Patriot Moms

Curried Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked chicken
1 C chopped celery
½ cup diced red unpeeled apple
2 to 3 T raisins
¼ C coarsely chopped peanuts (or other nut)
1 t curry powder
½ t salt
1 t cider vinegar
½ t fresh ground black pepper
1/8 t ground cayenne pepper
1 C mayonnaise (or to taste)

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

We like this on croissants and in pita pockets.
Recipe is from Andrew Duncan

Are you looking for some summer time fun? Join us this Wednesday, May 27th for our "Wacky Wednesday" at the Tontitown Park.

We will plan on meeting at the park at 10:00 a.m. Bring a picnic lunch and any fun park games or toys for the kids to enjoy. Tontitown Park has picnic tables, plenty of shade, and a variety of playground equipment.

Directions: Take the 412/Sunset Exit off of 540 and drive west towards Tontitown. You will see the park on your left (before you get to Mama Z’s or Venician Inn.)

By Shelley Cassar, Patriot Mom

A friend told me about this wonderful site, and I do mean wonderful!! What Mom couldn't use some help with menu planning? And what if that menu planning also included money saving menus? Even better, right! Menus4moms has great recipes, nutritionals, weight watchers points, shopping lists for the meals, quick meals, snack ideas and plenty of meal options.

There is a monthly fee of $5 - $8 a month depending on the option you chose. My thought was that with the money that I save signing up for the Frugal Mom Menu, it just may make it worth the $5 a month.

The Frugal Mom Menu is a budget-conscious subscription and features weekly menu plans that are geared toward moms trying to save as much as possible on their grocery bill. The menus strive to keep the grocery cost between $50-70 for 5 dinners that feed 6. Each menu includes a cost analysis and a grocery list.

There are other options you can check out on their site at http://www.menus4moms.com/. Let me know what you think or if there is another site you use to help plan your meals.

Our Wacky Wednesday is on Tuesday this week. Join us tonight at the Naturals Stadium Grand Entrance at 6 p.m. for "half price group night."

Remember to bring plenty of lawn chairs and sunscreen.

We hope to see you there!

By Megan Morgan, Patriot Mom

With summer coming and more time to cozy up with a good book, it helps to know some good ones to choose. This is a suggested book list of recommendations from Teachers Kim Brinson and Kristen Radcliffe. Also included are links to the Caldecott and Newbery lists from the Rogers Library and Erin’s list which was compiled by a mom who wrote down all the books read aloud to her daughter. Other references you may want to check out would be The Read Aloud Handbook and Honey for a Child’s Heart for suggestions.

We would encourage you to respond to the Providence Mom’s Blog with your own suggestions that can be incorporated.

http://150.208.142.10/screens/caldecot.html

http://150.208.142.10/screens/newberry.html

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/erinlist2.html

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/erinlist3.html

Caldecott

Mrs. Brinson had the following to say: With most book lists, the older the book, the better. Most people will tell you that you can trust most book content if written before 1960. So, looking at The Caldecott Award Winners, all those early ones are terrific! They Were Strong and Good is one of my absolute favorites. I love everything by the d'Aulaires. After 1964, I enjoyed

Drummer Hoff
Noah's Ark
Ox-Cart Man
Saint George and the Dragon
Polar Express
Black and White
Note that many of Paul Gobel's books have Indian religious beliefs.

Newbery –* are read in school
Ones I would either not recommend or give a warning:

The Giver - WARNING - NOT for kids in elementary or middle school (in my opinion) - deals with a utopian society which includes killing a baby, euthanasia
Holes - we thought this was a waste of time
I would recommend that parents try to ensure they do not choose books that are adapted or edited ... it is not what the author intended.

Recommended:

The Westing Game
Julie of the Wolves
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Island of the Blue Dolphins*
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Miracles On Maple Hill
Ginger Pye
The Door in the Wall*
King of the Wind*
Johnny Tremain*
Adam of the Road*
Daniel Boone*
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle - fantastic
Smoky, the Cowhorse - good boy book

The Trumpeter of Krakow - probably too advanced unless read aloud - student needs some historical background to understand it

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze *
Caddie Woodlawn - excellent

Matchlock Gun - great boy book, pretty short, easy to read

Call It Courage - we liked this but I read it aloud - I think there are tribal religious beliefs mentioned
Miss Hickory - Oh, my gosh, this is the cutest book ever!
Twenty- One Balloons *
Amos Fortune, Free Man - wonderful, freed slave story

Secret of the Andes - terrific but it does have religious beliefs of the people - good read aloud
The Wheel On the School - wonderful, but this author is a little difficult, great read aloud
Carry On, Mr Bowditch - excellent -*
Rifles For Watie - Civil War book - boys love it
The Witch of Blackbird Pond - excellent - *
The Bronze Bow - *
A Wrinkle in Time - a little weird, but we liked it
I, Juan de Pareja - terrific!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - *

The High King - anything by Lloyd Alexander is excellent - fantasy but not creepy
Sounder - you'll cry your brains out
Roll of Thunder, Hear My CrySarah, Plain and Tall - easy read
The Whipping Boy - terrific

*Lincoln: A Photobiography
The Midwife's Apprentice - good for jr. high

Please note that books with a * are current Providence Academy literature selections used in the classroom.

Please comment and let us know other great books you and your family enjoy.

Pasta Salad

Cook 3 cups bowtie pasta according to directions. One minute before pasta is done, add 1 cup each fresh broccoli florets and shredded carrots and cook 1 minute; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain. Return to pot and stir in 1 (14-ounce) can drained water-packed artichoke quarters, 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved). Add ¼ cup bottled Italian parmesan dressing (or dressing recipe below); toss to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours and serve.

Dressing

½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
⅓ teaspoon pepper
¼ t celery seed

Menu Suggestion
Pasta Salad
Spinach Salad
Garlic Bread
Kiwi Fruit

Menu and recipe from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 7-day Menu Planner column.

The 3rd annual Providence golf tournament took place on Friday, May 1st at the Lost Springs golf course in Rogers. It was the largest golf fundraising event in the history of the school.

By Lynette Duncan, Patriot Mom

I saw this activity on NWAMotherlode.com today: http://nwamotherlode.com/archives/2287.

It is a "Discover Fayetteville Photo Scavenger Hunt" sponsored by the Fayetteville Visitor Center. You can click the above link to learn more about it.

I hope to go out with Ruth and take some pictures this week. I thought I'd pass it along in case anyone else would like to join in the fun as well.

Wild & Wacky Wednesdays 2009

The school year is coming to an end and it’s time to plan some fun activities for the summer ahead! I hope you’ll join us for the fun adventures we have planned! This is a fun and easy way to get to know other Providence parents and help your children continue building the friendships created during the school year. New this summer: we have created an evite system where we will send out evite reminders and you will be able to RSVP online! (This will only be for the outings that require RSVPs.) Also, in case of bad weather, we will plan on either moving the bowling forward or attending a $2 Kids Klub movie at the Rogers Malco Theater. I will keep you posted via evite. Here is our fun summer schedule:


May 19 Arkansas Naturals Baseball Game Springdale, AR
Note: This is a Tuesday evening. The Naturals will be taking on the Tulsa Drillers for an evening of baseball fun, so bring the entire family! This is a “half price group night” so we will get in for $3 per ticket on the lawn. There is also a playground near the lawn for the younger kiddos. Game time is 6:30. We will meet outside the Grand Entrance at 6:00. Don’t forget to bring blankets and/or chairs for seating. You will need to RSVP by May 13 to get this special price.

May 27 Picnic at Tontitown Park Tontitown, AR
We will plan on meeting at the park at 10:00. Bring a picnic lunch and any other fun park games/toys that you have to share. Tontitown Park has picnic tables, plenty of shade, and a variety of playground equipment. Directions: Take the 412/Sunset Exit off of 540 and drive west towards Tontitown. You will see the park on your left (before you get to Mama Z’s or Venician Inn.)

June 3 Tanyard Creek Nature Hike Bella Vista, AR
This is a great outing for a hot summer day! Come prepared to go on a little nature walk along some trails, and then it’s time to cool off in the creek!! Bring your water shoes and swimsuit, along with a few buckets and toys. We usually enjoy trying to dam up the creek, catch fish in a small pool, or play in the waterfall. We will also enjoy a picnic lunch either along the creek or up at the pavilion. Directions: travel north on 540 until you enter Bella Vista, continue on to the Town Center exit, go left at the light and follow 340 along a curvy mile or so, you will pass by a golf course on your left then a small neighborhood, just past these houses watch for a sign on your left for Tanyard Creek! There is a parking lot under a big tree next to an open grassy field. Let’s meet at 11:00.

June 10 Museum of Native American Artifacts Bentonville, AR
Come see arrowheads, pottery, beaded clothing, and other items at our very own Museum of Native American Artifacts in Bentonville. We will meet at 11:30am. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after our audio wand tour. We'll also be able to check out a tepee and hunt for arrowheads. Directions: take 540 to Central/Hwy 72 W through downtown Bentonville. Cross Walton and watch for the museum and teepee on your left about 1 mile down. Cost is free! Megan Morgan is the contact person for this outing. If you have any questions, her number is 633-2366.

June 17 Blueberry Picking at Blue Heaven Farm Goshen, AR
Bring a drink and some sunscreen for some berry pickin’ fun! Blue Heaven Farm is owned by Marlin and Lisa Wallace, parents of Providence 3rd grader Leah Wallace! They are giving us a special price of $8/gallon ($4 for half of a gallon). They will also provide gallon buckets and bags for bringing your blueberries home. (You may want to bring smaller buckets for little ones.) Directions: From Fayetteville, take Hwy 45 east about 6 miles. Turn right on Tuttle Road. Travel 3.5 miles until you see the signs and farm on the right side of the road. We’ll meet out there at 9:00.

June 26-27 *Family Camping Trip to Devil’s Den State Park West Fork, AR
Note: We will camp Friday night and Saturday night and have activities planned throughout the day on Saturday. Get ready for a fun weekend of camping, s’mores, hiking, spelunking, a kickball tournament, playing in the creek, and swimming in the pool. The families that went last year had a blast, so recruit your friends and come join us! The campsites have full hook-ups and are $29.50 per night, but can hold two tents and up to 8 people—so it is possible that two families could share a site. If you are not a “tent camper” you can call (479) 761-3325 to reserve a cabin or plan to come spend the day with us on Saturday. Please, RSVP as soon as possible (by May 14 preferably) to Teresa Hilliard at thilliard@providence-academy.com or Ashley Shaver at lashleyshaver@msn.com. Sites at Devil’s Den for that weekend are filling up quickly. For more information about Devil’s Den State Park visit www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden/ .

July 1 (Nothing planned—enjoy the holiday or plan a class outing!)

July 8 Roller Skating at Roller City Springdale, AR
Get ready for a little roller skating, limbo, and shoot the duck! (Do they still do that or does that date me back to when I was in 6th grade?) They are opening Roller City just for us from 11-1pm! The cost is $3 for roller skates or $6 for in-line or speed skates (parents can skate for free). Directions: From 540 take the 412/Sunset exit and turn east. Century St. is one block past 40th. Turn left on Century St. The address is 1007 Century. The phone number is 756-3866.

July 15 Rogers Bowling Center Rogers, AR
Get ready for a little friendly bowling competition! I hope they have gutter bumpers.J We will be meeting at 10:00 at the Rogers Bowling
Center (3500 W Walnut, Rogers – take Exit 85 and head east approximately 1 mile, it’ll be on your right). The cost is $2.50/person/game and $1.50 for shoes. No outside food is allowed in, but they do have a snack bar.


July 22 Ice Skating at the Jones Center Springdale, AR
Need to cool off a bit? How about ice skating?? Come join us from 12:00-1:30.
We will receive a group discount to rent ice skates for $1 per person (this includes admission ticket). Be sure to dress warm – the temperature is around 45-50 degrees. You are welcome to bring snacks or drinks. Please, RSVP because we will need to pay as a group to receive the discount.

July 29 Box Family Farm Hunstville, AR
This was one of the favorite events from last summer! The Box family (Seth—6th, Sam—4th, and Sara Beth—K) has graciously invited us all out to swim, fish, and enjoy the day. Bring a picnic lunch and swimsuit. Let’s all meet at the old Sam’s Club parking lot in Springdale to caravan out to their house at 10:00 –please, be on time if you plan to caravan. You can mapquest their address for directions: 3148 Madison 2035, Huntsville, AR 72740.

August 5 Oklahoma Aquarium Jenks, OK
We are going to head over to Tulsa to explore the exciting world under the sea! At 11:00 we will have a private classroom program called Completely Cartilaginous which is all about sharks, skates, and rays! At 11:30 we will have lunch outside on the deck together—you can bring a lunch or buy one at their deli. After that we are free to explore the aquarium with a self-guided tour. Our discounted cost is $7 for children and $10 for adults. We will meet at 9:00am at the Jose’s parking lot on the northwest corner of 540 and 412/Sunset in Springdale. We will caravan to Tulsa together. Please, RSVP by August 3. For more information about the aquarium visit www.okaquarium.com .


Aug 10-21 Class Parties
I left these weeks open for you to plan back-to-school parties for your child’s class!

We are going to have a blast this summer! I look forward to seeing many of you on these fun adventures!

Ashley Shaver
LAshleyShaver@msn.com
720-218-1145 (C)
479-935-9496 (H)

Did everyone have a great day at the beach? God gave us perfect weather for our end of year celebration, and I think more than a few of us even got sunburned! What a nice gift of sunshine between all of the rainstorms and clouds.

A special thanks to all of the coordinators and homeroom moms who helped not just today, but all year. Thank you also to Mr. Eads at the 66 Federal Credit Union for grilling hotdogs for our event!

Providence moms,

Can you believe we made it through another year? Today's the big day, a day at the beach!

We're going to have a little giveaway for the mom who sends in the best "Day at the beach" photo.

Whoever sends in the best photo to be included on the moms blog, will win a two month membership to Curves in Bentonville at 2308 SE 28th street.

Send all photos to Patriotmoms@gmail.com

Congratulations moms, we did it!

By Shelley Cassar, Patriot Mom

Genevieve Jackson’s (3rd grade) Grandma (“Mune”) who is originally from Guatemala, shared with the lower school Spanish class different facts about her country. The Spanish class students sang songs in Spanish, played Spanish version games, and tasted yummy Guatemalan chocolate cookies.

Vivian and Brightly Echegoyen (also Mune’s granddaughter) wore colorful native Guatemalan outfits. Each outfit is hand-woven by the indigenous women (native Guatemalans) so every design is unique. Different designs represent different regions of the country.

Can you see Brightly perfectly balancing the basket on her head? (Hint: it was sewn to the cloth that she has on her head!)

Cucumber Salad

1 package of pasta noodles
1 container of Salad Supreme seasoning
1 small bottle of Italian Dressing
1 large tomato (garden fresh are best) - diced
2 large cucumbers (garden fresh are best) - diced
1 small purple onion (optional) –diced

Cook pasta noodles according to package directions. Add remainder of ingredients in large bowl. Chill 3-4 hours and Serve. This is great for a side dish or a meal in itself, served with warm bread.

Submitted By Megan Morgan

Megan's Super Salsa

5 c diced tomatos
1/2 c diced cilantro
8 oz rinsed black beans
8 oz drained corn

Lime juice and salt to taste

Enjoy!