7th Grade Here We Come!

Oh. My. Lord. I have twin 7th graders. Me. A parent. Of two s-e-v-e-n-t-h g-r-a-d-e-r-s. *Gulp!* Nothing like receiving a 44 lb. box delivery of 7th grade text books to drive home the fact that one's children are growing up. Two years ago, I homeschooled all my children and absolutely loved every minute of it. (Yes, so did they. Well, maybe not every minute, but most of the minutes.) This past year, my girls went to a private school, and my son continued on with his homeschool studies. We follow a traditional school calendar, so all of us are enjoying the summer off right now. I'm lovin' every minute having them all at home. I find them to be delightful, intelligent little beasts who remind me daily of how amazing life can be. Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but, um, I actually love those crazy punksters!

We homeschool using the Calvert curriculum which provides my son with an amazing, well rounded, challenging education experience. Marjie and I actually met through Calvert (cyber met anyway), and our sons are in the same grade using the same curriculum. This year, my student and I will be trying Calvert's interactive program which incorporates some live on-line classes. My son is comfortable using different technology mediums, so this will be a good experience for him. And, if we find the interactive program to not suit our needs, we can simply and quite easily switch to the regular curriculum ... both styles use the same materials. That's the beauty of homeschooling! Marjie: Your 7th grader will be pleased to know that there are 5 science books plus a Science Activity book this year. I thumbed through them and like what I've seen so far!

I remember 7th grade very well. I went to a private Catholic school and we had a brand new teacher that year. We had only been in school for a couple of weeks, when he started telling us terrifying ghost stories. Did you catch that I mentioned this was a Catholic school? Uh, dude, ix-nay on the ghost ory-stay. Needless to say, he was dismissed ... quickly. The school hired Mrs. McCullough in his place, and she was one of the best influences in my life. She "looped up" and taught my class 8th grade as well, and when I entered high school the next year, I was fully prepared for the rigorous college prep high school my parents enrolled me in. Funny, I haven't thought about Mr. Ghost Story for years, but I frequently think about Mrs. McCullough. In fact, I was fortunate to have many great teachers, and now that I teach my son, I appreciate all the more those teachers who love their craft and make a positive imprint on the lives of the children who pass through their classrooms.

I love homeschooling my son. He's such a great kid. I'm amazed at how bright he is, and his memory is spooky good. Homeschooling provides him with so many opportunities to excel as well as the encouragement to be the best he can be. Calvert provides everything ... text books, workbooks, instruction manuals, paper, pencils, everything! The state that I live in is very homeschool friendly, and it seems like everywhere we go, we are meeting fellow homeschoolers. His classes this year will keep him busy during the day, yet allow him the freedom to participate in activities without the stress of hours of homework. His twin sister was longingly thumbing through his books today, and voiced that she'd like to return home again. I told her we'd think about it. She's also amazingly intelligent, and homeschooling is a great environment for her. The school she's enrolled in is also a good environment for her, but man the homework is killer. Hours and hours every night, every weekend, and over holidays. Busy work is what it is. Hmm ... maybe I should bring her home again! Which brings me back to where I started ... oh my Lord, I have twin 7th graders!