Our School Year is Officially Over!

We are finished!

     Last Tuesday was our "official" last day of school for the year.  We ended with a bang!  My Latin class students came over for a party at noon, and we enjoyed hanging out together for one final day.  Some of them dressed in togas, so that was fun.  We ate Roman-style foods, and we watched Gladiator together...but without all of the gore and extreme violence.  Thankfully, we can watch movies like that in our ClearPlay DVD player, and we are able to filter out the types of things we don't wish to view in our home.  It worked well for Gladiator, enabling us to still watch the movie but not be disgusted by some parts of the culture back then, although some of they young men in the class would have happily watched the full version of Gladiator.  Need I say more?

     While I'm sure my girls would love  to completely do away with all school subjects during the summer, I learned long ago that we do better during the school year if the girls spend 30-60 minutes during summer weekdays working on math, science, or some other subject to keep their skills sharp.  This also helps keep their attitudes sharp as they tend to ease into their new school year in the fall better than if they had done no schoolwork during the summer.

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    So, while we don't spend half of their summer days cramming in schoolwork, we don't let it completely slide, either.  In the past, we've focused on keeping up their math skills.  They just continue working on individual math lessons in their math texts, a few pages each week.  We'll do the same this summer.  Kelsi would really like to finish her pre-algebra text, and Brittany would like to finish Epsilon (Math-U-See), which focuses on fractions for the year. 

Math-U-See Epsilon (Fractions)

• Fraction of a Number, Symbols
• Fraction of 1 Using the Overlays
• Add and Subtract Fractions with the Same Denominators
• Equivalent Fractions
• Add and Subtract Fractions with Different Denominators
• Rule of Four
• Compare Fractions with the Rule of Four
• Add Three Fractions with the Rule of Four
• Multiply Fractions
• Divide Fractions with the Rule of Four

Math-U-See Pre-Algebra

• Negative Numbers: Addition
• Negative Numbers: Subtraction
• Negative Numbers: Multiplication
• Negative Numbers: Division
• Whole Numbers
• Integers
• Number Line
• Exponents
• Place Value
• Expanded and Exponential Notation

     This summer, we'll also be adding in their science curriculum, to do a little bit each day.  We received new science texts in January, so they will be continuing through those over the summer with the hope that they can finish them by the end of September and progress to the next level.  Kelsi is working on General Science, a 7th grade text by Apologia, and Brittany is studying the human body and anatomy with Apologia at the upper elementary level.  Both texts are challenging and are keeping them on their toes. 

     And, of course, from time to time they will need to practice their Latin course materials so they'll be ready to start new curriculum in the fall, without having to review for months.

     But I promise that the girls will still have lots of free time to do activities of their own choice.  I don't see the need for them to continue to have full school days during the summer.  Having completely free days during the summertime doesn't work out in their favor, though, either.  By keeping them occupied for some portion of the day, we have better attitudes and better days.

     If you are a homeschooling family, what kinds of educational work do you require, if any, during your summers off?

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