Ellen LaFleche-Christian

Hi - My name is Ellen and I am hoping to homeschool my son (8) next
year (4th grade).

We are having some serious issues with the public school. My son has
ADHD & I don't feel they are capable of handling him properly. We've
tried their 504 program & behavior modification programs & reward
programs & counsellors, etc and it just isn't working because he
doesn't fit into their type of schooling.

I have requested the Home Study Packet from my state (Vermont) and I'd
like to try unschooling him.

Can someone give me an overview or a where to start type of thing?

Thank you
Ellen

[email protected]

Hi Ellen and welcome. Have you read much about unschooling yet? Here's a good website to start with: www.sandradodd.com/unschooling

Unschooling is about freeing yourself from all the trappings of school so you won't even need the Home Study package. You son is now free to learn at his own pace. He's free to rediscover his passions and talents. He's free. And you are free to remember him as his beautiful sweet self before school started labelling him.

I wrote an article about my journey to unschooling with my son, now almost 17. You can find it here: http://sandradodd.com/special/mary

--
~Mary
http://zenmommasgarden.blogspot.com/

"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the
green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly
alive."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Ellen LaFleche-Christian" <scentednights2002@...>

Ellen Christian

Thank you, Mary. The Home Study Packet has the paperwork I have to file with our State to home school. It tells me what is "legally" necessary.

Thanks for the link. I just hope I can do this as I've never home schooled before but I just don't think the school is doing a good job.

Ellen

zenmomma@... wrote:
Hi Ellen and welcome. Have you read much about unschooling yet? Here's a good website to start with: www.sandradodd.com/unschooling

Unschooling is about freeing yourself from all the trappings of school so you won't even need the Home Study package. You son is now free to learn at his own pace. He's free to rediscover his passions and talents. He's free. And you are free to remember him as his beautiful sweet self before school started labelling him.

I wrote an article about my journey to unschooling with my son, now almost 17. You can find it here: http://sandradodd.com/special/mary

--
~Mary
http://zenmommasgarden.blogspot.com/

"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the
green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly
alive."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Ellen LaFleche-Christian" <scentednights2002@...>




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Melanie Ilsley

Hi Ellen, Welcome. We are a new unschooling family(also in Vermont). We pulled our 8yr
old Daughter out in Feb. . We are deschooling, still, and it is harder for me than her. The
Sandra Dodd website that someone suggested really helps, so do all and any books by
John Holt, also the Teenage Liberation Handbook, and this group has been VERY important
for me. Even when i don't post, or reply, just reading others posts help. Either by making
me feel like i am not alone, or by answering ?'s that i have, and everyone here is very
helpful!! Good luck on your journey. Melanie in Vt(mom to Lily 8, Grace and Emmett
5.)--- In [email protected], "Ellen LaFleche-Christian"
<scentednights2002@...> wrote:
>
> Hi - My name is Ellen and I am hoping to homeschool my son (8) next
> year (4th grade).
>
> We are having some serious issues with the public school. My son has
> ADHD & I don't feel they are capable of handling him properly. We've
> tried their 504 program & behavior modification programs & reward
> programs & counsellors, etc and it just isn't working because he
> doesn't fit into their type of schooling.
>
> I have requested the Home Study Packet from my state (Vermont) and I'd
> like to try unschooling him.
>
> Can someone give me an overview or a where to start type of thing?
>
> Thank you
> Ellen
>

Melanie Ilsley

--- In [email protected], zenmomma@... wrote:
>
>> Unschooling is about freeing yourself from all the trappings of school so you won't even
need the Home Study package. You son is now free to learn at his own pace. He's free to
rediscover his passions and talents. He's free. And you are free to remember him as his
beautiful sweet self before school started labelling him.
>

unfortunatly in Vt you need to fill out the homestudy packet in order to homeschool your
kids, we filled it in using the Unit Studies curriculum, if you have unschoolers in the area, ask
them how they filled in the requirements. This is how we were advised to do it, and find
someone for end of the year assessment that is openminded, again look for other
unschoolers in the area for help. Melanie in Vt

Ellen Christian

Thank you, Melanie. I plan on having him finish this year since it takes three weeks to get homeschooling approved here after I submit the paperwork and that would put him into mid May wich is just about the end of the school year. I am looking forward to starting this but am still a bit at a loss as to exactly what I "do" in this process. I'm going to use these next few months to try to understand that.

Ellen

Melanie Ilsley <us5@...> wrote:
Hi Ellen, Welcome. We are a new unschooling family(also in Vermont). We pulled our 8yr
old Daughter out in Feb. .


Ellen LaFleche-Christian
Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts http://moonlight-creations-jewelry.com
Receive a recipe every day http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARecipeADay/




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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Ellen Christian

Thanks for the suggestion. I was told to use "broad" terms like "Topics of study may include but are not limited to....." I know we have a few home schooled families in our area but I'm not sure we have anyone that unschools. I will have to check and see.

Ellen

Melanie Ilsley <us5@...> wrote:
unfortunatly in Vt you need to fill out the homestudy packet in order to homeschool your
kids, we filled it in using the Unit Studies curriculum, if you have unschoolers in the area, ask
them how they filled in the requirements. This is how we were advised to do it, and find
someone for end of the year assessment that is openminded, again look for other
unschoolers in the area for help. Melanie in Vt


Ellen LaFleche-Christian
Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts http://moonlight-creations-jewelry.com
Receive a recipe every day http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARecipeADay/




---------------------------------
Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

>>The Home Study Packet has the paperwork I have to file with our State to home school. It tells me what is "legally" necessary.>>

Okay, got it. :-) So just fill it out however you have to and then try to forget about it.

>>I just hope I can do this as I've never home schooled before but I just don't think the school is doing a good job.>>

You CAN do this. Just relax. Think of this time right now as a vacation. You don't have to worry about keeping up or fitting in or being on schedule. Give yourselves permission to just be for awhile. Go rent some movies. Go to the park. Snuggle on the couch. Put on music and do a crazy dance. All is well.

--
~Mary
http://zenmommasgarden.blogspot.com/

"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the
green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly
alive."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Ellen Christian <scentednights2002@...>

Melanie Ilsley

-Good luck, and it only took one whole week (7 days) to hear from the state, I was
amazed!! The Unit study example in the packet is basically what we sent in, with
variations on what Lil was interested in. Also the phrase "may include, but may not be
limited to the following" was in our curriculum a great deal. Melanie-- In
[email protected], Ellen Christian <scentednights2002@...> wrote:
>
> Thank you, Melanie. I plan on having him finish this year since it takes three weeks to
get homeschooling approved here after I submit the paperwork and that would put him
into mid May wich is just about the end of the school year. I am looking forward to
starting this but am still a bit at a loss as to exactly what I "do" in this process. I'm going
to use these next few months to try to understand that.
>
> Ellen
>
> Melanie Ilsley <us5@...> wrote:
> Hi Ellen, Welcome. We are a new unschooling family(also in Vermont). We pulled our
8yr
> old Daughter out in Feb. .
>
>
> Ellen LaFleche-Christian
> Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts http://moonlight-creations-jewelry.com
> Receive a recipe every day http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARecipeADay/
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>