Saturday, August 28, 2010

What to do if EC is cancelled

Missing EC due to bad weather is such a disappointment to so many. Here are some things you can do to turn those frowns upside down!

1. Have everyone in your house wear a nametag.

2. Have school, but move to a different room of the house every 50 minutes.

3. Ring a bell when it's time to change classes.

4. Eat lunch on the floor with a blanket. Make sure at least one child cries and another spills their drink so you'll get the full effect.

5. Play "I lost my backpack."

6. At the end of the school day, stack the chairs on top of the kitchen table.

7. Mill around in the driveway talking about what you want to do "after school."

8. If the weather permits, go to Braum's or Taco Casa for a treat!

How to Get Ready for EC

This is a tongue-in-cheek look at how Enrichment Class preparation can look in some households.


For homeschooling families, a day away from home at classes can be exhausting. Here are some nuggets of wisdom from a 10 year veteran of EC.

1. Wait until Monday of the first week of EC to prepare your class supplies. It's even better if you wait until the night before. This ensures that you will go to sleep seeing visions of your lesson plan and you'll be well-versed in your subject for class the next day.

2. Stay up as late as possible on Thursday night. Midnight or later is preferable. This shows true dedication.

3. Assemble various junk foods around you as you cut, glue, type, copy, stack, and pack your supplies. This will give you a quick rush of energy, and then you'll have that crash you need to fall into bed later.

4. Get up 4 hours before you're supposed to be at EC. This will come in handy when you remember a few last-minute preparations, like typing supply lists, stuffing sacks, etc., while dressing and feeding your children.

5. Don't make your bed before you leave. You'll want it nap-ready this afternoon!

6. Save make-up application for the drive to EC. You want your look to be as fresh as possible when you get there, while giving the other moms the impression that you've got it all under control.

7. Stuff various snack foods in your purse to inhale as you run down the hall to your first class.

8. Give thanks to God that you had the good sense to at least put some food in the crock pot for dinner, because, MAN you're gonna need it!

9. Make mental notes during the day of all the contacts you need to make, stuff you should've packed, and lessons to plan for next week. Promptly forget them.

10. Do it all again next week!

10 Ways to Come Up with an Class Idea for EC

If you want to teach a class at EC next semester (and you've attended at least one semester) it's almost time to turn in your class descriptions. Some of you may have LOTS of ideas, and some of you may be drawing a blank. So here are some suggestions to get you started:

1. Pray! God may be wanting to use you in a special way through EC.

2. Ask your kids! Teaching on one of their favorite topics can be very easy; you probably have lots of resources already. (This is how I came up with my Dinosaurs class.)

2. Use a unit study. These can range anywhere from dogs to space travel to the Constitution to India. You can use a made-to-order study or design your own.

3. Ask a board member what's been popular before. Usually fun science classes, physical activities (dance, sports, etc.) and arts and crafts are popular, but there are so many options that kids have absolutely loved.

4. Teach Preschool. If you want to teach, but you don't want to do a lot of extra study, teach preschoolers. They are happy with just about ANYTHING, and their studies are so basic. Science can be about pets or trees, and math can be counting and number games.

5. Use YOUR gifts. Do you love to crochet? Teach it! Do you love poetry? Teach it! Are you knowledgeable about nutrition? Share it!

6. Expand your homeschool. If you're doing something interesting at home, turn it into an EC class. This cuts down on the extra preparation time, because you're already teaching it.

7. Pick one of your favorite books and go with it! (I love Lord of the Rings, so I taught it. It turned out to be a huge hit!)

8. Use the season, nearest holidays, or an election to work with. Christmas crafts, Pilgrims, or the political process work great in the Fall. Gardenting, or the Life of Jesus in the Spring.

9. Think of what you wish you could teach your kid at home, but honestly know it will not happen... like "kids in the kitchen" (if you are the type who cook solo) or math facts- like i really care about those??? But i know I have to teach them to my offspring, so might as well make it a party with snacks so they can count and all!

10. Think back to some of your kids' favorite classes in the past. Could YOU teach it? Probably!

Think of what you love- what are your passions. What are your gifts. Each one of us is really built/ programmed for something. Are you a server, a prayer warrior, a worker, a teacher? Of course we are all teachers, but some really have the gift - others operate in a grace gift and it is not really their love. Work to your own skills. Don't work against yourself putting yourself in a bind each and every Friday.

Never assume a class idea is not going to be popular. Throw it out there & let the board hash out the details. Show yourself ready to teach, willing to change a bit and most importantly honor the LORD!

See a board member for more info, and get the classes turned in EARLY!

Enrichment Class Board:
Kari Davidson 903-429-6215
Nicki Truesdell 940-612-1300
Karen Leach 940-612-3206
Claudia Fink 940-612-1220

Monday, August 9, 2010

Photos from Enrichment Classes

Pep Rally for the Rattlers!

Music Fun


Build it Big!


Little House Sewing


Little House Sewing



Just a bunch of girls in a tree!


Dinosaurs!



Nursery


Sewing with boys



A visit from reptiles



RRCH Teen is featured writer in Gainesville Daily Register

Liberty Davidson, age 17, has received the honor of being a featured writer in the Gainesville Daily Register. So far, she's been featured every other Friday! You can read a sample of her writing on the Register's website, and get a full dose on her blog, Freedom to Speak.

Congratulations to Liberty for this great position!

If you like Liberty's writing, please drop a note to the Register and tell them so!

RRCH Member receives honors in Denton County 4H

"After achieving top honors at the state Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Invitational, members of the Denton County 4-H WHEP team can now call themselves national champions.

At a contest in New Mexico in late July, the team matched wits, knowledge and wildlife skills with 16 other teams from around the country in individual and team tasks, and came out on top."

Sam Hatch is a member of this team, and also a member of the Red River Enrichment Classes. Congratulations to Sam and his whole team!

Read the rest of the article here.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Rattlers win the State Championship!


In February 2010 our Rattlers Boys and Girls basketball teams traveled to the T-CAL state tournament to compete. We are so excited to announce that the

Lady Rattlers won the State Championship

in the Class A division. Congratulations, ladies, for all your hard work!

And congratulations to Tess Hough for winning MVP of the championship game!
We are also pleased to announce that our Rattlers Boy's team, in their first year at the T-CAL tournament, made it to the last round of championship games! What a feat, considering the team is so new. Congratulations, guys! We're looking forward to a State Championship in your near future!

For more information about Rattlers basketball, click here, and for info about Lady Rattlers, click here.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

RRCH Yearbook

COMING SOON!

RRCH Enrichment Class Ideas

COMING SOON!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Red River Rattlers' Sponsors

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE RED RIVER RATTLERS'
2010 SPONSORS:

Medifast Weight Control Centers
972-317-1971

Golf Cars for Fun
972-346-2064

Dry Clean Super Center
940-665-0048

Nascoga Federal Credit Union
800-303-8455

Prosperity Bank
940-668-8531

Axtell Rite-Value Pharmacy
903-564-3216

Computers Plus Unlimited
903-564-7303