Planning for 2024/2025

[Condessa]

I’m trying to figure out the big picture early this year, as I am having a baby next month.  I would love to see others’ plans and ideas, too.

 

[Condessa]

My oldest is considering coming back home from ps to homeschool again for 10th, which I would love, but prep for that will have to wait until she makes a decision.  My second daughter will be going to ps 8th grade.  My two older boys will be 12 & 10 and will be homeschooling 7th and 5th grades.  The toddler will be three in the Fall and we will add in preschooly activities whenever he starts begging me for them, whether that’s next school year or a later one, but I already have ALL THE STUFF for littles from my older kids and it won’t take any preparation on my part.  Ds9 is still on watch-and-wait protocol for his cancer; every three months we scan and find out whether it is time to jump back into chemo yet or if he gets another three months off.  Every day he gets off treatment is a gift, and it has really affected my attitude on schoolwork.  I prioritize playing and enjoying life more.  He is possibly my most gifted kid, but has missed so much school time due to medical issues that he’s not ahead except in math, his love.

 

Here are my tentative ideas:

7th

Math-AOPS Intro to Number Theory and Intro to Algebra B.  I think he’ll do at least NT from the book, then we will assess his workload with online classes before deciding whether to do the class for Algebra B or just work through the book +alcumus.

English-???  Maybe Classic Literature level of MCT?, R&S Spelling

History-probably literature based, maybe with something to tie in some geography with it

Science-Maybe CLRC’s Earth Science & Astronomy course or AOPS Intro to Physics course.  He would love to be signed up for both, but I think it’s too much.

Foreign Language-BYU SPAN 041 at a slow pace, maybe some light Latin?

Logic-The Thinking Toolbox

Computer Programming-AOPS Intermediate Programming with Python 

Music-cello lessons

Physical Education-Judo

 

5th

Math-finish AOPS Prealgebra self-paced, start Intro to Algebra A 

English-finish MCT Town level, start Voyage level, AAS, Pictures in Cursive

History-Literature & maybe OUP Ancient World series

Science-???

Foreign Language-He’s requesting a more formal class rather than just language Convo for Japanese.  Maybe some light Latin.

Logic-Fallacy Detective

Music-violin lessons

Physical Education- Judo.  Maybe something else during judo’s off season.  He needs constant work with his nerve-damaged left side to prevent strength and balance deterioration.  Judo has been so good for him that he’s been able to stop physical therapy, but during the half a year when they don’t have judo he will probably need to either find another sport that fills the same need or to restart PT.

Edited February 17 by Condessa

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

DS is entering 6th grade: 
Language Arts: WWS I, leftover bits of MCT Voyage (1/2 of CE II, Search trilogy), misc literature & matchbook summary posters (by DS’ request) 

Math: Finish AOPS PreAlgebra, then either a fun extra unit or roll straight into Intro to Algebra. 

Science: RSO Biology 2, Sex Ed

History: BookShark American History

Computer Science: Intro to Microcontrollers

Extracurriculars: Scouts BSA, FIRST Lego League, Violin (possibly youth orchestra), Art, Programming, Tennis, PE

Edited February 24 by Shoes+Ships+SealingWax

[wendyroo]

On 2/17/2024 at 6:44 PM, Condessa said:

My oldest is considering coming back home from ps to homeschool again for 10th...

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

[Dmmetler]

I'll be down to just partially homeschooling one Bonus kid next year, since M graduates in May!

 

C-grade 10. We'll probably do two tutorial days and one day a week with me.I'm trying to convince him to do the homeschool band program to hopefully get more teen contact. We did finally get the IEA/ABLE so we'll have those funds to use for outside classes 

 

Plan-

American Literature/History (probably at the tutorial)

Geometry (with me).

Chemistry (Outschool/home labs)

Spanish (Tutorial)

ACT Prep

Learning to drive

Swim team 

Working at the pool

Piano, Accordion, possibly the bagpipes (we discovered through one of my parents that the police department has a pipe band that will provide instruments and training-they play in parades and for funerals). He'll probably take over M's role as my TA for my homeschool classes. 

My personal goal is to start transitioning him to DE in 11th. I think the standard of teaching is higher at the local CC and supports for students with disabilities are better. But at least right now, the tutorial is where he has time with other teens. 

 

M-starting college in Poly Sci/Music Ed. 

L-finishing college inBio/Psych. Planning to go to grad school, but considering doing TFA or another teaching cert program first (mostly due to not wanting to leave the Atlanta area yet,but also to get synchronized on age on entering a grad program) , Teaching at Athena's

 

Me-continuing to teach for the community center. I'll also be teaching a class at Athena's (basically an expanded version of my workshop), and I'm doing another homeschool workshop for parents this summer. 

 

 

[Cake and Pi]

This year has been a logistical nightmare. DS#1 and DS#3 have each taken a couple of classes per semester at our local university, which is a 40min drive+walk (walking-only campus) to the north and sometimes I have to go there twice in the same day. DS#3 is unusually young, so the university requires that I sit in class with him. In addition, DS#1 participates in one class period per day at our zoned high school which he gets bussing to but then I have to drive 15min south to pick him up mid-morning. Also DS#2 and DS#3 participate for one class period at our zoned middle school, but I have to handle transportation to and from. Oh, and DS#4 is full time at our zoned elementary school, which is too close to ride the bus, so yes, more pick-ups and drop offs every day. We're in a pretty small city now that only takes maybe 25 minutes to span in its entirety, and yet somehow I spend 2.5 hours a day (or more!) shuttling kids around to their respective schools and classes!

So. My priority this coming year is to streamline things. DS#1 and DS#3 are taking the same, single in-person class at the university this fall. I'll reassess in the spring, but I'm thinking that I'm only going to OK an additional in-person university class for either of them if it's back-to-back with the first class or kid (this only applies to DS#1) wants to get himself there and back using public transportation!

 

DS 16, 11th grade
DS#1 isn't really HOMEschooling anymore. I mean, legally he is, but he's only taking classes from the university, the high school, and an online provider. I'm not teaching anything.
Math: Calculus II (spring) at local university, possibly through their web-based program if the schedule isn't going to line up nicely
Science: Physics for Scientists & Engineers w/Lab I (fall) and II (spring) at local university
Social studies: WTMA U.S Government class (fall) and WTMA Economics class (spring)
ELA: Composition II (fall) ONLINE through local university
World language: 3rd year Spanish at our zoned high school
Electives: TBD but possibly Military Science II at the high school (full year) and/or Intro to Organismal Biology and Principles of biological Investigation (aka bio II w/ separate lab) or Organic Chemistry I at the university (spring only) depending on if he can find and get into a section that is back-to-back with his other class at the university so there's only the one trip for me to get him there and back each day.

 

DS 14, 9th grade
DS#2 is starting high school this coming year. He's still not taking his studies very seriously and is difficult to motivate (PDA flavor autism). I'm more than a bit nervous about him not passing the online classes he's signed up for, but I guess it's his life and his choices at this point.
Math: Algebra II through DAO (assuming he continues passing DAO geometry this semester; he cut it pretty close last semester)
Science: self-paced, mom-graded Clover Valley Advanced Honors Chemistry
Social studies: World history origins to 1450 using a mix of OER project and DIG (previously SHEG) materials
ELA: Unsure, but leaning toward a mix-and-match of Fishtank units from grades 8-10 (or maybe I'll invent our lit studies myself to align with history...?) paired with MCT level 6
World Language: self-paced Spanish using Rosetta Stone
Electives: WTMA Computer Programming II class (year-long), Learning Outside the Box Statecraft 2030 class (fall), and if he's doing well enough in everything else Learning Outside the Box Investment Game class (spring)

 

DS 12, 7th grade
I'm trying to pair DS#3 up with DS#1 or DS#2 where possible to streamline things.
Math: Next up is Proof Writing for Math/Sat Majors, which I don't feel he's socially/emotionally mature enough for quite yet. I'm probably going to have him take the year off of math and focus on other things to give him some time before this next class. He will have finished all the calculuses, diff eq, and linear algebra before the fall, so I figure I just need to keep him involved in other subjects that utilize those higher math skills so that he doesn't get rusty with them.
Science: Physics for Scientists & Engineers w/Lab I (fall) and II (spring) at local university w/ DS#1 and also self-paced, mom-graded Clover Valley Advanced Honors Chemistry with DS#2
Social studies: World history origins to 1450 using a mix of OER project and DIG (previously SHEG) materials w/DS#2
ELA: Davidson Explore Critical Thinking in the Humanities online class + MCT level 6 w/DS#2
Electives: WTMA Computer Science II class (he's already taken Computer Science II at the university, but they only use C++ there and he wants to learn more Python *shrug*), and if things are going really smoothly after the fall semester AND we can make the schedules align, I might let him take the next C++ based CS class (Computer Organization) or Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering at the university in the spring.

 

DS 10 (turns 11 late summer), 6th grade
DS#4 is headed to middle school! He'll be in a self-contained sped ASD program full time in public school.

Edited March 26 by Cake and Pi

[Malam]

58 minutes ago, Cake and Pi said:

This year has been a logistical nightmare. DS#1 and DS#3 have each taken a couple of classes per semester at our local university, which is a 40min drive+walk (walking-only campus) to the north and sometimes I have to go there twice in the same day. DS#3 is unusually young, so the university requires that I sit in class with him. In addition, DS#1 participates in one class period per day at our zoned high school which he gets bussing to but then I have to drive 15min south to pick him up mid-morning. Also DS#2 and DS#3 participate for one class period at our zoned middle school, but I have to handle transportation to and from. Oh, and DS#4 is full time at our zoned elementary school, which is too close to ride the bus, so yes, more pick-ups and drop offs every day. We're in a pretty small city now that only takes maybe 25 minutes to span in its entirety, and yet somehow I spend 2.5 hours a day (or more!) shuttling kids around to their respective schools and classes!

So. My priority this coming year is to streamline things. DS#1 and DS#3 are taking the same, single in-person class at the university this fall. I'll reassess in the spring, but I'm thinking that I'm only going to OK an additional in-person university class for either of them if it's back-to-back with the first class or kid (this only applies to DS#1) wants to get himself there and back using public transportation!

 

DS 16, 11th grade
DS#1 isn't really HOMEschooling anymore. I mean, legally he is, but he's only taking classes from the university, the high school, and an online provider. I'm not teaching anything.
Math: Calculus II (spring) at local university, possibly through their web-based program if the schedule isn't going to line up nicely
Science: Physics for Scientists & Engineers w/Lab I (fall) and II (spring) at local university
Social studies: WTMA U.S Government class (fall) and WTMA Economics class (spring)
ELA: Composition II (fall) ONLINE through local university
World language: 3rd year Spanish at our zoned high school
Electives: TBD but possibly Military Science II at the high school (full year) and/or Intro to Organismal Biology and Principles of biological Investigation (aka bio II w/ separate lab) or Organic Chemistry I at the university (spring only) depending on if he can find and get into a section that is back-to-back with his other class at the university so there's only the one trip for me to get him there and back each day.

 

DS 14, 9th grade
DS#2 is starting high school this coming year. He's still not taking his studies very seriously and is difficult to motivate (PDA flavor autism). I'm more than a bit nervous about him not passing the online classes he's signed up for, but I guess it's his life and his choices at this point.
Math: Algebra II through DAO (assuming he continues passing DAO geometry this semester; he cut it pretty close last semester)
Science: self-paced, mom-graded Clover Valley Advanced Honors Chemistry
Social studies: World history origins to 1450 using a mix of OER project and DIG (previously SHEG) materials
ELA: Unsure, but leaning toward a mix-and-match of Fishtank units from grades 8-10 (or maybe I'll invent our lit studies myself to align with history...?) paired with MCT level 6
World Language: self-paced Spanish using Rosetta Stone
Electives: WTMA Computer Programming II class (year-long), Learning Outside the Box Statecraft 2030 class (fall), and if he's doing well enough in everything else Learning Outside the Box Investment Game class (spring)

 

DS 12, 7th grade
I'm trying to pair DS#3 up with DS#1 or DS#2 where possible to streamline things.
Math: Next up is Proof Writing for Math/Sat Majors, which I don't feel he's socially/emotionally mature enough for quite yet. I'm probably going to have him take the year off of math and focus on other things to give him some time before this next class. He will have finished all the calculuses, diff eq, and linear algebra before the fall, so I figure I just need to keep him involved in other subjects that utilize those higher math skills so that he doesn't get rusty with them.
Science: Physics for Scientists & Engineers w/Lab I (fall) and II (spring) at local university w/ DS#1 and also self-paced, mom-graded Clover Valley Advanced Honors Chemistry with DS#2
Social studies: World history origins to 1450 using a mix of OER project and DIG (previously SHEG) materials w/DS#2
ELA: Davidson Explore Critical Thinking in the Humanities online class + MCT level 6 w/DS#2
Electives: WTMA Computer Science II class (he's already taken Computer Science II at the university, but they only use C++ there and he wants to learn more Python *shrug*), and if things are going really smoothly after the fall semester AND we can make the schedules align, I might let him take the next C++ based CS class (Computer Organization) or Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering at the university in the spring.

 

DS 10 (turns 11 late summer), 6th grade
DS#4 is headed to middle school! He'll be in a self-contained sped ASD program full time in public school.

Will Physics 1 and 2 involve practicing calc 3, linear algebra, or diff eq? Does you university have an honors calculus section that would give him exposure to proofs without being as involved as the proof writing course?

[Malam]

1 hour ago, Cake and Pi said:

 

Duplicate

Edited March 26 by Malam

[Clarita]

I've put in a more detailed what we are using for DS7 in the second grade thread.

As with this year we are continuing to work on writing output, I'm counting all the writing in this umbrella (seriously including doodling). I just reviewed WWE and realized we are actually on pace with SWB's recommendations, so pretty proud of us. 

Without even meaning to, we really used WWE as a guide but use our own copy work and reading to do it. I wish I could have an open and go option here (and I tried this year), but the reality is I need the selections to be super high interest or else it drags down the rest of our day. 

DD5 is really struggling with being the younger sister of DS7. She kind of beats herself up about not being good at stuff because she keeps comparing herself to her 1.5 year older brother and thinking she isn't good. This year I started her on a lot of curriculum that I had used with DS7, but as the year went on I switched some curriculum so it'd be harder for her to compare. So, this year I'd like to find some activities she can call her own and build up her frustration tolerance.