It all started innocently enough actually... As you know I am toying with the idea of homeschooling Chance when he starts sixth grade because I can't bear the thought of sending him to the worthless middle school that he would have to go to, nor do I much care for the idea of sending him to any of the private schools around here because I'm not sure they are much better and I don't feel like shelling out a grand a month to have a different set of morons attempt to teach my son.
So anyway, if I do decide to homeschool I thought, "Why not have a name for the school?". Why not just start a school actually, then it wouldn't even be homeschooling?!? Matthew's Academy! So then I got to thinking, don't most schools have a crest? Then of course that led to the question, "Do we have a family crest?" "Have any of our ancestors had one?" On and on it went... Of course I couldn't find anything about any sort of 'family crest' or 'coat of arms', so then I was like, "Why would I even want to use one someone else made anyway??" I'll just make my own! Of course about this time I had become obsessed with finding out about our ancestors...
So I remembered that Petra had done some genealogy research, so rather than reinvent the wheel I asked if she had the data online or something. So Petra e-mailed me the file she had from a genealogy program, luckily the program I had downloaded for free was able to import the file... :) It was only a 30 day trial version though and I didn't like it, so I exported the file to yet a different format and imported it into a FREE program I found...
Legacy Family Tree...
Of course that whole process took practically all day long! Petra's research only went back to this guy though:
Johann Peter Gutlin (Goodling)...
Then I noticed that this guy: Evans C. Goodling, Jr was doing research on the descendants of Johann Peter Gutlin/Goodling and that he has even written a book about it:
St. Thomas Church, Morgantown, Pa: A Parish History 1740-1990
I actually found the book on Ebay and may buy it, but I'm wondering how long/far I should allow this obsession to go on??
So that's what I've been up to... :)
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Yeah, I know I SHOULD be working on the deck, but hey, it's raining out! Of course it did only start raining about 30 minutes ago, but whatever! :)
I communicated with Evans back in the day (via actual snail mail letters, I think), but that was close to ten years ago. He was very nice. You could probably email him and get some information for free.
I spent a lot more time on mom's side of the family than dad's side. I kept meaning to get to the Goodlings and Glenns, but yeah - you saw how far I got.
I am getting back into research though, so as soon as I have time I'll be spending lots of it finding more names and places and dates.
It's addicting. :)
It is addicting! :)
I bought the book by the way...
This could turn into a costly habit that only lasts a few days before I tire of it... That "free" software I bought wouldn't do half the things I wanted it to, so I had to buy the upgrade... :(
Rather that "free" software I downloaded then HAD to buy... :(
That would be a lot of work starting your own school :-) - BUT - you're right, there aren't many good schools out there, so it could be a good thing to think about.
Of course, if you're like me, you think about doing stuff like that all the time. Except I keep thinking about starting my own church, not my own school :-). And I wouldn't call it Joshua's Church - but I'd call it something like "the Church at Atlanta", kind of like in the Bible where the Apostles wrote to "The Church at Ephesus, or Corinth, etc."
I wonder if there is somewhere online where you can store this data in an easy format? Where you could let people change the info that were signed in? I imagine it would be a lot easier that way rather than just exchanging files via e-mail... Good old obsessions... :) At least if it was online though, then whoever got in an "obsessive" mood about it could keep updating as they found things... :)
I'm absolutely not sending my kids to public school in middle or high school Joshua, so have to do something! They won't be taught the skills they need to have a successful life by the government... So I'll be doing something, and it's rapidly approaching decision time, school starts the day after labor day! I was going to say August 6th (which is when the public schools start) but since I'll be the teacher we are going back to the after labor day thing!! :)
You know Matt, they have those schools where kids go to school 1/2 day or 2 out of 3 days per week to learn basics such as math, english, and stuff - and then they are homeschooled the rest of the time.
You might think about something like that.
Um... Are you saying I don't know the 'basics' there Joshua? :)
Lol :-) No, I'm just saying that you wouldn't have to teach "everything".
We've been wrestling with the same think, Matt. We have a year to go, but we have a schoolroom being built into the new addition, so have that going for us :). I like some of the resources at "the old schoolhouse" website. They also have a magazine that we get through AIG (Ken Ham does a article each month). I have been wrestling which courses to teach, definitly Latin in 6th, I think for Nick since it is a basis for a lot of science names and he is into science :). The thing I like about homeschooling is that you can really gear it toward the child, outside of the basics of course.
I actually think I want to though, they learn it SO much quicker when it comes from me, because I'm not 'dumbing' it down for the lowest common denominator in the class, well let's face it, the idiots that are in the class that the material is geared to...
So rather than having to go to school for six and a half hours, I could teach them what they learn now in about 30 minutes, so if I spent a few hours a day... :)
I like the genealogy stuff too, you should definitly make up your own coat of arms :).
The church of Josh sounds interesting ;)
Exactly Timberly, gear it toward the child! Tanner comes home every day and I ask him what he learned, he ALWAYS tells me 'Nothing, I was bored all day I already knew everything they told us.'... So he is not being stimulated at school AT ALL, yet makes straight A's!!
Yeah, I'm going to make my own family crest!! :)
Of course I went to private school, obviously, but I never tried either and always managed to get pretty good grades.
I remember that PACE school we went to that one year, I did one PACE the ENTIRE year, the rest of the year I sat there and read novels... Go figure...
Yeah, I think I'm going to teach them once they hit middle school...
Nick thankfully has a good teacher that teaches the gifted classes. She really pushes them to make the extra effort. At the private school I never had a teacher that pushed me academically to strive for a goal. Nick's science teacher is pretty good too.
I have to think about Binky too because is Nick home schools I know Binks will want to too :). I kind of like the idea of just focusing on Nick the first year though since Binks will only be entering third grade.
whitefield is an excellent school. of course living where i am i have canyon in the public school system which is the first ive seen that i don't have an issue with - he is doing really well and the support is amazing
a friend of mine is homeschooling her son, he just goes everywhere with her and she has him do work on various subjects... i'm sure he gets tired of being with her 24/7 and not with kids though.. so there is the social aspect - homeschooling is a tough call as far as what is best for the kids and how they will mingle with society once they are on their own - jmho
Yeah, I'm with you on trying it with one there Timberly.
Regarding the whole "social" aspect of it, I think it is ludicrous at best, um... it's not like he will be locked in the basement for the rest of his tenure here, there are sports, neighbors, and many, many, many other activities that families engage in, so yeah, that's a non issue...
Have you talked to the school about putting Tanner into advanced classes? Brittany is in some advanced classes, and she really enjoys those - the teachers in those classes allow the students to be more involved with what they are learning and allow them to study on their own level.
Jarvis skipped a grade, and now they are testing him for advanced classes, though he is fairly content just doing work he already knows how to do - lol.
I know nothing about the schools around you, obviously, but usually there are programs for if the kid is completely bored and learning nothing new (especially if you are keeping Tanner in pubic schools until middle school). Not that you asked. :)
What do your kids think about homeschooling? Mine had mixed feelings about it. They liked not having to get up so early, and having more free time (obviously), but they prefer the structure and the social aspects of school.
I hated being homeschooled (in 7th and 8th grades) - with a passion.
Chance is actually quite excited about the prospect, we'll see if he retains his enthusiasm!! :)
They don't have "gifted" classes in the elementary school my kids go to Petra. They only have the "idiot" classes. As if teaching to the lowest common denominator wasn't enough, there are still some who are so clueless, they STILL need extra help to grasp the concepts being taught. Wow!
I guess you guys are kind of in the boondocks where you live. Still, one would think they'd include a program for the more advanced (a.k.a. above moron) students. :-Pr
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