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Earlier this year I (Jenny) read an inspiring blog article that I’d like to share with you before the year is over. It’s called “On raising Little Women (or men): What we can learn from Marmee.” Have you or your kids read Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, recently? The story is set during and after the Civil War, so it seems a timely example of how we as parents (not just our kids) can learn from great literature. 

The author of the blog post, Jamie Martin, recounts her experience re-reading Little Women as an adult (and a mom), and what she gleaned from the character of Marmee. She was inspired by the love, friendship, and respect each of Marmee’s girls had for their mother, and articulates the qualities she found in Marmee that allowed her to have such a strong influence and close relationship with each child.

I encourage you to read the full article here. It’s a delightful and quick read, full of simple wisdom that celebrates mothers and children.

What valuable lessons have you, as a parent, learned from reading great children’s literature? Share by leaving a comment.

{all photos by Lisa Ann Dillon unless otherwise noted}

Today’s Magical Moment comes from Lisa Ann Dillon, our Track A Primary teacher. She offered one of the silent auction prizes at our Wild West Extravaganza, which was a hike at Reservoir Canyon. The recipients of this experience were Violet Talley, Haaken Theule, Morgan Stowell and John Raj. (Lisa Ann’s son Grant came along too!) She writes today to share some special moments and photos from this memorable hike with her students:

We began by listening quietly for about five minutes and students responded with art work in their nature journals. 

The kids were so engaged as we hiked along, searching for specific plants of the area – horsetail, toyon, stinging nettle, yucca.  We learned a little bit about each plant.  We also read two Native American stories, one about the coming of Spring, the other about the flowing waters of the earth.  The latter was read while we sat at a gentle waterfall finding fish and good bugs in the stream.  

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We finished up our time together with lunch and dessert at Splash  Cafe, donated by the manager Heather Berkowitz. (Thank you Heather and Splash Cafe!)

The kids were amazing and it was a delightful day for me!

Thank you Lisa Ann! What a beautiful way to spend the day. We know the kids will treasure these magical moments spent with their teacher.

We would LOVE to hear about your magical moment - it’s not too late in the year! Please email downhome@sloclassical.org and tell us about a special time of learning, a connection made, or a memorable moment with your kids. 

{Some of our middle school students - photo by Carol Dichmann}

Summer is coming… have you registered your kids for our SLOCA summer camps? Next week is the last week to get the registration fee waived, so be sure to sign up by next Friday! Forms are available in the office, or download them here and turn them in to an NOL.

And while you're in the office, why not try for a free tuition next year? Our tuition raffle is going on right now, and tickets are $100 each for the chance to win - imagine no payments for a year! 

This weekend, our middle schoolers are heading out for a fun time of camping together. As you head into your weekend, remember it’s always a good idea to spend some time unplugged from social media and plugged in to real social time with family and friends. Maybe it will be the perfect day to head out to a local park and throw a ball around, stroll around downtown and get ice cream, or visit the tide pools. And here are a few additional opportunities – click on each for more details:

Rutiz Farms in Arroyo Grande is open for U-pick strawberries! Tuesdays and Fridays from 1:00 - 6:00 PM, Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Garden Fresh Family Cooking Class at the SLO Botanical Garden - Saturday, May 18th, 1:00 - 3:30 PM

5th Annual Ducky Derby at the San Luis Creek at Mission Plaza - Sunday, May 19th, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Have a great one! 

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Today we add to our growing collection of articles about education. We're discussing the topic of writing, and why we use IEW here at SLO Classical Academy. Our Associate Director Troy Wathen shares the following:

Most of us have a difficult time remembering some experiences that we had in our early years. Our memories come more in flashes of emotion than in clear recollections. One of my memories of school centers around a fairly common encounter—the dreaded, “Tell what you did this summer” paragraph. I have very fond thoughts about my summers when I shed my shoes and lived for three months in flip-flops and bare feet, playing hide and seek, waterskiing with my family, and camping at San Clemente. I can’t say that I lacked in fun summer activities about which I could write… so why did that one paragraph strike fear in the heart of my 3rd grade self?

My adult theory, now that I can look back on those events with a more critical eye and a little bit more understanding of how human development works, is that I lacked the tools necessary to organize my thoughts. I never lacked the content. This is why a comprehensive and graduated approach towards writing is absolutely vital for writing success. Activities such as developing a key-word outline and organizing thoughts into topic, support, conclusion are needed. Writing is clearly an art, but it is also a skill. As with most arts, the beauty is seldom conveyed through sheer creativity. That creativity must be supported by those complementary skills. Looking back, this is what I lacked. I didn’t have the scaffolding essential to meet that simple assignment.

There are many programs that can be used to develop good writers. We have chosen to use the Institute for Excellence in Writing to build that foundation for our students. In a recent article, Andrew Pudewa, the writer of the Institute for Excellence in Writing program, points out that in modern education most schools attempt to teach writing (a skill and art) as if it is information. He says, “The skill of teaching concepts through discussion and the art of teaching skills through coaching can be easily lost somewhere between the Scantron© form and the PowerPoint file.” Similar to other “arts” such as music, dance, baseball, and ceramics, skills are developed through coaching, practice of isolated skills, putting those skills to work, more coaching, more skill development, the combining of multiple skills, with a spiraling cycle of improvement right alongside more refined coaching and isolated skill practice.

In a previous blog I discussed the value of modeling our children’s writing after other great writers. This is also what developing artists, musicians, and athletes do. They study the masters, they watch game films, they analyze technique, and they work to bring the insights gained into their own art. Having beginning writers just write may sound like a great idea, but the reality is that great writing requires years of good coaching with a systematic approach such as IEW and continual analysis, practice, refinement, and more practice. I have seen the fruit of this type of training in graduates of many classical schools. They go on to become the writing tutors at their colleges, making good money in their first year. They are the ones skipping freshman writing because it is covering concepts they mastered in junior high. The difference between them and their peers is that they have been given the gift of a singular approach that recognizes writing as a long-term skill and artistic development process. The result is precision, beauty, and elegance in the product.

Thank you, Troy! Although the end of the school year is near, it’s nice to be reminded of the many sound reasons why we are using this exceptional writing program. Parents, we hope you have seen the benefits of IEW in the growth of your student’s writing over this past school year!

If you would like to read the Andrew Pudewa article referred to, you can view it here: The Art of Teaching a Skill, or The Skill of Teaching an Art. This was recently published in the 2013 Institute for Excellence in Writing catalog, and is worth reading! 

(If the above link does not work, you can view a scanned pdf of this article here.)

Have you noticed an improvement in your child’s writing this year? Please leave a comment below and share how IEW is working for you at home.

{photo by Jenny Bischoff}

Turkey Sausage with Penne

6 servings

This quick, delicious recipe comes from my friend Katie’s mother-in-law, and I’ve been making it for many years. I love that it’s somewhere between a salad and a pasta dish. You can add any additional veggies you’d like, and you can even omit the pasta if you want a carb-free meal. My kids like when I add shredded carrots and lots of parmesan cheese on top.

Ingredients

12 oz spinach, coarse stems removed, rinsed and drained

1 large red or yellow bell pepper, seeded

3 green onions

8 oz dried penne

8 to 12 oz mild or hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or 1/2 cup red wine vinegar and 5 t sugar

1/2 to 3/4 t fennel seeds

salt and pepper

Directions

Tear spinach into pieces. Cut bell pepper lengthwise into thin strips. Cut onions into 3 inch lengths and sliver lengthwise. Place vegetables in a large serving bowl and set aside.

Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium-high heat. Stir in pasta and cook just until tender to bite (8 to 10 minutes), or according to package directions. Drain well and keep warm.

Chop or crumble sausages. Cook in a wide nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned (about 10 minutes). Add vinegar and fennel seeds, stirring to loosen browned bits.

Add pasta to vegetables and immediately pour on sausage mixture; toss until spinach is slightly wilted. Serve immediately. Offer salt and pepper to add to taste. 6 servings.