Listening in . . . my DS is considering nursing or PA as a career path. Lisa R., I hope you won't mind me bumping/adding on . . . SeaConquest, would you mind sharing what turned you towards nurse practitioner vs. PA? My apologies if you've discussed this on another thread already - maybe you could link me? (googling didn't help me find what seemed pertinent, but I seem to recall you have previous background in the legal profession?).

This is what we're planning for 11th grade: Pre-Calculus - Derek Owens Chemistry - Excelsior Classes German 2 - Frau Cruz at Big River Academy (she also teaches for HSLDA Academy on a different day) Essay, Research Paper, and Lit Analysis 8-week writing workshops - WriteAtHome Modern Great Books - WriteAtHome (aka Wasko Lit) US History - with me, to complement the above Great Books class, using The Great Courses and probably A Patriot's History of the United States by Schweikart Fine Arts Appreciation - with me, using The Great Courses Probably adding another science credit - TBD. Planning on dual enrollment, for the first time, in the spring semester for one class.

Great review! Thank you for taking the time to share this.

You may already know of this one, but when he was middle school age, my son and I enjoyed TOPS Rocks and Minerals: https://topscience.org/collections/earth-space/products/23-rocks-and-minerals-grades-6-12 We bought their supply kit too, and thought it was all well-done and worth the cost. He's still a "rock hound" to this day. : )

Clover Creek Physics does use Conceptual Physics as its spine, but the instructor includes a lot of problem-solving too. Algebra I is a prerequisite. My son is taking Clover Creek Physics this year and it is an excellent class . . . I agree with all the rave reviews I've read here. From their website http://www.clovercreekscience.com/ I'm not familiar with Novare/WHA physics to know how it compares.

I'm guessing PSD in this context stands for primary source documents.

Kolbe uses it for honors 8th grade or 9th grade and they recommend taking it concurrently with Algebra 1. Mostly I'm mentioning it because they sell their version of an answer key along with course plans and tests in their online bookstore as well, in case that's helpful for you. https://books.kolbe.org/store/c/375-Physical-Science.html

I'm not exactly sure how to answer that, since he's my only kid and I don't have another to compare him to. Math is not his favorite subject, he doesn't love it, and he has to work at it, but he did earn an A in the DO Geometry course. He's diligent but not naturally gifted in math. He does need to watch the videos and he does all of the assigned work, even the practice problems that are not turned in for a grade. I've read on here about kids who are able to skip watching the videos or who don't have to do all the assigned work and don't seem to require all the available practice. That's not my kid, LOL. He does appreciate DO's organizational skills and clear teaching style. The self-paced format and non-live interaction is appreciated here too. (DS doesn't like live classes that waste time and have distracting chats that veer way off-topic.)

I have to chime in and say, my son completed Derek Owens geometry last year as a 9th grader (age 14). I had also read the negative reviews by one parent whose kid took DO geometry, so I was a bit wary and unsure at first, but we did not have a poor experience at all. Completely positive experience for us. It was entirely hands-off for me. When DS (infrequently) had a question or wanted to know more about something, he emailed and got a helpful response quickly. He had no trouble understanding the textbook (Jacobs 3rd edition) or the DO materials, practice problems, homework, tests, etc. Having the proofs graded (in addition to homework and tests) was a huge plus for me. For him, there was no disconnect between the materials assigned. (IIRC, the negative reviews might have come from someone whose child was accomplished and accelerated in math but younger than the typical age for taking geometry. Of course I don't know if that might have had anything to do with it. I don't doubt that anyone could have a negative experience. Any program might not be a good fit for a particular student.) Just our experience, YMMV! ETA: If deciding between DO and another geometry program, I'd suggest getting a copy of Jacobs Geometry 3rd ed. (which is used in the DO course) and seeing how your DC likes it. It's a gentle form of discovery-based learning and the author has a humorous writing style. If that book/writing style doesn't resonate, move on. Jurgenson is another great choice.

RootAnn, I'm so glad you linked to this updated review post in another thread. I saw it when you first posted but I had missed the update until today. Thank you for sharing your DD's experience with the new-this-year Lukeion class.

My son took the Computer Applications course through FundaFunda Academy (1 credit) and will take their Python programming course (1/2 credit). The skills he learned/will learn in these courses are the minimum that I want him to have exposure and practice with before he graduates high school. You can see what is covered in the Computer Applications course in the syllabus here. Lots of the things mentioned above: word processing, spreadsheets, charts, creating a website, photo editing, and more. Another plus is that this course uses software available online for free (Google Docs as an alternative to Word, Google Slides as an alternative to PowerPoint, etc., but they all work in basically the same way). I want him to have at least some exposure to programming. The specific "language" isn't as important to me as the skills learned, since programming evolves so quickly. Before I started homeschooling, in my career as an accountant, and prior to that, as a lab tech, having basic programming skills was pretty much expected on the multi-disciplinary teams that I worked on and those that didn't had to spend more time to get their jobs done, self-teaching and playing catch-up. Even though programming wasn't an explicit job requirement, it made my life much easier to know the basics. So I think basic programming exposure will be helpful for DS, no matter which career path he takes. Even if DS never does programming as an adult, having a basic understanding of how programming is meant to work will never be a bad thing.

Mpix. They always do a good job for me.

Good read! I'm going to save this for my DS. Thanks!

One more thought: Are your son's papers handed in and returned via some type of online platform or portal? Or is it handled via email? Either way, maybe its possible that your son's paper was returned and he doesn't know it due to a glitch or spam filter or some notification that he didn't get or missed? But still, if that was the case, he should be able to see a grade assigned to that paper, assuming they use a gradebook in an online platform. Definitely have him ask about it. Let us know what you find out!

I would have him ask the instructor. I think that's totally appropriate in this situation. Especially if the paper he's waiting on is the very first paper for that class and the next one is due soon. It's hard to know what the instructor's expectations and suggestions are if the previous paper hasn't been passed back yet. My DS is taking a writing class online that has a paper due every Thursday. The previous week's paper is returned on the same day the next one is due. So a one week turnaround, but his papers aren't that long, only 2 to 3 pages. But we knew going in that was how it would work. If there are not that many papers assigned over the entire course, I can see it taking longer to get feedback, but still, 3 weeks seems like plenty of time to grade and return.

FundaFunda Academy has one: https://www.fundafundaacademy.com/product/python-programming/ Their classes are asynchronous but have weekly deadlines for accountability, with personalized grading, and access to help if your student happens to get stuck - in our experience, the responses were always very prompt.

Agreeing with PP about Solutions Manual. The TE includes only the final answers, not the step by step of how to get there.

It's $19.99 per month, or you can buy an annual subscription that works out to $14.99 per month.

Good luck to your DD on the scholarship! :hurray: Yay, so glad to hear about the progress on your future online chem courses! Can't wait to learn more!!! :drool5: Also glad that you're having fun this year too! Sounds like you're in your happy place. :)

Yes, that seems over the top. I don't see a letter as doing much good and doesn't prove identity anyway. And a passport is just overkill (for domestic travel) if you already have a state ID. And then there was my then-14 year old who got an eye roll and a stern admonishment from a TSA agent because he held up the line when he didn't have his ID out and ready to hand over along with his boarding pass. He was polite and just complied with the demand, even though under-18 isn't supposed to need an ID. What the rules say and the reality of what happens at the gate can be two different things. You can't win sometimes.

My son was asked for ID when he flew at age 14 and age 15. After showing his boarding pass, he had to get his ID out. I was with him both times. He's tall, so might appear "older", but he has a young face, doesn't shave yet. It's hard to predict. I'd recommend a state ID especially for a teen. ETA: domestic flights both times. And recent: fall 2016 and spring 2017.

My son is only a 10th grader, so I haven't graduated one yet, but I'm building his transcript as we go. I'm including a statement like the following on his transcript, just above the line at the bottom where I will sign my name as the school administrator: OP, if you wanted to include it, it looks like the applicable state statute for Missouri would be Missouri Revised Statutes §167.031. http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/chapters/chapText167.html (scroll down to find Section .031.)

Thanks for posting! At my house, we've been watching and hoping he would be able to offer that class online (vs. only in-person). Great news!

Oak Meadow's Integrated Health and Fitness was a big hit with my son: http://oakmeadow.com/news/courses/integrated-health-and-fitness/

Which version of Windows? Windows 10 or an older version? (Obviously I'm assuming not an Apple.)