September 5, 2015

Happy Labor Day!

I hope everyone is planning a relaxing weekend in preparation for the new school year to begin.
Or maybe you are still prepping for the school year? Or are you in a panic because OH MY GOD IT'S SEPTEMBER! Of course you may have already started the year. The one of the benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility of scheduling.

Of course a schedule is a useful tool for homeschoolers. It reminds us of where we need to be and can help us prepare for upcoming events. It keeps us from forgetting important things like appointments and birthdays. BUT ONLY IF WE USE IT! A schedule has to be regularly maintained, updated, adjusted and consulted.

I have always used a paper planner, with one short fling with the electronic calendar on my phone. I do also keep a calendar on my computer. DH was after me for years about going all in on the electronic planner and getting rid of my paper one. First, I like my paper planner. When I sit with it, I feel civilized (it is the best word I can think of before the coffee kicks in this morning). It makes me feel like I have control (an illusion of course). I get to write and even color sometimes. The calendar on my phone requires typing on a tiny little keyboard not made for the fingers of a grown-up. It also thinks it knows what I want to say better than I do. How rude. I do use it at times, but if I have to make an appointment when I am out and cannot get to my planner, I send myself an email to put an event on the calendar. I am not a Luddite; I will try technology, but if it does not work for me,forget it.
(The irony is that DH has a paper planner! I am waiting to see if he uses it.)

So how do you keep track of you schedule? Paper, computer, phone, post-it notes, frantic phone calls from other grown-ups?


Transitions

Those of you who know our family, know we are in a period of great transition. Our oldest has gone off to college and we are going to be moving to DATADADA! Hawaii! Courtesy of the Untied States Navy. This is our first move in 18 years, but the process of moving all comes back to me from growing up with a Dad in the Navy.

Since I have been homeschooling in one area for many years, I have developed certain ideas and practices that have served me well. Now I will be starting all over in an area with very little support structure especially (based on the research I have done) for high school students. It will be interesting to see how I and my son will cope. So stay tuned. And pray. It is going to be an adventure!

Aloha
Terri

July 27, 2015

Happy Summer!

I am enjoying a quiet week with one son at camp and the other one graduated, working and waiting to go to college. I am going to invest time in planning for this year. I will be starting high school with my youngest and teaching some other kids on the side.

So how do I go about planning high school?  I start at the DOE website for my state. I know, I know. A lot of you look at all state agencies like Dracula views garlic, but they are useful for my purposes and I have already paid for them so I use them.

I take a look at what the requirements are for graduation. No, you do not have to follow them exactly. In fact you can graduate your child when and how you want as long as they are meeting the requirements for advancement of your state, Having said that, the requirements for my state of Virginia are based on what the state universities say they want to see in a child's transcript when they apply to college. So if your child is college bound, if they might be or even if they have no interest in college in the summer before their Freshman year, you should take a look at the graduation requirements.

The next step I take is to split the requirements among the four years of high school. English is easy. They have to take it every year. Done. All of their High School English Classes need to include a literature component, vocabulary and composition. I will go into these more in a later blog.

Math. This is such a bugaboo for parents. They frequently feel inadequate to teach these subjects. First, you need to understand there is a Scope and Sequence in all math instruction. That means that math topics like fractions or geometry build on previous skills that the student has learned. If your child has not mastered fractions and decimals he is not ready for Algebra. Review basics and take Pre-algebra. Then figure how many credits she may need to graduate. If you don't want to use the state requirements, decide what you think you child will need to know to be able to function in the real world. Put it in the plan.

Science. Does your state require particular subjects be covered, like biology? Does your child have a real interest like astronomy? put these in the plan

History. See Science

I will talk more later about specifics and how I plan to have my son taught this year.

One last note. Front load her classes to the first 2 years if possible. When they turn 16, if you have raised them right, they will want to start working for thier own money. It is easier for them if they don't have to take a full load of classes.

T

May 12, 2015

Today is the last day with my students at HSP. If you don't know what that is. it is a wonderful community for homeschoolers in Norfolk that offers academic and enrichment classes on a tuition basis. We have been invested in HSP for many years and they have become our school community. This year I relented and took over the high school U.S. History class. (Finally, putting that degree to use). I loved it! I did not realize how much I missed teaching in a classroom until I was doing it. Don't worry! I am not rushing to go back to teaching full time. I would not go back to the public schools now for many reasons, However, I do enjoy teaching my students and I must have done all right because they are letting me come back next year and teach 3 classes.

If you want to know more about HSP here is a link: www.HSPhomeschooled@gmail.com.


I was a little bit shocked at the headline in the VA Pilot this morning.It reads, "Drugs, sex and gangs shadow Pretlow library".  I am a big proponent of the Norfolk Public Library system. I have had an excellent ongoing relationship with the staff of my local library for many years. They have been an invaluable resource for homeschooling. Pretlow was and is a beautiful facility in the Oceanview section of the city. I especially liked the fact that the children's area was on a separate floor from the rest of the collection; it felt much safer. They functioned as the main library when the Kirn building was demolished and they were waiting for the construction of the Slover building downtown. (If you haven't been there you need to go; it is gorgeous!). I know for a fact that one of the librarians there is very supportive of homeschooling and I have acted as a consultant for her and families who had questions about homeschooling.

So do you use the library? which one? If not, why not? NPL is still free to residents unlike other systems! Did you know that they offer free technology classes, typing tutorials, movies, storytimes, magazines and test prep online? If you are not using the library I urge you to check it out at their website!

www.norfolkpubliclibrary.org

April 92015

Well, it has happened at last. We are on the countdown to graduation! My oldest will be in cap and gown this Spring and I will be prepping school for only one child this fall. I pulled out his cap and gown and he put it on. He thinks he looks like a dork and I am not sure about the fit on the cap, but I feet excited for him and for his future. It makes me think about the reasons that I taught him at home.

One of my main reasons for homeschooling was to provide my boys with the time and space to find out what they loved and what they were good at. It is really hard to do when you are on the public school treadmill, A dear friend of mine and I were talking about her son who dropped out of high school and got his GED. Her son is bright and creative but like so many kids these days he just has not found his way. The reality is that there is no law that says a child must graduate at 18. It says that they must attend and that the schools are required to provide services until 18, or until 22 if they have special needs. So what happens if they are not ready at 18, if they need a little more time? Not all kids are ready for the world at 18. Yeah, sometimes it is the parents fault for failing to prepare them; I have met those parents. (If you are one, you are not helping your child; you are crippling them because you want them to love you.) But what if they are working toward their dreams and it just takes more time than what society says they should have? How do you know and what do you do?


I notice in the papers that all the school systems are planning their budgets for next year, so have you started planning next year? Do you set a budget, set aside money every month for buying materials?
What do you spend on average every year and how do you stretch that budget to cover everything?

Let me know.

Now back to those graduation announcements.

Terri

Homebased
March 2 2015

I see the sun and it is above freezing! yeah!

A couple of things from the paper this Sunday I wanted to pass along:

If you have a senior in high school or young adult who has not found their way, Job Corps is having an outreach on March 11 at the Janaf Building in Norfolk. It begins at 9 a.m. This may be a great option for your child/young person who doesn't know what to do with their lives, isn't ready for college and wants to go do something meaningful. you can find out more at: www.jobcorps.gov/Youth.aspx

Free and cool.

Have you taken your kids to the glass studio at the Chrysler? On Wednesday you can bring a bag lunch, watch them create a glass piece right in front of you and even ask questions. It is pretty amazing!

Free Music at ODU
The Old Dominion University Music Department offers free concerts. There is one tomorrow night at the Chandler Recital Hall with a performance of hymns arranged for brass instruments. Go to their Facebook page for details.

See ya
T

February 25, 2015

I hope everyone is well. I was out driving in the snow yesterday. What a mess! I saw the truck that got stuck on top of the Jersey wall on the interstate. Crazy! We are waiting for more snow tonight. Everyone stay safe!


I was very surprised at the tone of the editorial in the Virginia-Pilot on February 21, 2015 entitled, Homeschool lobby wins special privileges. The editor seems to be accusing the homeschooling community of having "a wave of entitlement" and states that we are.undercutting "...the old-fashioned notion that... everyone must make choices, and those choices have consequences."

To the editor: You are correct. I made a choice and there are consequences. I chose not to put my child in schools that are failing the state tests and losing accreditation. I will not send them to schools that have been investigated by the federal government for civil rights violations. I do not wish to entrust my children to a system that is so disorganized and unaccountable that they threw away 1.5 million dollars in federal funds because they missed a filing deadline. All of these were news items in the Virginia-Pilot which it appears the editors do not read. The feeling of entitlement seems to belong to the people in charge of the schools ( and I don't meant the classroom teachers) who think they are entitled to keep doing what they are doing and still get the support of the public.

My eldest lays Lacrosse for a local school. This school is known for academics more that sports teams. He does it because he wants to play the game. The team is happy to have him to fill out the roster. He took his SAT at a local high school that is known for athletic prowess and academic and behavioral problems. This helps to pump up their numbers in terms of how many students are taking pre-college exams. Do the editors think this is a bad idea? It seems  that this is a win-win situation.

This new law really changes nothing. We pay taxes; we don't use the resources for the schools therefore the school is not spending money on us.. The individual system and the individual school can still say no if they feel that it is not in the schools best interest. I do not have a problem with that. If there are parents who are "shopping" high schools for the best athletic opportunity for their kids, I have not met them. Most parents left the schools for a different reason and I don't believe that anything, not even playing on a championship team will bring them back.

If you wish to read the editorial for yourself you can find it here:
http://hamptonroads.com/2015/02/homeschool-lobby-wins-special-privileges

I hope to hear from you soon
T

February 15 Homebase

Hey everyone!

I hope all is well for you. We have been back in our"routine" for a while which of course means that the schedule has to change. I have added some basketball coaching to my 13 year old son's schedule (thanks to my dad who in his day was fierce on the court. He's from Indiana.). Neither of my children was interested in sports in their early years, but one is now playing Lacrosse and the other says he wants to learn B-ball. I don't care if he becomes a real competitor. I want him to find a physical activity that is good for him and that he enjoys. That way he will stick with it.

In the news:

The New Slover Library is open!
After years of destruction, shuffling collections and construction, the new Main library for the Norfolk Public Library system is open downtown. I have been down to see it and it is gorgeous! They offer tours on Thursday at noon so that patrons can become familiar with the locations and services that they offer. If you want to go, you can park at MacArthur Center and enjoy lunch at the Food Court or you can take the train. It is well worth the time.

I was shocked to say the least about the revelation that NPS (Norfolk Public Schools) threw away 1.6 million in federal money. Putting aside my disdain for federal involvement in education, how does this happen? Who dropped the ball? I hate it when I miss a coupon and it expires before I can use it.
I hope the Virginia Pilot digs into this.

Book Review

I will be bringing you reviews of books or teaching materials that I think can help you in your efforts to educate your teenager. I will try to restrict my reviews to books I can find at the library; I want you to be able to check them out yourselves for free before you buy them.

This month:
Bissionnette, Zac, Debt-Free U. :How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships or Mooching Off My Parents. Portfolio/Penguin. New York. 2010

If you have not read this, you should. So should you teenager. Maybe you should read it together. Or read it to them if you have to.  A lot of news stories recently have talked about the epidemic of student loan debt. I read about it here first. The amount of debt that Americans are racking up to go to school to get a degree that may not help them get a job is staggering. Zac Bissionnette lays it out and offers other ideas for how to get an education and not use student loans. It is an easy read and a lot of fun.

Profile:

This month I want to introduce you to EOC, The Education Opportunity Center. As homeschoolers we do not have guidance counselors, so the process of figuring out what our kids can and should do after high school can be overwhelming. The EOC can be a great resource. I talked with one of the counselors, Ms. Marianne MacKay.

EOC interview

What is the mission and history of EOC?

The Educational Opportunity Center is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education and provides free career, academic, and financial aid counseling.  EOC has been serving the Hampton Roads area since 1973.  Our main purpose is to assist adults in furthering their education or training by providing information on programs of study at post-secondary institutions, admissions information and assistance, and information on the types of financial aid, the application process, and assistance in applying for financial aid.  In addition to providing individual counseling, we also conduct workshops and presentations to community agencies and organizations.

Describe the typical client who walks in the door, or is there a typical client?

Even though our target population is economically disadvantaged adults, we serve a very diverse population that reflects the community; we do not turn anyone away.  We also work with high school students in planning and preparing for college.  Although most high school students seek our assistance in applying for financial aid, I believe homeschooled students could particularly benefit from the academic counseling too - especially since they often do not have access to a guidance counselor.

Have you had a lot of homeschool families use your programs? How would you describe your experience with these families?

I have worked with a few homeschooling families in the past and my experience with them has always been very positive.  They generally are very appreciative because they usually do not have access to the means of information dissemination through the high schools.

What areas do you serve? Who can use your services?

We serve the Hampton Roads area – both the south side (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk) and the peninsula (Newport News, Hampton, York County, and Williamsburg) .  Our main office is in Norfolk and we have satellite offices in Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, and on the Bases of Norfolk Naval Station and Little Creek.   We operate on an appointment basis and are services are open to anyone.

What services can you offer to homeschooling families?

Academic counseling in preparing for college and assistance in maneuvering through the college admissions process; information on the various post-secondary colleges, universities, community colleges, and vocational/technical school programs: information on funding post-secondary education and assistance in applying for federal student aid.  In addition, EOC can provide career counseling, such as administering interest inventories to help students identify careers of interests.   All of these services are available to high schooled students and their parents.  We would also be willing to conduct presentations or workshops to any home school groups or co-op programs on any topics that are related to the services we provide.

What would you like homeschoolers to know about EOC?

I would like to emphasize that EOC’s services are free and since home schooled students are not associated with an institutional school, they often are lacking information that is available through the high school guidance counseling offices, and in essence EOC can fill that void.  I personally would like for them to know that I am a very strong advocate of homeschooling  (my nieces and nephews were and are home schooled).

For individual appointments, please call:  Marianne McKay (757) 683-2312.

Thank you Marianne for participating in this interview.

That is all for now. Please contact me about any questions or suggestions.

Terri

Greetings!

How is the New Year going? Did you make any resolutions?  I generally don’t make them because I know that life happens and I cannot keep them. I do however try to spend some time taking stock of the old year and preparing for the new.

This, of course, doesn’t always work well with the school schedule since we are on a different calendar. The New Year begins in September and ends in the next year in May or June. So when do you start thinking about next year? Those of us who are a little OCD about time start when the first spring weather arrives in late February or early March. We begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this year and fantasize about what we can do to catch up or enrich our children’s experience over the summer. We start looking through catalogs for next year’s curriculum and dreaming about how we can make things more perfect next year. But maybe that is just me.

If you have set some new priorities for the rest of this academic year what are they? I would love to hear from you. I am looking at some very big changes in the next year. The one of I know is coming is my oldest child’s graduation from high school. The other big change is still out there in the ether and I won’t go into it until I know for sure what is going to happen. But as to the first, anyone else about to graduate a child or recently gone through it? Let’s hear from you!

REMINDER!

It’s January! Have you filed your FAFSA?

If you have a senior you need to do it now. You don’t need your 2014 tax return, you just need a good estimate based on last year’s return. (What?! You don’t have last year’s return handy? There is an IRS retrieval Tool at the FAFSA website.)

Get started! The earlier you do it the more you typically receive. Most colleges use the FAFSA to start the financial aid process.

(Be aware-parents can be biological or adoptive; HOWEVER, foster parents and grandparents may not qualify as the child’s parents for the FAFSA. Contact the FAFSA folks or the college Financial Aid office for guidance for this.

Another resource is the Educational Opportunity Center. The EOC has a staff of professional counselors. Their stated purpose is,  “… to assist you in identifying your job interests and skill levels…help you develop goals for short/long term training, employment and education.”

(I have had some interaction with these folks and I hope to have an interview in the blog shortly.)

You can make an appointment at 757-683-2312.

They are located at:

Circle East building

861 Glenrock Road, Suite 135

Norfolk, VA 23502

In the News

Recently in the Virginia Pilot:

Democrats, GOP support changes to SOL exams

The folks in Richmond want to adjust the system. I don’t generally have a problem with the idea of tweaking things to make them work better; in fact, it is nice to see politicians taking a look at things and giving thought on how to make things better and not just create a program and let it run forever without any review.

However, the SOLs have been tweaked quite a bit. My question is: When are the politicians going to do what needs to be done to make the schools better? The test is not the problem. The test only shows that there is a problem in the schools. The Standard of Learning Innovation Committee has made several suggestions, such as letting students who fail retake the test quickly. In my opinion this invites cheating and abuse of the system. I have not heard them suggest things like improving teacher training, raising requirements for teachers or increasing remediation in school districts that need it. That is what is needed. Let’s see if anyone on this board will go there.

In the Wall Street Journal, January 17:

Skills Gap Found in College Students

Based on the results of the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus, four out of ten college graduates leave school without important skills that employers want like critical thinking, problem solving and communication. According to the authors of the study, the colleges are not the biggest reason for the lack of skills. Although, according to the co-author of the report Richard Arum, colleges are focusing more on the social aspects of their school, the real problem is that “… students are starting at such a low point that they may still not be proficient at the point of graduation.” The article written by Douglas Belkin also states that “…nine out of ten employers judge recent college graduates as poorly prepared for the work force.”

Are these the kids coming out of the public school system? “Starting at such a low point?” Interesting. It is a little funny isn’t it that the homeschooling community must demonstrate competence every year?

I hope to hear from you all, and please spread the word about the blog. I will be trying to “market” it a little more widely this year. Maybe that is my resolution.

T