You made it! Your first week of the new homeschool year! How did everybody do? My family had what we like to call our "soft launch," and that's a great thing for us! Keeps the mama sane and the kiddos from revolting. Over the next couple of weeks, we will begin to introduce new classes and lessons for the kids. By the end of September, we will be in full homeschool mode with our calendars and schedules brimming with activities and learning again. It's a beautiful thing to watch unfold, and I love it! It sort of ushers in a new season that feels so right each and every year. After we begin to feel set in our new routines, the fall creeps in, and all the feels along with it and, I get super excited about my time at home with the kids during the cooler months. There's something about those crisp mornings and chilly days that create my favorite season for homeschool fun and coziness. It must be all that hygge I talked about last year! Bring on the hot drinks and fireside snuggles while diving into some great literature! But for now, back to reality and how your first week went...

If your week didn't go as well as you had hoped, and there were more tears than smiles, don't be alarmed. Your frustrations, your kids' frustrations, and the all-around difficulty of figuring out this new schedule are normal! Don't let a stressful first week discourage you.

How things went this first week is no indicator of exactly how your homeschool year will look. Don't be overconfident either! If you had a great first week, that's awesome! But don't get too ahead of yourself. It will get harder; there will be tears; you will doubt this decision you've made.

I am here to say from experience and failure that the doubt we'll creep in, but don't let that stop you. Let it transform you. Don't let it overshadow your homeschool day, week, or year. You are very well equipped to do this job, and you will succeed. Build up your confidence, study anything you need to study, educate yourself about different philosophies of education, think outside the box, and jump in with both feet! The best way to homeschool your kids is to try something, fail, and then try something new. Failing your way through homeschooling will produce vast amounts of success, very confident kids, and a culture in your home that teaches your children that trying and never giving up is always the right answer.

Pretty soon, you'll see all the habits begin to develop. There will be a system to your day. Your own unique family system. You'll see your kids recognize that system too and they come to count on it. Organically your own unique homeschool family lifestyle inside your home will emerge, and you will all work together, like a well-oiled machine.

Now, if things aren't working smoothly, and you feel a significant lack of confidence in all that you have planned, stop, and re-evaluate. Circle your tribe of homeschool support around you. If you have no support, find it! And fast! This is a hefty task you're taking on with tremendous reward. It is hard to do alone. Hard but not impossible. Look for the people you can count on to push you in the right direction, encourage you, and give you that break when you need it. Asking for breaks is essential. If you can't get one, then plan one day per week where you and your children do whatever YOU love. Do you enjoy the beach? Get out of the house and get there as quickly as you can! Do you love walks in the park? Make sure that that's what you're doing each week to re-center yourself and give your mind a break. Love to read? Spend the day ignoring all other household duties and just read for pleasure alongside your kids. Get creative; do what you need to do to do the job well!

And, as always, plug into the community of homeschoolers here in Riverside County that Inspire has built. There are teachers, vendors, and seasoned homeschool parents who are all here to support you! Remember that hard is not the same thing as bad and if you keep moving forward, you'll come to the end of the school year with more profound relationships with your kids and a whole lot of excellent educational experiences to look back on. You've got this!

~Candice

The 2019-2020 Online Subscription Package (OSP) options are finalized, and we’re spotlighting every option - every week!

This week we spotlight Prodigy!

"The most engaging math platform in the world."

By opting into prodigy you will receive:

• Teacher account along with a student account for each student who opts in
• Teacher accounts include: a teacher dashboard, access to placement tests,
• Student accounts include full access to the Prodigy, a curriculum-aligned, adaptive, online, RPG (Role Playing Game) style video game.

Benefits of Prodigy:

• Over 1200 crucial math skills for grades 1 - 8 - Prodigy has content from all major topics and will seamlessly cover Grades 1 - 8 to help ensure your students are ready for standardized testing.
• Address every child’s individual needs - With a diagnostic test to place students in the correct grade, embedded assessments, and automatic differentiation, Prodigy ensures that each one of your students succeed at their own pace.
• Inform your classroom with 24/7 reporting - Everything your students work on in Prodigy is reported back to you in real time. Quickly see which skills your students have mastered, and where they may need some additional support.

For more details on this OSP option and all the other OSP subscriptions, head over to the OSP Handbook.

Have a question regarding the Online Subscription Package? Email osp@inspireschools.org

Make sure you're in the "know" for all the events happening at the Riverside County Libraries!

Head over to http://rivlib.info/website/events

I am starting my twelfth year of homeschooling my big group! I have eight kids and six are enrolled in Inspire! I love to help families discover their perfect homeschool lifestyle based on the needs of each child and the family! We homeschool in a very eclectic and flexible way and always have. I desire to bring a deep understanding of the importance and enjoyment of home education to our awesome Riverside County Community of Homeschoolers! As always, reach out at any time for all your homeschool needs and concerns. I am always happy to help!

Hi everyone! I am a mom of 3 awesome kids ranging in age from 11 to 7 years old. My husband and I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 16 years. Having homeschooled our children over the last 7 years in 3 different states, I've found homeschooling here in California, especially with Inspire Charter, has been a great fit for our homeschool journey. I am grateful for our ability to homeschool so freely and I aspire to assist other families with their own homeschool adventures!