Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Back To School...Not!


This week, when Australian schools and homeschools are "heading back to school" for the 2011 school year...Anthony is not.

This fifteen year old, my last official unschooler, is reading and watching Noel Steatfeild's Ballet Shoes...not buying school shoes.

This unschooler is doing Kumon Maths and looking for his brother's Saxon Physics book, to work through this year...not buying textbooks.

This unschooler is lying on the sofa reading history books and Calvin and Hobbes...not in a classroom reading.

This unschooler is going to Borders, having frozen cokes at McDonald's, working at Kumon, serving at mass, talking to a friar, watering the garden, playing the piano, talking about the liturgical year, going to the movies with brothers and friends, having friends over for games...not travelling to and from school in the sweltering heat.

It's a hard life...but someone has to do it!
Unschool.
Where everything counts.

7 comments:

Mary G said...

what a wonderful kick-off to the year for Anthony! and your boys are wonderful proof that unschooling not only works, but works GREAT!

blessings and hugs on this Feast of Candlemas!

JoAnn in CO said...

Wishing you were me neighbor! William (15) needs more unschooling friends! Your son's life sounds a lot like my children's lives.... :). Enjoy!

Faith said...

We just read Ballet Shoes last year and then topped it off with watching the movie. The movie isn't bad at all, but the book is so engrossing and charming!

Have fun Anthony!

sarah said...

I have had a lot of people hassle me lately about high school qualifications. Unschooling is awesome, but I'm doing a small freakout. What is your view on having a high school diploma? Do you have plans for your children taking exams etc? In NZ we have two different options and they're both as bad as each other.

Leonie said...

I got the movie for Christmas! Thanks Mary, too...and Jo does your ds have a Facebook account or a blog?

Sarah, my kids start Open University courses ( with exams!) around age 16 or 17, and have used those re full time university entrance.

Sue Elvis said...

I was interested to hear your children have done Open Iniversity units at 16 or 17. We do the same! It's an aceptable alterntive to the HSC. As far as exams and essay writing go, Leonie, have your children felt well prepared?

Leonie said...

Well we all write a lot ... As I said to a priest last year, for better or worse we all think we have something worthwhile to say!!!...And we do go through hints re exam prep... And bcos I am a Kumoh Education Supervisor the kids have done Kumon, their choice of subject, and there is testing on each level there....My kids tend to be confident ( is that good??) so have not felt ill prepared or that they couldn't do or try something. Now does unschooling build this confident, I can try anything attitude? Interesting question!