The following entry is from Sarah. She explains how virtual schooling works for her family. She is a veteran of four different virtual schools.
How our family, the Marcis7pk Schools
from 1999 to date
We are very grateful for the choice in Wisconsin to school many ways. Our family has used this to give our 5 children the best education and life learning we know how. Our children have been home schooled, attended private Christian schools, schooled at home using virtual schools, and/or attended public school. We appreciate the laws in Wisconsin to allow this way of education for the future generations.
Our first year of schooling our oldest and only son was in the fall of 1999 when he was 4. We used our church's private school for this and continued this the following year along with speech therapy at our local public school for him. His kindergarten year he attended half days at this private school. When 1st grade came and another baby for us we tried home schooling and loved it. For 2nd grade we tried the private school but the distance and time he was gone was more than we, as parents, liked. We brought him back home to school. He continued home schooling until grade 5 when a different private school was available to us. He went back to home schooling in 6th grade. In 7th grade we applied for open enrollment to Wisconsin Virtual School in Fredonia, WI. He finished 8th grade there and then choose to go to brick and mortar public school along with an on line class with Wisconsin Virtual School in CESA 9 which he continues now as a sophomore.
Our oldest daughter was special in learning because she taught herself to read using tape/cd books from our local library. She attend private schools for preschool and kindergarten. The school she was in let her work at her own pace and she was 4 booklets away from 2nd grade and the end of Kindergarten. We then home schooled her along with her brother for the next couple of years. After we had one year of virtual schooling under our belt we applied to Monroe Virtual Middle School for 7th grade. She finished 8th grade with them and took a few high school courses with them as well. This year she is virtually attending IQ out of Waukesha. Because she likes the challenge of getting done early we choose her own school instead of placing her in WIVA. She switched from Monroe to IQ because she wanted more on line live classes. She plans to continue with them in the fall of 2011.
Our 2nd daughter like the 1st attend preschool and kindergarten at the same private school. She came to home schooling also like the older two. When 6th grade came and we had 2 years and 2 different virtual schools down we asked which she wanted and she wanted her own school. So, we researched again and applied for Connections out of Appleton. Each virtual school has their good and bad points. They really all work to educated children just in a different way sometimes. We are very proud of all of Wisconsins virtual schools they strive to be the best and offer upstanding curriculum. She currently is in 7th grade at Connections and plans to continue there for 8th grade. We are so excited Connections is offering high school for the fall of 2011.
Our 3rd daughter did the same as our 1st and 2nd daughters. After having 3 in virtual schools we applied to McFarland for WIVA for her in the fall of 2010 for 4th grade. Having used the curriculum with our son we felt comfortable doing this. The new part was WIVA moved from Fredonia to McFarland.
Our youngest and 4th daughter is the youngest we have virtually schooled. We applied to Wisconsin Virtual Learning to use the Little Lincoln curriculum. It is working out, but we may go back to home schooling again. There is more parent paperwork with young students, and that would be our reason.
Our view of schooling takes in many considerations. We run a dairy farm and when our children came home on the bus we would most likely be heading to chores. We home school or virtual school for more time with our children. The idea of virtual schooling is exciting because it is “real” public school at home. We view home schooling as a private schooling at home. They run very different, one is probably not better than then the other; it just gives us, parents, control over our educational choices for our families.
Train up a Marcis came about in the early years of home schooling our children from the Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. We still continue to view our way of schooling that way.”
The dad in our house is referred to as the principal. He takes care of those duties and is around during most of the day. He assists with the math and high school level courses. He knows each child is responsible to work at their schoolwork and do the best they can do. They also have chores that are expected throughout the week where they spend one on one time with him.
The mom taking the role of teacher/learning coach. She follows through with daily work and keeps the children on task. Checks work that needs it, logs attendance and submits assignments to teachers on line for the young ones. The older ones can do this themselves. She reads newsletters and decides on field trips each child may go on from each virtual school. Her goal is to work at school with the children to have them feeling good about themselves and that they are learning as them go along.
Our family,
Steve, principal and dairy farmer
Sarah, coach and assistant to farmer
Andrew, sophomore at Stratford High School with 2 on line classes from WVS
Alayne, freshman at IQ
Audree, 7th grader at Connections
Annica, 4th grader at WIVA
Angela, 1st grader at WVL
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