Homeschooling in the Pacific

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Making a difference beyond homeschooling

Hafa Adai! Although my oldest son has completed his homeschool experience, I will continue to post educational ideas/news that other parents may find useful. After all, my oldest brother is also homeschooling his daughter, so you might say that homeschooling is ongoing in the family. :) I believe in the power of homeschooling with effective application of engaging strategies for each respective content area. I wish you all the best as you make a difference in the lives of your children, one day at a time. God Bless.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

We did it! Congratulations, 2012 graduate!

I'm pleased to announce that our homeschooling was a success, as the final activity was put to test when my son took his GED. He just received his results this week, and he passed with flying colors! Congratulations, son, on a job well done! I'm so proud of you! You did it, and I know we'll see more great things to come!

Image source: personalizedgraduate.com

April is National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month*

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month (NPM) is now held every April, when schools, libraries, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, and poets around the country come together to celebrate poetry and its vital importance in American culture. Thousands of businesses and organizations participate through festivals, readings, workshops, book displays, and various other events.

	What is National Poetry Month?
	30 Ways to Celebrate NPM
	Celebration Highlights

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the following is a poem I wrote. Enjoy!

MY POETRY

My imagination runs wild,
As I grab a pen and write away.
The emotions linger about,
Pushing me to set it free.
It shall be set free in the words that I write.
It shall be set free in the feelings that I express.
It shall be set free, just by knowing it is mine.
My own thoughts,
My own words,
My own feelings --
That in itself is poetry,
Whether it is liked by others or not;
I know this to be true,
That as long as it is dear to my heart,
It's as special as can be,
And no one can deny that it is poetry!
©mnrivera

*Source: www.poets.org

Friday, November 11, 2011

PREL's Pacific Navigator - November 2011

November 2011 • Volume 2 • Issue 4

Giving Thanks, Looking Ahead

Have you noticed that PREL’s regular communiqué is now called “The Pacific Navigator”? In keeping with the theme of way finding, I wanted to open this edition with a scan, as a navigator might, of the seas astern and ahead. As the Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific (REL Pacific) approaches the end of its current 6-year contract period, we are grateful for all the guidance and inspiration provided by our many partners, colleagues, and advisory groups. The latter include the Research and Evaluation (R&E) Cadre (featured in this issue) and the Pacific Curriculum and Instruction Council (PCIC), who are meeting just down the hall as I write this. The PCIC agenda, appropriately, focuses on 21st-century learning skills. It is so critical to enable our students to achieve success in a world that we cannot yet see, just over the horizon. The REL Pacific staff are profoundly thankful for the opportunities we have had to help guide our canoe toward this destination.

Ormond Hammond, PhD
Director, Regional Educational
Laboratory Pacific and E Ho‘omau!

Highlights of PCC Activities

Short Assessment for Literacy
(SAL) in Kosrae—During the
month of August, a series of workshops on SAL was conducted for 1st- and 2nd-grade teachers of early childhood education (ECE). More on page 2

PREL Attends Meeting of the Pacific Heads of Education Systems

From August 22nd through the 25th, Dr. Sharon Nelson-Barber and Paul Dumas, PREL’s President and Chief Programs Officer, respectively, attended the 18th consultation meeting of the Pacific Heads of Education Systems (PHES) in Koror, Palau. More on page 4

PREL Pacific Convenes a Meeting of the R&E Cadre

In September 2011, PREL’s Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific convened a meeting of the Research and Evaluation Cadre. More on page 4

PREL’s E Ho‘omau! Films Shown at Regional Film Festivals

PREL’s E Ho‘omau! project is wrapping up work on producing three animated films based on Hawaiian legends, as well as associated curriculum materials for 4th grade students. The program, which is called E Ho‘omau!emphasizes literacy and the scientific aspects of the legends. A field test of the project has now started in schools, and we are also sharing the completed pieces with teachers and others. More on page 3