There's no way I could afterschool with Storm now that she entered high school this week & taking several honors courses. Her work load is just too heavy to add any additional material. That said, I did supplement during the summer with a bit of literature, history, biology, and chemistry along with an introduction of the math text for the following year--lots of TC DVDs. She took some fun writing courses through The Loft, and participated in a Jane Austen book club. I had a lot of input from Storm as to how we should proceed as I wanted her to enjoy her summer. I also requested a reading list of complete literature texts for the coming school year (school is based on TWTM). Any book for the high school Ancients rotation I felt Storm should read, we did so over the summer. I also had her read SWB's HOAW, TWEM, and HTRAB (zzzz). Oh, she also reviewed the Teaching Company Super Start Student DVDs. Storm's school works on trimester/semester/ block scheduling--I know, confusing. She takes Humanities (1.5 hrs. LA/History), math, and biology as trimester classes for the full year, music and art each for a semester, and block scheduling for music/art, Latin & Rhetoric--but for the whole year via A, B, & C days.

If Discount Dance Supply does not have what Storm needs, All About Dance sometimes does. I know AAD did when Storm needed a specific Bloch lyrical shoe that we could not find anywhere. We are lucky, as there is a local store,Grand Jeté, that specializes in ballet slippers & points, but also sells tap & jazz shoes--love them to death.

The Classics edition does not have any color jumping off the page, and is an actual reprint of the texts from the 1980's. The only color are the blue chapter & section headings, and a black & white photo on the chapter intro page. IIRC, you can use any of the older TMs & SMs with the Classics Edition.

No, we never were offered travel expenses outside of gift cards for meals.

Our copy is the Prentice Hall Classics edition, a reprint of Algebra I: Expressions, Equations, and Applications. ISBN #0-13-165708-9 or 9-780131657083. I purchased our copy via Amazon.com. Follett Educational Service also has several editions along with TMs. We do not own a solutions manual, as I don't need one at this level.

100% Tuition plus room & board, but Taz had a bad roommate experience his first year and moved back home. University of St. Thomas-- 100 % of tuition, room & board & depends on major & department. Wabash--but did not cover 100% of need, as we had a gap of about 14K per year for tuition/room & board-- not to mention books, transportation, and other basic needs.

My sister and I went this morning to Staples and picked up the notebooks for her class. Anyone wishing to shop the .01 cent deals must do so by Wednesday store close time.

8/15/10 update: Done as of now and nothing we wanted over the past 6 weeks (Sunday after July 4th is when school supply sales begin) of sales was ever out of stock. I've shopped the sales for school supplies since my eldest was kindergarten age. I refuse to pay retail. I also stock my sister's classroom every year as her birthday present. My savings for this fall is 72% of retail by only shopping advertised sales at Target, Walmart, Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, Dick Blick's and Discount Office Items. We're stocked for the year! Off the top of my head & a glance through a few old ads: Ball bearing metal compass with safety point $1.00 Oxford 90lb weight index cards .51 cents each--these are thicker than all others on the market Oxford 90 lb weight 5x8 index cards $ 1.29 each--thicker than other brands on the market Dixon pencils .88 for 24 count box Walgreen's 10-count pencils $.09 per box Staple's 10-count pencils .01 cents per pack plastic folders .25 cents each wood ruler .01 cents each flex ruler .01 cents each reinforced loose leaf paper $1.99 each per 100 regular loose-leaf paper .20 cents per pack paper folders .01 cent each Prang 24 count crayons .89 cents each Prang paint $1.00 each (for sister's class) prang markers $1.87 each Post-It notes .50 each Scotch tape .67 each Elmer's jumbo glue sticks .47 cents each (for sister's class) paperclips .19 per box 3-hole punch for a binder 1.00 mechanical pencils .49 per 5 copy paper 1.00 per pack 500 sheets Liquid Paper correction fluid .19 cent each Bic pens, 10 count free Uniball pens .67 each highlighters .19 per pack of 5 Frixion erasable ink pens .99 per 2 pack Mead Five-Star 100 page notebooks .50 each Staples spiral notebooks .01 cents each Roaring Spring notebooks $1.00 each composition notebooks .25 each book covers .25 cents each I still need to purchase Storm's art supplies, but do not receive that list until the first week of school. I'm buying extra papers the week before school so I have tons of Michael's coupons.

I'd go with Latin as the language will help your dc later with the Romance languages of Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese, but I would start with only one language. Many Christian homeschool vendors have online Latin classes. You also may wish to look into Latin for Children, Getting Started with Latin, and Lively Latin. Will add links in a minute or two.

I wouldn't have my student sit any SAT IIs unless it was honors level using a college level chemistry test book. If you take a visit to College Confidential and see when students in brick & mortar schools take these tests, it's usually after the student took a vigorous honors or AP course. I'd go over to CC and search for posts discussing which science SATs provide the most generous curve and begin with those. We took an alternative science route with with Taz, excepting he just finished pre-calculus the beginning of his 9th grade year, and had a solid mathematics background. Science and math is easy for Taz, and jumping straight into AP level courses was not a problem. My dd, Storm, on the other hand, is an average math student. This fall she's taking biology in 9th grade at her charter school that uses Campbell's text with the jaguar on the front cover, and the course is not even honors. I have her working through Bridge Math to make sure she's able to complete and understand how, why, and when to use specific conversions or math applications as she works through the chapter problem sets. You may want to purchase Bridge Math if you plan to begin with honors chemistry so your dd understands the conversions and math calculations at the beginning of an honors or AP level chemistry textbook.

I'm still purchasing as I only buy when items go on sale for the lowest price of the season. We also are school supply snobs and like specific pencils, pens, notebooks, and etc. In addition, we buy items only made in America or from recycled or alternative materials only. I usually finish a week before school begins.

Blaze begins August 30th (public), and Storm, September 7th (charter).

We used the free UC Open Access AP courses during high school with Taz. Open Access provides a complete syllabus, list of texts and lessons with readings, assignments, and in some courses, quizzes. I linked you to the high school course catalog.

We went with a Classical Charter school based on TWTM with an upper campus student body of about 250 in 6th-10th grades. Dd did not to attend a large public school, wanted to continue with the classical methodology.

We purchase the majority of Taz's textooks through Amazon at roughly 10-30% off retail unless we can find used books in mint condition for 30% or more off retail through EBAY or the school's bookstore. Taz also had great success of connecting with students from previous sections and purchasing mint texts from them for 50% of retail. We then sell the books he knows he'll never pick up again back to the school at 33-40% of retail.

There are some kids out there that are truly gifted, and that's great, but the majority of children, even those of parents here on the WTM, lean towards your average student. My dc lean toward average, one excels in math/sciences, loves to read, and would accept a fail on a writing assignment. He's doing well in college and writes papers without cringing. My middle dd is allergic to numbers, writes well, but hates to read. My youngest plans to major in sports, yep, sports. Just because my dc did not invent the electro-magnetic gizmo, or write the #1 book on the New York Times book list or had a 2400 on their SATs before high school does not mean my dc will not do great things in their lives. Heck, if they all finish college, secure great paying jobs, and find wonderful spouses--I could care less about their IQ or ability to complete calculus in the 5th grade. There's more to life for our children than being compared to geniuses. Also, I never compared my children with computer-land dc, as I cannot validate intellectual prowess based on an Internet post by an unknown entity going by let us say, Carmen & Co. For all you know, my dc I've posted about for the past 11 years may not even exist. Accept your dc for who they are and utilize their specific gifts to help them excel into the the adult there are meant to be.

My middle child hs'd only through 6th grade & entered as an 8th grader into a WTM inspired school. I wished we would have waited to high school, but there were openings for 8th grade so we moved Storm up. SHE LOVES HER SCHOOL, fits right in, and looking forward to next fall. I had reservations regarding placing Storm into a school setting, but she wanted to attend a brick & mortar school since Taz is in college & Blaze already attended a public school. The biggest transition for us was the balancing of homework with her dance schedule and social life. Next year, Storm will not participate in so many competition routines to afford more time for school and friends. So we'll see how it goes. For me personally as a parent, I had to learn to let go and allow Storm to make mistakes. When she was home, I immediately checked her work. But for school, you can only give input and direction without correcting e.v.e.r.y. error made by our children--BTDT. I made Storm rewrite one of her papers to my personal standard and she was accused of plagiarism because, "8th graders do not write with such style and tone." They do write well after years of narration, copywork, Classical Writing & IEW--rolling eyes. I marched up to the school, and dd received a B+ on her paper even though she deserved an A. You just need to know when to step back, and when to stand up for your child--everything else works out in the end.

We own both, and after a year of barely surviving Singapore NEM 1 & 2, Foerster's text is like a breath of fresh air. DD scores 100% consistently on all her assignments & quizzes. She's also done a few problem sets out of Dolciani's with great success. Presentation of material makes a significant difference between understanding and struggling through the problem sets. Dd is thrilled with her math text for next year. I hope we have as much success with geometry the year after before returning to the Foerster's series for pre/calculus or calculus.

DD enters 9th grade in the fall & she wants to be prepared for her Great Books driven course work. We're currently working through Windows to the World after watching Teaching the Classics over three weeks. Here's what we're currently doing for now: WTTW lesson with review of related material from TTC DVDs. 1 timed SAT/ACT essay prompt per week or 1 literary analysis paper on a fairy tale or short story per week Summer reading of the Iliad and required assignments for school, then the Odyssey for pleasure Work through Foerster's until school begins so material is review next fall--using Math without Borders CDs Ovid via Latin for change from Oxford II/III Wednesday Jane Austen day to read & watch favorite books/movies with tea & homemade scones I read a-load 1 chapter per day from HOAW & Storm takes notes Biology coloring book along w/DVDs and Holt Biology text--just reading & taking notes/outlining Other stuff: Demo'ing bathroom, sheet-rocking, tiling, and installing plumbing until we're done with the main floor bathroom--what were we thinking Organic vegetable garden Vocabulary program at leisure--Storm likes vocabulary & does it at dance between classes or waiting for me to pick her up or just because Once per week speed reading class @ STU on Sundays beginning next week Lots of historical DVDs pertaining to the ancients as we prepare for 9th grade this fall at a WTM inspired school. Plays, Broadway shows, dance productions, movies in the park, art festivals museums, and book club Whew, I know it seems like a lot, but we still have tons of free-time to ourselves since we don't go to bed until 11 p.m. or midnight.

Storm would be home for high school next year if she didn't get accepted into the WTM inspired classical charter school she attended this school year (8th grade). We had a few bumps in the road, but she cannot wait until fall so she can go back to school and begin her 9th grade year--rolling of eyes. My eldest came home in 6th grade and had no desire to attend a public high school. We could not afford the two privates that accepted him, so continuing with hs'ing was our only option. Taz did well and received an academic scholarship at UST. My youngest will attend a public high school if he does not kill himself biking and boarding.

We included PSEO courses on Taz's transcript along with an asterisk. In the comments section we stated the course was taken as PSEOs at X school. We We also included the PSEOt course grades in Taz's GPA, and had the school submit a transcript to each institution Taz applied. Only one college (1st tier LAC) questioned us regarding PSEO courses as that school had a maximum credit threshold to be considered a freshman. Taz exceeded that number by 6 credits. The school did not consider him an entering freshman and wanted Taz to apply as a transfer student.

I picked The Real ACT book, but Taz actually used it in conjunction with PR's ACT prep book because unlike the SAT prep book, PR's ACT book is quite similar to the real ACT test. The Real ACT book does not provide tricks & tips, but PR and any of the other prep books will.

I'm looking at purchasing the Excellence in Literature series for Storm to use as guides along side her assigned readings in school. Has anyone used these guides, and if so, can you explain what is included, as I could not get a good feel from the samples at the author's or IEW's site. What about Smarr guides? I could only find a sample of the Intro program. And most important, can any of guides be used by non-Christians with minor tweaking?

We had to continue with the Intent letters in order for eldest to participate in the PSEO program (duel enrollment) and have the district pay for tuition fees. Unlike other posters, none of the schools ds applied to requested letters of state approval of our hs.

You may wish to look at Andrew A. Campbell's book, Living Memory A Classical Memory Work Companion . But, I'm sure your Ds will be okay, as my eldest began hs'ing in 6th grade and did not memorize a lot of information, and did well. You may wish to read the article Starting in the Middle, and the section in TWTM on starting in the middle, too.