Saturday, June 21, 2014

Speedart and Acrylic Paintings

C J and M got their art on this week. Maddie and Connor did a landscape using acrylic. Connor added pigment pen. Jacob did a a speedart using his new pen and tablet gor the computer.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=knZax8Lc350

Jacob's speedart link above.

Connor's art.


Maddie's art.

Used hands for the sky...gee it was good therapy...lol...
I like the texture they got into the sky.

Take care
M C J M

Friday, June 13, 2014

Auslan

Each fortnight we get together with a couple of families and have fun learning Auslan.

We do it as a LOTE...I know that's not on the official list of languages in nsw but we do it because it is the most useful to us.

We use the stage 4 and 5 language outcomes minus the written outcomes. We used the German outcomes and I swapped German fpr Auslan.

Syllabus

It certainly covers all the outcomes nicely.

RiDBC have a free app of 100 most common words you can sign...

You can find loads of sites with auslan finger spelling which is probably the most beneficial thing to learn. Heres one

Signbank

Free resources for learning Auslan

Thanks Sarah...another great link...



My daughter has lost 2/3rds of her hearing and its getting worse. .. so out of all the languages to learn auslan is the most beneficial. ..

This week we all practiced our finger spelling with a partner. ..

We also practiced action signs.

Here is Miss M having her go at the action word.


Until next time
M C J M



Thursday, June 5, 2014

Two Artworks Finished and a New Book...or 8...

Almost the end of the week again. It comes around so quick each week don't you think? Today we took it easy. I think the kids are getting sick and I'm not feeling that wonderful either. It is Winter now I guess.



   
By Connor




By Maddie


By Jacob


Got this from Bookworld online...great book and super quick delivery.



Got these from Amazon...great books.


Got these from Dover Publications. Pricey...but these will be great for when we do Vikings for Stage 4 and Romeo and Juliet soon.



Each first wednesday of the month we get together with a bushcare group and volunteer our morning for getting rid of invasive weeds in a local area. The children love it and work very hard. It's such a rewarding activity and I thoroughly recommend it.
For more information just google bushcare and find your local group. I am happy to email people with our local persons contact.

A more detailed post will follow written by tbe children. Here are some happy snaps from the day.


Getting ready to saw down some privet with mates.


An interesting bug.


Some bridal veil creeper with the huge tuber like root system. The kids are learning so much about the environment and caring for their local area.

Until next time
Take care
M C J M




Monday, June 2, 2014

Vivid Inspired Art

Last week the kids and I went with friends to the beautiful light show in Sydney,  Vivid.
It was stunning. We all caught a ferry to Darling Harbour and enjoyed the lights from the ferry. We also enjoyed a delicious gelato and an amazing hologram light show.  The kids also had fun with the interactive lights at Circular Quay.

This week they have been working on an artwork inspired by the display on Customs
House at Circular Quay.







 Of course I joined in as well... ;-)

The top photo is the lights. The rest their works in progress.

Until next time
Lots of it
M C J M


Sunday, June 1, 2014

Our Vegie Patch

Last year, for design and technology, Connor planned a vegie patch utilizing our yard. He was going to use the non grassed areas. .. However last week,  inspired by Jamie Olivers woollies cards and videos we all decided that we don't need grass as much as growing or own vegies so we went ahead with vegie patches in the backyard. The kids were in awe of the garden they saw on the videos. Me too just quietly.
The yard was a mess as we are having a rubbish pickup tomorrow so it looked even worse. ..lol...they helped put together the organic garden beds. ..The soil was ordered and the shoveling from front to back began. In one weekend. .. day 2 in the pouring rain... we made and  planted 4 garden beds. Some of the vegies planted were broad beans,  cauliflower,  spinach, onions,  purple carrots,  beetroot,  Brussel sprouts and kale.

The kids haven't quite finished. .. still cleaning up and figuring out what to do in the pathways. There's also one or two more raised beds to put together and create two more garden beds. Whipper snipper the edges. There is organic cane mulch to add to the top as well.

It's stage one of creating food in our back yard. The kids are coming up with more ideas for more ways to add food in the yard. So we'll slowly get more and more that we can eat from our own backyard. It's fantastic. First photo is a before...thats for our council rubbish pickup.

              

     These beds are 2 metres by 1 metre each.
Tomorrow there will be photos of the rest of the beds and the whole backyard. 

Until next time
Have a good one.