Starting School, Curriculum, Health, etc. -- a personal note from Virginia Knowles

#1 · July 30, 2004, 9:10 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 30, 2004, 9:10 pm
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>
Dear Hope Chest friends,

This stuff didn't fit in with the theme of the current issue, but I did want to write a personal note.

We started school this past Wednesday. I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for it -- but I guess I'm OK with it now! Why did we do it? Have you ever seen the Sonlight curriculum ad featuring the kids demanding to "Start school now!"? Yeah, that could have been my kids, not because I'm a whiz teacher but because they were bored. I had been putting it off, but finally gave in. We already had all our books, and they were willing, so we plunged in. Some of you aren't starting until after Labor Day, so you may think we are really crazy. However, the public schools start Monday morning here in central Florida. We're going to have a lot of MAJOR interruptions to our school schedule in the next few weeks, so we got an early jump on it.

People often ask what we use for curriculum. I wish I had time to give you a detailed view of what each child is using, but I don't. I will say that we are using Dr. Maggie's Phonics readers, Horizons math for the elementary grades, Saxon math for middle and high school, Apologia for middle school and high school science, A Beka for high school history and literature, and Daily Grams for upper elementary and middle school grammar. Other than that, we are using lots of great books -- from our own shelves and the public library -- for our elementary unit studies on Creation and Old Testament, and for our middle and high school co-op classes in World History and literature.

As you can imagine, a home school mom of nine is pulled in many directions. Each child wants my immediate and complete attention as soon as I start working with a sibling. Such is life. Fortunately for me, my older daughters get a lot of their academic assignments and oversight from other people, and they work well independently, so they don't need me quite as much during "school time." In fact, Mary, who is my 17 year old senior, is getting all of her credits from the local community college and her administration & grading job at Smith Prep, the classical Christian home school program where she attended weekly classes her first two years of high school.

But back to the "pulled in many directions" part. I do get overwhelmed sometimes (as in at least once a day)! I think it will be comforting for some of you to know that after over a dozen years of home schooling, I certainly don't have it all together. I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn. Today I got my summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine (http://www.theoldhomeschoolhouse.com/) which, on page 180, has a mini-review and picture of my book Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade (www.thehopechest.net/cse.html). It's a big fat book book which covers pretty much everything I know about home schooling at those grade levels. I think it's pretty good, but trust me ladies, it's a drop in the bucket. Take one look at the big fat magazine that reviewed it, and you can see that there is a whole world of different ways to home school. I am truly a dwarf among giants. Let this be an encouragement to you if you feel like you don't know what you are doing -- and you think that everyone else does. We are not Super Moms. We are Real Life Home School Moms. We desperately need God's grace and each other's support. Step by step, day by day (or page by page, book by book), we do what we need to do, the best we know how. We want to hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." So keep plugging on, even if it's all a muddle at times. By the way, I'll be reviewing Diana Johnson's great book, When Home Schooling Gets Tough, as well as her high school book, in the next issue.

As many of you know, I have had some on-going health problems that sap my energy, especially since half of my thyroid was removed in March. (I know I'm not alone in this. I can think of several moms just in our home school co-op group who have had serious fatigue and chronic pain issues requiring medical intervention.) A few months ago, I decided not to accept my family doctor's diagnosis of "everything is normal" when I knew it wasn't. On the recommendation of several moms, I started seeing Dr. Scott VanLue, a Christian physician and home school dad who is noted for his expertise with female hormones. (His office is in Altamonte Springs, Florida.) After saliva and blood tests, he determined that I am hypothyroid and insulin-resistant (precursor to diabetes). Also, my cortisol levels start out way high in the morning (which wakes me up in the wee hours) but plummet during the day. No wonder I'm tired! I started hormone and adrenal medications yesterday. I sure hope it works soon! I'll keep you posted. One thing I really appreciate about Dr. VanLue is that he and his nurse, Bette-Sue Caeners, take the time to pray with their patients. His goal is for me to get enough energy to better serve my family, our church, and the home school community at large. The mission statement, prominently posted on his wall, reads: "Individually and corporately, we are committed to provide compassionate, comprehensive, progressive and preventive medicine in a sanctuary reflecting Jesus Christ's example to our patients and to one another. This is done through personal attention, wellness treatment programs tailored to the individual, prayer to God (the Great Physician) and traditional medical diagnostics and treatments." Here are some quotes from a notebook in Dr. VanLue's waiting room which apply to our home school journey:

"Make little of your crosses and much of your mercies." Martin Luther

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." Goethe

"Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting,

as it has been found difficult and left untried."

G.K. Chesterton

"Well done is better than well said." Ben Franklin

"God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him." John Piper

"Any sphere of knowledge you're engaged in -- every aspect of your workday world --

should be to you as a believer a source of wonder and worship

and should be used as a means of glorifying God." Jerry Bridges

Well, that's enough for my "little note"! All the best to you and yours!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

www.TheHopeChest.net
  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]  

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,

This stuff didn't fit in with the theme of the current issue, but I did want to write a personal note.

We started school this past Wednesday. I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready for it -- but I guess I'm OK with it now! Why did we do it? Have you ever seen the Sonlight curriculum ad featuring the kids demanding to "Start school now!"? Yeah, that could have been my kids, not because I'm a whiz teacher but because they were bored. I had been putting it off, but finally gave in. We already had all our books, and they were willing, so we plunged in. Some of you aren't starting until after Labor Day, so you may think we are really crazy. However, the public schools start Monday morning here in central Florida. We're going to have a lot of MAJOR interruptions to our school schedule in the next few weeks, so we got an early jump on it.

People often ask what we use for curriculum. I wish I had time to give you a detailed view of what each child is using, but I don't. I will say that we are using Dr. Maggie's Phonics readers, Horizons math for the elementary grades, Saxon math for middle and high school, Apologia for middle school and high school science, A Beka for high school history and literature, and Daily Grams for upper elementary and middle school grammar. Other than that, we are using lots of great books -- from our own shelves and the public library -- for our elementary unit studies on Creation and Old Testament, and for our middle and high school co-op classes in World History and literature.

As you can imagine, a home school mom of nine is pulled in many directions. Each child wants my immediate and complete attention as soon as I start working with a sibling. Such is life. Fortunately for me, my older daughters get a lot of their academic assignments and oversight from other people, and they work well independently, so they don't need me quite as much during "school time." In fact, Mary, who is my 17 year old senior, is getting all of her credits from the local community college and her administration & grading job at Smith Prep, the classical Christian home school program where she attended weekly classes her first two years of high school.

But back to the "pulled in many directions" part. I do get overwhelmed sometimes (as in at least once a day)! I think it will be comforting for some of you to know that after over a dozen years of home schooling, I certainly don't have it all together. I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn. Today I got my summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine (http://www.theoldhomeschoolhouse.com/) which, on page 180, has a mini-review and picture of my book Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade (http://www.thehopechest.net/cse.html). It's a big fat book book which covers pretty much everything I know about home schooling at those grade levels. I think it's pretty good, but trust me ladies, it's a drop in the bucket. Take one look at the big fat magazine that reviewed it, and you can see that there is a whole world of different ways to home school. I am truly a dwarf among giants. Let this be an encouragement to you if you feel like you don't know what you are doing -- and you think that everyone else does. We are not Super Moms. We are Real Life Home School Moms. We desperately need God's grace and each other's support. Step by step, day by day (or page by page, book by book), we do what we need to do, the best we know how. We want to hear, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." So keep plugging on, even if it's all a muddle at times. By the way, I'll be reviewing Diana Johnson's great book, When Home Schooling Gets Tough, as well as her high school book, in the next issue.

As many of you know, I have had some on-going health problems that sap my energy, especially since half of my thyroid was removed in March. (I know I'm not alone in this. I can think of several moms just in our home school co-op group who have had serious fatigue and chronic pain issues requiring medical intervention.) A few months ago, I decided not to accept my family doctor's diagnosis of "everything is normal" when I knew it wasn't. On the recommendation of several moms, I started seeing Dr. Scott VanLue, a Christian physician and home school dad who is noted for his expertise with female hormones. (His office is in Altamonte Springs, Florida.) After saliva and blood tests, he determined that I am hypothyroid and insulin-resistant (precursor to diabetes). Also, my cortisol levels start out way high in the morning (which wakes me up in the wee hours) but plummet during the day. No wonder I'm tired! I started hormone and adrenal medications yesterday. I sure hope it works soon! I'll keep you posted. One thing I really appreciate about Dr. VanLue is that he and his nurse, Bette-Sue Caeners, take the time to pray with their patients. His goal is for me to get enough energy to better serve my family, our church, and the home school community at large. The mission statement, prominently posted on his wall, reads: "Individually and corporately, we are committed to provide compassionate, comprehensive, progressive and preventive medicine in a sanctuary reflecting Jesus Christ's example to our patients and to one another. This is done through personal attention, wellness treatment programs tailored to the individual, prayer to God (the Great Physician) and traditional medical diagnostics and treatments." Here are some quotes from a notebook in Dr. VanLue's waiting room which apply to our home school journey:

"Make little of your crosses and much of your mercies." Martin Luther

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." Goethe

"Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting,

as it has been found difficult and left untried."

G.K. Chesterton

"Well done is better than well said." Ben Franklin

"God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him." John Piper

"Any sphere of knowledge you're engaged in -- every aspect of your workday world --

should be to you as a believer a source of wonder and worship

and should be used as a means of glorifying God." Jerry Bridges

Well, that's enough for my "little note"! All the best to you and yours!

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

http://www.TheHopeChest.net

  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]