Taking A Look at 2010-2011

I generally like to set our calendar around this time of the year. Usually, I look at various camps planned for the summer, and then choose a starting date based on that information, as well as what day EG's birthday is (in early August). Often, we end up following the local schools, at least in terms of major holidays and start date (we usually finish a week earlier because we don't take off some other dates, nor do we take an entire week at Thanksgiving).

Well.

The school system is going to a so-called 'balanced' calendar, starting a week earlier, and adding additional week-long breaks in September and February. We won't be following that schedule. Apparently, it's thrown others for a loop, because normally I have some idea of what camps are being offered when by this time of year. Since I don't have that information, it's hard to finalize our calendar.

I have come to some decisions, though. We school for thirty-six weeks, but I'm going to plan just thirty-two weeks of work in some subjects, and thirty-four weeks in one or two others. That gives us four "lighter" weeks that we can use for travel, time to concentrate on something else specifically, or just to have a pleasant break. Our thirty-six week subjects will be math, literature, and history. Our thirty-four week subject will be science. Latin, language arts (excepting literature), and fine arts will be just thirty-two weeks. Since we're going to do logic via an online course, it will also be thirty-six weeks, but the thirty-six weeks will overlap oddly with the rest of our school schedule.

We're also going to move to a rotating schedule. I grabbed this idea from the school I attended from seventh grade through high school. There were eight periods, but each period occurred just four times during the week. If we do forty-five minute period, this still provides three hours per subject each week. It also allows me to adjust for the days that the kids have activities outside the house. Now, FB will not be following the same schedule except for the fact that we have the day broken into forty-five minute blocks; he needs most subjects daily next year.

So, tentatively, EG's line-up will look like this:

Monday
07:00-07:45: Math
07:45-08:30: Breakfast, chores, and time with siblings
08:30-09:15: English/Language Arts
09:15-10:00: Additional time for writing (or other subjects)
10:00-10:45: Break, and piano practice
10:45-11:30: Latin
11:30-12:15: Lunch, and travel to Master's Academy (history reading in the car)
12:15-13:00: Master's Academy
13:00-13:45: Master's Academy
13:45-14:30: Master's Academy
14:30-15:15: Master's Academy
The evening would be additional history time as well as trumpet practice; Mondays are busy with Master's Academy

Tuesday
07:00-07:45: Math
07:45-08:30: Breakfast, chores, and time with siblings
08:30-09:15: English/Language Arts
09:15-10:00: Additional time for writing (or other subjects)
10:00-10:45: Break, and piano practice
10:45-11:30: Latin
11:30-12:15: Lunch, chores, and time with siblings
12:15-13:00: Logic
13:00-13:45: Science
13:45-14:30: Science
14:30-15:15: Snack, trumpet practice, et cetera

Wednesday
07:00-07:45: History
07:45-08:30: Breakfast, chores, and time with siblings
08:30-09:15: English/Language Arts
09:15-10:00: Math
10:00-10:45: Break, and piano practice
10:45-11:30: Additional time for writing (or other subjects)
11:30-12:15: Lunch, chores, and time with siblings
12:15-13:00: Logic
13:00-13:45: Science
13:45-14:30: Art and music appreciation
14:30-15:15: Snack, trumpet practice, et cetera

Thursday
07:00-07:45: Math
07:45-08:30: Breakfast, chores, and time with siblings
08:30-09:15: Additional time for writing (or other subjects)
09:15-10:00: Latin
10:00-10:45: Break, and piano practice
10:45-11:30: History
11:30-12:15: Lunch, chores, and time with siblings
12:15-13:00: Logic
13:00-13:45: Science
13:45-14:30: Piano Lesson
14:30-15:15: Snack, trumpet practice, et cetera

Friday
07:00-07:45: Latin
07:45-08:30: Breakfast, chores, and time with siblings
08:30-09:15: History
09:15-10:00: English/Language Arts
10:00-10:45: Break, and piano practice
10:45-11:30: Math
11:30-12:15: Lunch, chores, and time with siblings
12:15-13:00: Science (reading, during travel)
13:00-13:45: Band
13:45-14:30: Band?
14:30-15:15: Snack, trumpet practice, et cetera

The times aren't perfectly determined, and of course it's subject to change with more details, but I like the general outline so far.