Weekly Wrap-Up: the one when school started again

We have had a wonderful time over the festive season with extended family and friends. There has been a hive of activity here as the teens and their friends have enjoyed themselves with numerous social events. But as they say, all good things come to an end and hubby and Josh have been back at work a while and we have started schooling again. Though holidays are wonderful it does feel good to have some regular rhythm to the days again.

We have started gently as we are still waiting for Keren's new curriculum to arrive. Days have been filled with loads of art, reading and some Afrikaans. One of the highlights of the week for me has been our read aloud time. We are thoroughly enjoying reading about Leonardo da Vinci and his very interesting life. Keren has resumed her art classes for grade 11 at Frank Joubert, now two days a week. 

She is working on various pictures of the Mona Lisa and has been decorating her visual art book while I read aloud. 

Her results for her grade 10 exams came and she did very well, passing all subjects well above average.

Zak has begun art lessons too as an extra mural. 

At his first lesson he produced this line drawing. 

This week it was painting.

We are thrilled that he is enjoying the lessons and it's wonderful that his class falls on the same day and at the same time as Keren's lesson. 

This week he was back at the first basketball practice of the season.

I decided he would do Konos this year, his first year of high school. He is a kinesthetic learner and this fits his learning style well as it is a hands on curriculum. He chose to begin with the unit on initiative and resourcefulness. We have had great conversations about him using his initiative and being more aware of his responsibilities....his head is often in the clouds so lets see what comes from this, lol. We are enjoying reading 'My Side of the Mountain" together, a wonderful story of a boy who is tired of city living and who runs off to live in the mountains. He must be resourceful in order to survive. While I read, he keeps busy with numerous sketches in his new sketch book. I was pleased to find a good number of books for this unit at the library this week.

This week I enjoyed a girlfriend's birthday breakfast one morning. It was great to catch up with the girls and have a good laugh. A friend and I also enjoyed dinner together one evening. Keren joined me on an early morning walk with walk/run for life. I made it to two more sessions this week and am really enjoying my walking. 

It was my sisters last week in CT before heading back to the farm and we had snatches of time together catching up, and a wonderful morning spent with our boys and our cute nephew at Kirstenbosch. 

The boys loved climbing the trees and messing about in the stream.

Yesterday we finally received Josh's AS level results! 

We are thrilled that he has passed and will be able to continue with further studies.