Sunday, February 3, 2013

*Updated - 3rd Grade School Year Calendar

Since we took about 3 months off for the new baby AND took off time during my pregnancy in the last 3 months due to complications - we have only completed about 8 weeks in most subjects.  That leaves us with roughly 28 weeks of schooling left to complete the curriculum.  I did some yearly planning and here are the numbers:

Schooling to finish by August (starting 4th grade in September):

1st Trimester of 12 weeks = Feb. 4th - May 3rd (taking a week off for Spring break)
Spring break = April 15-19
2nd Trimester of 12 weeks = May 6 - July 26
Last 4 weeks = July 29 - August 23

This schedule gives us a week off at the end of August before we start 4th grade in September.  We want to take some time off in summer and this schedule, won't allow that, so we are going to do what I had mentioned on this blog before - schooling from Jan. - Thanksgiving.  A lot of homeschoolers follow this yearly schedule because it just works better!  I like having a fresh grade with a new year - it just feels that much more newer.  So this will be our new schedule and I'm loving the time off we have this!!

Schooling to finish by Thanksgiving (starting 4th grade in January):

School from Feb. 4 - Nov. 22
Total weeks during this time = 42 weeks
Weeks we can take off with this schedule = 14 weeks (that is 70 days off!!)


So as you can see, the 2nd schedule would allow us to take off during the summer if we wanted to or just take off whenever we feel like it to go on trips, playdates, etc.  The 2nd schedule allows time to adjust to having a baby this year while homeschooling.  The first schedule will limit us and have us schooling all through summer.....ugh!  I'm excited about this new change and how less stressful it seems to me - that is the best part of homeschooling - it works with LIFE! ;-)