Planning for a New Year; Getting Started

Planning for a New Year

 This time of year always excites me. Perhaps its the anticipation of all things new, but I always get an “itch” to begin planning our upcoming school year early. Well before the planners for the new school year are released and the current year is in the books, I begin my process. So many of my sweet homeschooling friends call this time of year the dead zone. I think this is in part due to the dreaded burnout that comes after the holidays. In order to avoid all that, I choose to look ahead to the excitement of a BREAK and new school year.

I should give a little background info before jumping into what I am hatching up for next year. We homeschool. We love it, and wouldn't change it for anything. Its joyful, intentional, overwhelming at times, and it can be exhausting, but NO I wouldn't change it for anything. And my family will tell you the same thing.

Our homeschooling journey began when we were driving home from the hospital with my first-born. I was basking in the glow of our first family ride in the car... and my husband dropped a bombshell on me, “I want you to homeschool.” It was a surprise to me then, but as Cole grew I realized how possible this endeavor truly was. So many of my friends were learning more about homeschooling with a christian world-view. I knew that God was calling my family in this direction, so it was a natural choice for us.

I knew that God was calling my family in this direction

There are many styles of homeschooling. We participate in an amazing homeschool group called Classical Conversations. CC follows the classical method of homeschooling. I have been blessed with the opportunity to tutor one of the classes in our group. We meet on Mondays for our community day. Tuesday through Friday are our home-based days. In addition to our CC curriculum, I add other subjects in as well. This is strictly our decision to do so; isn't that the joy of homeschooling?

I decided a few years ago to begin something called “sabbath schooling.” After realizing we needed small breaks in place in the school year for doctor appointments, grocery trips, vacations, field trips, and (lets be honest) personal health days, we adopted a schedule of 6 weeks on, one week off. What does this look like for us? We begin earlier in the year, and we end earlier in the year. Our first day of school is usually the second week of July, and we finish up some time late in April or early May. The year is broken down into six, six week semesters, with a week break in between each semester. We base our schedule off of the standard set forth by our local school system. As long as we conduct our schooling for the same number of days, we meet the requirement for Kentucky.

This was a game changer for me! Remember my spill about the dead zone? This helps to lessen its fiery grip on my family. Imagine coming back to school after a nice Christmas break. Everyone is still bouncing from the excitement of Christmas, but “ready” for some routine. We ease back into that schedule, and BOOM... six weeks later, we get another week break to re-energize for our next semester. God knew what He was doing when He rested!!

God knew what He was doing when He rested!!

Now that you have my background info (I hope you're still here), let's dig into how I plan out our homeschooling year. My oldest is now 8. We began homeschooling (truly) when he was 4. We did practice a few years with preschool activities, but I'll save that for another post.

I like to begin with prayer, and I encourage you to pray as well. Pray for God to lead your homeschool year. Ask for guidance on where He would lead your sweet family. I try to listen and watch for cues as to how we should change up what we have been doing. God has always led us each year in this process. Be willing to adjust your “plan” if it isn't working. A homeschool plan is only good if everyone is learning! I want my kids to be challenged, not bored. If that means I have to abandon a curriculum and search out something that inspires a learn of learning by pushing my son, I DO IT!

A homeschool plan is only good if everyone is learning!

Next, find a planner. For me this is a MUST. Will we stick to our schedule, and become a slave to our checklist, absolutely not! But will we use it for a goal and standard by which to work from, you bet! There are loads of planners of the market. I have tried a few and have fallen in love with the one I now use as my “go to”.

The Well Planned Gal has created an awesome resource in her Well Planned Day homeschooling planner. She has just released her 2019-2020 edition and it is beautiful. When I approach each day, I look to be inspired and refreshed. The Well Planned Gal has created an awesome resource in her Well Planned Day homeschooling planner. She has just released her 2019-2020 edition and it is beautiful. The beautiful illustrations, inspirational quotes, scripture quotations, and fun add-ons hidden inside add a little sunshine to my mornings! Rebecca Farris, the sweet author and master mind behind Well Planned Gal, put much thought into this spiral bound wonder!

Get a good planner, crack it open, and get a feel for how it is laid out. I like to start by planning out the entire year. How many days do we need to meet in order to fulfill the state requirement? Remember, not all school days are bound by the walls of your school. Do you plan to travel? Why not include trips to museums, visit your library for research days, ask a local orchard about agricultural programs, maybe your local university has a planetarium. You are not required to sit at a table! Get out and explore, and count these valuable experiences as school adventures. Make notes in your planner when these trips are educational, and count them as part of your education requirement for the year. 

 

How do we determine our first day of school? Classical Conversations schedule is our base. We meet consistently each year, starting so that after the first 6 weeks we can take a week off and resume for a final six weeks, to be followed by our Christmas Break after Thanksgiving. This is perfect for our sabbath schooling. We add an extra six week semester before we start back to CC. Even though we don't meet with our homeschool group during the “Christmas Break,” we continue our home studies for a shorter 3 week winter semester. This shortens our final semester in April/ May. Let me give a quick break down of our year below...

2018-2019 Wiles Academy School Year Total Required Days = 180
July 2- Aug. 10	1st Semester	30 days
Aug. 13- Aug. 17	Break Week 1
Aug. 20- Oct. 5	2nd Semester	30 days
Oct. 8- Oct. 12	Break Week 2
Oct. 15- Nov. 19	3rd Semester	26 days
Nov. 20- Nov. 23	Break Week 3
Nov. 26-Dec. 14	Winter Semester	15 days
Dec. 17- Jan. 4	Christmas Break
Jan. 7-Feb. 15	4th Semester	30 days
Feb. 18-Feb. 22	Break Week 4
Feb. 25- April 5	5th Semester	30 days
April 8- April 12	Break Week 5
April 15- May 10	6th Semester	19 days

Having the first day of school set, always gives me a sense of excitement. In my next post, I will lay out how I decide upon curriculum for our family. Keep in mind, this is my process. There are a million ways you can approach planning your school year. I love to learn from other homeschooling families, so please comment on what you do and why it works for your family!

Love always!

Brenna