$25.00 3/15/2008 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM St. Olaf College - Buntrock Commons Building 1520 St. Olaf Ave Northfield, MN 55057 Rice County Annual Horticulture Day Lisa Holling 507/332-6109 holli021@umn.edu Additional Information Dr. Mark Seeley, Climatologist our featured speaker and will adress "Minnesota Zones in the Context of Climate Change. Well known writer for the "Northern Gardener" magazine, Terry Yockey will help us to "Plant for Fall and Winter Color. Jim Bull of Winsome Orhirds will show us how easily we can care for orchilds at home. Our own Cheryl Steinberg and Pam Strouth, owners of BLOOM Floral Designs will give a demonstation using their unique techniques for arranging. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Many door prizes. Registraion brochure will be on the Rice County webpage. Or call 507-332-6109 for more information. Here is a link that might be useful: Rice County MG website...click on link for brochure

Lynn, Thanks but didn't I just describe most of us who urge our kids to conquer their fears, handle their lives and step up to take their place in this world? I think Max seriously wanted to marry me when he was very young. Now? Not so much. LOL! Max's job is new. He gets his first paycheck tomorrow. He's officially off the dole but he is still learning about this little concept. Phone call earlier this week: (Setting: After his first day of school) "School is great. I really like my classes.", "That's great, Max!" "Well, I have an opportunity to work tonight but I'm not scheduled and they won't hold it against me, so I'm not going in." (My wheels start to spin) "Max, it would look really good if you went in." "Yes, and I'm willing to work on Mondays but they need to schedule me." Blah, blah, blah about books he needs to buy, etc. and then: "Do you think you could send me about $70. this week so I have a little extra money?" (my brain "!!!!!!!!!!", but again, joyfully) "Hmm, you are saying you need extra money but you don't want to work extra? Papa works extra to provide you with *your* extra. Maybe you should let Papa have a little time off and you can work in his place." Utter silence. Joyfully, I said: "Is there anything else? I'm just running to the store." "No, that is it." "OK. I love you and am so happy you like your classes. Call soon!" "I love you too and I will." Hey, I may have fallen off the potato truck last night but I was awake all night.

I thought for sure I posted to this yesterday. Obviously not. Now I feel like I've lost some memory of time yesterday. My kids go back Tuesday, this coming Tuesday, Aug. 1. I met the 4th grader's teacher yesterday. Gave her fair warning. I already know the 1st grader's teacher, the program she's in keeps the same kids together for K-3, it's called Intact Family. The kids move up together to the next teacher in the family. So I also know that when DS goes to K in a year, he'll be in that family and will have the same teachers DD has. I explain this because it actually helps with organization of back to school! The 1st grade teacher sent her packet of info, including the supply list, home last spring. DD is already familiar w/her teacher and knows where the classroom is for not only 1st, but 2nd and 3rd, too. If we're crunched for time, we could actually skip the meet-the-teacher night tomorrow. But she wants to go, so we'll go. My middle schooler will also meet his teacher tomorrow night. Then, with supply lists on my desk, I will change into my pajamas, make a cup of coffee, and buy school supplies on line! I love staples.com. It really is an easy button. Last year I ordered almost everything at staples.com, got free delivery b/c is was over $50 and it was all delivered to my front door by a Staples truck in 24 hours! I was ready to hug the delivery guy! He has no idea the headache he helped me avoid. We also keep overstock supplies, stock up when they're on sale this time of year. They always need something as the year goes, it's a great feeling to have it handy and not need to go after it. DH wants to rearrange the kids' rooms. He wants to move the oldest 2 in together in the biggest room, put the youngest in the smaller room alone. Then he wants a nice big table for computer and homework for the older boys. While I think that is a great idea, and the boys actually do, it's a lot of work! But considering the shared needs and activities of the older boys, it would be a better use of the spaces. I need to organize myself for back to school, that's the biggest thing. I need to make that main notebook like flylady talks about and commit to using it. I've got volunteer and PTA duties that need managed, the kids activities, household stuff, plus I've taken on caring for my neighbor's 7 m/o 3 days a week now (she's a teacher). So I've filled my plate, that's for sure. This time of year feels like a time for new year's resolutions to me, organizational ones in my case. I'm going to add magnet hooks for keeping papers on the frig to my Staples order, thank to Talley Sue. And a calendar, agenda for my notebook.

As far as Pre-K curriculum books go, I have actually seen some very good ones (It looked that way) In Teacher's supply stores. Also some Kindergarten Curriculum books. Some schools have certain requirements as to what subjects these teacher are suppose to cover. As far as curriculums for grade school, usually the teacher has her books (the teacher's edition of the child's textbook)and experience from each year she/he teacher that she draws from, at least in Public schools. She saves this material usually and adds other interesting items she finds to this material. She/he draws from all the material that she is suppose to cover, many times making her own additional worksheets or also buying these at Teacher's supply stores. And perhaps visual aids she may buy at Teacher's supply stores or order. Many times her weekly or monthly curriculum sheets are sent the to the principal, in many areas now, and the principal over looks and ok's the sheet. Good teacher incorporated some additional topics into the curriculum while covering all the material in the books that have been selected for them. I know that many times the teacher must incorporate as well items in his/her curriculum that the children will be tested on. In some states there are additional tests besides the Achievement tests in 6th and 9th grade to see just how the child is doing. And if the child has to take a test to graduate from High school in Jr. High and earlier grades the teacher helps prepare them for these tests in addition to the cirriculum of other subjects she/he has. Some teacher's curriculum can be lacking. As there are some teachers that just can't seem to follow their own cirriculum and don't cover the material that they have even wrote down on their monthy curriculum sheets, which are many times given to the parents in grammar and middle schools. These curriculum monthly sheets are given out especially in grammar school. There are just some teachers that don't make the effort or just aren't organized enough with their time (or) seem to know how to cover the boooks/curriculum that needs to be covered. And there are some that don't really care. Especially after their tenure is up. I didn't say all teachers, I just said there were some that fit in this category. While also their are some principal and other people that just don't thoroughly check the teacher out, and give tenure to some teacher that do not deserve it at all . Sometimes on a subject the state might have more than one textbook they use for one subject. Many times there are also workbooks that go with the texts that the teacher can buy. Creative teacher make up their own worksheets also and during first year teaching , they study many aids to use in their teaching . In grammar school computers can be used. In Middle school onward material the student can learn about Power Point Presentations to make up on the computer. She/he(the teacher) also can present Power point programs, and sometimes teaches helps the students present these programs for the class. The Power Point program is a program that projects pictures and motion, sounds, along with words to present a sort of filmstrip on a certain topic. This is one way of using a good visual aid as a teaching tool. That is usually how curriculums in public school are done around here. Of course there are private schools that have more of a defined curriculum that are in a bought Curriculum book, that the teacher is suppose to abide by, while adding additional material, if she likes. This is usually true for the grammar school, at least. Many times around where I live the same text books in Jr. High and High school are used in the Private schools as the books that are used in Public schools.