Annie, Jr. - Starring Rachel !!!!

Rachel played Miss Hannigan during a summer camp production of Annie, Jr. The class met all day long for 2 weeks and at the end, performed the show for 2 audiences. Rachel was really funny and made the audience laugh out loud. Of course, we think she was the star!

Try this video...

Another Plug for Goodbye Old School, Hello Bold School!

Here's a post from a blog I just found and really like. Sounds like the author and I have a lot in common. Maybe I'll need to get Pat to read the book like her husband. Then, away we can go!!!!
(Oh, by the way, on the posts in which I link to someone else, I always put my comments in black.)


The New Global Student: Kicking My Dragon
July 12, 2009 by SwitchedOnMom

So let’s take a look at my living room bookshelves, shall we? In amongst the volumes of African fiction and non-fiction, political science, voluntary simplicity and environmentalism, biography, classics, personal essays and creative non-fiction (much of it travel literature), there’s Tales of Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman. Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Monkey Dancing, by Daniel Glick

Hmm. I’m detecting a trend here. Person/family leaves everything behind to travel the world/start new life overseas. No, I don’t have any surprises in store for Husband Dear, but I guess I have long entertained the fantasy/dream of ditching everything and moving overseas…or at least traveling for an extended period of time. (Does it say anything to you that I loved, loved, loved The Dove back in 1974?) I’ve spent a total of seven years of my life living overseas (six with Husband Dear) and as I’ve written here before, the only thing I have ever explicitly told my kids they must do is spend an extended period of time living overseas, be it as a high school exchange student, gap year, junior year of college, Peace Corps….

Meanwhile, my downstairs bookshelf is weighted down with books about education and homeschooling and giftedness. (Mine too!)

Enter The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition and Get a Truly International Education by Maya Frost. Which had me at … the cover. Reading Frost’s book felt like being in a benevolent Vulcan mind meld or chatting with my upbeat new best friend. I devoured it.

Seamlessly combining my longheld vision of a life overseas and all my hardwon “radical” out-of-the-box educational notions/solutions/knowledge, Frost’s book coalesces the ideas and impulses that have been swirling around in my brain–and makes me want to do it all NOW.

Drat you Maya Frost!

Why? She’s kicking my snoozing dragon, that’s why. “The Plan” had always been for Husband Dear and me to bid the suburbs farewell and pursue international careers as soon as M. was in college. We’ve repeatedly told the girls, more than half seriously, “When you’re out of here, we’re out of here.” But after reading The New Global Student I found myself spinning out different scenarios, accelerated timetables. Because if you’re already as far along as I am in questioning the whole educational industrial status quo, and in believing that we are in the midst of a fundamental global and societal shift–then what Frost lays out is simply the next logical move outside the box.

And what exactly is Frost saying?

Step away from the herd. Step away from “doing time,” checking off the “right” extracurriculars and all the other “givens” of high school and college. Step away from the fear. To quote Twain: “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.

It’s a whole new world (pity this year’s graduating journalism and finance majors)–and one that is ready and able to compete with us here in the US on all levels. Creativity, flexibility, initiative … these are the skills to cultivate in our kids, and the ones that will be rewarded in the future.
Total immersion in another culture during the formative adolescent years is indeed crucial.
And here, in an enthusiastic, step-by-step fashion, is how to do it.

C. actually grabbed the book before I started reading it. She has a pretty clear picture of what she needs to do to get where she wants to go. A few things, like IB, she’s already doing. But after reading The New Global Student she did for the first time express interest in doing a homestay exchange experience rather than just going solo somewhere, and she is now talking about wanting to have conversational Spanish in her skill set, something she pooh-poohed before. Meanwhile M. hasn’t even read the book yet, but just based on my oohs and ahhs she has taken to lobbying–hard–for us to move overseas sooner rather than later. In the past week there have been heated arguments with C. over whether we should move to somewhere in Latin America or to Thailand, whether Husband Dear should start a restaurant or be a CPA. “Mom,” she’s intoned, “I’m already out of school. And life here is stressful.”

Dear Husband is now in chapter two. Will be interesting to see his reaction.

The 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Students

Some people may like this article, but I personally find it appalling. It's just another example of how Americans are selfish, egotistical and all about status and money - without putting in any work, to boot. Why can't students go to college to actually learn?!!! Does it always have to be about getting grades (even if you don't earn them) and getting that BIG job? I wish I had actually learned in college and not just worried about the grades. Anyway, here it is...


The 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Students
By Don Asher

What does it cost a student to go to college without any idea of how to manage the process? It may cost a lot. Students who have knowledgeable parents or older siblings to guide them can finesse the process, earn higher grades, get along better with faculty, solve problems with the business office, and so on. But students who are the first in their family to go to college have no one to guide them, and their mistakes can cost them that awesome post-college job, or access to the best graduate schools.

At a recent conference, I sat at a table full of staffers from various undergraduate research programs. We got to musing about how nice it would be if all students knew the insider tips and techniques the best students seem to soak up from the ether.

This is not about being smart. This is about being savvy. So from our notes scribbled on a stack of paper napkins, here is what savvy students know that others seem to miss:

1. Grades are engineered, not "earned" (Pathetic!!!)
A savvy student wants to earn as many A's as possible, as few B's as possible, and avoid C's at all costs. So how do you engineer your GPA? Class-shop at the beginning of each semester. Sign up for more classes than you can possibly take, and drop boring or difficult professors sometime in the first two weeks. (It won't show up on your transcripts.) If you get a bad exam or quiz score, ask the professor what you can do to earn extra credit. Reading an optional book, writing a one- or two-page paper, or even just helping the prof out with mundane tasks such as setting up for class can push you back into the A column.

If you're not earning the grade you want in a class, negotiate an "incomplete" grade, then do whatever it takes to get that I turned into an A or at least a B. (Be warned, some profs won't give an A on an incomplete, no matter what you do). Or, worst case scenario, drop the class before finals. You don't want to do this a lot, but a "withdrawal" or two stamped on your transcript is much better than a low GPA.

Get involved with study groups, and your GPA will likely go up. Take a light load during the semester when you have a known difficult class, such as organic chemistry. And finally, be sure to take enough of a class load that you can ditch a bad class without dropping below minimum credits, especially if you're on financial aid or your parents are strict about the four-year plan.

2. Visit professors outside of class
Professors are people, too. They worry about being liked, whether they're gaining a few pounds and whether or not they're good at their jobs. So go visit them. Ask them for clarification of some point they made in class. Try out your paper or lab ideas on them to see if you're headed in the right direction. Ask them the best way to study for the exams.

It's probably not a great idea to focus on grades only, as in "What do I need to do to earn an A in your class?" Get your professors to help you be a better student. And maybe ask, "Have you lost a little weight?" (Seriously? Give the professors some credit!)

3. Prerequisites matter
Naïve students always want to go around prerequisites and take any class that interests them. This is unwise. Prerequisites are in place to make sure you have the skills you need to do well in a class, so skipping them is perilous. Don't take "Population Biology" until you've had "Math 321" or you'll be sorry. If you think you don't need the prereq, contact the professor and find out before you sign up for the class.

4. Internships are required, not optional
The norm now is two internships, not just one, so you have to build them into your summers starting at the end of the sophomore year. Recruiters look at students without internships as deficient, no matter how strong the GPA and rigor of the curriculum. Earning money on a fishing boat may be great for the first summer, but those other two summers need to be used for internships to support your post-college career or grad school plans. You can find a paid internship if you need the money, or a part-time internship combined with a part-time job. Savvy students know this, and un-savvy students go fishing.

5. Study abroad in the sophomore year, not the junior
The junior year is a time to concentrate on your major and get the most out of your department. If you're abroad, you can't do that. Plus, some students get distracted by drinking in Naples, or that cute French guy or gal in Nice, and blow their GPA during the study abroad. Grad schools and employers care most about your GPA in the final two years of college, and if you go abroad in the junior year those grades are prominent. Finally -- and don't tell anyone -- but most sophomores aren't 21 yet. In most of the world, the drinking age, official and unofficial, is much younger than that. So... (Yeah, great advice. Just what I want to fund my kids doing...)

6. Read your handbook and catalog
How many credits make a full-time course load? How many classes do you have to take to major in X or minor in Y or double major in X and Y? What's the last date to drop a class without it appearing on your transcript? Is there any place to get a short-term, emergency loan? If you retake a class, do both grades appear, or does the first grade disappear? These are the kinds of questions that your catalog and handbook answer.

Here's a massive tip: The rules in the course catalog that's published when you begin your college career often apply until you graduate, even if the rules change. So keep that catalog! Don't rely on your adviser or your professors for rules and regulations. They might not know them very well anyway, and you'll pay the penalty for following bad advice.

7. It takes the entire senior year to get launched from college
No matter what your major, the career center can help you get a job or apply to graduate school. Naïve students don't worry about life after college until they've graduated. They miss a huge chance. You're only a college senior once in your life. Participate in the on-campus interview process, because it's part of the college experience and it's there for every undergraduate. English majors and philosophy majors can get great jobs out of college, but not if they're hiding out in the game room dissecting Kant and Bukowski and griping about how nobody gives them a chance. Spend the entire senior year making sure that come June, you know where you're going. That's what the savvy students do.

Movies

Even though I am thrilled to death to no longer have cable TV, I do still love to watch movies. I really love it when I get the whole family to watch off-the-beaten-path movies. Some of my favorites lately are:

-The Freedom Writers
-Sicko - this is a must watch! Makes me want to move to France or even Cuba.
-Grace is Gone (Rachel's assessment - "I never knew they could make a movie with no happiness in it whatsoever...")
-Children of Heaven
-Duma
-Opal Dream
-Life is Beautiful

Books Read in June 2009

These are the books I completed in June.

• The Story of My Life – An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi
• The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition and Get a Truly International Education by Maya Frost
• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Bringing Up Geeks by Marybeth Hicks

Every one of these is amazing. Here's my not-so-brief rundown:

The Story of My Life - this is a memoir written by Farah Ahmedi, a 19 year old Afghan girl. After stepping on a landmine at age 10, losing her home and almost everyone in her family, and taking refuge in a Pakistani camp, she and her mother qualify for resettlement in the Chicago-area through the World Relief organization. For a complete synopsis, click on the link above. My thoughts about this book are numerous. First, it is hard to believe that we in the US are actively allowing, and even contributing, to the slaughter and suffering of innocent human beings. Contrary to what we want to believe, not all Afghan people are terrorists. Second, while I believe that organizations such as World Relief are necessary and beneficial, I wish that they could offer their humanitarian aid a little more humanely. There is too much bureaucracy involved, and too many unreasonable requirements of those people suffering most. Farah writes about standing in line all day, every day for weeks, just to get an initial interview with World Relief. After making the first cut, they had to attend 4 more interviews - all with the same woman and the same questions. This does not sound that bad at first glance, but for a girl with one leg, a mother with severe asthma, no money, no food, no transportation, no home - it was quite a hardship to get to the office. After passing the 4 interviews, they then had to make their way 100 miles to the American embassy - again with no food, money or transportation. It's almost like World Relief was testing the resettlement applicants to see if they could negotiate their own way. And while I'm all for tests and proving yourself, sometimes enough is enough. Either really help people or don't. Don't put them through exhausting hoops. Other things that I felt were unfair - World Relief assigned 5 familes to travel to the US together. Once in the US, they sent 4 familes together to California and sent Farah and her mother to Chicago on their own. Imagine being dropped alone on a Martian settlement and how scary that would be, because that is what it was like for Farah and her mother. They were settled into a suburban apartment with no phone, no furniture, and no easy access to public transportation. They were given help for 3 months and then told that they must navigate the way on their own. Nevermind that they were disabled, hardly knew English, were often cheated by cabdrivers and denied medical appointments. I guess my main point is, I wish people / companies / organizations did not have to make everything so hard. All it takes is a little extra effort and follow through to make a world of difference for people who are desperate.

The New Global Student - This was excellent on so many levels. It's a great affirmation of homeschooling. It has also inspired me to spend time looking into education abroad, either as a family sabbatical plan, or exchange program for the kids. (I like the first one better!)

My favorite review: "The New Global Student recognizes the truth of the American kindergarten through college education conveyor belt–-it is preparing children for the last century's economy. Fortunately, the Frost family has blazed a trail for crafting a 21st-century education that is personalized, global, non-traditional, relevant and affordable. Parents owe it to their children to read this book."
Bob Compton
Venture capitalist
Executive producer of the documentary, "Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination"

Some of my favorite quotes interspersed throughout the book-

• Goodbye Old School, Hello Bold School! - Maya Frost, author
• I have never let schooling interfere with my education - Mark Twain
• Not doing more then the average is what keeps the average down - William Winans
• Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost
• Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise - Horace

The Mysterious Benedict Society - We read this book for the Mother-Daughter book club. It was a great book. The story is suspenseful and fun for kids. As an adult reading the book, I noticed quite a lot of hidden commentary on modern-day society and a lot of symbolism. Basically, an evil genius / dictator wanna-be (named Ledroptha Curtain -Iron Curtain reference???) has started a school for gifted kids, in order to take over the government. His students are brought in by Recruiters (who look just like businessmen), and then completely brainwashed during classes. Students are encouraged to watch television constantly - secret messages are being subliminally transferred (kind of 1984-ish). Students who show high aptitide are promoted to Messengers and then Executives. The Executives are portrayed as bullying buffoons who cannot think for themselves for fear of demotion (Hmmm...) Sounds alot like my days at Arthur Andersen...

Lord of the Flies - Until now, I had never read this book, but heard about it often. A group of prep school boys is being evacuated before the World War when their plane crashes on an island and all the adults are killed. "Free from the rules and structures of civilization and society, the boys on the island descend into savagery. As the boys splinter into factions, some behave peacefully and work together to maintain order and achieve common goals, while others rebel and seek only anarchy and violence. In his portrayal of the small world of the island, Golding paints a broader portrait of the fundamental human struggle between the civilizing instinct—the impulse to obey rules, behave morally, and act lawfully—and the savage instinct—the impulse to seek brute power over others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and indulge in violence." (Sparknotes)

I've always heard how disturbing this book is, but I did not actually find it so. Well, at least I did not find it much more disturbing then I find what most people currently define as normal society. There are bullies everywhere and most people today think that's just how it is. I guess it's easier to live that way - it doesn't require a sense of responsibility for living a moral, civil life. I mean, if everyone's doing it, or if you're only picking on the "unpopular" people, it's okay right? (Sheesh!) Even at the end of the book, the officer who finds the kids just in time to stop a murder says ..."Fun and games."

My question is this - why does it seem that so few people have a sense of justice???? And is the lack therof why most people find this book so disturbing? They don't want to be reminded that it's a short road to the dark side???

Let kids be kids!

I just finished an awesome book - Bringing Up Geeks by Marybeth Hicks. It's fantastic. My only complaint is that I did not write it first! Then, since I embraced this lifestyle before it had a name, I could be the one making money blogging and discussing anti-media child-rearing strategies. And maybe people would listen! Anyway, it's a great book and very affirming. If you want your kids to be kids and not cool-culture, media-driven robots, read it!

Happy Father's Day!

For Father's Day, the kids decided to cook Dad a gourmet dinner. Alex started dinner off with homemade French onion soup, complete with baguettes and Gruyere cheese. Rachel prepared a 4-course dinner, virtually by herself! It was really impressive. She spent almost 4 hours making homemade potato gnocchis, broccoli rapini, stuffed flank steak and soft-shelled cannolis - all gluten-free, too! The only time she needed help was in pounding the flank steak to thin and tenderize. She is a really amazing little cook. And, she also did all the prep work herself, including choosing the recipes, making a shopping list and helping find things in the store. I was so proud, I told her many adults cannot even cook a 4 course dinner. Way to go!