We have been homeschooling our children for seven years. We have enjoyed it immensely. We had good days and bad days. We had frustrating days as well. On those frustrating days we would dance! If a lesson was getting to us, we’d fire up the stereo and dance around the family room for a few minutes until we felt better. One of our very favorite songs to dance to was Steven Curtis Chapman’s “The Great Adventure” I love the orchestral intro, and then the big “Saddle up your horses” followed by some seriously great electric guitar licks! We loved it.
This year we will be doing homeschool a bit differently. My kids will both be in high school, and I didn’t feel confident that I was qualified to carry them through high school. I struggle to pick curriculum, and the whole planning lesson business is very hard for me as well.
So…we have enrolled our children in an online virtual academy through a very good public school district north of us. Many of our friends’ kids attend this school, and we’re confident that if the kids are going to be enrolled in a public school, this is a good one. The enrollment process took a few weeks for us, but all went well and the kids were accepted. We met with counselors to talk about placement and curriculums, attended a wonderful orientation, signed up for some wonderful elective courses where the kids will actually be in a classroom once a week (can you say Momma time?!), and got school pictures taken and IDs made. Both kids met with their mentor teacher (they have to check in with her every week regarding their progress, and she is there to help them…and me), and we were very impressed with her. Parker also got to meet his English content teacher, and I am SO excited about his English class this year. By hook or by crook, this kid is going to learn to like to write! 
I think his teacher will be able to help him do that.
The kids will receive grades for the first time since we started homeschooling, and we’ll get progress reports and credits toward graduation. At the end of high school there will be a diploma from the school district, and a REAL graduation ceremony with cap and gown with other kids graduating from the academy.
I am SO excited about this opportunity! I’m relieved that the kids will be getting great instruction, and I only have to oversee it and help them if they need it. I’m excited that they’ll have someone else to answer to, and will be stretched beyond what I’m qualified to do at home. We will no longer be the “Protecting The Seeds Academy”, though I will still be protecting them. I am still very much in control of their education, and can protest if there is anything in their curriculum that doesn’t fit our beliefs or philosophy as a family. The name of their new academy sounds much more sophisticated
We picked up laptops last week, and today we got all of the kids login information for each course. I’m having the high anxieties, but I’m so excited.
Next week we’ll attend an orientation for the place where they’ll be taking their elective courses, and we’ll be all set. School starts Tuesday.
Here is a picture of my Lovies in front of the high school on orientation day…
We’ll let you know how things are going after we get started with the great adventure!
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