Homeschool Covid Isolation

I'm starting to grieve the lost year with my teen son.  At the start of the year I was enjoying watching his independence grow, new friendships being made and high school opportunities begining to open up.  All snatched away in what began as a four week flatten the curve exercise which has now morphed into something that words fail to describe. Here I sit six months later under what is effectively house arrest in Melbourne along with a fifth of Australia's population when...

A fellow homeschool Mom in a local homeschool group penned the following words which resonated with my heart and I would like to share with you today. (Shared with her permission.)

My heart is as heavy as yours.

 

As we joyfully see all other children returning to day care and school - enjoying their friendships and social time, and lessons as normal - but we privately mourn for our own children.

 

Because for the first time in history, group home education programs are considered socialisation. While all other children enjoy seeing their friends and learning together, our children remain in total isolation, not able to resume any of our cherished group learning programs. 

 

Homeschooled children need connection with friends too. They need normalcy too. They need their education to return to normal too. Homeschooling mothers need a break too. 

 

People may say things like “We’re in this together”. But it doesn’t feel like that right now. We feel excluded from the togetherness.

 

My gut tells me that I won’t see my children participating in their homeschool education programs until 2021. We haven’t had anything running since March, and while the past eight weeks of canceled day care and remote learning have been so hard for families... it’s been six months for us. Please think of us.

 

“All the world is my school” (George Whitman), if only it could be right now

 We are in plain sight yet forgotten.  What most families do not grasp is that this is not normal for us either.  We enjoy all the aspects of homechooling and covid schooling restrictions impact us too.  

 

How are you all coping with 'covid normal' and home educating?  

Chareen

 

Grandparents Day

 Well I did know about Mother's Day and Father's Day but Grandparents Day is a new one to me! Did you know that Grandparents day is celebrated on Sunday 25 October 2020 in Australia? 

It is traditionally held on the last Sunday in October to celebrate the role of grandparents and older people in the our society.  It's to honour all the things they have done and the things they keep doing.

It is celebrated on the first Sunday in October in the United Kingdom, in September in the United States of America and in October in Italy. Currently twenty countries in the world celebrate the role of the elderly. 

Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained in the way of righteousness - Proverbs 16:31

Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children Proverbs 17:6

Ideas to celebrate

• Invite them over and cook a special meal.
• Enjoy a special tea party with them.
• Create a personalized photo gift for them.
• Meet at a park and enjoy an afternoon tea with them.
• Create a handmade card.
• Share happy stories with your children of growing up with your parents.
• Ask Grandparents to share happy memories of parening their children.
• Spending unhurried time together is the best gift.
  

On the Web

• Grandparents Day Magazine -  
• History of National Grandparents Day
• Grand parent Day Activities and Gift Ideas on Pinterest.

What do you do to celebrate the older generation in your family?

Planning / Record Keeping Ideas for Homeschooling.

Homeschool record keeping and planning can be as complex or as simple as you would like it to be.  In today's digital saturated world there are many options available out there for you to use.  Today I will share a few ideas on planning and record keeping for your homeschool.

IF your government requires keeping records be sure to research and know what type of records they are requiring.  IF it is not a state requirement you need to ask yourself why are you keeping records?

The key to successfully keeping records is consistency.

KeptMe has been optimised for accross platform performance meaning it can be used on all your devices i.e. apple, android and pc. Best of all it's FREE! It is currently being used by many different schools in variouse countries around the world (including in the USA).  I highly recommend this app for it's ease of use and the beautiful report it produces in pdf for you to download and print should you ever require one.

Why do I like KeptMe?

• I like that it is easy to use.  I simply snap a photo on my phone. Add it to KeptMe.  
• I can easily select the template  I want to report and within that template ALL the information I need is at my finger tips.
• It's a fabulous way to show friends and family who want to know what your children have been up to.
• It's easy to use with multiple children in one family
  

 You can read more about KeptMe, see different report samples and how to use it in this post: Planning & Record Keeping {Homechool Review Crew Blog Hop 2017}

I used KeptMe when I was reviewed by the Victorian Government in 2018. 

Options to keep records?

• Take photo's on your phone.  Move them to a folder for school on your phone or computer once a week.  Remember to photograph work, trips, workbooks, resource books and activities.
• Once a work book is completed remove a few sample pages and file them for future record submissions if your State requires written samples.
• Use Trello.
• Open an instagram account and use photo's each day with a short written account of what you did.  IF you don't want it to be public make sure you set your account to private. 
• Buy a diary and fill it in each day.
• Use a Hey, Mama! planner from Schoolhouse Teachers. They have a wide selection available including homeschool planners, custom schedule builders, ready made calendars, printable info charts and AppleCore Record Keeping.
• Research homeschool record keeping products on Homeschool Review Crew.
• Start a private blog and keep records online.  
• Use your digital calendar and keep records each day of what you accomplished.
  

Read More on this blog

• A Little Word on Homeschool Record Keeping.
• Homeschool Daily Schedules
• Our Ryhthm - Year Round Schooling.
• To Grade or Not to Grade  - Grading your students work as a home educator is a highly personal choice unless your state/country requires that you submit grades in which case it's a must. 
• Planning to Homeschool through High School Years -  homeschooling through the High School years is no different to home educating in the primary years.
• Can you fit it all in during the High School Years? -  keep learning together. Independence is NOT isolation.
• Tip Two - Find your Rhythm -  keep in mind you are not schooling you are tutoring and one of the majour differences is the amount of time required to accomplish the same amount of educating. 
• What about Homeschool Planning ? -  Homeschool planning is as individual as homeschool families.  There is no one perfect way to do it.
• Be True to Yourself - Unlocking FREEDOM in your homeschool.
  

 

 More on Record Keeping and Homeschool Planning from around the web

• Homeschool Planning & Record Keeping  {2020 Not Back to School Blog Hop}
• Why I Never Plan a Full Year Homeschool Schedule - Planning Two Weeks of Lessons Saves my Sanity!
• Planning Your Year Round Schooling - 
• Planning for Homeschooling High School - There are many things that come to mind when it comes to homeschooling high school and planning for it! There are many things to think about, between scheduling what classes will be when and how many credits will be needed to graduate!
• Ways to Remember {or Homeschool Record Keeping }  
• Delight-directed Learning: Keeping a Curiosity Journal.
  

IF you missed yesterday’s post on How do I teach …? here are a few posts to inspire you.

• Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses shares Help How do I teach High School at Home?.
• Yvie @ Homeschool on the Range shares Teaching Teens – Note-taking Skills .
• Annette @ A Net in Time shares Four Approaches to SchoolhouseTeachers.
• Vickie B @ Tumbleweed News shares How I taught 20+ kids at home {Blog Hop}.
• Teresa @ Teresa Brouillette shares How to Teach Homeschool.
• Dawn P @ Schoolin’ Swag shares How to Teach… What I Don’t Know.
• Laurie @ School Days shares How Do I Teach…?.
• Lori @ At Home: where life happens shares Teaching It All..