So, to recap, Emily homeschooled for 4th grade and went back to St. J for 5th and 6th. When she returned in 5th grade at the first conferences it was brought to my attention by two teachers that there was a meeting for all of her teachers prior to the school year. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss with the teachers how to get Emily 'caught up'. with their curriculum. Apparently, it was expected that we did not 'keep up' and that Emily would need some extra help getting on track. Well, we did not spend 4th grade twiddling our thumbs!! That's for sure!!! Those two teachers both shared with me that Emily was not behind in her studies at all and all of the teachers were very impressed at her transition back into school!
Fourth grade came with it's challenges but we really did have a wonderful school year. Emily progressed very well in her studies and we had a lot more family time at night since her schoolwork was already completed for the day. I had a daycare to run and special needs son to care for. It was difficult but we made it. With many tears, prayer and love for my daughter I decided it would be best for her to reenter school at St. J in 5th grade. Unfortunately the same issues that caused me to school her at home were still present, and much more fierce. Emily's spirit really diminished in 6th grade and by December I was praying again about the course of her schooling, knowing we could NOT go on as we were. We do LOVE St. J, but if parents will not parent their children and put an end to the bullying, no matter how much effort the staff puts in, it still happens. Emily who had maintained Honor Roll every quarter since she started middle school in 5th grade (so much for her being 'behind'!) had a dramatic drop in a few of her courses by December of 6th grade. Nearly every day she would have some event of bullying to tell me about. But, the next day she went back to school happy and excited. She loved school, but the problems with her peers persisted. The children even tried to bring a new girl into their web and after a few weeks the new girl told Emily that she thought she was just a nice, sweet and normal girl, not like what the kids were saying. Emily and I had a nice long talk about this newest escalation and prayed about how to deal with it.
Christmas of 2013 we tried to just relax our minds from the persistent issues at school and enjoy our family time, start the new semester and year fresh. Soon I realized that this was not going to be enough. I started getting emails from her teachers asking for work that wasn't turned in or wasn't completed. We met face to face with her teachers and I personally escorted her to her teachers to hand in her completed work for a week. Emily had always been a great student so this was puzzling to all of us! I had friends and family speak with Emily so she wasn't just hearing it from me, and she got better at turning her work in completed. Her grades continued to suffer though. It wasn't that the work was too difficult or that she didn't understand it though.
Emily and I started to discuss schooling options for the next year together by February. I had her make lists of the positives and negatives of returning to St. J, public school, or homeschool. On April 22nd this is what she typed up:
Home
school
Positive
·
I would be able to spend
more time with my favorite Mom.
·
I would be able to play
outside more.
·
I would have a teacher
that is more understanding because she is my Mom.
·
I would be able to learn
at my own rate.
·
I would be able to see my
friends more often.
·
I could do schooling
with Noah , Ezra, Maisyn, Mykenza and Tavin
·
I wouldn’t feel put
down.
·
I can do schooling all
year or not.
·
If I am sick I can still
do homework and won’t miss a day in school.
·
I would make more
memories with my friends and family.
Negative
·
I would be able to spend
more time with my favorite Mom. Hahaha
·
Scroll down more (not a
negative)
Build me up
·
I feel more comfortable.
·
I have more
responsibilities.
·
It makes me feel good to
work at my own pace and go faster or I can take more time to learn something
better.
·
I can learn more about
real life.
·
I feel more independent.
·
I have more
opportunities to do things in the community like volunteering and getting a
small job when I am older.
·
I would feel proud to be
able help out other people in the community.
·
I would be able to help
my Mom if she needs help with her homework too.
·
I would do my schoolwork
in an area that is more familiar and comfortable and that would help me to
learn better.
·
I don’t have to stop
working on an assignment to go to another class and change my way of thinking
to go to a different class.
·
I can have more time
with my family.
·
I won’t be distracted by
other classmates (such as asking questions, talking etc……).
St John’s
Positive
·
Good teachers
·
A few friends not in class
·
Christian school
·
I like the learning environment.
Negative
·
Kids in class are mean and it makes me feel bad about
myself.
·
I don’t have very many friends at this school.
·
There is no one to witness to because they already know who
God is.
Build me up
I do enjoy talking to kids in class like Matthew S. and sometimes Hannah,
and those girls in 7th grade Emma, Emily and Kimberly.
I have a good interaction with teachers.
I am able to work with kids in my class and negotiate.
There are some things that I can talk about and feel comfortable talking
about with my friends above and feel like they are not going to be mean.
Break me down
I don’t feel important when people say mean things about me and call me
names. They call me annoying, mean, bossy, too dramatic, that I tattletale.
Showing me a card with a troll on it and asking me who it is, and then
going over to a group of kids and laughing.
A new student eluding to me that the other students are saying untruths
about me.
Austin R saying ‘Guess what my favorite grade was?’ The grades you weren’t
here.
Public
Positive
·
I would have some
good friends there already.
·
I would be able to
spread God’s word.
·
I would be able to
make new friends.
·
I wouldn’t feel put
down.
Negative
·
The same thing might
happen as the first time I started school, kids might not like me and be mean
again.
·
The kids might not
like that I am telling them about God.
This amazed me 6 months ago and still amazes me now. How perceptive Emily is and how much thought she really put into it. I spent much time looking into other Christian schools in the area up to 25 miles away also. I hope our readers can see how much prayer and thought we have put into this decision to homeschool again. I did privately make a decision close to the end of the school year, but I did not make it known to Emily until after school was finished on the last day. I did it then because she needed a pick me up from the last 3 incidences that she had to deal with on that 3 hour school day. She was absolutely over the moon and it brought much joy to me that she did not feel the burden she had been carrying for years anymore.
At this point I began working towards deciding on her curriculum for the fall. We did do some schooling throughout the summer, but only used supplies we could buy or use locally. Emily and I had several discussions about the option of public school still because I feel that at this age she is mature enough to help make the decision.
During the summer we moved 10 miles to a smaller town and we are very much enjoying our new home and community. I decided to contact the school system here and inquire about enrolling Emily for a few classes. I was delighted to speak with the middle school principal who is an advocate to homeschooling and was very open to our options. Emily and I decided that she would take band, choir, and gym, and would also join cross country! This has become a great balance for us and a month in she is really enjoying it! Emily is also in the process of taking MAPS testing and has scored very high on her tests! Standardized testing is completely optional for homeschooling families and I have my own reasons that I decided to have her take it. I will also be receiving the full results of the testing.
Due to some circumstances out of my control we have not yet begun our formal homeschool curriculum, but today I did receive her curriculum! Homeschooling means that we can start school when we want, take breaks when we need to and finish the year when we are ready rather than following the traditional school calendar. We homeschool in the morning and by 11 we are prepping lunch. Elliot and I leave for preschool at 11:30 and then Emily does her chores, schoolwork or relaxes until it is time for her to go to middle school for her activities. We also have time for both children to start violin lessons as soon as I am able to acquire the instruments!
I am truly blessed to be able to raise my children according to God's will. Proverbs 22:6 tells us to "Raise up your child in the way in which they should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it". This is the verse that I rely on as I raise my daughter and son. I have many difficult decisions to make but God is with me. Please pray for us as we continue on our journey. God is our shepherd and I call on Him to lead me as I teach my children to follow Him. God blessed me with two beautiful children on earth to raise in His ways. It is my duty and blessing to do so. Children grow so fast and I only have one opportunity to mother them as well as I can.
I hope that you will visit our blog to see what we have been up to! Or better yet, call and ask Emily or I what we are studying!
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