European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 17, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 9 finding Joy of learning at Home family changes dining room into classroom by Jean Albright Wilbarg Bureau Span Dahlem a Germany while other High school students re Lumen 10 classrooms for the school year members of the Wise family convened class around their Kitchen Laboc. Master sol. Leon and Donna Wise Felt Hurt in a Nornia classroom heir daughters Cawhern and Christina were missing out on the Joy of  the teen acre agreed. Since no Law outside the United stale requires children who ire . Citizens 10 attend Public school the Wise family decided to continue what had Long been their custom. We be been leaching our children since they were Little Starling with their abcs Donna Weise said. "1 Don t think we were gluing the Edu cation we could have said 15-year-old Christina. Every Lime we moved we had to Start again with the same Materi Al for of i  we had to study the same things Over and Over till we were  said her 1 3 year old sister Cashero. Ai Home Weon build on what s already Learned they describe a Lack of seriousness about learning in he classes they at tended. We could see that the Girts had Al ready quit in a Way their Mother said. They weren t the same  in the Home classroom when student and teacher agree that something has been understood to an appropriate level they move ahead. They like the rapid Progress and feel that continued review can be waste of Lime. The wises study through an accredited school based in Illinois. Transfer of their grades it guaranteed by the school accreditation and by state Tesu of Aca Demic Progress Given each year. Materi als come to them through the mail and finished papers and tests Are evaluated and returned the same Way. The Illinois program is the second i which they enrolled. The first program was based on workbooks and was self paced. They fell that a program with text Stephno by Jun  wets Reri Ewi material with daughters Christina left and Cathera. Level in most subjects. In the evening before class session they know that their Mother must review the material for both. They get a kick out of the fact that Ido almost As much work As they do she said. In a few subjects she can teach on lesson to both and make use of Friendly Competition. During the first year when the family was trying out the idea friends were full or of que Wions and comr Aenk now enter Rubocki time limits and a late fee would � g the third year they enjoy a smoother Home schooler shelter build their discipline As they feel a mine anti More support from others. A pm people assume that we work a few hours a Day and then watch daytime Tele vision Christina  have to get up dress and Groom just As if they were going out Donna said they Nave to sit at a desk and work. No running around. During the Day i m not mom but teacher. It took us some time to learn to live with toe Chan Ging  the girls rely on their own sell of encyclopedias and the Library that serves the base not the one in the school. For problem subjects they turn to other borne schooling plan should Donna Weise remembers that it too most of he first year to adjust to the new situation. Both girls sad to learn to be fully accountable and responsible for their own work. Each is at a different they say it often is difficult to explain the reasons for schooling at Home with out offending people who use the Public schools. They Olen have to answer the myth rement of defense do pc dents schools officials Are most aware of families who consider withdrawing their children after they have been in school. They have no Way of knowing How Man families never Register with them the complaints of those who might Lave usually attract attention to their problems while there is still time to solve them said Linda Simmons Span Dah ice elementary school principal. Dissatisfaction with a teacher at on moment in Lime usually leads to some solution to the problem Simmons  announce that they Are leaving then decide to stay in. She said that in the traditional school what the Weiss consider empty review is actually application of Learned Materi Al. A child should never be bored i school. But things thai you appear to know you have to use in order to  she feels that Protection of the learn ing environment can leave a student intellectually spoiled and ill prepared forthe realities of College and vocation. School should be satisfying bul it snot always she said. Some learning experiences you have to go through Lilearn to Cope. According to testing in Home stud situations students seem to do very Well in cognitive learning she said. Bul Ifa child is with the Parent All the time will icy develop independently will they learn to solve problems of group interaction find their own interests an skills even kids in school have problems when parents make All the decisions. Kids have 10 learn diplomacy an persuasion. In a family setting it s less difficult to interact. Member of Large families learn those things better than members of Small  like Donna Weise Simmons approves of having alternatives to traditional school and feels that each has some Merit. She s dealt More often with families who enrol in Host nation schools than those who choose Home school programs. Non Vradi Vional approaches have advantages bul she puts Stock in the continuing research and study that prepare teachers and schools for their tasks. Our school system is set up in such away that we know it provides growth. I m glad we have an organization with checklist. At least we know we re Bitting All areas according to the research int what s  focusing on just their own two Chil Dren the Weiss conduct their own continuing evaluations. There was a time during the first Yea when we Felt that we May have made a mistake Donna Weise said. We con stantly re examine our reasons for doing this. Each year we re evaluate before we decide to continue americans rent 2 classrooms in local school ., German students earn through sharing by Mike  writer werthe1m, Germany american third an fourth Grade students Are taking the confusing new school year in stride even though their classrooms rein a German school. With an elementary school being Buitt at Peden bar Racks and the old school there under renovation local school and army Community officials rented two class rooms in nearby wan Benj school. Negotiations for the classroom space began about i years ago said Helga Keller Brehmer Wartberg principal. The contract was signed the Day before the first Day of school said Susan j. Marti american elementary school principal in Wertheim. We have been waiting for the american student for one year already Ketler Brehmer said. We were very disappointed they did l come last year. Class space for 48 american students has t been problem. Twenty four children Are in each of the two american classes the rooms hold 30 students Martz said. The principals worked out differences Between Ger Man and american school systems. Maru said arrangements had to be made to allow american classes to continue during the afternoons. Other minor problems have been worked out so lha the students will not feel apprehensive about attending a German school Martz said. For instance Wartberg Schui has no drinking fountains so the kids bring their own drinks she said. Enough English is spoke by the German faculty so that emergencies Are not a worry Martz  school manager also is trained in first Aid. Both principals and the third and fourth Grad teachers said they think the arrangement will be Good for German american relationships even though cd Ler Brehmjr said there Are Good relations Between Wanberg and Peden  a tit give the kids a Chance la appreciate the differences in themselves and in other people said Carol a. Miller american fourth Grade teacher the lads think it s great  like the gym Best said fourth Grade student Mary Peterson. We have our own locker room "1 was eating lunch said German fourth Grade Tillman Conrad an american boy was watching me. He said Guton Appel it then  Conrad said he Hopes to learn some English from the american Chil  schedules Don t allow a great Deal of mingling for the american and German students Martz said except during a 20-minute recess. We play hopscotch with the germans Peterson said. Sometimes when we re playing tag. The germans will Start playing with us,1 said cons Calloway a  does several things to make the children feel More comfortable with the language. She labels thing sin her classroom with German names teaches the Chil Dren German songs and occasionally uses simple Ger Man phrases. When the americans arrived at Wartberg school the German schoolchildren greeted them with a song and skit the americans reciprocated sept. 5 with some songs in English and German and with crepe paper Flowers for the German children