Jump to content

Menu

wendyroo

Members
  • Posts

    4,271
  • Joined

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by wendyroo

  1. I do ours (uncomplicated) with TurboTax. It used to be a bigger headache when I used to let DH help. Even back then we used TurboTax, but DH would fret about every little thing. It would ask if either of us were in the military, the answer is a resounding "no", but DH would question: well, he does some contract work for the military through his employer...do I think we have to count that??? NO!! This is not a hard question; click the button and move on!! It used to take hours and hours and hours. Now Turbo Tax autofills almost everything, I click through that nothing has changed, and I'm done with both federal and state in 30-45 minutes.
  2. You could try a small cup, or sippy cup with the valve removed so he doesn't have to suck on it.
  3. Our local high school is separated into a 9th grade building and a 10-12th grade building. At the 9th grade building, the rule is a pretty strict "If we see it or hear it in class, we take it". Every teacher has a supply of zip lock bags. If they "take" a phone, they have the student label the bag with their name and drop their phone into the bag. Bags are delivered to the office where students can pick phones up at the end of the day. This whole process seems time-consuming and disruptive to me. If nothing else, if I was a teacher there, I would have repeat offenders pre-label a stock of bags ahead of time. The rules get much, much less strict when kids move to the upperclassman building. There the rule is much more, "If your phone is causing a disruption, we will ask you to put it away. If you refuse, or cause frequent disruptions, then you will be disciplined in the same ways as for other misbehaviors."
  4. If she has even a little bit of editing experience, and if her goal (or someone's goal) was to manipulate the photo to show a narrative that is not true, then by golly I would not have chosen that background or pose. Literally every element in that photo would make undetected editing harder. The reflective panes of glass, the geometric tiles, the foliage in the background, and all the overlapping hair and limbs and clothing. If their goal was nefarious manipulation, wouldn't they have found a solider, more neutral background and a pose that didn't have everyone draped all over each other?
  5. Not here, or at least not within my social circle. Every homeschooler I chat with chooses (often agonizes over) and teaches from various curricula at home. They often outsource a few things - an Outschool writing class, online Beast Academy, dual enrollment science, etc. - but all carefully chosen individual classes that supplement what they do at home.
  6. To make life harder, our state only allows electronic prescriptions for controlled substances. And prescriptions for controlled substances cannot be transferred between pharmacies, even between branches of CVS if our closest one can't fill one of our scripts but can see that the one down the road has stock. In all of those cases we have to have the doctor rewrite the prescription. So now (annoyingly, but understandably) our psychiatrist's office will not send any scripts unless we call the pharmacy that day and confirm they have stock.
  7. We haven't done any ASU classes yet. I also worry about the quality, but that worry is mitigated by the fact that 1) these would be get 'er done classes that Peter doesn't cares about or actually need much instruction in, and 2) the most we could be out was the $25 registration fee.
  8. I can say that for my kiddo, a DE class in 9th was a very good choice. My DS is very strong academically, and took Astronomy which was a high-interest class. He earned an A+. The other CC students were not academically strong, so it would not have been a good choice for DS for a class that would build toward his probable major (math), but for an elective science it was fine. And it was a good way for DS to learn the ins and outs of college classes without also being a huge academic load. The other students were mostly standard college age...but DS was actually much, much more comfortable in the CC classroom than he currently is in the public high school. DS's 9th grade DE class was a full semester, but the plan is for him to finish out his high school years with a mix of semester-long and 8 week DE classes. The semester long classes will be his high-interest math and science classes taken at local 4 year universities. But all low-interest classes will be taken through ASU to allow him to crank through them as quickly as he wants, and to eliminate the risk of failing due to disinterest or procrastination. He has the added incentive that most of the ASU classes will transfer to the university he is strongly considering (as would the math and science classes he wants to take), so if he grits his teeth and makes it through the dreaded Comp classes in 8 weeks each, then he won't have to take any writing courses ever again.
  9. The drug shortages have been a disaster for my family. I have four kids, with a total of 11 Focalin prescriptions in different dosages...plus 14 other psychotropic med prescriptions. Even in the best of times, when we are able to get 3 month prescriptions for all the meds and multiple refills of all the ones that aren't controlled substances, it is a full time juggling act to make sure we don't run out of any of them. But now never knowing which pharmacy might have stock and having to settle for partial fills that throw off our schedule and negate the rest of the prescription which requires more new scripts to be written...it is a losing battle.
  10. It's not "unhealthy" in the way that skipping doses of blood pressure medication or something like that would be. Meds like Focalin (and Ritalin, Adderall, and other stimulant meds), even the extended release versions, have very short half lives in the body. So the body is always accustomed to significant fluctuations in the drug level in the blood: rising to a high 30-60 minutes after taking each pill, hopefully holding steady-ish for a number of hours, and then starting to drop precipitously. The goal is normally for the last dose of the day to wear off before bedtime, and then the body has more or less no drug level in the blood through the whole night. That means that many people opt to only medicate on school days, skipping weekends and summers...which is absolutely fine if that is a choice you make that works for your child and family, but should not be forced on you by medication shortages. Of course, missing ADHD meds can be "unhealthy" in a holistic sense if that leads to failing grades, car crashes, relationship strains, etc.
  11. My oldest is, sort of, coming back home from ps again for 10th. He was homeschooled K-7, did a virtual hybrid for 8th, was home for the first half of 9th and did a dual enrollment astronomy class, and in public school since the semester break. I think what we have learned through all that is that he likes the classroom environment, but not wasting his time if the class is busywork or filled with rowdy interruptions. He also greatly dislikes densely crowded halls and lunch rooms. So for 10th he is transitioning to full-time dual enrollment. He will take all his core classes at local universities and his electives through the hybrid school (where he will be enrolled part-time, because public school enrollment is the only way to get dual enrollment tuition assistance in this state). Since Peter is not old enough to drive yet, his dual enrollment schedule will significantly effect and change the flow of our days and weeks. 10th Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the college campuses. Due to the other kids' schedules, he will probably end up hanging out and working there for a hunk of time those days. Fall: History of Mathematic, Presentation Techniques, and Statistics Spring: Multivariable Calculus and Spanish 202 Thursdays on the hybrid school campus. Robotics Fun electives with his friends. Tuesdays and Weekends with me, touching base and helping with scheduling and trouble shooting. He also hopes to continue in his Dungeons and Dragons club, and I would like him to start volunteering at the library a few hours a week. 6th Spencer is accelerated in all areas, but spends soooooo much time on music, that everything else gets downplayed a bit. Music, weekly: 2 piano lessons, 1 violin lesson, 1 composition lesson, 1 youth symphony practice, plus two hours of daily practice at home Wondrium's Geometry: An Interactive Journey to Mastery plus Edmentum Geometry required by the hybrid Alcumus just to make sure his algebra is deep and rock solid Bookshark American History and Science with his younger sister to simplify our schedule. Realistically, most of their history and science learning comes through life: free choice books, camps, documentaries, museums, discussions, etc. All About Spelling 6 if we get around to it, but he is a very natural speller. Lantern English - he is now a master of the 5-6 paragraph essay, so I want him to take their Growing the Essay classes next year. Spanish 2 in an immersion classes Extras: Ninja classes plus on-campus electives at the virtual school, he is hoping for ceramics, cardio drumming, escape room and orienteering 3rd Bookshark American History and Science Spelling U See because she is really, really not a natural speller Lantern English - learning to write different types of compositions Math Mammoth 5 or Singapore 5, plus Hands on Equations Spanish Immersion Class which includes art, culture and music and movement Extras: Gymnastics, dance, skating, rock climbing, soccer, scouts, plus on-campus electives at the virtual school, she is hoping for cardio drumming, orienteering, zoo school, and something else cool Lots of volunteering at the Humane Society
  12. Peter will be in tenth next year. After a brief foray to the public school, he has decided to rejoin the hybrid school in the fall and do all of his core classes through dual enrollment. Fall: History of Mathematics DE, full semester, in person Presentation Techniques DE, 8 weeks, online Statistics DE, 8 weeks, online Literature at home, light Robotics through the hybrid, light Fun Electives through the hybrid, with friends in person Dungeons and Dragons Club Spring: Multivariable Calculus DE, full semester, in person Spanish 202 DE, full semester, in person Literature at home, light Robotics through the hybrid, light Fun Electives through the hybrid, with friends in person Dungeons and Dragons Club
  13. I can commiserate with a lot of this. It has never been particularly fun for me. It has always been very stressful. But for me, despite that, it has been the right answer for most of my kids. At this point I have sent two kids to public school. In one case, it was absolutely the right decision, and he is still there 3 years later. It isn't perfect, but it is somewhat better for him and WAY better for the rest of us. In the other case, it was probably the right decision in the short term while we regrouped and came up with a new plan, but he will only be staying for one semester before moving to full time dual enrollment. I don't regret sending him to school even though it is not the right place for him long term.
  14. It is a form of exercise class that is all the rage around here. For adults it normally involves energetically drumming on a yoga ball. For the kids they just have them stomping and drumming on the floor in time to music. It is exactly the type of activity I’m glad they are doing there and not here!!
  15. Audrey's 3rd grade year will be a hybrid of virtual public school (so they pay for extra curriculars) and homeschooling (so she actually learns something). It will also be a hybrid of 3rd and 4th (and 5th) grades because she is very asynchronous. ELA and History: Bookshark American History (with her big brother), plus Lantern English and Spelling U See Science: Bookshark Science, plus constant camps and volunteering at the Humane Society Math: Math Mammoth 5, plus Hands on Equations Spanish: Immersion Class which includes art, culture and unit studies Memorization: Anki Extras: Gymnastics, dance, skating, rock climbing, scouts, plus on-campus electives at the virtual school, she is hoping for cardio drumming, orienteering, zoo school, and something else cool
  16. For my high schooler, I tell him when a book needs to be finished and let him do the math. (As a side note, I have found ChatGPT can give me a pretty good guide to how long various books will take to read.) For my younger kids, it tends to be "read until...". Read until we have to leave. Read until I'm done getting dinner in the oven. Read until I'm done doing math with your sister. My kids like to read, but also have severe anxiety. Giving a number, any number, can make their brains rebel that "That is too LONG! What if I get bored? What if I can't read that long? What if, what if, what if?!?!" It is way better to not give them any number to fixate on. With my youngest who is pretty sneaky and untrustworthy, I include reading goals/challenges. So, "It is reading time until we have to leave, but come tell me as soon as you find a similarity between you and Pippi Longstocking." When she comes back and reports something like, "We are both active", I will ask what makes her think that Pippi is active. If she has a persuasive answer from the text, then I often have a sticker or M+M or promise that she can choose the radio station in the car that day.
  17. So it won't matter that three years of English classes won't include literature at all?
  18. He is very advanced in his STEM classes, but I don't think he will be aiming for a highly rejective program. He sometimes talks about University of Michigan, but I think that is because it is the non-religious, strongly academic program around us that he is most familiar with. Most of his experience with local colleges is with Aquinas, Calvin and Hope...which are decidedly not what he is looking for. I think he would be better off at a smaller school, with strong disability support, and a strong-ish, but also small and tight-knit math department. I think I am going to accept that his English (and humanities) will look pretty light-weight on his transcript...certainly in comparison to his math, science and Spanish. He will probably earn 1.5 credits of English each year - 1 college class, plus .5 credit of literature at home - but, the college classes will be of the 101 and 102 variety. Maybe by senior year I could convince him to take a Communication class for his final English credit to get some more experience with public speaking and presentation...but that would be a huge maybe!
  19. Peter has now been at the public high school for 7 weeks, and the writing instruction there is somewhere between abysmal and non-existent. His writing skills are far, far ahead of most of his classmates, despite him being a very math-y, writing-averse STEM student. As we contemplate transitioning him to full dual enrollment next year, he and I are trying to figure out a writing plan that would have him fully prepared for college, without dragging him through any more writing than is absolutely necessary. I'm trying to figure out if we just need box-checking classes to go on the transcript or if he still has some fundamental skills left to learn. What he can do well: - Outline, either from an existing text or to organize an essay he is writing - Summarize - Write expository reports (up to about 5 pages) - Write argumentative essays with what he views as very black and white theses, ie why the metric system is superior to the Imperial system - Use strong organization, grammar, vocabulary, and sentence variety - Properly research, site sources, and avoid plagiarism What he can do passably: - Write professional emails - with his autism, he struggles with perspective taking and knowing what information someone else doesn't know - Write narrative or descriptive prose - Write lab reports - he just hasn't had much practice What he can't yet do well: - Public speaking* - Write argumentative essays with more open-ended theses, ie in what ways Achilles is both a hero and an antihero* - Literary analysis (especially any that requires more open-ended theses) - Write poems, memoirs, or fictional stories *We are working on these, but his autism makes them difficult What do you view as vital writing skills for a STEM student by the time they enter college? And how would you help Peter move from where he is to where he needs to be over the next three years? Thanks!
  20. Around here homeschooling is very popular and the general public largely approves. But, our local (large, fairly affluent, suburban) public school district is also growing faster than it can gracefully keep up with, so they give little thought to homeschoolers. And if their new buildings, robotics teams and e-gaming labs are anything to go by, they are rolling in the dough. It is the small, poor, rural districts that are looking for creative ways to court homeschooling money. Michigan allows shared time programs - homeschoolers enroll part time (often not in their local district) and get their elective classes paid for. This allows hosting districts to collect partial state money for the homeschoolers, and keep a hefty chunk for administration and overhead. I consider it a win/win. Small districts can “earn” a lot of money to put toward resources they need, and Homeschoolers are getting ~$1500 per child per year to spend on art, music, PE, foreign language classes, nature classes, etc. Plus part time enrollment with the district opens the doors to state dual enrollment funds (which are not available to homeschoolers) and AP testing. In the district my homeschoolers participate in, shared time students make up about a third of all the students in the district. Without the program, their revenue would take a huge hit.
  21. This is my favorite part about spending an arm and a leg on health care - I never have to worry about how much anything costs. We hit our deductible a month ago - second week in January, just from therapy appointments and a couple $900 prescriptions for the kids. We will absolutely hit our out of pocket max - probably before summer. Which sucks, but also means we can have as much health care as we need for one set price. I have to say that that part is a load off my mind.
  22. I wish I could, but he absolutely will not write for me. He is a strong academic writer, but hates it with a passion. Last semester, at home, I dragged him through Lantern English Persuasive Essays (scoring 95-100% on every essay). He can draft a persuasive thesis, find relevant and reliable sources, and write a strong, well-supported and cited 3 page essay. The problem is, it involves tears and lying and every procrastination tactic in the book. I think to him it truly feels like torture - and that I am forcing him through it for no reason if he does not earn an actual credit on an actual transcript from an outside authority. I'm not sure how much more he is willing to learn - or really how much he actually needs to learn to make it through his college humanities classes. I'm hoping that ASU's Composition 1 will be a downward or perhaps lateral step from Lantern. And then Composition 2 will hopefully be just a tiny step up from that. So then we just have to figure out something for senior year that appears to be one more tiny step up. The university where he would dual enroll offers "English 214, Workplace Writing: A course designed to further the student’s ability to write the types of expository prose appropriate to business, business administration, and technical fields." I think that might be as good as it's going to get.
  23. Our adult primary care has online scheduling or a nurse line. Really, the online scheduling is normally fine - I might have to wait 2-3 days if I want to get in to see my doctor, but I can usually see one of the doctors or NPs within a couple hours. Our pediatrician's office does well-visit scheduling through the front office (and that we have to schedule months in advance), but all sick/urgent scheduling is done through the nurse line. The longest we have ever had to wait for an appointment is about 3 hours, but if we want to wait for our doctor, it might be most of the day or even into the next day. We also have a local urgent care that takes online "reservations". So we can just walk in, but we might have to sit in the waiting room for an hour or more. Instead, we can make a reservation in a couple hours, and they can typically take us right back.
  24. He wants to know if he did dual enrollment for the next three years how many “history” classes he would have to take. He has Econ, Gov, US History and World History. If he took History of Mathematics in 10th could he be done with social sciences? I could probably sell him on something like Ethics in 11th if necessary.
  25. Peter, my oldest, is currently in ninth grade. He is autistic and is passionate about math (theoretical and astronomical, not engineering), Dungeons and Dragons, and conversational Spanish. He was homeschooled from K through 7, and then did a hybrid public school program in 8th - he hated the online core classes, and loved the electives, connected with the teachers, and made some good friends. It also allowed him to crank through many high school classes that are now on his official transcript. He started this year (9th) at home. He aced MIT OCW Calculus, and he loved, and got a high A, in a dual enrollment astronomy class at the community college. The rest of his classes he put very little effort into, and we were in constant conflict. At the semester break, 6 weeks ago, we put him in the local high school. Thankfully they were willing to give him a great schedule. AP Calculus (they only offer AB which he doesn’t like because he doesn’t think it is adequately preparing him), Advanced English 9, Spanish 3/4, World History, Forensic Science and Game Design. For next year they are proposing: AP Statistics (we like this plan) AP Seminar (he HATES this plan) AP Biology (this is not an area of interest) AP Spanish (this is fine, but not inspiring) AP Psychology (he has no interest in this) Art (he likes art, but more digital than this) Pros of school: It’s been fine so far. He eats alone and says it is loud and overwhelming all day, but he is not reporting anything negative. That schedule is fine. Definitely college prep, though perhaps pretty dry and not playing to his strengths and interests. Having him at school has taken a load off of me. He does a lot of walking across the building, which is pretty much his only exercise. Cons of school: The work is very, very easy for him, so he is spending a couple HOURS a day at school free playing on his Chromebook. He is showing lots of signs of disregulation and depression. He is snapping at family members, talking back, “play fighting” with siblings when they have asked him over and over to stop, losing interest in puzzle magazines and other favorite hobbies. In 11th the school will run out of math and Spanish for him, so he will be forced into dual enrollment. At the end of 9th grade his transcript will look like: * = Public school; ** = DE at community college Math: Honors Algebra 1, Honors Geometry, Intro to Counting & Probability (.5), Honors Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus*, AP Calc AB* Science: Physics*, Advanced Chemistry*, Forensic Science (.5)*, Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology** English: English 9* World Languages: Spanish 3*, Spanish 4, Spanish 5 Social Studies: Econ (.5)*, Government (.5)*, Advanced US History*, World History* Electives: Health (.5)*, PE (.5)*, Formal Logic, Game Design (.5)*, Robotics (.5)*, World Cultures (.5)*, Art* Next year he could also have the option of reenrolling in the hybrid school and taking all his core classes through dual enrollment and his electives through the hybrid. He could take anything he wants, but after looking at a local university, I tentatively came up with this possible schedule: Fall Calc based Physics 1 + lab Statistics History of Mathematics Whatever literature he wants to read Whatever electives at home, in the community, and at the hybrid he wants (there have always been great options) Spring The Spanish Speaking World (a theme-based, condensed Spanish 201 + 202) Bridge to Higher Mathematics (proof writing) ASU Universal Learner English Composition 1 (self paced, pay for credits when he completes the course) Whatever literature he wants to read Whatever electives at home, in the community, and at the hybrid he wants (there have always been great options) Pros of dual enrollment More flexibility - both of time and classes More time with two, good, established homeschool friend groups Plenty of math classes for him to explore Challenge his mind without bogging him down with APs he doesn’t really care about Cons to dual High stakes Driving and meals back as my responsibilities More I'm sure I'm not thinking of One thing I don't want to debate is the suitability of a 10th grader taking college classes. Socially and academically he is prepared to be on campus. I have already decided that the decision is up to him, but I want to make sure I am considering all the pros and cons to help him think about the decision. What would you be rooting for?
×
×
  • Create New...