A Little Rebellion Every Now & Then

Tuesday, September 5 is our official “First Day of First Grade.”

We don’t have any specific celebratory plans, though perhaps we’ll go and visit Bruster’s for ice cream in the late morning or early afternoon.

The list of subjects and how we’re going to approach them, as well as how often we will tackle them, is about ninety-nine percent firm. Nothing’s ever one hundred percent, is it?

The day will start with recitation, Latin, and arithmetic. The order will no doubt vary, but those three items will be done in the first hour and will be done before contemplating any other subject. Grammar, spelling, handwriting, and copywork will be covered four out of five days of each week. Science - biology - will be covered either one or two days per week; historical studies - the ancients - will be covered either one or two days per week; and classical studies - foundational Greek & Roman myths - will be covered one day per week. Finally, we will listen to various albums of classical music throughout the week (optimally, an album each week, listening to the album in its entirety once per day), Gillian will attend an art skills class one day per week, and we will look at one or two pages in The Children’s Book of Art one afternoon each week.

Further, Gillian will be expected to read each day, for at least thirty minutes’ duration, with the time increasing as her reading profiency and fluency develops.

I have high hopes for this school year. Gillian is excited and eager to begin, and the school area has been neatened up considerably from its story state just over a week ago.

It’s time to move on, time to get going… what lies ahead I have no way of knowin’.