John took Jack and Lucy to Maine for a week, without me. Here's a view from his Nana's back balcony. Amazing, right?
Sad to miss a day at the beach, but I'm so excited to have a week by myself at home. I've realized that although I've been away from the kids for a week, it has always been with me gone and them at home. I don't think I've been home by myself for more than a day in 8.9 years! My big and excited plans for this week are to finish the decluttering I started in the spring and to plan first grade for Lucy. This is my second time planning first grade, so over the next few posts I'm going to share some of my general planning process, my first grade plans and what I did with Jack for first grade.
My first step in planning is to look at a calendar for the school year, and figure out when I actually plan on doing school. Start day, end day, holidays, vacations, etc. I have found that 4 week blocks work best for us, so after I have sketched in the times we won't be available, I figure out how many blocks I can fit in the time remaining. Of course, it doesn't all work out into even and lovely 4 week blocks, so I may have a shorter block somewhere that I'll use for something a little different (like a 1 week form drawing block or 3 week nature block). I've learned not to go to 5 weeks, because it is just WAY too much of one thing for us.
This school year we are going to start on 9/12. I like waiting until a week after public school kids have gone back, because it is fun to have all of our favorite places to ourselves again. I ended up having 9 blocks as broken down below:
1 - 4 week block (I'll probably split this up into 2 2 week blocks for Lucy, and 1 4 week block for Jack
2 - 4 week block
One week break
3 - 4 week block
4- 2 week holiday block (This is right before Christmas, so we'll focus on making and baking lots, plus our traditional holiday stories and songs).
Two week break over Christmas and New Year's
5 - 4 week block
6 - 4 week block
7 - 4 week block
As I look at the above, I realize we may need a break in there somewhere. We'll probably go somewhere for a long weekend to break up those dreary months.
8 - 4 week block
9 - 4 week block (this block is May, and we'll spend the bulk of our time outside cleaning up and getting the garden ready. I won't plan much formal for this block).
At the beginning of June we will do a relaxed two week review of the school year. This year I'm planning on doing it in conjunction with another homeschooling family. We plan on having our kids put together a little exhibition with their work form the year and inviting grandparents and other friends.
