Not homeschooling Emily any more

It's Labor Day weekend, and the weather is HOT!  All three of us get a nice long weekend, so we're just relaxing and enjoying home.  This afternoon Emily and I washed the dogs, Sheba and Hershey, by putting on swimsuits and playing in the sprinklers with them.  I think we had more fun than the dogs.  A little while ago Wayne opened the pool, and the three of us jumped into the cold water.  At this time of year, when days grow shorter, the pool temperature drops, even on the hottest of days.  I can't even remember the last time I jumped into a cold pool--years, I'm sure!

I may keep up this blog sporadically, as a creative outlet, but the focus will shift to more general themes.  First, though, I'll update you on the education front.

We considered having Emily homeschool her junior and senior years through a local charter school with an active support group.  We weighed possibilities, and considered how each weekday would play out.  Every way we weighed it, Emily would be home alone two days each week.  As loyal as I am to the concept of homeschooling, that didn't seem healthy.  Since I can't quit my job, or go part time, we checked other options, and settled on an alternative program through the local high school.

The program is called "Middle College", and is open to juniors and seniors in high school.  The students meet in a classroom at the junior college for daily high school classes (English and history), taught by a dedicated high school teacher.  These high school classes are five days a week from 8 to 11 am.  After that, each student attends the college courses of their choice (approved by a high school counselor).  Middle College students must meet the same graduation requirements as high school students, and they will graduate along with their high school peers.  Emily says there are 22 students in her classroom.  She loves her teacher, Randy Nixon, and I think she will thrive in this program.  Among other advantages, it provides Emily with a strong English and writing mentor.  I still believe Emily was born to be an author, but she is not convinced.  Whatever she decides to do, I have no doubt she will excel!

Sweet 16. . .a story in pictures

Fast forward. . .

. . .to April 1st, 2010. Obviously keeping this blog up-to-date is not successfully high on my to-do list. It's spring vacation for Emily, and Wayne and I have the week off, also. For me it is a delicious oasis from the daily grind of work. I just read my last entry, and there is a fair bit of catching up to do.

Instead of taking a trip this spring break, we're enjoying our home, shopping for needed summer clothes, and spring cleaning.

This has been a good year for Emily. Last year she felt displaced and short on "belonging" anywhere. This year, she really enjoys "Beyond Basic" school and Mother Lode Youth Symphony. . .and feels a sense of connection. Last school year, during frequent bouts of "we can't do this anymore" and "where in the world will Emily finish high school" we concocted a plan. The plan has been consistent for about a year: finish 10th grade at home, then attend Rio Lindo Academy for one year in their accelerated program, graduating in 2011. The plan hasn't changed, and we've worked toward it, and planned for it, for a long time.

A couple weeks ago we attended Monterey Bay Academy's recruitment program called "academy days". It consisted of a Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon campus tour to convey the flavor of campus life to prospective new students. We saw buildings, met students, heard music, and met teachers in their classrooms. We saw MUCH to be impressed with. I loved the library, and the English program alone would be a selling point. I was less impressed with music played in a building they call "Set in Stone". It had a pretty strong "disco" flavor. Who knew I was a closet conservative? My negative reaction surprised me, since I love lively music, and like to clean out cupboards propelled by Lady Gaga and Steppenwolf in high volume. We came away from the tour in a state of ambivalence, and returned home divided equally into thirds as far as the "where to go to school next year" question goes. Emily saw much to like, but is not a "beachy" sort of girl, and Monterey Bay Academy is a decidedly "beachy" sort of place.

After sleeping on the idea of boarding school some more, and some self-examination regarding the importance of graduating from a Seventh-day Adventist school, we came to the conclusion that it probably doesn't matter so much in the grand scheme of things. We told Emily the decision is hers--she could attend either one of the two boarding schools, or stay home. It took about three days for her to decide to stay home.

So, there you have it--another unexpected decision about where to go to school next year.