House Cup

Being Harry Potter fans, in the spring of 2003, we decided to have a house cup as in the Harry Potter series.  Each girl chose their own house and icons. We did a study on the different mythological, magickal and natural creatures that teach us lessons or the spirit of their nature.
    We parents basically take house points off and on at our whim.  The girls get house points off for not getting along, being messy, not focusing on their work and slacking off with chores and assignments. 
  They get house points on for excellent work achievement, accomplishing projects and work books, kind and helpful behaviour and doing chores and work well and without complaint. 
  Each girl may have an area they need discipline in so the house points help remind them to keep the spirit up.  such as Athena has to be pushed to brush her teeth and wash her hands after using the loo.  Thelema has to be reminded to pick up her clothes and keep her focus.  They get points for swimming a lap across a cold river or climbing a difficult hill.  Points for cooking and being thoughtful towards one another. 
  They each get to play with 1000 points on their birthday for each sister.  They  get to choose to give each sister up to 1000 points or take up to 1000 off if they feel like it.  So they are extra kind to each other near birthdays.  The girls have been in the minuses teaching them to add in the minuses and forcing them to do well to get out of the minuses.
  It has been exceptionally useful in motivation and accomplishment.  It is not a competition it shows how well the girls are achieving their goals.

  This year 2005 we have decided to include 3 encouragement awards:

• Scholastic award: Who shows the biggest improvement in learning skills and lessons.

• Family award: Who shows compassion.  Shows a caring attitude towards loved ones and is most helpful.

• Self improvement:  Who shows most improvement on themselves.
    Meaning who has made a change on an emotional, mental or physical habit that needed changing, whether it was poor eating habits disciplining ones self to eat better, and work on having a healthy body, or dealing with frustrations and anger without hurting others.  Learning to control ones mental and emotional states such as reacting to annoying sisters without using fists or screaming but working it out constructively, changing ill habits for better ones, caring, thoughtful reactions. Or showing discipline in their mediations and work in keeping focused without becoming distracted.  Doing a daily practice without forgetting, such as yoga or banishings.  Showing some sign of discipline where the individual has worked on improving something within themselves that needed it.  Not always an easy task.

  We start new at each Thelemic holiday on April 10th (last day of the 3 day holiday). This is when we see who wins house cup and decide on who deserves the awards.  Everyone votes on who they feel deserves each award and why, the person with most votes wins. 
  We haven't found a house cup to engrave the house winners on as of yet, but when we do so far it will be written:

Winners whose name gets printed on the house cup for the most points:

Ishtar 2004
Thelema 2005
Athena 2006

April 2006 The Winners for each Award with Prizes:

The girls icons they chose:

Thelema House of Hawk

Ishtar House of Phoenix

Athena House of Pegasus

Poem written on the back of the poster that records their points:

Oh, you may think school is boring,
but don't judge what you don't know.
the more you read and learn
the smarter you will grow.
So keep your body clean,
your clothes reflect yours sheen.
these houses here at the magick school
will teach you things unseen.
so use your head and memory
don't forget your brains,
and you will find that you can be smarter than you think.

The houses here at the magick school reflect three wisdom creatures:
The house of Fawk are intelligent folk,
they share their nest with their sisters,
Together like a family the hawks look out for each other.

The phoenix is a magickal bird she dies and births a new,
she teachers the spirit lives for ever and reminds us of the sun.
 The phoenix knows the power of the glorious crown.
so don't be shy or afraid for phoenix is a glow
with love and light and healing powers that make us whole again.

The third home is for Pegasus a creature of the muse.
A creature of enchantment.
If you are lucky to met with her, she may take you on a journey
to the blissful whelms of love and laughter, beauty and a wish.

Here is a school of love, and lust for learning.
Here is taught the magick of the spirit, the spirit in all and all is one.
Here we walk with wisdom, taking care as we go.
We learn from all the kingdoms and lighten our spirits to soar.

This school is not for the bored or unimaginative
so pick up your ears and pay attention let the magick begin...