San Bernardino County Scoop
Week of April 8, 2019
Hi Families!
Be sure to check out the latest flyers! We are starting to think about summer and the beach!!
Just Play sign ups for the trip on May 17th are now open! This is open to everyone, and especially perfect for kiddos who tested that week to jump it all out!
We have several information sessions and park days coming up! This is the perfect time for you to come out and hang with our Inspire family, but also a great opportunity to bring a friend who is not enrolled so they can ask questions about our amazing school! Check out the flyers below and start chatting with your circle!
If there is a vendor you have your eye on, or a place you want to visit with us, let us know here. We are always open to suggestions and recommendations!
We update our vendor spotlights every month! Be sure to check out this month's features, Tinkergarten, and our Preferred Vendors Celebration Education!
- April & Christina
What are some things Family Liaisons do?
Every month brings new learning opportunities. April is...
National Autism Awareness Month. Click here to find out why it is important to understand what Autism is.
Preferred Vendor Info Sessions
This is a great place to start to get more information on our Preferred Vendors and exactly how they can help create a unique enrichment opportunity for your child!
Click here to connect to the meeting via computer!
SHMOOP WEBINAR
Click the banner above to be directed to the Inspire High School website.
Interruption to Opportunity - By Jaime Grasmick
The Quandry
As homeschooling parents we have chosen to commit our time to the education of our children. There are beautiful days full of engaged learning, exploration, academic connections as well as relational connections; and then there are hard days- days full of complaining, arguing, tears and strife. We have chosen this path for our families, and in my humble opinion, we have chosen wisely. But, I am pretty sure we’ve all had moments during our homeschooling day when we have turned a blind eye to our child(ren)’s misbehavior. Of course, when your child is having a royal melt down in the supermarket aisle there are no blind eyes in that moment, all eyes are on YOU- waiting to see if you’ll handle the situation to their liking. But I’m referring to that push that you saw when you were making lunch. One child pushes the other, yet there wasn’t a reaction so it didn’t turn into something huge. You might actually get away with not having to address that infraction. I’m considering the snarky, sassy comment your child gives after you say “It’s time for math”. They reacted to your request disrespectfully, but then they went on to begrudgingly complete the lesson. Do you really need to discuss the attitude if their actions were compliant?
The Suggestion
I am going to suggest to you that these are the moments that make our parenting great. We can cross the barrier of mediocre parenting to great parenting by learning how to address these very moments. What seems like harmless issues can actually avalanche into damaging character if we neglect these opportunities. And because you have chosen to homeschool your kiddos, and because you’re reading this article even now, I am going to assume you care. You care about good versus best. You care about the outcome of your child, how they will grow up and fulfill their destiny. And you are committed to their best.
The Struggle
Sometimes parents just feel out of strength for the day. Especially homeschooling parents who seldom get alone time (even in the restroom). How are we to have the courage or even the wherewithal to handle bad behavior when we’ve taken on the responsibility of educating our children? School is hard enough. We feel like we can’t handle one more conflict, not another correction, not another grueling training session. Your parent voice has gone hoarse for the day. Maybe you open your mouth and not one sound comes out. You have nothing left- nothing! Or, maybe you didn’t even dare open your mouth at all. Thoughts like “Is it even worth it?” or “I just need to get to the end of the day”, or maybe “This Is Us is about to come on!”- these thoughts persuade us to turn that blind eye to misbehavior, don’t they? These thoughts can be all too tempting and I know them all too well.
The Instruction
So, let’s break this down so we can all become the parents we long to be for our littles. Just one little adjustment will change a parent’s perspective here. What if we start looking at all of these “interruptions” as “opportunities”? I know I’m putting a positive spin on things here, but just bear with me. It doesn’t have to be a lecture, it doesn’t require legalism, it doesn’t need to turn into World War III. All this requires of us is a gentle word, a soft correction, and then an encouragement.
The Gentle Word: “Johnny, it’s not kind to push your brother.”
The Soft Correction: “Next time you should use your words instead.”
The Encouragement: “I know it’s important to you to be a good brother, Johnny. Next time I’m sure you’ll handle it the right way.”
The Victory
There. In a matter a minutes you’ve addressed the issue and redirected the bad behavior. Now you can go on your way and get back to making lunch, or finishing that Language Arts lesson knowing that you just crossed the barrier. You broke through with kindness and love, and have entered the world of great parenting. Easier said than done, I know! But all it takes is looking for the opportunity and then taking it! Turn that sassy word into your own kind, encouraging word because your child is worth it! Turn the push into a hug as you encourage your little guy that you see something so much greater in him. Turn that annoying interruption into an opportunity to build character. Your parenting will be marked with grace and your child will be better for it. Parenting is won in the million little battles, so let’s fight the battle for the sake of our kids! Homeschooling gives us the beautiful opportunity to have the front row seats to these character training moments. From interruption to opportunity- a change of perspective will change the game!
Click here for more information and to sign up on Inspiration Station.
Click here for more information and to sign up on Inspiration Station.
Click here for more information and to sign up on Inspiration Station.
Click here to RSVP.
Homeschoolers Helping Homeschoolers: The Junior High and High School Years
Units, credits, trade school, physics, college prep, concurrent enrollment, graduation! What’s it all mean? It means high school is coming fast or is already here and you feel overwhelmed with it all. How can you possibly teach them all they need to know before they graduate? It means time is short and everything you do in your homeschool needs to be re-evaluated. Let us help take the fear and stress out of it all. In this workshop, we will walk you through everything you need to know to approach the junior high and high school years with a new vocabulary and new confidence.
We have been there… and survived and thrived! Our goal is to help you know your child better, ask the right questions, and navigate the uncharted waters of preparing your child to leave home. Come on and join us, it’ll be fun! Click here to register and for more info!
Click here to sign up. When prompted, the password is Amazon Tilden . Be sure to pay attention to capitalization and the space.
Click here to RSVP
Click here for more information and to sign up on Inspiration Station.
Click here for more information and to sign up on Inspiration Station.
Click here for more information and to sign up on Inspiration Station.
Click the banner to view events all over California!
*Family Opportunity*
Promo Code: RCTSHOW
Family Code: ALTARES
Click on the calendar link below to view all of our events (especially park days!) happening either in San Bernardino County, or being hosted by a San Bernardino County HST!
Tinkergarten is on a mission to elevate childhood. We’re growing a technology-enabled network of leaders that bring families together in a natural place in their community for classes where kids learn through play. Each class becomes a tight-knit group of children and adults who learn together through well-designed, outdoor play-based activities. We help kids develop a host of important capabilities, including empathy, collaboration, creativity, persistence and problem solving. Our expert-designed classes and activities help kids ages 18 months—8 years develop core life skills while enjoying healthy, fun, engaging experiences in the physical freedom of local green spaces.
For more information, please reach out to Becca Spence Dobias by clicking here.
Celebration Education is a one-stop for all your educational needs. Like schools in Finland, Celebration Education uses themes for grades K-8. Reading, writing, math, social studies, art, and STEM are all integrated into weekly hands-on activities and projects. The final component for this school year is inspired by Star Wars: A New Hope.
Inspire students may take one class to one day of class each week, or students can join the Preferred Vendor program to get two days of class each week. Celebration Education also offers theme-related field trips, special events, and at-home activities, so students can use Celebration Education as a full learner-centered curriculum. For more about Celebration Education, visit CelebrationEducation.com
01/07/19 - getting back into your homeschool routine after an extended break
11/26/18 - Identifying Sabotaging Obstacles and Eliminating Them
11/12/18 - Scheduling Time to Support Consistency + Planning Sneak Peek
10/6/18 - Consistency In Our Homeschooling
April Tilden: aprilT@inspireschools.org or (909)470-5649
Christina McGuigan: christinaM@inspireschools.org or (951)622-6841
Facebook: Inspire Charter Schools San Bernardino County Families
Instagram : @inspirecharterschoolssbc