I voted other. That is because I am an Agnostic, but I sing in the choir and do solo work. I am at mass every week, but unless we are singing I am reading a book or trying to plan my weekly schedule. So for me, I go to church to sing really challenging music (our music director is phenomenal) and get an hour or so out of the house to plan my week. No one cares, cause I have the pipes. :D

I combine my kids (who would be 7th & 8th) and I am considering most of their credit to go towards high school....the younger one just doesn't do as much in depth work. This is mostly set in stone. I do tend to throw some stuff off when I need to. L.A. Continue MCT level 4 (OnlineG3 for WWW/ML) MCT Time Travelers Lit. 13 yo: Logic of English 12 yo: Apples & Pears B & C Possibly H2T writing as a supplement Math Thinkwell Algebra I (finish) & II Life of Fred Beginning (finish) & Advanced Algebra Science Thinkwell Biology I Quarks & Quirks Biology History Keep doing Ancient Rome (we are really enjoying this, so we are continuing for now) HAOH Eastern History (China, Japan, India & Middle East) Misc. Critical Thinking 2 Art of Argument? Italian Typing Philosophy for Kids Black Death study (group activity) Visual Latin Whatever classes we choose when the co-op list comes out NME, Medusa, NLE exams Rube Goldberg club Fencing

Update! OK, so I picked Powerful Paragraphs and home2teach's Fundamentals 1 back to back. I HATED time 4 writing. Reasons.... 1. It was pretty canned. 2. There were not enough choices in assignments. Really, you would get 2 options and sometimes it was really only one...as no middle school student would pick one of them. My son was not interested in any of the assignments so it was like pulling teeth. 3. The pacing of the lessons was irritating. You couldn't move on until it was graded or approved by the teacher which was usually a day later. So a lesson would take literally a few minutes then I would have to wait... ANd if you had revisions, well, there goes another day. Normally I would have been able to do multiple lessons in one day, which would give us more time to get the bigger assignments complete. 4. If the content is middle school level, then I must be doing a great job as it was remedial, IMHO. 5. We didn't complete it in time. This is coupled with the fact that I actually wrote a few of his assignments so we could move on to the lessons I thought he needed, instead of having a big argument about a lame-o assignment...which is the opposite of what I wanted in an online class. I wanted him to enjoy the writing, and look forward to it, do a good job etc., but it was not going to happen. 6. The input was a bit wonked, so we would get a note back like..."please indent your paragraph" and we would write back, we did, but it doesn't care....and there goes another day. The "teacher" was really nice though. Her responses were good. I think that it could be a really good course for a 5th grader. I don't know if the cost would be worth it though. If it were cheaper, or if you could ask to move on w/o doing certain assignments, I would be more forgiving. But really, can't a program bother to write more assignment choices? :confused: OTOH, we really like the home2teach course. It was also pretty basic but the assignments were good, the live classes were fun and informative, content was solid, it was cheaper, it helped work on typing and MLA formatting, but here is the thing I liked most...you print out all the lessons ahead of time. You have a hard copy. This means that I can do a version of it at home with my younger son if I want, or brush up on stuff later. The teacher was excellent (actually taught), was great with the kids, and was a good communicator. I was also happy that even though we hadn't finished all the assignments with this class either (I pick my battles, and I had 2 very busy weeks), the teacher said we should move on to Fund. 2 as he would have no problem with it. So, I have a negative review of T4W, and a positive of H2T. I think T4W could be drastically and easily improved, but I haven't had a chance to give them my opinions. Given its content, I would have little problem putting either of my kids in a high school class with them, if I were going to. Ok, that's it! Sorry I didn't give an update earlier! Now I am trying to decide between Online G3 www1/ML1 or Landry's English 301. Both use the stuff I have planned (or didn't finish this year if you want me to be honest), but I am afraid the workload will be too much w/ Landry, and I have not found any reviews of that class. It might be new, for all I know. OG3 has gotten glowing reviews from people I know IRL, so I think that needs to be taken very seriously. ;)

I loved Captain America too. This was, IMHO, the best super hero movie ever made. Yes, it is long but that's because it doesn't skimp on the story and fleshing out the characters. Stay until the very end of the credits! BTW, Scarlett Johansen's hair is my ultimate shade of red. I need to find that!

I love my friends. :D

Did you meet the Underwear Sheriff? :D Really, I just said OK to any random women who friended me this afternoon. And I will make you all like my old band's page. And I might defriend you all if you are too boring. ;)

Well, the plus side is that I always bring home a carload of interesting stuff. Last time I got the family geiger counter (from the 1950s) and new pots & pans. This time I will have my pick of 9 sewing machines. The whole basement is filled with 50 years of my grandma's quilting obsession.

I'm driving to Chicago with my 13 yo to help dehoard my dad's house which is filled with... Narcissist dad, schizophrenic aunt, nasty grandma....I will be staying with my Ex sister in law for 2 days, then my brother (who lives in an art gallery and doesn't speak to my dad)....I would like to say I have you guys covered, but really... I don't think i will be posting. I will just be crying as I try to help organize 3 layers of crazy. Oh, and I can't say that I am staying with my ex-SIL or else my new SIL will not talk to me for 6 years. WIll that do?

I'm game, as I have quite a few HS/WTM friends on there already. Everyone else I know personally. OK, I took my link off. I am going out of town anyway... you can find me through everyone else if you want. :D

I think that level 4 & 5 (www1 & 2) should be getting a redo shortly. I totally went all slacky this year with my MCT. I am going to do OnlineG3 with ML1/WWW1 starting in August. I only got to lesson 3, and not as well as I would've liked (why I have no problem "re-doing" it on a class setting). It was almost impossible for me not to do the Landry English IV (the cost just made me cry...even though Online G3 will end up costing almost the same) as it does all MCT level 4 and time travelers lit and 2-3 other books I was planning on doing. I need some help this next year...I'm totally losing it. :tongue_smilie:

All of these make me really appreciate my neighbors. :D I even have a crazy cat lady, but she is awesome. Brings me presents. Takes me to the symphony and plays, brings my cats presents. Watches my house when we're gone. Knows what kind of chocolate I like. Plus her husband gave us a canoe!

I like just about all of this post darling. ;) The funniest part is that I have no intention of limiting my kids to state schools, which generally aren't as HS friendly as private or "other" schools. As this is a new law, I doubt even state schools will know what to do with the few that utilize it. BTW, schools here try not to tell you about it, and will fight like crazy to implement it. One of the women who helped write the law, is a good friend of mine and I know *everything* there is to know about the law. Probably more than most school admins.:D I can't actually imagine how they will ever do it, as it essentially says... every child can have an individualized education and you have to deal with it.

Your opinion is duly noted. I obviously have some more research to do before I do anything, and believe me, I would not take the word of anyone on a web forum as my final decision. Whether in the direction I am leaning or not. I think that by choosing to go outside the system in the first place, we are always in a different category according to colleges. I LIKE that. If my kids become the people they are capable of, and do well on all those silly tests, they should do fine. There are a million colleges, and really...is undergrad that important anymore? Heck between flex credit and PSEO my kids might have their associate's by the time they are 18. Who knows? I will do some research as far as the time frame issue, but I actually don't think it matters that much. Just a hunch. <Besides, with the flex credit law I am already keeping very detailed records, in case I want to utilize it at some point. I am not the ogre you seem to think I am>

Well, let me clarify something specific to my state. In our state we have a new thing called "flex credit" where you have 3 different ways to show mastery in a subject. Typical Carnegie unit amount of hours, testing out of or showing mastery through another means, and portfolio review to show mastery in classes/subjects taught outside of the brick and mortar school. If you take Algebra I & II before 9th grade, and can prove it, you can flex out those two classes leaving you to either do more advanced math classes, or finish out your math credits and not do another one, thus freeing up your schedule for more electives or early graduation. This is relevant to those only in PS, but is important to know towards my argument. What I am considering is that as I am following a different path by HSing, why does it need to be done in 4 years? Why not spaced out leisurely over 5 or 6? If my state allows for all sorts of things to be completed and counted when done in 6-8th grade, why can't I? That's what I am thinking. Does this clear things up for you? Also, since when did it all have to do with a calendar? I didn't realize that it had to be within a 4 year time frame. If I am writing a transcript, why does it matter? If I teach Bio 1 in 7th & 8th grade and we do a CLEP or AP test 1 year later, heck 3 years later, isn't that acceptable? And if they complete Bio 1 and I don't do those tests, I'm sorry but if it takes them 2 years to complete...who cares? SOme schools are on a trimester, some on a semester schedule.. why not a 1 1/2 year schedule? I just don't see the issue. I have no problem doing things strangely. :D

AS I am looking at all this stuff I have yet to accomplish in the next 5-6 years, I had an idea. I would like to see if I am totally crazy, or if some of you think this is a good idea. I am thinking that I will start keeping records/assigning stuff as if they are high school credits. This gives my kids 1 1/2-2 years extra to get all this completed. Our state is pretty good about everything, so whatever I do is fine. But why not just start now? Give me some valid reasons against it if you can, as I can't see any right now. They are already doing Algebra I and will be doing HS level Biology and English next year anyway..... I plan on doing some CLEP/AP testing as well. Yea or nay from the hive?

I have. I won Teaching Textbooks Geometry from Amanda Bennett Unit Studies. I won a Blackberry Playbook, and prize pack from our local phone company FB contest. I have won multiple Amazon gift cards from various places. I won a Tell me More Auralog Italian Language program when I signed up at Convention (I suspect that was as I was the only one who asked for Italian, though). I have won a year membership to our local museum. I have won other things too, but I don't remember. So, as you can see.... it is possible to be the winner in these things. Or else, I am extremely lucky. :D

http://explorationeducation.com/ Do the Advanced version. It is self taught, all included. My 11 yo has been doing the 7th-10th (advanced) this year. Also, I recently learned that if you do the advanced (with all the book writing) it is a high school physical science credit. (150 instructional hours/40 lab hours). If this doesn't look like what you want, the others seem good too! :D

http://www.horriblebooks.com Great British books.

In Cincinnati Queen Homeschool and Knight's Book Nook had them. I have no idea about Rainbow as I decided not to shop them this year. I thought that they would get enough business w/o me and I bought from various other vendors.

Many companies allow you to be the proctor. FLO, Seton and others. BJU makes you jump through all sorts of hoops, and is expensive to boot. :tongue_smilie:If the company sells it to you, you are approved. I have done CAT and ITBS by myself at home with no problem. The results you send to the school (ONLY THE COMPOSITE SCORE, NOT THE SUBJECT SECTIONS) don't say who or where it was proctored. If it matters to anyone, I have been approved to be my own children's assessor from now until the end of time. That is a different part of the law. It saves me much $$ that I can spend on classes and stuff (like food). :D

Well I am an Agnostic, who is as close to being an Atheist as you can get w/o going there. I am married to a Catholic. I was raised in a huge city going to a progressive private school that was probably 80% Jewish. I was raised by an anarchist Atheist father and a wishy washy agnostic, now lutheran (? I don't really know) mother. I am a secular homeschooler who is not an unschooler. I a secular homeschooler/artist/musician who is not a liberal. I am also not specifically a conservative. I am used to being the minority in any room I am in. I generally try not to be judgmental wherever I am, and overlook a lot of crap because if I didn't my life would be very difficult. Maybe as I have zero religious POV to plumb, I have no place inthis conversation. I always looked at chick tracts as a joke... like "what a bunch of crazies" much like I would with Heaven's Gate, westboro baptist, Jonestown, Kim Jong Il, or other groups I think are not right. As far as "weird whim" that had to do with my personal idea of a good convention, not whatever you think I meant. ;) BTW, last year I remember checking on that venue hall and yes, they did suddenly close it. I am done with this argument. I don't know why I bother.

Again, just to clarify.... This is what came in my welcome package.... A chick tract book, like a glossy trade book, that was sealed. Not like loose chick tracts falling out. It says "Chick tracts get read" across the front with random stock photos of people on it (and a small thing about Jesuits and global warming, so I think if you find those offensive, you shouldn't bother). So basically, if you know what chick tracts are, you can choose to open it, throw it out or whatever. The actual chick tract is stapled into the booklet. You would not see it by accident. Most of everything in those bags is worthless to me... I go through it and throw most right into the recycling bin. As far as secular speakers....MCT, Shelagh Gallagher, Zaccaro, anyone doing something about giftedness or college prep. There were quite a few others, SWB, Janice Campbell, Lukeion, Jim Weiss, etc. who I wouldn't say are secular, but they are educationally focused. That seems like quite a few to me. I feel that if we don't support the secular/educational vendors and speakers they won't want to come back, and GHC won't want to bother either. Then where are we? Most are all small family businesses. Running a convention must be insane, especially as you obviously can't keep everyone happy. Sorry... this all bugs me. And I don't work for the convention.... I have only tried as hard as I can as one person in her house, to get more secular/educational options as possible to her hometown convention. It just happens to be the hometown for GHC. Even with the small amount there, it is still worth $25 early reg. or $10 vendor hall, IMHO. I don't expect anyone to cater to my weird whims.

GHC is attempting to be inclusive. However, they are still very YE. Look at the "convention philosophy" under their about section. http://www.greathomeschoolconventions.com/convention-philosophy They do have many secular/educational vendors/speakers. They also have a LOT of Christian and YE vendors.

As I have a few more minutes, I thought I would give you more specific info.

Jennifer- You are still in Cincinnati Public district, right? If so, you are golden. Our district is very HS friendly. The parameters are simple. You send it to the CPS main building (on Burnet Ave), address everything to the superintendent (Mrs. Ronan), but put HOMESCHOOL NOTIFICATION on the envelope. Send it registered mail. Call the homeschool office if you don't get anythign back within a few weeks (they are supposed to do it within 14 days, but they rarely do). The woman in the HS office is awesome. DOn't bother sending it in before july 1st. The latest you can send it in is the first day of school. ANy other questions, just PM me. :D