How to Stand Up For Your Principles.

Hello everyone! My name is CeCe Gauger, and I will be starting a new column on my mom's blog, School Days. First thing's first, I think that I should tell you a bit about me before we continue. I am 13, I love crafting, baking, cooking, reading, and organizing. In this column, I'll be posting things on many different subjects, including things on the subjects listed above, as well as a few other things. Today, I will be teaching you  how to stand up for your principles.

 Being homeschoolers, my sister and I take some classes with a few homeschool groups. One class that we currently take has about 8 people in our class, and some of them aren't the nicest people. This past week, me and my sister were doing our own thing, and we were chatting with another girl while we worked. The subject came around to music, so my sister was telling this girl about a song that she liked, but that it had a suggestive part that she wasn't wild about. Then she was talking about another song that she liked, so this girl offered to pull it up on Spotify. Now, we are not allowed to go on Spotify, because there is always the possibility that a nasty, explicit song will crop up, even if we change the settings. This girl accepted that, and didn't challenge our answer. As it turns out, another girl was listening to our conversation. "You don't go on Spotify?! But there's so much good music on there! So many good songs!", this girl said. " I'm not allowed on Spotify, actually", I told her. " Why not?", she asked. " Because there's always a chance that a nasty song will come up", I answered.  "But you can always change th-", Look, we're not allowed on Spotify. I accept that. That's that."

 Some people won't accept your principles, but that's okay! Not everyone is a nice person, and not everyone will be nice to you. But the most important thing to remember when someone is pressuring you to do something you know to be wrong, is to remember your PRINCIPLES!! I have had many experiences when I have had to make a simple choice; right or wrong. Some of these times I haven't made the right choice, and afterwards, I felt bad. It's important that you call on the Lord when you feel tempted, because He'll help you make the right choice. But it's also about sticking to your Mom and Dad's rule's, and respecting their decisions, because their rules are there to protect you. Remember, they've been where you are now. They've been a kid before, and they might have made the mistakes that they're trying to protect you from.

 The next thing to do is to repent if you've made the wrong choice. First, you need to pray to God, and ask Him to forgive you. The next thing you need to is tell your parents what you've done, and ask for their forgiveness. They'll appreciate that you've told the truth, but know that you have broken the rules, and that there still may be consequences. I know that there have been many times when I have broken rules, and they have shown me grace. I have a very sensitive conscience, and can't stand it when I have a secret, so I tell my mom whenever I've broken a rule.

The final thing to remember: learn from your mistakes. When you make a mistake and tell your parents, you shouldn't just do the same thing all over again! When trust is broken, it can take a while to earn it back again.


Thanks for reading this passage!

CeCe❤

Victus Study Skills System - A Crew Review

I wonder who can identify with this scenario:

Your son or daughter has just done poorly on an assignment, a paper or test perhaps. You, the parent, are frustrated. They aren't working up to their potential you think, and might even tell them so. You feel that they aren't trying hard enough. In this situation, what do you say to your child? There's a good chance that the words that come out of your mouth are the same ones that many before you have uttered -"You need to study harder!". Is that really the problem though? Could it be that the heart of the issue is actually the way that we, parents, students, teachers, approach the subject of study habits?

I'll raise my hand and be the first to admit that there have been plenty of times that I have told my daughters that if they would apply themselves a little more, they would get that higher grade. The question is, apply themselves to what? We focus on the outcome, but often don't teach our children how to get there. *Lightbulb!* I didn't even fully realize this was an issue until we had the opportunity to review the Level 3 (grades 5/6 - 10/11) workbook from Victus Skills Study System. I'll come back around to our level shortly, but first, an overview of the entire system...

If I may speak for homeschoolers in general, we love a resource that can be used over several grade levels, and this study system does just that. Four different levels are available:

* Level 1 - Primary - Grades K - 2/3 - Includes  Teacher Supplement and Student Workbook.                                                                           Teacher led, this is a shortened version of the later materials,                                                                 with 6 lessons.

* Level 2 - Elementary - Grades 2/3 - 4/5 - Includes Teacher Supplement and Student Workbook.                                                                             Teacher led, with 10 lessons to learn the three                                                                                         foundational cornerstones of learning, and apply them.

* Level 3 - Grades 5/6 - 10/11 - Includes Teacher Edition and Student Workbook. Ten lessons in a                                                         more in depth level than earlier grades teach the necessary skills for                                                       effective studying. Also Teacher led.

* Level 4 - Grades 10/11 - College - Includes Student Workbook. Uses the principles of the Victus                                                                Study Skills System. Presents the syllabus and how to use it,                                                                  taking notes in college, and other higher level study habits/skills.

"For the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain."  - Dorothy Sayers

Alright, let's make our way back around to the level that we used. I found that Level 3 was the right one for my 13 year old. As an 8th grader, she fits right smack in the middle for the suggested ages/grades. There are two resources available for students on this level, the Student Workbook, and the Student Planner. My girl loves pretty much anything having to do with organization, so she was loving these resources. 

How it works:

This is a short course. There are ten lessons that can be taught in as little as 5 hours, so there are a variety of ways that parents and teachers might go about teaching this material. We went through the lessons in a couple of school weeks, but you can combine 2 lessons at a time and complete it in 5 days.You should find this to be simple to present, as you have the dialogue right in the Teacher Edition to walk you through it. Preparation is not difficult, but it does require that you take the time to read through the lessons prior to teaching, to get acquainted with the material. A few sections suggest light preparation, like simple research of a topic, or preparing questions for students, but really, there is little that needs to be gathered by the parent or teacher.

Victus Study Skills Systems poses three questions:

1.) Where Are You Now?

2.) Where Do You Want To Be?

3.) How Do You Get There?

The concepts taught in this course:

1.) Zeal without knowledge is not good, but zeal with knowledge bears fruit.

2.) Results come from the process.

3.) Any system with all of its components must have aim, or purpose.

4.) A unique and effective system of study has the greatest likelihood of aiding in success.

So very simple, and yet how often has it been the case that I've sent my kids off to "study more", without teaching them how. Ugh. This course is as valuable for me as it is for my girls. 

REMEMBER:

You are teaching concepts that students will apply to academics and to life.

There are a few self evaluations and quizzes that students will take to get a look at their current study habits. They will have the opportunity to compare where they were 5 years ago, currently, and where they wish to be 5 and 10 years from now. After looking over those, there will be another page to set personal goals, and the steps needed to get there. After completing her assessment, my daughter determined that she wants to raise her Math grade from a low B up to an A. She figured that she needs to go back and spend more time in review and practice to strengthen the areas of weakness. She even chose to work on her Math for a bit on weekends. I was pleased to see her determination and focus even so early on. She is pleased with the structure that this new schedule provides.

After filling in objectives for a monthly schedule plan, they will learn the PQRST process. This stands for:

P - Preview

Q - Question

R - Read

S - State

T - Test

These steps will teach students how to make the most of their study time, as they learn how to efficiently interpret what is being learned. They are then encouraged to come up with their personal shorthand, as they learn to take effective notes. There are good ideas for sorting out the main ideas from  general lectures. Skills are practiced through exercises presented in the Student workbook, for example, the teacher reads an excerpt and students take notes, pulling out the most important concepts.

As the lessons move forward, students will glean tips on strategies for test taking, and how to proceed when presented with various test types, whether essay, fill in the blank, or multiple choice. These are really good, and excellent help, particularly for those who find that nerves take over when being tested.

There is plenty of review that occurs throughout the lessons, so you can make sure that the concept is retained. The Teacher Edition includes a helpful Appendix with organization tips, assessments, mnemonic helps, and flashcards. A larger Student Planner, separate from the Workbook is available for long term planning across the year, and my daughter loves it. It is set up as a weekly calendar with space to write in the dates, pages for notes, and a grade log in the back for record keeping. My daughter likes that it has "Odd But True" facts at the bottom of each page.

Thoughts from my 13 year old:

"The Victus Study Skills System is great for learning how to study harder, and more efficiently. Interesting fact sheets and quizzes make it fun to use, and easy to follow. I like that it has shorter lessons, because it helps me to retain more information in a shorter time period. There are a few challenges for me in the shorthand section. It suggests not worrying about spelling and neatness as I take notes. That's hard, because I prefer to be neat and correct. All in all, I think that this is a great system."

  "A goal without a plan is just a wish." 

My opinion aligns with my daughters'. This is a solid, effective, course that will serve your students well in school, as well as life in general. This is a great tool for schools, whether public or private, or homeschool, co-op's and anywhere else you can come up with. Visit their website for further details.

Find Victus Study Skills System on social media: Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Read more reviews from other Crew members, including those that used other levels, by clicking on the banner below!

Who else is thrilled that we made it to the month of March? What a winter, but the end is in sight! The season isn't quite ready to release its grip on us here though, as we're dealing with temps in the teens. Oh well, we'll get there.

This weekend has us dealing with the everyday, ordinary things of life. Errands, getting our taxes done consumed the day yesterday. Today, we've all been slightly down with a cold, so our time was largely spent laying low on the couch, and watching movies. Cold or not, sometimes it's nice to slow the pace and relax. We'll have another busy week, as usual, so I'm going to grab my spot in the recliner, and enjoy the evening. Have a great Sunday!

Blogging Through the Alphabet - A is for American

I'm excited to begin blogging through the alphabet! I'm going to start it off with, "A is for American".
My daughter was given the book, Speaking American, by Josh Katz. It's a delightful, interesting book that compares and contrasts the various dialects, expressions, and phrase from all around America. Complete with colorful maps, photos, and historical information, this is a great book to get lost in when you have a free afternoon. It's a great book to display on the coffee table, and is sure to spark some fun conversations. Our family has really enjoyed paging through it.

Do you call it "Pop", or "Soda"? Do you put on "Gym Shoes", or "Sneakers"? There are a lot of fun questions like these, as well as the reasons people started referring to them in those ways.

There are "How To Pretend You're From...for every state. I found this one for Chicago to be very accurate.

Stay tuned for next week, when we'll be blogging through the alphabet, with letter B!

IXL Learning - A Crew Review

What is your favorite aspect of homeschooling? Personally, I love that it allows me to set the pace for my daughters, moving ahead where they have strengths, and slowing down where there are struggles. I have often shared our struggle with Math. Maybe struggle isn't the right word. It is simply a subject that doesn't come as easily as say, Language Arts. After dealing with a variety of Math teachers in my own education, some very good, some downright hostile, I decided that as it relates to my style of teaching Math, I would keep it positive, and focus on progress rather than perfection. That being said, as we are in our 10th and 11th year of homeschooling, I continue my search for that Holy Grail of Mathematics. This latest review, a full annual membership to IXL Learning , is proving to be quite a help in our studies. 

I speak of Math, but IXL Learning goes beyond Mathematics. Parents will also find help in Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish. This website is a practical option for families with multiple ages and grade levels, as there are skills for pre-k and all the way up to high school. I'll stop and clarify here, that this program is not a curriculum, it provides practice in the aforementioned subjects. It is meant to be a supplement. For our review period however, we did use this in place of our regular curriculum for Math, Language Arts, and Science. I wanted us to get a sense of what is offered.

Getting started will mean taking the diagnostic skills assessment. It sounds more intimidating than it is. The program provides customized recommended skills suggestions that are continually being updated as your student works. There are a series of questions and problems to work through to get that analysis going. You should know that that there really isn't an end to this assessment, it will keep providing questions for as long as your young scholar can go, so parents can determine a reasonable amount of time for this section. Once this is done, you can move on to the recommended skills. Now, your child isn't bound to the recommended work. You can access any of the levels at any time, by clicking on the tabs for any grade level. The recommendations provide a jumping off point to get going. 

When my girls took the test, they were surprised at some of the results. Their Math in some areas suggested gaps that put them back a bit. Since I had watched them take the diagnostic, and knowing their impatience with the subject, I saw errors that resulted from rushing, and clicking the wrong key, so I took the results with a grain of salt. It was a good lesson though, to remind them that even where they know the material, they need to check their work. Their Language Arts was well ahead, and that was no surprise to any of us either, as that is a strength. Interestingly, both of them, even knowing that they had a better handle on Math than their results showed, decided to go back and review before moving ahead. They were pleased to quickly move through the skills this way, and get back up to where we knew they were supposed to be.

A feature that I absolutely love about the Math skills, is that when an answer is incorrect, the program shows the original problem, reviews the process used to work the concept used in the problem, and shows where the student erred. It has been a frequent complaint of all of us, in various other Math programs, that we see a problem is wrong, but WHERE is it wrong? How do you correct a problem when you don't know where you went off the path? This method allows the girls to see it, review the concept, and move ahead. It's fantastic. Why can't all Math programs do this?! 

I'm always halfway expecting a "meh" kind of attitude from my daughters when I ask how they find a Math program, based on their feelings on the general subject. I've been pleased that overall, they have done well with IXL Learning . They will never love Math, but when they jump into this program with no prodding, no complaints, well, that's a ringing endorsement from them, ha. In fact, there have been more instances with one or both of them approaching me, thrilled that they achieved or exceeded a section in their skills. Beautiful, just beautiful.

As students master skills, they earn awards that are displayed on a board under the Awards tab. It features a treasure hunt theme that reflects the interests of each child. They uncover various virtual prizes as they go. I find that my girls enjoy poking around this tab, and seeing what they've earned. 

My youngest has really explored this program enthusiastically. In fact, it's been hard to get pictures of her working, because she gets up, logs in, and flies through several subjects before finishing breakfast. Parents are emailed notifications and certificates as students pass skills, and answer so many questions, and my inbox is FULL of these. There are so many certificates to print that I would be spending a small fortune in ink if I were to print them all, so we look at them online, for the most part, lol. But, I am not complaining! She has really enjoyed her introduction to Spanish. She's starting to answer us in simple phrases, although her accent needs work, lol. Science is a favorite subject for her, and she has loved learning about Geology in particular, and studying the scientific method. I'm just thrilled to see her so jazzed about her schoolwork. Everyday without fail, after she is finished, and sometimes while she is working, she will call me over, and re-teach the concept that she just learned, to me. It's getting in her brain folks, yes!

My oldest does not have the same level of enthusiasm for school in general, but she is finding this resource to be  helpful and be still my heart, even enjoyable. We all agree that this is a great program to supplement your current curriculum, and fill in the gaps, and have some fun while learning.

Find IXL Learning on social media: Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Read reviews from other Crew members by clicking the banner below!

The Restoration Series - Jonathon's Walk

I have something to share with you that is a little different from my usual postings. I have had the opportunity to view a clip from this new series, called, The Restoration Series: Jonathon's Walk, from Prison Fellowship. This first installment provides a look into the life of Jonathon, who has been in prison for over two decades. He speaks about the events that lead up to his arrest and subsequent incarceration. We also learn about the relationship that he has with his wife and children, and what it is that holds their family together while he is away. As we jump into his world, Jonathon is preparing for his release on parole, and the change in his life, as well as that of his family. 

Read more here:

For years, Jonathan has been in prison. As a result, he has missed milestone moments with his family. He wasn’t there for his daughter’s first day of school or a thousand little experiences with his wife and as a father, he is devastated to be separated from those he loves most.

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Jonathan has been looking forward to his release from prison for over a decade. So many life events have been missed and he is now ready to be with his wife and kids again. Of course, this transition isn't going to be easy. The odds are against him: with over half of prisoners returning to prison within two years, Jonathan is aware of the challenge set before him.

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Still, he is determined to take the skills he has learned into the world outside of incarceration and stay there, helping build the community that he is part of for years to come.

Prison Fellowship presents The Restoration Series: Jonathan’s Walk, a 5-part documentary film series following one man as he re-enters his community after 15 years in prison. It demonstrates in imagery, powerful storytelling and social interaction what it means to be human and the shared need of all people to see communities restored.

 Though America is home to only 4% of the world's population, we house more than 20% of its prisoners. Recidivism–the tendency of a criminal to reoffend—is out of control. The Restoration Series tells the story of men and women who have experienced The Academy, a revolutionary in-prison program that is combatting incarceration and recidivism head on.

Watch this clip of Episode 1 below:

I found this video fascinating, and the upcoming episodes look like they will provide a great education into this area as well. Take a few minutes, and watch.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Sunday Wrap-Up

Hello, and Happy Sunday. Did you all have a good week? Ours kind of flew by in a blur. It was Valentine's Day week, and we had a few related activities going on. We met up with our homeschooling group, and enjoyed the annual bowling party. There was a great turnout, so plenty of socialization, lol. Passing out Valentines is optional. My oldest didn't feel like it this year, but my youngest did. It was fun to see the collection and creativity of all of the different Valentine boxes.

Today, it is snowing...again, ugh. So, we listened to church via live stream. Later this afternoon, we settled in for a viewing of Lord of the Rings, and chili. Now, I'm mentally preparing to get up tomorrow and shovel again. Oh, I cannot wait for the end of Winter. We have a busy week coming up- pottery class, reviews, band, roller skating party, and oh yes, school. I'm off to bed, have a great evening!