Mommy22alyns Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Triple post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Kewb, I appreciate very much your perspective about the school. I have been trying to go there...I know that it is wierd and different and that just because of it being different there will be tension. I think that part of me felt that because it is such a small school (I mean small small) that they would be in a position to accomdate us a bit more. Moses is the only kid in his class and my daughter has only one other....I mean small...I guess I just thought that it must have to run a bit differently any way because of the numbers. I think that my expectations probably are what went wrong; they always do, dont they? I don't think your expectations were unreasonable at all. I've read, on various homeschooling boards, about small schools being very flexible in accommodating homeschoolers. Part time attendance is nothing new, and it does provide them with funding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 After hearing what your kids are saying, I unequivocally say, bring 'em home. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldjoy Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 I do agree with the posters who have said you need to choose one or the other. It's asking too much for the school to just excuse your kids on Fridays. We really thought about this a lot before requesting it. It is a shortened day anyway and most of what they did were quizzes and tests which they make up before the missed day. They are responsible for their work and we have not asked that the teacher or anyone else do things differently; just that our kids do their friday work at home. A lot of times; esepcially in a rural setting fridays are sports days.....or FFA days. This year there have been several times where they were the only kids in school becaue the other kids were gone doing various things, that are deemed educationally equivalent (thier language)...I thought if they can do it for other activities then they should be able to handle it. They are not struggling at all...remember this; strait A's (excpet Music)....and in Montana it is not until high school that permanent damage can happen with absensces. They can lose credit; but it really doesn't matter that htey lost credit...all of their test scores for those silly tests still count; funding is not affecting (that I know of)......it is just a school by school policy, not state wide or anything. They arbitrarily pick the numbers of days missed...not based on anything legal if that makes sense. In high school for transcipts and such it matters. We are not there yet. again, we have maintained that we are responsible for all of their missed stuff and finding out what it is and making it up. The teachers say they just feel like the discussion can't be missed..that is what they maintain; it is too important. Honestly though, we did fridays for awhile. One class watched history videos every friday; one class does a vocab quiz, math is not out of book on fridays it is a day they do internet research (ver easy to do at home).....but, but, but...of course I can justify this all and find support for it; does not mean it isn't hard or too much to ask. I would like to say that over the years and all the homeschoolers we know it is not uncommon for this to ahppen in some capacity or other. Whether it is partial day or just a few classes or half a year, or whatever......it has been done succesfully a lot; just not in this school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldjoy Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 .sorr]y Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Yes, I would definitely embrace driving an hour to activities. I attended a small, private high school which was a 45-minute drive one way. Many of my friends lived even further. We did the driving, and it was just a part of life. I don't think you'll ever make these people happy. Therefore you should do the things that fill your own soul. Go work out of the country just as you dream--you'll never, ever regret that experience for you or your children. Pull the kids out and homeschool. Attend homeschool conventions and look into some resources for getting some online friends. And yes, embrace the driving and find ways to make it productive time listening to stories on CD or doing homework on the car. In the long run it will be waaaaay easier than trying to connect with these small-minded people who feel so threatened. These are my thoughts exactly. I think you did a great job illustrating the situation. The bus ride, the crazy music teacher etc. etc. Personally, I'd pull them and embrace the acreage, the house and the lifestyle you bought into. Then I'd plan on doing tons of carschooling and driving to play dates, classes etc. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldjoy Posted November 24, 2012 Author Share Posted November 24, 2012 After losing a few nights of sleep..think, think, thinking.....talking to you all on here and calling some in real life homeschooling friends I have made the decision to bring them home...and darnit it feels good!!! I hesitated talking to the people that I knew would agree with me because I was so concerned with making the right decision that I did not want to influence the reality in any way.....if that makes sense...so I stayed away from homeschooling friends and their advice....now that I have finally gone there, I sort of feel silly. It has been a pretty "duh" type of day as so many of you pointed out; in the nicest ways, I might add. I really would like to thank everyone for their part in this discussion and the kinds words and advice and just for letting me bounce myself around a bit.....I have a feeling I will be back here quite a lot gearing up for our new (but old) journey. I am very thankful for this experience though..yes, the school one. nNe of the huge benefits is for me to see the areas that I need to improve in my teaching them at home. My children had different needs that I was not meeting (not all of them anyway) and it became really clear to me through seeing them in school; how they learned and thrived and how they didn't and how I can improve in educating them. Now the question is do I do it now; as in they dont go back on Monday. Or do I wait until Christmas break??? Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 After losing a few nights of sleep..think, think, thinking.....talking to you all on here and calling some in real life homeschooling friends I have made the decision to bring them home...and darnit it feels good!!! I hesitated talking to the people that I knew would agree with me because I was so concerned with making the right decision that I did not want to influence the reality in any way.....if that makes sense...so I stayed away from homeschooling friends and their advice....now that I have finally gone there, I sort of feel silly. It has been a pretty "duh" type of day as so many of you pointed out; in the nicest ways, I might add. I really would like to thank everyone for their part in this discussion and the kinds words and advice and just for letting me bounce myself around a bit.....I have a feeling I will be back here quite a lot gearing up for our new (but old) journey. I am very thankful for this experience though..yes, the school one. nNe of the huge benefits is for me to see the areas that I need to improve in my teaching them at home. My children had different needs that I was not meeting (not all of them anyway) and it became really clear to me through seeing them in school; how they learned and thrived and how they didn't and how I can improve in educating them. Now the question is do I do it now; as in they dont go back on Monday. Or do I wait until Christmas break??? Thoughts? My personality: I'd want them pulled right away. However, do they have projects that they would like to finish? Do they care about their grades? Do they have friends they'd like to say good bye to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 I'd wait until Christmas break. That'll give you a chance to get your act together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 These threads always remind me why I would never move home to the small town I am from. Too many people there just don't like other people to be happy. Honestly, the real problem that your family faces is that you represent new ways of living and different ideas. Just the idea that family is more important than your kids long bus ride is revolutionary even though you may not see it that way. People there are resenting your ability to take charge of your own life. If you think it is important for your kids to go miss school on Friday, then you are saying that they are wasting their time by going to school on Friday. Your actions also suggest that maybe you love your children more than they love their children. I know the reality, you know it, but those people are threatened. :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: She hit the nail on the head. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: You do what you have to do and just forget about them fitting in, your kids fitting in...you know? You protect your family, do what you have to do to make your lives wonderful. Change happens slowly in those ways. I was watching It's a Wonderful LIfe last night, and you know when George tells Clarence, the Angel that he wishes he was never born and Clarence has him walk though a world that he was never born in, and George learns how his life bettered so many others? But he was ignorant of it. Well, it may be that way with you. You may give someone in that town the courage to do something different, to make some changes, but you may not know it for years, if ever. Just be honest with yourself about who you are and what you make a priority, and the rest will come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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