The sixth grade year put us through its training and toughened us up a bit. The effects were resounding to the point it made us re-work our strategy and make some well-planned changes for a smooth transition into the next year.
So here we are 7th grade, we have an idea of what you want and expect from us. We re-vamped our school room for operational success. We took extreme measures with our organizational tools, scouted the academic territory and came back with some helpful intel. Added a well-planned recreation outlet to de-stress and started off this year strong.
Off Topic But Still Relates
There are some interesting topics I run across in our homeschooling adventure. I always wonder if others 'see' the same things I do or what their perspective is on these issues.
Entertainment: Reading Lists
I have noticed the reading lists for kids slant towards the topics of death and spiritism. Both of these highlighted in a manner that puts them in the realm of mysticism. These topics are breached earlier and earlier in curricula. Read Lee Duigon's findings on a few books that are popular material being pushed in the entertainment industry and some in schools.
It is so important in this day and age for parents to be aware of what their child reads and be there to teach as they maneuver through heavy material.
I can only speak from my experience, these are books I have personally run into either in the school curricula or recommended for kids and have found material that is not age appropriate or needs to be handled with wisdom as your child reads them. (Maybe substitute out and find an alternative to read as an option.)
Book 1: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
This book was required reading in Fourth grade at my daughter's public school. It is a World War II historical fiction based in Copenhagen. It depicts the life of one family dealing with separation, death and the fear that encompasses this time in history.
History is a great teaching tool, the realities of it are topics you can't dance around. It is what it is. Children should know the truth of History. Use wisdom for your child's capacity to deal with emotional content.
My daughter felt very depressed reading this book. I also read it along with her and was uncomfortable with their focus on death.
Book 2: Paper Towns by John Green
We encountered this book this Summer. I read the summary for the book, the movie and reviews from actual readers. It was given high marks in the literary execution. We had issues with the promotion of teen sex, actions without consequences, suicide and revenge.
Life is filled with people who wrong and are wronged, yes, we can deal with it in humorous, creative ways. Life is what it is, filled with a wide range of human actions and reaction. Use wisdom for your child's capacity to deal with more adult issues involving emotional content that distracts from an academic pursuit of excellence.
I could list more books, but will refrain.
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| Dallas Museum of Art Chandra and Alex Photo: By Nathan Brown |
The Question
Our family is asked quit a bit when we will be putting our daughter back in school. Or if she will be going back for high school with an air of 'won't she be missing out on life if we don't' let her go to 'school' for high school.
Read those sentences again....
My daughter IS IN school. She has a social life too, a healthy one!
I would like to clear up any misconceptions out there in the world. We know our lifestyle is different, we understand that our choice is not mainstream, we just ask for a little more respect when phrasing your question to us.
Sometimes the question is just plain curiosity but other times it is couched in thinking that somehow we are the problem, had to step out of the crowd to re-group and when we got a firm grasp of whatever it was we were lacking we'd re-enter 'normal' procedure and re-enroll our daughter to the system. We know this is not really intended but the implication comes off quite clear. I am here to say the box was meant to be stepped outside of for our family and it works for us.
For those that wonder, we do ask our daughter if she wants to re-enter the public school system at the end of every school year. We keep things open around here, we aren't totalitarian barbarians.
Her decision counts and she has chosen to HOME SCHOOL.
We appreciate it when someone doesn't ask us 'the question' but instead asks, like they do any other student, "How was your school year, are you ready for the next?"
Maybe next time someone asks when I'll be putting my daughter back in school, I'll ask when are you home schooling?
P.S.
What is it with me and bees at the beginning of the school year? YES, I got stung by another bee today. OUCH!
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