When curriculum attacks!

I have a confession to make:

I've never been to a homeschooling convention.

Whew. That feels so much better. Now you all know.

My first one will be this one: www.nwcatholicconference.com. I'd love to go to the one featured at www.washhomeschool.org, but it's always an inconvenient date for some reason. I also know that I, like most homeschooling mommies, am a sucker for curriculum. Our last homeschooling mom's meeting featured "What Worked, What Didn't" and of course that set me off. So this morning, I'm looking up what I want to use for Gabe and Brandon next year, and making my list of need vs. want. www.ourfathershouse.biz is a local business, and they have half of what I want, and Julia, the store owner, is offering 10% off and will meet you there at the conference if you order before the end of April! So I'm planning ahead so that I don't spend all my money. I am a heavy library user for a lot of the history books, too.

This year I am planning to loosely follow the Mother of Divine Grace curriculum, but supplement with Apologia science, Singapore Math, and CHC art. And I am NOT buying a bunch of classical music for the prices listed. I am going to try real hard to find these things cheap. We'll see what happens when I get there, but I'm brining my husband to talk sense to me when we go by the curriculum tables.

Here is what I want to buy, followed by the schedule for the conference. If you want to go, go to the website and get ready to pay a little more than $50 for the whole two days per family. I can hardly wait!

My list:

Can be ordered from Our Father’s House: $180 -10% = $162

4^th grade syllabus $30

Kindergarten syllabus $30

Prima Latina OR Latina Christiana with CD $30-$40? (more than this. Do we want to pursue latin at all? There are dvd’s and flash cards to buy too.)

Our Pioneers and Patriots with key $34

The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas (Seton) $20

The Evangelization of the New World $30

REQUIRED: $50

Singapore Math $12 each

Exploring Creation with Astronomy (Jeannie Fullbright, Apologia Press) $35

A variety of WA history books, but can get at library. Must do hay maze this year.

OPTIONAL: $68 plus artist series

Art mentioned at OLOG “Learning to Appreciate Art” CHC $28.95

Mind Benders® A1 $10 each
Deductive Thinking Skills $9.99

A Weekend With… series $10 paperbacks

Leapfrog letter fridge magnet $10

The Drawing Textbook $8

Writing Road to Reading 5^th Edition $23

The SCHEDULE! (Sorry, it won't copy and paste the way I want it too, so match the times in order with the events...

Friday, May 2, 2008

9:00-10:00

10:00-11:00
11:15-12:45
12:45-2:00
2:00-3:30

4:00-4:45
4:45-7:00
7:00-10:00

Fr. Kurt Nagel - "Forming men of God: Theological reflections upon what it means to be and to raise Catholic men"
Lee Binz - The Home Scholar - "Homeschooling through High School"
Bonnie & Albert Landry - "Catholic Family Life: A Near Death Experience"
Lunch & Shopping
Camille De Blasi Pauley - "A Crash Course in Effective Public Speaking, and Why Your Child Should Master this Lost Art"
Dr. Joan Cotter - "Does it Matter How We Teach Math?"
Shopping & Dinner
Family Dance - Eastside Swing with Chris & Alison Evan

Saturday, May 3, 2008

9:00-10:00

10:30-12:00
12:00-1:00
1:00-3:00
3:30-5:00

5:30-6:30

Fr. Dean Henderson - "Athanasius - Model for the Catholic Family - Called to be in
the World, Not of the World"
Laura Berquist - "Catholic Home Education - the Classic Approach"
Lunch and Shopping
Stephanie Maricich - "Lay the Foundations for your Great Grandchildren's Legacy"
Anne Wilson & Amannda Schneider - "Using Education Coops when it Benefits your Family"
Divine Liturgy - Fr. Abraham Miller