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mytwomonkeys

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Everything posted by mytwomonkeys

  1. I’m good with secrets but terrible with surprises. I have to tell someone a good surprise. It doesn’t even matter who. We purchased a used car for my daughter for Christmas. It was nothing fancy at all, but I knew she was going to be so excited! I was dying to tell... so... I told store clerks, strangers, tellers, friends at church... it kept me from telling her though, lol
  2. Yay Math might work. My daughter attends public high school & we use yaymath.org often to review for a test. She says it helps & the videos are divided by topic.
  3. When my children were younger we used free Spelling City. I just used lists created already by other parents or teachers & chose the appropriate grade level. It gave them plenty of practice and then they could take a test. For my kids, dictation was always used too, but it doesn’t sound like you want that. I know Moving Beyond the Page has an online spelling program too. I’ve never used it, but it has a free month trial: https://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/curriculum/online-spelling-program.aspx
  4. I would agree with others regarding the college-prep route just to be safe. However, even if you didn’t plan accordingly, your child could still attend a community college later in life without issues of being accepted. He would just have to take remedial courses before he could move into his general core. At least that’s how it works here.
  5. My children learned the PEMA acronym in 6th grade for the order of operations. It was not taught before then.
  6. Getting s copy of the syllabus is a great idea! My daughter is actually taking ENC 1101 in the fall through DE so I really will have a good feel for the course and syllabus. The only difference is she will be on campus next year & my son will take the course online the following year. He’s currently enrolled in HSC monthly subscription & is taking Aquinas Writing through the pre-recorded course with Erin Brown Conroy. The course is excellent. The MOOC course I was considering for next year is on coursera.org. It’s English 101 through Duke University with Dr. Denise Comer. I started it today for myself & it’s very good so far & the format is wonderful. It definitely doesn’t seem above his level at all (yet), but I’m only in week one, lol. It’s a 10 week course though, so I thought about stretching it over the whole school year. Before starting it, I was even considering having him go through A+ Essays on Udemy to kind of lead into the MOOC course. Anyway, I’m sure I’m overthinking and over planning, but that’s kind of my personality. I just want ninth grade to really set him up well for dual enrollment. The MOOC course he can afford to really have a lot of trial and error, mistakes, etc. But in ENC 1101 he won’t be allotted the same luxury. Thanks for your reply and whatever additional thoughts you have!
  7. I was hoping the syllabus, format, and online learning of a MOOC English course would help prepare him for taking ENC 1101 online in 10th grade. Otherwise, we can just stay with Homeschool Connections Aquinas Writing, which has been going well enough. My main goal really is just wanting to set him up for success. I was hoping someone who had “been there done that” could hold my hand and tell me what to do, lol. But the reality is, I just need to try it and see if it’s a good fit or not. I think I’ll start the course for myself over the summer to gauge how my son will even do with it & then plan my next step from there. Thank you for your replies. I really do appreciate them!
  8. Yes, I would feel comfortable looking at his essays and giving feedback (I will also be viewing the class lessons with him, so he won’t be left to it alone). My BIL also teaches AP classes to seniors & is available to help my son as well. So, do you think it could work in preparing him for ENC 1101 at the local CC?
  9. I could use some advice please. I’m really struggling with trying to settle on a writing curriculum for my son next year. My overall goal is to prepare him for dual enrollment at the local CC beginning in 10th grade. Do you think an English 101 (college freshman) self-paced MOOC course could work for him? I was thinking it would help prepare him for an online college class, expectations, etc. but without the same deadlines and actual pressure. I also found several essay classes on Udemy that look promising. I appreciate any insight, advice, or shared experiences. I just don’t want to hop around next year. My son is smart, but I’d say he’s just average with writing, if that helps. Thank you very much!! Entering homeschool high school is new terrain for me and it feels a bit overwhelming :-)
  10. My daughter will be a junior at our public high school. They do not require volunteer hours for graduation requirements, however, she does need the hours for the scholarship we plan to apply for. We have a form that requires filling out every time she does something & we get it signed by the person in charge. This is required for the path we are taking. I plan to do the same thing with my son entering high school, as the Bright Futures scholarship requires it from homeschoolers as well. I would probably err on the side of caution & keep up with everything in writing. It’s better to have it and not need it then vice versa.
  11. We own a Casio Privia PX130. It’s great! I would imagine all of the various models by this brand are good. Ours is a full size keyboard, it did come with a pedal, it has weighted keys, and all kinds of built in options.
  12. We liked Happy Phonics, but honestly, it was a lot of work to cut apart! The games were fun though. My favorite phonics programs were: Hooked on Phonics (we used levels K all the way through Master Reader). This was hands down my favorite. Explode the Code And there was an online learning to read program we used too. At the time it was new & they constantly gave out codes to use it for free. My kids loved it so much & it really reinforced all of their seatwork. I can’t remember the name, but I’m sure there are many similar programs. This extra bit broke up our week and added fun elements. We used Happy Phonics in the same way. ETA- the online program is called Reading Eggs
  13. My son is in 8th grade and is finishing up Apologia General Science through our co-op. He has really loved it and learned a ton. Next year he will take Apologia Physical Science with our co-op, which lines up with our public high school scope & sequence.
  14. My 8th grade son read Little Pilgrims Progress by Helen Taylor this year and absolutely loved it!
  15. Thank you both so much! Really helpful! Mom31257, yes I’d love an update regarding Homeschool Connections. My son is finishing up the grammar and punctuation this week at the 8th grade level, and will start sentences and paragraphs next week. He’s moving through the lessons at an accelerated speed, but I wanted to make sure there were no gaps. Once he gets beyond paragraphs we plan to slow down to the normal schedule. The thing is, I don’t mind paying the $30 monthly and sticking with HSC through ninth grade. My only real objective is which program will best prepare him for ENC 1101 at the CC in either 10th or 11th grade. I’m just not familiar with either program enough to know which will best meet our goals. So any more advice or updates from what you're using would be so appreciated!
  16. Thank you all! She’s home and safe! She called me from the bank to tell me she had made it, so we talked the entire way home, lol. Don’t worry... she has the hands free blue tooth thing in her car. She is going out Friday for dinner with a friend & Saturday to the movies. I’m sure I’ll be panicking then as well, especially since Saturday she’ll use the highway! I’m so glad to hear it gets easier!!!! I had no idea I was going to feel so stressed out!
  17. Y’all I could seriously have a heart attack. My daughter will be 17 in October, but she just got her drivers license yesterday. She just left to go to the bank. Alone. I didn’t realize until now how scary it is for our kids to grow up and spread their wings. I’m excited for her, but wow... I need a glass of wine and I don’t even drink.
  18. That’s weird. Of all the imaginary stories one could make up, that’s what they picked. I personally would have gone with my neighbor keeps walking through his yard naked... or something with a little spunk or risqué
  19. Such good advice! My daughter will be a junior at the local public high school. She will be dual enrolled beginning next year. We are specifically following an academic track that will make her eligible for the CAPE scholarship here, which will allow her to attain her AS degree & then it covers 60 hours toward a BS. This safety net will still only cover about half of her tuition at the CC. Of course she’s planning to take the ACT & go after a better scholarship... but the CAPE is our safety net if all else fails. My son homeschools and will be entering high school next year. Our plans for him are similar, and we definitely plan to take advantage of dual enrollment beginning in 10th grade so that he can attain his Associates degree upon graduation. For us, it just makes financial sense to utilize DE options and the community college for their undergraduate degrees. They can move to the university for further education. But for our budget, we had to plan what we could afford.
  20. No. I’ve never tipped contractors. When our home was being built we did have a cooler with drinks, but that’s about as far as we’ve ever gone.
  21. Does anyone have experience with either Aquinas Writing through Homeschool Connections or Essentials in Writing. I am specifically interested in the high school levels for both of these. My son is currently using Aquinas Writing at the 8th grade level, but we just started so we’re doing a crash course through the grammar portions first, as the teacher suggest. Our goal is to make sure his writing is solid next year for 9th grade & then he will dual enroll in 10th grade at the CC. I want to choose a program that will best prepare him. Any feedback regarding either program would be much appreciated !
  22. I think it’s flattering & kind. However, if you feel there may be some expectation tied to it, I would simply call your friend. Tell her you are flattered but clarify what this means for them exactly. Let her know you and your husband feel honored but also humbled & being held with such high regard makes you feel a bit uneasy. I think gently communicating to them what you’ve communicated here is perfectly acceptable. If they don’t have family, it may be just a simple way to feel connected to you all since they see you as the closest kin they have. But if you find out they expect you to play an actual role in the child’s life, figure out what that is exactly and if you’re willing to take that on. Overall though, I think it’s genuinely flattering. ETA- just read your response to her. I think it’s perfect ??
  23. We saw it. All nine of us really hated it & several people left the theater. I would wait until redbox or an amazon rental. ETA - there is another A Wrinkle in Time movie (older) that my kids really enjoyed. It was on Netflix for a long time & may still be there
  24. My kids are 14 and 16. We talk. A lot. Loss of electronics, phones, and other privileges occur when talking and warnings don’t get through. Ongoing conversations tend to be key though and usually suffice.
  25. The girls being mean are just small children too. The teachers and principal should have intervened to correct the situation. In your shoes, I’d definitely homeschool. If your daughter enjoys certain aspects of school, look for a co-op and a homeschool group for her. I expect little kids to act in all sorts of way, including being mean. But I don’t expect adults to stand by and do nothing about it. So sorry you all had to go through that. Hugs.
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