Last day of school!

Today, Friday June 16th, was our last day of homeschool, and YES, we are all psyched! Brynna finished her one and only kindergarten year; Jonah rocked second grade, and Dillon has definitely rounded out a rigorous sixth grade academic year. 

Summer has officially arrived to our casita, just in time for us to enjoy our two final weeks in sweet La Josefina.

I am grateful to the best math curriculum ever -- Beast Academy by the Art of Problem Solving-- which both Brynna and Jonah loved. I can honestly say we will all miss the cute math beasts -- Grogg, Alex, Lizzie, and Winnie-- and the creative math skills and critical thinking they taught us. (Thanks, Alana, for introducing us!)

I am grateful to Paul for being my co-teacher this year, and, in particular, for doing an excellent job guiding Dillon through his language arts and science/social studies curriculum -- I would definitely recommend Moving Beyond the Page, which is a literature based curriculum (Thanks, Katie, for sharing!). Plus, his math curriculum, Envision Math 2.0. It was challenging and quite good!

                                        

What has Brynna learned this school year?

1) To speak Spanish fluently.

2) To read in two languages.

3) To add and subtract.

What has Jonah learned?

1) To write stories with good transitions.

2) To read chapter books in two languages.

3) To work adeptly with BIG numbers.

What has Dillon learned?

1) A lot of social studies, including Civil War, WWI and WWII, and The Civil Rights Movement.

2) Plenty of science, including cell structures, periodic tables, and how to use a microscope.

3) Greater ease and skill in writing Spanish-language essays.

What has Paul learned this school year?

1) A little about teaching social studies and science.

2) A lot more Spanish.

3) How to peel an orange (this a most important life skill).

And, finally, what have I learned this school year?

1) I could stand to grow some more patience.

2) I still love reading aloud with my kids -- in English and Spanish

3) There are MUCH better ways to learn math than the ways I learned.

Of course, we have all learned so much more than we learned in school, but I will save those lessons for another time. I leave this post below with images of my kids' three final projects, plus Dillon's final Spanish-language essay, entitled "Things I want to Remember about Ecuador", English translation follows.

***

by Brynna

by Jonah

by Dillon

Cosas que quiero recordar del Ecuador
por Dillon Poling
1. Los aves. He escrito varios párrafos sobre ellos en este cuaderno, y esto es porque les admiro mucho. Me gusta observarlos y la emoción que me da ver un ave bonito, o raro, o desconocido. Para mí, son encantadores.

2. Mis amigos. Si no hubiera tenido amigos aquí en Ecuador, habría sido muy aburrido y solitario. He pasado muy bien con ellos, jugando juegos, pescando, rescatando conejos, cosechando frutos y más.
 
3. La finca y las frutas. Aquí en nuestro área, todos tienen una finca. Y todas estas fincas tienen una abundancia de frutas. Hay naranjas, cacao, achotillos, bananos, mandarinas, etcétera. Todas son ricas para chupar o comer con sabores y experiencias inolvidables.

4. Los ríos. No puedes viajar por el Ecuador sin ver innumerables ríos. Y casi todos estos ríos tienen una poza. Cualquier día que haya suficiente sol, nos vamos al río para bañarnos. Es una actividad refrescante y divertida, especialmente con amigos. 

5. La comida. La comida Ecuatoriana es básica y pronosticable, pero deliciosa. El pollo está perfectamente condimentado, el arroz salado, y la salada refrescante. Es común verme sentado en una mesa compartiendo una sopa con mi hermana o devorando una chuleta. Los bocadillos como el maduro también son sabrosos. Aunque la comida es siempre parecido, no se cansa.

6. Los lugares. Durante este año, hemos explorado de la costa, a la Sierra, al Oriente del Ecuador. Todos estas regiones están llenas de maravillas. Hemos visto cangrejos, lagunas, monos, y visitado cascadas extraordinarias. Estos lugares diversos en flora, fauna y hermosuras de la naturaleza hacen que el país del Ecuador sea una "gema escondida".

En conclusión, Ecuador y específicamente La Josefina están llenos de espectáculos, gente, comida, animales, plantas y lugares impresionantes e inolvidables. Voy a regresar a los EEUU con muchas historias y experiencias que van a quedar conmigo por el resto de mi vida. La vida que vivimos aquí no era vago, sino aventuroso y probablemente un poco pegriloso (peligroso).

Things I want to remember about Ecuador
by Dillon Poling
1. The birds. I have written several paragraphs about the birds in this notebook, and this is because I admire them so much. I like to watch them, and I like the emotion that seeing a beautiful, or rare, or unknown bird gives me. To me they are lovely.

2. My friends. If I hadn't had friends here in Ecuador, it would have been very boring and lonely. I have had a great time with them, playing games, fishing, rescuing rabbits, harvesting fruits and more.

3. The farm and the fruits. Here in our area, everyone has a farm. And all these farms have an abundance of fruit. There are oranges, chocolate plants, rambutans, bananas, tangerines, etc. All are delicious to suck or eat with unforgettable flavors and experiences.

4. The rivers. You cannot travel through Ecuador without seeing countless rivers. And almost all those rivers have swimming holes. Any day that there is enough sun, we go to the river to bathe. It is a refreshing and fun activity, especially with friends.

5. The food. Ecuadorian food is basic and predictable, but delicious. The chicken is perfectly seasoned, the rice salty, and the salad refreshingly. It is common to see me sitting at a table sharing a soup with my sister or devouring a piece of pork. Snacks like ripe plantains are also tasty. Although the food is always similar, one does not tire.

6. The sites. During this year, we have explored the Coast, the Sierra, the Eastern Amazon of Ecuador. All these regions are full of wonders. We have seen crabs, lagoons, monkeys, and visited extraordinary waterfalls. These diverse places, rich in flora, fauna and natural beauty make the country of Ecuador a "hidden gem".

In conclusion, Ecuador and specifically La Josefina are full of impressive and unforgettable sites, people, food, animals, plants and places. I will return to the US with many stories and experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The life we lived here was not lazy, but adventurous and probably a little pegriloso (intentional misspelling dangerous).