It’s a Snow Day @ Great Peace Academy

I remember clearly staying up until the 11:00 news to see if our schools would be closed due to snow the following morning. ‘Please say Logan County Schools’  became or mantra as we sat if front of the tv. If they didn’t we’d get up early and repeat the process the next morning. And if such a blessed event were to occur, we would bundle up and go out to play in the great white wonder called winter, my self, my 3 siblings and our neighbor Amy who to us was like another member of the family. We had the best sledding hills next door behind my mammaw’s house. If we got going just right we could sled down the hill, across the yard, hit the road and all the way down the holler (that’s a hollow for those of you who don’t know what a holler is).  We built snow forts and had snowball fights, we used large icicles as swords. We had the times of our lives. Then we would go in for cinnamon toast and cream of wheat as we sat around the floor heater recounting our adventures. Ah the memories.

Since I began home-education, snow days have not really come into play for us. Oh sure we might take off a few hours to go out and build a snowman, but otherwise we have school as usual since we are living where we school. Today was different. This morning was scheduled months ago as the first day of winter quarter swim lesson and gym class at a local rec center, and the afternoon was scheduled to be a filed trip day for our co-op. After several days of rain and an arctic front moved in, we woke this morning to a snow covered world. Shortly after waking the phone rang and we find out swim and gym are cancelled. Co-op too cancelled the field trip, so I proceed to make cream of wheat! Since we finished all our school work for the week, it is oficially a Snow Day at the academy!
Whilr I catch up on some needed things around the house my little man will have the freedom to play to his hearts content. I think unstructured play time is important for children. If he asks which he has not yet, I will bundle up and go build snowmen with him or forts or whatever. In the meantime he’s playing music on his keyboard at it’s a beautiful sound!
Some highlights from this week. J is learning about the nervous system, specifically the brain. He has learned to name the lobes of the brain and he made a clay model of one. He used the internet for the first time last night to look up facts about the brain. He took an online test to determine if he is left-brained or right-brained. We found out as we have suspected all along that he uses both sides quite sufficiently. The results showed that His ratio is 55% right brained and 44% left brained. Now where they come up with these kinds of tests I don’t know, but based upon my experience with this child I’d say that it was about accurate. 2012 brought in 6th grade math and 5th grade spelling for him. Since we don’t follow any set standards, we just move forward at his pace. We often finish one or two subjects mid-year so we just move forward. Additionally I gave him bacj the gifted math book we were using at the end of last year. I hadn’t used it throught he fall because we were so busy we were just getting through the basics. He took to it so well. It challenges a part of his mind that trditional math doesn’t. We also are going to refocus on poetry. Rhythm is such a natural part of his make-up that I think he will just adapt to it so well.’We have studied a few pieces in the past but I’m hoping to teach himhow to write his own poetry. Who know, with his music skills perhaps he could turn out to be quite the composer.

Happy Snow Day Friends!