It’s July, so that means I’m gearing up for next school year. Of course, I can’t really tell you when we’re going to start back up.
I have to admit, it’s always hard to let go of the free time of summer, even if it is abundantly clear each summer that my kids need some of the focus of school to keep them happy. (I’m sure they would try to argue that, but the truth is in their actions, or fighting, as it were.)
So, while I’m a little sad to think of losing some down time, I always enjoy the possibilities that a new school year holds.
10 Reasons I’m Excited for Next School Year
1. New books. What can I say? I’m a book junkie.
2. Two kids in middle school. This is the first year to say that I have more kids that are middle school aged than elementary school aged. It does kind of ramp up the pressure, but it’s exciting anyway.
3. Teaching Textbooks for everyone! I have really enjoyed using Teaching Textbooks with the boys over the last two school years. Now that Molly will be in second grade for next school year, she took the placement test for Teaching Textbooks 3 and placed into it with no problem. She has already excitedly tried out a couple of lessons.
4. Getting ready for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Since Molly is going to be in second grade, it also means that this is a very special year for her in her faith life. While she will continue to go to our parish’s Religious Education program once a week, we will also be working through our First Communion Preparation and Printables ebook to help her prepare.
5. Our new student planners. We have been using daily assignment sheets that I got from either Donna Young’s site or Five J’s. I love them, but I’m super psyched that each of the kids will now be using their own Days of Faith student planner. Even though we have a range of grades, I bought the Intermediate level for each of them, as I liked the layout of it best.
6. We’re not participating in co-op. We have been part of our homeschool group’s co-op for the entire four years that we’ve been homeschooling. This is the same length of time that our co-op has been around. In the years we have participated, I have always taught at least one class. One year, I taught a class and co-taught a class, and another year, I taught two classes. We decided that this school year, it was just time to take a little break from it.
7. Real writing experiences. While I haven’t planned out our writing activities for this coming school year, I have decided that I want to ditch writing programs for this year. My boys need a ton of work on their writing (composition), and we have yet to find a program or workbook that we like. Instead, we’re going to embrace things like blog posts, emails, letters, book reports, poetry, and more.
8. Planning that big field trip. We’ve got our eye toward another big field trip this school year. You know, a big field trip.
9. Studying home ec. This year, we’re going to formally work on Home Ec. I’m planning for us to spend the next year (or two) working through Training Your Children in Home Economics, as well as working on cleaning skills.
10. A new start. We really trudged through last school year. I’m ready to start with a clean slate.
No matter where your kids go to school, what are you excited about for next school year?
Not only is this post this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, but it’s also part of iHomeschool Network’s 10 in 10 (a ten week series).
We homeschooled for 15 years, so I can relate. I love books and planners, too!
Thanks for hosting this meme. I added my “Top Ten” reasons why I love summer.
I love the list. WE start in three weeks and I am getting very excited.
Blessings, Dawn
I wonder how many of us homeschoolers list “new books” as one of the reason we get excited. It’s some sort of addiction nearly all of us share, I think!
Jamie {See Jamie blog}´s last [type] ..Top Ten {Tuesday} – Reasons we’re excited about our New Homeschool Year!
The new books is a favorite of mine every year.
Paula´s last [type] ..Top Ten Ideas for Fresh Picked Strawberries
I love that it is a new start too!!
Jenilee´s last [type] ..10 Reasons to Look Forward to Fall
Ah, books
I think I have an addition to books 
Amanda @ The Pelsers´s last [type] ..At Homeschool Blogging: HTML Demystified
Second grade IS an exciting year!
Jennifer´s last [type] ..Cardboard Egg Carton Caterpillars Part 2
Just so you know, this post is not showing up in the ‘top ten tuesday’ tagged posts
Vanessa´s last [type] ..10 Books My Kids Love
Vanessa –
Thanks for catching that!
I fixed it now.
Wow, you do have a lot to look forward to! We are sacrament free for a few years (baby baptism this summer doesn’t really count I don’t think) and that’s kind of a bummer. And a BIG FIELD TRIP is something else I’d really love to be planning!
But the books. Gotta love the new books. A fresh start. It’s a great feeling
Dwija {House Unseen}´s last [type] ..10 Things I Forgot About Newborns
Sounds like it’s going to be a wonderful year. I checked out the planner you are going to be using. I love how the saints’ days are included throughout. I love Teaching Textbooks too. It was a lifesaver last year for my daughter’s Algebra after 3 other different curricula. She finally got it.
Looking forward to hearing about your next big field trip.
Thanks for sharing with us and for hosting this meme.
Ginny´s last [type] ..Ten Reasons I am Excited about the 2012-2013 School Year
This is where I admit that I’m *not* excited about the coming year … and I’m only homeschooling one! Can you say burnout??
Grace was struggling with writing last year. She composes well but struggles with the brain-to-paper transfer. I set up a blog for her and it has helped immensley. She is motivated and her writing has improved greatly!
I had serious burn out last year. When all of those emails were going out about people putting their kids in school, I wanted to say, “Sign me up!” LOL But, I have to face the facts that while I think Molly would do fine in school, it’s just not the right place for either of my boys.
I have come up with a schedule for next year that is way more scheduled than we normally are. I’m hoping it helps. I’ve been wondering if we needed a little more structure, that way everyone knows what needs to be done.