First Day of Our New Homeschool Year (2024-2025)
Welcome to the first day of our new homeschool year (2024-2025)! It’s the night before, and we’re ready to kick off another exciting year of learning. Our space is clean, prepped, and everything is in place. I know it doesn’t always look this tidy, but here’s proof that homeschool life isn’t always a chaotic pile of books!
Ready for Our 8th Year of Homeschooling
Hi, I’m Shanna from Making Everyday Magic, and we’re a homeschooling family of four. This year marks our 8th year of homeschooling, and we’ve got a 7th grader and a 3rd grader ready to start their academic journey. Homeschooling has been a wonderful adventure for us, and this year is shaping up to be another great one.
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Despite the early start (it’s 6:30 AM here!), we are all set to begin. The lighting might be dim, and I’m still waking up, but the excitement for the first day is real. It’s going to be a fantastic start to our homeschool year.
Why We’re Starting Now
You might be wondering why we’re starting homeschool while we still have contractors working in the house. We had a major leak over Memorial Day, and repairs have been ongoing ever since. Even though it’s chaotic, I didn’t want to delay our school year any longer.
We need some normalcy in our routine, and honestly, I want to get a feel for how our new curriculum and materials will work. Plus, we’ve got a late summer vacation coming up, and if we don’t start now, it’ll be too easy to push everything off until later, and I’m eager to get back into the flow!
How I Set Up for Success
Starting a new school year takes some prep, and I’ve done my best to set us up for success. Here’s what I’ve done to make sure we’re ready to go:
- Planning & Prepping: I’ve organized schedules, gathered all our materials, and made sure everything is ready to go, including logins for our online programs. Our art history program and other resources are ready to pull up in Google Drive.
- Clearing Business Tasks: I took care of all my work-related tasks ahead of time, so I can focus fully on the kids today. I’ve packed up orders, sent emails, and now I can switch to homeschool mode without distractions.
- Simple Meals: We’ve planned easy meals for the week—tacos, spaghetti, and other quick fixes—so I don’t have to worry about elaborate cooking. The kitchen is still a bit chaotic from the repairs, but we’re making it work.
- Cleaning & Organizing: The house is clean, furniture is in place, and we’ve got groceries for the week. Everything is in its spot, and we’re ready to start.
Starting the Day
By 7:30 AM, the kids are up, dressed, and starting their first lesson of the day with breakfast and an episode of HiGASFYon art history. This year, we’re diving into a variety of subjects, and I’m so excited for all the new learning experiences.
Our Homeschool Curriculum & Subjects
We’ve got a lot lined up for the year, including some exciting new curriculum pieces:
- Texas History: We’re exploring Texas history in depth, with a focus on indigenous peoples, which wasn’t covered enough in our curriculum. We’ve added in supplemental videos and resources to give a fuller picture.
- Middle School Chemistry: This hands-on course has been fantastic so far. The experiments are manageable, and the kids are enjoying it.
- Film School for Teens: This program is really exciting, especially for my older child. It’s teaching valuable video production skills, and we’ll even have the chance to submit a completed video to a real film festival!
- Math-U-See Algebra 1: My oldest is diving into Algebra 1 this year, and I’m planning a full review soon. It’s a big leap, but we’re ready for the challenge!
Recap of Our First Day
Overall, it was a successful first day! We tackled a lot of subjects and set a strong foundation for the year. I’m confident that this homeschool year will be amazing, even with the ongoing house repairs.
We’re officially in the swing of things, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. If you’re starting your homeschool year too, congratulations! Let’s make it a great one!
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re beginning a new homeschool year or continuing your journey, I hope this post inspires you to embrace the joy, flexibility, and freedom that comes with homeschooling. Here’s to a fantastic 2024-2025 homeschool year!
