"Last day of school"

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by Mom2ampm, May 21, 2004.

  1. Mom2ampm

    Mom2ampm New Member

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    Just curious what you all do, if anything special, the last day(s) of school....that is if you don't do year-round schooling. We sort of stuck to our local ps schedule because I had to report attendance to them every month. So, today is our official last day of school. We saw a movie on Wednesday as part of our "celebration" and yesterday we worked on our scrapbooks for the year. Today, I am thinking we may go to Chuck E Cheese for lunch or just play outside in the water slide. We'll also have an ice cream sundae party and awards presentation today or tomorrow. I haven't been feeling up to par lately so I'm not as excited as I usually am about stuff like this. I have surgery on Monday morning.:( I guess that is on my mind.

    What things do you all do to make the last week special? Anything?
     
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  3. TinaTx

    TinaTx New Member

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    Missy.....

    We school year round, but we have an *end of the school year PARTYYYY!!:D :D We party because we celebrate another year of hard work!!!

    Sheila and I are doing a party at Cici's pizza.:p along with other homeschoolers in our area. Sheila set it up and we will arrive a little early, kids will make their pizzas and then they will eat and have fun!!! Sheila will pass out goodies at the end.

    We will be going next Wednesday!!! I work on scrapbooks year around!

    This year, I'll probaby take *school pictures*. Maybe Sears this time, since they have a lot of *school type props*.

    Its not any fun to celebrate by yourself:( . We did that our first year because I hardly knew anyone, had no choice. Its much more meaningful to the kiddos even when you have a party with one or two more! If you say *party* to my kids, they are ready:D :D They don't care if its just a few, or like 30 or so that they will see next week.

    I hope your surgery isn't serious.

    I know Sheila has planned some wet days! We'll take swimming lessons this summer, so we will probably forego the wet days and keep on truckin on school.:rolleyes: :D

    Tina
     
  4. abcTammy

    abcTammy New Member

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    Missy,
    We school year round but with a smaller schedule in the summer. We have an end of the year picnic with area homeschoolers on Monday, then our own family party.
    This is the first year we are putting together our own scrap books or portfolios. We will spend some time sorting, gathering and just enjoying "the fruits of thier labor." (I'm a "paper keeper" so this is going to be difficult for me.) For the past four years, I've just tucked the entire year into a box and labeled it:)
    I hope Monday goes well for you. Let us know how your recovery goes.
    Blessings, Tammy:)
     
  5. Mom2ampm

    Mom2ampm New Member

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    Tina...

    I wish we had a group that we could celebrate with like you do. I am sure if I keep looking I'll find what we're looking for! I thought we would scrapbook all year too, but we got a good start back in the Fall and just dropped the ball. I think we only worked in it twice this year until the other day. I'm just not into it. I like to start and FINISH something in one day, lol. This year long thing is really hard for me. I am going to do better next year!!

    How do your kids feel about homeschooling in the summer? I wouldn't mind it, but I know my dd would probably complain a little saying her friends aren't doing it. I know we'll do lots of informal schooling but not sure if I can do a schedule like we've been doing. Our summer break is only about ten or eleven weeks, but I still think lots of learning could go on during that time. We'll see I guess. I think I also needed a little break. I've had multiple health issues since Christmas and it's taken a toll on me. My surgery on Monday is to remove a cyst on my ovary and take a biopsy of uterine tissue. I have some weird stuff going on in there. I, hopefully, will be back home the same day unless she has to remove something more.

    Thanks for the info though. I ended up taking the kids and Grandma to Joe's Crab Shack and letting them play there. Apparently everyone had the same idea because there were tons of kids there! Then, we had an ice cream cake celebration with their cousin when he got home from school. I think they had a good time. It's just too hot to play out...feels like 95 deg or more out there.
    :eek:

    Missy
     
  6. Mom2ampm

    Mom2ampm New Member

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    Tammy...

    Sounds like you guys have a good end of the year party too. How many weeks do you school during the summer? I think the kids will get bored if we don't do some fun school stuff. I plan to do a few special theme weeks but won't include any traditional workbook stuff...just fun activities!!!

    Missy
     
  7. TinaTx

    TinaTx New Member

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    Missy....

    I was actually part of 3 groups until this one formed!Some of the moms were kind of *weird*:confused: for lack of better word on the other groups that I thought about joining! At the first meeting of a new group, the *lead* mom's son was chasing all the kids with a HUGE branch from a tree! It wasn't a pretty site! Did the kid have any disorders? NOPE, I asked the mother specifically. No other reason given except he just lacked a good *butt beating* according to some of other moms who knew her personally.NO THANKS! I put my *running shoes* on.

    Also, I do believe some of them are raising *wild indians* instead of tame ones! hee hee So our discipline style differed! Some of them let their older kids taunt the younger ones! I don't go for that. They brush it off to *kids will be kids*. Yeah right, unless your kid is the one being taunted!

    I never had any run ins with that happening to my kids, I just saw a lot of incidences of *lax parental involvement*. Don't get me wrong, older ones do need to learn how to get along with younger ones and visa versa. There just comes a time when the parent might have to intervene.

    You know my first year Missy, I homeschooled similar to ps style as far as schedule. I hit it hard through the 9 months or so. Then I realized, it was TOO HOT to do anything else in the summer except school, and I had past up the beautiful days of Spring and Fall. So I said a prayer, and decided that would be my last year doing it like that. I actually like to hit it hard in summer in *spurts*. What I mean is that I look ahead (I already have done it) to see what summer activities are going on at our local teacher supply store and the community. We decide what we're going to do and pencil them in our schedule. We work them in, and continue to hit it hard until we *play* or don't school at all when beautiful Fall weather hits! Then we hit hard again November-February and play at the first hint of Spring. Soooo we don't have summer breaks, we have Fall and Spring breaks! LOL

    Missy....remember don't forget the word *home* in homeschooling. Its just a nice place to learn in a relaxed enviroment. It will mercifully adjust to what comes up in life. So take care of yourself first. The children will not get behind. However, when we are structured and like having *everything* accomplished on our list, we can bring our ourself down. I have a tendency to do that! I want everything to be just right and perfect! Life isn't like that:rolleyes: Now let me see if I can just *organize and change that*!! LOL:D :p

    I remember when I had my 3rd child, I couldn't get well fast enough to keep up with ds#1. The doctor told me, if i didn't get some rest, he was going to put me back in the hospital. I GOT SOME REST:eek: ;) and decided that hsing would still be there when I got better. It WAS! LOL

    I remember a saying that I read somewhere that was so encouraging to me my first year *Inch by inch its a cinch, yard by yard its hard*. So measure your success, not by your failures...imho but what you learn from them!

    Blessings
    Tina
     
  8. Mom2ampm

    Mom2ampm New Member

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    Yep, I had to slow down....

    after Christmas. I was diagnosed with iritis. It's an eye disease that cause terrible blurriness and eye pain. I could not see very well most days and was in pain a lot of the time. I had to stay in bed some days. I learned to deal with it. Some of the time dd did independent work and other times she sat on my bed and did lessons. I just took it slow. She had time off as well. I realized then that was the beauty of homeschooling. It certainly worked to my advantage during those months that I was ill. I can't imagine what we would have done if she was still attending the private school. I couldn't even drive her to school.

    I am an organized and scheduled person at heart but after quitting my teaching job in ps I decided that life was short and meant to be enjoyed. I ditched the schedules and just "played" with dd. It worked. Homeschool started out with strict schedules but quickly changed after a few weeks. I now just have an outline of the activities I planned for the day. Most days we accomplish those things but if we don't it's no big deal. I know the next day we may do more than I planned. It all evens out. I like the idea of year round schooling. I think we will do some theme work this summer but not actually get into her workbooks/textbooks. She tends to think of those as "school" and I think she needs a break. She might be burned out on that side of homeschool. She loves the games/reading/hands-on activities though so that is what we'll do!

    I appreciate all the encouragment you all have given me. It is nice to have a group of peers that understand. Too bad we just don't all live close to each other, lol!
     

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