Have you ever dreamed about leaving the rat-race, selling everything and traveling to wherever, meeting new people, seeing first-hand God’s wonderful creation? My husband & I have dreamed about it many times. Many times.

Years ago, after their children were grown, one of my husband’s cousins and his wife did just that. They sold everything and bought a boat. Everyone thought they were absolutely nuts (’cept us ) and figured it was just a matter of time before they came to their senses. But they have never looked back and wouldn’t trade what they’re doing for anything. They have traveled all over, making money using their boat.

At this stage in our life, it’s hard to imagine that doing something that “gutsy” will ever become reality for us, but who knows?! At any rate, we still like to dream.

This morning I read a wonderful inspiring story about the Vogel family who “took the plunge.” Read the rest of this entry »

Boy oh boy, life has been throwing the curve balls lately. I’m sure you can all relate – we all experience those “when it rains, it pours” times. However, I have little to zero time to blog

So, I am extending an invitation to all of you. If you have something homeschool related you’d like to write about, be it encouragement, personal homeschool experiences, a product review, basically anything related to homeschooling, I would love for you to use Homeschool through Highschool as a platform to express yourself.

Anyone interested can let me know by using the contact form. If you have a blog and/or website, you are welcome to include a link to your site at the end of your post

Thanks for understanding & I look forward to hearing from some of you, please !?!

Sue

Why include transcripts under the series of “Distance Learning Options for Homeschoolers” and not under “college”? It could fit under either category because it is “the” document colleges are interested in, but the record-keeping and documentation for transcripts is done while your student is in highschool.

I chose to include it in this series, for the latter reason plus if the thought of doing a transcript paralyzes you, it could be a deciding factor in your choosing a distance learning option, simply because most distance learning schools will take care of the record–keeping and provide you with a completed transcript at graduation.

On the other hand, you can do your own transcript and there are a number of ways you can make it look “professional”. The downside is the additional record keeping you will need to do. You will need to document all the activities your highschooler does that shows that the learning took place, keep track of hours so you will know how much credit to award and assign a grade, which can be a bit of a challenge if you’re not doing the traditional textbook/test routine.

Having said that, it’s worth noting Read the rest of this entry »

I have to be honest and say that I hate politics. I really do. It’s hard to know what or who to believe and discussion, especially about issues I am passionate about, like abortion, really upset me. But, I do believe strongly that every American citizen of voting age has the responsibility to participate in the process.

So with things heating up for November’s presidential election and all the media spin and the commercials – oi! it’s enough to drive me nuts!!! I digress – sorry. Like it or not, there is an important election around the corner.

My reason for writing this post is because of a thought-provoking article written by Mary Pride, publisher of Practical Homeschooling. In her article she discusses the issue of homeschooling and candidates’ positions on the subject. The title of her article, which may surprise you, is Huckabee Not the Best for Homeschoolers. Hmmm, Read the rest of this entry »

Now for a look at private distance learning options. The first thing to understand is that they are not free. Private schools don’t receive government money or the inherent government strings that come with government funding. Therefore, you will need to pay for the services of private distant learning but you also receive the inherent freedom to choose the who, what, when and where of your child’s education, especially important during the high school years.

There are many wonderful private options available to homeschoolers – so many that it can leave you feeling kind of like a kid in a candy shop. However, because there are so many options, it can be a bit overwhelming to wade through all the available choices. The good news is that for the parent considering the distance learning option, there is sure to be an option that fits you and your family.

Distance learning schools can be referred to as correspondence schools, umbrella schools, cyber schools and probably others. There are also schools catering to particular faiths, “gifted” children or “learning disabled” children. There are even colleges offering high school courses and schools that allow dual credits, meaning that the student gets both a high school and college credit. Additionally, there are schools, that offer individual courses for credit. Some schools provide K-12 instruction, while others only work at the high school level.

Keeping in mind that the distinctions between different distance learning schools and options are not always black & white, let’s look at three broad option categories. Read the rest of this entry »

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years and are filled with wonderful expectations for 2008. We had a great time New Year’s Eve, spent with a few close friends – great food (& lots of it!!), great fellowship, games and discussion and a special time of Communion as the old year passed quietly into the new.

Just for fun, to start the new year, I thought I’d give you a link to a “homeschool humor” video by comedian Tim Hawkins, that’s really fun to watch. To watch the video, A Homeschool Family, click here and then click on the “Homeschool Family” link on Tim’s site. Enjoy!

Wishing you a 2008 filled with the richest of blessings and full of wonderful family memories.

Sue

I’ll tell you what….Homeschooling has come a long way! Oh yeah, baby! Sincere, heart-felt thanks to all of you who fought so hard for the freedom to educate our children at home, paving the way for the rest of us! Thank you!!!

Next time we’ll look at some of the various types of private distance learning options for homeschoolers – their similarities and differences. But, before we get into the specific options available, let’s talk about a common consideration in any of the private distance learning options, accreditation.

Accreditation means that the school has been evaluated by and determined to meet the standards of the (private) accrediting agency. Two such agencies are National Association of Private Schools or National Council for Private School Accreditation.

Is the distance learning school you’re considering accredited or not? How important is accreditation? Read the rest of this entry »