We Speak Your Names

Rev. Clementa Pinckney
Tywanza Sanders
Cynthia Hurd
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
Susie Jackson
Ethel Lance
Myra Thompson
Rev. Depayne Middleton Doctor
Rev. Daniel Simmons, Sr

We speak your names:

Kalief Browder

Tony Robinson

Anthony Hill

Naeschy Vinzant

Terrance Moxley

Charly Keundeu

Matthew Ajibade

Tim Elliott

John Paul Quintero

Adisha Miller

Alesia Thomas

Darnesha Harris

Delores Epps

Eleanor Bumpurs

Erica Collins

Heather Parker

Jacqueline Culp

Karen Day

Kendra James

Laporsha Watson

Mackala Ross

Pearlie Golden

Robin T. Williams

Sharmel Edwards

Shelly Frey

Shulena S. Weldon

Tyisha Miller

Rumain Brisbon

Tamir Rice

Akai Gurley

Kajimeme Powell

Ezell Ford

Dante Parker

Michael Brown

John Crawford, III

Tyree Woodson

Eric Gardner

Victor White, III

Yvette Smith

McKenzie Cochran

Jordan Baker

Andy Lopez

Miriam Carey

Jonanthan Ferrell

Carlos Alcis

Larry Eugene Jackson, Jr.

Deion Fludd

Kimani Gray

Johnnie Kamahi Warren

Malissa Williams

Timothy Russell

Reynaldo Cuevas

Chavis Carter

Shantel Davis

Sharmel Edwards

Tamon Robinson

Ervin Jefferson

Kendrec McDade

Rekia Boyd

Shereese Francis

Wendell Allen

Nehemiah Dillard

Dante Price

Raymond Allen

Manuel Loggins, Jr.

Ramarly Graham

Kenneth Chamberlain

Alonzo Ashley

Kenneth Harding

Raheim Brown

Reginald Doucet

Derrick Jones

Danroy Henry

Aiyana Jones

Steven Eugene Washington

Aaron Campbell

Kiwane Carrington

Victor Steen

Shem Walker

Oscar Grant

Tarika Wilson

Michael Ray Rodriguez

Kenneth Arnold Buck

Leslie Sapp, III

Hashim Hanif Ibn Abdul-Rasheed

Ronald Sneed

Brian Pickett

Andre Larone Murphy, Sr.

Omarr Jackson, Sr.

Artago Damon Howard

Alfontish Cockerham

Spencer Lee McCain

Tyrone Harris

Jermaine Benjamin

Tamara Siedle

Deng Manyoun

Fritz Severe

Isiah Hampton

QuanDavier Hicks

Demouria Hogg

Andrew Ellerbe

Sherman Byrd

Usaamah Rahim

Richard Gregory Davis

Kevin K. Allen

Kenneth Joel Dothard

James Edward Strong, Jr.

Dalton Branch

Anthony Dewayne Briggs


That's 120 people.
Men and women.
Gone.

I am exhausted.
There are still more names....

Are you tired?
Are you ready to do something?
It's time for each of us to get off the sidelines.

#BlackLivesMatter

Sources: Black Women Killed by Police, People of Color Killed by Police, Killed by Police,  

Words to Grow On

Freebie Friday

Here's a great site with a wonderful list of free STEM & STEAM resources. Take a look at it and let me know what you're liking.

Happy Friday!!  Enjoy your weekend.

Be well.

Words to Grow On

Freebie Friday

Middle School Chemistry -- 700 pages. Free download.

Happy Friday!

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!  How have you been? How did your week go?

I must say that I accomplished everything and more on my list from last week.  It was simple and sweet--much like today's will be.

Here's a peek into some of what we got into last week together:

Staycation Week One  -- Done!

This week the kids and I will engage in another week of 'staycation' fun. We've already selected the activities we want to do and have invited friends to join in, if they can.

I will focus on:

• daily meditation and quiet time
• daily exercise
• being present with my children (i.e. unplugging)
• laughing
• sharing through talking and listening
• getting out of the house and enjoying life around us
• completing a few of my reading projects (i'm reading books for me and reading some for my kids' book club for next year)

What is one thing that tops your list for this week? Share it below!! Yes, I want to know. :)

Wishing you just what you want/need this week--make it happen.

Be well.

Words to Grow On

Freebie Friday

Today I'm sharing a math resource for Middle School Level to High School Algebra 2.
Hop on over to Big Ideas Learning and check out all they have to offer.

Enjoy!

Before You Throw Out Your Curriculum --- READ THIS!

I shared this a good while ago but think it can be helpful to anyone getting ready for a new homeschool year.  Click here to read more and gather tips to assist you in your planning.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!

This week's list is short and sweet!

• meditation & quiet time
• daily exercise
• read from summer reading list
• laugh
• be present & enjoy my children
• say 'yes' to every opportunity to hang out with friends

What's on your intentional list for this week? Are you doing anything special for the summer? I hope that no matter what is on your list this week you'll make time for what matters most in your life--enjoying yourself and the people who make your life sweet.

Be well.

Words to Grow On

Freebie Friday

Another homeschooling mom shared these books with me and I thought you'd like to know about it too.

Here are the links:

Color Me Physics

Color Me Physics Activity Book

Enjoy!!

How to Plan 2.0 :: Tip #3 -- Take Inventory

Tip #3: Take Inventory

Now that you've evaluated what your children have learned--through personal reflection and tests (if applicable)--and taken time to complete your end of the year summary and record keeping procedures you can focus your attention on what you have and what you need for next term. Before running out to gather new or 'new to you' items, take inventory.

What supplies do you still have on hand?  What supplies need replacing? What supplies did not get used at all?

Are there books and/or resources you no longer need? Have you used everything you can from a specific resource? Are your children on a higher level and no longer need them? Do they cover topics you've completed?

Before getting rid of any items, evaluate their continued usefulness. Here are some tips to remind you how you can reuse what you already have: Before You Throw Out Your Curriculum...Read This!

Make a list of the supplies you will need for the coming year. Add these items to the list of things you have been making for the new year coming (yes, I know we all have these lists). :-)

Join me next week for Tip #4.

Be well.

5 Tips to Improve Your Time Management

Homeschooling can be challenging if you're struggling to manage your time. Truth be told none of us can actual 'make time'; we can only manage it in better ways.  Every family has its own rhythm--thus what works for one may not work for another.  Here are some general tips that can help each of us.

1. Prioritize
Something we all know but don't always do. Identify the people, activities and tasks that you want to give yourself to each day, week, month. Here on my blog I've started a weekly practice of intention setting. In practicing this each week, it has become a habit and we typically complete everything on our lists by setting our priorities.  Find a time each day/week where you can set your priorities and give your time to that.

2. Eliminate Time-Wasters
Within each of our daily schedules we will find activities that simply waste the time we have.  Some common time-wasters include TV, email, Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, books, magazines, and talking on the phone. None of these things are bad yet they can become distractions when we should be doing something else and eat up our time. Once you identify those that are taking up your time, cut them out. Or, perhaps a more realistic way to deal with them is to set a time for them.  For example, if you're an early riser, you may be able to check email and read blogs first thing--before the day is started with your family. For me, I typically do things either first thing or last thing.  I take a break in the middle of the day to check while we're doing lunch. One days when I keep to this schedule I find I have all the time I need.

3. Set Boundaries
Your time is valuable. Are you overcommitted? Have you said yes to activities in your homeschool group, church/mosque, community group, extended family? How much are you working? Have you agreed to tasks that are putting a strain on your time and your family's? If you are overbooked in activities and responsibilities outside of your home it becomes nearly impossible to take care of things within your home without a lot of undo stress.  Set boundaries. Saying no may feel uncomfortable at the beginning but it will free you up to do the things you really want to say yes to.

4. Cut Out Unnecessary Tasks
Are there things on your 'To Do List' that you don't actually need to be doing? For example, are you doing the lion share of cleaning around your house? Can your spouse/partner or children join you in those tasks or take them over? Would creating a weekly schedule for laundry work better for your use of time instead of doing it daily? Identify tasks that others can help you with--and let them do it! You may find much more time by spreading your load and focusing on your priorities.

5. Continue Personal Development
When we use our time for personal growth and development--learning something new and/or giving our time to what we enjoy--we find that we have time and energy to give to all the other responsibilities. Challenging ourselves mentally and physically makes for a better emotional state and can add a breath of fresh air to all those mundane tasks we must do to keep life moving forward.

An added bonus:
Children learn best from good examples. By being intentional in the way we manage our time we'll also be teaching our children to do that same.  Something we all want.

What else would you add to this list? Please comment below.  Thanks.

Be well.

How to Afford Homeschooling

I am reposting an article I wrote a while back for anyone interested in homeschooling and finding out just how to afford it.  During a recent discussion with several newbies, I decided to share it again for their benefit and yours.  Click the link below to read it. I ask that if you have found something in addition to what's shared here, that you add it in the comment section.  Thanks so much!

How Can I Afford Homeschooling?

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Today is rather dreary and rainy here. I'm thankful for the rain as it clears the air of pollen. However, this type of weather also makes it more difficult to get out of bed.

I've taken the time to update our family dry-erase calendar. It's the last day of May and so I've decided to go ahead and get June up so we can plan our week.

Here are some of the people and tasks I'm going to make time for this week beginning:

• Myself--making time for meditation, reading, exercise, writing and creating
• My family--making time to talk/listen, share stories/thoughts/ideas, prepare meals together, laugh, create
• My friends--we have plans to gather again this week
• My community--I will be leading two planning sessions this week with the families in my intentional homeschooling space.
• My home--continuing on the organizing, cleaning and purging path.  (I'm taking manageable steps each day!)

For whom and what will you make time this week? Share one or two items from your list below. I'd love to hear how things are coming along for you.

Be well.

Words to Grow On

Freebie Friday

This is a freebie for those local to Georgia.  Get Georgia Reading is an initiative to get every kid in Georgia reading through the summer months. Children will have access to 8,000 books. These books are online and you can either read them yourself or have them read to you (there's an audio option).  How awesome is that?

Here are the steps to access this site for free:
1.  Got to myOn.com
2. Click the red Log in now button
3. Enter School Name, "Get Georgia Reading, Georgia Campaign for Grade-Level Reading" (Note: do not cut and paste, instead start typing "Get Georgia" and select the school from the drop down menu.)
4. Enter Username: read
5. Enter Password: read
6. Select a book and start reading

Check back next Friday for another Freebie.

Happy Reading!

How to Plan 2.0 :: Tip 2

This week's tip: Record Keeping.

Now that you've taken time to evaluate where your children are after this year of learning, you'll want to add this information to your records.

Begin by following the procedure your state requires for record keeping.

Here in Georgia, the state requires this:

1. The instructor shall write an annual progress assessment report in each required subject area for each student. These reports shall be retained for at least three years.

Find that laws for your state by searching '[state name] homeschooling laws' or something close. You should be taken to your state's department of education.  Each state varies on this so make sure you know what's required.

Every year I write a summary for each of the subject areas the children and I have covered. I do this by looking back at my goals from the beginning of the year, looking over the lessons we've covered and experiences we've had around each of the subjects. After spending time evaluating, it pretty simple to do this.

As they have gotten older, I have enlisted their assistance in some of the record keeping I do throughout the year. For example, we keep a running list of all books we've read, listened to during family reading time and listened to online or on CD. They each have their own notebooks they record in. I simply copy them into my record keeping journal for each year.  My eldest now types hers and emails it to me.

Another example is field trips. As we take them, we record them and write a brief summary of what we encountered and learned.  This, too, goes into my record keeping journal.  Any pictures we may have taken are also added.

Because our state has such little requirements for record keeping, I have begun to add a bit more to this.  In thinking about what each of my children is interested in doing as they get older, we have started portfolios containing samples of their work to show interest, growth and mastery. As we look at what the future may hold--colleges/universities they may attend, I'm also collecting and documenting their growth in ways that these institutions are looking to see from homeschooling students.  (This varies from college to college--it's important to start reading up on and speaking to college reps to get a good handle on just what these items are and how they'd like to see them presented.)

I have looked into a few online options for record keeping.  While I find that it's less paper to hold onto (when using online options), I haven't found one that I'm totally in love with. So, at present, I write out most of these and keep it in composition notebook with all the plans/goals for that particular year.  Looking back I have a good number of these books that I keep in a file cabinet. I can quickly look back over our goals, lessons and find the summaries at the end.  Presently, this is working well.

I would suggest that you find a record keeping system that works for your style. If you're brand new to homeschooling or just looking for a few more options, you can take a look at this collection on my Homeschool Organization board. 

How are you keeping your records presently? What is working well for you? Are there any changes you'd like to make? Leave a comment below and share what you're using.

Join me next Wednesday for another tip in Planning Your Year Anew: How to Plan 2.0.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Day to each of you. Thanks for stopping by and reading. I hope that you're well and that this weekend is just what it needs to be for you.

The past week has been full.  I'm exhausted! We celebrated several milestones in the lives of some dear family and friends--graduations, to be specific.  We held our first homeschool graduation in our community this year. The ceremony was simple and beautiful. Everything came together better than we'd hoped. From there we attended two other graduation ceremonies and celebrated in spirit with five other dear friends.  This is the time of endings and beginnings.  My children are now imagining how their milestones will be celebrated. (smile)

This week I'm being intentional about these people/relationships, practices and tasks.

• Quiet time, meditation, prayer
• Daily reading time for myself
• Give time to writing
• Assist a friend in packing for a move.
• Meeting my cohort to plan for our homeschool community's 2015-2016 year.
• Meeting with my librarian to schedule workshops for the fall.
• Continue planning for my children.  I've made a lot of headway with regards to their studies, classes, activities and want to line a few more things up.
• Connect with family/friends to solidify summer plans
• Continue with general organization of our home
• Get outside for daily exercise and fun
• Gather some friends for a pool date

To whom/what will you give your time, energy and attention this week? Stop now and make your list. Then move through this week with that intention.  Sure, everything won't always turn out the way you'd hoped. But I can assure you that you'll get more of the things completed if you're intentional about it.  Add it to your calendar; make a list and post it; do whatever you need to remind yourself and keep yourself aware of what it is you'd like to do. Thanks for allowing me to encourage you in this practice.

Have a wonderful week!

Be well.