The school year isn't quite over yet, but we're coming down the homestretch. We'll be taking a break for July and August -- The Peanut has 4 weeks of summer camp lined up and (if we get enough sign-ups), I'll be running four weeks of summer camps for the music school I'm involved with. Between camps, vacations, and just the need for some downtime, we cannot (nor we probably ever will be) one of those year-round schooling kind of families.
As I look ahead to next school year -- which I've been doing now for several months -- it's helpful to reflect on what worked and didn't work.
Scheduling. This year, I got rid of the notion of "school vacation weeks". Last year, I found it really challenging to get us back on track if we took more than a long weekend off. Our school weeks have ranged from 2 days to a full 5 days - most are 4 or 5 day weeks. Occasionally we even did school on the weekend. I found that this gave me more flexibility than trying to stick to a more standard routine, but it wasn't without its issues.
The issue actually lies in the balance of my work life and my teacher life. Currently, I work on the afternoons of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We have a nanny that watches The Peanut when I'm working. Tuesday mornings, we meet with the home school group for a couple of hours. Thursday afternoon is gymnastics. We will occasionally meet with the home school on Thursday and/or Friday mornings as well. While I can rely on the nanny to handle some things for school, I don't want her to do the entire lesson plan for a day. While I have done this in the past with our previous nanny, I feel that it's different now -- Wombat and I are the ones who are responsible for educating The Peanut, not the nanny. Further, the previous nanny was an early childhood education major who brought a lot to the table in this area, so I felt she really rounded out, if not augmented what we were doing. The current nanny has different strengths and still augments what we do, but in a very different way. My point is this: we have a limited time each week for The Peanut and I to sit down and get our work done so if something comes up, I need to do a bit of juggling across the coming weeks to make sure that I'm comfortable that we're doing enough.
In reality, I'm sure that I'm being overly anal about the whole thing as I suspect that we have gotten more done this year than most grade schoolers - and the added bonus is that we're having fun while we're doing it (most of the time, at least). I also know that she's experienced stuff this year that a lot of kids don't, so that's a win as well. I will probably continue to be anal about this one aspect, though, because it is my nature. I'm OK with this because I've learned to let it go on many other fronts.
Academics. Here's where I've learned a great deal. Overall, I think the academic plan I decided to try this year was successful. I can't say The Peanut loved every second of it, but overall, she got into much of what we were doing and has learned a ton. (Despite this, if you ask her what she learned for school today, her answer will be "I don't know".)
Language Arts - The big hit here was "Poem of the Week". Every week we pick a new poem, read it, study it for rhyming, alliteration, etc. She gets to illustrate a copy and put it in a binder. We also pick out words for vocabulary and spelling. I will continue this next year which will fit nicely with the language arts curriculum we'll be using as it also has a large poetry component to it.
Everything else had its ups and downs. I know she's not a fan of the handwriting practice, but she does see the improvement as we do it. Spelling is spelling. She actually really enjoyed the grammar text I picked for the year, though, I did have to do a lot of modifications/acceleration to keep her interested as it was very repetitious. We also did tons of writing. I used a writing workbook for exercises but also frequently branched out and did other stuff like poetry. We also write letters almost every week -- something that she really seems to enjoy doing. (I think it helps that when she writes to my mom, my mom takes the time to write a short letter back to her).
One major win is that The Peanut is starting to ask to learn certain things. A very recent example comes out of spelling where she has a hard time remembering using 'ck' versus 'k' or 'c'. She specifically asked me if we could do a unit on that, so I stepped away from our Spectrum spelling book, and made her a week's worth of activities.
Math - Originally we were going to stick with the curriculum that we used last school year - mainly because it was in my comfort zone. Within a week or two of starting school, I decided to scrap it and went with CSMP Math - the best decision of the year. We still have our challenging days where The Peanut decides that she's all done thinking about this stuff, but there are so many components in this program that she enjoys that even if she didn't like a concept the first time around, when it shows up again embedded in a Detective Story, a story book, or a String Game (Venn Diagrams), she's all over it without a word of complaint. We'll be sticking with CSMP for the long haul, I suspect.
Science - This has turned into a mixed bag. I bought two different curricula and merged them together as I liked what each had to offer. I did not want to write my own science curricula mainly because I did it the previous year and I was a little burnt out from it. Overall, science was good and The Peanut got a lot out of it, but I've learned over this year, that this is one area that needs more customization than I could easily do with the packaged solutions. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it -- I just always feel like it could be a little better. I've already begun writing my own science curriculum for next year using a series of books (Building Foundations for Scientific Learning) as a guide. I'm writing things up a little differently so I (hopefully) don't get burnt out this time around. My experience with planning the history lessons has really helped me get better organized for writing up science.
History - We are working our way the The Story of the World Series. We're not even halfway through the first book, and that's OK. I wish more curricula was created like this as it presents a basic lesson and then a whole pile of activities and additional resources that you can use (or not) as you choose. I use a ton of their resources and will often times spend several weeks on one chapter in the text book. It allows us to go deep and I'm finding that's what The Peanut really thrives on. I see us using this series for the long haul.
Arts - The Peanut started piano lessons this year with a great teacher and seems to be really enjoying it. Her perfectionism gets in her way and it's been a constant dialogue between her and I about how it's OK to make mistakes. (The perfectionist in me gets where her head is at). Instead of classes at WAM this year, she meets with her teacher from WAM for art lessons as our schedules and finances allow. It helps that I'm friends with her teacher, but I think The Peanut really enjoys the one-on-one attention and has shown some real talent in this area. Again, the perfectionism gets in her way on occasion, but her teacher is really good about not letting her take herself too seriously.
Friends - If I had a buck for every time someone asks me about whether The Peanut has a social life or not, I could be like one of those famous movie stars who think homeschooling their kids involves hiring several expensive tutors to do all the work. (Oh the bon-bons I could eat while someone else runs The Peanut through her math facts...)
The Peanut has a better social life than I ever did. She has a wide variety of friends and at least 4 or 5 very close friends who she can truly relate to on one level or another. In our home school group, there are two other only-children who are incredibly intelligent and creative -- kindred spirits for her. Likewise, church is a rich social place for her where she has many friends of varying ages. While it is a little more work for me to make sure that she sees her friends regularly, I think it's better quality time together than trying to cram in that time over recess or lunch period. All the things they say about homeschooler friendships being meaningful and strong (and perhaps sometimes better than what you get when you get thrown into a room full of your age-mates) is absolutely true - at least for The Peanut.
Overall, a very successful year. She and I have both learned a lot and have had a bunch of fun along the way. Looking ahead to next year, I see where some tweaks can be made to make it even better for both of us... but that's fodder for another post.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Giving Thanks
I am, of course, thankful for the roof over my head and the food on my plate. But there's so much more that I'm thankful that a quick little list just can't adequately describe. So at the risk of sounding a little sappy, here's what I'm thankful for right now:
My totally awesome family. I have a wonderful husband who continues to support this crazy career of mine while we homeschool The Peanut. This has not always been easy, but we continue to make it work. I also have a really cool, smart little kid who continues to amaze me on a daily basis.
My really cool friends. I have several friends that even if I don't see for awhile, we can pick up where ever we last left off and just keep going. I am also blessed with a couple friends who are also mentors. The one thing I can guarantee with just about any of my friends that if we're together, we're going to laugh and have fun.
My cat. Seriously. My cat Pandora is my BFFF (Best Furry Friend Forever). She spends a good bit of her time either in my lap or snuggling next to me. At night, she sleeps next to my pillow. She follows me around like I would imagine a dog would and has a personality like no other cat I've ever owned.
My church. I am not terribly religious, but I was raised Presbyterian and I do believe in a God. Church started as a gig for me a little over 10 years ago. I thought it was cool to be paid to do something that I would do for free and I didn't really care what I was singing so long as I was singing something. My boss turned out to be amazing and took me under his wing -- see above about my cool friends. Overtime, the choir became a second family for me. I ended up joining the church and while the music program is still my primary focus, I have become involved in a number of facets.
Music. It's my life. I am one of those people who almost always has a song stuck in their head. (Right now, it's "Rejoice Greatly" from Handel's Messiah since I am preparing it for an upcoming gig. Give me 5 minutes and I'll probably be mentally running another movement even though I don't mean to do it...) Anyways, I can't imagine what the heck I'd be if I didn't have music. Even if I didn't teach, I'd still find somewhere to sing and make music. For me, teaching is icing on the cake - it gives me the chance to share my passion. I think this is doubly cool with kids -- to watch them make connections and creat their own music makes me indescribably happy.
Games. Board games, card games, Wii, Dungeons & Dragons... you name it. I love games. What I'm most thankful for, though, is how they bring people together. Whether it's the hubby, Peanut and me trying to escape Forbidden Island, a whole bunch of my word-smithing friends duking it out over Bananagrams, or The Bickering Eight fighting the latest battle (either with a dragon or amongst themselves), it's a chance to connect, play, and be silly for awhile.
I really do feel blessed for everything that's going on in my life right now. And for that, I'm very thankful.
My totally awesome family. I have a wonderful husband who continues to support this crazy career of mine while we homeschool The Peanut. This has not always been easy, but we continue to make it work. I also have a really cool, smart little kid who continues to amaze me on a daily basis.
My really cool friends. I have several friends that even if I don't see for awhile, we can pick up where ever we last left off and just keep going. I am also blessed with a couple friends who are also mentors. The one thing I can guarantee with just about any of my friends that if we're together, we're going to laugh and have fun.
My cat. Seriously. My cat Pandora is my BFFF (Best Furry Friend Forever). She spends a good bit of her time either in my lap or snuggling next to me. At night, she sleeps next to my pillow. She follows me around like I would imagine a dog would and has a personality like no other cat I've ever owned.
My church. I am not terribly religious, but I was raised Presbyterian and I do believe in a God. Church started as a gig for me a little over 10 years ago. I thought it was cool to be paid to do something that I would do for free and I didn't really care what I was singing so long as I was singing something. My boss turned out to be amazing and took me under his wing -- see above about my cool friends. Overtime, the choir became a second family for me. I ended up joining the church and while the music program is still my primary focus, I have become involved in a number of facets.
Music. It's my life. I am one of those people who almost always has a song stuck in their head. (Right now, it's "Rejoice Greatly" from Handel's Messiah since I am preparing it for an upcoming gig. Give me 5 minutes and I'll probably be mentally running another movement even though I don't mean to do it...) Anyways, I can't imagine what the heck I'd be if I didn't have music. Even if I didn't teach, I'd still find somewhere to sing and make music. For me, teaching is icing on the cake - it gives me the chance to share my passion. I think this is doubly cool with kids -- to watch them make connections and creat their own music makes me indescribably happy.
Games. Board games, card games, Wii, Dungeons & Dragons... you name it. I love games. What I'm most thankful for, though, is how they bring people together. Whether it's the hubby, Peanut and me trying to escape Forbidden Island, a whole bunch of my word-smithing friends duking it out over Bananagrams, or The Bickering Eight fighting the latest battle (either with a dragon or amongst themselves), it's a chance to connect, play, and be silly for awhile.
I really do feel blessed for everything that's going on in my life right now. And for that, I'm very thankful.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Balance... or am I just crazy and biting off way more than I can chew?!
School starts for us the week of August 29th, so of course I get tagged for jury duty for that Monday. The court system of Worcester County must really like me because I also went for jury duty almost 6 years ago when I was pregnant with The Peanut. Needless to say, school will be delayed by a day. I doubt The Peanut will complain too much -- I think on one level, she's ready to get back to school and the routine it offers her. I know she thinks she likes having time on her hands, but I find that her attitude gets pretty bad after awhile -- especially after a couple of days of rain. Our schedule should still allow for plenty of outside time on the nice days. I won't keep her chained to her school table all day...
This year marks Kindergarten for The Peanut. Last year, I was perfectly content to share the schooling with our nanny because I considered it a "gravy" year. Technically, this year is another "gravy" year, but since I had to actually call the school and tell them she wouldn't be showing up for Kindergarten orientation, it feels more official. (In Massachusetts, a parent doesn't have to file paperwork to homeschool until the child turns 6... The Peanut is 5.) So I feel like the burden of educating The Peanut should fall much more squarely on my shoulders (and my husband's as his schedule allows). Please don't get me wrong -- the nanny has done a wonderful job helping me -- lots of great ideas and a different perspective. I think for as long as she sits for The Peanut, she will always help -- just not as much as this past year. This transition is made easier (or is being forced, depending on how you want to look at it) by her need to cut back her hours because of her course load. I really am looking forward to taking on the vast majority of the school work -- the last couple of months have been spent prepping for this year and I'm really excited about what's coming up.
This year also marks the start of Shrewsbury Arts Alive. The rumors of its death were greatly exaggerated. It is in fact kicking off under Pakachoag Music School's umbrella. In reality, the church voting the program down was probably the best thing that could have happened to it. We're starting out with a stronger program selection right out of the gate. I also have a supportive board and some semblance of a budget to work with and a marketing team. And - most importantly - while this is still pretty much my baby, I am backed by a school that's been around for 30 years and a team of individuals who have tons of experience in this realm. How awesome is that? I will continue to see students privately while managing this program and acting as one of the music class instructors.
And this year marks the start of creative homeschooling. We will be one of those families who makes it fit within our crazy schedules. It may mean that The Peanut does not get to sleep until 10am in the morning -- she's much more of a night owl than a morning person. (Sadly, she's not so good at concentrating on school stuff much past dinnertime). And it may mean that at least one day a week, The Peanut will be doing schoolwork with me at the church as I need to be onsite because other instructors will be there -- I won't have much to do beyond turning on some lights and making sure the heat's turned up in the wintertime. Why not find a quiet place to do our lessons? It may also mean that my husband will have to take on some of the responsibility when he gets home in the evening or over the weekend. (I'll just be sure to save the lighter fare for him for both their sakes!)
So many firsts and exciting things this year for us. Juggling it all is a daunting task, but I look forward to the challenge!
This year marks Kindergarten for The Peanut. Last year, I was perfectly content to share the schooling with our nanny because I considered it a "gravy" year. Technically, this year is another "gravy" year, but since I had to actually call the school and tell them she wouldn't be showing up for Kindergarten orientation, it feels more official. (In Massachusetts, a parent doesn't have to file paperwork to homeschool until the child turns 6... The Peanut is 5.) So I feel like the burden of educating The Peanut should fall much more squarely on my shoulders (and my husband's as his schedule allows). Please don't get me wrong -- the nanny has done a wonderful job helping me -- lots of great ideas and a different perspective. I think for as long as she sits for The Peanut, she will always help -- just not as much as this past year. This transition is made easier (or is being forced, depending on how you want to look at it) by her need to cut back her hours because of her course load. I really am looking forward to taking on the vast majority of the school work -- the last couple of months have been spent prepping for this year and I'm really excited about what's coming up.
This year also marks the start of Shrewsbury Arts Alive. The rumors of its death were greatly exaggerated. It is in fact kicking off under Pakachoag Music School's umbrella. In reality, the church voting the program down was probably the best thing that could have happened to it. We're starting out with a stronger program selection right out of the gate. I also have a supportive board and some semblance of a budget to work with and a marketing team. And - most importantly - while this is still pretty much my baby, I am backed by a school that's been around for 30 years and a team of individuals who have tons of experience in this realm. How awesome is that? I will continue to see students privately while managing this program and acting as one of the music class instructors.
And this year marks the start of creative homeschooling. We will be one of those families who makes it fit within our crazy schedules. It may mean that The Peanut does not get to sleep until 10am in the morning -- she's much more of a night owl than a morning person. (Sadly, she's not so good at concentrating on school stuff much past dinnertime). And it may mean that at least one day a week, The Peanut will be doing schoolwork with me at the church as I need to be onsite because other instructors will be there -- I won't have much to do beyond turning on some lights and making sure the heat's turned up in the wintertime. Why not find a quiet place to do our lessons? It may also mean that my husband will have to take on some of the responsibility when he gets home in the evening or over the weekend. (I'll just be sure to save the lighter fare for him for both their sakes!)
So many firsts and exciting things this year for us. Juggling it all is a daunting task, but I look forward to the challenge!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Puttin' my teacher hat on.
School starts for us on August 29, 2011 and will run through mid-June 2012. It will end no later than June 22nd, but we may finish up a little sooner than that. This year, aside from a scheduled break around Christmas -- because, really, it's busy enough as it is -- we aren't doing formal school vacations. I've found them pretty difficult to recover from this past school year. Instead, a school week will have 3 - 5 days in it. The 3 day weeks are around holidays that I know the hubby and I will more than likely be off work. The rest of the weeks are either 4 or 5 days -- if we did it as I have roughly mapped out in my little planner calendar, 180-ish days hits the week of June 22nd. If The Peanut decides to work ahead on a short week and do 5 days instead of 4, then I can shave time off the end. I figure this system will give us tons of flexibility for impromptu field trips, sick days, and don't-wanna days. This is an experiment -- we shall see how it works. If after a month or two it is making me crazy, then we'll go back to school vacation weeks.
Stuff we'll be working on...
Language Arts:
Stuff we'll be working on...
Language Arts:
- Grammar: First Language Lessons Levels 1 & 2
- Spelling: Spectrum Spelling, Grade 2
- Writing: Spectrum Writing, Grade 1
- Hand-writing: Zaner-Bloser Hand-writing, Grade 1
- Reading, Reading, and more reading.
Since The Peanut likes writing her stories and has recently taken a huge interest in poetry, the Spectrum book will be heavily supplemented with other materials. I have a couple sourcebooks around making books with children. I also have a list of resources (books and websites) for grade school poetry writing. Each week, I'll sprinkle something in from one of these sources to keep her on her toes. Also, since some of the Spectrum Grade 1 book is material we've covered this year in other sources, we'll be skipping some of it. I anticipate getting into the Grade 2 book before the end of the school year.
As for what we'll read, some of it will be stuff I'll have her select either from her own personal library or from the public library. I'll also find things that I think will interest her that she may not pick for herself. Last school, I picked all the reading. This year, I'm going to give her at least some of the responsibility. There will also be plenty of reading to do for History and Science. Honestly, it doesn't matter what I put in front of her (within reason) -- she absolutely loves to read and does so every chance she gets.
Math:
We're starting the school year with Saxon 3. We started this a couple of months before the end of this school year. With skips for repetition, we're about halfway through it. I am not sure what we'll be doing when we finish up. I am leaning towards moving over to Singapore Math and supplementing with Life of Fred "Before High School Mathematics" series. This is something that I will explore further in the Fall once I get everything else squared away. We may go to Saxon 4, but it kills me to pay for all the material and really only use half of it -- even used, Saxon isn't cheap.
History:
We'll be learning about ancient cultures using Story of the World, Volume 1. Using their teacher guide, I'm taking each chapter at least a little deeper than the high level overview each chapter provides. I highly doubt we'll get through the entire book this year. Instead, we'll finish it up at the beginning of the following school year. We've got time and I think it will be fun exploring this time period. Most everything for the school year has required only basic planning. Since I want to go deep with this, I have been spending most of school prep time on this - a process that I've actually enjoyed doing.
Science:
I am taking the advice of a couple of moms who have science/math kids -- which The Peanut is -- and am starting with the basics. This year will be all about Chemistry using two sources: Elemental Science and Real Science 4 Kids. I like Real Science 4 Kids quite a bit, but with only 10 chapters, it isn't enough to use it by itself for an entire school year. I toyed with supplementing each chapter and basically writing my own material -- at this level, it's fairly easy to do so, but I only have so much time. Elemental Science is close to a full year's worth of material by itself, but doesn't do as good of a job (in my opinion) explaining the basics. It does however do a good job of taking the basics to the next step. The two programs combined make for a nice elementary school chemistry program.
Spanish:
We may pick this up again. We had to stop working on Spanish this past year because it was turning into an exercise in frustration for The Peanut. I think she likes the idea of learning a foreign language, but doesn't like that it's a lot of drill work and practice to actually do anything with it. We were using a program put out by Hooked on Phonics on her computer and I was supplementing with activities, songs, and worksheets from a couple of different sources. The last level on the HOP program was challenging and required concentration. The Peanut gets frustrated if she doesn't get something on the first or second try -- and this level required several more than a couple tries in many instances. I may wait and start Spanish a month or two into school (or even after the holidays). Learning Spanish was The Peanut's idea so I'm happy to support her efforts to learn it and provide resources, but I do not consider this a priority at the moment. Since many of the materials for other subjects will be new and the routine is new, I'd rather get her settled into these before figuring out how to fit Spanish in.
Art:
We will probably continue taking classes at the Worcester Art Museum. If we cannot fit one of their classes in our schedule, I may ask the teacher to come work with us one-on-one (or organize something for area homeschoolers with her). Since I am friends with the teacher, I don't see this as being a big deal to do. History also gives us a chance to do some art appreciation as well, though I think she prefers to make masterpieces over viewing them.
Music:
Time permitting, I'll give her piano lessons to teach her the basics. I have a fantastic teacher lined up for her when she gets a little older. He has asked that I get her going with the basics and he will take over when she reaches a certain point.
Physical Education:
Although I am questioning how interested she really is in it, she has asked to take gymnastics again this year. I personally believe that she enjoys just getting out of the house and doing something. We will probably explore other options through a neighboring town's recreation department as well as a local health club that has a great kids fitness and swimming program. Since one of her grandparents has generously offered to pay for gymnastics next year, we'll sign up for a half year and see how it's going around the holidays.
Other stuff:
A local homeschool group loosely organizes a girl scout group. It's not a troop, but instead, a bunch of Juliettes (independently registered girl scouts who aren't affiliated with a troop) who get together once or twice a month for field trips, craft projects, etc. The Peanut has expressed an interest in participating as a Daisy. Since it's low-cost and fairly low-commitment and a great social opportunity, we will do that.
The Peanut will also continue to participate in our church's Cherub Choir -- our choir for 4 - 7 year olds.
It looks like it will be another busy year for The Peanut -- lots for us to look forward to!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Start-ups, Politics, and Crazy Ideas
Several months ago, my boss, Malcolm, and I had a crazy idea to start a music school. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea at the time: Shrewsbury loves the arts and they love their kids participating in them. Shrewsbury, like most school districts, don't offer as much in the way of arts education as they once did. Granted, they're still better than some. And Shrewsbury doesn't have a full-service performing arts school -- lots of places to take lessons and some one-off programs here and there, but by and large, nothing on-going.
Malcolm and I put together a great package that included group music classes on a variety of topics, a theater program, and even some visual arts classes. I had several top-notch teachers lined up who were excited about the program. While we certainly planned on starting with the youngsters, we had a vision of expanding our classes to include adults as well in all three areas. Our plan was to include it under the existing music ministry at the church. The school itself would be secular, but he and I saw plenty of opportunity to expand upon church offerings and programs using the resources that the school would have in place.
Our church loves politics. And here's where our grand idea gets squished. After several months of back-and-forth, the church decided that this school was too risky. Despite having seed money squared away, a built-in student base from several sources, and tons of excitement from younger families -- families that already participate in our church as well as others outside the church -- the school was killed in committee. Our timing was off. Those that were most excited about the school were not around for the vote given that it finally happened early last week. Also, true to form, as one sub-committee asked for one thing, another one was unhappy with the answer/result. Sadly, the school could have benefited everyone -- even if they did not directly participate in it -- because it meant an additional income for the church as well as new offerings for church programming. Nevermind that it would be a great marketing tool for the church.
We were told, instead, that we would need to form a separate entity - most likely a 501(c)3 non-profit - and then apply for space usage (and pay a fee for that space). So the church would still get its income with none of the "risk" or side-benefits. The problem is that in making this decision, the church overstepped what it could decide for us -- entity type, governance, etc. While we can certainly ignore some of the church's decision, Malcolm is rightfully hesitant to move forward. He's busy enough for three people - another board, another organization, etc would probably tip the scales for him. I'm right there with him -- as it was, this was going to be a challenge for me to juggle next year. The added stress of putting together a separate non-profit would probably be too much unless he and I draw in more help from the get-go..
I have a few options to explore for this, but I fear that our great idea is dead in the water unless people show a ton of enthusiasm and push for it. As of right now, I'm tired and more than a little burnt out from the process. The lack of vision and possibility continually astounds me but it is what it is. The next month will be spent regrouping and figuring out options (if any).
Malcolm and I put together a great package that included group music classes on a variety of topics, a theater program, and even some visual arts classes. I had several top-notch teachers lined up who were excited about the program. While we certainly planned on starting with the youngsters, we had a vision of expanding our classes to include adults as well in all three areas. Our plan was to include it under the existing music ministry at the church. The school itself would be secular, but he and I saw plenty of opportunity to expand upon church offerings and programs using the resources that the school would have in place.
Our church loves politics. And here's where our grand idea gets squished. After several months of back-and-forth, the church decided that this school was too risky. Despite having seed money squared away, a built-in student base from several sources, and tons of excitement from younger families -- families that already participate in our church as well as others outside the church -- the school was killed in committee. Our timing was off. Those that were most excited about the school were not around for the vote given that it finally happened early last week. Also, true to form, as one sub-committee asked for one thing, another one was unhappy with the answer/result. Sadly, the school could have benefited everyone -- even if they did not directly participate in it -- because it meant an additional income for the church as well as new offerings for church programming. Nevermind that it would be a great marketing tool for the church.
We were told, instead, that we would need to form a separate entity - most likely a 501(c)3 non-profit - and then apply for space usage (and pay a fee for that space). So the church would still get its income with none of the "risk" or side-benefits. The problem is that in making this decision, the church overstepped what it could decide for us -- entity type, governance, etc. While we can certainly ignore some of the church's decision, Malcolm is rightfully hesitant to move forward. He's busy enough for three people - another board, another organization, etc would probably tip the scales for him. I'm right there with him -- as it was, this was going to be a challenge for me to juggle next year. The added stress of putting together a separate non-profit would probably be too much unless he and I draw in more help from the get-go..
I have a few options to explore for this, but I fear that our great idea is dead in the water unless people show a ton of enthusiasm and push for it. As of right now, I'm tired and more than a little burnt out from the process. The lack of vision and possibility continually astounds me but it is what it is. The next month will be spent regrouping and figuring out options (if any).
Realities
When something doesn't fit into your reality, you have a coping mechanism. Some people are open-minded and want to learn about it. Some people block the offending item out of their mind. Other people try to force it to be what they think it should be. And this is where we pick up the story.
This week, I have heard more times than I can count, "Well. I've never seen a 5-year-old act like that." This being said as if the person saying it has had experience with many 5-year-olds in life. The one she had the most experience with was me. Since I am an only child, all my cousins are older, and my mother doesn't have a bunch of friends with kids near my age (then or now), I can't say that she has a wealth of experience to draw upon in this department. While I do not particularly want to get into the details of my childhood, I will say this: aside from looking like me, my daughter is almost nothing like I was at that age. While I was relatively compliant, she is strong-willed and stubborn. While I was happy to go with the flow and learn at an age-appropriate pace (and push myself behind the scenes), she pushes for more information every chance she gets. And when she's bored, look out! While I could read simple picture books, she reads chapter books. While I probably could only do real basic math, she knows a good portion of her multiplication facts.
I have never had my daughter formally tested, but my research and reading tells me that she's probably on the high end of "exceptionally gifted" if not "profoundly gifted". This basically means that her IQ is high. Possibly really high. Having spent a lot of time around smart people -- including The Peanut -- I'm finding that often times when the IQ is high, it's made up for some other way. The brain is just too darn busy to care about social graces and/or the personal comfort of it's human. (Or in more extreme cases, the gifted kid has a learning disability or something cognitive that mucks up the thinking process). Anyways, not having had The Peanut tested, I cannot tell you her IQ nor can I tell you exactly what her other "issues" are in a clinical sense. My mommy sense will describe her tantrums as epic, some of her sensitivities as strange, and her obsessiveness as frustrating. For an outsider looking in -- especially when a tantrum is in full-swing or one of those sensitivities is rearing it's ugly head -- The Peanut probably looks like a strange little character.
Is she really five or is she a two-year-old? Because let's face it, most five years can hold it together a little better than that. Right? And thus has been the mantra of my mother this week. Right along with associated guilt aimed towards me because obviously, since she's acting this way, my earthy-crunchy parenting style has allowed her to turn into his terribly behaved child. Nevermind that this our "normal" and that no shaming, belittling, or yelling at her when she goes into orbit over the latest crisis is going to get her to calm down any faster. In fact, it just adds to the noise. And my headache.
I have less than 36 hours here. I am so very ready to go home. At the same time, I'd like to fix this just a little. My mother will probably never change her reaction entirely, but to somehow help her better understand her granddaughter just a little bit would be huge. She is proud of The Peanut (and encouraging) when she displays the "good" side of being gifted. She thinks the reading and the math and all the other cool stuff she does is great. But to only accept one side of a someone's personality is not accepting the person. And like it or not, our brilliant little Peanut can also be a screaming, irrational little monster of a kid. Some weeks, the little monster stays away. Some weeks -- like this one where we're having a growth spurt and we're away from home with a screwed up schedule - the little monster comes out to play frequently.
I've come to accept and love the little monster side of The Peanut. I've even learned several tricks along the way to help her through the rough patches. If Grandma could get to know her just a little bit, she might actually be able to truly help the next time The Peanut aims herself at the nearest passing satellite instead of helping to launch her into it.
This week, I have heard more times than I can count, "Well. I've never seen a 5-year-old act like that." This being said as if the person saying it has had experience with many 5-year-olds in life. The one she had the most experience with was me. Since I am an only child, all my cousins are older, and my mother doesn't have a bunch of friends with kids near my age (then or now), I can't say that she has a wealth of experience to draw upon in this department. While I do not particularly want to get into the details of my childhood, I will say this: aside from looking like me, my daughter is almost nothing like I was at that age. While I was relatively compliant, she is strong-willed and stubborn. While I was happy to go with the flow and learn at an age-appropriate pace (and push myself behind the scenes), she pushes for more information every chance she gets. And when she's bored, look out! While I could read simple picture books, she reads chapter books. While I probably could only do real basic math, she knows a good portion of her multiplication facts.
I have never had my daughter formally tested, but my research and reading tells me that she's probably on the high end of "exceptionally gifted" if not "profoundly gifted". This basically means that her IQ is high. Possibly really high. Having spent a lot of time around smart people -- including The Peanut -- I'm finding that often times when the IQ is high, it's made up for some other way. The brain is just too darn busy to care about social graces and/or the personal comfort of it's human. (Or in more extreme cases, the gifted kid has a learning disability or something cognitive that mucks up the thinking process). Anyways, not having had The Peanut tested, I cannot tell you her IQ nor can I tell you exactly what her other "issues" are in a clinical sense. My mommy sense will describe her tantrums as epic, some of her sensitivities as strange, and her obsessiveness as frustrating. For an outsider looking in -- especially when a tantrum is in full-swing or one of those sensitivities is rearing it's ugly head -- The Peanut probably looks like a strange little character.
Is she really five or is she a two-year-old? Because let's face it, most five years can hold it together a little better than that. Right? And thus has been the mantra of my mother this week. Right along with associated guilt aimed towards me because obviously, since she's acting this way, my earthy-crunchy parenting style has allowed her to turn into his terribly behaved child. Nevermind that this our "normal" and that no shaming, belittling, or yelling at her when she goes into orbit over the latest crisis is going to get her to calm down any faster. In fact, it just adds to the noise. And my headache.
I have less than 36 hours here. I am so very ready to go home. At the same time, I'd like to fix this just a little. My mother will probably never change her reaction entirely, but to somehow help her better understand her granddaughter just a little bit would be huge. She is proud of The Peanut (and encouraging) when she displays the "good" side of being gifted. She thinks the reading and the math and all the other cool stuff she does is great. But to only accept one side of a someone's personality is not accepting the person. And like it or not, our brilliant little Peanut can also be a screaming, irrational little monster of a kid. Some weeks, the little monster stays away. Some weeks -- like this one where we're having a growth spurt and we're away from home with a screwed up schedule - the little monster comes out to play frequently.
I've come to accept and love the little monster side of The Peanut. I've even learned several tricks along the way to help her through the rough patches. If Grandma could get to know her just a little bit, she might actually be able to truly help the next time The Peanut aims herself at the nearest passing satellite instead of helping to launch her into it.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I'll take an order of Calculus with a side of English Lit.
Recently, the Wall Street Journal published this article discussing how public schools across the country are starting to charge for classes, sports, and extracurriculars. I know that this practice isn't a new one -- some schools have charged for their sports and extracurriculars all along. Increasingly smaller budgets makes it impossible for schools to offer various programs and activities for free -- the rationale is if the school charges a fee for it, it frees up money to be spent elsewhere.
If the fees were only for sports or extracurriculars, I probably would not have as big of a problem with this idea, so long as accommodations were made for low-income students who wanted to participate. This isn't the case, though. Many schools are charging for academics -- and some of those schools do not offer any financial help in the process. For example, "Dakota Ridge High in Littleton, Colo., charges sophomores $15 for basic 10th grade English but $50 for honors, which uses additional materials. Juniors can take basic English for $8 or pay $75—plus a test fee of about $90—for Advanced Placement English Literature". This may not seem all that bad until you consider how this adds up over a number of classes and extracurriculars when a family has multiple kids. One family from Ohio profiled in the article paid nearly $4500 for a year of public school for their children and were forced to keep their daughter out of chorus so they didn't run up the cost further. Other schools have stopped offering more advanced classes altogether forcing families to look for these classes at local colleges.
Given that a private school price tag can run $15k - $20k per year, $4500 seems like a bargain. With that said, what about the low-income kids who can't afford $4500? Are they to be denied the opportunity to take an advanced chemistry class or an A/P English class because their parents can't afford it? What about students who are talented in sports or music? Some schools even charge for their extracurricular service organizations -- programs such as SADD. This country puts a lot of weight and value on a college education. Many of these types of programs factor heavily into college and scholarship applications. What happens to those kids who don't have the opportunity to participate because they couldn't afford the fees? (And yes, one could argue about the value of that college education versus some manner of vocational or trade school. That may be the subject of another blog entry one of these days...)
And what about the gifted low-income kids? Gifted programs are non-existent in many school districts. Many argue that the enrichment programs that were offered to gifted kids were a joke -- and in some cases, this is absolutely true. Now it's harder for the academically advanced kids to get the classes they need -- unless mom or dad can pony up the cash. I've heard time and again how the smart kids can just manage on their own. They don't need anything special to do it. For some super motivated kids, that can be true. I was one of those motivated kids -- I did have free access to advanced and A/P classes and I took them. I also found ways to challenge myself outside the classroom all on my own. There are just as many kids out there that need guidance and materials; they want to learn this stuff but just can't do it on their own. What about them?
I wish I had some grand solution that would solve these problems. Kids need opportunity to explore -- which makes sports, the arts, service organizations, and (of course) academics so very important. How do you put a price tag on these needs? Or, maybe more importantly, how do we remove the existing price tag?
If the fees were only for sports or extracurriculars, I probably would not have as big of a problem with this idea, so long as accommodations were made for low-income students who wanted to participate. This isn't the case, though. Many schools are charging for academics -- and some of those schools do not offer any financial help in the process. For example, "Dakota Ridge High in Littleton, Colo., charges sophomores $15 for basic 10th grade English but $50 for honors, which uses additional materials. Juniors can take basic English for $8 or pay $75—plus a test fee of about $90—for Advanced Placement English Literature". This may not seem all that bad until you consider how this adds up over a number of classes and extracurriculars when a family has multiple kids. One family from Ohio profiled in the article paid nearly $4500 for a year of public school for their children and were forced to keep their daughter out of chorus so they didn't run up the cost further. Other schools have stopped offering more advanced classes altogether forcing families to look for these classes at local colleges.
Given that a private school price tag can run $15k - $20k per year, $4500 seems like a bargain. With that said, what about the low-income kids who can't afford $4500? Are they to be denied the opportunity to take an advanced chemistry class or an A/P English class because their parents can't afford it? What about students who are talented in sports or music? Some schools even charge for their extracurricular service organizations -- programs such as SADD. This country puts a lot of weight and value on a college education. Many of these types of programs factor heavily into college and scholarship applications. What happens to those kids who don't have the opportunity to participate because they couldn't afford the fees? (And yes, one could argue about the value of that college education versus some manner of vocational or trade school. That may be the subject of another blog entry one of these days...)
And what about the gifted low-income kids? Gifted programs are non-existent in many school districts. Many argue that the enrichment programs that were offered to gifted kids were a joke -- and in some cases, this is absolutely true. Now it's harder for the academically advanced kids to get the classes they need -- unless mom or dad can pony up the cash. I've heard time and again how the smart kids can just manage on their own. They don't need anything special to do it. For some super motivated kids, that can be true. I was one of those motivated kids -- I did have free access to advanced and A/P classes and I took them. I also found ways to challenge myself outside the classroom all on my own. There are just as many kids out there that need guidance and materials; they want to learn this stuff but just can't do it on their own. What about them?
I wish I had some grand solution that would solve these problems. Kids need opportunity to explore -- which makes sports, the arts, service organizations, and (of course) academics so very important. How do you put a price tag on these needs? Or, maybe more importantly, how do we remove the existing price tag?
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