After 15 Years You'd Think I'd Have it Down

Planning for the new school year––for the 15th time.

15 YEARS

Every year has been a little bit different, of course. We peaked around 2012 when everyone was in school here at home encompassing K-7. Talk about busy! Since then my oldest was in and out of a private school for a few years, and of course that K'er is now entering grade 7 herself and has needed less and less of my time with every grade. This year we will have a graduate, one grade 9 and one grade 7; I feel like I'm going to be slacking off, to be honest.

As I was cleaning out school stuff today I realized that planning for the new year is equal parts enthusiasm and depression. A new year holds all kinds of promise, but the last year holds buckets of guilt. Ok, maybe not equal parts.

Today felt heavy on the guilt side. Books, games, workbooks, maps, programs, paid for but not used, or half used and abandoned for one reason or another, notebooks once shiny-new, now filled with angst filled pencil marks and X's (and stickers and A's also, to be fair). With my last student in grade 7, books that will never be read, games that will never be played, all going in a box to bless someone else, or just into the garbage.

Before the new year can start, the old year has to be torn down, wrapped up neatly, and mourned for a little while, and I guess that's ok.

Many happy hours of read-alouds this year as we learned about the
Eastern Hemisphere with Sonlight.