This past week brought a
lot of uncertainty and concern about what the coming school year would look
like to a head.
I started seeing family
and friends posting about what their school districts were going to offer for
schooling and the decisions to be made. I hadn’t heard anything from our school
district so I went to their web site to look for information. Nothing under
“News.” I finally found it under “Covid-19 Information.”
Apparently, our local
school district had made their decision about what they would be offering in
terms of instruction about a week before. They posted it on their web site but
didn’t send a robo-call or anything to let people know. (It also had a copy of
a letter going out by mail, but I still haven’t received it.)
The plan gave three
options – all the students return, just with masks on and more cleaning,
students are split into two groups with half week virtual and half week in
person instructions, or full virtual school. These appeared to be options for
the school, not the parents.
I called the district
secretary the next day and asked about virtual learning.
Frankly I was worried but
prepared to choose to homeschool. I had done the research to find out about
lesson plans available online and modules of learning we could subscribe to.
She said there was a
board meeting that night and she would get back to me within a week.
On Monday I got the call
that we could enroll our daughter in virtual learning through the school
district. I am very glad. I know it means more work for the teachers, but I
really believe it will be safer for them, and the other students who go to
school in person, if those of us who can, keep our children home and join them
virtually.
For parents who feel it
is time to move to homeschooling, my library will be offering an information
session with parents who have already taken this route.
Homeschool
101 – Exploring The Options
08/24/2020 @ 6:30 pm -
8:00 pm
Join
Danielle Peters and Saunseray Benjamin, local homeschool leaders, to learn more
about private homeschooling in NY. Learn tips on navigating the regulations,
finding your styles & choosing curriculum, scheduling your day, tapping
into homeschool organizations & resources. Discuss your questions and
concerns in this informal session with time for Q & A. This presentation
will be geared towards teaching children ages 4 – 13. This will be a live
presentation through the Zoom platform. Please RSVP using the form below to
receive the Zoom sign-in link. https://www.ssclibrary.org/activities/homeschool-101/
I will continue to share
my experiences with home learning through this blog as we take this journey,
and also offer any links to resources that I come across. I hope they will be
of use.
I confess I hadn’t even
thought about looking to podcasts for information about home schooling. They
just aren’t my go to. Then a fellow librarian shared this one – The Unrefined
Curriculum Guide.
https://www.homeschoolunrefined.com/ltw
That inspired me to look around and, lo and behold, I
found this curated list of podcasts from The Home School Mom!
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/best-parenting-homeschooling-podcasts/
That should keep you busy for a bit. J
No comments:
Post a Comment