situated on Molesworth Road, just past the Molesworth Primary school, Look out for the Maluuna – Come in and have a coffee sign!

We are 30 minutes drive from Hobart CBD and 10 minutes from New Norfolk. It can be accessed from the Lyell Highway at Sorell Creek or via Glen Lusk on the Collinsvale Road.

All activities are part of the Malunna Community Group and are co-ordinated by a Home Educating Mum

For further details and or directions please email The Co-ordinator Rachel at malunna_cg @ hotmail.com or alternatively email me at info@ golab.info and I will happily provide you with more information and or directions you require!

We look forward to hopefully seeing you at some or all of these gatherings!

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Homeschooling – Languages Polish & English

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Mama

I have always had a love of languages and as such wish for my children to also experience other languages and cultures. When we think about languages in this house the main two that come to mind are English and Polish. The reason behind the choices of these languages are as follows.

English is the main language spoken in our house as we live in an English speaking country and it is the Language that we need to use every day of our lives.

Polish is also an important language for us, which the children and I are trying to learn more of (Dad can speak it fluently as he was born there!). Polish is the Second Language spoken in our Family. Tata (Polish for Dad) and his parents speak this language most of the time when they are together, so it is a language that we are exposed to very often. It is however, for us non native polish speaking people, hard to learn! So we will be focusing in 2009 on improving our Polish language skills as part of our Homeschooling Curriculum and hopefully be able to better communicate with our Polish family members and Polish friends in the new year.

Anyway, in our search to find ways to teach our children languages we have come across the following websites and tools that may just be able to assist some one else in learning Polish as a language too!

We hope that you may find some of these websites interesting and informative and that you may just be able to learn a word or two in POLISH as well! Have fun!!!

Polish

FREE Polish WorkSheets

FREE Polish Translator

Polish WorkSheets and Answer Pages

Learn Polish – Free Trial Download

Basic Polish Phrases and Vocabulary

Polish Online Test – Just how much do you know?

Polish Radio – Make sure you click on the words to the left of the screen ‘Słushaj w internecie’! Then choose Radio 3.

Polish Alphabet and Sound (PDF Document)

Basic Polish Phrases – with MP3 Sound Files

Polish Phrase Book – 7 pages of Polish Phrases in a PDF File

Polish – English Dictionary Words – 69 Pages in a PDF File