So instead, we’ll take the abbreviated version, but still give an update, shall we?

Many of you have been long time followers of our blog, watched our family grow up online, and as we are getting near the end of our own family’s homeschool journey, it’s often harder to share the day-to-day (because our youngest two are teen boys and there’s a fine line in oversharing). :)

Here’s the bullet point summary of what’s happening in/around our house, because 2023 brought so many changes!

Laurianna and her husband Ian moved back to our area early in the year and in April we welcomed our first grandchild, Judah. He has truly been the sweetest addition to our family, and becoming an Oma is the craziest and most amazing blessing. Our family group text thread is honestly a massive compilation of daily pictures of the cutest baby and milestones he is achieving (is there anything better?).

McKenna took a brief break after her graduation in 2021 to work and focus in on what she might want to study (nursing). In January 2023 she began working toward her degree and has proven herself to be an absolutely amazing student (despite all her doubts), excelling in her coursework. Her goal is a BSN and almost all of her pre-requisites are now out of the way, so she’ll jump into the nursing program in the fall of 2024.

Zachary graduated high school in May, and in December he officially completed his first semester at Bridgewater College, where he is also swimming for their men’s team, breaking school records, and settling into college life. We missed him over the holidays as he jumped on a plane and spent over two weeks in Prague with friends, revisiting an area where he spent time over the summer.

Kaleb is a junior in high school, swimming with our year-round team, and more recently our last official driver in the family. He is officially taller than me, and it’s very strange to know that in just a year and a half our homeschool journey will wrap up with his graduation.

While I haven’t been especially active (at all) with the blog, Facebook, or Instagram, at the personal level, I have been otherwise busy working for our year-round swim team in addition to homeschooling Kaleb. Swimming has been such a big part of our family’s life and sharing that love with other families is honestly a joy (plus I get to know some amazing families and people along the way). In addition to working part time, I’m teaching a literature class (small co-op setting) and trying to fit all of life in, because if there’s anything turning 50 and having the sweetest grandson will do – it’s make you want to enjoy each moment of life to the fullest.

I hope you all have been well! Thank you SO MUCH for those who have been readers through the year and allowing me to share a quick update via your inbox!

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

• Teaching Textbooks - homeschool math that makes life EASY for mom and child
• Student Planner - daily, weekly, and monthly planning pages to get your student on track!
• EEME - teach kids electronics one project at a time. 
• Weekly Homeschool Planner - printable planner for mom to use year after year
• All About Reading - a fully engaging reading curriculum for preschool age and up
• Ivy Kids - literature units for children - delivered right to your door!
• North Star Geography - fun and simple to teach geography program for high school
• All About Spelling - hands down our FAVORITE spelling curriculum
• Yearly Home Planner - organize your day-to-day appointments
• WriteShop - writing curriculum for K through high school

Access the subscriber only page at any time HERE. Password to open the page is freecards.

        

Comments

• What a wonderful update! Your blog was a lifeline to my ... by Melissa
• I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the update. Your homeschool ... by Michelle Minielli
• Oh I'm so glad you're still here!! I'm working on posts in my ... by Christin Slade
• Congratulations on your growing family! I dropped in to look ... by MIndy
• Jolanthe, thank you for the update. I always check back, and it ... by Jennifer

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This Student Planner was the PERFECT fit for our our kids during their middle and high school years. It’s full of color (which they loved), very simple in layout, and helped them track all of their studies and goals each week. That made my job so much easier as they took responsibility for tracking their daily work. 

Because it is an undated planner, the front cover needs to be updated every now and then with a new calendar year. For those of you who have purchased the planner in the past, there is a bonus (password protected) download page where you can find updated covers each year. 

If you haven’t purchased a copy and are wanting to help your students get a little more organized this year – read on and see how you can save 20% on a copy of the Student Planner (through 8-31-23). 

Inside Our Student Planner

Want a peek inside? I promise it’s super simple – because we found we really didn’t need so much extra stuff, full of color, and ready to download and print.

A quick note: We printed our planners using the BORDERLESS option in our printer settings. In the video you’ll see some of the pages that we experiments with (ones that were or weren’t printed all the way to the edge). Our front and back covers were printed onto cardstock and then laminated for extra durability. We use a heavy weight paper (24 lb.) to print the planner and make the pages a little thicker. We then had it spiral bound at Staples for about $5.

The Student Planner contains :

• 8 1/2” x 11” undated pages – use it year after year!
• Year at a glance dates
• Student information and schedule page
• 12 blank monthly planning pages
• Weekly planning pages for 8 subjects
• Planning for every day of the week (smaller spaces for Saturday/Sunday)
• Goals, notes, and ‘what I learned’ section
• 2 layouts: August through July or January through December
• Bonus download page link – some extra pages that are added as requested, including an address page, updated covers, field trip trackers, books read tracker, note pages, and days to remember (link is on last page of planner)

Two Great Designs

Choose the student planner that best fits your family’s needs – or choose both (there’s a special bundle price for purchasing two).

The abstract circle graphic student planner features the colors green, dark blue, and a turquoise blue color for the monthly layouts. 

The hexagon graphic student planner features the same inside layout with the colors green, orange, and a medium blue for the weekly layouts. 

BONUS Download Pages

Your purchase also allows access to a ‘buyers only’ page where optional pages will be added including additional dated covers and other pages as readers/users request.

Purchase a Student Planner

This student planner is undated so you have the option of printing off a new copy each year. Each planner is available for $10 and you are more than welcome to print off copies for each of your children – this year and in years to come. Purchase both planners together in a bundle and save even more! 

The Student Planner is only available as a pdf download and prints off double-sided. There are THREE different purchase options. Choose from the following: 

• Purchase the Student Planner (circle graphic) – $10 $8 until 8/31/23
• Purchase the Student Planner (hexagon graphic) – $10 $8 until 8/31/23
• Purchase BOTH Student Planner versions – $16   $12.80 until 8/31/23

SAVE 20% when using the code STUDENTORG until August 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

• Teaching Textbooks - homeschool math that makes life EASY for mom and child
• Student Planner - daily, weekly, and monthly planning pages to get your student on track!
• EEME - teach kids electronics one project at a time. 
• Weekly Homeschool Planner - printable planner for mom to use year after year
• All About Reading - a fully engaging reading curriculum for preschool age and up
• Ivy Kids - literature units for children - delivered right to your door!
• North Star Geography - fun and simple to teach geography program for high school
• All About Spelling - hands down our FAVORITE spelling curriculum
• Yearly Home Planner - organize your day-to-day appointments
• WriteShop - writing curriculum for K through high school

Access the subscriber only page at any time HERE. Password to open the page is freecards.

        

Comments

• In reply to Klarchen. As each year progresses I try to put ... by Jolanthe
• Good morning! I was wondering how your kiddos plan out their ... by Klarchen

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It’s been awhile – I know. But I am briefly coming out of hiding (aka spending time with our MARRIED daughter) as we enjoy Thanksgiving together to share some great homeschool deals that have been hitting my inbox. I have done zero shopping outside the house, so cyber deals make me so very happy, because there are zero crowds.

Here are a few discounts and codes to save up to 50% from companies our family has purchased from, used, and loved. If you know of any, feel free to leave a comment and let us know!

For FREE!!

• FREE Chistmas pack from All About Learning Press. This pack isn’t available to the general public – you all get a sneak chance at downloading it for free!! 

For Your Classroom

• Touch-type to Read and Spell focuses on both typing and phonics based spelling by embedding word groups within the typing lessons. Use the code BFCM2022 to save 30% on home annual subscriptions. This program was a huge help for our youngest son in both acclimating to typing and helping him with his spelling and reading.
• FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100 from All About Learning Press on BLACK FRIDAY ONLY – use code FS100
• Home Science Tools is offering 15% off on Black Friday weekend (code: Cyber22Sale) and as well as free shipping on orders over $50 or more. 
• Compass Classroom – Up to 30% off and FREE SHIPPING!! with code THANKS30 through November 28th. Our family has used several of their programs over the years – and are still using a few, including Word Up Vocabulary 2 and 3, Introductory Logic, and Visual Latin 2. If you are interested in video-based programs, be sure to check this sale out (last one of the year!).
• Times Tales(a fun way to learn tricky multiplication facts) is offering 25% off through Cyber Monday. No code needed.
• Crafty Classroom  is offering 25% off your entire shopping cart – it’s their biggest sale of the year!! (CODE: BLACK25) and will add their MEGA Maze Activity Bundle with any order ($7) value for free (through 11/30/2020). The Crafty Classroom specializes in top-quality, low-prep, hands-on teaching resources for K-5 students.
• Productive Homeschool (formerly Notebooking Pages) has a $25 savings on membership from 11.27-11.28 – ONE DAY ONLY. Save $25 on Lifetime Memberships. Lifetime Membership $97 $72 and Lifetime Membership PLUS $127 $172. 

Fun Delivered to Your Mailbox

• Ivy Kids Kits – New Ivy Kids can subscribe and save 30% Black Friday through Monday with code IVYBLACK30. Use code IVYBLACK5 to take $5 off any gift subscription, past kit, or holiday mini-kit through November 28th. 

For Mom :)

• Magnesium Lotion Shop – FREE SHIPPING with the purchase of any 2 lotions. My legs are super dry and itchy (just on the front near the shin bone). They also twitch a lot at night and drive me crazy, meaning restless sleep. This lotion has been a HUGE help! Their new lotion formula is WONDERFUL and they also have a new formula with lavender and melatonin. 

Feel free to leave a comment below if you know of any other deals happening! 

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

• Teaching Textbooks - homeschool math that makes life EASY for mom and child
• Student Planner - daily, weekly, and monthly planning pages to get your student on track!
• EEME - teach kids electronics one project at a time. 
• Weekly Homeschool Planner - printable planner for mom to use year after year
• All About Reading - a fully engaging reading curriculum for preschool age and up
• Ivy Kids - literature units for children - delivered right to your door!
• North Star Geography - fun and simple to teach geography program for high school
• All About Spelling - hands down our FAVORITE spelling curriculum
• Yearly Home Planner - organize your day-to-day appointments
• WriteShop - writing curriculum for K through high school

Access the subscriber only page at any time HERE. Password to open the page is freecards.

        

Around the blog this past year, I’ve been quiet for the most part with the exception of sharing a little life update back in August. Considering we’ve been home the majority of the time and life has completely slowed down (comparatively speaking), it would seem that the opposite would be true. That said, life with four teens at home is nothing short of full. :)

Keeping up with school has been, at times, challenging – mainly keeping motivation going for both the kids and myself. College options are going back and forth with McKenna and Laurianna, and life is moving along in general.

Rather than sharing an exhaustive list of all that is happening in our lives, how about a quick sum-up?

• Laurianna returned home in October 2020 (FINALLY) from Mercy Ships where she had been serving since May 2019.
• Swim competitions began opening up, slowly but surely. At the end of March we even traveled to Florida for two big swim meets for the boys (so thankful they will both be in the same age group meets next year!). Zachary even had a chance to meet a few Olympic swimmers including Caeleb Dressel (pictured above) and Ryan Lochte.
• McKenna and Zachary both started working at the same restaurant and have been loving their jobs
• Zachary is now an officially licensed driver, after so many delays thanks to slooooooow mail and other restrictions.
• We’ve enjoyed continuing with a small weekly co-op for literature and chemistry with Zachary and a few other high school kids (all girls – poor Zachary).
• We are prepping for McKenna’s high school graduation and contemplating what her fall will look like.

In March I also traveled to Nashville to speak at Teach Them Diligently, where I was able to spend some time with one of my best friends, Carisa. I am so thankful we were able to see each other and incredibly thankful to be able to spend a few days relaxing. The trip to Nashville was the first time since everything shut down last March that I was by myself – literally a year. (Hear me on this – I love my family, but it was nice to just be completely alone for a few days!!)

A few weeks ago, while Rick and I were sitting on the beach and the kids were playing around in the water together as the sun was setting, I was honestly overwhelmed (and started crying) as we were watching the kids together. Life is far from perfect in our household. There are lots of stories and things that happen behind the scenes that aren’t shared for all the world to know (you know, respecting privacy and all). But in that moment – seeing them all together laughing, talking, and just being together – it was just so amazingly wonderful.

I’m probably feeling overly sentimental these days again as we prepare to graduate McKenna from high school and in a few short months send Laurianna off to Minnesota to start college. McKenna is weighing her options for school this fall as well and will likely start off with community college for now.

That’s the teeny, tiny nutshell of happenings in our home for the time being and in no way exhaustive because life is moving along.

How has your year been going?

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

• Teaching Textbooks - homeschool math that makes life EASY for mom and child
• Student Planner - daily, weekly, and monthly planning pages to get your student on track!
• EEME - teach kids electronics one project at a time. 
• Weekly Homeschool Planner - printable planner for mom to use year after year
• All About Reading - a fully engaging reading curriculum for preschool age and up
• Ivy Kids - literature units for children - delivered right to your door!
• North Star Geography - fun and simple to teach geography program for high school
• All About Spelling - hands down our FAVORITE spelling curriculum
• Yearly Home Planner - organize your day-to-day appointments
• WriteShop - writing curriculum for K through high school

Access the subscriber only page at any time HERE. Password to open the page is freecards.

       

Related Stories

• It’s Been Awhile, Hasn’t It?
• A Long Overdue Life Update (Hello 2024!)
• An Update on Laurianna (and Mercy Ships)

 

Taking a look back through our high school curriculum choices, there are very few programs that we have used consistently with all four of our children. There is one that definitely makes the cut though – every single time: Advanced Physical Science from Exploration Education.

We first heard of the program from a local friend and decided to use it in a small co-op setting for Laurianna’s physical science high school credit, way back in 2014. Since that time the company has made a few minor adjustments to the program, but the result is still an amazing, hands-on program that our children have loved and learned from! Next year our youngest will be starting his freshman year and we already have our box of material ready to go and plan to use it alongside a friend so our boys can enjoy the experiments and learning together.

About Exploration Education’s Advanced Physical Science

Featuring daily lessons broken down over thirty-six weeks, Exploration Education’s Advanced Physical Science class includes everything your family will need to earn a full high school credit. Rather than a dry curriculum, the program allows students to learn science concepts by using a hands-on and project-based approach: building, creating, and exploring through lab activities.

Each level of the program includes all the needed materials for the year (see a full list here).

• Instructional Materials — student logbook, teacher’s manual, online access to the interactive student text.
• Project Materials — motors, wood, solar panel, wire, bulbs, wheels, rubber bands, magnets, Alka-seltzer, etc.
• Experiment Materials — nails, paper clips, sandpaper, pH paper, string, balloons, wire, steel wool, etc.
• Templates and Sticker Pages — project templates, sticker pages, experiment supplements, etc.

Using the text and lab activities, students study forces, machines, motion, energy, electricity, magnetism, sound, light, density and buoyancy. Students will also study general chemistry concepts including the structure of matter, the periodic table, chemical bonds and reactions, mixtures and compounds and the chemistry of food and living systems. In addition, students will learn the fundamental physics concepts of the earth and solar system, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics. Throughout this course, students discover the relationship between science and daily life. The students will gain a solid understanding of the scientific method and learn to write thorough and accurate lab write-ups.

course description of Advanced Physical Science
Watch a brief video overview here

Our Experiences with Advanced Physical Science

Advanced Physical Science from Exploration Education is the only science program we have consistently used in high school with our children, and I am so thankful to the mom who introduced us to the program so many years ago! Our three oldest have thoroughly enjoyed the program and projects, and we have so many fun memories over the years of the different labs we have worked on individually and with our friends.

A typical week using Advanced Physical Science involves daily lessons with the first three lessons covering the overall concept for the week and the final two lessons going a little deeper and focusing on lab write-ups. The student text is online and interactive (when you first receive your program, you will register online and students will work through the lessons online).

Students read the chapters on their computer and then answer questions on the computer and use their logbook to record their answers. Each of the 36 chapters are broken down into five lessons in the student logbooks (i.e. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5) for students to complete and also use as review for quizzes and exams.

As a parent, I appreciate the variety the program offers: online and interactive text, the student workbooks to fill out, as well as the hands-on projects because it appeals to different learning styles, helping children remember and recall information by using these various methods. Our hands-on learners loved the building and creating, and lesson concepts were cemented into his mind because of this learning. The same child may have loved the steamboat project solely because it involved the use of matches.

With two of our children, we used the program as a part of a small co-op and it was a great fit. During the week we would study the lessons and work on experiments independently, and then once a week the co-op group would work on additional experiments and review the learning material together. Our co-op time was usually about an hour and a half or so – just enough to squeeze in a little more learning and review together if there were any experiments gone awry.

Personally, I love the way Advanced Physical Science incorporates so many different learning styles as it introduces science concepts. While some of the projects are more typical (completing a circuit, for example), the program includes a large amount of science projects and labs that you don’t typically see, such as the steamboat and the miniature house construction. These were some of our favorite projects because of that very fact.

What Moms Need to Know

Having the entire curriculum packaged neatly in a box for you is definitely a huge plus to this program! Each of the activities is neatly packaged and labeled, ready to be pulled out and used with your children. Literally all you need is inside the box, so all you have to do is activate your online access to the interactive text and start learning.

Teacher’s Guide – Each program includes a teacher’s guide with detailed helps, including blank quarterly exams, answer keys, and a grading rubric. As with any program, I highly recommend reading through the manual prior to starting. There is also a short online overview for teachers to go through online with tips for users.

Time Required – 36 weeks/5 lessons per week. Each lesson takes and average of 45 minutes to one hour. Also includes 40 lab hours.

Grading/Assessment: The teacher’s manual includes an area to record your student’s grades and progress. Throughout the course there are quizzes (vocabulary and section reviews) as well as quarterly exams. Grades are calculated using an average of weekly activity, quizzes, and exams.

Parental involvement: varies based on child, but time each week may require more assistance depending on your child since some experiments/builds require more detail and focus. For parents of children who like to skip steps, your attention to detail may benefit your child greatly. For example, SAVE YOUR EXPERIMENT MATERIALS because some of them will be used in future lessons (just ask me how I know).

Worldview – Text is written from a neutral worldview.

High School Credit: one high school credit can be awarded for this class. Approximately 150 hours with 40 hours of labs.

Perfect for grades 7-10.

Something for ALL Age Levels

Exploration Education offers three levels of science programs: Elementary (K -3rd), Standard (4th – 6th), and Advanced (7th – 10th). Learn more about the different levels HERE.

You can purchase any of the programs from Exploration Education on their website. Additional logbooks or kits can be purchased for students if you are working on the program with multiple children.

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

• Teaching Textbooks - homeschool math that makes life EASY for mom and child
• Student Planner - daily, weekly, and monthly planning pages to get your student on track!
• EEME - teach kids electronics one project at a time. 
• Weekly Homeschool Planner - printable planner for mom to use year after year
• All About Reading - a fully engaging reading curriculum for preschool age and up
• Ivy Kids - literature units for children - delivered right to your door!
• North Star Geography - fun and simple to teach geography program for high school
• All About Spelling - hands down our FAVORITE spelling curriculum
• Yearly Home Planner - organize your day-to-day appointments
• WriteShop - writing curriculum for K through high school

Access the subscriber only page at any time HERE. Password to open the page is freecards.

       

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• Exploration Education Advanced Physical Science Review
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