Click here for your best experience with this Update directly from our website!
Merry Christmas, Friends.
Most of us are going to sit tight (as usual of late). Meanwhile, I hope that you are having a great time preparing for the holidays. It is exciting and relaxing waiting for boxes and boxes of deliveries: "Is it food? Is it Amazon? When did I order this? OOPS! That was FROM "Santa" TO me!" Frankly, I may never go into a store again because this is too easy and fun!
We had many great discussions this week about how different this year is from the past. But some traditions and treats must happen: drive through Steak n Shake for an Egg Nog or Peppermint shake (both are great to spike!). Take time to go for a drive and see Christmas lights. Try some on line grocery ordering and delivery or curbside pickup and give some work to a private shopper (oohhh, so fancy!).
Go Out and Get Wild
Great field trips to see wildlife in Indiana include:
- The Sandhill Cranes at Jasper Pulaski Park. The cranes continue to meet and feed here since the weather has been so night. Plan your road trip for the early morning launch or evening landing which are the best time to see these amazing birds.
- Wolf Park near Lafayette, Indiana provides the opportunity to see and learn about these amazing animals. Tickets run about $12.00. 4044 E 800 N, Battleground, IN 47920
- The Exotic Feline Rescue Center is closed due to the pandemic, but put it on your list for a visit.
- Wolf Creek Habitat and Rescue in Brookville is open Saturday and Sunday 11:00-4:00.
- Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve has high ratings. They are open for tours Saturdays 10:00-4:00
Up in the Skies
While the weather in Indiana continues to be very warm, we have a chance to see the Northern Lights here in the Midwest (a very rare occasion in Indiana...not since 2001!). Peak viewing was on Thursday, but light pollution and cloud cover may hinder viewing. Listen and watch on Fox 59.
A Christmas Star is a symbol of hope and joy. Jupiter and Saturn will be the closest together since 1226. Their proximity The next time will be in 2080. From December 16-25 the planets will be closer together than the moon. On December 21, which is the Winter Solstice, the planets will be the closest together.
What makes this alignment even more special is that it is occurring around Christmas. In the story of the birth of Jesus, a star led the wise men to see Jesus during a time fraught with political strife. Here is a nice article about With Three Reasons the "Christmas Star "of 2020 is Bringing So Much Hope. the story in Matthew 2. And here is Ella Fitzgerald singing this traditional carol. You can sing along!
COVID-19
Woo Hoo! The vaccines are on their way! The COVID headline dashboard has been replaced with COVID-19 Information! Indiana received our first shipment of more that 55,000 vaccines. They will be distributed soon to "at risk" populations. As vaccines continue to come into Indiana on an ongoing basis, they will continue to be given out to people. Read all about it!
- Indiana Vaccination Information and Planning
- Indiana Vaccination Fact Sheet from the Department of Health
- Vaccine Safety
- Contact Tracing Phone Number: Answer your phone if you get a call from 833-670-0067. This number may be an unknown contact and they won't leave a message.
Meanwhile, our cases keep going up so, keep up your guard and practice all your COVID-19 safety measures. Enjoy this Mikey Bustos reminder spoof video made way back in March!
Volunteering and Self Building
Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:30
In addition to reading the excellent story Snow by Uri Shulevitz,
we did some great crafts: cutting out and sorting snowflakes by color then counting them and making a snowflake out of cotton balls. Cotton balls are also fun for a snowball fight!
We talked about how to get our preschoolers ready for Kindergarten. Reading aloud with your children is a number one activity for readiness or being prepared for school. Older children can read aloud to you and to youngsters. Best Children's Picture Books About Winter and Snow
Indiana Kindergarten Readiness Assessment: these matrices may look complicated at first glance. Take time to look at what targets are set. These expectations help you to anticipate how your children will adapt.
American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30
Risking is the toughest part of learning a new language. Risking signs is pretty tough because general understanding is easily lost. Risking with sign language is pretty easy because all you need are a couple key words to communicate your content. In the spirit of Christmas: here is the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas signed by Shaylee who is five years old.
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30
We wrapped up talking about Luke 4 with verses 38-44. The Bible editors headline this story "Jesus Heals Many". In our discussion, we noticed that a good headline might be "Jesus Rebukes Many". Luke tells three stories:
- Luke 4:38-39: Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law by rebuking the fever (she gets up and serves him). Who can call out an infection?
- 40-41: Jesus heals many people of diseases (and diseases are dirty, messy) and demons by laying his hands on them. The demons call him "Messiah" and he rebukes them. Does he need them to shout his credentials?
- 42-44: Jesus goes to a solitary place and the people follow him to make him stay with them. He rebukes the people and tells them that his job is to proclaim the good news to other people so they can benefit, too.
Luke 5: 1-11 tells the story of how Jesus recruited the 12 disciples.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
We talked about "cookie day". This is one of our most popular days when we could meet together. We make coveted cut out Christmas favorites. We mentioned some favorites from the past. Americans LOVE chocolate chip cookies, but every cookie exchange has a prohibition on this cookie! Here is a recipe to get around that unfair rule!
December 15: Prepare your cut out doughs in advance (so you can cut, bake and decorate together). I will also demonstrate Spritz cookies.
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00
We had a really fun time talking about the things we love.
And we enjoyed classical music with a modern flair. Fur Elise video.
English Classes: Thursday, 9:30-12:00
Our classes are so interesting! It was nice to visit around a bit. We always seem to have the same things on our minds. Here is Bill's Tip for the week. This word came up in conversation within our school in a number of conversations and contexts.
End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00
We all enjoy our meeting together at the end of the week. It is nice to welcome daughters to our meeting! We talked about our pleasures and past times. We talked about trying new hobbies and exploring new interests. We found out that we all enjoy trying new things but always gravitate to the things that we do best.
at first glance: how something seems without consideration or inspection
targets are set: goals
who is five years old: be careful, many people would say, "Shaylee has five years."
headline: a summary telling what is in a story
rebuke: scold, reprimand
infection: a sickness that can be contagious often caused by a virus or bacteria
recruited: persuade someone to do work
coveted: desired, yearned for
prohibition: not allowed
get around: avoid
documentable: confirmed or validated work
No comments:
Post a Comment