How are your preparing yourself this summer for next school year?

[mama25angels]

borrowed from a 2015 post because I desperately need some inspiration for next year.  Any new books or rereads?  TGC?  Conventions? 

[mama25angels]

We are going to take two weeks totally off in which I intend to binge watch Into the Badlands and drink wine!

start back with math, latin, spanish, music lessons/practice on alternating days

camp, park days

organizing books

decluttering

reading and pre-reading next years books (some of them)

planning

not worrying and stressing about what to use with rising 9th grader!

 

hopefully, we'll get a vacation in there somewhere or at least visit some historical landmarks or something.  There's more but I just can't think of it right now

[jjeepa]

I've just been planning that out a bit.  Right now, I have several books that I want to tackle this summer.  Here's what I have so far:

 

Books

 

Teaching from Rest - this is a reread 

The Well Trained Mind high school portion - another reread

Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education - first time

The Liberal Arts Tradition - finish this one as I'm about halfway.

How to Read a Book - I've been intending to read this one for ages.

 

I signed up for ClassicalU through Classical Academic Press and will be working through those courses.  

 

That's it for now!  I hope you receive many responses that will prompt me to explore other things!   :001_smile:

 

 

[mama25angels]

I've just been planning that out a bit.  Right now, I have several books that I want to tackle this summer.  Here's what I have so far:

 

Books

 

Teaching from Rest - this is a reread 

The Well Trained Mind high school portion - another reread

Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education - first time

The Liberal Arts Tradition - finish this one as I'm about halfway.

How to Read a Book - I've been intending to read this one for ages.

 

I signed up for ClassicalU through Classical Academic Press and will be working through those courses.  

 

That's it for now!  I hope you receive many responses that will prompt me to explore other things!   :001_smile:

 

Thank you for reminding me that I should probably re-read the HS portion of the WTM and How to Read A Book has been on my list for awhile as well!! 

 

[Zoo Keeper]

Working my way through Jacobs' Algebra....

 

while also working through Dolciani Algebra (selected problems).  Two different boys, two different algebra courses next year, one teacher with only one brain. :lol:  

 

Trying to decide which chapters of Conceptual Chemistry we will not cover. Realistically, no way we are doing the whole book and lab work and outside reading.  See my above comment about the one teacher with one brain.

 

Narrowing down the 10th grader's reading list; it is a smash up of AO and WTM methods, and I need to see what works with what I have on hand.  But that means I have to sit down with book lists and schedules and dig books out of boxes in closets and make a mess upstairs and on the kitchen table but then clean it all up so we can eat supper and then drag it all out again the next day.  Lather, rinse, repeat till list is done. Yippee. :rolleyes:  (and you know as well as I do that the list will change as we actually do it.) 

 

Reading The Inferno to decide if it needs to be on that list.  I am alternating this with Bill Bryson books so that I have something to giggle about. Lately Bill is getting a lot more time than Dante. 

 

 

 

Convincing the toddler to sleep all night in her own bed.  Seriously, if I could get six hours of uninterrupted sleep it would significantly improve next year's schooling. 

 

 

Stocking up on coffee. :001_cool:  The aforementioned toddler is very stubborn. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Awesome thread topic!!  This has been a really challenging homeschool year for me, and I need to recharge in a big way.  I'm in my homeschool room today with Pandora blaring while I try to sort this out.  Currently my whiteboard says:

1. Clean sweep the schoolroom.  I'm cleaning everything--scrubbing out IKEA bins, wiping shelves, dusting the blinds, scrubbing the table.  As I go through the homeschool room, I'm pulling a large number of things to sell.

2. Sell all but the essentials.  I'm getting distracted by having too many resources available.  I finally have realized that *I* am the greatest resource in the classroom.  I know what I'm willing to teach, and I know the students in front of me, and it's time to let go of ideal/bright & shiny.  I have five years of Apologia Elementary books in front of me and I have only finished ONE with ONE child because it just doesn't suit us.  I have had 1/5 kids who has done well with Math-U-See. I'm selling everything we're not using because it's ridiculous how much I have purchased over the years as I've tried to figure out how my kids learn and how I teach.

3. Plan a weekend away with dh.  My mother is flying in, and I'm going somewhere quiet and romantic with dh. We may sleep the 48 hours straight. LOL.  But I need time away from my high needs peoples.

4. Re-read my dyscalculia materials and more of my hands-on math resources. I have a kid who needs this. We're planning games for our lesson openers for our math time next year.

5. Train the kids to make all of our meals.  I just re-did our meal plan for a 7 day week. It's instant pot heavy. Our kids are going to be able to make every meal, because I'm just DONE with functional cooking, and our kids need to be more capable in the kitchen, especially as one of my birdies gets ready to launch in a couple of years.  I am compiling a master grocery list, and I'm going to start ordering online for curbside pickup.  I'm also DONE with spending 3 hours of my week every freaking week in the grocery store.  I will still need to do a 1hr costco run, but my trip to the regular grocery store will end.

6. Read fun books and spend hours in front of Netflix. Me time when the heat index is 110F, iykwim.

7. House project list: All of those things that have been driving me nuts this year are getting taken care of this summer.  I'm replacing my shower head this weekend, and I'm hanging a shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispenser because I'm sick of the bottles cluttering up my shower.  I have a list of about 20 of those things, and they are all achievable.  We just are so slammed, schedule wise, during the school year that they've all been put off until now.

 

eTA: I still need to schedule out the first 12 weeks of school, order some things, etc. but that's all straightforward and expected work.

Edited May 26, 2017 by kbeal

[Hobbes]

- Downloaded several IEW seminars to listen to on walks/runs. Will likely download more.

- Reading/rereading parts: How to Read a Book, TWJ, some Ruth Beechick, TWTM, For the Children's Sake. Would like to read Teaching the Classics, but $$$.

- Planning, spreadsheeting - I love that stuff.

- Dealing with book organization. Somehow. We are in great need. My original system was great, but we are out of shelves, there are stacks everywhere, and I'm forgetting what we have.

- Trying to reach myself to go to bed at a reasonable hour. I have a feeling this would revolutionize the next school year... 🙄

[HS Mom in NC]

Reorganize the book shelves and reduce books by 25%.

Plan and prep the entire year with the 36 week hanging file folder system. I already have the curriculum and the workbook/study guide spines have already been cut.

Look into standing desks for youngest and myself.  Decide if I want to buy them or not.

Look at organizing ideas for keeping things orderly in a freezer.  (I was at Costco today and my freezers are a crazy mess.)

 

By the end of summer I'll have quite a few bulk cooked meals in the freezer.

Deep clean the house: blinds, floorboards, carpets, windows, couches, pull out major appliances and clean under them, etc.

Stock pantry and storage spaces with household items.

Have half a dozen weekday meal plans at the ready.  Each has meals for the weekdays listed at the top and the grocery list on the rest of the page with room for other items I can't anticipate that far ahead of time. The day I do my shopping I first use my list to check the fridge and pantry and mark off what I already have, then I go to the store.

 

Make any necessary adjustments to the chore chart.

Learn some new recipes for homemade bread using my new standing mixer. Freeze uncooked croissants.

Plan camping trip, decide about buying a new tent.  Go through camping equipment.

[mama25angels]

Working my way through Jacobs' Algebra....

 

while also working through Dolciani Algebra (selected problems).  Two different boys, two different algebra courses next year, one teacher with only one brain. :lol:

 

Trying to decide which chapters of Conceptual Chemistry we will not cover. Realistically, no way we are doing the whole book and lab work and outside reading.  See my above comment about the one teacher with one brain.

 

Narrowing down the 10th grader's reading list; it is a smash up of AO and WTM methods, and I need to see what works with what I have on hand.  But that means I have to sit down with book lists and schedules and dig books out of boxes in closets and make a mess upstairs and on the kitchen table but then clean it all up so we can eat supper and then drag it all out again the next day.  Lather, rinse, repeat till list is done. Yippee. :rolleyes:  (and you know as well as I do that the list will change as we actually do it.) 

 

Reading The Inferno to decide if it needs to be on that list.  I am alternating this with Bill Bryson books so that I have something to giggle about. Lately Bill is getting a lot more time than Dante. 

 

 

 

Convincing the toddler to sleep all night in her own bed.  Seriously, if I could get six hours of uninterrupted sleep it would significantly improve next year's schooling. 

 

 

Stocking up on coffee. :001_cool:  The aforementioned toddler is very stubborn. 

 

Sigh!  I need to work through Jacobs algebra as well, I finally got a copy about a week ago, I also need to find the TM or Solutions manual for it.  Alas, I need to make a literature list as well, how did forget to add these to my list?

 

[EKT]

-I am also a 36-file folder gal (but I am going to do a lot of tweaking with my system for next year). But setting up the folders is as essential part of my summer. 

 

-Order all curriculum, etc. to put into the files and plan everything out.

 

-Re-read my favorite inspirational homeschooling and parenting books (Simplicity Parenting, The Soul of Discipline, Mitten Strings for God, the sections of TWTM that are currently relevant to us, some John Holt, etc. Would like to get Teaching From Rest and For the Children's Sake, too, because I have been meaning to read both of those for a long time.)

 

-Scour my house from top to bottom, paying special attention to the homeschool room.

 

-Fully plan out and prep my co-op class for the fall. (If I don't do this all ahead of time, co-op becomes something I dread instead of something I look forward to.) 

 

-Sell some stuff around the house on Craigslist to make some extra money (to finance some of the homeschool goodies and extras I would like to have, but don't technically need).

 

-Prepare stuff for my fall semester at my job (I teach part-time), so it doesn't get in the way of our homeschooling.

 

-Family time with DH and the kids! I want to spend as much time at the pool, on the trails, and on our bikes as possible this summer. I feel like my girls are getting so big and I really want to connect with them and "tie heartstrings" this summer. They are at a great age where they are really capable, so crafts and baking, etc. are things we can truly do together and enjoy. Really looking forward to that!

 

-Read aloud as much as possible. 

 

-Do fun stuff I like to do (sew, knit, etc.) 

 

[birchbark]

5. Train the kids to make all of our meals.  I just re-did our meal plan for a 7 day week. It's instant pot heavy. Our kids are going to be able to make every meal, because I'm just DONE with functional cooking, and our kids need to be more capable in the kitchen, especially as one of my birdies gets ready to launch in a couple of years.  I am compiling a master grocery list, and I'm going to start ordering online for curbside pickup.  I'm also DONE with spending 3 hours of my week every freaking week in the grocery store.  I will still need to do a 1hr costco run, but my trip to the regular grocery store will end.

 

I would like to hear more about this! What your menus and grocery list look like, and how online ordering works. Meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking are the bane of my existence . . .

[JudoMom]

We are taking our first official summer break since we started in 2004. I'm going to spend June decluttering and deep cleaning. I am seriously burnt out.

 

Hopefully by July, I'll be able to face the school room and type up lesson plans. I pretty much know what we're going to do and don't have to order anything except a new backpack for ds16 since he's going to take some DE classes.

 

But I'm spending June, and maybe some of July, guilt free, not thinking about school things. I think that's the best thing I can do for our 2017-2018 school year.

[prairiewindmomma]

Birchbark--lunches are generally salads and sometimes also sandwiches, so my younger kids can do more. It also helps us get in our veggies. Suppers are things like instant pot chicken gyros, instant pot beef stroganoff, instant pot chicken soft tacos, etc. They generally involve cutting veggies, sautéing them in butter or oil and then dumping meat on top of that for a pressurized cook time. Because it's not an open flame, I am comfy letting my 8 year old sautée. She's been in the kitchen a lot. My older boys can step in to help.

 

But, this is going to take all summer to make this automatic.

 

I have a master grocery list compiled from all of the ingredients I need. I usual my local store website to order.

[Zoo Keeper]

We are taking our first official summer break since we started in 2004. I'm going to spend June decluttering and deep cleaning. I am seriously burnt out.

 

Hopefully by July, I'll be able to face the school room and type up lesson plans. I pretty much know what we're going to do and don't have to order anything except a new backpack for ds16 since he's going to take some DE classes.

 

But I'm spending June, and maybe some of July, guilt free, not thinking about school things. I think that's the best thing I can do for our 2017-2018 school year.

 

I am sooooo with you (in spirit).  ;)

 

I usually take a summer break (except for things like photocopying maps, organizing books, etc.)  This is first year I *have* to be reading and working ahead or September will be a bust. 

[JudoMom]

I am sooooo with you (in spirit). ;)

 

I usually take a summer break (except for things like photocopying maps, organizing books, etc.) This is first year I *have* to be reading and working ahead or September will be a bust.

That would be the responsible thing for me to do, but I just don't care. I have never achieved this level of not caring. I think it's because my oldest is a senior and I've realized some of what I thought were majors were actually minors.

[...................]

Vitamin D via the sun

[Zoo Keeper]

That would be the responsible thing for me to do, but I just don't care. I have never achieved this level of not caring. I think it's because my oldest is a senior and I've realized some of what I thought were majors were actually minors.

 

I aspire to this level of zen like calm.  That's what we'll call it.... :)

[2_girls_mommy]

I start with decluttering. We haven't even officially stopped school for this year yet, but extra curriculars have stopped, so I have more time at home. We are doing little things each day like cleaning out the marker and pencil baskets and reorganizing.  Plus I am doing non school stuff like my closets, drawers, under the beds, all of that. Next week I will do kitchen cabinets. I'll focus a few minutes each day on a different room, for a week each in that room. 

 

Then I start cleaning off the school shelves and reorganizing all of the kids' books that have gotten out of place. Making things nice and neat to start the year. 

 

I want to get the dates for ACT and PSATs on my schedule and how to get signed up for them, so I can alleviate that stress from the back of my mind. 

 

I need to in detail set up a plan for my co-op classes. 

 

And lastly make daily schedules and rough week schedules for the first semester of school to get us off to a good start. 

 

The decluttering is what really saves me. 

 

I read little bits here and there. I will keep up read alouds to the kids in the afternoons that they aren't at camps. And they will have silent reading for library programs. While they do theirs, I will read aloud to baby and spend small bits of time reading from my books. I have a stack of catalogs, articles, and books from convention that I want to make my way through. One in particular on auditory processing skills and how to improve them. Plus I have started Climbing Parnassus. I hope to read more of that for inspiration. 

[Peaceful Isle]

I'm going to spring clean my whole houseand paint my walls :) I'm also going to organize our schoolroom.

I can always teach and focus better with less clutter.

 

I also plan on sleeping in and drinking lots of coffee !

[rutamattatt]

I am working on listing more of my "to sell" pile.

 

DS15 is finishing up German and will be taking Personal Finace this summer.

 

I have already started working on his US History plan for next year.  I bought Oak Meadow's US History, and I am having SO MUCH fun tying together resources for that!

 

I hope to plan out our first quarter just in case I head into surgery #3 this summer.   :sad:

 

I probably need to read and listen to some inspirational homeschool things as well...

[Epicurean]

We're moving this summer, so we'll be mostly be occupied with that. I have a stack of books I'd like to read, like Play the Forest School Way and Pocket Full of Pinecones.

[caedmyn]

I'm still planning all this out, but what I have so far...

A list of books I want to read, mostly on executive function issues to hopefully find things to help my older 2 with focus and flexible thinking

New/additional chores for all the kids

Going through a cooking course with them so they can gradually start doing more of the cooking/meal prep

Pre-reading a lot of the books on DD11's book list and (hopefully) coming up with some discussion questions for each

Establishing an afternoon quiet time so I have a little time to work on my own projects

Lots and lots of work on relationship-building with the kids and character training...they need to learn to actually follow the rules and not spend almost every second bickering

Extra work on DS4's speech therapy and DS8's occupational therapy midline and retained reflex exercises, so that hopefully DS4 will not need speech therapy anymore by September and DS8 won't need the extra OT stuff.

 

[heartlikealion]

I'm a mess. If ds can't cooperate he's going to public school. Dh and I are getting really frustrated.

 

I do have materials for next year, more or less. I'm waiting til it's closer to the school year to decide if we're going to sign up for certain online resources.

 

I do think he'll end up doing the summer reading program. I'm indifferent about it, but another family we know want him to do it with their son and if ds is interested then we'll get involved. It would be a good excuse for the boys to get together at the library events and possibly motivate ds to read. He's been really lazy about that. I think he's just sick of school work.

 

We are trying to declutter. Dh bought some weather proof bins so we can move some items out of the house that are cluttering up our dining room.

[Hunter]

I'm working through a set of grammar books for my own self-education.

 

And I am making up my own scope and sequence of must-cover general science topics. When I am done with that, I want to maybe tackle some other subject scope and sequence lists.

 

I'll be tutoring some this summer, mostly remedial language arts. So I'm reviewing the phonograms and spelling rules of the curricula I'm planning to use. Different programs do not match, and I've used different ones at different times. I always have to relearn or review before I dive back in again after taking a break.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Syllieann]

I'm still planning all this out, but what I have so far...

A list of books I want to read, mostly on executive function issues to hopefully find things to help my older 2 with focus and flexible thinking

New/additional chores for all the kids

Going through a cooking course with them so they can gradually start doing more of the cooking/meal prep

Pre-reading a lot of the books on DD11's book list and (hopefully) coming up with some discussion questions for each

Establishing an afternoon quiet time so I have a little time to work on my own projects

Lots and lots of work on relationship-building with the kids and character training...they need to learn to actually follow the rules and not spend almost every second bickering

Extra work on DS4's speech therapy and DS8's occupational therapy midline and retained reflex exercises, so that hopefully DS4 will not need speech therapy anymore by September and DS8 won't need the extra OT stuff.

What is on your list for reading about executive function? I feel like my dd could use some extra help in this area, particularly focus.

[heartlikealion]

What is on your list for reading about executive function? I feel like my dd could use some extra help in this area, particularly focus.

 

Jumping into your convo on EF. I own this book:https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Children-Executive-Functioning-Disorder/dp/1440566852/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1496019521&sr=8-8&keywords=executive+function but I'm not sure it was the best one to get. I just ordered Smart but Scattered. https://www.amazon.com/Smart-but-Scattered-Revolutionary-Executive/dp/1593854455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496019572&sr=8-1&keywords=smart+but+scattered

 

[Pink and Green Mom]

What a great thread!

 

1.  Clean out the school room.  I am a pack rat.  I have more resources than I could possibly use.  Some are just not ever going to work, some never did, and others have surpassed their usefulness.  Out it all goes.

 

2.  Re-read WTM middle and high school sections.  Make sure I'm on the right track, make sure I know where I'm going.

 

3.  Get a list of books for summer reading.  We don't school year round, but I want both my kids to read some great books and discuss them with me.  My youngest will be fine with this, my oldest will pitch a fit.  I only hope that his school has a nicely laid out summer reading program that is mandatory so he will do it without added drama.

 

4.  Plan civics for next year.  My 7th grader will be using the Notgrass high school civics program, spread out over the year.  I am not a fan of Notgrass and I am really sort of dreading this but I wasn't able to find anything else.  I need to make sure the program covers what I want it to cover and figure out how we are going to do it day in/day out.

 

5.  Plan logic for next year.  Ditto Discovery of Deduction.  I need to make sure I am going to be able to effectively teach it to him.  He loved and really understood and applied Art of the Argument so hopefully this won't be too difficult for him.  I worry that it is too difficult for me, LOL.  I need to make sure I can teach it or see about enrolling him in the online class.

 

6.  Try to enjoy my kids.  Ok, that probably sounds worse than it is, LOL.  But we fall into this trap of oldest on his phone, youngest playing minecraft, me online too much, all in separate rooms, and we just don't have any fun together.  I want to try and change that.  Oldest has a lot of high school and travel sports commitments over the summer (strength/conditioning for football, summer showcase baseball) every weekday morning and evening but I would like to establish some sort of "fun" built in to the schedule.  Unfortunately we all have different ideas of what counts as "fun" and I tend to go down the path of least resistance.

 

7.  Look at 2017/18 plans.  We take math, science, literature and speech/debate through an amazing co-op.  We will do WTMA for Writing with Skill for the first time.   I teach history (civics this year), logic, spelling and grammar on my own.  I need to make sure that these classes I signed up for in Feb/Mar still make sense in Aug/Sept. 

 

 

[knitgrl]

We will still be doing school through June, and am planning on starting year round homeschooling the last half of July, so I am in the process for a lot of things, trying to fit them in here and there. Among the things I am doing, or want to do by the time we start up again....

 

1. We more or less follow WTM, although we use BFSU for science. Dd is into all things space. I asked her what she wanted to study next year, and she requested we study the sun. So, I am working on my first full fledged unit study, thinking that spending a week on the sun in July would be a nice way to get back to school. Of course, we are at a point in the cycle where there are not a lot of sunspots to observe....

 

2. Reread WTM to make sure I'm not missing something.

 

3. More planning on how to best make use of 6 weeks on, 1 week off. I am thinking perhaps freezer meals, and some sort of schedule for cleaning. I am also thinking of teaching dd some sort of craft on our weeks off. I wanted to do that on Fridays this year, and it just never happened.

 

4. Reorganizing the way I organize homeschool things. I need to clean out my lesson plan binder and re-do the bookshelves.

 

[caedmyn]

What is on your list for reading about executive function? I feel like my dd could use some extra help in this area, particularly focus.

 

Somebody else mentioned Smart but Scattered...it's not on my list as I've read it several times already, but it's been really helpful for EF issues in general.

 

FLIPP the Switch

Mindful Parenting for ADHD

The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Executive Functioning Disorder

Learning the ROPES for Improved Executive Function

Late, Lost, and Unprepared

 

I just ordered The ADHD Workbook for Kids...looks like that might be really helpful also.

 

And a couple I've read in the past that were helpful:

The Impulsive, Disorganized Child

ADHD and the Focused Mind

[Epicurean]

I'm reading this thread and planning on using a hanging file system for next year. If I don't plan it, it just won't get done.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/189482-does-anyone-incorporate-a-filing-system-for-lesson-plans/page-1

[Heather in OK]

Right now it's all mostly thinking and making lists.  I have a general idea of what we'll be using. 

 

10th Grade
Algebra 2 - Teaching Textbook

English II - Within the Word 2; Writing & Rhetoric - Commonplace; LLATL? (undecided on that one); Fix It! (undecided on that one)
Biology - Considering CK12 with the Home Scientist lab kit (undecided)
History - Still thinking and looking, she might do World History with a focus on France
French II - She started with French for Children but they only have one more book and it's for younger kids so I'm looking around

ACT prep - Easing her in with the ACT Question of the Day
Violin lessons
Art class
Theater - maybe

7th Grade
Algebra 1 - TT; he is about half way through the book
English/Lit/Writing - Writing & Rhetoric - Refutation and Confirmation; Memoria Press 6th Grade Lit Guide Set; Fix It!
Science - Still thinking and looking, he's interested in Entomology, Geology, Engineering, and Electronics, we may do a little bit of everything
History - Still thinking and looking

Piano lessons


I'll need to clean out our school closet eventually.  Maybe the week before school starts.  LOL!  j/k  I need to see if there is any curriculum I can take to the homeschool consignment store, have my newly graduated 17yo move her books/binders out of there, and reorganize a bit for the other two. 

 

Other than that..just enjoying our Summer Break!

 

[Hilltopmom]

Write course descriptions, homeschool profile, & counselor letter for my rising senior.

 

Go to beach.

 

Get everyone else ready for public school & preschool, respectively. (Buy backpacks & lunch boxes, etc)

Next year is going to be very different around here with the senior full time at the CC, one in public school,& one in preschool.

 

I'm still undecided about whether or not I'm sending out the teaching resume I Just updated,or waiting until youngest starts preschool the following year....

My homeschooling days are coming to an end, regardless. Ready for a new chapter :)

Edited May 30, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[Garga]

Sooo many things:

 

1. The boys will learn how to cook, 100% independently, all the meals that I cook for dinner. It's not too many. We're picky eaters. I will count this toward my high schooler's home ec credit.

 

2. The boys will learn how to handle the laundry, 100% independently. They know half of it now, but I want to be able to hand the job entirely over to them from time to time. (Home ec credit)

 

3. I'm re-organizing the house. I've looked at it with a critical eye and realized that my issues with not being able to keep it clean all stem from it being poorly organized. The poor organization results in piles of clutter that don't have homes. And everyone knows you can't clean clutter. So, there will be a major reorganization going on.

 

4. Once the house is organized, I'll be honing the boys' cleaning skills and starting us all on a schedule of chores that we're responsible for. Right now we're always winging it and the results are shoddy. (home ec credit.)

 

5. Re-organizing and cleaning means that I can homeschool in different parts of the house. Long story short, we need to be able to break out from the tiny corner where we school and have places for us to go to so we don't interrupt each other while we're schooling.

 

6. I'll be writing up the course descriptions and transcripts for last year while the boys are working on some summer school things: handwriting, ongoing math, finishing up some astronomy.

 

7. I'll be cleaning out my OneNote. Big job. I use it for planning my homeschool stuff and it needs to be cleaned out.

 

8. I'll be researching, buying, and prepping all the homeschool curric for next year. Some of this is mostly done, but there's still a bunch left.

 

9. We'll be going on at least 8 field trips that we weren't able to get to during the school year. I can count those days as educational days.

 

10. I'll be helping my sons with some simple sewing projects (home ec credit.)

 

11. We're implementing deliberate exercise time. We're all rather sedentary people and it's time for us to move more than we do. We'll do some kayaking, some roller skating, some weight lifting, and some walking outside or on the treadmill. I can count this toward my high schooler's PE credit.

 

As far as doing things to broaden my mind or to prepare to teach school, I'm not doing anything. I'm outsourcing math, science, and language for the high schooler and those would be the things I'd have to learn for myself to teach. Since I'm not teaching them, I'm not learning them. :) I have a good handle on English, History, and Photography/Egyptian history (the electives.)

 

This summer, it's all about the practical or fun things to prepare us for the school year: organizing/field trips/exercise/home ec, etc.

Edited May 30, 2017 by Garga

[Lorelei King]

work to gain experience and maybe stay home and chill lol

[LauraBeth475]

Civilize the incoming kindergartener?

[happypamama]

The usual clearing out of files/materials from this year, making new booklets, etc. Most of that's done already.

 

I want to do a thorough cleaning out of many parts of my house.

 

I am trying to preread some of my rising tenth grader's literature since a lot of it is new to me. I am thinking audio books so I can listen while I work on other things.

 

Mostly, though, I am trying to get a lot of rest. This has been an extraordinarily difficult year, mentally and physically, and I need a good, restful break. Lots of sleep. My cardiologist said so. :)

 

ETA: I'm listening to Pride and Prejudice, which I've never read, right now in preparation for next year and liking it. The audio is making the dialogue come alive.

 

I also need to plan a co-op class.

 

DH and I decided: when we go on a small vacation (kind of visiting family), no devices other than our two phones. If I bring my laptop, I'll feel like I should be working on something. I've got a big stack of books, not complete fluff, but mostly not too heavy, and I will bring my knitting, but no work.

 

I'm hoping dh and I might sneak in an anniversary get away, but that doesn't have much to do with school for next year, except that it may add to the recharging of our rather depleted batteries.

Edited June 6, 2017 by happypamama

[Vida Winter]

 

• Begin working through Saxon Advanced Math so I can stay ahead of my dc.

 

Now that I've taught all nine IEW units, I'm going for their teacher certification this summer.

 

SAT/ACT Prep. I have some hefty books sitting here.

 

Transcripts and Course Descriptions.

 

Pre-reading from Great Books Foundation

 

Edited May 31, 2017 by Vida Winter

[Fawnmoscato]

I love this thread. 

 

I'm going to totally organize our school room. I've been obsessively watching classroom tours on youtube. We were nomads for so long that it's really important for me to have a solid room this year. We bought a house, so I'm able to paint the walls, and spend a little on decor. 

 

I'm going to reread the WTM, as soon as I unpack it. 

 

I'm going to spend several days of binge watching netflix and generally just getting to a level of unkept slothiness unlike anything I've ever done before. 

[Momto4inSoCal]

I am going to lay on the beach...

 

 

 

 

Honestly I am going to try and relax but I always reassess our homeschool room and organize it however I see fit for the following year. I'm thinking of doing the 36 week file system. I need a way to streamline all 4 kids. I spend to much time pulling books and manipulative. I need to work on fractions with my oldest a little bit. We always do the reading program at the library. I write lesson plans for the year in the summer and I'm planning on creating a us history hand on study for my twins. I also want to move a little more towards minimalism. Go through each room and purge any unnecessary items. My kids are very social though so we will have to do this between beach days, play dates, and park days. 

[blondeviolin]

I love this thread so much! 😠I've been looking for inspiring books to recharge.

 

I will resort or school shelf, figure out a Morning Time routine, and read through some of my sixth graders literature books so we can really discuss things.

[HS Mom in NC]

 

5. Train the kids to make all of our meals.  I just re-did our meal plan for a 7 day week. It's instant pot heavy. Our kids are going to be able to make every meal, because I'm just DONE with functional cooking, and our kids need to be more capable in the kitchen, especially as one of my birdies gets ready to launch in a couple of years.  I am compiling a master grocery list, and I'm going to start ordering online for curbside pickup.  I'm also DONE with spending 3 hours of my week every freaking week in the grocery store.  I will still need to do a 1hr costco run, but my trip to the regular grocery store will end.

 

Thanks for mentioning this.  I keep telling myself 12 year old needs to start learning to cook meals then I forget about it.  We're definitely doing this this summer.

[scbusf]

I LOVE this thread so much.

 

I am going to take my kids to our local waterpark A LOT. Until we are all prune-y.

 

We are painting the entire first floor of our house AND replacing the flooring. So that will involve lots of purging and organizing.

 

I already have all my curriculum for next year, but I won a convention registration, so I'm going to get myself in trouble there next week. They have a HUGE used curriculum sale.

 

I need to take apart some workbooks and hole punch them for our binders.

 

I need to print LOTS of curriculum.

 

I am going to plan out the co-op classes I am teaching. One of the things I need to do is read Around the World in 80 Days because I'm doing a geography class based on the book and I haven't read it yet!!!!

Edited June 1, 2017 by scbusf

[CrunchyGirl]

Working through Latin Alive 1, listening to classical literature via Audible. Hopefully will get through the SCM DVD series and Classical U lectures while I'm nursing a baby 23 out of every 24 hours each day mid-summer.

[prairiewindmomma]

Today I am eating macarons and watching Dana Mosley explain rational expressions (Algebra 2).

[MotherGoose]

Mssive declutter of everything. Dd has lost her math in the chaos. 🙄🙄🙄

[Epicurean]

Today I am eating macarons and watching Dana Mosley explain rational expressions (Algebra 2).

I need to put eating macarons on my to-do list. Yum!

[scbusf]

Today, I took my kids to our local waterpark and I basked in the sunshine on the Lazy River. It was GLORIOUS. And, I didn't think about next year. At. All.

[susie]

 

5. Train the kids to make all of our meals.  I just re-did our meal plan for a 7 day week. It's instant pot heavy. Our kids are going to be able to make every meal, because I'm just DONE with functional cooking, and our kids need to be more capable in the kitchen, especially as one of my birdies gets ready to launch in a couple of years.  I am compiling a master grocery list, and I'm going to start ordering online for curbside pickup.  I'm also DONE with spending 3 hours of my week every freaking week in the grocery store.  I will still need to do a 1hr costco run, but my trip to the regular grocery store will end.

 

 

I just did my first online/curbside pick up grocery order last week---finally took my husband's advice!  Not having to do the 3 hour grocery shopping was SO NICE!  

 

I'd love to hear what kind of meals you plan that the kiddos can make.  Getting that task off my plate, even a couple nights during the week, would be wonderful!

[Guest]

I just did my first online/curbside pick up grocery order last week---finally took my husband's advice!  Not having to do the 3 hour grocery shopping was SO NICE!  

 

I'd love to hear what kind of meals you plan that the kiddos can make.  Getting that task off my plate, even a couple nights during the week, would be wonderful!

 

Curbside pick up is the best thing EVER. I almost cried when I found out our local store had been doing it for nine whole months before I learned about it. 

[Desert Strawberry]

1. Reconnect with my kids. Lots of fun, not too stressful stuff. Remember how to enjoy them with few expectations and no criticism.

 

2.Relax. Really and truly rest. Mornings are for reading. Laying on the couch with a book or three.

 

3. Recharge. Return to my faith. Rekindle my meditation practice. Recenter my life.

 

4. Fall in love with my husband. Remember why we chose each other. Bring love back into our home.

 

5. Simplify. Review what we have. Make a plan for its use. Eliminate anything we don't love or won't use.

 

6. Prepare. Plan the details. Allow for flexibility. Acquire what is needed. Tidy our spaces to make them useful.

 

7. Be productive. Finish major house projects. Plan and prepare simple, nourishing meals. Teach the children to feed themselves well. Make soap, bath bombs, and fairy garden houses. Improve our spaces.