Thursday, December 20, 2007

East End Homeschoolers

Yes, I am deviating from the plan. I will get back to the Wish List, but we are taking a detour. I warned you there would be a few and you came along for the ride anyway. That, my friends, is the beauty of homeschooling. When you need to explore further, or completely abandon the path and search out a new one, you can!

As Nan mentioned in her comment on Item #4, I am extremely fortunate to runb a group here on the Twin Forks that I named East End Homeschoolers. What is now an actual homeschool group began in early 2004 as just an email list so I didn't have to type in a half dozen email addresses to get information out to my new found homeschooling friends here in Riverhead. Nearly three years later we have 25 families, almost 100 children!! I could never have imagined our little message forum turning into such a huge blessing. We have families from Montauk to Mastic, Christian, Jewish, UU, agnostic...the whole gamut. We share and learn and vent and celebrate all without any major contention. Yes, we CAN all get along :)

As we have been learning, homeschooling is not a individual sport, it is truly a team effort. It really does "take a village" to raise well rounded children, and we are fortunate to have the best village around. The friendships our family has nurtured in these past almost 5 homeschooling years have been our strength, support, sounding board and sometimes even our sanity! When talking to other homeschoolers it is understood that the house is never clean, science experiments grow on the counter and art projects appear on the walls...literally on the walls, not necessarily on paper! Life can stop for a cup of coffe and a friendly chat, the laundry will still be there tomorrow, and wrinkles are just one quick fluff cycle from extinction.

I am thankful for each and every person I have had the honor of meeting since moving here. This is truly, the best place on earth to raise our family.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, many, many blessings to each of your homes, and may your New Year be filled with unexpected gifts.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Wish List Item #4

4. "Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know."
and
5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.

We do not have a child with special needs that can't be met in a public school. We are not over zealous Christians hoping to shield our children from the harsh realities of the world. We are not a military family that moves every few months. We do not have a horror story of abuse and/or maltreatment at the hands of a teacher.

Our choice to homeschool was borne out of a desire to have shared family experiences. You see, our oldest daughter went to school; for Kindergarten, 1st grade and part of second. During those years she went from an only child to an older sister of two siblings. We moved twice, and I went from full time employment to no outside employment. That's a lot of life changes between (then) ages 4 to six. Our daughter would come home from school crestfallen to learn of all the "first's" she missed. Baby's first smile, first laugh, first time rolling over, first steps... her brother and sister were growing up too fast, and she felt as though she were missing most of it.

Our son went to Pre-K several days a week at ages 2 and 3 but did not want to go to Pre-K 4. When it came time for him to decide what he wanted to do about Kindergarten he made his choice with no discussion. The school district registration packet came in the mail one afternoon addressed to him. I told him what it was and left it on the kitchen counter. Dear son picked up that packet and calmly, without a word, put it in the trash. He has never looked back, except to express a slight regret at not riding a school bus!

Now for our last daughter. She is smart as a whip, and much more advanced than the older two were at this age (now 4). This year she is in Pre-school 3 days a week at the same school her siblings attended. While she loves the classes and her teachers, she absolutely despises leaving the house to go to school. We were discussing the idea of Kindergarten while baking cookies yesterday afternoon. Looking up from her chocolate balls and confectioner's sugar she says to me "I'm better off just being homeschooled". Did I mention she's 4?!

Now let me clarify, we do not allow our children to have total say in their school choices. If we sincerely felt a child (such as #3) would be better off in school, they would go. But we do listen to their feelings, and let them know their opinion is valued, then every year we review our choice on a kid by kids basis.

We are very blessed to have a wonderful homeschool network to share field trips and play dates and tips and frustrations and friendships. For us, for right now, this is the absolute best choice for our family.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Wish List Item #3

3. "Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize."



I think I covered most of this in my last post, but let's explore a bit more. My children participate in all of the above activities, at various locations throughout town and our surrounding area. They meet children and adults from many races, religions and socio-economic standings. THEY ARE WELL SOCIALIZED!!!!!!!!

The End.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Wish List Item #2

2. " Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts."

Oh, God help me. The surest sign of some one's ignorance with regard to homeschooling is the dreaded socialization question. We have given up trying to explain ourselves in this area, as doing so would generally be akin to talking quantum physics with a donkey. However, since you are reading this, I am going to assume you have either some knowledge of homeschooling or at least a genuine interest in learning.

First, let's address the issue of private schools. Our oldest daughter went to a private school for K- part of 2nd grade. Every child in her class was white, and all professed to be of Christian faith. Additionally, with each passing year the class got smaller and smaller. Had we kept her in that school she would be in a class with 8 students, only one of whom entered after 1st grade. That is 8 students in a combined 5th/6th grade classroom. Now tell me, what kind of socialization skills are being learned by interacting with the same half dozen, white, Christian children for 6 years? Please.

Now public school... again, schools are divided according to geography. The kids you see at Phillips Avenue (34% White) and Roanoke School (45% White) are quite different from the children you see at Riley (84% White) and Aquebogue (64% White). Granted, the distribution is not quite as divided as in our private schools, but there is certainly a difference. St. Isidore for example is 95% White. In any case, back on track. So, you take kids from elementary schools, where they have spent the last 4 years with kids who are basically just like themselves. Then you throw them into Middle School with all the other kids who they have never seen before, and ask them to get on nicely. How's that for realistic socialization?
* http://www.publicschoolreview.com will help you find data for your district.

My kids get plenty of socialization: church activities, home school swimming lessons, town and private sports, Community Theatre productions, neighborhood kids, visits to the library, aquarium, museums, 4-H... this is all in addition to the activities and field trips we take with our regular home school group. What percentage of your kids' friends are from their class at school? I am guessing it is rather high. What is the level of diversity in their peer group? If their friends are all from school them we know the answer to that question.

Without the constraints of a school calendar we are free to travel at will. Our children have been to many different states and witnessed many different regional and cultural events as a result. I believe this makes them much more sensitive and accepting of differences. They interact with children and adults, seniors and babies, and are equally comfortable with all.

Phew! I feel a little better now. Truth be told, my children have much better socialization skills than their mother. If you're looking for pleasant conversation, you'll have a much better shot at it with one of them!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Wish List Item #1

1. Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is — and it is — it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?


Yes folks, homeschooling is legal here in the USA, land of the free and home of the brave. We have to follow the Rules and Regulations set forth by the NYS Education Department just like any other place of instruction. The only difference is NYS does not currently require any credentials for teachers giving home instruction. I also don't need a Certificate from the Health Department to feed my kids lunch, and I don't need to be an RN to give them a Tylenol... but I digress.

You might be suprised, however, at how many NYS Certified teachers homeschool their own children. I can name 4 right off the top of my head, and I am sure there are many more of which I am not aware.

In any case, we are in contact with our local school district several times a year. We submit quarterly "report cards" just like your kids' teachers do. We tell them our plan of instruction for the year and we have to submit test scores periodically as well. I dare say, a good majority of us are doing this to provide what we believe to be the very best education possible for our children. What kind of civics lesson would we be encouraging if our very existence was against the law?

So now you know.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

I LOVE 4-H

Last night was the reorganizational meeting for the Suffolk County 4-H Program Advisory Council, of which I am a member. 4-H is such a wonderful, under utilized resource here in our county, and last night I agreed to step up into a position that will (hopefully) bring more recognition the materials and workshops that are available. Everyone who reads the Calendar of Events on NorthForkParents.com sees all the fantastic parenting workshops offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Do you know that 4-H has a Life Skills Program to offer character enhancing workshops for our children? Can you imagine the peace that would ensue in your homes if the parents took a Tween/Teen Communication class and the kids did a workshop on Bullying Prevention, which is all about teaching self worth, and effective commnication?

There are two projects in the development stages that are very exciting to me. The first is building and installing bat houses. The Long Island ScienCenter has a great class on bats, in which the kids learn that the Chiroptera's most favorite meal is a huge, juicy mosquito. The installation of bat houses would give the bats a home and give us humans a break from mosquitoes. All this, with zero environmental impact... unless you're a mosquito!

The second project is the creation of pet shelters in the event of a disaster. We all remember the horrific scenes from Hurricane Katrina of emaciated, dehydrated animals trying to stay on rooftops. And more recently, the devastating fires in California in which people refused to evacuate because there were no shelters for their pets. The Suffolk County 4-H will be working with Cornell to develop a program to meet this need and increase awareness for pet owners.

Whew! I am glad to have all of that off my brain; and I can't wait to get started on these projects. If any of you feel inspired, drop someone at CCE a line and let them know you appreciate all the work they do on behalf of our county.
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/

If you have needs, or suggestions, or a special talent you can contribute please think about doing so. There are so many areas that I am sure you will find the one that's right for you. After all "Volunteers are the Heart of 4-H"!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Introduction

A few days ago I received a forwarded email that I actually read, and I am glad I did. The email was entitled “The Bitter Homeschooler’s Wish List” and its contents made me laugh out loud. Then, when Nancy invited me (more than once I am embarrassed to say) to write a blog about our home schooling experience, I realized the list may be the perfect vehicle. So each week I will take on 1 of these common misconceptions about homeschooling and do my best to dispel some of the mystery.

So off we go. I invite you along on our homschooling ed-venture, and hope you will enjoy the trip as much as we do. I am sure we will hit some pot holes along the way, and perhaps even encounter a few road blocks, but we will find a detour and eventually get back on the right path. Buckle up, and try to keep your hands to yourself!


We are a family Thrice Blest. Momof3 is teacher, cafeteria lady, bus driver, nurse and custodian. Dadof3 is principal, tuition payer, substitute teacher (you know, the one the kids take advantage of?) and gym teacher. Child 1 is 10 and in the fifth grade. She enjoys horseback riding, theatre, art and is enjoying algebra. She hates to clean her room but is very helpful in many other housekeeping tasks. Child 2 is 6 and in first grade. He loves math and is not interested in reading by himself. He loves history, especially all things Tut and Egyptian. He is great at soccer, not so great at writing his letters. Child 3 is 4 and goes to pre-school 3 half days each week. She can write her name and sight read about a dozen words. She doesn’t care for sports but loves to ride a miniature pony while her sister takes her lessons. Every day is different and wonderful, and I look forward to sharing them with you here, where Home’s Cool.