Text 17207, 139 rader
Skriven 2008-12-01 15:13:17 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
  Kommentar till text 16977 av Nancy Backus (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: socks & books                                            [1]
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Hi Nancy,


 NB>  NB>> parfaits, perhaps... (G)  Some years, there would be 2-3 of us
 NB> doing

 RH> That's the most fun.  IN HI, the officer and first sergeant wives did
 RH> a single soldier stocking stuffer project each year.  We all assembled
 RH> in a conference room, had the stuff laid out on tables and then passed
 RH> the stockings around.

 NB> Doing things as a group always does make things more fun... and go
 NB> quicker... hence such community projects as barnraisings and quilting
 NB> bees...  :)

It's still fun, as working on the Project Linus quilts was recently.
Tehre weren't too many of us but we had a good time and got a good
number of quilts finished off, others layered to quilt and some tops
made.


 NB>  NB>> the stuffing together.  Alternatively, sometimes I'd make a
 NB> (bunch of)  NB>> pile(s) of what was going into each stocking, and
 NB> be doing the stuffing  NB>> at the same time, if they didn't want to
 NB> work assembly line fashion.

 RH> Yes but it requires a lot more work on your part.  At the Project

 NB> Not necessarily.  It got so that I had been already sorting distinctly
 NB> non-perishable items into lunch bags with people's names on them, well
 NB> ahead of time.  Apples, oranges and especially tangerines I'd wait to
 NB> buy until close to time, and then those would be pretty much the only
 NB> things not already sorted out...  When it came time to actually stuff
 NB> the stockings, those bags could be (individually, even) dumped out
 NB> into piles, the fruit added, and then the stuffed stocking could be
 NB> put back into the bag (with the person's name on it)...

Madness to your method. (G)

 RH> sandwich of top, batting and backing) and others "just" needed a turn
 RH> over binding done.  I worked on that, grabbing bits and pieces of
 RH> cheese, meat, crackers and raw veggies in between quilts for supper.

 NB> I'm sure it was a lot of fun... and that there was conversational buzz
 NB> as well, filling the room.  This is an on-going project, I gather?

Yes, it's a nation wide one as well.  A group meets every 3-4 months
here in the Savannah area; I think there are 2 groups in the area.  Kids
in crisis situations get a small quilt or blanket (they can be knit or
crochet as well as quilts, as long as they are home made).  A good cause
to get involved with and an outlet for my creativity.

 RH> all the fun of field trips.

 NB> True.  As you say later, then it becomes something that the parents
 NB> may have to fill in... although part of the fun is the whole class
 NB> going.  I was one of the driver/chaperones fairly often on field trips
 NB> that my
 NB> son's school went on, right through 8th grade.  There's a lot of
 NB> learning on MANY levels that goes on on field trips...

Talked to Rachel; Challenger does not do field trips as they detract
from academic time.  Parents are supposed to supply enrichment
experiences.


 RH> We were in CA when Rachel started (public)
 RH> kindergarten.  The class made a field trip to a pumpkin farm; they all
 RH> got to pick their own pumpkin.  About a week later, they made another
 RH> field trip.  Deborah (3 at the time) and I saw the school bus bringing
 RH> the kids back as we started the walk to pick up Rachel.  I told
 RH> Deborah that the bus had her sister's class on it, returning from a
 RH> field trip. Deborah wanted to know if Rachel was bringing home another
 RH> pumpkin.  No, the trip was to the Monterey Customs House.  But, getting

 NB> Can't blame the child for being confused...  ;)

It was a cute thought.

 RH> back to the pumpkin farm trip:  we saw all these little kids getting
 RH> off the bus with pumpkins about as big as they were. Then Rachel got
 RH> off, carrying a little one, a bit bigger than a softball.  I think she
 RH> was the only one with a small pumpkin. We bought a bigger one (Jack O
 RH> Lantern size) at the school's Pumkpin Patch Carnival about a week later.

 NB> Sounds like she was the only sensible one... :)  And she got two
 NB> pumpkins out of it, one to share, and one for her very own... (G)

Both had faces drawn on them (with marker) for jack o lanterns; then
cooked down for pies, etc afterward.

 NB> already)  NB>> also did things during the school day besides just book
 NB> study.  I came  NB>> in one day, and spent the day having the kids
 NB> help me bake bread.  We  NB>> started with measuring the ingredients,
 NB> and they each had a chance to  NB>> punch down the dough at the

 RH> I did that with Rachel's half day kindergarten class but had to take
 RH> it home to bake it. Because of time constraints, I had to have some
 RH> things pre measured (yeast, salt, dry milk, etc.) tho.

 NB> Full day does make for having a little more latitude.  While the dough
 NB> was rising, the kids went back to their usually scheduled classwork,
 NB> and while the loaves were baking, I think they had their usually
 NB> scheduled
 NB> rest period... :)  Did you bring back the bread the next day for them
 NB> to taste the products of their work?

Of course! They had a typical kindergarten "Pilgrims and Indians" meal.


 NB> be learned by going on site  NB>> to interesting places.  And it
 NB> brings the book and classroom learning  NB>> into a better focus,
 NB> often as not... :)

 RH> I don't think they're a normal part of a Challenger curriculum, more's
 RH> the shame. Hopefully parents take the time to do enrichment things

 NB> People seem to so easily lose sight of the value of a well-rounded
 NB> education... they think that by "teaching to the test" they will
 NB> produce better educated kids... when the so-called frills (like the
 NB> arts, music,

Challenger does have some sort of art and music program.  Since it's a
private school, they don't have to teach to the test.  The students
there work at a grade or two higher than public schools.


>> CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE <<

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly@earthlink.net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


... If you focus only on the thorns you will miss the beauty of the rose.

--- PPoint 3.01
 * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)