Hello,
        I live in the N.E. and my husband just received a job offer in Alb. so we will be moving during the first quarter of the school year!  Last year was my first year homeschooling and it went rather well. I have a 5th grader who is a ahead academically, and a 9th grader who is struggling with reading slowly, but has great comprehension.
   I'm concerned about schooling my 9th grader this year because of our move and I don't want him to get further behind. I don't know how much time I can pour into their learning at the beginning of the school year. I feel like a deer looking into headlights.  I really don't want to put my kids back in the public school system. Also....what electives can a high schooler choose from for graduation and do homeschool graduates receive a "high school diploma" or a "GED"? I have so many questions but will ask a few at a time.

Right now the only curriculum I have is, Math-U-See, Easy Grammar, Institute for Excellence in Writing, Apologia Biology without the kit, Rosetta Stone Latin 1, and Wordly Wise. The rest I'm trying to supplement using the library.
  
Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!  

Sherri

Wow, it sounds like you have some great stuff.  I don't know anything about schooling older kids, my oldest is 8, but i wanted to welcome you to the forum and wish you luck on your move.  When you get to ABQ make sure you come by and join our park day.

Quoted from KarenArnold

Wow, it sounds like you have some great stuff.  I don't know anything about schooling older kids, my oldest is 8, but i wanted to welcome you to the forum and wish you luck on your move.  When you get to ABQ make sure you come by and join our park day.

Well, I kinda went overboard with curriculum when I went to last years home school convention. I will never do that again...it was way too expenssive. I heard that homeschoolers usually go over the top their first year...yup, that was me...  

The Co-op I was a member of was nice, but it has nothing in comparrison with Albuquerque's choices...WOW! I was excited to see that the library offers Rosetta Stone free.  

  I would love to join your park day. We are "hoping" to move by the end of Sept., if not, sooner. We used to live in Alb. 20 years ago. My husband and I were high school sweet hearts. I'm tired of the N.E. People here are not "as" friendly and much more reserved, not to mention it's cloudy most of the time because we live so close to Lake Michigan. Thank you for the warm welcome!

Quoted from 166

   I'm concerned about schooling my 9th grader this year because of our move and I don't want him to get further behind. I don't know how much time I can pour into their learning at the beginning of the school year. I feel like a deer looking into headlights.  I really don't want to put my kids back in the public school system. Also....what electives can a high schooler choose from for graduation and do homeschool graduates receive a "high school diploma" or a "GED"? I have so many questions but will ask a few at a time.

I figure as long as kids are reading great literature they're OK. You might want to consider some Dickens (Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol), Treasure Island if he hasn't read it, some Shakespeare (perhaps start with Twelfth Night--fairly accessible). He might like The Phantom Tollbooth, too.

Most homeschoolers graduate with an unaccredited diploma, just as they would if they graduated from any other unaccredited private school. They can take a GED later if they really need to, but make sure to check into the implications of that before deciding on it. It's rarely needed.

Diane

Hello Sherri,

And welcome! We''ve owned a home in New Mexico for over 14 years, but we did transfer to South Carolina for a few years due to hubby's old job. It was fun and a unique opportunity, but we never quite felt like we fit in, except with our terrific homeschool group. South Carolina roots run deep and friends and family go way back, so it's difficult to work you way into those circles.

So, we are very happy to be back home in NM again. We currently live in Rio Rancho, but will be moving to the East Mountains in September.  

My twin sons are entering '5th grade' this year. We used to follow a piece-meal of different curriculum, but most of our learning now is done with reading, with hands-on experiences while out exploring the world. We are pretty relaxed and eclectic while leaning more towards unschooling, though we are doing a bunch of research with online independant study programs, through accredited universities which award students with diplomas and college credit.

As my sons are getting older, computers are one of their favorite ways to learn about the world. They really like that these types of programs cater to independant study and give them the freedom to learn at home and at times when they are most focused and alert. They also like that someone objective from outside can critique their work. They are both very interested in participating in Texas Tech's Independant Study Program, so we may get them set up either this year or next.

Here's some more info:

No matter where "here" is, accessing a quality education is possible through Texas Tech University’s Division of Outreach & Distance Education (ODE). No matter where you are – whether you need primary, secondary, or undergraduate options – our distance learning solutions will meet your needs. Our K-12 programs can educate one student, an entire classroom, or a complete school district. In addition to our K-12 and college distance learning choices, we offer K-12 academic enrichment, lifelong learning opportunities, and professional development. From kindergarten to college, from community outreach to professional development, we deliver educational opportunities at all levels.

Our K-12 credit options include independent study courses as well as a comprehensive K-12 curriculum that includes a high school diploma track – a program particularly appealing to homeschoolers. Our Credit by Examination offerings give students the option of testing out of courses to accelerate their academic progress. Academically strong high school students may choose to take a dual-credit course, allowing them to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously.

Here is their website if you'd like to check it out:
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/aboutus.asp

Maybe this could be an option for your 9th grader?

Hope to meet you soon,

Corpus Christi Catholic Home Educators has a lot of older kids in it and meets weekly in the east mountains.
Catholic. Provides support and information for parents and activities for kids. Contact Adrienne at 832-4010 or a-head@juno.com.

Cottonwood Homeschoolers also has older homeschoolers.
Inclusive. Play dates, field trips, holiday parties and much more. West Side, Rio Rancho, Corrales and North Valley families. Visit http://www.cottonwoodhomeschoolers.com.

Just in case you hadn't heard of these groups yet.

Hi Sherri,

We have a list of homeschooling groups (very infrequently updated, sorry) at http://www.abqhomeschool.com/suppgrps.html. And of course there are also many, many groups here that prefer to remain "under the radar." You'll be able to find out about a lot of them by word of mouth once you're here.

Isn't it great that Rosetta Stone is free?!? I'm still pinching myself about that one.

Quoted from ang

Corpus Christi Catholic Home Educators has a lot of older kids in it and meets weekly in the east mountains.
Catholic. Provides support and information for parents and activities for kids. Contact Adrienne at 832-4010 or a-head@juno.com.

Cottonwood Homeschoolers also has older homeschoolers.
Inclusive. Play dates, field trips, holiday parties and much more. West Side, Rio Rancho, Corrales and North Valley families. Visit http://www.cottonwoodhomeschoolers.com.
Just in case you hadn't heard of these groups yet.

Are there any other inclusive homeschool groups, with older kids, in the East Mountains?
I recently signed up with OLE, but almost all of the posts are from Tabbi's Homeschool Info. Doesn't
seem to be much going on  

I can ask about other groups in the east mountains.  A lot of the kids in the Corpus Christi group do a lot with the Opera in Santa Fe and chorus and dance groups in Albuquerque.  They may know. We are actually from Rio Rancho and travel each week to the meetings. So I'm not too familiar with other east mountain activities.

Quoted from ang

Corpus Christi Catholic Home Educators has a lot of older kids in it and meets weekly in the east mountains.
Catholic. Provides support and information for parents and activities for kids. Contact Adrienne at 832-4010 or a-head@juno.com.

Cottonwood Homeschoolers also has older homeschoolers.
Inclusive. Play dates, field trips, holiday parties and much more. West Side, Rio Rancho, Corrales and North Valley families. Visit http://www.cottonwoodhomeschoolers.com.

Just in case you hadn't heard of these groups yet.

Thank you for letting me know. This is very helpful.  

Thank you all for the warm welcomes and helpful ideas. I used to live in Rio Rancho when I was 15. It was just developing then. So much has changed! I hardly recognized it while on vacation. It's amazing how much anything changes about 20 years later. In fact, Intel was just built before I married my husband. I am so ready to come home now. I look forward to meeting you.

Sherri, I don't mean to inundate you with info that you may not need yet, but you might like to read the synopsis of the NM homeschooling laws & requirements right here: http://www.abqhomeschool.com/nmlaws.html. This is an easy state to homeschool in. The state keeps off your back, BUT on the flip side doesn't offer you much of anything at all in the way of support.

Quoted from 166

Thank you all for the warm welcomes and helpful ideas. I used to live in Rio Rancho when I was 15. It was just developing then. So much has changed! I hardly recognized it while on vacation. It's amazing how much anything changes about 20 years later. In fact, Intel was just built before I married my husband. I am so ready to come home now. I look forward to meeting you.

I know what you mean, Sherri. We built our house in northern Rio Rancho, in Enchanted Hills, when all there was up here was a Dairy Farm across the road.
Now, 12 years later, the Dairy Farm is gone, and in it's place a Super Walmart is going up! There are grocery stores, shopping, even a Starbucks.
The traffic is getting terrible, and the quiet and peacefulness is starting to go, so we are selling our house and moving to the mountains. lol! Hopefully, the Walmart and traffic won't find us there.  

Of course, all the conveniences sure are nice. It's great to have all the options that this area offers.

look forward to meeting you, too.