Creating a Homeschool Portfolio

So I'm pretty horrified that it's been over a month since I last posted. Wow, that's pretty terrible! Sure, I could blame it on extra dance rehearsals or new activities for the kids (skating/hockey for Noah and ballet/bellydance for Ava). But, the truth is, I've been really busy finding ways to make our lives (and our schooling) a little bit simpler. And yes, I do see the irony in that.

More on that to come for sure, but I have something specific that's brought me back to post today. Because as always, nothing inspires me like a deadline. And now I have one looming - a big one. Since we recently finished Noah's 1st grade curriculum, I just scheduled our first homeschool evaluation and have less than two weeks to prepare the portfolio.

Of course, I've been reading up on the process and the (State of Florida) requirements. But at least so far, I'm feeling relieved. The required elements are pretty clear and minimal, and the work samples are much less (quantity wise) than I'd imagined. I'm going to resist the urge I always have to overdo things and make simplicity the theme. For those facing first-time evaluations, I thought I'd share this article sent to me by my friend Jan (who also happens to be our evaluator!)

Jan also let me know that after reviewing the portfolio with me, she'll be speaking with Noah for a few minutes. He and I discussed tonight that she'd be asking him about a favorite project or field trip. During our talk, he decided that he'd like to tell her about our trip to Washington DC and how they make the money, and he's planning to bring our lapbook from the trip.

So, between the skating, hockey, ballet and bellydance this week, I'll be starting to pull things together. I'm very grateful for Homeschool Tracker, my Outlook calendar and my obsessive photo habit right about now. And I'm definitely excited to look back and reflect on all we've accomplished this year!