Isn’t it fun to see God’s hand in the colors of fall? We have such a unique opportunity as home educating families to embrace this season with the purpose of learning. Whether your children are just beginning their educational journey or they are making plans for post-graduation, make this fall a season they will remember for years to come!
Not only does September bring the beginning of school and football; in the Orr household, it also kicks off hunting season. This year we were blessed to host family friends for the opening weekend of dove season.
Incorporating community service into your children’s lives has many benefits, particularly for older students planning to attend college or move into an apprenticeship or internship. Volunteer hours are an added bonus on any high school transcript and common practice in today’s college application process. The fact that your student participated in community service tells university administrators that they are involved in the world in which they live and that they desire to improve the lives of those around them.
I am NOT a water person. Let me rephrase that, I am not a lake water person. I’ve tried for years to be comfortable in water that is murky and smells of dead fish and dirt. Boat rides, sunburn, wind and waves are not something I long for when I think of time spent outdoors. I do love the water, but I love water that is familiar, clear and predictable.
I have a very important meeting today. It’s my parent-teacher meeting. You know, the one to which parents are summoned in order to discuss their child’s plan for the school year! Those meetings are vital to the child’s success, so it is important that I participate in this type of meeting as a home school parent. In our home, August is parent-teacher meeting month. It is a time for planning--and that includes a quiet table, cup of coffee, and opportunity to reflect on my role as both mother and teacher. The kids have chuckled over the years about the fact that I talk to myself all the time, but this particular time is so important. Simply put, it is my time to evaluate our educational goals and the goals for our children’s emotional and social growth from the perspective of a teacher.
In the 14 years my family has home educated I have had the honor of knowing many home school families. Each of these unique families “do school” differently. For many, the summer months include some type of formal schooling. Whether it is defined by writing intensives, unit studies, or simply a book report, they each require progress from their students. I, on the other hand, view the summer months as a time to decompress, get a plan together, and prepare for the new school year while recovering from the last one. I say that with a smile, but you know exactly what I mean!
Dictionary.com defines independence as “freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.”
What a great idea! Being free from the influence or control of others.
Having just celebrated the 4th of July, we’ve heard a lot about freedom and control these days. From choosing your gender to bearing arms, everyone has an opinion about what our freedoms should look like. We look at each situation, opportunity, or crisis through the lens of our own values, assigning a preferred outcome based on our beliefs.
It's always wise to respect the opposition and underscores the necessity of homeschooler involvement in judicial & legislative processes.
Listening, adjusting, focusing on what is truly important will help facilitate strong relationships as they grow to productive adults.
Sometimes it’s hard to guess which straw is finally going to break the camel's back, but other times the consequences are pretty clear. Our public schools have slowly become more secular and more liberal, and any semblance of family values that you can still find seems to be on its last dying breath.
