Home Education - Highschool
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Homeschool High School Carnival!
It is with great excitement that I share with you the launching of Homeschool High School Carnival!! Homeschooling our children through the high school years can be one of the most rewarding times in our homeschool journey, the fascinating conversations, the delving deeper into learning, nurturing the emergence of our children into young adults is captivating. Yet this journey can also be a time of uncertainty, a questioning of our discernment as we help our young adults make decisions and reach their potential. There is a need for families homeschooling high schoolers to support and inspire one other. Recently an idea was born and the flames were fanned to life of…
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The Road Ahead
Anna Maria left home for College a month ago, excited and focused on the road ahead. She is enjoying her studies immensely and loving the social life. Within days of arriving in the ‘big smoke‘ Anna Maria found part-time employment as a medical receptionist. She is happy and thriving. We at home on the road behind, were so very sad the day she left home, our lives changed forever. It has been a period of adjustment, tears have been shed, hearts ache, her company is sorely missed. Yet hearing from her, sharing in her enjoyment from afar is a consolation indeed. After each phone call, each skype, every email we…
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She Goes Forth – The Times, They are A Changin’
In less than a fortnight our eldest leaves home! Anna Maria is excited and eagerly looking forward to beginning the next stage in her life’s journey. Eight months ago Anna Maria began a course at our local TAFE, Administration/Bookkeeping, Certificate 3. She quickly found her rhythm and enjoyed the experience of formal classes and independence. We watched her blossom and bloom with pride. Just before Christmas she sat for her final exams and passed with flying colours, receiving 100% for Bookeeping! Throughout this period Anna Maria had been discerning what direction to take next. In October she applied to attend a Catholic Liberal Arts College. All applicants to the College have to write an application…
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Stepping Forth
Well the day has finally arrived, mentally we knew it would but can you ever really be prepared? Our first-born is ready to move forth, to begin the next stage in her life’s journey. A new beginning for us that will impact across many areas of our family dynamics. Designing your own home education curriculum makes it is a little harder to pre-plan a clear concluding date. Do you finish with a ‘grade’ level, when all assigned work is done, or use age as your guide? As Koala draws closer to her 18th, age seems a good definitive, but mostly we have been guided by her needs. We were expecting to have…
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Term Reflections; Curriculum Highlights
As we have now come to the conclusion of Term 1, I thought to share some curriculum highlights from our first Term. Some I have mentioned in passing before, but I’ve compiled a more complete synopsis. For clarity; Koala is in Grade 12, Carpenter in Grade 10, Einstein Grade 8, Michelangelo Grade 6, Princess Grade 4, Jelly Bean Grade 1 and Jack Jack Pre-School. Jem of course tags along and I’m sure Bass will soon find his niche;) Highschool Didache – This is the second year we have used this program for Faith and I highly recommend it. Very solid, very thorough. Our teens have learnt so much and the books…
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Computer Triage
When discussing with our teens what direction they wished to take with Science this term they were keen on studying and pulling apart small motors. Then the idea of dismantling computers was raised. Contacting a friend they were excited to discover the R family had 5 computers not functioning which they were welcome to have. Ideally it was hoped they could salvage at least 2 for the R family. A triage was formed, computers were gutted and parts moved around. Computer lingo began being bandied about; PC, DDR and DDR2 rams, LED fans, motherboards, hardrives, graphic cards, megabytes, gigabytes, kilobytes, terrabytes, CPU chips all became common words in our family…
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Geography for Highschool
This year my three teenagers have been using Brenda Runkle’s ‘World Physical Geography’, this is the first time we have used a formal approach to geography. As Koala has just finished the program (she has crammed a year’s program into 6 months) I have interviewed her as my guest poster:) Welcome Koala:) I’d like to ask you some questions about your World Physical geography studies, thank you for taking the time to answer. Was this program written as a text book or a living book? It wasn’t a text book in the dry sense of the word, but more a living book with text questions. Each chapter had revision questions…
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Direction For Our Highschoolers
This year finds us with three highschoolers, and even more sobering, our oldest is in Grade 11! *(Highschool in NSW, Australia is Grades 7- 12) We spent time in the holidays prayerfully discerning our direction, and consequently decided on some new materials (and old). In thanks to friends and fellow bloggers who have supported and inspired, we share with you. Faith – Didache Series (Complete Course) We are very, very happy with our choice. It was time for a systematic approach. They are attractive, modern looking, with a thorough content. Maths – Mathematics.com.au These are online/disc programs. Concepts are introduced and explained then work given. Children then enter their answers…
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Studying World War 1
This coming term we will be studying World War 1. I have been compiling lists of books to read and planning research questions and activities. I thought I would share here as they may be of use to others, obviously the questions are of an Australian nature. Movies * Dad to preview suitability for Koala (15) Gallipoli Cooking Make Anzac Biscuits Activity Create a Soldiers or Nurses Uniform, or Dig a Trench. Research and Writing Each of the following should be at least 1 paragraph long, many lend themselves to longer.Create a personal timeline of important dates, also add dates to the Family Timeline book. Include maps where relevant to…
