Childhood is a journey, not a race.....

2011 Science Fair Set for April 8! Save the date for Science!

2011-03-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Southwest Missouri Homeschool Science Fair

Friday, April 8
10:00-4:00
Library Center: Auditorium and Community Rooms A & B

This event will give students an opportunity to share their science projects with a community of fellow homeschoolers with the purpose of encouraging families to pursue quality, scientifically valid projects and receive mentoring and feedback from a guest panel of professional scientists.

Categories include experimental projects for older students and demonstrative displays for lower-elementary. Awards for all ages.

The schedule of events will take place as follows:

10:00-10:30 Students set up projects for display and judging

10:30-4:00 Fair open for public viewing.

10:30-3:30 Judging of projects.

4:00-5:00 Awards presentation and cleanup.

This year, students showing demonstrative displays (ages 9 and under) will be located in a separate exhibit space while older students with experiental projects are being judged in the auditorium. All exhibitors will be assigned a specific time at which your project will be judged. Entrants must be available to speak with judges individually during this time. Science-related activity tables will be setup for all ages to participate in some hands-on fun. Refreshments will be provided.

Cost for participation: $5 per exhibitor due with entry form

Age Categories and Rules:
Ages 9 and under: may display 1 project either demonstrative or a collection
Ages 10 and over: project MUST be experimental. One entry per student.

A panel of professional scientists and science educators will be judging the projects and providing feedback to the kids based on the following criteria: scientific accuracy and use of the Scientific Method; planning, effort, completeness; creativity; logic in process and presentation; technical skill; and knowledge of the subject. The current March 1 edition of The Independent Scholar area homeschool newspaper contains in-depth information and resources for science fair projects including judge's advice, project scoring rubrics, and entry forms.

WRITTEN ENTRY DEADLINE is MARCH 30.
email DeBackerland@att.net for forms and further information.

Top prize for first place experimental division: $50 Gift Certificate to Home Science Tools

Art For Students By Students

2011-03-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Two Art Workshops exclusively for homeschoolers will be conducted in May, 2011by Drury University Methods of Art Education Students under the supervision of local art teacher Kevin Kloppenburg. These classes will be held on Wednesday May 4 (for elementary grades) and May 11 for middle and high school students from 3:30-5:00 at Central High School. Information and Registration: These classes will be offered FREE of charge including all materials, but enrollment is limited to the first 25 students who RSVP. Classes are restricted to specified ages. Parents may drop off children, but must strictly abide by the 3:30 starting and 5:00 ending times. Parents are also welcome to observe the class, but siblings who are not enrolled in the class may not attend.Students will be presented with instruction including artistic theory and a hands-on project.

To RSVP or for more information, please email Kara DeBacker: DeBackerland@att.net

The Independent Scholar Homeschool Newspaper

2011-03-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

(click the title above to visit The Independent Scholar website)

We are proud to announce the distribution of a quarterly printed newspaper published by and about homeschoolers in the Southwest Missouri region. Started in the fall of 2010, this 20-page tabloid-format 11x17 paper contains news, current event listings, artwork, features and columns pertinent to our home education lifestyle.

Homeschooling kids and parents: send us your writing, updates, opinions, event listings, and articles for publication! Also, support us by subscribing and advertising. This is your school paper!

Yearly subscriptions (4 issues) are available now at the regular subscription price of $15 per year (4 quarterly issues) beginning with the current (Winter 2010) issue. We also have a bulk order option for groups or individuals who order 20 or more copies of a single issue prepaid for $1 per copy.
To subscribe, please fill out the form below and mail with your check to:

Ozarks Area Unschoolers Homeschool Press
Kara DeBacker, Publisher
5646 E Division
Springfield, MO 65802

Name:
Mailing address:
e-mail:

I have enclosed

______ $15 for a one-year regular subscription
______ $2 for each additional back issue (Fall, 2010 and/or Winter, 2010)

website: http://www.theindependentscholarnewspaper.com/

2011-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the winners of the 7th annual Kids UnSchool Art Exhibit!

Held Jan 25-28, 2011

Sponsored by Waverly House Gallery and KSMU Public Radio
http://www.waverlyhouse.com/

Rebekah Meinsen- Best of Show

Awards of Merit: Stephanie Philpot, Christian Prater, Abby Parten, Adam DeBacker, and Morgan Piercy

NOW SEATING!!!

2011-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Join us for two upcoming school-day matinee performances at Hammons Hall:

Mad Science presents
STAR TREK LIVE
Monday, April 11, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

Mad Science Productions is proud to present STAR TREK LIVE – an action-packed, interactive adventure based on the legendary Star Trek franchise and the thrilling new movie. With a shocking invasion of Romulan forces from the future, the newly formed Starfleet Academy of audience cadets must work together to save planet Earth! With the help of a time-travelling Vulcan, the Starfleet Commander and his team of rookie cadets must bravely draw on 21st century science and technology to try to defeat the alien forces. With cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction, and on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock themselves, STAR TREK LIVE is an exhilarating and unforgettable experience for students. Recommended for grades 2 & up

LAKOTA SIOUX DANCE THEATRE
April 21, 2011
Thursday, 10:00 a.m.

Dance is at the heart of Plains Indian culture – used in social and “show” situations (pow-wows), to honor individuals and mark rites of passage, and as an expression of spirituality. The Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre, founded at the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, draws upon the traditions of Lakota Indian educators, healers, community leaders, championship pow-wow dancers, singers and storytellers to present a celebration of Plains Indian culture. Set against a backdrop of spectacular video imagery – and accompanied by live traditional, sacred and courting songs – narrative and creation stories are woven into the fabric of the performance. Recommended for grades 2 & up

Prepayments of $6 per seat are due before March 15. For mailing address or more information: DeBackerland@att.net

WOW For Dissection Day

2010-12-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

The EDISON Homeschool Science Club is pictured below during an afternoon lab program on Thursday, December 16 dissection of a cow eye.

Road Tripping for Books

2010-03-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

All homeschoolers know that you can never have enough bookshelves. We proved that adage once again this month by gathering up some good friends, and traveling to the 42nd annual Children's Literature Festival on the UCM campus. There's nothing like a day of listening to creative people and talented writers talk about their life's work. We were inspired, entertained, and educated in countless ways. Most of all, the kids came home ready to read, write, and research. Here's Adam's report about the authors who we met:

Gary Blackwood did The Shakespeare Stealer, Shakespeare’s Scribe, and Shakespeare’s Spy. He also did The Great Race, Wild Timothy, and Second Sight. The Shakespeare Stealer is about this kid trying to steal the play “Hamlet” from Shakespeare . I loved the talk. He talked about publishing the book and so much more. He said don’t judge the book by its cover. He fenced to show us the types of swords and based it on Zorro.

Gloria Skurzynski talked about endangered animals and rocket history. She writes the mysteries in our National Parks series. In each book there is an animal. She took a card of my dad’s and probably will go there to write a book.

Patricia Hermes wrote Joshua’s Oregon Trail. She is funny. She based a book on “I’m going to pulverize you William.” She heard it from a little girl chasing her little brother.

A. LaFaye wrote Worth and much more. She had pets, went to school with a nice teacher, but had mean classmates. The “A” stands for Alexandra.

Performance Reviews by Adam DeBacker, age 12

2010-02-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Performed at Springfield Little Theater
February 18, 2010

I loved The King and I. I loved the songs. I think that the King, played by Derrick D. King, was great. Derrick is a big man and can sing very well. His wife and son are played by Kim Snyder and Maceo Cortezz and are great performers and singers. I do like the songs, especially Whistle a Happy Tune and Getting to Know You.

It takes place in Siam. Siam is now Thailand and is a country in Asia. King Mongkut and Anna Leonowens are their real names. Anna was an Englishwoman. She had a son named Louis. Anna got married to Tom and Tom died. Anna and Louis went to Siam and taught the King’s children. The King did stuff pretty harsh. Like at the end, after they danced, the king’s guards came in with a princess who had run away with her boyfriend. The King got a whip and tried to whip her, but he didn’t. Anna got to him. They fell in love and he didn’t want to do that.

To learn more about the real story behind The King and I, click here:
History of the real Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut

The Springfield Symphony, February 13

I loved the symphony. It played Loves Greetings and Tristan And Isolde. Leah Hamilton Jenkins sang El Amor Brujo mezzo soprano. But Leah didn't have a microphone and she sang against the symphony and it was loud. Hachen Zhang plays piano. He performed Beethoven and Mozart and Hayden's music at age 5 in concert. And he studied music at age 3, and he is the youngest person in history to win the Van Cliburn Competition at age 19. He is still performing. He is standing in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's footsteps.

A Theatrical Analysis by Adam DeBacker, age 11: Macbeth and Scrooge

2009-12-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

**Mom's note to readers: The week of December 1, we attended two theatrical performances in the area. They were Macbeth, a contemporary production of the Shakespeare play at Missouri State University and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens at the Vandivort Center Theater. The following are Adam's thoughts about the two stories.

There were two guys: Macbeth and Scrooge. Macbeth was haunted by three witches, and Scrooge was haunted by ghosts and each of them found their destiny. Macbeth killed King Duncan and also killed Macduff's family. Macbeth's wife died, and Macbeth and Macduff fought it over. Macbeth's head was in a sack. Scrooge, on the other hand, was haunted and after the ghosts came Scrooge was nice. He gave Bob Cratchit a raise. He did everything right and shaped up. -Adam DeBacker 12/7/09

Athleticism, Theater, and Comedy

2009-11-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

I saw the Harlem Globetrotters on January 21, 2010 at JQH Arena. There are a lot of players. I think the coaches are good trainers, and there are a lot of legends. There is a mascot called Globie, and honorary means that even though they didn't win, they still got it from being admired. They did basketball, and they did do tricks with the ball. They de-pantsed people and took off all of the clothes. That includes shirt, pants, and underpants. They threw water on the referees. The Globetroters formed in 1926. It was creaed by Abe Saperstin in Chicago, Illinois. Brother Bones whistled a version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" as the theme song.

- Adam DeBacker, newly age 12

National Park Service Scientists Host GPS Day for EDISON Homeschool Science Club

2009-11-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Ecological Inventory and Monitoring Program Scientists of The National Park Service presented a program for our science club on November 3 to demonstrate the use of GPS technology for data collection. We learned about the history of GPS and how it works, then worked as a field crew to locate invasive lespedeza plants which were mapped by the NPS staff and will be used in their reporting.

Join our Homeschool Bowl-A-Thon Team!!!

2009-10-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Again this year, we will be ringleading a homeschool team to bowl in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser. We are scheduled to bowl during the kids/school tournament on Saturday, March 13 from 9:00-11:00 in the morning. To participate, each bowler must collect a minimum of $50 and in return will get to bowl two games, win prizes (they are good and plentiful), receive free pizza, soft drinks, and a T-shirt. This event is FUN!!!!! Let's show the community what homeschoolers can do. To sign up, visit our Homeschool Team webpage at: Homeschoolers Bowl for Kids' Sake

The Homeschoolers Trick-or-treat for UNICEF Party

2009-10-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

was held October 20 and raised over $125 for the United Nations Children's Fund.

We had a great afternoon of both learning and fun to celebrate our homeschool service club collection efforts.

Fall Performance Arts Reviews by Adam DeBacker, age 11

2009-10-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

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The Producers was at the Springfield Little Theater. Mel Brooks wrote the book for The Producers which is a comedy. It took place in New York City. Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom were partners and met crazy characters and hired them for Springtime for Hitler, and the next morning when they went into their office and read the newspaper, it said that the show was a hit and they were shocked.

I loved MAMMA MIA!

(at Hammons Hall October 11, 2009)

The songs Gimme Gimme Gimme, Honey Honey, Mamma Mia, Money Money Money , and Supertrouper were my favorites. Here's the story: It all started with a teenage girl with a mom but with no father. But one time the teenage girl delivered letters to Harry Bright, Bill Austin and Sam Charmichael. They thought Donna Sheridan (the mom) sent the letters to them, but the daughter Sophie Sheridan did. Donna and Harry and Bill and Sam had a history, but Donna put her diary away and Sophie found it and then stuff happend. (That's a whole other story for another time). Then one thing led to another thing. The mothers formed a band (Super Trouper). Sophie and Sky didn't get married, but Donna and Sam got married.

The Springfield Symphony October 16, 2009
The symphony played Louis Armstrong songs, and there was a guest star Byron Stripling. He is a crazy trumpeter person and a jokester. He sang Flat Footed Floogie dedicated to Ron Spigleman. The youth players played right before the symphony, and they sang Seasons of Love from the Broadway show Rent and crazy jungle themes.

And The Springfield Symphony again, November 14, 2009

I loved it! They did a great job. The piano player played really fast, and the symphony played a story by Hector Berlioz. Ron Spigleman gets so excited and goes crazy, and it looks like he will jump out of his clothes and conduct the symphony naked.

I loved As You Like It (performed by the Aquila Theater Company at Hammons Hall October 20).
Of course in Shakespeare plays there is always a fool, and in this play the fool is really Touchstone and he fell in love with Audrey. The two daughters fell in love and dressed up as men and one of the guys was a wrestler with his brother. At the end, everybody fell in love and got married.

Bob Dylan and his band in Springfield on October 25, 2009

The concert of Bob Dylan was a hit. It is a rave. I loved it. It was a rock 'n roll band, and it was loud.

October 25 at Springfield Little Theater

Lewis Carroll wrote Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. It all started when Alice met the white rabbit with her sister. Alice follows the white rabbit in the hole and meets crazy characters like a wild Cheshire cat, a wicked mad hatter with a big hat, an evil queen of hearts, a crazy dodo bird, a mock turtle, caterpillar, doorknob, rock lobsters, sparkle fish, amoeba party fish creatures, bumblebees, dragonflies, flowers, Tweeledee and Tweedledum. The director and the rest of the staff did a good job. Same for the kids. I loved it all. I wish I had a part in it so I can play and be crazy in the mad tea party or in the Queen’s palace or in a chorus. And I wish I had a costume and dance, sing, and act crazy on stage. The stage was set like chess, but there was no chess in the show and the part when Alice went into the rabbit hole and down when she ended, I thought there would be a hole in the stage.

You're Never Too Old or Too Young for Bob

2009-10-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

Bob Dylan's Poetry on Online Audio

This Cave Had Class

2009-09-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

September 22 was Ozarks Area Unschoolers day at
Onondaga Cave State Park

Our all-day field trip for homeschooling families from southern Missouri brought together 50 kids and parents to explore one of the most beautiful caves in the state.
The day began with a short program on cave life and history followed by a 90 minute walking cave tour. Following a picnic break, we had an introduction to Rocks and Minerals and some time to enjoy the great Ozarks outdoors hiking trails. Thanks to the park staff and all who attended!
For more information about Onondaga Cave including educational supplements, visit the DNR website: http://www.mostatepar ks.com/onondaga/cavege ohist.htm

Science Club at the Watershed

2009-09-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

A demonstration of the effects of acid on limestone bedrock.

Thank you Mike Kromrey for hosting our Sept. 1st E.D.I.S.O.N. Club program at the Watershed Center of the Ozarks. We had a fun and interesting afternoon hiking the trails and learning about Karst topography and geologic features.

2009-09-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of this year's

Southwest Missouri Homeschool Science Fair!

The judges of the April 17 event remarked about how impressed they were the the caliber of work that our kids displayed. And thanks to those of you who came out during our public viewing time to see their projects. You can all plan on the same time next year!

Experimental Division (ages 10+):

First Place Awards:

Ashley Painter, age 15, Verona

Gunther Krueger, age 11, Mansfield

Second Place Awards: Hannah Alkier, age 10, Springfield
Adam DeBacker, age 11, Springfield
Alyssa Alkier, age 12, Springfield

Third Place Awards: Connor Simpson, age 10, Nixa
Colton Goddard, age 13, Urbana

Honorable Mention: Madison Appleby, age 13, Springfield
Ashlyn Coburn, age 12, Walnut Grove

Demonstration Division (ages 9 and under):

First Place Awards:
Evan Coburn, age 7, Walnut Grove
Erica Fullerton, age 9, Bolivar
Second Place: David Appleby, age 8, Springfield
Third Place: Brendan Simpson, age 5, Nixa

Thank you to our sponsors:
Ward's Science Supply who donated $300 worth of gift certificates and prizes!

Home Science Tools: for their donation of a $30 Gift Certificate

Judges From the National Park Service/Missouri State University: Gareth Rowell, David Pietz, and Mike DeBacker

This event gives students an opportunity to share their science projects with the community, with the purpose of encouraging homeschoolers to pursue quality, scientifically valid projects while receiving mentoring and feedback from a guest panel of professional scientists.

Sept 09 Arts Report

2009-09-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

I went to the 100th anniversary of the Landers and the 75th anniverary of The Springfield Little Theater. There was 100 years of entertainment and 100 years of stars. Kim Crosby was in Into The Woods on Broadway. Lucas Grabeel was in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Beth Doman did "Got To Have a Gimmick" from gypsy. She played the horn and at the end of her solo, she went to the center of the stage and she bent down. She put the horn between her legs and tried to blow the horn, but what she blew out was a "tooty." And there was a band for music from Stars and Stripes and The Music Man. The history from the theater: First was vaudeville. Then Red Foley played shows there. And I was on that stage for seven years.

The Springfield Symphony had its 75th anniversary concert on September 19. The three maestros from past years conducted. The current conductor is Ron Spigelman, and the past conductors are Apo Hsu and Charles Bontrager. They conducted Carlyle Sharpe's An American Postcard, Dimitri Shostakovich Festival Overture, Hector Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture, Peter Illich Tschaikovsky Variations on A Rococo and Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 5. They had cake

BODY BACTERIA: A Science Project by Adam DeBacker, age 11

2009-04-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

BACTERIA

Bacteria are one single cell. You can’t see them with your naked eye. You only can see them with the microscope. Bacteria come in different shapes and sizes. There are three different kinds of bacteria. There are spiral, round, and rods. Some are bad. The bacteria on our bodies are mostly good.

PURPOSE: To find out which body part has the most bacteria.

HYPOSTHESIS: The most bacteria is in the nose.

MATERIALS: nutrient agar, petri dishes, grease pencil, sterile swabs, microwave, tape

PROCEDURE: First I labeled the petri dishes. Then I put the agar in the microwave, and melted the agar and then I put the agar in the petri dishes. Then I put the petri dishes to cool to room temperature and then I got a sterile swab and rubbed it on the part of the body then put it on the agar. Then I closed the lid with tape and I put the petri dishes in the bathroom since it is warm and dark. Then I typed the hypothesis and then every day I checked the bacteria for a week to see how much bacteria grew.

WHERE THE BACTERIA CAME FROM:
A: control F: Tongue G: Palm of Hand
B: Bottom H: Between Toes I: Belly Button
C: Behind Ears J: Jane’s (dog) mouth K: Under Arm
D: Hair L: Eyelid M: under fingernails
E: Outside Nose N: inside nose

RESULTS: On day three, the order of the most to least bacteria is:
H,M,J,N,I,D,B,G,E,F,K,C,L,A

After one week, the order of the most to least bacteria is:
H,J,M,I,D,N,B,E,G,K,L,F,C,A

Conclusion: The most bacteria is between the toes.

GRAM STAINING: Gram staining was originally a person’s name and we did this because it was fun to look at the bacteria up close through the microscope 1000 times bigger. First I got the petri dishes with bacteria out and opened them. I got a swab and got a blow torch and with the swab I got the bacteria from the petri dishes. I got some glass slides and got some chemicals. I put some water on the glass with the bacteria and the chemicals. I let it dry and meanwhile in the background I talked about Harry Potter and Star Wars. I took pictures through the clean lens of the microscope.

Here is a picture of the bacteria from between Mom’s toes. It is Gram positive cocci magnified 1000X:

EDISON Homeschool Science Club Visits Environmental Works, Inc

2009-04-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

The geologists, chemists, and engineers at Environmental Works, Inc. hosted our April 20, 2009 science club meeting at their offices in Springfield, MO. We learned about chemical hazards, soil composition, watersheds, waste cleanup, and more during their fabulous presentation! Thank You!

Literature inspires remembrance of the Holocaust

2009-04-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

After reading the book Twenty and Ten, a story by Claire Bishop about Jewish children seeking refuge in a French Catholic school during WWII, our literature circle made butterflies to send to the Holocaust Museum in Houston to be included in their Butterfly Project Exhibit. The Butterfly Project is based on poetry and writings by children who perished in the Holocaust. Here is an excerpt:

The Butterfly
The last, the very last,

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.

Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing against a white stone....
Such, such a yellow

Is carried lightly ’way up high.

It went away

I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,

Penned up inside this ghetto.

But I have found what I love here.

The dandelions call to me

And the white chestnut branches in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.

Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.

by Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942
Born in Prague on January 7, 1921.Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942. Died in Aushchwitz on September 29, 1944.

“I Never Saw Another Butterfly”
Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp 1942–1944.

By Hana Volavkova (Editor)

More than 12,000 children under the age of 15 passed through the Terezin Concentration Camp between the years 1942-1944. More than 90 percent perished during the Holocaust. In these poems and pictures drawn by the young inmates of Terezin, we see the daily misery of these uprooted children, as well as their courage and optimism, their hopes and fears.

For more information about The Butterfly Project, click here: http://www.hmh.org/minisite/butterfly/index.html

A Class About Glass

2009-04-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

An enthusiastic THANK YOU goes out to Gabe Bloodworth who hosted our March EDISON science club at the Springfield Hot Glass studio.( http ://www.springfieldhotglass.com/)

Gabe amazed us with his ability to make beautiful hot glass creations while simultaneously offering a wealth of scientific information about the process.

Performing Arts Reviews by Adam DeBacker, 11

2009-04-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Poison and Old Ladies
(It’s really called Arsenic and Old Lace.)

It’s a farce like Anything Goes. The Brewsters are a creepy family. The stage lights were kind of like a haunted house. Teddy Brewster thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt. He started digging the Panama Canal in the basement. Aunt Martha and Aunt Abby bury gentlemen in the basement, because they poison them. They’re pretty cooky and spooky. They don’t know what they’re thinking. They don’t know what to do. Jonathan Brewster, who is the brother of Mortimer and Teddy, is pretty sly. Dr. Einstein is pretty sly also. Jonathan is evil. Aunt Martha and Aunt Abby tried to get him out of the house first along with the thirteenth dead body which didn’t belong in the basement with their other dead gentlemen.
Mortimer wanted to see Jonathan and Dr. Einstein out of the house with their luggage and the thirteenth guy. Then, of course, he didn’t know it was his brother because he had been operated on by the surgeon Dr. Einstein to change his face. He realized Jonathan was his brother when he stuck nails under his fingernails. At the very end, Teddy blew his bugle and went away to live with Aunt Martha and Aunt Abby at “Happy Dale.”

-Presented in the Wilhoit Theater at Drury College
March 6, 2009

February 2009
I saw The Music Man at Springfield Little Theatre, directed by John R. “Chuck” Rogers. There was a family in the cast. David DePriest played Harold Hill. Sandy DePriest played Mrs. Paroo. Their sons Eli DePriest played Winthrop, and Brendan DePriest played a River City kid. The play begins with travelling salesmen on a train in Iowa where they met Harold Hill. I really like the quartet songs like Lida Rose & Will I Ever Tell You, and Goodnight Ladies. Harold Hill was starting an all boys band, but he was really taking people’s money. In the end, Harold Hill was captured, but he still got the band together. The band played a Minuet in G.

I went to the Drury Theatre (on February 15) to see Broadway a la Carte! I loved the songs, especially "Be our Guest", "Money Money" from Cabaret, "Notice Me Mr. Horton" from Seussical the Musical, and "The Song that Goes Like This" from Spamelot. At the end of this song, the guy and the lady kissed. I liked the lyrics to "Racing with the Clock" from The Pajama Game. I liked the dancing in "Everyone is a Little Bit Racist". I wanted to dance and sing with the performers. Tell your mom if you want to see this performance so she can buy tickets.

I went to Hammons Hall for the performing arts (on February 14).
Andrew Russo was guest soloist that played the piano (with the Springfield Symphony). He played the piano fast. He played Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag as an encore.
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Composed West Side Story. I wanted to sing along.
Richard Addinsell (1904-1977) Composed Warsaw Concerto from the film Dangerous Moonlight. It was slow and drowsy music, I almost fell asleep.

January 2009

I went to the Springfield Symphony when they played the Sound The Horn concert. I loved it all. What kept me awake is "Adagio for Strings." Julia Pilant did the horn. She spit in it and performed. She is a great musician now, so she plays in New York in shows such as Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, and Young Frankenstein.

Listen to clips of the Springfield Missouri Symphony, under the direction of Conductor Ron Spigelman at:

http://www.springfieldmosymphony.org/

Performance Reviews By Adam DeBacker, age 11

2009-04-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Alter Boyz at Missouri State University Tent Theater
Now through June 20.

The Alter Boyz are Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham. They are a Catholic band of alter boys, except Abraham who is Jewish. They come from all over the earth. Luke was from Deadwood and Juan is from Mexico. (He left his parents and in the band he wanted to find them. Then a letter came for him and said his parents had died in a grave yard. All that time he was an orphan.) And Abraham was from France and Matthew and Mark are in the same neighborhood. At the very last song “I Believe”, that’s when everybody except Abraham signed the record company paper, but Abraham turned them down.

And the strawberry frozen custard (during intermission) is tasty.

Springfield Little Theater Youth Troupe End-of-Year Show, June 23

I loved the SLT Troupe "Our Time" show. The seniors graduate and sing show-stoppers. I knew some of the kids in the troupes like Geovanni Leo, Annamarie Leo, and Marissa Banks and all of the SLT Yes troupers.

'All The World's A Stage'......

2009-03-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

June 23: After our book club's reading and discussion of The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood, we enjoyed pursuing some dramatic activities including a tour of the Missouri State University theater production facilities.

Adam wrote about Shakespeare, The Globe Theater, and our tour:
"William Shakespeare is the most famous playwrite. Here are some of Shakepeare's plays: Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night's Dream, Taming of the Shre (which is the story of Kiss Me Kate), Hamlet (which is the same story in The Lion King), and many others. The Globe Theater had no bathroom. They had to go to the grass. It was an open top. There was bear fighting, fencing, and drinking.....The tour of the tent theater was great. I loved the costumes, sets, the sound and light and original director's booth. The girls' dressing room had most of the costumes that the costume department made."

Jesus Christ Superstar - A Musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice presented at Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts April 26, 2009

2009-03-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Written by Adam DeBacker, age 11

Jesus Christ Superstar

Okay let’s go into some history. Jesus was born in Israel. His mother and father were Mary and Joseph. The ruler was King Herod. He was rich and was powerful, and he was married a lot of times. Herod had a lot of soldiers (like the Nazis). They captured Jesus Christ- the only one who had healing powers. Everyone thought that he was a rock ‘n roll God. And that made the “you-know-what” angry. Long story short: he was a great man. A really great man, and we now look up at him and he says, “I hoped to be a king down in Israel to make everybody think everybody is your friend and no enemies.” Well, that didn’t happen down in Israel.

And now I’d like to dedicate it to Carole King who sang “You’ve Got A Friend,” and my mom who taught me that everybody is your friend. And, most of all, I’d like to dedicate to Jesus himself for being there try to keep everybody from fighting.

When Art meets Athletics.....

2009-03-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Homeschool Bowling League at Enterprise Park Lanes wrapped up its spring session with creativity on April 21. With the help of professional sculpture artist extraordinaire Stephanie Witte, we brought new life to used bowling pins using drills, paint, and an assembly of found objects!

Homeschoolers Bowl for Kids' Sake

2009-03-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Our HEARTS Homeschool Service Club Team raised over $800 for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl For Kids Sake Bowl-A-Thon on March 14. The team pictured here consisted of Captain Adam DeBacker, Ashlyn Coburn, Madison Appleby, Mark Christianson, Shaun Lindsay, Evan Coburn, Ashley Lindsay, Sara Michael, Thomas Lindsay, and Kelly Lindsay. We had TONS OF FUN and are very proud!

ADAM'S ARTS REVIEWS

2009-03-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

This report is about Cherish The Ladies.
It is a woman band. They play Irish music. They played with the Springfield Symphony at Hammons Hall on May 16, 2009. The Ballad Of The Fox Hunter was a song they sang. It was originally based on a poem by William Butler Yeats. He won a nobel prize. Donny Goldman is a Canadian, and he plays the fiddle and he dances. I loved the jig, and I wanted to hop up there and dance with him . I also loved it when Joannie Madden, the flute player, lifted the conductor Ron Spigelman.

The Buddy Holly Story- May 2, 2009 Performance Review

Springfield Little Theater presented Buddy Holly with Clayton Avery in the lead role. It was wonderful. Clayton Avery sounded like Buddy Holly. He was one of the first rock and roll stars. There were some other rock and roll dudes who played music with him. There was his band The Crickets, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens who shakes his booty with pride. The action takes place in Lubbock, Texas; Clovis, New Mexico; New York; and Clear Lake, Iowa between January 1956 and February 1959. Buddy Holly was the first white performer to play at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Buddy died in a plane crash with Richie and Big Bopper.

Click here to listen to clips of Buddy Holly's songs: http://www.buddythemusical.com/music.htm?menu=6

DOLLS MADE WITH HEARTS

2009-01-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the great group of kids and parents who helped with our HEARTS service project making dolls for sending to children in Africa and South America. These loveable folks have color and personality to spare!

2009-01-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

SCIENCE CLUB FORENSICS
Thanks to Ron Yoder, guest presenter at our November EDISON club meeting who told us stories about his job as a forensic pathologist. The REAL CSI! For a hands-on anatomy lesson of our own, Adam brought his deer heart dissection project to share. And Gunther made a poster presentation about the 1918 influenza pandemic. Good work guys!

Crowds Gather for Worm Study at January EDISON Club

2009-01-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to

Michelle Krueger

for leading January's

E.D.I.S.O.N meeting

with an in-depth study of worm anatomy, dissection, and vermiculture bin preparation!

Winter Performances by Adam DeBacker, age 10 (a review artist)

2008-12-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Carol produced by The Swan Reperatory Theater Company December 20

Ebenezer Scrooge had to think about what he has done in the past years. Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge had the old company. He was arrogant and stuck to his work. He treated other people poorly, unfairly, and mean. The ghosts came and taught Ebenezer Scrooge not to be mean to his employees. Ebenezer didn’t want to be a humbug at the end. He went to love all the children, including Tiny Tim. He gave Bob Cratchit a raise.

Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843 and also Oliver Twist. They both took place in London, England. Life was pretty rough then. The families and children were pretty poor and didn’t have any place to live. The fathers had to work at factories. Some of the kids had to work and some of the kids were beggars or pickpockets.

Aubrey Banks was in this show. I have a crush on her.

Springfield Little Theater presented Narnia on December 6. I loved it. The costumes were very well detailed. For example, Mr. Tumnus had horns and also clothes and fur on his hands and feet. My favorite (characters) were Mr. Beaver and Mrs. Beaver. The music was very well composed. The songs were great.

November 23, Kickapoo High School presented Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. I loved it, but they only used one prop. Sancho Panza is a peasant, and he was a squire. There was a maiden, a servant, a lady, and bad guys like the seven muleteers. I loved (the song) The Impossible Dream. The director, Mr. Michael Butcher did a good job. So did the cast. It was so fabulous that it made me want to get a costume and sing and dance. Christian Cook got a good role as Miquel Cervantes/Don Quixote, and that's why I love to see him in theater productions. Last time, he was Curly and the year before that he was Mr. Doolittle.

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

It was presented on November 14, 2008 by Drury University. The sets and costumes kind of looked like whatever they had lying around. For example, Antonio wore a hat that didn't look like a ship captain at all. His costume wasn't like a ship captain's uniform either. I have been to other shows that were more active. Twelfth Night was first performed in England in 1601. If I had directed it, I would have put Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare in it. I would have (also) spoken the British accent.

Literature Circle Looks at Langston Hughes

2008-10-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

This month, our book club read The Dream Keeper and other poems written by Langston Hughes. Here are some thoughts about Hughes from our kids.

Adam wrote about Langston Hughes' life: "Langston Hughes was born in 1902. He died in 1967. His father left to live in Mexico because he wanted to be a lawyer and no black men were allowed to be lawyers in the United States until years later. He left baby Langston and his wife. Langston and his mother went to live in Mexico and that’s when there was an earthquake, after that they went back to the United States and lived in Kansas so that his mother could get a job. When Langston got older he moved all over the place and traveled and wrote poems for fun. His father called him up and wanted Langston to come back to Mexico to work with him, because then he could pay for college. Langston decided he didn’t like it with his father in Mexico. He traveled to other places in the world like Africa, Italy, Australia, and France. Then he moved to Harlem and became a famous poet from then on. He was the first black man to have his poetry published. He was also the first writer to use the blues form in poetry."

Madison wrote: "My favorite poem out of the book is Death of an Old Seaman. To quote 'We buried him high on the windy hill, but his soul went out to sea. I know, for I heard, when all was still, His sea-soul say to me: put no tombstone at my head, for here I do not make my bed. Strew no flowers on my grave, I've gone back to the wind and wave. Do not, do not weep for me, for I am happy with my sea.'

I believe Langston Hughes is saying that souls are meant to be free and that it influenced both black and white Americans. Poetry, Jazz and the Blues have something in common as they can be sad/weary at one moment and then upbeat at another.......they can be anything you want it to be!"

Gunther said, " I think that Langston Hughes may have written the poem The Negro to show that he felt part of a heritage that has been around forever. Lots of times they have been slaves and had to do the dirty work. Maybe he was thinking that white people might read it and understand how much black people have done. I also think he was saying he felt connected to Africa and America.

This poem might have given hope to African Americans because if they went through all that was described in the poem, they could probably get through their troubles now. Also, it could have been a reminder of what their ancestors have gone through.

This poem may have made White Americans simply understand what black people had done and been through as a group of people."

Adam Travels to Tennessee- Highlights from my trip to Nashville October 13-18, 2008

2008-10-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

I loved the city music hall (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum). I also love (Elvis Presley's) rhinestone car. He wrote A Blue Christmas Without You. And also Johnny Cash who wrote I Fell Into A Burning Ring of Fire and recorded it for my Dad's birthday present. I also loved the Doubletree Hotel. But they are going to have to wait until everyone is up for breakfast before they serve it.

I also loved The Hermitage graveyard where Andrew Jackson died and the mansion where he lived. I also loved the Jack Daniel distillery (tour). The last room we visited was stinky and full of whiskey.

Learn About Elections Day

2008-10-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Over 75 area Homeschoolers/ Unschoolers of all ages along with their parents spent a fantastic afternoon together on October 7 learning about the election process, campaigns, presidential history, voting, and more. Non-partisan activity stations filled the room and as many as 50 voters participated in the National Parent/Student Mock Election. Local and national election results of the mock election will be posted here on October 30. Thank you to our special guest, Lois Detrick, League of Women Voters President. Meanwhile, here are shots of the day:

Fall Arts Reviews by Adam DeBacker, age10

2008-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Springfield Little Theater presented HONK, Jr. I saw it October 12th. The character that really stood out the most was the cat. He was pretty sly and tricky. Zac Miller-Markworth played the cat. He is a really good singer and dancer.
HONK! was originally the ugly duckling. Hans Christian Anderson wrote the story, and he also wrote The Emperor's New Clothes. Here are some of the lessons that the story taught: Never judge your appearance; Don't let the cat convince you that you're friends (even though he is the bad guy); Never run away.

at Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts
September 29

I went to JK Hammons Hall (when it) presented The Pajama Game. It was about factory workers making pajamas and at the end they got a raise because the manager didn't give them the money. Some songs stood out like: Hey There, Steam Heat, Once A Year Day, and Hernando's Hideaway. I didn't hear them (all), because their microphones were not working and don't let the hats fall off.

High School Musical September 14 Springfield Little Theater at the Landers

The sets of this show were very well detailed. The lighting was memorable. I especially loved the acting and dancing, and I wanted to have a costume and act, sing, and dance and just have a good time. Some of the characters stood out like: Troy, Chad, Zeke, Jason, Sharpay, Ryan, Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, Mrs Darbus, and Coach Bolton. The one that especially stood out was a good friend and a great singer and dancer: my favorite Nikki Calloway. It made me cry when Troy and Gabriella kissed. I learned that dreams can come true if you believe in them.

Carving A Place in History

2008-09-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

We HOPE you have a Happy Halloween! Be sure to vote November 4! Pumpkin by the DeBacker family Oct. 30, 2008.

In Our Yard Today.....

2008-07-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Fall is bringing all sorts of interesting creatures to our attention as they go through life-cycles of the season.

Here's a beautiful fellow who dropped in just before his morph. We identified it as a variety of tussock moth caterpiller:

photo by Adam DeBacker (c 2008)

Into The West....Our June Trip To South Dakota

2008-07-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

by Adam DeBacker, age 10

We went to Custer State Park, the Badlands, Deadwood, and Jewel Cave. I loved the cute prairie dogs and bison. I also loved Mount Rushmore.

Different parts of the bison are used (by Native Americans) in many different ways.

We went to Jewel Cave National Park and Crazy Horse Mountain. I did the Junior Ranger and Junior Scout scavenger hunts.

Our Own Olympics

2008-07-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

To commemorate the 2008 Summer Olympics and bring the literature to life, our group of summer book club members and friends met for some fun and competition of our own. Here's an event that you probably can't find in either the ancient or modern games: the frozen T-shirt relay. After a lengthy and arduous struggle to unfold and put on a rock-solid frozen t-shirt, team Sparta reigned victorious:

I Like To Eat, I Like To Eat, I Like To Eat Eat Apples and Green Tomatoes

2008-07-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

A FRESH HARVEST and CULINARY TREATS of autumn

Orchards and friends' gardens provide us with an abundance of apples and green tomatoes this time of year, making for some creative culinary fall creations. Here's one from dinner last night that Adam made perfectly by chopping the fruit just right and delicately handling the homemade crust:

Apple and Green Tomato Pie

For filling: combine 3 cups apples peeled and sliced, 3 cups green tomatoes chopped, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup tapioca let the fruit sit for about 30 minutes while preparing the pie crust. For the crust: we "eyeball" our proportions until the consistency is just right. It goes something like this: 4 cups flour; 1 tsp salt; 3/4 cup Crisco shortening or lard. Using a pastry cutter, work the shortening into the dry ingredients until pea-sized lumps form and the texture is uniformly moist. Add enough cold water (sprinkling into dough) until it sticks together. Do not handle the dough more than necessary or it will get tough. Divide the dough into two parts, rolling each between sheets of wax paper to make a 9" crust. Place the bottom crust into a pie plate, trim excess edge. Fill the crust with the apple/green tomato mixture. Place the second crust on top, pinch together edges, and slit top crust with knife. Bake on preheated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn heat down to 375 degrees and continue baking until crust is brown and fruit is tender. (About 45 minutes). Here's what it should look like:

Check back shortly for more of our bounty

including relishes, chutney and spreads!

Summer Arts Activities: Performance Notes by Adam DeBacker, age 10

2008-06-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

CATS- stage musical at Hammons Hall June 24, 2008

T. S. Eliot wrote the poems about cats. "Jellicle Cats" means "dear little cat." T. S. Eliot's niece called her cat "dear little cat" and it sounded like "Jellicle Cat", so he made a poem about it. The sets were great with lot of details. I loved the cats' costumes and the makeup. And I loved the dancing. One of the cats was Asparagus. He was a theater cat and he was remembering his younger days when he was a pirate. It all started when he was a rough cat. He had a crew and had a wife and fought Siamese cats. Bustopher Jones was another cat. He was a Fat Cat who had money and goes out on the town. He likes to be entertained, dress stylishly and eat well.

You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

at MSU Tent Theater

June 25

I loved the songs. That's for sure! Charlie Brown was very good when he sang the Kite Song. He acted out the song. I tried to see where the kite was, but there was no kite. The actor was doing a pantomime. Lucy is bossy. She is always wanting some kind of music, but Schroeder doesn't play the music she wants. He plays Beethoven. He doesn't like to be bossed around. Snoopy is a dog who never gets supper. Linus snuggles his blanket always, and Lucy tries to get it. Charlie Brown has a little sister named Sally. She get grades in school like C's or D's and then she makes a big fuss after it.

at MSU Tent Theater July 9, 2008

The original music was from Cole Porter. I loved the music and dancing and kissing. The sets made me want to ride on the boat. The cast was remarkable- and you know what? I wanted to dance with the cast. They were great mimes.

July 6 Breakfast Rumble

2008-06-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Adam, aspiring young chef, and Uncle Todd, culinary master, spent some quality time in the kitchen together during the holiday weekend. Here is the impromtu brunch dish they created together:

1 large onion diced and sauteed in 2 Tablespoons butter
add 4 eggs and scramble together unti lightly browned. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, brown 1 large cubed sweet potato in 2 Tablespoons butter with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, and 1 Tablespoon soy sauce. Add 1/2 cup cheese cubes. Stir in 1 cup fresh spinach leaves and cook only until slightly wilted. Now, layer in the pan all ingredients starting with the potato/spinach mixture, followed by the egg and onion mixture, top with 2 cups of cottage chees and another bit of soy sauce to taste. Cover and steam on low heat for 5 minutes. Serve with fresh strawberries on the side. Here is how it looks to cook & serve:

LETTERS FROM GHANA

2008-05-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Ben,
I am doing a project for my homeschool group's International Day. I chose the country of Ghana, because I want to travel to Africa someday and we have your artwork on the walls in our house and we know you. I would really like to visit you in Ghana someday after I save enough money.

Here are the things that I know about Ghana so far:

>Ghana produces 20% of the world's cocoa.
>Ghana achieved independence from Britain about 50 years ago, and is the first country in Africa to form a democracy.
>The slave trade had a devastating impact on the people of Ghana.
>The official language of Ghana is English, however there are about 50 other languages spoken there too!
>Craftspeople in Ghana produce beautiful cloth: Kente, Batik, Adinkra
>There are several different climatic regions in Ghana: rainforest, savannah, and coastal
>Families and extended families live closely together and take care of one another
>Some of the world's most dangerous snakes are found in Ghana: puff adders, cobras, and black mambas.
>UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is from Ghana
>Ghana is full of gold.
>Music in Ghana has a lot of drumming. (We know about talking drums) We have some African instruments at our house and also a picture by you with instruments and two others with people dancing and playing instruments.

Ben, will you please e-mail a letter back to us that we can read to our friends as if you are our special guest from Ghana? We are going to take your artwork to show to the group during our presentation, and we want to tell them about you and your country. We want to know all about your life in Ghana. Thank you for your help

Sincerely,
Your friend Adam DeBacker

Hello from Ben In Ghana

I hope and belive that by the grace of God you are all
very fine.I feel much better today and I am glad to
read from you this afternoon.I know it is about 8am in
the states,since we are about five hours ahead of you.
All the above information ablout my Country is very
true but we dont have dersert here we are located at
the west cost of Africa.
We also do alot of nice art works such as carving and
many other forms of art.I wish I ws there in
person.Over here we I see alots of domestic animals
around my neighbours and at my own house where I do
have four dogs.Part of my house have green grass where
I do see many birds come to feed and drink water.We
have wet and dry seasons.I mostly see very diffrent
birds around due to the weather conditions since some
of the migrate just like in the states.
When you I travel out of the city I see many more
diffrent animals that is on the farm or if I go deep
into the forest where ssome families live very quiet
and cool.No electricity and they use localy invented
light that they fuel with palm nut oil.Some use
lantern that they use kerosene from the city.
It is ok to grow up in Ghana due to how much your
parents understands education,naturaly life is
difficult in every part of the world.We do live normal
lives just like any other people.Over here there are
not that too many of opportunities like in the states.
Thank God things are shaping uf for the better.Yes
very big diffrence living in the city than the village
life.There are some eye opner from we that live in the
city and we educate those in the village.There are
school in the village that have some brilliant
students and they later come to school in the city.
I do shopping at the markets and in shops.We now have
shopping malls in the city some few very large like in
the states.I eat very good healthy food that I cook at
home some of that I cultivate in my home garden.I at
times eat from a nice resturants around the city or
from many nice hotels and drink nnnnatutural mineral
water that we have here in bottles.
I eat vegetables,local and continetal dishes.I do
wear traditional African clothes and some times
werstern clothing.This depends or where I have to be
at a particular time.
Some of my relatives live in the city and in the village.Yes I am
very famous in Ghana that is why I get the chance to
travel around the world by the grace of God.
I most at times have to show up at embbassies for
interview before I obtain visas to travel.Due to our
economy here most embassies think many people want to
travel to thier country and will never want to come
back until they have legal stay.
I hope to see you all by June this year when I and
Relique will onces aagain do a nice show at Wavely
House.
Thanks,with lots of love I end my long note.
Your friend Ben Agbee[Benjamin Agbenyegah]

Blogger's Note: Ben Agbee
Ben Agbee is currently one of Ghana's most respected and successful artists. He was born in Ghana in 1966, and went on to major in art at college. Now, his success as an artist has allowed him to pursue painting as a full time career.
Working mostly in acrylic on canvas, Agbee's style is distinctive and original. He focuses almost exclusively on the subject of African women, usually in profile, often drawing on two different motifs for their depiction. A more complete gallery of Ben Agbee's work is available at African-Encounters.com. Agbee has participated in several collective and individual exhibitions in Accra, other locations in Ghana, the Netherlands, the United States, New Zealand and other locations internationally.

Tornado Stories

2008-05-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

Inspired by our literature circle's current reading and discussion of Tornado by Betsy Byers, the following story by Adam continues with a chapter about the dog, Tornado and The Wild Rooster Chase:

It was the year 1996. Once, Tornado met a rooster in the barn. One day the rooster went on the road and came around the bend. And do you know what happened then? The rooster ran down the road, Tornado ran after the rooster. Back at the farm (this is when it gets supsicious), they called Tornado. It was getting dark then. They had to go on the road with a flashlight in the night to chase after the rooster and Tornado. The boy went after the dog, the man went after his boy, the woman ran after the man, it was like a really wild rooster chase with everybody running around with flashlights. They ran around all night until they got tired. It was also raining that night , so they unpacked their knapsack and took out snacks and a tent. They slept until morning when they finally caught the rooster and Tornado. When they all got up again, the man said, "Where did we get the rooster?" Finally the boy speaks up. He said, "We had him since you had me. When I was a baby, the rooster was born too." The boy and the rooster had the same date for their birthdays. So they went back home. But the next year in 1997 we are going to have a goose, not a rooster in our chase. -Adam DeBacker, 5-6-2008

Adam's Artscapes for May

2008-05-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Springfield Symphony Orchestra
May 6 School Day Educational Performance

I loved it! I loved the William Tell Overature (the Lone Ranger on our TV Tunes CD). They also played Handels Water Music. We have it too. (Click here to listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V0OxkKXG-M&feature=related) They also played music about historic people from Missouri. (Thomas Hart Benton)

(George Washington Carver)

They also played a musical story version of Little Red Riding Hood and Star Wars. We put it on (to listen to) after the performance. -by Adam DeBacker, age 10

Environmental Cleanup Day April 1

2008-02-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the guys (Adam, Phillip, Gordon, and Gunther) who turned up on April 1 (no fooling!) for our Spring Cleanup and WWF Make a Change Day.

We picked up trash on our adopted street (Brookside Drive between National and Kimbrough), and in the flooded gully below.

Also, a big THANK YOU and Congratulations to Gunther Krueger for your World Wildlife Fund change collection totalling over $188.00 !!!!!!!!!!!

Adam's Artscapes March & April 2008- By Adam DeBacker, age 10

2008-02-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

April 7, 2008
at Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts

The performance of Teddy Roosevelt and The Treasure of Ursa Major was so great. The actors and actresses were good dancers. The thing that I loved: the songs and movements. The thing that I hated was the joke about the wall in Abraham Lincoln's bedroom, because the adults played a trick on the kids.

-Adam DeBacker

the Miracle Worker
at Springfield Little Theater March 12, 2008

The Miracle Worker is a play about Annie Sullivan, the teacher who helped Helen Keller learn language and how to communicate. The director was great and the same with the others in the show. Thank you Anna Martin who played Anne Sullivan. -Adam

Notes about the

Springfield Symphony Orchestra
ODE TO JOY Concert March 1
I noticed the music, the chorus, and the costumes (black suits of the musicians). The symphony played Handel's Water Music Suite and Haydn's Symphony No. 30 before the intermission. It made me sleepy during the performance. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with lyrics and singers made me notice the guys who wrote the music.

My First Hunting Trip by Adam 1-15-08

2008-01-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

I loved hunting , and I want to do it again. It was a memorable hunting trip experience. I want to shoot a deer by myself and gut it. I went with my Uncle Dave and his cronies at Clay Center, Nebraska. We went to the Great Plains , and I sighted deer.
A RECIPE FOR VENISON PIZZA

for crust: combine 1 cup (more or less) of warm water with 1 Tablespoon (more or less) of active dry yeast. Mix gently until yeast is dissolved. Walk away and let the yeast come to life (about ten minutes). When foamy, stir into the water/yeast mixture 1 tsp salt and enough flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead briefly until smooth. Coat ball of dough generously with olive oil. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk......

Later (after the dough has risen), roll the dough on a floured surface or pizza stone until it is to desired thickness. FOR TOPPING: Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated mozzerella cheese onto naked crust. Next, top with 1/2 pound raw ground venison (deer meet). We also like chopped onion, sweet yellow peppers, sundried tomatoes, a scant amount of tomato paste, and a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Then top again with 1 cup of grated italian cheeses for good measure. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

Lessons From Literature Circle

2007-12-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

Cultural Heritage is the theme of our book club's current readings. Following Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia Machlachlan and Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen, we used biographies of Native American leaders to prepare poster reports about each of their lives. Here's what Adam wrote about Nez Perce Chief Joseph (pictured above):

"Chief Joseph was a member of the Nez Perce tribe. They lived in Oregon Territory and provided food, shelter, and horses to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. Bushes, trees, and wetlands grew on their land. Chief Joseph was both a peaceful man and a warrior. He fought for his land when the bluecoats attacked. He thought about why he was doing this, and he thought it was his land. Chief Joseph moved his tribe through Wyoming on their way to Canada to meet Sitting Bull. Chief Joseph was captured by the bluecoats. In the battles, many men, women and children died. When Chief Joseph surrendered he said, "I will fight no more forever." Over 9,000 Nex Perce Indians died in battle. Chief Joseph died in jail."

During the holidays, our literature circle will be reading about the experiences of children who were early immigrants to America and researching the cultural history of our own families.

Adam's Artscapades

2007-11-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

We saw the musical Annie at Hammons Hall on February 17, 2008 It was a long wait at the beginning for the show to start. I loved it. There were good footsteps, good music writing, composing, and most of all the showtunes singing and dancing. -Adam
Parents' note: Thank you to Grandma and Papa D. for the Gift Certificate which allowed us to get tickets to this show!

The Harlem Gospel Choir

Hammons Hall For The Performing Arts Feb. 4, 2008

I loved it. I loved the songs. I enjoyed the lyrics. I'm glad they came so I can dance and shake my booty. Thank you Rara for taking us to the perforamance.

See a clip of The Harlem Gospel Choir performing on YouTube:

http://www.harlemgospelchoir.com/page1.html

Musical Theatre Review: Feb 3, 2008
by
Adam DeBacker,
age 10

I loved Grease. It was a good play. I loved the music. I think the composer did a good job on it. I loved the sets. It was well painted and detailed. I loved it very much. I loved the dances. The director did a good job and the choreographer did a good job step by step.

blogger's note: Grease will be performed through February at Springfield Little Theater at the Landers: http://www.springfieldlittletheatre.org/

Concert Review: January 20, 2008

by Adam DeBacker, age 10

The 10 Tenors were great. I loved it. The songs were great, especially Waltzing Matilda, Figaro, and others. The guys are good singers. I loved each one of them and the singing.

ART

ON

THE

C
O
RNER
permanent outdoor sculpture walk, Grand Junction, Colorado

From the Grand Junction visitors bureau:
"Art on the Corner (AOTC) is a unique yearlong outdoor sculpture exhibit displayed in Downtown Grand Junction. This exhibit is free to the public and includes more than 100 sculptures in a variety of media and styles. More than half of the pieces are part of a permanent collection and the others are on loan from the artists for one year."

Take a virtual tour of Art on the Corner by clicking here:
http://www.downtowngj.org/aotc/aotc.html
An interactive map will let you stroll Main Street and see popups of the permanent sculpture.

Art Escapades (Fall-Winter 2007)

2007-11-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

Written By Adam DeBacker (unschooler age 9)

Ballet Hispanico
School Day Matinee Performance
Nov 13, 2007 at Hammons Hall

The dances by this group were from Africa, Spain, Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. The dances were about legends, the four elements of life, and silly old men who pestered people. The dancers in the group were from South Africa, Italy, Taiwan, Missouri, Jamaica, and many other places around the world. They were all skinny and raring to go. The music was a little bit scary, because of the drumming and fire. You should go to see this performance, but make sure to plug your ears because it's pretty loud.

Oklahoma!

Nov. 15, 2007 by
Kickapoo HS Theater Dept.

Oklahoma! is one of my favorites. Laura Brand played Laurie and Christian Cook played Curly. I loved it all except: WARNING! SEATS IN THE THEATER ARE UNCOMFORTABLE!

OLIVER!
was performed at Parkview HS on November 16. It starts out in 1880 in London. Charles Dickens wrote it (the book Oliver Twist). He also wrote A Christmas Carol. My favorite song in the show is Food Glorious Food. The orphans ate nothing but poridge. Oliver says, "More please," and Mr. Bumble sells Oliver.

ARTRAIN USA: NATIVEVIEWS
Contemporary Native American Art Exhibit- Springfield, MO Nov. 16

I went to the Artrain on a homeschool day with my mom this week. It was here in Springfield. It carries art all over the place. It has on board during this tour a modern Native American art display. Please go see it. You can learn more at the Artrain website: http://www.artrainusa.org/

This picture from the exhibit by Harry Fonceca is titled Rose and Coyote Dressed Up For the Heard Show. I think it could be called "Dressed Up for Ballet Hispanico"!

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This show was funny! I saw it at Springfield Little Theater at The Landers on November 18. Only two actors played the roles of 25 characters. I loved it all.

Nixa HS Theater Dept.

Nov. 17, 2007

This musical is an operetta. That means there is not so much talking,and the characters are singing the conversation. It is a silly show with pirates and policemen and daughters. The general sings my favorite song in this show, "I am the very model of a modern major general."

See more EDISON club and anatomy

2007-10-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

2007-10-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

How The Cat

Got Its Purr

(A Just-So Story By Adam DeBacker)

My Sweet Darling, a long time ago when the world was fairly new, it was shaking and shaking and never stopped shaking. There was a cat who lived in the heart of the weeping willows. There were more animals in the weeping willows, like weasels and toads and moles and rats and badgers. Quigonyan lived there too by himself with nobody else. Quigonyan caused the world to shake, because he lived far from the heart of the weeping willow, far from the animals and was very lonely. One day the cat snuck away from the heart of the weeping willow and went into the house of Quigonyan. Quigonyan was out hunting and the cat crawled into Quigonyan’s bed. When Quigonyan got back at night, the cat was there. Quigonyan got into bed and snuggled the cat. When he did, all of the shaking inside the world stopped and the cat started to purr.
The End.

Another Just So Story

2007-10-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

How The Dog Began the Desire to Dig
(A Just-So Story by Lucas Lawrence)

In the far off times, long long ago, O Best Beloved, there was a dog. Whose name (everybody calls him Scruffy) but his real name is Scruffian Bones the Third. He would dig to get his food, like insects and beetles and shrubs and grubs but mostly rats and other rodents and the like. Now some of you might think that he would look very dirty and scratchy and obviously scruffy, but actually he was quite handsome. He had a very shiny brown fur coat. His ears were quite handsome also. Because O Best Beloved, the dirt would get on his ears then he would jump into the refreshing cool water of the pond nearby. The name of the pond was Emerald pond, because if they could swim down to the bottom they would find a lot of emeralds. Everyone has tried to swim down to the bottom, but they would run out of air. Now Scruffy jumped into the water and he decided himself to swim to the bottom and dig up all the emeralds. He took a deep breath and tried to swim down to the bottom. He reached the bottom and began to dig and dig and dig. "What fun!" he thought. He finally reached an emerald. He picked the emerald up and swam to the surface to get a breath of air. He set the emerald on shore under the weeping willow tree. Then after hours of digging and coming up for air he decided that he had enough emeralds to live the rest of his life. To this day, Scruffy lives in a mansion decorated with emeralds everywhere. Everyday he goes for his morning dig. The End.

Boy Meets Carving Knife....

2007-10-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

SCARY!

Meets Pumpkin...

CUTE!

Investigations of pond organisms and unknown discoveries.

2007-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

Mike and the kids explore plants and prairie ecology...

2007-10-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

It's A Jolly Holiday With Mary

2007-10-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in the original book Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, the Banks family had four children and Bert was a Match-Man rather than a Chimney Sweep?

EDISON in the Lab

2007-10-01T19:30:00.000-07:00