High School Years

Congratulations!  Your high school years are well under way!  🙂  The years ahead are full of exciting changes for students – AND parents!  🙂  I am cheering you on because I know you can do it!  🙂

* Keep track of your student’s progress – and prepare a rough draft of the transcript – using this High School Planning 4 years worksheet.  State requirements are printed at the top.

* Curriculum Choices:  Way down at the bottom of this page are online courses available for your high school student:  https://pahomeschoollaw.com/homeschooling-high-school-pennsylvania/

*Diploma Link:  Scroll down this page for an easy to print diploma for your homeschool graduate!  🙂 Simply print a diploma and bring to your evaluation for your evaluator to sign. http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Home%20Education%20and%20Private%20Tutoring/Pages/default.aspx#tab-1

* Transcript:  This is an academic portrait (or student resume) of your student on paper – sent as an attachment to prospective employers, colleges, scholarships, etc.  Design can orient by school year or by subject.  Subject orientation helps to paint a clear picture of your child’s strengths and focus.  A year by year orientation signifies the weight of each year of high school.

• HSLDA offers a professional looking transcript.
• https://wholeintentions.com/prepare-high-school-transcript/ – good info!
• HomeschoolCounselor.com provides a third party transcript.
• Myhomeschooltranscripts offers a free template or a paid subscription.  Parents may also design their own.
• There is no “correct” template – choose one which most accurately paints the best portrait of your student.

* SAT Test prep:  If you are interested in your student preparing for the standardized test most widely used, please subscribe to this site for registration, practice, insight, and more:  https://www.collegeboard.org/

*Here is a great article about the new trend away from SAT/ACT testing:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/09/25/what-one-college-discovered-when-it-stopped-accepting-satact-scores/?utm_campaign=buffer&utm_content=buffer85883&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=.9ddf118fb70f

* Have a non-academic student who wants to earn credit doing a work study program?  Request a review of our student using the Work Study form.

And here are a few tips to help you learn the language of homeschooling through the high school years:

1.  It is very important to keep a transcript/record of your student’s completed coursework for each year of high school.  Look at MyHomeschoolTranscripts.com or HSLDA: https://store.hslda.org/high-school-transcript-service-p262.aspx
for information on how to do this.  You do not need to hand in a transcript with your portfolio, but by the senior year you will be very happy that you have all the information in one place.  Transcripts also come in handy for job applications along the way!  🙂  Use the attached 4 year planner to help envision your student’s high school career. High School Planning 4 years

2.  High School is a time for students to take full reign of their learning.  Students should keep their own daily logs of assignments and activities.  The attached document is sufficient for each week’s work.  Any journal, log, or detailed calendar is a good option, too.  This is a good tool to use to verify that credits have been earned.  Daily Planner

3.  I strongly suggest that your student has a mentor in his/her life.  A mentor, beyond that of a parent, can oversee their growth and development outside the home in an area of academic, emotional, professional, athletic, and/or service oriented growth.  This could be a boss, coach, aunt, grandfather, teacher, neighbor, youth group leader, etc.  Accountability and motivation through trusted adults multiplies your student’s learning potential!  Request a letter of reference from a mentor each year to add to your student’s transcript for a graduation blessing!  🙂  Please see the attached for explanations of letters of reference.  This is handy to give to someone when you ask him/her to write a letter!  🙂  4.  Homeschooling through the high school years is a fantastic way to broaden your student’s horizons!  The time spent well can afford your student opportunities to explore career paths which would be untouchable in a strictly academic setting.  Community service is a wonderful way to learn a field of interest.  Volunteering provides on the “job” training that oftentimes does lead to employment!  Least of all, a few hours a month spent observing a field he/she realizes he/she is definitely no longer interested in is much less expensive than a college degree or start up business gone bankrupt!  I highly recommend your student be involved in some type of regular community service!   Attached is a Work Study form which is useful for quantifying time spent outside the books.  Work Study form

5.  Last, but certainly not least, is the reading list. It is important for our students to be challenged to read literature above their natural reading ability and preference.  There is still plenty of time to discover new genres and authors and styles of literature in the high school years.  The high school reading list should look like a high school reading list!  🙂

I pray this list finds you well – and well on your way through the school year!  I am available for consultations throughout the year for a $25 consultation fee to guide you through the credit/transcript process.  I am also willing to meet with your student for a “pep” talk or a motivational meeting in order to get deadlines met!  🙂