Originally, I planned to stick to our local school systems.. calendar and start and finsh when they did. We did do that last year. This year there were different circumstances (since dd broke her leg). So, I decided to start back this week. I figured when she gets all better we'll want to take off a few weeks for some last minute "summer type" fun and vacation. We'll probably finish about the same time that the schools do. I think year round schooling is great. I guess we kind of do that but it's much more relaxed in the summer with no schedule and less work. This summer we just all needed a little break and then dd broke her leg!
Whenever we get ready! :lol: Nellie even if we homeschool year around, I still need an *official* start/stop date so that I can plan out each year....So us *year 'rounders* still have new years where we change levels/grades... This past year, I added so much more in than I planned. For the last 4 years, my new year started in July.....this year I won't be ready until mid September. However, that is for my language arts, math and latin....We will be ready in two more weeks for our science , history, and art. I don't begin EVERYTHING on ONE day. I have found over the years, its much more easy to *fold everything in* over a 2 week period or longer. I like to focus and examine lesson plans/manuals for each subject for each kid...to be sure its going to work for us for the year. When I see that we have a good pace set on a particular subject, then I add in another subject until we have a full load..It works so much better for us. So this year,we really *chewed up* the science and history. So it will work out quite nicely for us to start our new years on those subjects, meanwhile we still have some *normalcy* to our other subjects that require minimum supervision while I *check out* our new books..... Works for me! :wink :
We started July 5th. I wanted to start early so we could be off in the fall of the year. I like it when we can just take some time off and all the public school children isn't everywhere we go. We will end depending on how many days we take off through the year.
Our schedule is very similar to what Trish described. We started in mid-July, with the intention that we can then take off a week around Christmas and a week (or so) to go to Florida in February. And, then, whenever else we may need time off! I love being in charge of our schedule! Tina, I like your idea of starting slow and adding in a subject here and there over the first couple weeks. We didn't do that this year, but I will have to remember that for next year. Already, after only 7 days, I've found some books/curriculum that I just don't like; so I had to rework things.
DH teaches public school, so we will always be tied into their calendar to some extent. We school a little in the summer, but with camp, vacation, etc. it's really slowed down. My goal now is to GET THROUGH THE MATH BOOKS! We're only ten lessons or less in each, and I'm not sure we'll make it! Anyway, I'm not planning on starting any of the "new" stuff we got until the day Daddy reports back. We will start getting up at our early "school time", I will begin lots of the "new" curriculum, and we'll get out "new" school supplies, etc. I think he's returning later this year, about Aug. 30 or 31.
We usually start the second week in Aug. No real reason other then with seven kidos I need June and July off to breath and re-group! 8) We like taking two weeks off at Christmas and finish up by early May. Sometimes they ask to start early so I will put in a day here and there. I have done that this summer because they have asked and its not like I'm going to say no to schoolwork! :wink: This is the start of our 3rd year and praise God they love it! And so do I!! :lol:
Jackie, I ask this, not remembering how old your kids are, but since their dad teaches public school don't they ever want to be part of that ? We live next to the elementary school here, and the property is large and sloped on this side, so it's normally where the kindergarteners are brought to let off steam. Jeannie notices them, but so far she doesn't comment on what they're doing. Hopefully, I'll have awhile yet before I have to explain.
Hi. It's my first year homeschool, but plan on starting August 3rd. I'm going to keep kinda close to the ps schedule since my oldest will be still be attending ps.
Becky, so far this hasn't happened. Well, on second thought, I do hear "My best friend gets to do (such and such) at school...." But then, she also says some of the kids on her soccer team thinks she's "lucky" because she doesn't have homework, etc. Whenever we get the "WHY....." question, the general answer is "Because Daddy feels this is how God is leading our family, and we have to obey God." This most recently came up last year when we left the church we've attended for the past 11 years. My oldest, especially, was VERY attached to some folks there, and I STILL hear, "Why can't we go back to our OLD church?" Though not as much, fortunately. And Mom mentioned that recently one of the girls told her she's learning to like the new church! Can't remember if you are homeschooling for religious reasons or not, but if you are then that's the bottom line. If not, you still make the decision you feel is best for your children. Kids need to understand that sometimes they need to simply trust their parents on certain issues.
Well last year we started in December but only because we pulled ds out of public school the first week of december. We finished up the same time that ps ends here. This coming school year we are planning to start a few days before ps starts. Basically year round is out of the question for us because the kids spend the summer at the grandparents in another state (probably wont happen again though, too long for mommy). They are due home the 7th of august and we'll give them a few days to readjust to being home before starting lessons.
Last year we started Aug. 25 and finished June 10. I wanted to get an early start so we could take time off when we wanted/needed to. I think this year we'll start the 1st of Sept. and I won't worry if it takes us until the end of June to finish. July and August are pretty much it for summer weather here, anyway. :roll: Ds has already asked several times when we start school. Bless him! Actually, he's checking to see how much more vacation time he has! :lol: Ah, well! He has gotten excited about several educational/reinforcement games I've made and/or purchased and he can't wait to see his new books. I'm looking forward to the school year, our second hs year. (DS will be a first grader.) Blessings, Anne
Soon! We do run a year around school calendar here. Summer is mostly reading, and lots of art classes and out door activities. Last week I took the kids shopping and picked up lots of new school supplies. Then new math books have arrived. Well, dd decided to put together her share and now wants to know when we will begin again Like some other hs moms, I like to begin slowly building up to our regular schedule again. We will enjoy another late summer vacation soon. We usually hit the road when the ps kids hit the bus :wink: Lots of flexability when you hs. Tammy
We will start the first week of Aug. Although I counted many mission days as school (of life you know) I do my own thing I take only Thanksgiving day and maybe friday (we will be traveling that time soooo... It makes sense to not miss days. Around Christmas I do take a whole week but again for Easter we usueally do not miss alot. Here in PA we are bound to that 180 day law. I usueally finish up in April/May turn everything into the school by the last week of May and file for the next year and we are DONE!!!! Then the real work begins (hahaha) We do so much mission minded stuff that is when we begin our church travels and collecting. Hope this helps at least a little
We school year round but, have taken it real easy this summer with all the traveling & activities that we've had going. We will do our *back to school* type stuff the same week that ps kids start. While I'm not tied to ps schedule, I like for us to *hit it hard* around the same time all the kiddos are going back to school. That way ds doesn't feel like he missed any of the *fun* things that some ps kids might talk about. We do hand stamps, foot stamps (that was funny), and generally record *stuff* and have fun the first *official* week. BUT...we LOVE the freedom of homeschooling and being able to do our schedule as we want to. I forget who it was...Tina maybe who was concerned that the giant ink pad wouldn't be big enough for ds to get covered in ink. What about putting paint on wax paper or that new press n'seal by glad. Spread a thin layer and then use that as the ink pad. Too much paint and it will appear gloppy but, I think if you got it thin it would work. Try it
Big and Juicy ink pads are really big I used them for our foot prints last year and dd size is a girls 2 at that time. If not try the paint sounds a lot more fun to me!!! :lol:
We are going to officially start next week but we have been doing some work all year long. We will concentrate on my worst subject of all time Social studies -- I hate teaching social studies I just can't get into it. :cry: Science is almost a given, everything with my kids is an experiment and they all love being outside. Today I finally got to clean my living room (you can really see the floor). Anyhow we caught a few animals over the summer and put them in a 20 gallon aquarium that was housing worms (experiment). We caught and released a lizard and a toad we found. While we had the lizard we caught some pill bugs (rolly polly's) and put them in the tank. Let the lizard go almost a month ago. Forgot all about the rolly polly's until today...pulled the tank out to clean behind it and we got babies, lots of babies. Little rolly polly babies going nuts because I added water, talk about shock. I was going to dump the dirt out because I figured everything was dead and gone but I saw worm casing then the babies, aquarium isn't quite as quiet as I thought. After a few weeks we will work more math and language arts and whatever else into it, but SS will be first.
Susan, we had some Inner City kids at camp one year. They had caught a few things and put them in a bucket. Had a snake in there, then caught a lizard. Needless to say, the snake decided to feast on the lizard. It started to swallow the lizard whole, alive. The kids saw the snake with the lizard tail sticking out of its mouth and were fascinated. One of them picked up the snake. That made the snake nervous, and it up-chucked the lizard (still alive). The kids were REALLY impressed with that! Well, both went back into the bucket and the kids went on with their stuff. Finally the snake settled down, and decided to finish its lunch. The poor lizard was eaten twice by the same snake in one day!
Poor lizard! Talk about a bad day! My husband had a snake for many years and I used to get her mice to eat. Never thought about picking Dynasty (the snake) up though. We were both she's and "she" did not like "me". Since "she" was a rattle snake with poison intact, I didn't argue. She stayed on her side of the glass and I stayed on mine.
