Summer Break ~

Summer Break... not what I remember from my public school days.

I recall 3 months break from the end of May until mid September.

I also recall nightmares about going back to school and not being able to remember my schedule, not being able to recall where my locker was or what the combination was, not being able to find my class though the room was in the correct place. Hallways changing and the school adding more rooms and being lost in familar territory.

None of those things ever happened. I think it was anxiety about being away for so long. Three months break for something that will be a daily activity is breaking a habit in my opinion.

Could you imagine learning a new skill then suddenly not doing anything for 3 months?

When you return you are expected to be able to recall those new skills. As kids, I think this is one of the worst types of situations. When puberty hits, even more difficult to retain information stored without daily usage.

I have a saying about foreign languages. "Use it, or lose it." So apply this to all sybjects. If you don't continue to practice, it will be lost. Not all of it will be lost, but it will be more difficult to recall and you will forget some of what you learned.

How long do public schools invest in re-teaching students every year with reviews?

Kids with not enough to do, and no money to back their boredom, makes for a very long summer break. Mind you, most families are divorced now (sad, but true) so 2 weeks with the other parent for summer visit helps. The non-custodial parent usually spoils the kids rotten so they get a nice trip or vacation activity.

They also come back as onery as ever.... No rules, no discipline, being spoiled.... "we're bored- we have nothing to do" and then the arguments break out. "He's looking in my room!" "She's in my stuff!"

When it gets too hot to send these special gifts outside, then what?

I found the answer- START SCHOOL.

And why not? The shorter the break in summer, the easier it will be to retain that new knowledge from last semester. It's very hot outside, so they're most likely stuck inside anyway. Turn the A/C on and away you go.

It also helps to tell them they get a 1 week vacation as soon as the weather cools. The public school kids will be in class while they are out enjoying nature. For some reason, they tend to like this idea. I would've too had I been homeschooled.

So- what do you do right now? Same thing I'm doing.....

Major cleaning of the house, de-cluttering. Spring clean since you were busy Spring teaching. Go through all the school books and retire the ones too young for the new grades, reorganize your resources. Move furniture to refresh the classroom. Last but not least, have the kids go through their supplies and let you know what they haven't "lost" and what you will need to re-buy. Every year I buy new pencils, crayons, colored pencils, erasers, sharpeners, etc.. and somehow they ALL get lost and are never found. Like socks in a dryer ~ poof ~ just gone-

Make this fun for everyone- Better than fights and I believe the first time I started school "early" it was b/c of all the petty arguments."Okay, time to start school!" - Wow, their faces.... Now it's a habit to start every first Monday in August. Try it- you may like it.

Seems like public school is starting earlier now too- Did we let out on a secret? If only they would learn more from our world- about as probable as finding those lost socks and school supplies---

IF you pray- keep praying for a non-invasive voucher system. What we could do with funding for even one child! Look what we're doing without it!!

Wow- Good job everyone! Patting you on the back- Get excited about a new term and so will those wonderful kiddos of yours~