2014-2015 School Year

We started school this week.  It has probably been one of the roughest starts to school ever.  The kids are sure they have another couple of weeks of summer playing to do.  Gianna thinks she has to do school and I have only gotten two books for her to do.  She's driving all of us crazy because she has to be in the school room, but refuses to stop talking or dancing.  If only I can transfer that energy to her brothers.  The twinnies are, well, handfuls.  The picture says "Brigid and Kiara - trouble-in-training" and that's the truth.  We spend more time getting them to give back pencils or books than we do actually working.  They get bedroom play time more and more these days.

Blase is doing 9th grade work this year.  He is convinced he is not "old enough" for it, but I am of a different opinion.  So far he has done just fine.  If only he would spend more time accomplishing something instead of complaining or bargaining with me.  His classes include: Religion (Our Goal and Our Guides, T3 Bible study, and a saint's life summary every day), Reading (multiple books throughout the year - one book for history and one for literature scheduled a chapter a day until finished, at least 4 book reports throughout the year), Math (Algebra 1), Science (Apologia's Physical Science and student notebook), History (Connecting With History Volume 1, Old Testament and Ancient Cultures which includes quite a few books and texts as references), Vocabulary (Wordly Wise Book 9 and English from the Roots Up - 100 Greek and Latin Root Words) English (Daily Grams, diagramming sentences, essays, and The Lost Tools of Writing Level 1), Typing (an program I downloaded), Poetry (reading various selections of poetry as well as memorizing a handful of them throughout the year), Art (all of us are doing a weekly theme including a craft or drawing), Music (How to Introduce Your Child to Classical Music in 52 Easy Lessons, hopefully he will keep tinkering on the piano or we can get him some lessons), Latin (finishing Latina Christina 1).

Stephen is doing 7th grade work this year.  He is overwhelmed only because his horrible mother is making him write neatly and use complete sentences.  The world may end.  His classes include: Religion (Story of the Church, Acts of the Apostles, various lives of the saints, and a daily saint quote or Proverbs), Math (Math 7 from Teaching Textbooks), Penmanship (Write Now - Italic), History (same as Blase's), Geography (Map Skills), Science (Apologia General Science), English (Easy Grammar Plus, Logic of English, Daily Grams), Reading (multiple books throughout the year - one book for history and one for literature scheduled a chapter a day until finished, at least 4 book reports throughout the year), Vocabulary (Wordly Wise Book 7), Poetry (reading various selections, memorizing a few longer ones and a few shorter ones throughout the year), Art (all of us are doing a weekly theme including a craft or drawing), Music (How to Introduce Your Child to Classical Music in 52 Easy Lessons), Latin (finishing Latina Christina 1).

Cormac and Rex are doing 4th grade work this year.  So far it seems to be going well.  No complaints from them.  Their classes include Religion (Bible Study copywork Cormac - New Testament, Rex - Old Testament, Great Adventures Kids coloring book, maybe a few catechism questions thrown in for good measure), Math (Math 4 Teaching Textbooks), Penmanship (Italic Cormac - Book E, Rex - Book D), Phonics (Modern Curriculum Press Book D), History (Connecting with History Volume 1, same as the other two, but in a younger grade expectation level), Science (Apologia's Exploring Creation Botany), Geography (Map Skills D), Reading (30 minutes of reading out loud every school day), English (Easy Grammar 4, Daily Grams 4, Logic of English), Literature (read aloud's with the whole family), Latin (Prima Latina), Art (all of us are doing a weekly theme including a craft or drawing), Music (How to Introduce Your Child to Classical Music in 52 Easy Lessons).

Brech is doing Kindergarten work this year.  He will also do the activities we never got around to last year in Preschool.  He classes include: Religion (Bible stories, saint stories, Mother's Helper, Leading Little Ones to Mary, coloring books - one page a day, Saints for Boys sticker book), Math (Modern Curriculum Press Book K), Penmanship (Italic Book A), Phonics (Modern Curriculum Press Book K), Reading (various little books, easy readers), English (Logic of English Foundations A), History (Connecting with History Volume 1, same as the other kids, but yet again an easy grade expectation), Science (various easy things based on the requirements in Home Learning Year by Year), Geography (various easy things based on the requirements in Home Learning Year by Year), Literature (nursery rhymes and family read aloud's), Art (all of us are doing a weekly theme including a craft or drawing), Music (How to Introduce Your Child to Classical Music in 52 Easy Lessons, Catholic songs for children including coloring book).

So there you have the rundown.  I'm thinking we will all be smarter, but a little more loopy at end of the school year.