Klaus Has Been Accepted to College!

We found out two days ago that Klaus has been accepted to Simon's Rock College of Bard. Yay Klaus! This acceptance has been a long time coming. He applied in January for their merit scholarship but wasn't eligible because his grades tanked the previous semester, so we rolled over to the regular admissions process. Apparently they were waiting to see his second semester grades. (We're still working on finishing up second semester.)

It turns out that, even though college starts one month from now (ACK!), the timing of the acceptance couldn't have been better. Klaus just got back from three weeks of "college lite" at CTD-Northwestern University, where he took an honors course on Public Speaking and Debate, lived in the dorm, dealt with the roommate from hell, did his own laundry and tasted a little freedom. Surrounded by intellectual peers, he says he "learned how to teach myself," which is fabulous. From what I can tell, Simon's Rock would be a step up from CTD--similar atmosphere but juggling several classes instead of just one.

So, whereas we would have said, "Thanks, but no thanks" to Simon's Rock in April or May, this week, Klaus is actually considering it and seems to be leaning towards going. DH and I are trying not to let our "losing our little boy" feelings influence him to stay home for our sake. Simon's Rock is a thousand miles away, but it's such a great opportunity for him. I hope he decides to go.

Archaeology Camp in Southwestern Colorado

Thinking ahead to next summer: Do you have a child interested in the history of native peoples or in archaeology in general? Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in SW Colorado offers week-long archaeology camps for middle schoolers and high-schoolers and a three-week High School Field School. All programs are residential and offer a wide variety of cultural experiences in the evenings, in addition to days working hands-on in the field.

Love the Middle Ages?

Story from today's St. Paul Pioneer Press about a new class at Augsburg College, called Medieval Connections.

"They wear dark robes, gather around a wide oak table in a paneled room and study the lives of monks, rogues and poets of the Middle Ages.

Sometimes you can spy them in the Augsburg College library, scrawling their views in the margins of a "secret" book chained to a podium. When their teacher — a hulking, buoyant, bearded fellow — bounds into class, they greet him with a hearty, "Salve, magister!" He responds genially, "Salvete, discipuli!"

It may be one of the most unusual classes in the Twin Cities — a medieval course taught at a Lutheran college with seven professors and 22 students who, for a few hours each week, lock out the modern world to pretend they live in 12th century Europe. ..."

This sounds totally cool to me, historian and former theatre-major that I am. Costumes aside, my favorite classes when an undergrad at Northwestern were team taught by professors from different departments. The Renaissance, taught by an English Lit professor and an Art Historian was the best class I ever took.

"... "I think we have a group of faculty increasingly thinking about what can we do that's not just the traditional lecture/small group discussion. What can we do that will wake students up a little bit?" said Joan Griffin, Augsburg's associate dean for general education and an English professor who also helps teach Medieval Connections. ..."

Yay! This is what we need more of--experiential learning--and less traditional lecture/small group discussion. If only the idea would catch on in more colleges...and high schools, middle schools and elementary schools.

To Camp or Not to Camp, That is the Question

It's Spring Break time which, at my house, means the summer learning plans are in full swing. #1 Son (age 14) will be spending two weeks at Mori No Ike , the Japanese camp of the Concordia Language Villages. All three boys spent five days last August at Mori No Ike. #1 Son had no choice--he hadn't taken a language during middle school because "they don't offer Japanese" like they do in the high school. When I found out Concordia had a short-term "try-on" camp, I figured it would be the perfect way for him to find out if he actually hated Japanese and wanted to switch languages, so he wouldn't be two years behind the other French, German or Spanish students. Luckily, he loves the language and loved the camp, hence the two week visit this year. Concordia also offers month-long high school credit camps and study abroad programs that we'll look into for next year.

#2 Son, aka Wolfie, (11) liked Concordia but doesn't really like camp. He tends to be shy and two weeks isn't really enough time for him to warm up to anything. He went to overnight YMCA camp (less than a week) when he was 8 and was very uncomfortable. At Concordia he had both his brothers around, but it's not an experience he wants to repeat. (And #1 Son would like to go by himself this time, please!)

#3 Son, aka Chester, (just about 10) hated Concordia, not because he doesn't like camp, but because the immersion technique completely threw him. Chester is very concrete and likes things spelled out neat and orderly, not "Guess what I mean when I say X." He's a joiner and likes new experiences, but language camp was not a good fit. I thought he might like it once he got the hang of it, but he never got the hang.

Wolfie was tapped by the Midwest Academic Talent Search this year, so we've been getting all kinds of information on academic camps. Many of them sound like a lot of fun, but Wolfie is determined to do nothing but play video games this summer. We even found him a two week camp at a junior high near his grandparents' house so he wouldn't have to stay in the dorm and deal with the social stuff that is so disconcerting for him, but no. "I already have Orchestra. Isn't that enough?" (He will be in middle school next year, so has summer orchestra through the schools.) I'm torn about whether I should force him to go for his own good or let him stay home like he wants to.

Chester is hoping to take an acting class at the local children's theater during the summer. The class is boys only, thank goodness. ;) Signup starts April 1, so keep your fingers crossed.