The OLYMPICS are here!

Hey guys, sorry that I haven't been keeping my promise of 3 posts a week. The bad weather has been slowing down my internet connection, and then over the weekend I got to spend time with a very good friend who I haven't seen in what feels like forever. While that was nice, it wasn't exactly helping my blog posts :)


Anyway, on to the reason for this post. The 2010 Winter Olympics have started!

Are you planning on watching? Have you watched any of the events so far? What events are you looking forward to the most? I'm looking forward to all of the figure skating events (Pair's medals will be awarded tonight!) and ski jumping, but really I love all of it! I mean, it's the OLYMPICS! Everyone's in such a good mood, and so many of the athletes are thrilled just to be there. Forget about the medals, the Olympics are just AMAZING.

Hey EVERYONE!

Let us get to know you! Email me at homeschoolsara@gmail.com if you would like to become an official author, or email me your posts and I'll post them for you! Everyone who posts AT LEAST 3 TIMES BY THE FIRST OF MAY will be invited to a pizza party in May (exact date TBD). If you're not sure what type of stuff you could post about, email me and I'll give you some ideas. If you have ANY questions, please email me!

Animals, Children, and Volunteer Hours

With snow still falling, I doubt many people are making plans for the summer. And yet, for anyone interested in volunteering at the National Zoo this summer, the time to start planning is now.
I spent the last summer working as a Senior Class Aide, and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had. The zoo runs several summer camps for young children, and as a Senior Class Aide it was my job to help the teacher in any way I could. It was my responsibility to help set up the craft projects, hand out snacks, and make sure that none of the kids got lost on the long walks around the zoo. I was also often asked to carry the large bag filled with the snacks, first aide kit, and all the paperwork the teachers were required to carry. Fortunately for me though, there were always two younger class aides willing to help. I was also really impressed by the teachers. They were extremely nice and always ready to step in if one of the kids became too much for one of the class aides to handle.

But what volunteer programs does the zoo offer, exactly? In addition to the Class Aide/Senior Class Aide programs, the zoo also offer several other programs.

How Do You Zoo? - How Do You Zoo is a hands-on exhibit where little kids can learn about what it means to be a zookeeper or veterinarian. Teen volunteers are needed to assist in overseeing the exhibit and interacting with the kids.

Kid's Farm- The Kids Farm is a play area and model farm where kids can learn about farming and animal care. Teen volunteers working at the kids farm would be expected to answer visitor's questions and assist in activities like "story-time".

Exhibit Greeter- Teens volunteering as Exhibit Greeters would work at the Invertebrate Building. They would need to answer questions and keep a tally of how many people entered the building.

What's more, if a teen has participated in one or more of these programs, they are eligable to apply for the Keeper Aide summer volunteer program, which is pretty much what it sounds like.
If any of this happens to catch your interest, check out the zoo website for more information :
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Support/Volunteer/Teens/default.cfm

But hurry! The deadline for applying is soon!

Educational Time Wasters, Part 1

Or, what to do when you don't want to do schoolwork, but would like to say that you learned something when asked.


I'm starting this series because I realized that many of the websites that I love are actually in some way educational, just not necessarily relevant to what I'm supposed to be doing, or even (once in a while) completely useless. The first website I'm featuring is the well known quiz site FreeRice.com, possibly one of the best of it's kind. It most certainly has more subjects than most, including English grammar and vocabulary, basic foreign language, basic math, chemistry, geography, and even art. There is also the feel-good factor in that for every correct answer, 10 grains of rice are donated to help end hunger. Although the truth in that is debatable, it is still one of the best quiz sites out there.


Do you have a suggestion for the "Educational Time Wasters" series? They can be quiz sites, videos, articles, or really anything else that's fun, educational, and accessible to a wide variety of levels. Off-line suggestions are welcome, as long as it is extremely easy to find the supplies and space to do it. Leave you suggestions in the comments (any post will do, I'll see it), or email them to homeschoolsara@gmail.com.