Back to School 2020-2021 and a BIG Announcement

What can I say, we're getting ready to start back to school next week!

It's the year of quarantine, the year of COVID-19, and all kinds of craziness in schedules and life for everyone. .. and for us, it's the year of our last, first day of school with Krypto at home!

It's true, this year Krypto will be a senior in high school...the 12th grade, the last year I'll be his primary teacher and care giver. It's emotional and hard and exciting and fun and scary all at the same time.

We have another big announcement to make - this year, all three of the kids will be in high school.

You read that correctly. After much thought, prayer, and consideration, along with talking to some specialists, we're going to do a hybrid 8th/9th grade year for Sissi and she'll be graduating from high school a year early.

The past two years she has been bored in school and quite honestly, she's been keeping pace with the boys in language study, she took Health last year (a high school level course), and most importantly, she's been engaged and involved in our Tapestry of Grace History and Literature discussions with older brothers who are doing the Rhetoric level work. She is ready, she's asking for it, and she is super interested in pursuing college and the rest of her life. This way, she gets there one year faster and they will ALL be in college one year together as well. It's another "hard and exciting and fun and scary all at the same time" part of my life! I'm super excited for her but also sad I'll be losing her a year earlier than we had originally thought.

We're calling this year a hybrid year because other than math, she is on target for all 9th grade courses. SO, she began her math book (Algebra, normally an 8th grade course in our house) a month ago and has been working 6 days or more a week to get ahead. She will be taking Algebra AND Geometry this school year. If she follows this plan, she'll finish with Algebra in February sometime and then will start Geometry and work through next summer to finish it up; this will put her on target to take Algebra II as a 10th grader, Pre-Calculus as an 11th grader, and Calculus as a 12th grader. Please pray for her to keep up her enthusiasm and excitement once we add in all the other high school level classes this year. We have discussed, that should she not complete the required work, or fall behind, then this year will revert to an 8th grade year and she will be a 9th grader again next year. She's onboard and knows the ramifications and assures us she is up to the challenge.

Without further ado...here is our 2020-2021 Falconshire Classical Academy plan...with a few explanations along the way.

Our 12th grader, Krypto

Class of 2021

He'll be studying Tapestry of Grace, Year 3 (19th Century), History, Literature, Geography, Worldview, Philosophy, Government, and Art History

He'll also be taking AP U.S. History with The Potter's School as he's decided he wants to major in History and minor in Creative Writing. We want him to have an opportunity to have another History teacher (other than Indy and I) and to earn college credit so that he can spend more time on the upper division courses in college that he is so excited about taking.

Math-U-See Calculus

Math-U-See Stewardship

Apologia Advanced Biology Anatomy and Physiology with the Virtual Homeschool Group

Constitutional Literacy from HSLDA

Analytical Grammar weekly reviews

Russian review and Visual Latin II

He's also working on writing his fourth novel, editing his third for publication this year around Christmas, and this summer he published his second book, "The Sword of Thunder", on Amazon.

He took his SAT last December and scored a 1440, so we're thankful that is high enough that he doesn't need to retake it.

He's already been accepted at Liberty University and has an outstanding application at Taylor University that we should hear about any day. There are a few other schools he is looking at and we have a pending application in with AFROTC. The big push this year is scholarship applications.

Our 10th grader, Gwangi

Class of 2023

He's also studying Tapestry of Grace, Year 3 (19th Century), History, Literature, Geography, Worldview, Philosophy, Government, and Art History

Math-U-See Algebra II

Apologia Chemistry, 2nd edition, with the Virtual Homeschool Group

Constitutional Literacy from HSLDA

Analytical Grammar weekly reviews and Wordly Wise daily

Russian review 

The Potter's School - Java Computer Programming

PSAT prep with Khan Academy and taking the test this year (should we find a testing site that is open?) - last year he got an 1140 on the PSAT 8/9 which was a full 90 points higher than Krypto had scored on his 8/9 exam as a 9th grader. We're so proud of these kiddos and all their hard work!

Our 8th/9th grader, Sissi

Class of 2024 or 2025

She'll also be studying Tapestry of Grace, Year 3 (19th Century), History, Literature, Geography, Worldview, Philosophy, Government, and Art History

Math-U-See Algebra

Math-U-See Geometry

Apologia Biology, 2nd edition, with the Virtual Homeschool Group

Constitutional Literacy from HSLDA

Analytical Grammar completed in a year and Wordly Wise daily

Russian review and Visual Latin II

PSAT prep with Khan Academy and taking the test this year, maybe?

Guitar...we'll have to find someone to give lessons when we get back to the US, but she has been enjoying playing and taking lessons with a friend since May of this year.

That about sums it up. What are you up to this year, anything fun or new to share?

I'll post again in a week or two once we start the school year and have all of our official "Back to School" pictures for posting. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer!

Another Year Complete...School is DONE!

On Friday we wrapped up the 2019-2020 school year! Whew! It was a full one.

Krypto completed 11th grade and he...

published a book - The Bow of Ice,

took 3 science courses at the same time - Physics, Health, and Psychology,

2 languages - Russian and Latin,

got a 1440 on his SAT in December - he was just 10 points away from getting a perfect score in English, he missed only one question,

took another Potter's School course - Arthurian Lit and Comp

and kept his 4.0 GPA

Gwangi completed 9th grade and he...

created a computer game in his Potter's School Python coding class that got him a perfect score and a 99% in the course overall,

He earned a 99% in Geometry,

took the PSAT in October and earned an 1140,

and started off his high school career with a 4.0 GPA

Sissi completed 7th grade and she...

created so many amazing pieces of art that I think I need to make that another blog post,

also studied 2 languages with Krypto - Russian and Latin,

and kept up with the boys in their Tapestry of Grace Year 2 studies that is most likely the heaviest reading year in the Tapestry rotation while wishing that I kept a transcript for my middle schoolers, but I don't :)

Together, they all memorized the first 10 chapters in the book of Mark.

On Friday they said, "But, Mom, that is only 10 chapters. In the past we've done whole books." So, I did the math...they memorized 425 verses this year...on average 2-3 a day. In years past, they did about 300 or so in a school year. This year they were really pushed! At any one time they could quote, all together, about 60 or so verses. As we got further away from the beginning of the book, we would only quote the most recent chapter or two. In previous school years they have memorized, and been able to quote, the books of Ephesians, Philemon, James, Galations, and Colossians. Before we began memorizing whole books we did individual verses and paragraphs, but 3 years ago I wanted them to memorize Philippians chapter 2, a favorite of mine, and then I realized, "Hey, we can just do the whole book...," and so it began.

Woohoo, last day of school!

All done with Pre-Algebra

All done with Pre- Calculus

Last set of papers turned in!

First day of summer break...included some painting for a friend.

We are borrowing a guitar and Sissi is two weeks into taking guitar lessons with a friend.

Science labs all done for Physics.

Completed Geometry.

Last day of Arthurian Lit and Comp...he's decided to take AP US History with The Potter's School next year.

All done with Python Coding...he's taking Java next year with The Potter's School.

We did Apologia Health in a co-op format with another homeschool family here in Bishkek. The last 3 meetings were via Zoom due to the quarantine. Here is Sissi, doing her presentation on sleep disturbances.

Gwangi, preparing for a debate in our co-op.

Krypto sharing his presentation on Pregnancy and Childbirth.

We split up the modules amongst the kids so that everyone had 4 times to present during the school year. It was wonderful for them to learn more about creating Powerpoint slides and work on their public speaking skills while getting feedback from outside of the family.

On Friday afternoons we would all gather to have a History discussion where we reviewed their Accountability and Thinking Questions (AQ/TQs) from the week in a Socratic way.

I think we're all excited for the summer and a bit of "different"...

We'll be working on reading lists, hoping to get out for some camping and hiking and reconnecting with friends around Kyrgyzstan once the road blocks around Bishkek are removed, playing more games together, learning some new skills via our Master Class membership from my sister, spending time with our individual crafts, publishing Krypto's second book, and beginning the college and scholarship application process. It's going to be full and fun! We'll keep you updated.

Thanksgiving up until Christmas 2019

Every year there is a display of handmade wool, shyrdak rugs by our friends at Altyn Kol in Kochkor. If we're in town, I try to swing by and I'm often tempted to buy something, even though I already have a half dozen shyrdaks in my house. This year was no exception, though I did walk away empty handed. See if you can pick out the carpet I wanted to take home.

I'll tell you, it's the circle one above. the blue was so vibrant and almost teal. I loved how different it was from the other rectangular shaped carpets. I do have a picture though, so it might be a future, custom order from me...we'll wait and see.

Turkey! Each year we host several Thanksgiving get togethers. This was the turkey for our first one!

We set up a kids' activity room for them to play with Legos, make band bracelets, do stickers, etc. while the parents "talk."

Our first Thanksgiving of 2019!

The table of yummy goodness!

Traditionally, we set up for Christmas on the weekend following Thanksgiving, so here we go. Our Kyrgyz Nativity set.

Our tree for the year.

My favorite "new" ornament is the Paris ornament we picked up last December when we spent Christmas in Paris with our friends, the Weltons.

Table in the entry way.

Another Thanksgiving feast.

Kids playing and talking in the office.

Our Thanksgiving #2 group photo.

Following Thanksgiving, we went to Karkol for our yearly outing to meet up with business associates and get in some skiing with friends!

Kids in the backseat.

We made a gas and bathroom stop and all the animals find the girl who is the animal whisperer...yep, she wanted to bring them all home with us.

I'll admit, I was tempted to bring this kitten home. Sissi named her Amber because of the color of her eyes.

Cows at the gas station!

Trains on the tracks, by the dirt road.

And, cows walking along the side of the road, with their owner/herder on horseback.

We made it to Karakol Ski Resort.

Indy and I on our 22nd Anniversary weekend.

The view from one of the top lifts at Karakol.

About the midpoint, coming down.

Sissi did great. Her ankle was acting up. It was the first time skiing for the season and her ankle still gives her problems from her fall off her horse last fall.

Sissi with her friend.

Some other views from the top of Karakol

Krypto, ready to head down.

Krypto's good friend, Ian, on his board.

Just some of the things you can buy when in Karakol.

Card games at dinner with friends, while the parents talk business.

Tired kiddos, staring at a wall sized world map.

The cute son of some friends of ours.

Parents talking business over dinner. 

Stopping by for some coffee and hot chocolate at the new Karakol Sierra.

Sunny morning, but we're at Sierra!

My birthday dinner, after we got back to Bishkek. We went to "Meat Street" which is about 4 blocks from our house.

My dinner was really, really good!

Gwangi had his favorite, khachapuri.

Me and my girl at dinner.

The boys across the table.

Indy and I at dinner for my birthday.

The next weekend, after church, was the annual Christmas bazaar at the Hyatt.

Sissi came home with a few new ornaments and decorated her room.

These are my new ornaments! Hand painted from Uzbekistan.

On a library trip to Hope, Krypto found his book on the shelves in the library! He was super excited.

Another get together at our house. Look at all those shoes.

and, all those coats!

Jeff's English class came over to experience an American Thanksgiving and hear about Christmas!

They are all listening and asking questions.

Group photo!

We finished our fall semester podcast night's program...Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project." We watched an episode every Monday (or sometimes Tuesday) night as a family and then discussed the Worldview issues. It was a great discussion starter with our kids.