Tips for Increasing Your Kid's Attention

Every week, I try to either attend a webinar or read a few articles on topics that interesting educationally.  I sometimes weave these into interactions with different families, discussions with other teachers or share some specific ideas with all of you.

Six Engaging Ways to Help Children Pay Better Attention is a short article that I thought would encourage you and even remind you of some simple things you can do to increase your child's attention.  The article is focused on young children but I think that it applies to all children (and often adults!).  I hope that you enjoy the read.  :)

Email Frustrations

Hi everyone,

It seems as though I'm having trouble getting information out to people as I was sick for a week, helping the school with their information booth at Missions Fest and then having issues with my emails.

My inbox - each day!!!

If you are waiting for a response from me, or have not heard some information that you are looking for, please forgive me.  I'm trying to figure out why this is happening.  I'll try to keep you in the loop here and hopefully some of my emails are actually getting through...

For those of you whose kids are doing FSAs, please remember that the closing date is quickly approaching - February 17.  After this date, the online access will no longer be available.  Please let me know when your child has finished their FSAs.  Also, please return their completed booklets (with the written portions) in the included envelope address to the school as soon as they are completed.  They must arrive at the school office by the end of February.  Thank you so much for doing this!

Blessings everyone!

Welcome to 2017!

We are at the end of January and it is time to check in and evaluate our progress!  :)  You should be past the halfway point with your curriculum and lessons.  You may need to adjust your schedule to meet your end-of-year goals.

Just a reminder from the fall:  

"This year, portfolios will be due Nov. 8, Feb. 9 and May 31.  All weekly communications, work samples and portfolio submissions are used for these assessments."  Report cards can be viewed in Encom.  

One summer, we found a shark washed up on the beach!  Wow!

It seems like time is racing by and I have been enjoying chatting with many of you, through email, texting, messenger or by phone.  Thanks for keeping me up-to-date with how things are going with you child's learning and lessons.  There are some amazing things happening in our 'class' of families!  Please try to remember to include those 'unusual' activities that your child has been involved in as part of the portfolio - so much of what they do is an important part of their learning!

Have a wonderful week!

SLPs and Work Samples

Welcome to October!

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to October!  Thank you to the many of you who are communicating with me regularly about the learning that is happening for your children.  I really appreciate the effort you put into this and will be commenting more thoroughly on those reports you send.  I’ve been focusing on making sure that the SLPs are getting completed and communicating with those families who are still working through that process.  Thank you for your patience!

SLP Parent / Guardian Sign Off

It is time for families to review your child(ren)’s SLPS (student learning plans) in Encom.  As a Ministry of Education requirement, a parent or guardian needs to sign off on the SLP.   When you view those online, you will see the information that you sent/discussed with me, as well as some added ideas for activities and sometimes goals for courses that no specific goal was stated.  Please have a look at these documents and let me know if there is anything you would like changed.  If you are satisfied with how an SLP looks as it is, then please fill in the screen saying that you accept the SLP as it is (“completed collaboratively with the Support Teacher” as it represents your input and mine).  If you would like to change something, add something or remove something, then let me know directly.  Keep in mind, we can alter these documents at any time.  We are just required at this time of year to make sure that the parents have reviewed these documents.

When you log into Encom, this is what the screen should look like. Click on the green “Student Learning Plan” button to review the SLP.  You then type in your name as the parent/guardian and then you type in your name a second time as your legal signature.  Finally, you click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Save SLP Sign Off.”  Done!

A couple of you may find that the SLP is incomplete.  If so, then I am waiting for some more information from you.  If you have already sent it, then please send it again as I must not have received it – likely some email glitch that happens occasionally.  

Proof of Work Samples  

Over the next 2 weeks, I’m collecting student work samples of work that each student has done between Oct. 1 and Oct.18, 2016.  I’m required to provide evidence that your child is working as a Home Learner and the Ministry of Education has decided that teachers must upload 2-3 learning samples for each student, all completed during the first half of October.  I need 2-3 samples total for each HCOS student.  

These need: 

1. The student’s name. 

2. A date from Oct.1 to Oct. 18 when the work was completed.

3. Must be from different subjects/courses.

When I receive those work samples from you, I save them as PDF files, add a teacher comment on each (indicating the course, an evaluation or a personal response) then upload them into your child’s Encom account.  I can use photos, .doc and .docx files, pdf, text, images loaded on facebook or google drive, images on blogs, or texts to my phone.  If you would like to send those samples a different way, just ask as I may be able to work out different ways as well.  These can be samples from workbooks, photos of models built, reading lists of books your child has read, tests they have already completed, score records from software programs for math or languages, pictures from a hockey game…hopefully you get the idea.  ANY learning that your child is doing.  J 

**If any of you are interested in trying out an online portfolio, I have started to use FreshGrade, which would allow you to upload photos and videos into an electronic (or E) portfolio and leave comments or descriptions there.  If you are interested, let me know and I’ll send you the log in information for your child in my ‘class.’  Here is their site, but don’t sign up so I can just invite you to be part of my class. FreshGrade

It sounds like the weather has kind of changed for many of you this past week!  Bruce and I were blessed to be able to make a trip to Hinton this weekend where we ‘represented’ the family at Bruce’s brother-in-law's first service as the Pastor at Hinton Alliance.  It was wonderful to be there to support Bruce’s sister and her husband and to also see the church’s welcome of them – what a blessing to our hearts to see how warmly they were welcomed and accepted into their new community and church.  It was a quick trip but such a great reminder of how we long for people to speak life, love, truth, joy – Christ – into the people we love.  I often hope and pray for that to be happening to all of you, especially when you feel alone or overwhelmed with the task given to you, to home educate your child.  May you all be encouraged and affirmed this week and I pray that God brings that to you in a variety of ways.

Lessons on Line

Hi everyone,

I have been enjoying teaching the element of line to young learners this week and thought I would share the ideas with you.  :)

A)  First, I talk to every group about the element of "Line."  There are different directions (horizontal, vertical and diagonal) that lines can move.  There are different kinds of lines (straight, curved, broken) and different ways that lines end (open, closed and crossed - think of the ends not touching, touching, or the lines crossing over each other or itself at any time).

There are plenty of styles of lines - your imagination will take you to wide, skinny, jagged, wavy and on and on and on!

B)  After talking about 'LINE' then I show a short video from youtube:

K-2 Kindergarten Lines There is no sound, just a very short video that demonstrates different kinds of lines.

3-4 Lines  There is no sound but I talk through this video, drawing attention to the types of lines being used in each demonstration.

5-6  Jazz it up with Paul Klee  There is sound with this video, so you can decide whether you want to turn it down or let it play.  It is very loosely based on some of the artworks by the famous artist Paul Klee (pronounced "clay").

C) After the video, I had each group complete a practice/project that complimented the video watched.  We used pencils first, then markers or paint on top.

Kindergarten - copied me as I demonstrated each type of line we learned about in the video, then chose coloured markers to trace each line.  We used regular printer paper and pencils.  Done.

1 - watched me demonstrate curved, closed lines that created closed spaces on their paper.  They chose coloured markers to colour in those spaces.  We used regard printer paper, pencils and markers.  Done.

2 - using a thicker type of paper, created a series of horizontal (or vertical) lines that went all the way across the paper. They were straight, curved, wavy, zigzag, or whatever they could imagine a horizontal line could move like. and as many different kinds or horizontal lines as they wanted to include. Next, these students painted a different colour between all the lines to fill up the space between the lines.  When it was dry, they carefully painted over the lines with black paint (they could have used a sharpie if the lines were very detailed. Due to the drying time, this project may take longer, which is why I like to use the powder or 'puck' paint as it dries very fast.  If you use a black marker instead of paint, then it dries almost right away.  We used yardstick paper, pencils, powder/puck paint, thinner paintbrushes, black markers.  Done.

3-4 - Filled an entire page with lines, like those demonstrated in the video.  Could choose to go over the lines with marker.  We used regular printer paper and pencils.  Done.

5-6 - Created a finished piece like that in the video.  Use a thicker type of paper so that the paper is firm while painting and holds the weight of the paint well.  Draw the lines first.  If you have lots of time, then paint the lines black next and let them dry before adding the coloured paint.  I didn't have lots of time so I had my students draw the lines with markers, then go straight onto the step of painting with colours.  Using the puck paint meant that the paint dried quite quickly and so then my students went back and used a liquid black paint to trace over the lines at the end.  They could have used a sharpie but it looks much nicer (in my opinion) with the black paint.  Dry flat. I do usually use a sharpie for students to sign their work.  We used yardstick paper, washable markers, powder/puck paint, wide paintbrushes to add colour, liquid tempera black paint with narrow paintbrushes.  Done.

Choose, whichever lesson you think your kids will most be engaged with, recognizing that line is the basis of most art, in some way, so I like to spend a few weeks learning about 'LINE' with my students.  Feel free to try them all if you like!  **Sorry for the lack of pictures - I'll have to try to remember to take pictures as I do these projects with local kids so that you can see what I mean when I'm describing different actions.  :)

Welcome to HCOS 2016-2017

Hello HCOS families!

My name is Niki Hildebrandt.  My husband, Bruce, and I were able to host and visit a number of friends and family this summer.  These pictures highlight our summer - spending time with people and helping where we could.   What a blessing!

Family

Friends

Chores

I love to explore, try new things and see where God wants to take me.  What a privilege to be called to partner with you and your family in your educational journey!

What a great year is before us that will no doubt have highs and lows, opportunities to learn and grow, and find joy in growing closer to God.  I’m so excited to get moving!

I am interested to know how you would like to do your communicating with me this year as there are lots of options and I want to make sure that we choose something that fits you.  Please email me directly with your choice of reporting style (email, Skype, phone calls, blogging, etc) so that I know what your preference is (and that you were able to get to this link).

May our Father give us wisdom as we all continue to journey to become the people that He has designed us to be.  

Niki Hildebrandt

Portfolio Visits!

For our visits, we’d like to spend the most time looking at what your kids have enjoyed doing this year.  This could be projects, inventions, activities that your children have enjoyed doing, creating and showing.  If your child has a report to read out, a game to show us, a craft extravaganza that they want to display, whatever, we want to spend time focused on those things.

If you know of other things that show your child’s lessons and learning but are not all that ‘exciting’ for your child to show us, like workbooks, science/socials/math tests, reading lists, lists of physical activities, or even projects you are proud of but your child doesn’t really care about – these are the types of projects to show us separately, or give to us to peruse at a different time.  We can go through those materials rather quickly without your child having to sit through that, or take away from something that is more fun.  Other good things to share separately may be items that your child really likes to do but would take a very long time for your child to show every page/detail (like a phonics book). 

We’d love to play games, listen to piano playing, have tours of the forts, watch a science experiment, listen to an oral report, talk about a diorama, see the trampoline tricks, whatever celebrates your child’s learning and made school interesting for him/her.

After our visits, I will update your child’s outcome pages and send you questions for things that I still need information about (sometime in the following weeks).  Once I get your response, then I will update again and ask you to view the report card (which you can view at any time).  At that point, you can let me know if I’ve missed anything else, or if it is fine as is.

This process is intended to allow us to focus more on the students during our visits and less on the specific outcomes to be covered in their ‘grade.’  Also, for our first year families, it will let us get to know your kids better and for you to know us better.  :)  Let's have fun!

Chatting with some girls in Zambia

My mom and I hamming it up for the picture

My cousin and I with a dinosaur :)