Washington WTMers, please!

[linders]

After 5 long (interesting, but long) years down South, we are returning to WA next summer (back to Tri-Cities). :hurray: We had homeschooled until this year, when the DC enrolled in a private school. Good school, they are doing well, but it has highlighted that DS14 is a substantial introvert. He likes the kids, they like him, and some aspects of regular school have been a plus, but 7 hours of people is too much (let alone after-school activities with people). Part-time homeschool/B&M school is not an option here, but will be back in WA, and he's excited about that.

 

So, any been-there-done-that? If you do some combo of homeschool and regular school, how has that worked for you and what are the pitfalls?

 

Thanks!

[attaboygirl]

It's all a careful balancing act for us.

 

Twice a week, my kids spend 4 hours at a public school parent partnership program. This has definitely meant that I must must must be strategic, yet realistic, about what we do at home. That loss of 8 hours a week is great for my sanity, in some ways, but not in others. It means that our homeschool must be whittled down to what is most important to our family. Two foreign languages? Yes. Home-driven science? No, even though we LOVE science and engineering here. (they do science at the school program) Anything other than math or languages that need 5 days a week to 'finish?' Nope. 

 

On the (big) up side, this compromise has forced me to become more dynamic and creative as a teacher, and a better planner. My (introvert) kids enjoy the program and I am valuing the time to myself (yay, avoiding burnout for me!), otherwise we'd be happy to be all-home homeschoolers. I do reevaluate every semester whether it's still working. So far, after 5 years, it is. 

[Mystie]

The Tri-Cities has an active yahoo group you should join. People there are really helpful. There are a lot of homeschoolers in the area; it's a great place to raise a family and homeschool. :)

[Coco_Clark]

We do 3 classes 2x a week at a parent partnership.  I've found for my family 3-4 classes is about the max we can handle without our homeschool suffering.  We do morning reading, math, and language arts before they go and then something lightweight when they get back, art or the 2nd (project oriented) day of history.  It's easier on our schedule if they go in the afternoon but we've done morning shifts before when we've liked those classes better.  I have a feeling as they get older I'll be stricter about afternoon-only.  I love it because it provides opportunities for classes like PE, theatre, and lego robotics that I just plain can't reproduce at home or afford to pay for.  

[linders]

The Tri-Cities has an active yahoo group you should join. People there are really helpful. There are a lot of homeschoolers in the area; it's a great place to raise a family and homeschool. :)

 

Oh, we know. We are from Richland, but relocated 5 years ago for work. Now we are returning!

 

Back then, we homeschooled full-time and were part of the CHECK coop. Now the boys will be middle/high school. DS14 would do best with a few classes at the high school (foreign language, science), but wants to do LA and history at home, so we are looking at that option.

 

Thanks!