Wow, another crazy, fun week! School was pretty much a non-event here. We worked through one math unit - Crumpet was introduced to the number line, and the terms "greater than" and "less than". He found these really easy concepts to understand. And, he figured out the pattern the numbers make and can count at least to 40! (Probably all the way to 100, but we haven't tried yet.) For literature, we made it through our very first chapter book. Of course, it was a pirate book! There is a series called Pirate School, by Brian James, and it's very cute and perfect for Crumpet. We'll be reading more of these! Here's what we did with the rest of our time:
Sunday: We went back to Hanauma Bay and did more snorkeling. I saw a green sea turtle this time, and it was amazing. It looked like it was flying underwater, and it was so close I could have reached out and hugged it. We bought a digital underwater camera, but we need to practice a bit more with it. This is one of the few pictures we got that actually had a fish in the frame...:
Monday: This was a big day. I found some information about a Parent Participation Preschool on base, and we went for a trial day. The class is held twice a week for 2 hours. There are 8 children in the class. The teacher is wonderful. She has a circle time where she teaches at the beginning and end of class. In between, the moms cycle through several learning stations with their children. We had a lot of fun, and decided to start attending class in August. We still plan to homeschool, but this is a great opportunity for Crumpet to learn to socialize in a controlled environment, and it's a chance for me to meet other moms. It's also nice to have someone else plan the activities and pay for the cool learning toys!
Tuesday: We went to a preschool nature class at the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden. The garden is at the base of the Ko'olau mountain range, which I think is the most beautiful place on this island. You can't beat this setting for a nature class!
The theme was "Teddy Bear Picnic". All of the kids brought a teddy bear and a picnic and we learned a bit about bears.
Then there was a craft time. The kids made polar bears with sun hats (after all, they aren't used to the heat of Hawaii...). The whole event was a bit chaotic because there were a ton of kids, but it was fun, and we met some nice people.
After lunch, we hiked the grounds. There is a big lake with fish and ducks to feed, and plenty of places to run and hide.
Wednesday: This was a day of many errands and a trip to the library.
Saturday: We went to a hula festival! I thought it was a beautiful and fun cultural experience. Crumpet disagreed. He couldn't wait to leave and come home... Sigh.
The kids in the festival were adorable. The costumes were amazing.
The kids in the festival were adorable. The costumes were amazing. Sunday: We went back to Hanauma Bay and did more snorkeling. I saw a green sea turtle this time, and it was amazing. It looked like it was flying underwater, and it was so close I could have reached out and hugged it. We bought a digital underwater camera, but we need to practice a bit more with it. This is one of the few pictures we got that actually had a fish in the frame...: Monday: This was a big day. I found some information about a Parent Participation Preschool on base, and we went for a trial day. The class is held twice a week for 2 hours. There are 8 children in the class. The teacher is wonderful. She has a circle time where she teaches at the beginning and end of class. In between, the moms cycle through several learning stations with their children. We had a lot of fun, and decided to start attending class in August. We still plan to homeschool, but this is a great opportunity for Crumpet to learn to socialize in a controlled environment, and it's a chance for me to meet other moms. It's also nice to have someone else plan the activities and pay for the cool learning toys!Tuesday: We went to a preschool nature class at the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden. The garden is at the base of the Ko'olau mountain range, which I think is the most beautiful place on this island. You can't beat this setting for a nature class!
The theme was "Teddy Bear Picnic". All of the kids brought a teddy bear and a picnic and we learned a bit about bears.
Then there was a craft time. The kids made polar bears with sun hats (after all, they aren't used to the heat of Hawaii...). The whole event was a bit chaotic because there were a ton of kids, but it was fun, and we met some nice people.
After lunch, we hiked the grounds. There is a big lake with fish and ducks to feed, and plenty of places to run and hide.
Wednesday: This was a day of many errands and a trip to the library. Thursday: I got a call on Wednesday night from an old high school friend who happened to be in Waikiki for 2 nights on the way to somewhere else. So on Thursday, we took her and her son on a driving tour of the island. It was really great to see them!
So not much formal school this week, but lots of fun time!
To see what others are doing for preschool, check out Homeschool Creations.
The parent preschool class sounds great. What beautiful pics! I have always wanted to go to Hawaii...sigh....
ReplyDeleteWhat a great week! Crumpet is so lucky to be exposed to many activities and events. Pirate School sounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteWow that preschool sounds fun. Okay, your week in general sounds really fun.
ReplyDeleteThose are good underwater pictures. If we were smart, we would've gotten a case for our camera at the beginning of our time there.
ReplyDeleteWe made it finally- a long tiring trip.