Are you ready to wrap up your homeschool year?
We usually aim for 185 days of school for the year, and although I enjoy doing some school through the summer so we keep a rhythm, there are a few chores that I tackle right about now to help our summer feel a little more free.
1. I really like to start planning the coming school year at the end of the current one. I feel like I have a better grasp on what worked and what didn't work, and I'm more realistic about expectations when I'm at the tail end of a long semester. Often I'm just following a progression of whatever I've been using; heading on the next level in grammar, or math, or beginning the next cycle of The Peaceful Press (this year I'll be using The Kind Kingdom Volume 2).
2. The next thing I do to wrap up the school year is prepare report cards. My children are enrolled in a small private cover school, and it's my responsibility at the end of the year to submit report cards and work samples. I try to keep a log of any tests or grades my children get throughout the year in my Planner, which makes it much easier at the end of the year to figure out their grades. I am very low key about grades until high school, but I do what I can to abide by the school rules.
3. The last task of the year is to shelve the books we are finished with. These books get placed in a cupboard for future use, or donated. I put the new literature books we will be using on the bookshelf in our living room, and replace notebook materials and any textbooks we are using in each child's basket. In past years, I have also kept a basket of picture books available and replenished my morning basket with the read aloud books I will need for the first month of school.
4. I then sort through the work we did throughout the school year. I keep a few work samples from the year and file them with my child's name and grade, or place them in a special portfolio of work, and trash the rest. I love the feeling of a clean slate!
5. Finally, I interview each of my children to find out what they enjoyed about the school year. You can use our free end year review packet to interview your children.
With these tasks done, I am free to enjoy a vacation from the more intense school days, and instead spend that time connecting with my children.
Are you planning a new homeschool year?