Newsletter #370: End of School Year - Archived Online.![]() Since 1980 The Teaching Home has provided families information, inspiration, and encouragement from a distinctively Christian perspective. Co-Editors: Veteran Homeschool Sisters, Sue Welch and Cindy Short |
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Past Issues Archived Online
Newsletter #369 Newsletter #368 Newsletter #367 Newsletter #364 Newsletter #363 Newsletter #362
End-of-School-Year Activities
Appreciation & Thank You Notes |
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When Daddy comes home for lunch, our son and daughter both enjoy filling him in on what they have learned during the morning.
On this particular day, Elise, 7, had been studying American history. When we were all seated for our noon meal, I asked if she could name some of the symbols of the United States for Daddy. She promptly replied, "The dolphin."
My husband and I stared at each other in confusion. When she saw how puzzled we were, she tried to clarify for us and said, "You know, that round thing."
After a few more confused seconds, it finally dawned on us that she meant the Great Seal of the United States.
Submitted by Jane M., New Mexico.
Send your humorous anecdote to [email protected].
1. God loves you.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
2. Man is separated from God by sin.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23) For the wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23)
3. The death of Jesus Christ in our place is God's only provision for man's sin.
He (Jesus Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:25)
4. We must personally receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Eph. 2:8, 9)
Immerse your family in God's truth through systematic reading and study of God's Word.
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Is you school year finished?
If so (or when you do finish), these end-of-school-year activities will provide a good finish to this year and preparation for the next.
May the Lord richly bless your family for His glory.
Teach Your State History & Geography
|
Set aside a day or more to do the necessary task of gathering, filing, and recording the year's schoolwork. The rewards are:
• You can find your records easily.
• Your children have meaningful memorabilia.
• You get more space for more books and materials.
• You might even be able to sell books you don't need anymore for cash to (you guessed it) buy more books!
Gather up all your schoolwork for the year, then sort and dispose of everything appropriately. Following are some suggestions.
• Select samples of work for each child in each area of their studies to put in their permanent files.
• Send some samples to grandparents (with the clear understanding that they are free to toss them after enjoying them for a while).
• Give each child a certain amount of space in which to keep what he wants.
• Throw out the rest.
• Store some books for younger siblings.
• Shelve some books for reference.
• Give some books away to a family who needs them, your support group's library, or a family hit by a recent tornado (see sidebar).
• Trade some books with another family.
• Sell some books at a local used curriculum sale or online at Landry Class Used Books.
You might need to keep a record or a portfolio of your children's studies to comply with your state's laws or an umbrella organization, as well as for your own benefit.
Choose any, or all, of the following options. Depending on their ages, your children may be able to help you with some of the work.
• Record
the date and student's name after he finishes
each concept on your scope and sequence chart
or list of educational goals.
For reference, see the scope and sequence
charts provided online by A
Beka Books or Bob
Jones University Press to view what
material is suggested to be known by each
grade level.
• Use
lesson plans as records, checking off and
dating each assignment or objective as it is
done.
See lesson plan books at FergNus Services.
• Keep
track of the hours spent on each subject
if you are required to do so by your state
law, or wish to for your own information
(e.g., for a high-school transcript).
Homeschool
Transcripts carries many resources to
help you produce professional high-school
transcripts.
• Make Copies of records of family projects, unit studies, field trips, etc. for each child's individual file as applicable.
• Keep a journal for each day of a unit study, briefly listing books read or activities done.
• List
all books read by the family or individual
students, including the title, author, and
publisher. (A brief description of
contents and your personal evaluation will
make this list more valuable to you and your
children in the future.)
Print online form for book
list for book recommendations, reports,
and a record of reading different
genre.
• Place artwork and writing assignments in a notebook or file.
• Take photos of art, craft, and science projects and activities such as plays, costumes, and field trips. You can use a computer scanner or digital camera to create a CD containing these photos as well as pages of school work, compositions, etc.
• Store your records in a labeled box for the year or for each child.
Create a yearbook by placing photos, sample work, and other memorabilia in a scrapbook.
• Slides or digital photos can be composed into a digital photo album or put onto a CD and copied for each of your children and other relatives. See free Smilebox software for digital scrapbooking or Google's free photo editing and organization tool Picasa to make a slideshow. You can burn your photos onto a DVD with DVD Flick free software.
Tape record some of your family's answers to the evaluation questions below (especially the positive ones!) as a sound recording of your school year.
Vacation, Day Trip, or Weekly Errands –
Make Your Travel Time Enjoyable & Educational! |
Use this checklist, or make your own, to see what went right and what went wrong this year so that you can adjust for next year.
This needs to be done now, while things are fresh in your mind!
You might want to discuss these items as a family and/or do a private interview with each member to get a complete picture.
Be sure to include your husband and each child for their individual perspectives. You will need to adapt the questions for each one (e.g., Dad: Do you know what our children learned this year? What would you have liked them to learn that they did not learn?).
Please do not let this evaluation discourage you! Rejoice and thank the Lord for what went well, and learn from weak areas so that you do even better next year.
Use your evaluation outcomes to make general, broad plans for next year and for your summer studies. You can do specific and detailed planning later; this is just to be sure you include the valuable input from this year's evaluation.
Make quick notes beside certain answers on your evaluation forms. Then set dates for your comprehensive planning for next year, allowing time to purchase and become familiar with any new curriculum.
See Your Children Move from Bible
|
A celebration gives a nice finish to this section of your studies and ends the school year on a positive note which will help propel you forward into your next scheduled studies or activities.
As a family, thank the Lord for your family, for the opportunity and freedom to homeschool, and for the guidance, wisdom, and strength He provided this year.
• Invite neighbors, friends, or relatives to an open house. This can be combined with another family if desired.
- Show displays of schoolwork, projects, and art.
- Give oral, musical, or dramatic presentations.
- Serve refreshments.
• Have a party, dinner, or picnic with another homeschool family or families.
• Take an educational field trip, or an outing just for fun, with your family or others.
Reach out to another family that is homeschooling or is considering homeschooling.
• Point them to the Lord to find the guidance, wisdom, and strength that they need.
• Offer moral support and practical help.