I am totally wigged out (happily) right now because of Brennan's new schedule.We first signed him up February 1 with this home school program, and the director suggested we take the first month and get into a routine before adding any classes. Brennan started some P.E. classes - rock wall and swimming - a few weeks ago. It's been almost two months and we've discovered that more structure would be a good thing.
So today, I signed him up for more. Here it is:
Mondays and Wednesdays:
8:00 Rock wall Monday, Swimming Wednesday
9:00 Writing
11:00 Lunch (he can take a cold lunch or they have hot lunch there)
11:30 Science
1:30 Social Studies
2:30 Drama
Tuesday - 5 hours at home, plus a 1-hour art class at 3:30
Thursday - 5 hours at home
Friday - 5 hours at home, plus a 90-minute newspaper/yearbook class at 9:30
I'm especially excited about art, drama, and yearbook, which will be a lot of computer lab - he loves that. I had to really work on him about drama. This kid is so funny and entertaining, but has an enormous shy streak that I'd like to him work on(having had one myself), so I've been dying to get him into a drama class - once he comes out of his shell, he'll have a blast. I kept suggesting it and he kept saying "no." Last night at Mutual, they had roadshow practice, and he must have had a good time because today he said, "I guess I can take a drama class." Yay!!
Brennan has to get a minimum of 25 hours a week, and only half of that can include classes at the home school center, so we'll go over our allotted amount, but the home school people don't care as long as we have enough hours at home. I'm thrilled that all this is FREE. He has the opportunity to take a weekly basic guitar class on Wednesdays at 3:30, which we'll sign up for as soon as we can get a good inexpensive guitar.
We're thinking of home school for all three kids next year. I wouldn't even think of it, except they offer foreign languages, American Sign Language, dance, art, and rock wall/swimming classes for elementary school kids. But YIKES! That would be a lot for me to handle. I think I'll try it out on Brennan first. The poor "oldest" kids - they have to make it through their parents' inept first tries at everything (and I say that as a parent, not an oldest child). Plus, Bella and Harrison are doing really well in school right now, but they'll be leaving the excellent teachers they've had for two years for new ones next year, and in their school, it's a totally mixed bag. It has me a little worried. But, at least we know we have this wonderful option of home school.