Last Day of School 2017 (Siobhan)

~Last Day of School~

We finished our last day of school! This year Brandan finished Preschool, Shaila finished 1st grade, Connor finished 3rd grade, Aidan finished 6th grade, Ethan finished 10th grade, and I finished 12th grade. Here are some pictures from our last day...

 We have been going through a crazy heat wave over the past few days. Last week we were bundling up in winter coats, and this week we had to pull out our shorts. Baxter and Cade have not liked this heat, but they still nap together 😉

 Cade and Baxter

Poor Brandan had a bad asthma flareup today 😔He felt much better after having the nebulizer.

Brandan finished his letter of the week (LOTW) curriculum. We are so proud of him! He has absolutely loved school this year and gets so upset every weekend when he hears that it's not a school day.

Brandan is graduating from preschool this year, and I am graduating from highschool!

This year I am finishing Omnibus. I have been doing Omnibus since 8th grade and have read 172 books! 

 Sylvan Classical High School

 We finished the day with burgers and  s'mores! Baxter and Cade loved trying marshmallows for the first time.

 These pictures pretty much sum up how we all felt after our last day of school. We had a great year, but we are all very excited for summer!!

The Deadly Riddle (Aidan)

~The Deadly Riddle~

An Ancient Egyptian Myth

                This story begins in Egypt where a problem hung over them like a storm cloud. A creature called the Sphinx, who had the head of a woman, the wings of an eagle, and the body of a lion haunted the people of the town. The people were puzzled by a practically impossible riddle. They feared the Sphinx’s towering figure sitting in the distant sands. A hero would later travel to the city and defeat the Sphinx. His name was Oedipus. For now, the Sphinx terrorized the townspeople by gorging himself on their bravest and wisest men. The Sphinx would ask the impossible riddle, and one after one, the men would have to admit that they could not solve it. The Sphinx would pounce on them and devour them, in front of the townspeople. As the townsfolks’ hope was destroyed, alongwith their best men, a stranger entered the city. His name was Oedipus. He challenged the Sphinx and bravely left the city and all safety behind him. The Sphinx licked its lips as the tasty looking man walked right into its terrible reach. The Sphinx stifled a laugh as Oedipus said he would solve the impossible riddle. The Sphinx told the man its riddle. After some thought, Oedipus answered the riddle. The Sphinx roared a terrible roar of defeat. The cloud that had caused so much trouble was dispersed.  

 I think this story is a very classic Egyptian story. It is very interesting and tells us what some Egyptians told their children thousands of years ago. It is a very exciting story, but I would like to find out a little bit more of the background of the Sphinx. This story is like many other ancient stories, but is very unique as well. The main theme of the story is that the Sphinx is a cunning and crafty villain. The people of the town need a hero, and Oedipus fills that role. He outsmarts the villain and saves the townspeople. This story shows us how many Egyptians were entertained, and to this day this story is interesting.
Aidan
Grade: 6 Age: 11

Rome, From Start to Finish (Aidan)

Rome, From Start to Finish

Rome which was founded by two brothers, began to expand under many different leaders, and  acomplished many magnificent engineering feats.

Rome was one of the greatest ancient empires ever to exist. It had been said that Rome was

started by two little baby brothers named Romulus and Remus. These two babies were dropped on a

river bank by their evil uncle, but thanks to a caring mother wolf, these two babies grew to be adults.

The two brothers started to build a great city, but not surprisingly, began to quarrel over the

construction. This small quarrel turned into a very violent fight. The fight ended with Remus being 

slain,and Romulus working by himself. Romulus was very prideful because of his great city, and he 

wanted his name to be remembered. He named the new city Rome, and he crowned himself as king 

over the entire city. Romulus was followed by six other kings, and these great kings are what made 

the Roman empire great.

Rome as an empire, grew through the rule of kings, Roman Republicans,and finally Emperors.Rome began under the rule of kings. These kings only ruled for a short time, and after only six kings had ascended the throne, Ruthless Rallies of Republicans decided that the rule of monarchs should be ended. They did not waste time. Then Rome turned to the Rule of a Republic. This was a much more permanent solution, but like the kings, it did not last forever. Because of this, the Republicans decided to make their reign count. The consuls, which were part of the Republic, were the most powerful. They were elected once every year, and they were only made up of citizens of royal families. This was also true for the senate, since Rome would not acknowledge the importance of commoners. Some consuls were fruitful for Rome, but one fateful year, Rome plunged into utter chaos. One consul, named Julius Ceasar , seized the throne as his own, and Rome turned back to a one man rule. This was only possible after Ceasar  had impressed many people, but he had not impressed all. A group of Senators murdered Julius Ceasar. Rome once more changed their motives, and they elected emperors. Rome did not want another Julius Ceasar , so they returned the power to one individual. Under the rule of emperors, Rome weakened, and after a last struggle for life, Rome collapsed in A.D. 476. Rome had evolved through the rule of kings, a Republic, and had collapsed under the rule of Emperors.       

               Rome grew from a small settlement to one of the greatest empires to ever exist, partially

because of its magnificent engineering.  Rome built for itself over 50,000 miles of magnificent roads,

inspiring the famous saying “All roads lead to Rome.”  Surprisingly, this saying, which is well known up to this day, is not far from true.  Rome conquered almost all of the known world at that point. Each time they conquered a city, Rome constructed a road from this foreign land to the country of Rome.  As Rome grew, so did this major system of roads.  Rome was known not only for their roads, but also for their intricate system of Aqueducts.  After being constructed, these Aqueducts carried water down from surrounding mountain.  Because of these Aqueducts, Rome was provided with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each day.  Rome continued to expand. Rome also erected a famous structure known as the Colosseum.  It was given this unusual name because of the colossal statue of the emperor Nero nearby.  The Colosseum held between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.  At the Colosseum there were many varieties of very violent shows.  Hunts, gladiator fights, and executions were the shows of choice in ancient Rome, and the Colosseum held all of these.  The Circus Maximus was an even larger stadium that held up to 500,000 spectators, and is best known for hosting the chariot races.  Rome grew rapidly from a small city to an advanced Society, largely because of its engineering.  

                From its founding by two brothers, to its political leaders or engineering feats, Rome showed itself as one of the greatest  world power.

By: Aidan
Grade: 6/Age: 11

Bibliography
Doe, Jane. “Ancient Rome.”

Verstegen’s Encyclopedia of History. 2008. Print.

Smith, John. “A Great Empire.”

Verstegen History Books. 2010. Print.

“Roman Engineering Feats.”

FamousFeats.com. May, 2012.

Daniel's Defeat (Aidan)

~Daniel’s Defeat~

                Daniel lay on the ground staring up at the eyes of his opponent. He winced as a huge fist made contact with his cheek . It only took about a minute before Daniel was lying on the ground

defeated by his burly opponent. He stared up at the laughing face of the bully. A group of children stood around to see the show. He felt like a man in the Olympics defeated in a boxing match. His head spun as he tried to stand up, but he was just pushed back down.

                “Someday I’ll beat all of you in the games!” he whispered, but his brooding was answered by the very rough shove of the larger boy.

                “I doubt it!” he laughed. The bully swaggered, swinging his fists and crushing imaginary opponents.

Daniel was left on the dirty streets to watch as the victor walked away laughing triumphantly as he

turned the corner. One of his friends looked back pityingly, because of the unfair fight. He stared

like a deer witnessing the brutality of a lion. He then turned from Daniel’s gaze and walked

down the dusty streets. Suddenly, a wagon turned a bend, and Daniel barely dodged the heavy vehicle.

                “Get out of the road!” yelled the man. He kept yelling at Daniel until he was hoarse from his angry calls. Daniel walked home and stared back at the wagon. It was carrying a huge load of gold underneath the pile of hay in the back. Daniel gasped. He stumbled. He fell. He hit the ground, and thought of how many times he had fallen in the past. He stumbled up and dusted himself off. He walked inside of his house. He ate a quick dinner and headed straight for bed. The wagon haunted his dreams that night, and he wondered if  it was a robbery. His dream reached a climax. The wagon rider

grabbed him and threw him down to the ground. Every time he lifted himself up, he was back on the

ground. The man, who had thrown him on the ground half a dozen times, now shoved him into a cart

full of hay and gold. Daniel woke up with a start and stared around him. His dream had almost come

true! He was tied inside of a cart which was perched on the top of a slope. The boy who had stared back at him after the fight stood above him with a knife.

                “What are you…!” His cry was muffled by a strong hand clapped over his mouth. The man who had been driving the wagon stood above him with his hairy hand covering his mouth. He gave whispered instructions to the boy, but his words were almost inaudible. Daniel heard few words, but he caught enough to know that the man was trying to get rid of him. He had seen too much. The man stalked away, and the boy stood over him sighing. He took his knife and cut Daniel’s bonds.

                “I’m going to push you down the hill, but you will be able to stand up and drive. Make sure to stay away from the edge of the bridge, or you will be drowned under the bridge. Are you ready?”

                Daniel gulped. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” He choked on his words, and as soon as he stood up,the wagon jerked into action. He just caught the last words of the boy.

                “Get someone to arrest that man, but don’t disclose my identity or I’ll get my revenge.” Daniel didn't care if he gave the boy over to the authorities. He just wanted to be away from the man. He clasped the side of the wagon as he rocketed down the hill. He wanted to jump from the wagon, but he knew he wouldn’t survive the fall. He screeched as the wagon shot down the hill. A group of people gathered under on the shore to watch. They gasped as they saw a second figure behind Daniel. Daniel took no notice of him or the crowd. Still, he slipped from the cart and barely caught himself. He found himself almost airborne. Only his hands kept him on the cart. He saw a rock in his way, and he knew what he had to do. He jumped from his wagon, and he cleared the rock. He splashed into the river, and the figure behind him jumped too. He fell into the water behind Daniel, and he got caught by a current.He was washed to the other bank a few miles down the river. Daniel still thought he was being pursued,and he watched as a procession approached. He fell at the feet of the man in front. He did not know who he was, but he let the story pour out. The man began to laugh. Daniel looked up. Above him stood the Emperor of Rome. He fell onto his face in the dirt, and the emperor ordered him to rise.

                “We will try to find this criminal, but I think you should go home for now. I also advise that you practice some more chariot racing. You have a gift.” Daniel thanked the emperor, but he had had

enough racing for one day. He smiled as he reached home. He had defeated a greater opponent.

Aidan's Writing
Age: 11
Grade: 6th

Three Science Experiments By Rus Tert and Filia (Aidan, Connor, and Shaila)

~Science Experiments~

Hi. This is Rus Tert and Filia. We want to tell you about some fun experiments that we have done. First was an egg experiment showing how much weight empty chicken eggs can hold. We put lots of books on six eggs that weighed 12 and a half pounds. This shows how eggs can hold up even the largest of birds. This makes it so chicks don't go extinct from being crushed by the mothers. Birds have hollow bones making them very light weight. Leo then took some heavy weights and laid them carefully on one egg. This egg alone held up to fifteen pound total! This shows that full eggs are very strong.

We tested the strength of eggs in other ways too! We all were given eggs to squeeze. If we spread the weight out around the egg, then they were impossible to break. If we focused our strength on one part of the egg, it would shatter. Have you ever wondered why mother birds fluff out their feathers before laying down on their eggs? They are balancing their weight on their eggs so as not to break them. Another way eggs cannot be broken is if you squeeze the very tip and bottom of the egg. This is literally impossible. This shows how God designed eggs to be very sturdy.  

We also learned about bats in science. A mother bat can smell her babies even in nurseries with millions of baby bats called pups. She can also hear her pups' special sound. For a few minutes we turned into mother bats. Mom dipped cotton balls in different scents and we chose our own "baby bat". Mom spread them all over the rug. Some smells were pleasant, and some...not so much. Some made our heads ache, and some not. We found our pups after a little sniffing, and searching. This experiment God designed mother bats very well. I'd rather leave smelling to mother bats!

Owl Pellet Dissection (Aidan)

Hi. I’m Rus. Two days before Mom and Dad’s anniversary, we did a very fun science experiment. We are studying flying creatures in our science this year, and one of the experiments was taking apart owl pellets. Connor, Shaila, and I waited a while for them to arrive in the mail, and we were very excited when they did. We could not wait for the evening when we could dissect them. I had never seen an owl pellet before, and I was surprised to find how much fluffy stuff was packed into it. Before we started dissecting, we laid newspaper out on the table, and took out Ethan’s dissecting set that he used for his science labs. Mom bought five owl pellets, so Ethan showed how to open them up with the extra one. We all took a pellet and began to dissect. As I slowly opened it layer by layer, I found many more bones than I had ever expected. My greatest find was a few jawbones and an almost complete bird skull. After I had ripped the whole pellet apart, I searched through the pieces for bones. Most of my time was spent searching, and finally, I could not find any more bones. I noticed while I was dissecting that the kids had taken off their gloves. They had not been so sure before, but they were very enthusiastic now. Ethan identified many of our discoveries, and he dissected two pellets because of his meager finds in his first. I laid out my pellets in one long line. After I finished my line, I sorted the bones onto paper. We had a great regional meal after that (Mom wants me to mention that we SCRUBBED the table first! J), but that has been posted about already. We had a lot of fun with our owl pellets.

By: Aidan
Age: 11 (6th Grade)

New England Regional Meal 2016 (Siobhan)

~New England Regional Meal~

We finished our first region in geography, and that means we did our first regional meal! This week's region is New England. As always, I took lots of pictures. Scroll down to the end for a link to all of our regional meal posts!

Click here to see our 2014 New England Regional Meal post

 Our main course was our Dry Rub Pork roast. It was delicious! We made it in the slow cooker, so it was very simple to prepare. In the morning, we chopped some onions, put the pork on top, added the rub and let it cook all day until dinner.

Click here to print out our Slow Cooker Dry Rub Pork Roast Recipe printable

Recipe by: Stephanie O'Dea

These roasted winter root vegetables were delicious! They were also made in a crockpot.

Click here to print out our Crockpot Roasted Winter Root Vegetables recipe printable

Recipe by: Stephanie O'Dea

This brown bread recipe was so easy (it's a no-yeast bread), and we loved it. I was worried about the batter consistency, because it was extremely runny, but it turned out fine. We spread it with butter and drizzled a little honey on top.

Click here to print out our Irish Brown Bread recipe printable

Recipe by: Imen McDonnell

We made apple dumplings for dessert. We topped them with french vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and whipped cream.

Click here to print out our Apple Dumplings recipe printable

~~~Click here to see all of our regional meal posts~~~

Our 12th Year at Sylvan Classical School (Megan)

 

As we enter our 12th year of homeschooling, I can't resist posting a picture of the adorable preschoolers who inspired this journey.  I just organized Siobhan's final shelf of curriculum and am amazed to think of all that we have learned as she has progressed from finger painting to Physics.