May 31, 2014

Notes From The Schoolroom...May 2014

And just like that...it's over. Our first year of cyber/homeschooling is complete. I am happy to say it was beyond successful. : ) I take none of the credit for that, however; my children are what made it work. I am so very proud of the way each one of them transitioned and took responsibility for his or her own work. I am so thankful for this year, and am excited for many more to come.


Madison is completing her junior year and is very happy. She did exceptionally well and was able to continue to work at Dairy Queen as a manager at the same time. That went a long way in helping her to understand concepts such as personal responsibility and time management skills. I would say she most enjoyed her Fashion Merchandising class. The thing I want to remember about this year with her is how she sat at her desk, headphones in, sipping her coffee and checking her phone. Multitasking at its finest. : )


Peyton is finishing her eighth grade year and is the hardest worker I have ever seen. She is also completely self motivated, and was always way ahead of schedule with her classes. She is dancing for joy that Geometry will now be a distant memory...at least until Rhett takes it and I need her help! The thing I want to remember about Peyton this year is when she asked for my help, before I even got the chance to respond or make it over to her desk, I would hear, "Never mind, Mom. I got it!"


Rhett is finishing his 6th grade year and has made the most progress.I am so happy at the progress he has made in working independently. At the beginning of the year, I needed to keep him on task with most of his classes. Now, he rarely asks for help at all. He does very well in Science and also enjoys Literature. One thing I want to remember about this year with Rhett is how he and I worked together in Math. When he was ready to submit an assignment for grading, he would grab my hand and say,"Are you ready, Mom?"


And my little 3 year old Preschooler, Flynn...I have enjoyed every minute with her this year. She has made strides in every area...letter recognition, formation, counting, small motor skills, and attention span. She loved school this year, and made it so much fun. The thing I want to remember about this year with my Flynn is simply sitting with her at her little white table. Every morning, she would wait for me and greet me with, "Hello, teacher!"


Things I'm loving...
  1. Spending everyday with my children
  2. Watching their progress
  3. Enjoying making our own schedule of learning
And not so much...
  1. I got nothing!

Here are some pictures of our last month of school this year!


We worked on lacing this month...


and she got the hang of it right away.


Finding these lacing cards with Olivia on them on Zulily helped quite a bit. : )


We learned about buds on trees and she painted some using a pencil eraser...


And another reason I am loving this...We read all about spring things...like flowers and leaves blooming from buds on trees, and tadpoles in water, and birds hatching from eggs...


and on daily walks after lunch, we were able to see each one of these things...not in books...


but right before our very eyes. : )


We painted outside using flowers...


and were pleased with the results. : )


These are the things I want to remember...


about our very first year


of learning at home.


And as if these wonderful memories are not enough...


my children and husband actually thanked ME for these wonderful days. : )


And wonderful days they were.
2013-2014 School Year...that's a wrap!
Thanks for the memories.

14 comments:

  1. You did it!! You ALL did it! You made it through your first year and thrived. Well done! So proud of all of your work and thank you for sharing your photos and schoolroom notes. They helped remind me as a seasoned homeschool mom of all the reasons why we started this gig in the first place. Thank you!
    I am quite interested in the cyber school name/program that you do. Would you share it or perhaps you can email me? Just curious.
    Blessings on your summer days, my friend.

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  2. A wonderful school year it seemed to be, and I hope your summer rest will be just as meaningful. Thanks for sharing your daily life with us.

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  3. Excellent! I'm glad it was everything you wanted it to be and more. I could tell before you started that it would go well, simply because you had such a desire to do this with your family. You knew in your heart this was where they were meant to be and you were right! Congratulations on a job well done.

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  4. Love that flower painting...great idea!! Congrats to a super duper year with family and you are a great mama AND teacher!

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  5. Wonderful. Congratulations all around. Blessings

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  6. Awesome! You are an incredible mom and teacher. I know mothers are always teachers, but homeschooling is going above and beyond. Lots of families I know don't always do it right. You and your children are an example of getting it right. Congraulations and i'm sure your summer will continue to be about life lessons.

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  7. Glad it went well. My son is not as self motivated as yours so our year of cyber school did not go as well. I am not sure if we should try it again next year or go to homeschool books and lessons instead of online. It is a tough job. You did so good with your year!

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  9. I love posts like this! Thank you for posting all your notes and takeaways! It is fun to read how everyone does homeschooling differently and what works for each family. I hope you all have a GREAT summer!

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  10. Oh Billie Jo...
    I am beyond happy for you and your sweet family.
    CONGRATULATIONS on your first year.
    I loved reading your notes on what you want to remember for each child...
    You are such a wonderful Mom in so so so many ways but it's this one (deciding to homeschool them... following your heart) that really impressed me. You remind me each day to remember to do what is best for my little family, to follow my instincts no matter what. I am so grateful for your example in motherhood and have so loved following you in your first year of homeschooling journey. xoxoxoxo tara

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  11. This is so great! Congratulations! You are wonderful, Billie Jo.

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  12. Hello Billie Jo,

    I am happy to see how well you all loved home schooling. It is the best life!

    Thanks for your visits and comments. I so enjoy seeing you at my blog.

    :)Hope

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  13. School's out for summer! Congrats! It seems like it really was such a great year for you all - so wonderful to see how everyone thrived!
    I'm sure you'll all enjoy the summer months too!

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  14. Wow! I loved this. Before I know it I'll be "homeschooling" Ava (she's a bit more stubborn than your sweet Flynn) and love these posts. I'm so proud of you my friend and that card from your children??? Oh my gosh, what awesome, amazing, thoughtful kids you have. Great job.

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Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo