Back to School

I thought we'd be starting our family vacation tomorrow, but since that vacation was cancelled (finally got the last approval for a refund of hotel charges yesterday so at least this trip that didn't happen didn't end up costing us any money) and the swimming pool closed for the season, I decided that today would be our first day of school. Now technically it's our 21st day of school this year, but in terms of more traditional schoolwork, today is the first day. I decided to ease the kids in gradually so I'm considering Thursday/Friday to just be one day of school. Next week we'll be going to Six Flags on Tuesday and we're going on a field trip in Hershey on September 2. This means the next two weeks we'll just have four days of school per week. The week of September 7 will be our first full week of school. Today is the first day of school for our local school district. I typically wait until the Monday of the last full week of school (August 24 this year), but because we ended earlier than usual (middle of April) and the swimming pool closed on Sunday, I decided to start on the same day as our local school district. Last year we also started on the same day as the local school district (August 22) because we took off some time at the end of August to spend with Wendy and her kids.

This year I have a child in grades three, five, and seven. Oliver has participated in some science instruction in the past, but this will be the first year he will be expected to fully participate. Ian and Nadia have been doing science together for several years, but this year Nadia will be doing science independently and the boys will be doing it with me. Nadia will not be doing spelling for the first time. Nadia and Ian will be doing Life of Fred (math supplement) and Robin Hood (grammar) together. All four of us will be working through four Spanish boxes from Talkbox.mom, watching a ten minute episode of World Watch News each day, and reading through half of the Old Testament. Oliver will be learning to write in cursive, and Ian will be completing his final cursive textbook. Nadia already finished the Personal Finance Class. She's also going to be completing a photography course online. Both boys will be using Beast Academy for math, and Nadia plans to complete two online math textbooks through Teaching Textbooks. Oliver has only partially participated in social studies in the past, but this year he will be full participating. Most of the time all three of them will do it together. In some instances (such as when Nadia and Ian are reading Whatever happened to Penny Candy?) I will have him read something more appropriate for his age. Although we already homeschooled our children and thus are less effected by COVID-19, the main way our school year will be different will be all the things we typically do outside our home. I think field trips will be few and far between, and I expect we'll be taking a year off from extra curriculars, which is why I counted "swimming" as part of our school day for the "unschooling" days I counted this summer because that might end up being their PE for the year instead of homeschool gym class, playing on an Upward basketball team, ice skating lessons, etc. I doubt they will be participating in any choirs this year, but Nadia and Ian were in a musical last week. Time will tell what is permitted over the next nine months. In March I signed Ian up for the next season of basketball, but I'm feeling dubious that will actually take place. It might be that our only commitment outside the house this school year will be church on Sundays, presuming those aren't also shut down again at some point.

Every year I take back to school pictures with my mom's grandmother's slate chalkboard. Last year Oliver said he first choice was to be a scientist, his second was to be a police officer, and his third was to clean windows on sky scrapers. In Kindergarten he said he wanted to be a police officer, and in first grade he said he wanted to be in the military. This year he said his first choice was to be a police officer. Ian again said he wants to work for the Lego company which is also what he said at the start of Kindergarten, first, and fourth grade. At the start of K4 he wanted to be a police officer, and at the beginning of second grade he said he wanted to be an inventor. In third grade he said he wanted to be a missionary in Papua New Guinea. I didn't ask Nadia what she wanted to be when she was starting Kindergarten. She said astronaut in 1st grade and 2nd grade, teacher in 3rd grade, and missionary in 4th and 5th grade. Last year she said she had no idea. This year she said she wants a job that involves working with dogs. When she turns sixteen she wants to work at a pet care place near our home that is owned by someone from our church. They primarily provide boarding and grooming for cats and dogs. I fully realize that the kids will likely change their minds many more times before they graduate from high school. What type of job they choose to have when they are adults is really not that important to me. I hope that each of them will be in a close relationship with the Lord and be striving to show love to all the people God puts in their paths. That's what really matters to me..  

Although many parents were unexpectedly thrown into the role of homeschooling parent in March, I'm very thankful that Paul had the idea for me to homeschool our children and that I am able to stay home with them. These years with my kiddos are priceless. Hoping all three of them have a great school year!