Portfolio Process:
Section One:
Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction-to be forwarded to your local VA School Division
DUE AUGUST 15th
Why?
Virginia may not require a detailed portfolio with examples of assignments, written work, projects, volunteer projects, quiz and test grades, but other might. Colleges. Military recruiters. Employers. Volunteer coordinators. Other states if you move. Creating a high school transcript might be a bit easier with that information in one place-though it must be said that some online programs will create this for you.
- Be sure to include …
- a copy of your relevant documentation, license, acceptance or enrollment letter, or supporting statement.
- I have always selected option (1) and attached proof of my educational credentials. I do this EVERY year. I will not blindly trust that my documentation is not lost to the ether.
- a copy of your relevant documentation, license, acceptance or enrollment letter, or supporting statement.
- a description of your curriculum.
- There is no one curriculum. There are MANY. And they change. This is your plan. You plan and then you adapt as life happens. In Virginia, you must provide evidence of educational achievement by August 1st of the subsequent year (except this year which feels WRONG and GUILTY to my little OCD brain). I will attach a more complete description of curriculum subject lists in a moment. Breathe. We have this. You are capable to teach your children. Your very doubts tell me you will work to your best ability, recruit the help you need, and become a student yourself to help them thrive.
I suggest keeping this in your portfolio or under a digital/paper file for the school year. No one wants to go hunting for this later. Don’t be surprised if it takes until December to receive your acceptance. Just keep your copy and make a note of when you delivered/mailed/emailed.
Curriculum Description-to be forwarded to your local VA School Division with your Notice of Intent (NOI)
DUE AUGUST 15th
Choices: Remember, there is no ONE curriculum. Seasons change and so do children and realities. Sickness and holidays come. Travel, the great perk of homeschooling, can educate us in the most wondrous and surprising of ways. Your schedule needs to be in there too! You are more than just a homeschooling adult. You are an individual with wellness needs, chores, appointments, meal plans, friends, jobs, and a need to hide from these lovely little monsters (Shh! I didn’t say that!! Or did I? 🙂 )
These are a few of the choices I have met along the way.
- Choice 1: Traditional School At Home. Oh you brave soul. You hold yourself to such high standards. I would gently encourage you not to lock yourself into a time table. Tangents are a beautiful part of the homeschool life and if you rigidly adhere to the clock you might miss some of the best conversations of your life. That being said, maybe this is your bliss. Maybe you are struggling with illness this year and need the schedule and external support of a k-12 online public school will help you heal and your child to have something to focus on. Here is an idea of what it might look like:
2. Choice 2: An Eclectic and Varied Curriculum. This is a great idea for us over-committed types with co-ops, extra-curricular, online classes, study groups, and dual enrollments. It can irk our sense of independence to be so committed that we are locked in however and can’t travel without missing out. Still, maybe you thrive with your tribe. Start by filling in your weekly commitments and then your supplemental plans at home. While some co-ops are adjunctive classes, participation in others are a FULL curriculum. Students attend their classes and work on the presented material through the week!
Choice 3: Short and Sweet Curriculum. Our littles cannot sit still for very long and need lots of breaks. So do our bouncy brained babies, our Energized Eddies and our Anxious Annies. Some curriculums allow for 10-20 minutes per subject. You’d be amazed at how much a child can retain-especially if it is set to a story or song. Classical Conversations suggests 30 minutes for all new grammar by singing/chanting/drawing/etc. each fact 7 times. And it works! Until your curious children demand to know more and more and more about that sentence. Then you tip into an eclectic schedule of 30 minutes per schedule at home on 3 subjects every day. Don’t feel bad. We’ve all done it. Charlotte Mason has short subject suggestions that my children destroyed by being talkers.
Choice 4: The Checklist. Oh you independent learners who can make and keep your own schedules! You online enrollment types and road schoolers! Is this for you? Every week you take a list of school assignments, chores, etc., and you get it done! My kiddos are either too young or I still hold on too tight. I’d love to hear how you do this.
Where is that curriculum list? Right here!
Is that a lot? I swear I sat down with a 30 minute intention. Look, when worst comes to worst, this is what I do:
- I create a 6 week schedule. In that schedule, I start with:
- My schedule
- Their extra-curricular stuff, co-ops, chores, and classes
- What the curriculum recommends vs. What I know I can handle. Through trial and error, I know how long my kids can go before they need a break from me. Mixing table work with reading couch cuddles helps.
- A family read aloud list
- An Audiobook list
- A field trip list
I plan a fun unit study project in October and December to satisfy my own bouncy brain and at least one field trip a month. We homeschool year round so sick days don’t bother me. Well, they BOTHER me, but not like that.
More to Come, I promise!!!
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How goes the honeschooling?
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