Homeschooling

Archive for February, 2008

Question: Yearbook!!!?

This is a question to anyone who knows anything about yearbooks. I'm homeschooled and in 11th grade. I'm looking into making a yearbook as a means of practicing skills learned in photography, graphic design, and technology over the past few years. I plan to start a yearbook club for homeschoolers in my area as an alternative to the one that already exists. One that allows for a bit more creative freedom (individualized yearbooks instead of one standard book for everyone in the homeschool group). Does anyone know where to find page templates or can anyone reccomend a good program for this? I currently use GIMP 2.0 as I like things that are open source, but I've never used it for page layouts or uploaded photos to it. I also don't have the money for a digital camera, but am able to get photos on disk very easily. Any tips?

Answer: Try outsourcing specific tasks (printing, design) to another company.
I know that my public school uses Jostens.
Try purchasing a tablet for border designs, if you can't purchase a digital camera, see if you can borrow one or use a camera phone.
Use a program like Google's free Picasa http://www.google.com/picasa/
to manage the photos.

Microsoft Office Publisher is great a laying out pages.

Question: Are there any other homeschool moms (or dads) out there?

we have been Homeschooling our 8 boys (ages 16, 14, 12, 9, 7, 5, 4, and 2) since our oldest was in preschool. they love it. every year we give them the option of going to public school, and they want to stay homeschooled. we have used the same routine for the past 11 years. Get up 5:30 AM, make your bed/clean your area/get dressed 5:40 - 6 AM, do your farm chores 6 AM- 7 AM, breakfast 7:15- 8, then English 8:15 - 9:45, Math 9:45 - 11 AM, Science 11 AM- 12:30 PM, lunch 12:30 - 1:15 ,History 1:20-2:30, Bible/Art/Music 2:35-4, , then afternoon chores, and free time until dinner. it's getting kind of boring and blah blah routine. i was thinking about maybe switching/livening up our schedule a little bit. how do you make it through your homeschool days? thanks for any ideas.

Answer: I first want to commend you for all your hard work that i know goes unnoticed at times. 8 boys, whew, you are truly blessed! I would try to add in extras, like making Fridays a field trip day, even if you just go to a local park or forrest and look at leaves, nature and such. That is what I am doing with my 2 next year. Then again, the stability in your routine gives your children much comfort. They know what is expected from them and I am sure for the most part they do it. I would not change things too much as what you are doing is working.