Our Non-Home Education Journey: Week 2

We are on week two of our Great Foray into Public School.

Week One was a blur for us, but here are the highlights:

Friday: (first official day) We prayed before we left the house, and we ALL walked to school together. Ethan and I walked home (without stroller.) Questioned ability of toddler to walk to and from school each day. Surprised the girls at lunchtime with a little "visit." They were happy to see us, but not at all needy. ("Hi, Mom!")

Monday: Even more excited now that the first day is over, the girls hopped, skipped and jumped to school. Mom & toddler kept each other company.

Wednesday: I cried some tears while making breakfast. I think Eric was on to the tears, but he kept quiet and I got over it. I miss them, and I think I miss them more than they miss me.

Friday: Family Pizza & Movie Night! We made it through the first week and we like school!

Now that we are almost finished with Week Two, we have realized:
1. We need to work on remembering to take our water bottles to/from home without forgetting them
2. We need to remember to take our planners to/from home so we know what our homework is
3. We need to remember to bring our correct books home so that we can actually do the homework
4. We need to remember to write the homework down in the planner so we know what to do when we get home

These are the kinds of things home-school families have to learn the hard way.

We still pray before everyone leaves the house. The girls walk home together. No one has changed in attitude. One of my daughters, who will remain nameless, has tested some boundaries. Like, when she decided to stay at school to play with a friend, holding her sister hostage until she decided they should head home. (I was about to leave to look for them when they showed up at home.) The other daughter, has said she is "... glad to be going to public school so that she can say she's tried it." But has also said she would like to be back home because it feels like "she doesn't live at home anymore."

Academically, it is still a little early to tell. I'm relieved, for instance, that the girls have a regular spelling schedule, something I somehow failed to be consistent with at home. On the other hand, I've noticed most of their math work is behind where they were with Saxon Math. Not surprising, Saxon is advanced. Plus, most school years begin with review and placement. I'm looking forward to the first Parent/Teacher conference with the girls' teachers.

However, I am determined to continue doing our Classical Conversations memory work. We study Cycle One for an hour on Tuesdays, when the girls arrive home over an hour early. (Thank you public school, for giving me that little homeschool allowance. ) I tell the girls they are still my students, & I am still their teacher, even if I am outsourcing most of the subjects this year!