I also starting patching from the inside before younger ds wore his jeans. He would leave the house in a new pair, come home an hour later with both knees ripped out. The inside patching does seem to work well. Ds just seemed to be really hard on his clothing. Older ds barely put a wrinkle in his clothes. Just the personalities, I guess!

We also color code by person. Dh and I share, each dc has their own color. We stock up every year when Kohl's has their after Christmas sale. It has worked out fairly well for us.

It is 85 here today. I know that may sound wonderful to some, but really? I am really looking forward to experiencing the four seasons someday. Of course, when it is 20, I'll remember this day fondly! :D

Eliminate standardized testing...one test, too much emphasis... Bring back school vouchers/school choice (if people are leaving/there won't be anyone to teach = change or lose jobs) Hold parents as accountable as the teachers...(is it really possible to get one of the students up to grade level when they rarely come to school/do little to no work) Eliminate the middle man...too much dictating, not enough funding...put the kids first Look at what has worked consistently in other countries...they do so much more with less!

I came across this link and shared it with friends and family. It's a nice holiday story and made a great impression upon our dc. Reflections on the State of the Art

I semi-cheated. Used the crescent rolls, put in the filling, rolled and sliced, baked, topped with the cream cheese frosting just like the recipe listed.

You cannot compare your years of homeschooling to one standardized test. The PSAT is a difficult test, particularly if you are not familiar with the Reading section format. A student has to study the "formula" of how the answer fits the question. I, too, was dismayed the first time my son took the test. He is a great reader, strong at grammar, but not strong in math. His math score was 90 points higher than his reading score. :confused: Don't be discouraged. If the PSAT is going to be a focus for you and your child, you should really consider making the test prep part of your daily routine. Warm up each day with five questions, have her check the answers, then diagnose why she got them right or wrong. (Yes, it is just as important to realize why you are getting them right.) HTH

We picked one up on Thanksgiving weekend. Dh and I were out at the store, and there they were, all piled up in a nice display. They were the advertised special for the previous day, but Dh picked it up and asked if they would sell it for the cheaper price. The manager had no problem with it. I have always wanted one for my classroom. My dd also likes to create cards, posters, etc. so she is looking forward to it as well. It is wrapped and underneath the tree right now, so I can't comment on how much I love it yet!

I like getting the letters, but can smell the cowpies a mile away. No one likes to admit they might not have the "perfect" life. I don't send out a letter, although I have been tempted to in the past years. Some excerpts that truly nauseated us: 1. Our marriage has never been stronger and we feel blessed that so many people look up to us. 2. Junior has excelled in school this year, and his teachers say he is the most gifted student to ever walk through their door. 3. Junior was on all stars this year, and he is eagerly awaiting to move up to another age division. It's just not fair when talented athletes have to play with such lower level talent. He was very gracious though, and managed to make it through with a smile on his face. 4. Missy got into every Ivy league school she applied to, and was offered full scholarships at all of her top choices.

A teacher that I work with still uses it in his classroom. Budget cuts killed our copy numbers. Right now, he's the smart one. I remember when I was a TA in high school and running the copies of tests. The smell, the purple ink, the stained fingers:001_smile:

If it really, really bothers you... Turn on the sprinklers for that area at that time each day. We had similar issues...but they were smoking (ugh) and didn't take the subtle hints.

DS 15 is enrolled in k12. If you are looking for flexibility, I definitely do not recommend this option. It is definitely structured day by day, not a lot of wiggle room. His workload is much more than it was in a top public school. We went with k12 for several reasons. I like the accountability factor, and I also liked the curriculum for science and English. I know what he would be getting at the local high school, and it doesn't even compare. For us, it was a good option right now. It is free, it provides a solid foundation, and he is learning to become an independent learner. If I were not working, I would go an alternate option. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Hope this helps...

You can have my 90s temp today!

Wow...ignore the bad advice. It reminds of To Kill a Mockingbird when Miss Caroline says for Atticus to quit "teaching" Scout. She will try to undo the "damage":lol:

I agree with seeing a doctor, not urgent care. I went last year and she said I had a virus. Coughing, fever, feeling very rotten, but she did not prescribe antibotics. Went back to my own doctor, turned out I had pneumonia. I was on antibotics and an inhaler for several weeks, missed a lot of work days. Better safe than sorry. It does take a long time to recover from any type of upper respiratory infection, but it sounds like you are not getting any better.

I say it depends on what your own personal focus is. My experience lately has not been positive. Students can't respond to a prompt, write 3-4 sentences on what should be a multi-paragraph essay. "How long does this have to be?" are the first words out of their mouths. Never a question about quality of workmanship. Three years ago I gave timed AP type writings in class. They used to take about 40 minutes. Now they are done in 10-15 minutes. :confused: The one thing I have noticed is that the more well-read a student is, the better quality of response I receive.

It's tough being a parent, let alone their teacher. Don't give up! Your children are in second grade and it's not a race to the finish. Model the behavior and expectations you have for the assignment. The first few weeks of school I have my students practice just the procedures, not the actual assignment. The repetition is the key. Don't be too hard on yourself. Something made you choose this path. Give them a chance to grow and learn...:001_smile:

:grouphug:

Although it is not the norm everywhere, I am saddened by the lack of "real" reading at the high school level. When ds was a freshman, it was Great Expectations, Catcher in the Rye, etc. Now it is "excerpts" from the novel. Just enough to teach the "concepts" without enjoying the whole reading experience. I blame high stakes testing for part of it. I always carried a book with me in high school. Now it's the cell phone or iPod.

To Kill a Mockingbird (#1) The Secret Garden Harry Potter Series Misty of Chincoteague and on a blue day...Nora Robert's McGregor Brides series

No clearance for D3, at least in our experience. D1 has the most stringent requirements, D2 a bit lighter, and D3 was nothing. It is because D3 cannot offer athletic scholarships in any sport. If your dc are great at academics and sports, D3 is a good fit. Many D3s have very a competitive admissions process.

PI = Program Improvement. Schools that don't meet their API/AYP goals (Academic Performance Index/Adequate Yearly Progress) on the state tests are put into this mode. Schools have two years to make improvements and remediations for all students to achieve proficiency. Wow, after all that jargon, a library card sounds great. We are new to k12 this year, and yes, it does have its problems. There were a lot of negative reviews that we questioned at the info sessions. Unfortunately, now some of these apparently are true. DS was just enrolled in two additional courses, one being Spanish, that we definitely did not request. Getting a call back is very frustrating. On the plus side, he loves the science and the experiements.

Thanks for the great suggestions!

Besides A Tale of Two Cities, any recommendations? Thanks in advance...

Ditto on the mad libs. I could not use these in the classroom because I got tired of the "What's a noun..a verb..an adjective...?" A quick, fun filler could take an entire class period. Not that it isn't important, but seriously...? Grammar makes some people nervous. My friend that homeschooled with ABeka books is the go-to person at my school site. She is a grammar guru:D