Decided to do a little "surfing" of the Homeschool Blogger community.  I found some delightful sites that I've added to my "Friends" list, so that I can go back and visit again sometime.  Hopefully some of these lovely people will take a little stroll over to Creekside Academy, too, someday.

While I wouldn't say that we've completed everything I'd hoped to by this time, I am pleased that we've had a rich and full year in so many other ways.  Jami learned to play the recorder and has transferred the knowledge she gained to the piano . . . she's not yet begun piano lessons, and yet she plays songs from her recorder book on the used piano we bought her for her 10th birthday.  She has read and read and READ some more -- beautifully written books including the entire Anne of Green Gables series (twice) and The Chronicles of Narnia series (twice), as well as the unabridged Little Women (twice) . . . The Wind in the Willows, Black Beauty, many of The Royal Diaries books, plus a good bit of Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden.  I've gotten onto her about reading things over and over again (in hopes of encouraging variety) and she asks (quite legitimately, I might add) "What's the point of owning the books if you can't read them again?"  So as long as she is reading quality literature, I try to keep my mouth closed.

She recently won a part in our community theatre guild's production of Little Women.  She will be playing "Katy," one of the little girls who delights in the misfortune of Amy over the contraband pickled limes!  And just last week she danced beautifully in her ballet recital . . .

I am looking forward to having a little more structure next year -- we will be utilizing the homeschool instructional support classes our local group offers on Thursdays as the "spine" of our homeschool experience.  I have struggled with the prep and organization of this year's studies and I think that attending classes on Thursday and receiving assignments to be done over the course of the week until the next Thursday will help us tremendously!  I have requested the following classes for her and will know for sure whether or not she gets them by May 31st:

Anatomy (8-13 year olds) (Fall Semester)

Creation Science (8-13 year olds) (Spring Semester)

American History (8-12 year olds) (Fall and Spring Semesters)

Supermath I (7-12 year olds) (Fall and Spring Semesters)

Elementary Spanish (7-12 year olds) (Fall and Spring Semesters)

I will need to add a language arts/grammar program to be done on our own time.  She will continue with ballet and also begin piano this June.  I think that is MORE than enough for a fifth grader . . . especially one that reads as much as she does, both for knowledge and enjoyment.

Well, that's all for now!  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of all this.  I'm always interested in other opinions!