our school year: HCPA '15-'16

August 2015

i hope you all are having a great school year! yes, i am sorry if this is confusing, it is definitely March and we are closer to the end of the school year than we are to the beginning...but for my own record-keeping sake, i want to pop in here and share an update on our 2015-2016 school year. grace for the haphazard blogger, por favor.  

our homeschool routine is in full swing. the local isd is taking spring break next week but not us- as usual we will wait a few weeks when most students are back in school and then we will take a little time off. both kids want to finish at the same time or before public school finishes, so they can enjoy summer with their friends. i love the flexibility to set our own schedule and go at our own pace. homeschooling is definitely still working for us!

this year at HCPA (Hall College Prep Academy), Big Girl (age 11) is in 6th grade, and Bubba (age 7) is in 3rd grade. this is our seventh year of homeschooling. in the fall, both kids took three classes at our local homeschool co-op. the co-op meets once a week and offers both academic and extra-curricular classes. this spring, however, we did not re-enroll in the co-op. even though the co-op was fun and we made some great friends, we really need that extra week day to focus on our school work. sixth grade math is no joke! her workload definitely increased this year and we need more time in our week to do it well. it was a tough decision but every one was in agreement that this semester off would be best.

our curriculum choices for 2015-2016
Big Girl's 6th Grade Year:Math- Saxon Math 7/6, Khan Academy lessons
English- BJU Writing & Grammar English 6
Reading- independent reading
Science- BJU Science 6
Bible- daily devotionals and memory verses
History- Story of the World: The Middle Ages Vol. 2
Other- weekly dance class, 4x/week martial arts

Bubba's 3rd Grade Year:Math- Saxon Math 3, Khan Academy lessons
English- BJU Writing & Grammar English 3
Reading- independent reading

Handwriting- HWT Cursive Writing
History- Story of the World: Ancient Times Vol. 1

Science- BJU Science 3
Bible- Jesus Calling and memory verses
Other- weekly dance class, 4x/week martial arts, soccer

previous years' curriculum choices here: 2009-2010
2010-2011 (the year we went hybrid)
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015

 

i totally love getting to hang out with (and teach) these cool kids of mine! //grin// #proudmama

happy spring, bunnies! 

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around here lately: snow days

 

 

it snowed. her: squeee! i love snow!!!! him: but is it enough to make a snowball?!

 

 

we were home-bound and built a giant fort.

 

 

we did not, however, take a "snow day." school was in session at HCPA.

 

 

much needed girlfriend time with these faith-filled beauties.

 

 

21-Day Fix Extreme day 2. it isn't easy but it's worth it.

 

 

we watched Big Hero 6 and i made these GF DF baymax cupcakes! and i had the guys at Papa Murphy's make a cheese pizza with 2 pepperonis on it to look like baymax. the kids loved it. cute movie. so fun.

 

 

i shared my heart and the heart of Declare on the podcast. spent the morning it went live seeking God and breathing in peace and calming. literally.

 

 

finally this tooth came out and his gap-y smile is so stinkin adorable.

 

 

i'm loving laser tag, and this is my IT'S GOING DOWN face.

 

 

and that is what's been going on around here lately! 

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back to school! HCPA '14-'15

school is in session at Hall College Prep Academy! monday was our first day and we are off to a great start! it's technically still summer: 100 degrees outside, the pools are still open, and the neighborhood kids have a week before school starts, but we were ready. one of the things i love about homeschooling is the flexibility to set our own schedule and go at our own pace. i usually don't set a start date or end date, only goal-dates for beginning and finishing our work, usually aligning with the ISD calendar.

this year at HCPA, Big Girl (age 9) is in 5th grade, and Bubba (age 6) is in 2nd grade. this is our sixth year of homeschooling. both kids are enrolled in three classes in our local homeschooling co-op, academic and extra-curricular. this is our 3rd semester in the co-op and the kids have made some sweet friendships there!

our curriculum choices for 2014-2015

Big Girl's 5th Grade Year:
Math- Saxon Math 6/5, Khan Academy lessons
Language- 1st Language Lessons Level 3
Reading- Pages in my Head, independent reading novels
Writing- IEW, independent journaling
Handwriting- Horizons Penmanship 5
Science- geology, DIY science experiments, tinkering
Bible- The New Different weekly devotionals, GEMS Girl's Club
History- Story of the World: The Middle Ages
Spanish- Rosetta Stone

Other- weekly drama class, monthly art class, weekly dance class, 4x/week martial arts

Bubba's 2nd Grade Year:
Math- Saxon Math 2, Math Games class, Khan Academy lessons

Language- 1st Language Lessons Level 1

Reading- Explode the Code 5, daily read-aloud
Handwriting- daily practice practice
Science- Physical Science class

Bible- Keys for Kids Daily Devotional 

Spanish- Rosetta Stone
Other- weekly Just for Boys class, monthly art class, weekly dance class, 4x/week martial arts

previous years' curriculum choices here: 

2009-2010

2010-2011 (the year we went hybrid)

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

happy school year, everyone! 

God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

Philippians 2:13

around here lately: counting pages + counting days

here's a math problem for you: Bubba has 20 math lessons left in his workbook. Big Girl has 14 reading comprehension lessons left in her workbook. the public school kids' first day of summer is today. how many more days until my homeschoolers get summer?

no really, how many more days!? that lounge chair out by the pool is calling my name. both kids are doing multiple lessons a day to finish fast. we can hear public school kids playing at the neighborhood pool and the pressure is on.

even though we seem to be finishing late, our year of homeschooling has been a good one. that's just one thing i love about homeschooling- the flexibility to start when we want and finish when we can.

Bubba (5.5y) rocked first grade (Saxon, Explode the Code, and co-op classes), and i learned a lot about him and his best work environment in the process. he is most focused in the morning after a good breakfast (the studies are right!), he shifts from sitting to standing a lot while he's working, he counts in his head silently (so adorable), is a textile learner, and takes frequent drink/snack/potty breaks. he is motivated by my encouragement and words of affirmation, and when i give him something to look forward to after school, like free play!  

Big Girl (9y) is nearly finished with fourth grade. she managed a pretty heavy workload including Singapore Math, Story of the World, Pages in My Head, bible, and handwriting in addition to her co-op classes. she can do her work practically any time and any where. right now she's doing math on the back patio with the dog at her feet. she likes peace and quiet when she's working. she loves it when i work example problems in her books or on the chalkboard. she likes deadlines and time limits. she works best if she keeps a cup of water, a box of kleenex, and a snack nearby. Big Girl is motivated by my encouragement and when i give her something to look forward to after school, like a playdate!

the highlight of the HCPA school year was definitely watching Bubba learn to read and Big Girl master her multiplication and division. when i see Bubba sitting on the couch reading a book...my heart leaps with joy. when i hear Big Girl quickly figure out a math problem in her head, i'm amazed. i'm crazy proud of them. 

i always tell people, because they ask if we will homeschool our kids all the way through high school, that we take it year by year and decide if it's working for us or not. well, it's working for us. soon, we will begin our 5th year of homeschooling, and HCPA will have a 2nd grader and 5th grader! wow.
  
around here lately, we are counting pages and counting days. summer is coming soon.

back to (home)school! '13-'14 curriculum

one hot July night, in that precious time after dinner but before the kids' bedtime, i was folding laundry and listening to a podcast. usually, the kids use this time to play or read or both, but on this particular night, they wouldn't leave my side. they were bouncing around me vying for my attention with silly antics. of course, i couldn't hear them with my earbuds in, so i just smiled and they continued being goofy in my face and all around my personal space. it was cute. at first. finally, i pulled the earbuds off and asked, "what is going on? it's playtime!?"

practically in unison, they answered:

"we want to do school work."  

it was 7:20. PM. i was stunned. they were serious. and? they were excited. bless their sweet little hearts. so we went to the school room and cracked open the books and they willingly dove into their 2013-2014 school books that night. and the next night. and almost every night after that. and that's how we started our homeschool year this year.

it's been light, only one or two subjects each day, and waaaaaay off schedule, (night school!?) we officially start our morning routine and full school load TODAY.

this year at Hall College Prep Academy (HCPA) my 8yo daughter is doing 4th grade work and my 5yo son is starting 1st grade. this is our 5th year of homeschooling. both kids are enrolled in 3 classes that meet once a week at a local homeschool co-op. we will continue using many resources from Master Books, reference books on our bookshelves, and Khan Academy on their new tablets. we are still using our modified workbox system!

our curriculum & books for 2013-2014

Big Girl's 4th Grade Year:

Math- Singapore Math 3B and 4A
Language-
Reading- Wordly Wise 3000 Book 4, independent reading chapter books, Pages in My Head Reading 5
Writing- EIW All Things Fun & Fascinating
Science- Elementary Earth Science, Physical Science, Physics, and Chemistry (Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves), Science Sluths co-op class
Bible- Awana Homeschool, daily devotionals, GEMS club
History/Geography- Story of the World Vol. 1, American Girl co-op class, Texas History co-op class
Health/Fitness- weekly dance class
Art & Music- interest-based weekly studies

Bubba's 1st Grade Year:

Math- Saxon 1
Reading- Explode the Code 3 & 4, FIAR at co-op, Abeka Handbook for Reading
Writing- various resources for handwriting practice
Science- BJU Science 1
History- BJU Heritage Studies 1, My America My World
Health/PE- martial arts 3x/week, Fun with Food & Nutrition at co-op, Sports class at co-op
Bible- Awana Homeschool, Adventure Bible devotionals and memory verses
Art & Music- interest-based weekly studies

happy first day of school, everyone! 

kind hearts are the gardens {free printable}

isn't this a sweet little poem? we came across this poem in one of Bubba's textbooks last week at the end of our unit on plants, flowers and such. both of my kids really enjoyed the metaphor, and we spent some time elaborating.

"kind smiles are the seed!" 

"kind high-fives are the leaves!" 

and we read some Proverbs, too, to extend the lesson to teach them that God values kindness. 

A kind man benefits himself.

But a mean person brings trouble on himself. 

Proverbs 11:17 NIRV

Worry makes a man’s heart heavy.

But a kind word cheers him up. 

Proverbs 12:25 NIRV

Anyone who is kind to poor people lends to the Lord.

God will reward him for what he has done. 

Proverbs 19:17 NIRV

i wanted the poem displayed so we could see it every day, memorize it, and live it, so i designed an 8x10 printable poster and put it in an IKEA clips frame. (do they not sell those any more? here is a similar frame on amazon) it will look so pretty in our HCPA school room!

free printable

would you like the "Kind Hearts are the Gardens" printable? download the free printable HERE, for personal use only, please. take care of your gardens! :) 

around here lately: HCPA '12-13 Curriculum

we kinda sorta not officially started school already. it was the last week of July, it was 110 degrees (no lie) and we were getting antsy. we pretty much threw routine out the window May through June, and it was super fun and relaxing, but by late July i could tell my little ones were starting to need some structure in their day. me, too.

so, we cracked open the books and started easing into our school year without much fanfare. we will call it official, with a kick-off breakfast and first day of school pictures, on Monday, August 20. 

this year at HCPA (Hall College Prep Academy) Big Girl (age 7) is doing 3rd grade work and Bubba (age 4) is beginning Kindergarten! this is our fourth year of homeschooling. both kids are also enrolled in a few classes at a local church that is offering elementary courses for homeschooled children. i'm looking forward to meeting other homeschooling families in our community! we will continue using many resources from Master Books, reference books on our bookshelves, our modified workbox system, and my custom lesson plan notebook.

our curriculum book list for 2012-2013
(you can read here our curriculum choices for Big Girl's Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd grade, and Bubba's PreK.)

Big Girl's 3nd Grade Year:

• Math- Singapore Math 2B and 3A
• Language- Easy Grammar: Grade 3
• Reading- Wordly Wise 3000 Grade 3, independent reading chapter books
• Writing- EIW All Things Fun & Fascinating
• Handwriting- Horizons Penmanship Cursive 3 and Happy Handwriting Scriptures
• Spelling- A Beka Spelling and Poetry 2, and weekly vocabulary words from My First Dictionary
• Science- Elementary Earth Science, Physical Science, Physics, and Chemistry (Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves), BJU Science, hands-on science experiments, and caring for our class aquarium!
• Health/PE- Fitness & Nutrition, Stretch-n-Grow
• Bible- Wrong Way Jonah Study (Kay Arthur & Janna Arndt), daily devotionals
• History/Geography- Our Father's World
• Art & Music- open-ended, child-guided, possibly guitar lessons

Bubba's Kindergarten Year:

• Math- BJU Math K5
• Reading- Explode the Code 1 & 2, plus daily read-aloud
• Writing- various resources for handwriting practice
• Health/PE- Fitness & Nutrition, Stretch-n-Grow
• Bible- Adventure Bible devotionals and memory verses
• Art & Music- open-ended, child-guided, weekly drum lessons

being able to teach my children at home is such a blessing, even on the days when i threaten to drop them off at public school... [smile.] Big Girl reassures me on the tough days that she loves to be homeschooled and wouldn't have it any other way. Bubba melts my heart when he tells others proudly: "i go to homeschool." we are all very excited about another great year of homeschooling!

DaySpring Back to School supplies are on sale now!

ten things to do this summer

source

summer is so close i can smell it! time to stock up on sunscreen, make sure the kids' bathing suits fit, and plan for fun! in addition to sleeping in a little later and going on family vacations, here are 10 things to do this summer:

1. summer school: i had to put this one out there first, to get it out of the way. yes, we will continue schooling through the summer months. our schedule will be more flexible, but we have a nice momentum going and the kids like schooling, so we'll keep at it!

2. pursue the word: if summertime means more free time, how about use that time to be in the Word? yes. pair up with a friend or two and read the Bible together. there are a lot of online study plans and groups available. start here and make a #commit-ment?  

3. eat snowcones: i don't know if it's like this everywhere, but snowcones are a BIG DEAL in the summertime in Texas. we're already mapping out the nearest snowcone stands and dreaming about our favorite flavor of shaved ice. snowcones are essential to our summer diet!

4. be in or near water: this is the first whole summer that both of my babies are swimmers! i am so thankful, and so excited to spend many hot summer days in and by the pool. when we can't go to a pool, i plan to turn on the lawn sprinklers, make water balloons, fill the baby pool, or the bathtub. whatever it takes to be in or near water when it's 100+ degrees outside!

5. plan for fun: last summer i made a posterboard list of fun things to do and displayed it on the fridge, and the summer before that i wrote all of our fun ideas on colorful paper and kept it in a bowl on the kitchen table. there are hundreds of ideas for summer to-do lists on Pinterest. somehow, some way, make a plan to have some fun, and get your kids involved!  

6. drink water: this seems obvious, but it's easy to forget to drink water, especially when you're in water or scarfing down snowcones. having plenty of big insulated cups (i love Tervis Tumblers!) + fat smoothie straws + Sonic ice + sliced limes really helps me keep drinking water all day every day. if drinking water is too boring or bland for you, may i recommend spa water?

7. don't overplan: swimming lessons, vacation bible school, free summer movies, concerts, swimming, playdates, storytime, beach time, late nights, Grandma visit...whew! summer can get overplanned before you know it. but isn't it the slower pace and unplanned time what we love about summer? be cautious and try not to overplan. we don't want to get to September and be exhausted from our busy hectic summer!

8. P90X: i'm not a coach any more, so this recommendation comes with no strings attached. i love the P90X exercise and eating plan. my husband and i have done it twice. those infomercials? they're not lying. i'm talking seriously wonderful results if you stick with it. tone up, lose weight, get healthy, feel great. the exercises are completely modifiable for all fitness levels. it's every day, about an hour a day, for 90 days. isn't summer about 90 days, too? perfect!  

9. read: we read a lot here. we're at the library weekly. and i want that to continue even during the summer months. local libraries usually have summer reading incentive programs for children and adults. i'm not a big fan of the rewarding reading, the prizes are mostly chintzy, but i do like the idea of listing the books we read and making reading a priority in the summer.

10. invite friends over: most people are home more and have more free time during the summer months. when it's too hot to be outside (i know those days are coming!) stay cool and save money by inviting friends to come over to your house. crank on the A/C, turn on Cosby Show reruns, kick your flipflops off, let the kids make giant blanket forts, and serve ice cold water or homemade snowcones.


what are you doing this summer? make the most of it! 

Around Here Lately {HCPA Winter '12 update}

we have had a great school year so far here at Hall College Prep Academy (HCPA)! we like to school year-round, but we officially started this school year in August. about every three months i like to reevaluate our curriculum, schedules, and goals to see where we can improve and plan the rest of our year.

Big Girl (age 6) finished her 2nd grade math books in December, so she is going to start 3rd grade math as soon as the books arrive. math is one of her favorite subjects and she is picking up concepts quicker than i imagined! she will complete 2nd grade level in all other subjects within the next few months.

i am so proud of her for being so disciplined and responsible. she can - and likes to- do most of her work independently, which is super helpful because...

Bubba (age 3) started preschool at HCPA this month! i took him out of his 2 day/week preschool so that he can play and learn at home with us. i love it. taking him out of preschool was one of the hardest best decisions i ever made. he is doing great so far.

 

 

this is my brain notebook. i use this customized notebook to plan our weekly lessons. it's a simple form that i found for free on DonnaYoung.org and personalized with our subject areas. i had several copies made and had it spiral bound at Staples. using this notebook, i plan about 4-6 weeks of assignments ahead.

our daily routine is very flexible and mostly child-led. the most common question i get when i tell someone that we homeschool is "how much time does it take each day?" tricky question! first of all, every day is different for us. some days we spend a lot of time doing a lot of schoolwork. some days we don't do any! secondly, we don't have a start and finish time for our schoolwork. we don't sit down at a set time and try to accomplish assignments in a certain time frame. in the 4ish years we've done this, i have never timed out how long it takes. i have us set up so that we have weekly assignments and we can take as much or as little time within the week to complete them. the flexibility of our system gives us the freedom to take field trips, host and attend playdates, go to the gym, run errands, do our schoolwork while we eat lunch, or whatever it is we need to do.  

i have figured out that Big Girl is most motivated, productive, and focused first thing in the morning, so i like to get her started right after breakfast. Bubba, on the other hand, is most attentive after lunch and after dinner! some days he likes to do his work alongside Big Girl, other days he wants complete one on one with Mama. other things i've figured out- Big Girl likes to have a little snack or drink while she's doing her schoolwork, and Bubba does his schoolwork best standing up as opposed to sitting at the table.

i know that in order for me to be successful in homeschooling my children, i have to pay attention to what works best for them, i have to remember that their learning styles are different from one another, and i have to always be adaptable!  

our modified workbox system is working wonderfully! when i first implemented them i wasn't sure if/how it would work. but it is working!

we have the Ikea Expedit Bookcase in our schoolroom. i picked up a bunch of these bright colorful plastic boxes at Target last year for $2 each. Big Girl has 3 purple boxes, Bubba has 3 red boxes. at the beginning of each week, i divide their weekly assignments into their 3 boxes. for example, in Big Girl's Box 1 is her writing and language assignments, in Box 2 is her math book and science book with pages to do dogeared, in Box 3 is her art assignment and health book.

she can start with any box she chooses. the only "rule" is she has to complete all of the work in all 3 boxes by the end of the week. her finished work goes back into it's box and i check it as we go or at the end of the week, depending on the assignment. finished work that i have checked goes into the "Finished Work" white box.

the contents of Bubba's boxes are a bit simpler because of his age and attention span :) i like to put puzzles in his boxes, color pages, blocks, or an alphabet game. right now his favorite "homework" is copying letters and writing words on a white board.

what we're using: (i posted a more detailed list with links here)
Big Girl (2nd grade)
math - Singapore (3rd grade)
language, phonics & spelling - Abeka
bible - New International Reader's Version, weekly memory verses, BSF Children's Study
science - Master Books The Earth, World of Science and World of Animals
health - Abeka Health Safety & Manners, and gymnastics 1x/wk
history - Abeka Our America, Passport to the World, and Big Book of History
art - Abeka Art 2 and Daily Drawing Challenge
creative writing - blogging, journaling, writing prompts

Bubba (preschool)
Tot School
Basic Skills workbook
No Time for Flashcards
lots of manipulatives, games, and reading

overall, i am very pleased with our homeschooling journey thus far, and i'm super proud of my kids! the bible promises that this "good work" is worth it, so i'm not giving up!

Let us not become weary in doing good, 

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

i just need to get one of these...

 HA! yeah right. :)

how is your school year going? have you reevaluated lately?

get it: weekly homeschool planner

it's homeschool lesson planning, schedule-making, routine-getting into time around here! in years past i've started out the year very strong in the organizational department, but as the weeks go by and we settle into the groove of daily school and chores, my pretty little schedule charts go untouched and left blank.

this year, i have a new tool! the Weekly Homeschool Planner from Homeschool Creations! 

the Weekly Homeschool Planner is a digital file that can be typed in, personalized, edited, and saved again and again on my computer. buy it once and use it year after year! with forms for monthly and weekly planning, menu planning, to-do lists, preschool planning, field trip planning, test result tracking, attendance tracking, evaluations and special events pages, this is the complete homeschool planner. 

today and tomorrow only, the Weekly Homeschool Planner is on sale for just $12. use coupon code BACK2SCHOOL to get this limited time offer. 

i am excited to stay organized with this planner all school year! hurry over to Homeschool Creations to grab your Weekly Homeschool Planner while it's on sale.

happy homeschool planning!

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full disclosure: i was given a copy to review and promote the sale. i blog with integrity and all opinions expressed here are always 100% mine and true.