It begins

Our homeschool affadavit is notarized and ready to deliver.  We've been homeschooling for two years, but in Pennsylvania, education is not compulsory until age 8.  We could have been doing anything up until now!  On July 1, that changes.  Next spring, I will be responsible for demonstrating to an evaluator who will attest to the school district that we have completed 180 days of instruction in all required subjects.  I should probably check what those required subjects are!

Okay, checked.  The required subjects are (according to the trusty Ask Pauline website):  

• English, to include spelling, reading and writing; 
• arithmetic; 
• science; 
• geography; 
• history of the United States and Pennsylvania; 
• civics; 
• safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires; 
• health and physiology; 
• physical education; 
• music; and 
• art.  

Thank you, Pauline!  You rock!

So, next spring, I will have to demonstrate via a homeschool portfolio that we have shown adequate progress in each of these areas.  Homeschool portfolios are a hot conversation topic around the homeschool meetup circuit.  At one of these sometimes awkward gatherings about a year ago, I heard someone mention creating an online portfolio because printing so many photos is expensive.  Great idea!  Thank you to whoever shared that one!

So, my intention is for this blog to become our unschool portfolio.  I say it's my intention because I've started and quickly killed many blogs.  If I make it more than two weeks, it will be a new record.  With that, may I please welcome you to our first annual unschool portfolio!  Huzzah!