Academy Expanding Hours

Hello dear readers.

The Academy, which hence has been open for summer only, is pleased to announce new hours for the fall semester.  Beginning September 1, we will be open on Wednesday and Friday, for math instruction and independent study.  This offer currently applies to Comet alone.

He has been moping and whining his way through the school year, aided in part by a new friend of his, complaining about the “stupid work and stupid rules” of school.  He feels very stifled, and is upset that he cannot spend time on the things he likes to do, because school takes up too much time.  The only thing he likes about school is his friends, and even then he does not have enough social time to interact with them. (Take that, you nay-sayers of homeschooling!  Who says brick and mortar schools provide more social opportunities!)

We had a few conversations with his wonderful teacher, did a little homework on state statutes and district policy, and came up with the idea that Comet go to school 3 days a week, and stay home for 2 days.  This is sanctioned in district policy as an excused absence generated by the school and parents.  Some time over the summer we all will get together to plan out curriculum, and decide how Comet will present his independent studies to his classmates.  I am rejoicing inside, as this is the first step to returning to homeschooling for him.  Middle school will be a disaster in many ways.  I am sure there are advanced opportunities, but I truly fear they will not be adequate for him, and he’ll get lost along the way.

So Comet, as if to prove a point, has completed his novel and composed a piece for multiple instruments and set it to a video that he cobbled together.  When DH pointed this out to him, he shot back, “See!  I really should be homeschooling!  School is stressing me out.  If you keep this up I’ll be homeless and miserable when I’m 40!”

Sheesh!  At least we are listening!  Stay tuned for more curriculum developments from Nebula not-so-Classical Academy.

Bulls Eye

Here it is folks, my graphic representation of what I want to accomplish over the summer.

Ok, so it is giant, but it took me 15 minutes to figure out how to paste it in this blog, so it will remain bigger than life.

Isn’t it fab?  I love the layers, representing different parts of my world, from the perimeter of my property to my inner self.  This is going on my wall, to keep me on track, and to keep me from getting pulled in to one project over another, to remind me to give each of them equal weight.  And when one goal is complete, I can add another in its place.

This does not replace the daily to-do list, by any means.  Rather, it is an overarching plan, big picture, big projects.  And underneath lies the mantra “Progress, not perfection.”

Edit: grr.  darn document with my fabulous bulls eye didn’t load!  working on the glitch now..

Mapping

Greetings.

I have the week off, and am trying to take advantage of the time by writing, something I rarely get to do.  Consequently, you all get to see what’s going on inside my head.

This summer is a summer for change.  I have lots of energy, more than I’ve had the last few years, and I’m motivated to use it!  As always, I’ll have to rein myself in, as I tend to run forward with too many projects, but I think I have a plan for this.  I see my project areas as concentric circles, like an archery target.  This helps me limit the number of projects going on at any one time, while allowing the variety I desperately crave.

The outer circle represents the area outside my house, and I have one project going on there.  The next circle represents the inside of my house, and I have 2 projects going on there.  Circle number three is our physical selves, and I have one project in action, and one planned.  And the bulls-eye is the essence of ourselves, our soul, spirit, core.

This my readers, is where an old project is being resurrected: The New Road Map.

I read the book associated with this plan years ago, and never had the gumption to take it all the way through, but I am intrigued once more with the idea that my money can work for me, instead of the other way around.  I already practice this philosophy in one way or another.  And DH and I are both blessed to have work we love.  But with children in school, and one gradually returning to homeschooling, the time we spend out of the home on this work is a barrier.

The New Road Map is just that: a way to look at your life and potentially stop running on the treadmill, examine where your money really goes, and get the most value from it that you can.  The Map is based on your needs and wants, so you can chart your own financial course, and your own life course.

If nothing else, it inspires me to take a more thoughtful look at what I do with my time and finances.  I am thrilled to see this organization still at work, and happy to welcome it back to my life.

Homeschool Redux

Faithful readers, it looks like the Academy is ready to open part time, after a 2 year hiatus.

Comet simply cannot stand school anymore.  He is restricted by the rules and lack of choice.  He has no time to explore the things he really wants to do in life, and this includes more than just playing video games.

He wants to finish his book.

He wants to write computer programs.

He wants to read whenever he wishes.

Luckily, we have full support from his teacher on this.  The plan is to have him home 2 days a week and in the classroom 2 days.  With his teacher we’ll make a plan this summer and call his homeschool days “independent study.”  This will satisfy the district policy and make the home days excused absences, and will avoid the stickiness of trying to partial homeschool while open-enrolled (mucho administrative headache!)

Sparkle?  She is just fine.  Loves school and her friends and would sleep over there if she could.

Me and DH?  Well, we always knew it would come back to this, for a variety of reasons.  I am surprised Comet made it through 2 whole years at school.  Actually he asked to homeschool at the end of last school year, and then again multiple times this year.  I am secretly relieved, as this gives me ammunition to keep him home for middle school.  I absolutely do not want him in a brick and mortar middle school.  I am looking forward to watching him as he manages his time and chooses his learning path.

And this gives me  a whole year to map out our path to keep him home completely for 6th grade.  I’ll need every minute of that, and then some.