Fun Water Safety Lessons for Young Children - Guest Blogger Post

Via Flickr – by peasap

“Mommy, Sam pushed Mark into the water.” “Mommy, Cooper keeps running around the pool.” “Mommy, Mason dove in a no-diving area.” Maybe he has law enforcement in his future or will one day be an excellent lifeguard, but my son is definitely a stickler for pool rules…and that makes me so happy.

I love the water and I wanted my kids to love the water, too, but I also wanted them to be safe. As a result, my husband and I began teaching them water safety at an early age and took them to swim lessons as soon as they were old enough.

If you have a young child, there’s no better time than now to begin teaching them about water safety. A great place to start is this extensive guide on recreational swimming safety. It offers a comprehensive overview of the rules you’ll want to teach your child. Then, help them become water safety experts with these simple steps:

First, get them used to the water. Your child’s first experience with the water could determine how they feel about water moving forward. The Alliance for Early Childhood provides great advice on how to make it a good one. For example, the organization recommends making your child feel comfortable and protected by always holding them firmly while in the water.

Second, make it fun. Use these activities to teach your child about water safety and help them become strong swimmers:

• Safety is Cool at the Pool. This activity from KidsHealth.org is a great introduction to pool and water safety rules for Pre-K to 2nd Grade-age students. In it, they’ll create a water bottle label that features the rules they’ve learned.
• Red Light, Green Light. Of course, strong kicks are a key part of safe swimming. This activity from TodaysParent.com has your child hold on to the side of the pool or a shallow end step. Say “Green light!” Then, your child should start kicking. Say “Red light!” And they should stop. It’s great kicking practice and great exercise.
• Danger Rangers. If you find yourself stuck inside because of the weather, use the time to continue your kids’ education in water safety. My kids love the activities at DangerRangers.com. There are many different sections on safety. The one on water safety features songs, videos, and printable coloring pages.

I can’t stress enough how smart it is to start teaching your kids about water safety at an early age. Not only will doing so help protect them from potential danger, they’ll be much more receptive at an early age than they will once they’re older. It gives me comfort that my kids have taken what I’ve taught them to heart, and I think a big part of that is that my husband and I began preaching water safety to them at a young age.

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Patricia Sarmiento is an avid swimmer and runner. She blogs regularly about health, wellness, fitness, and other health topics. She is a former high school and college athlete and continues to make fitness a focus in her everyday life. She lives with her husband, son, daughter, and the family dog in Maryland.

Wild Horse Creek Water Park

From Marietta Daily Journal Online

Wild Horse Creek Water Park opened this weekend and according to one of our homeschool moms, it is an excellent place for families with young children.  She loved it so much she bought a season pass!

The park is located at 3820 Macedonia Road
Powder Springs, GA 30127.

The hours of operation are Monday-Thursday  from 1 to 7:30 p.m., and Friday-Sunday 1-6 p.m.. 

Groups rates and rentals are available. For more information, call (770) 222-6700 .

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day Outdoor Activities: http://www.atlanta.net/events/seasonal/memorial-day/

Memorial Day Crafts: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/memorial-day/

Summer Reading KICK-OFF Party at the Library

Who? South Cobb Regional Library
What? Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party
When? Monday, June 1 @ 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where? 805 Clay Road, Austell, GA 30168

The following post came from http://www.cobbcat.org/event/summer-reading-kick-off-party-south-cobb-region/

Come one, come all for the Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party for the South Cobb Regional Library!

They will start things off 12pm (Noon) and….
There will be face painting!
There will be games!
There will be water!?

Friends at the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program will be doing a cooking demonstration.

Representatives from Georgia’s Path2College 529 Plan will be in attendance discussing the program.

They will finish things off with Magician Bill Packard spinning some amazing magic starting at 2pm.

All ages are welcome, but fun is required.

Unit Study for May - Social Studies - Economics (Updated)

Economics for Kids

Standards

SS2E1 The student will explain that because of scarcity, people must make choices and incur opportunity costs. 

SS2E2 The student will identify ways in which goods and services are allocated (by price; majority rule; contests; force; sharing; lottery; command; first-come, first-served; personal characteristics; and others). 

SS2E3 The student will explain that people usually use money to obtain the goods and services they want and explain how money makes trade easier than barter. 

SS2E4 The student will describe the costs and benefits of personal spending and saving choices

Resources
Take Charge America is a Non-Profit Financial Education center that has financial education teaching resources for EVERY grade level for free.  Go to http://www.takechargeamerica.org/financial-education/teaching-resources/first-grade/

Online Games - http://www.usmint.gov/kids/games/   and http://www.uakron.edu/barkercenter/teacher-resources/online-games/

Meeting Dates

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the South Cobb Library -  Consumer Math Economics Lesson for Kids

Field Trip - Friday May 29, 2015 from 1:00p.m. - 3:30 p.m. West Georgia Used Book Sale at the Carroll County Agriculture Center, 900 Newnan Road, Carrollton, GA 30117 -This is a great opportunity for our kids to get hands-on sales experience and learn consumer math.  

Summer Homeschool Courses Start June 1!

Dr. David Byers, homeschooling father, college professor, and author of College-Prep Homeschooling and Leadership Lessons for Homeschooled Teens, offers dozens of highly-affordable courses in English, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences year-round to homeschooled students in grades 7-12. The courses are taught asynchronously via email; the student doesn’t have to be online at any particular day or time! In addition, parents may work with David regarding their scheduling needs. Dr. Byers offers a free course, Introduction to Poetry, as well as a free writing assessment upon request. You can find more information his site: http://www.leadershipforyou.net/ or by emailing him atdbyers3@centurylink.net

Larcum Singers Auditions May 26 & 28!

Introducing a new statewide choral program designed for homeschooled/virtually schooled students. Larcum is committed to producing quality musical experiences for these students in their unique learning situations. Therefore, the Larcum ensembles are composed from a select group of singers from all over the state (live and videoed auditions).


The singers are introduced to a variety of languages and cultures through the art of making music. Students with unique vocal talents in a particular genre or vocal percussion (beatbox) are encouraged to audition. Students with other musical abilities are also encouraged to audition. For more information visit larcum.com.

Homeschool Program for the Working Homeschool Mom

I believe in homeschooling.  Before I had kids I envisioned myself being able to homeschool and only homeschool 100% of the time.  Well, fast forward 10 years and while I am homeschooling, I am also working from home.  While in my mind I thought this was ideal... in actuality, any kind of work whether it is working at home, working from home, or working outside the home is still... well WORK. 

Nevertheless I have forged ahead with homeschooling and had a great routine, until... well WORK got in the way.  There were deadlines that distracted me from my ultimate purpose of educating my child for this life and the life to come.  I wasn't super mom (although I still have the complex) and  I needed help! This was when God brought back to my memory a homeschool program that my aunt used with her child when she was a Working Homeschool Mom (WHM)...  Time 4 Learning .

Right away I looked it up.  I thought it would be out of my budget, but it wasn't.  I thought it wouldn't be good quality but it was.  Now I have a curriculum that keeps me on track and on the days that I can't work with my daughter one-on-one like I would like to, she can do it on her own.

Time 4 Learning is easy, affordable and a great homeschool program for the WHM!


Disclosure: As a member of Time4Learning, I have been given the opportunity to review their program and share my experiences. While I was compensated, this review was not written or edited by Time4Learning and my opinion is entirely my own. For more information, check out their standards-based curriculum or learn how to write your own curriculum review.

Unit Study for May - Social Studies - Economics

Here are the upcoming events for our Economics Unit Study. 

More details coming soon!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the South Cobb Library -  Consumer Math Economics Lesson for Kids

Field Trip - Friday May 29, 2015 from 1:00p.m. - 3:30 p.m. West Georgia Used Book Sale at the Carroll County Agriculture Center, 900 Newnan Road, Carrollton, GA 30117 -This is a great opportunity for our kids to get hands-on sales experience and learn consumer math.  

Homeschool Classes for Mathematics

Are you interested in homeschool classes in the area of mathematics for the 2015- 2016 school year?

Courses will take place in the Cobb County, GA area and will follow the blended-learning format in which students meet once a week for face-to-face instruction and complete assignments throughout the week via the internet.  Computer access is required.

If you are interested in these courses please complete the following survey for more information: http://goo.gl/forms/RnHfOwpD6u 

New to Homeschooling or Want to Learn How to Homeschool?

New to Homeschooling or Want to Learn How to Homeschool?
July 23, 2015 – 10 AM to 4 PM

Many parents considering or just beginning to homeschool would like to have personalized help. Homeschooling for Excellence 101 is a one-day conference where homeschool parents can get individualized answers for their own personal situations from other seasoned homeschooling parents. Children ages four and up can attend the KidsZone program while parents attend the Homeschooling For Excellence 101 Conference. Parents will learn how to homeschool! Topics included but not limited to:

• Where do I begin?
• What materials should I choose? There are so many!
• How can I encourage my child to learn?
• How will I fill my child’s time – will he be lonely?

The homeschool lifestyle is so much more than just ABC’s and 123’s. It includes a lifestyle that encourages learning all the time and learning together. Bringing frantic, fragmented family lives back together can seem inviting and at the same time mystifying. Not knowing what to do throws parents into a whirl of confusion and concern. Each parent is uniquely qualified to educate their own child. 

The Homeschooling for Excellence Workshops are designed with extra time and personalized attention for your unique situation. In a friendly and encouraging small group environment, top notch, enthusiastic homeschool parents will share their wisdom and pass along lots of information on how you can make the best decisions for educating your own child. Learn how to homeschool!

IMPORTANT!Homeschooling for Excellence 101 registration automatically includes registration for the Southeast Homeschool Expo so you can return on Friday and Saturday for the Southeast Homeschool Expo and additional workshops for NO additional charge!

Date, Time, Location:
Thursday, July 23, 2015
10 AM to 4 PM
Cobb Galleria Centre
Cost Per Adult:   $45 Online / $55 at the door


- See more at: http://www.southeasthomeschoolexpo.com/learn-how-to-homeschool/#sthash.jAeQo7vx.dpuf

Friends of Learning (Online Worksheets)

Mark homeschools his daughters, and soon after they began he developed an appreciation for worksheets as a tool both for teaching and for review. However, the cost of ink for the inkjet printer was getting too expensive , so he made some worksheets his daughters could do online. This had the added benefit of not having to find more space for the growing stacks of papers.


Many of these worksheets are available online for free at friendoflearning.com. Check it out!!

Computer Programming for High School from Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University has created a free online introductory computer programming course that is a good fit for high school age children. The course uses the programming language called MATLAB that is widely used in many science, engineering, and other professional fields. It is also a recommended or required skill in colleges around the world in many majors. The course will be available April 14 on the Coursera platform. Some of the students in your association might be interested in taking it. Here is the news release from Vanderbilt:

http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2015/04/new-free-vanderbilt-course-to-teach-computer-programming-to-beginners/


The course page is here: https://www.coursera.org/course/matlab

Art Classes

Tiffani Hollis is a professional artist that has been teaching and creating for 17 years. I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design and have worked as a graphic designer and fine artist. I am polling local home school groups for interest in art programs for all skill levels. I currently teach small group classes in my North Cobb home for serious art students looking for individualized attention. I would like to expand that to larger venues and groups of all ages. I incorporate age appropriate art history lessons into all of my classes. A link to my portfolio is below as well as details on course fees, etc. I carry liability insurance and provide most supplies.


Scheduling is flexible to accomodate your needs. These fees are negotiable and classes can be customized for your group. I can teach one class with both older and younger children.

• Small Group Classes (4 students) $10/class 1.5hrs. - North Cobb Location
• Medium Group Classes (8-11 students) $8/class 2hrs. - You provide the location
• Large Group Classes (12-15 students) $6/class 2hrs. - You provide the location

There is usually a short, inexpensive supply list (usually a pad of paper, small set of pencils and eraser, and a canvas board) and I can often purchase them in bulk to sell to the group.

https://www.pinterest.com/tiffanihollis/fine-art/


Best regards,
Tiffani Hollis
404-931-6057

Please note that South Cobb Homeschoolers does not check for the validity or quality of the information we share. We advise you to use your best judgment.

Agroforestry & Wildlife Field Day on Sept. 17, 2015 on the UGA Griffin Campus

You and your students are invited to attend the Agroforestry and Wildlife Field Day on Thursday 17 September 2015 on the UGA Griffin Campus.  This special field day is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to learn about the issues and methods regarding the management of forests, wildlife, and natural resources in Georgia.

We encourage you to start making plans now to bring your students to this exciting and educational event.  Many of the topics covered at the field day are also part of the Georgia Agricultural Education curriculum such as pine stand management, thinning, pine straw production, control of undesirable species, prescribed burning, best management practices, pond management, insect and disease diagnosis and control, and wildlife management. 

Early registration is encouraged to help the organizers plan for your group.  A special student and teacher rate of $10.00/person has been set for the field day.  This registration fee includes a bar-be-cue chicken lunch cooked on site by Huckleberry’s, program book with synopsis of each talk and water or soft drinks.   Bus parking will be available.

This year we are making registration easier by adding a web site for you to register.  The url for student registration is as follows:

            https://estore.uga.edu/C21653_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=179&CATID=699

If you have any questions about the field day or registration, contact George Granade at (770) 228-7318, or by email at ggranade@uga.edu.  More information on the field day event is available on the Web at http://www.caes.uga.edu/events/awfd/.

We hope to see you and your students in the forest on 17 September 2015 for this exceptional learning experience! 

N2 College ~ The Smarter Way 2 Pay For College

     N2College Pk3-12 Admissions & Scholarship Prep

  
           https://twitter.com/InfoN2college

Michael J.  Howell, Veteran, Sgt., U.S. Army

President/National Director,  PreK-12 Family/Group Enrollment Programs

State Ambassador, Alabama, National HomeSchool Foundation-HSLDA

Honorary Alumni, University Of Alabama

~for~

Jill Gudger Howell, M.A. Ed.

Founder, N2College Nationwide Admissions & Scholarship Consulting

Developer, PreK-12th Grade "$cholar$hip Jump$tart" Early Funding Prep E-System

Presenter, The College Board-National (Chicago) & Southeast Regional (Atlanta) Forums-"Trends In Guidance Technology" 

Past Executive Board & ASCA Nominee, The Alabama School Counseling Association, "Emerging Leader In The Field"  

Past District 16 Vice President & Scholarship Committee, The National Alumni Association, The University of Alabama

Selected Certified School Counselor Participant, "Summer Institute On College Admissions", Harvard University 

Board of Directors, Region 1, The College Of Education's "Capstone Society", The University of Alabama 

State Ambassador, The National Home School Foundation-HSLDA

Email: info@n2college.com 

Website: www.N2College.com

Local Phone: (256)-736-5969  

Connect With Us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +

As Heard On The Dave Ramsey Radio Show: “The Smarter Prek-12th Grade Way To Pay For College"

Please note that South Cobb Homeschoolers does not check for the validity or quality of the information we share. We advise you to use your best judgment.