Adventures In Home Schooling - Castle Grey School

Oh my life, what can I say, except that’s my first “proper” week of Home Schooling done, yes,  I survived, with two certificates that really ought to be framed, to prove it!

Let’s just say it’s been quite a rollercoaster ride!

On Wednesdays Iris and Bertie are able to come to me as our two households make up a support bubble, this helps give them a much needed change of scenery. Thank goodness for fresh air, walks along the river and a flask of hot chocolate drunk on a bench, in the park, just a few hundred yards away where they can run, climb and let off steam to their hearts content. Being at Nanny’s, for even a day, I hope, still feels a special and safe place for them to be, even if I have to come all over all Miss Trunchball when we have to get back to our lessons.

From Wednesday evening I stay at theirs until Friday teatime, I am now a dab hand at packing my My Little Pony case, with clothes etc. washed on a Friday night and a few essentials replenished, so that everything is repacked by Saturday evening. My laptop, camera, notebook, tablet and a couple of monkeys plus my can’t do without Chai Latte are then packed after “school” on Wednesday afternoon ready to go.

Last week was a steep learning curve, with each child having to log into two Zoom meetings per day, lasting between 20 and 30 minutes, where work is set for the morning and then, after lunch the afternoon.

All their timetables, worksheets and activities are then accessed via a programme called SeeSaw …….

…… where photos and videos are used to evidence completed work/activities via the same programme.  Thank goodness taking so many photos and uploading is second nature to me through blogging ……

…….. this should be done, preferably, by their next Zoom session for teacher comments where anything else that may need to be added or corrected can be done.

On top of that there are physical activities …………

…….. having to make a den in the middle of my dining area was a bit of a shock to the system on our very first morning but thank goodness we’d done it before ……..

…….. we’ve also done Cosmic Yoga, practiced riding our scooters and chalked complicated obstacle courses on the path outside their house as well as taken part in countless races of a running, hopping and jumping type nature!

And then ……… did I mention creative activities to fit in too?

On a Friday afternoon there is “Care Time” session for Bertie, where everyone can chill with someone special after a hard week. One of the suggestions is a spa treatment……. so I have already booked for Monsieur Bertie to give me a hand massage, as “other” Granny Denise has given me some very lovely pots of beeswax hand cream that will just fit the bill …… before ….. I get back on the treadmill again for some work on the Star of David with Iris.

Happy Days