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I’ve spent my summer caring for sick kids and planning for the upcoming school year. It wasn’t the summer I had hoped for, but we had to take everything in stride.
We typically resume formal lessons after Labor Day, so I have about a week of summer left even though their public school peers go back on August 26. I much prefer starting after Labor Day. It’s how things were when I was in elementary school and also when I was teaching. I honestly can’t wrap my head around an earlier start, even though I have attempted it in our homeschool before.
Homeschool Goals
Goal 1: Plan the Whole Year
My goal each year is to have all of our lesson plans completed before the start of the school year. That is 6-7 subjects per student for three students completely planned out and entered into Homeschool Planet.
I currently have all of our core classes and most of our electives completely planned out and in Homeschool Planet. I purchased our English lesson plans and applied them to our planner which was an awesome time saver. Afterward, I applied the history lesson plans I created last year for David to Emily for this year. Another huge time saver!
Homeschool Planet allows me to create lesson plans, apply them to each student, and then move things around as needed. It has been a game changer in how I plan our year and alleviates a lot of stress.
I also have a file box for sorting student work each semester. Worksheets, articles for specific assignments, tests, etc., all get printed out and sorted into the file box. I spend some time in August preparing for the first half of the school year and then sometime over our holiday break preparing for the second semester.
During the school year, I spend about 15 minutes each Friday reviewing the plans for the next week and making sure everything is in order. I like to do this on Fridays so that if we need to purchase any materials or pick anything up from the library, we have the weekend to do that. I like going into my weekend with all the loose ends tied up.
Goal 2: Take December Off
We have the goal of taking off the entire month of December. My hope is that by not working on formal school assignments during the day, we can spend more time creating memories. Our evenings will be filled with all things Christmas Tree Lot, and with three children involved in Scouting, the tree lot will be our home away from home in the evenings.
Goal 3: Field Trips
Last year, we set the goal to participate in homeschool bowling each month and Kidsport, a homeschool PE class. These weren’t exactly field trips, but it’s what I had the bandwidth for over the past year.
This year, I have set the goal of at least one field trip per month that is not Scout-related. Our library has museum passes that we can check out, and under their new policy, I can reserve them in advance! This is going to be a game changer when it comes to planning the year.
I look forward to taking the children to Elmwood Park Zoo, the Battleship NJ, Pennsbury Manor, and the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum. We also have a membership to Longwood Gardens and plan to go there quite a few times this year. Michael has also requested that we do the Herr’s Potato Chip Factory Tour, so that will probably get added to a trip as well.
Goal 4: School Photos
We have never taken school photos. The last time I had anything that resembled a school photo, the children were in pre-school. This year, I’ll have a middle schooler and two high schoolers, so I have connected with a woman in our local homeschool community who will be offering a school photo shoot this fall. I’m excited for it. Yes, I know I can take their photos, retouch them, and have them printed off. Sometimes, it’s just nice not to have to do it all yourself, and outsourcing this one thing is actually making me incredibly happy, so I’m going to go with it.
Goal 5: Establish a Routine
Our routine has gone out the window over the summer, and I need it back desperately!
I aim to establish a routine for how our school days and weeks go in September and then stick with it throughout the year. We need to set guidelines for school time, meal times, chores, and when I get to work. Right now, we are all just winging it, and that’s fine in the freedom of summer, but we need quite a bit more structure during the actual school year.
Excited for the Upcoming School Year
I’m honestly excited for the upcoming school year. That’s not something I can say every year. This year just feels a little different from those that came before it.
I hope you and your family have an amazing school year. Whether you are homeschooling, cyber-schooling, or your children attend school out of the house, take the time to set a few goals for the coming year and just enjoy this season of your lives.
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