It's here; as of January 13, 2025, we officially have a high schooler. I've feared this day for many reasons, but I'm unsure as to why. Maybe it was realizing she was old enough, or maybe because I couldn’t see beyond teaching that tiny human to read when we began our homeschooling journey. That was my biggest hurdle, and I couldn't see beyond that. I know my Momma's heart isn't ready for her to grow up that it has all gone too fast. But it is here, and I can't stop it; we must embrace it, accept it, grow with it now, and make it the best experience for her possible.
Requirements for Graduation:
I spent last year trying to prepare for this moment. I determined what requirements I wanted for her( also aligning with the state of Wisconsin’s requirements) and considered her tentative plans for the future. Until last year, she wanted to be a veterinarian or vet tech, but she's been leaning towards joining “the family business” of operating heavy equipment. Her great-grandfather, grandfather, DADDY-o, aunt, and uncle have all or are currently involved in something along these lines. So, for her, this means that a 4-year college education is most likely not in her future. This is perfectly acceptable to us as long as she wants it. While her requirements for graduation will still need to be met, it does change the courses she might choose to take over the next 4 years, which may look a little different than I had initially planned.
Moving to Independence:
We worked on that this past year with her science and French courses. This was a learning curve for planning, time management, checking in, and guiding. Based on what we both learned from this, we have decided that I will outline monthly goals for her to meet, but it will be up to her how she accomplishes them. We will take the year's first quarter to assess whether this method works for us. Eventually, I hope I won't have to intervene in setting her goals; she can do that alone. My most significant role will be to evaluate her work for grades and assign credits.
I plan to check in with her weekly for the first quarter, and if that goes well, I will move into bi-weekly checks in the second quarter and then monthly checks in the third and fourth quarters.
Courses for this year:
Sonlight American History 100: She likes the reading and literature we've been using for the last few years and wanted to continue using this curriculum independently. We plan on meeting weekly to discuss questions from our guides.
Sonlight American Literature (with the language arts components writing, analogies, spelling, and vocabulary): Once it arrived and we looked through the entire literature course, we decided to use the complete literature program instead of another program, especially since she most likely isn't pursuing a four-year degree. We will also discuss questions weekly as well.
IEW Fix it Level 5 Frog Prince:
While we aren't doing writing from there, I wanted her to finish the last two levels of grammar. They are quick and easy enough for her to fit in, and she enjoys them.
MUS Pre-Algebra: She has approximately 4-5 lessons to complete in Zeta and then will move on to pre-algebra. Math is not her favorite and is not easy, but I hope her confidence and skills will build this year.
Apologia Biology: She has enjoyed Apologia Sciences since we switched 3/4 years ago and is continuing by using their high school courses. She is primarily excited to be allowed to dissect things officially.
Rosette Stone : She has decided to switch from French to Spanish, as she was struggling with French a bit last year and also thinks Spanish may be more beneficial in her career choice than French.
Keyboarding: Moving beyond typing games, she will practice proficiency and accuracy this year and hopefully improve this skill.
Thrive Physical Education: I was excited to find this year-long PE/Health course from Not Consumed. I was writing an independent PE course for her (which I will still do because she needs one more half credit for graduation) but stopped when I found this curriculum. This will be perfect for her as she will most likely be on the road with Daddy-o for most of the year.
Grading & Evaluating: The biggest thing I have to iron out as we progress through this year is evaluating and grading, which we haven't done much of. I found an online grade book to help me record things and make a transcript. I have to determine what to grade and evaluate for each course. This will become clearer as she begins working through things and turns things in.
The challenge of High School is upon us, and she is excited, which hopefully will rub off on the Ol’ Momma Bear.
As always, keep following our journey on our Facebook Page or Instagram. If you want more in-depth conversations, check out our Facebook Parent Group. More importantly, if you’re finding yourself in a struggle season, reach out (email or messages).