Their first reports

The children's first report cards (that were not graded by me) were outstanding.  They are learning how to work harder than ever before at school work.  The boys are pretty much in charge of their own studies, but I do insist on knowing what they are doing and checking their homework, just to stay in the loop.  I tried the first couple of weeks to review their material the night before a test.  But I found it is not necessary.  They have good study skills and review themselves pretty much every day in most subjects, whether there is a test or not.  And Lydie is ever eager to excel.  She is like I was in elementary school, over achiever, big time. 

Jackson's first quarter grades were:

(4rth year) Latin- 86

Earth Science, Grammar, Literature, History, Math (Grade 7), Bible, Keyboarding, Physical Education, Art- all As!

His highest grade was a 99 in Literature, and his lowest an 86 in Latin.  His peers have had three hours of Latin a week for three years.  The assignments are not even written in English!  Could you imagine stepping into that class?  We were very proud of his diligence and hard work.  We are praying that each quarter will be a little easier as we get the hang of it all!  I still believe that God gives different types of gifts to all children, and some may not be designed to make excellent grades.  They may be designed to excel in other equally important areas.  But for Jackson, I am thankful that he is using the "book smarts" that God has given Him to his fullest potential and working hard.  It is a sweet thing to see.

Joshua's first quarter grades were:

All As!  His lowest grade was a 94!

Joshua is just an all-around fast learner.  He has really, really done well.  He also entered Latin with peers who had received three hours of Latin a week for the past year.  He missed quite a few on his first quiz, and then the next test he made 103, with all answers and bonuses correctly answered.  Since then he did not miss a beat.  He made all A+s on his report card, meaning his averages were all 99 or 100 in every subject except the 94 in Grammar.  I have no idea how God will use these two bright boys, but it is exciting to watch them grow and learn!

Lydia Joy's first quarter grades were:

all Es and one S

Lydie received the highest scores of "Excellent" in all academic areas.  She received an "S" in self control which baffled me, as I see this area as one of her strengths.  But the "S" reflected her crying episodes the first two or three weeks of school.  Thankfully the crying is a thing of the past, so we are just encouraging her to keep up the good work!  She seems to be quite a leader in her class and loves her teacher and friends.  We are both still adjusting to our time away from one another, but I think she is doing really well for such a change!

Overall, it was a great start to our first school experience.  The children seem well prepared academically and they are doing really well socially.  This weekend the boys have both been invited to parties, which was a rare treat when we homeschooled.  They all seem to be surrounded by friends when I peek in on them.  Praying that God would enable us to be encouraged and strengthened in our long drives each day.  Praying for continued wisdom and understanding.  And praising God for a good start!  Ready to keep running the race!