Learning, Exploring and Discovering: Our Homeschool Life: 3rd Quarter 2014-2015

Third quarter took it's sweet, sweet time to finish. . . It might have had something to do with the extra week I tagged on. We took an early Easter break in March to coincide with Dennis' school's break. I kept the quarter going for a 10th week so we could end before our week off.

In Bible we finished our study in Daniel and began our study in the book of Revelation. I really appreciated the inclusion of summary pages to stop and recap all that we were studying in each book. I've read through these books in my daily Bible reading before, but really taking the time to study them verse by verse has helped me to understand them so much better.

In science we covered the small mammals known as rodents (only a small nod to guinea pigs); insect-eating animals like hedgehogs and shrews; rabbits and pikas (they eat their own feces to get the most from their food - yuck!); gliding mammals called colugos (the size of a cat with the face of a dog and skin that stretches out like a parachute); platypuses (unlike Perry, they actually do things and are poisonous!) and echidnas; sloths, anteaters, armadillos (Texas road kill) and aardvarks (so unusual). Next we studied Ungulates which included elephants, horses, donkeys (I now know the difference between a donkey and a mule), zebras, rhinos and tapirs. This was followed by those cud-chewing ruminants - cows, antelopes, gazelles, impalas, wildebeests, bovines, bison and buffalo (yes, there is a difference; bison are found in North America; buffalo in Asia and Africa), goats, camels, deer, giraffes, okapis, pigs and hippos (the most feared animal in Africa). We ended the quarter learning about snakes, lizards, iguanas, geckos, skinks and tuataras (which give evidence of a world-wide flood because according to scientists, layers of rock represent millions of years. If this were so, then tuataras should be extinct; but they're not). God's creation is extraordinary.

We made good progress in history. We learned about the beginning of Islam and it's initial spread through Asia. Charles "The Hammer" Martel stopped the spread of Islam into Europe at the Battle of Tours. We learned about Wu Zetian, the only female leader of China, Charlemagne, the Vikings, the Maori of New Zealand, "Good King Wenceslas" and the Holy Roman Empire.

Ellie finished reading "The Bronze Bow" which I really enjoyed reading. Josh read about Benjamin Franklin and began the book "The Sign of the Beaver". I enjoyed this story about a teenage boy named Matt learning from an Indian boy not just how to survive in the woods, but also about the Indian boy's clan and their struggle to adapt to the increase of white men. Josh continued to learn about grammar and punctuation. He also did a poetry unit and had the chance to write some of his own. Ellie began her book study on "Big Red", a story about the friendship between a boy and his dog. Ellie also learned about poetry and continued grammar and punctuation rules. She was to write a research essay, so chose to write about cats.

I was so thankful for the opportunity to go on a couple of "big ticket" field trips this quarter. We went to Medieval Times in January. Perfect for our study of this time period. Josh was not too impressed, but Ellie and I enjoyed it. On Presidents' Day in February we took a family field trip to the Nixon Library. In March we were able to go to Legoland with our homeschool group. We had a great day as a family and with our friends. This was actually on the first day of our spring break. That same week we did a family field trip to the Reagan Library.

We also had fun celebrating Valentine's Day and Josh's 10th birthday. Following our week off we were ready to finish the year!

What's on my mind about homeschooling this quarter? High School. My husband tells me we don't have to think about this yet, but I can't help it. Junior High is only two years. We have to make a decision during 8th grade. Our possible options are continue homeschooling full time and take advantage of the "For Credit Classes" offered by our PSP. These might include math classes past Algebra, science classes that provide a lab, and/or electives. Students have the option to attend part time at Western Christian High School. I understand this means taking at least two classes to be eligible for sports and other on-campus activities; but the students still graduate with the PSP group. Or the kids could attend Dennis' school full time.

In the big picture of life and eternity, we don't feel the high school experience really matters. I think we both agree that kids can be equally prepared for college and life just as well if they homeschool full or part time. Finances play a part in our decision as does the kids' interest in outside activities. If Ellie remains interested in playing volleyball and/or basketball, we will need to make a choice that allows that to happen. Somehow I think paying for club volleyball might be cheaper than tuition. The kids have to consider that attending school means going everyday, homework, as well as the time to participate in activities/sports. If they attend high school part time, they still need to be accountable for the work we do on our own at home in addition to their class work.

I looked up the requirements for homeschooling for high school with our PSP. Besides being sure we are including the right coursework, there is a lot of paperwork to keep up with. But I feel that if this is what the Lord leads us to do, He will equip me to do it right. And I know that there are other "seasoned" moms in our PSP who can help as well as our administrator and other staff. So while I am "thinking" about it; I'm not worrying about it. We'll spend next year gathering information, praying and doing a lot of talking. In the end, I am confident we'll make the best choice for our girl and for our family as a whole.

Medieval Times