I have decided that I was wrong about school into the summer months

This teaching through the summer really stinks. I dislike it immensely. I had thought last fall how much I wanted my fall time weather but it is just to difficult to me to do this in the summer. Heat drags me down. I want to be in the pool. I can't sit out on the deck to teach anymore. Now, if we only went until the first two weeks of June I would be fine so the idea of beginning at the end of Sept. would still work.

With that said, we are making progress toward the end of the school year for Grace. For both but again I do not plan to get Faith to the next grade level. Grace is so on the edge that I intend to see her over the wall.  I have done math test every day this week and they are doing well. Faith is getting it all correct and Grace is scoring 94-100%.  Her two mistakes today that she added instead of subtracted. Had it been an addition problem she would have gotten it correct. 

As I type they are participating in the local library summer program. They did the one in their community and now doing the one in my community.

On another note: only 24 more days before we all go to Disney World!

Day 1 of Completion Study

So today I began completing the school year.
It was time for Grace to take a Language test on plurals. I offered her the ability to review in her book but she felt sure she could do it. Later it turned into an open book test. I was not thrilled but overall she understood the material and an open book test encourages independent research and work.  She did well.  Then I gave her a math test right off the bat and she got a 97%.  She still stresses and hates math but she knows the material we expect her to know. I will spend all week giving her math testing that is long overdue and see how well she retained the material. When she struggles I will resume there and not where we left off in the book.  I expect to reach the same level however, she really knows this better than she thinks.

Faith did so well today. Her written work was very neatly completed. I also will test her along in math. I did two test and two time test with her today and of course she did not miss a single problem. We talked about our goal for her grade and she is in full agreement that she wants to still be in first grade so she is about the same as her girl scout and other friends her age. I looked at the book and calendar and she will be in second grade near Christmas. She is fine with that. Faith still seeks attention so it is getting bad when I am teaching Grace something while I expect her to finish her work quietly as she says everything she is doing step by step and it gets real annoying.

Their bloodhound is about to give birth so the house is preparing for that.

I am still in remodel nightmare. I have the new doors in and the new deck and porch but waiting for floors to be laid. Once they are laid I will we will begin in completing our "one room schoolhouse". We have tons of ideas and I am eager to have them here full time for school. We had been doing class outside on the deck but now it is too hot so today I went to their house again. My house is just to torn up to do anything.

So that is it for now, we are once again off and moving. Let us hope I can complete this school year sometime before the next one is suppose to begin.

Still Kickin'

We are STILL not finished with this school year. We started up full steam as the dust began to settle in our lives and then two little girls began to cast a cloud of impossibilities over us. It was not Grace or Faith but two girls who Kelley was going to care for during the summer. It was a live and learn moment and one that has now ended. Knowing that it was going to end and not stress the environment we declared a summer break while Faith and Grace attended Girl Scout Day Camp. That took two weeks as they did not attend the same one. Then we ran into the week of Independence Day.

So, you may ask how I intend to get these girls school years completed. We will go full force for the next four weeks, then we have a Disney World vacation planned. Followed by four more weeks and then a two week break. At that time we will be prepared to begin our new year.

I do not expect Faith to go on to the next grade level as we are taking it at her pace right now. She tends to have a natural arrogance about her and it would not be in her best interest to be five years old and in second grade. When she gets together with her new Daisy Troop she needs to be first grade as well. I to expect we will go on earlier however.

Our new curriculum is mostly here. There is a back order on the 4th grade language package but all other items are here.  We are remodeling and in a halt mode. Waiting to lay the new floors in my house as all the doors and plumbing work is done as well as the new deck and front porch. When my floors are laid we will paint the one room school house that we are making in the old jacuzzi house and laying a new floor. The new doors are completed to that house as well. I look forward to seeing what our new learning environment will look like.

Over the next few weeks I will also create a new class for Master's Lyceum. I have a great book about weather and creating a weather station that I am going to use.

So this little moment I had to myself has been spent updating a blog. I am going to go have a relaxing cup of hot tea and thank the Lord for the rain He sent us last night.