My Little School Boy

One of the reasons Matt and I decided to switch the boys to Catholic school was because we felt like their education thus far wasnt as full as it could be. The public school they previously attended practiced some fantastic academic standards, but the faculty couldnt always allow time to participate in those "above and beyond" activities that enrich a child's education. Im talking about research papers/reports. Im talking about school theatrical opportunities. Im talking about science fairs. St. Francis has delivered on all those items.

Now that the boys are in their second year at St. Franccis Im beginning to realize that all those "above and beyond" activities are a lot of work - not only for the students but also for the parents.

After the long three day weekend, Finn had a book report due in the form of a diorama. His teacher is excellent at managing the reading of the book and making sure that the kids are prepared to do the project. However, when it comes down to it Matt and I are the ones that push these types of projects through. Finn is a semi academically driven student, but its Matt and I who are running to the craft store and making time at home for these projects to get done. At this stage, we are totally the driving force behind big projects being done well. Matt did most of the work with Finn this time around. :) Finn's book was called Flight of the Phoenix by R.L. LaFevers and his diorama was supposed to depict his favorite part of the story. In addition to the diorama, Finn had to be prepared to do an oral report on his book. Matt helped him tirelessly on Sunday and Monday to get this project done. I got a little lump in my throat watching them work together at our dinner table. In the end, we were all impressed with Finn's end product. Here are the pics:


This morning I got a sneak peak at the dioramas that were done by other students in Finn's class. There were some really cool ones and some so-so ones. I'd say Finn's diorama was somewhere in the middle. Regardless of his grade, I am grateful for the opportunity for him to work on this type of creative assessment. This was his first diorama, but Im sure its not his last. One thing is certain: Finn certainly seemed proud of his creation this morning. He insisted on walking with it to class and was keen to show others what he had done on the way.

Its a wet one here today. Lots and lots of rain. Hope all of you are staying dry.
Happy Tuesday.