That seems to be top of the summer school lessons this week.   I hate to keep posting on a homeschool blog about their school experiences, but how they are viewing them is from such a homeschool point of view, and really, that is what is going on right now.

The elementary school has suspended recess for everybody because some classes are being too rowdy during the transition.   Ooookay.  I can only hope I’m missing something in the translation.  In Aubrey’s science class she was working well with a small group of girls she has formed a friendship with and since other groups were being obnoxious the teacher split them all up and now Aubrey works with boys who are really rude and won’t cooperate when doing the experiments.   Then, in her hands on equations class, someone stole the teacher’s balance and so the teacher declared that noone will use the manipulatives again until the culprit has returned her materials.  Again, that only punishes the kids who are actually interested in what is going on.  I had forgotten how arbitrary the teachers can be–and how often they assume the worst of the students.  The students seem to be the enemy (though I feel for the junior high teachers, they have a tough crowd).   Part of the problem is that, although this is technically an enrichment program, many of the students take this in between their required remedial classes and so many of them are not choosing to be there.

Aubrey also got to experience some pretty mean girls and we had a discussion about why they might be acting this way.  Someone vandalized one of her friend’s writing portfolio by writing horrible things in sharpie and defacing all of her illustrations.   Oh, and I think she is learning some new vocabulary words too (yikes!).  She definately seems to be able to maintain some distance due to her visitor status, but she is doubly glad she doesn’t have to deal with this every day.

Oh, and I’m able to avoid becoming emotionally involved because I don’t feel stuck in the system.  This is the kind of institutional philosophy that really bugged me when the kids went to school.   I would have already started a campaign to make it school policy that recess be a mandatory class that could not be taken away except in rare cases.  But, since it is just for a couple of more weeks I can just listen and sympathize.

So, my least favorite thing so far is the strep throat Alex brought home.   I’m hoping he doesn’t share it with everybody.

The buses come in a close second.  They forgot Jordan and Alex the first day and when I called them they were very ho-hum about it.    Then that same day they took almost an hour and a half to get them home.     Oh, and can I just say the appeal and romance of the bus is oh so gone for Jordan and Alex.

Aubrey’s big observation of the week?   Junior high [public school] boys are obnoxious.  She was shocked at the way they talked to the teachers.  And, she’s not exactly always Miss Mary Sunshine, so they must have been pretty rotten.

Everyone seems to be having fun.  And noone is interested in doing more of it than they’ve already signed up for.  

Aubrey’s other cute comment of the week.   At 6:00 a.m. on day four she stumbled into the kitchen and exclaimed “I don’t see how people do this every day!”

The junior high gym teacher has recruited Aubrey for some sort of summer track club program that she is going to start next week. 

So, they’re having fun and they’re learning all those things that everyone is concerned is so important–how to wait in lines and manage a school cafeteria and listen to an adult among a group of kids….  You know, the important stuff.

The lunches are all packed, the backpacks are by the door (with each of their names in permanent marker), the bus schedules are checked and clothes for tomorrow are all laid out.      Such an oddity for a homeschooling family!  

All three kids are starting the district summer school program tomorrow.   Aubrey’s bus will be picking her up a generous two hours earlier than she usually wakes up.  

The summer school program looks pretty fun though.   Aubrey will be doing bricklab history, microwave cooking for teens, hands-on equations (something I’ve considered buying and will be happy to have a review of!), and a few other classes.   Jordan and Alex will be doing a writing lab (something that should be very useful!), paint-a-palooza, Money Matters, Science Magic, Math Mosaic….

 We did have to go over a few things—like raising your hand, not getting up whenever you feel like it.    It should be interesting to see how they view their day.

More than one person has asked — what if they like it so much they want to go to school next fall????    I don’t really know how I feel about that one.  I really doubt they’ll like it THAT much, but it will be interesting to see.

Although Aubrey has been doing some work that I’ve been recording as high school credits, next year would be her first official year as a highschooler.   We worked together to map out a plan for next year.

 She is going to take the Oak Meadow Biology course (without teacher support).   As add-ons for this I have a Teaching Company Biology audio course and the Holt Biology Labs DVD–for which we will watch all the labs and hopefully reproduce as many as possible.  

She will finish her Harold Jacob’s Geometry book and then do Algebra 2 through Teaching Textbooks.

We are doing a literature series through Teaching Company - Literature of the Imaginitive Mind and we are reading selections and then listening to the lectures.  We’ve just started and are going as interest/time moves us so it will probably go well into next year.    For composition she will take Comp 1 through Write at Home.  

 We got the syllabus and text for Oak Meadow’s World History.  Since we’re doing SOTW with the youngers, she opted for World History rather than American History. 

She will continue Spanish through the free online Rosetta Stone accessed through our library.

She will gather various partial credits for Current Events (Her Upfront magazine), PE (soccer team), community service (various volunteer) and whatever else happens that I can record.  

 Our plan for 3rd grade is still somewhat in the works, but probably will look similar to this year.