Homeschooling a high schooler

[SamRoc]

I don't have any kids, yet, but I do have a question regarding homeschooling high school kids. When it comes to sports, dances, proms, chorus, drama and so forth, how does that work? Do you align your kid(s) with a local high school for that, or do all the other homeschooling parents get together for something each year with their kids? Just wondering.

You can have your child go to the local high school for proms etc if you really want to, but homeschoolers have a whole network. They can do after school sports activities (baseball teams, soccer, cheerleading etc.) in their neighborhood, just like the kids who go to school all day. And homeschoolers can go into the science labs and work on the equipment there if they need to. This way they can fulfill any requirements for science. Usually home school kids are involved in so many activities, they dont need the schools for that. You can do community theater, which any kid can audition for. There are groups of homeschoolers here where I live that keep their kids so busy, at the gym, dance schools, voice teachers. Laurel Springs even has a prom for their homeschooled students. Any kids who is homeschooled or not can do after school activities and they can all be on the same sports teams, dance class or choir if they want to.

 

[luvflorida]

I don't have any kids, yet, but I do have a question regarding homeschooling high school kids. When it comes to sports, dances, proms, chorus, drama and so forth, how does that work? Do you align your kid(s) with a local high school for that, or do all the other homeschooling parents get together for something each year with their kids? Just wondering.

To be honest, my daughter is not concerned about any of the things you've mentioned. She doesn't care about school dances, and she isn't into sports or school clubs. This is one of the reasons we're considering homeschooling for her last year and a half of high school.

Her friends are not at school, they're at her dance studio. She spends 10/12 hours a week at the studio, she takes dance classes and is on a competition team.

We've always enjoyed traveling as a family, and frankly, the idea of not having to fit the school's schedule is very appealing.

Most importantly, however, school has not been the most pleasant experience of her life, (social, emotional issues), and I believe her stress level will drop tremendously if those pressures are removed. She is a very bright girl and I think would do well being homeschooled.

Also, you mentioned drama classes in high school. My daughter has performed in numerous community theatre and summerstock theatre productions, none of them connected to the school system. There are tons of academic and social opportunities out there that have nothing to do with the traditional school system.

 

[sha_lyn]

Do you align your kid(s) with a local high school for that, or do all the other homeschooling parents get together for something each year with their kids? Just wondering.

The home school community in our area is huge. There are many opportunities to participate in sports/drama/dances etc. The local museums, history centers etc offer many programs for home schoolers also. Infact I jsut received an email from the High Museum. They are offering a special program for home schoolers to experience a traveling exhibit from the Louvre.

There really isn't an option here to participate in public school activities, I do know a coach received special permission for a homeschool student to play for one of the local highschool soccer teams a few yrs ago. At the highschool competitive level there is a homeschool association that organizes teams that compete in the same lawgues as the local private schools. At the ele level the schools do not offer sports, but the local park and rec does. Anyone can participate in those. Middle school seems to be the only "hole". There is a very large home school group that offers a non competitive instructional teams for several sports,however I'm not aware of any competitive team sports.

 

[sha_lyn]

Not at the high school level but here are a few more oppertunities....

DD is in a home school girl scout troop. She is at a meeting right now.
We are looking into her joining a home school Lego Robotics team after the first of the yr. There is also a home school 4-H group in the area.

 

[horseshowmom]

I don't have any kids, yet, but I do have a question regarding homeschooling high school kids. When it comes to sports, dances, proms, chorus, drama and so forth, how does that work? Do you align your kid(s) with a local high school for that, or do all the other homeschooling parents get together for something each year with their kids? Just wondering.

As others have said, many areas have active homeschool associations. There isn't one where we live, but our experience was that it will be what you make out of it. In our case, it was a wonderful experience with no shortcomings. To answer some of your questions...

Sports - My DD's passion was horse showing. Homeschooling made it MUCH easier for her to attend shows in and out of state as well as time at her trainer. She did participate in All Star softball (the traveling team that you had to try out for - everybody else went to public school) when she was younger, but she decided to devote her time to horses as she got older.

Dances - She has attended other dances but not a prom specifically.

Chorus/Drama - She could have participated in community theater at a town several miles from here (and actually did do a couple of productions). The local schools don't really have much of that sort of thing anyway.

So forth -

She participated in 4-H heavily in both team and individual events (Horse Judging, Oral presentations, Hippology, Horse Bowl, Consumer Judging, etc.) and is the current National champion with her Horse Bowl team (as well as being the Individual High Point).

She was crowned the Fairest of the Fair at the pageant at the fair and was selected as SASCA Queen.

She was a National AjPHA (American Junior Paint Horse Association) director.

Lots and lots of other opportunities. It really is what you put into it.

 

[luvflorida]

We used Indiana University High School to complete DD's high school. They are state accredited and it meshed very well with her high school curriculum. Many colleges and universities have similar programs and they also work with special ed students, maintaining their IEPs.

Good Luck!

Was there anything you didn't like about the Indiana University High School program? So far, this program is one of my top picks. Thanks for any info you can provide.

Also bumping, looking for more info and experiences on homeschooling high schoolers. Thanks!