Around the Kitchen Table: The High School Schoolhouse Planner

The High School Schoolhouse Planner
Project Manager: Heidi Strawser
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
http://www.theoldschoolhousemagazine.com/
1-888-718 HOME

Boy, was I thrilled when I heard that The Old Schoolhouse had made planners for homeschooled students. As a mom of a high school age student, one of my goals is to teach her how to organize her day. The schoolhouse planner is unique in that a student can pick and chose from the 293 pages included in the e-book. I especially liked that the pages can be photocopied, hole punched and be placed in the students binder along with their school work. No more misplaced planners!

I received a copy of the High School Schoolhouse Planner in exchange for an honest review from the eyes of a tenth grade homeschooler. The planner was delivered in an e-book formation. The e-book opened easily and its graphic design was appealing. As my daughter, Kaela and I, browsed through the almost 300 pages of the planner, we were both pleased with the content and the layout. Kaela decided to compile a list of the elements of the planner she liked most and those she disliked. Below is a list of Kaela's top picks.

Sign Language Sheet

State Requirements

Conversions (math)

Timeline of Inventions

Countries and Capitals

Famous Composers

Goals (Weekly, Monthly and yearly)

Transcripts

High School Plan

Books Read This Year

Community Service Record

Vocabulary Study Sheet

Interest and Career Ideas

All Purpose Wish List

Schedules

Music Practice Sheets

Prayer Journal

Chronological Bible Reading Schedule

Bible Reading Highlights

Dates to Remember

Phone Numbers

In addition, there are also several different calendars to choose, including daily, weekly and yearly calendars. Kaela also found that the ablility to type directly onto the forms was extremely helpful. The end result, a totally unique planner that was, not only fun to put together, but very useful. The one downside to this planner is the additional cost of copying the pages. However, we chose to take it to our local office supply store. This not only saved us money, but they were able to print the planner on a colorful assortment of paper.

Kaela's list of pages she disliked was short in comparison to the top picks list. They include the following forms:

Elements- prefers to see them arranged on a periodic table

Attendance Chart- not necessary since she works until her curriculum is complete

Journal-too personal to keep in planner

Lab Sheet - she uses sheets provided in her science program

Family Rules-She knows them by heart:)

Overall, the $29.00 price is a small price to pay for leading your high school student towards a more organized lifestyle. Also included with the price of the planner is a 14 page Parent's Pack, which includes four articles relevant to homeschooling a high school age child. The articles include: "High School: Time 2 Prepare", How to Create a High School Transcript", "The 411 on School Dual Enrollment", and "You Are the Best High School Guidance Counselor" The Parent's Pack also contains several links to helpful websites.

Although this planner is geared towards students in 9-12 grades, I think it will really be helpful for parents of High Schoolers as well.

Here is a direct link for the High School Planner

http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=191_193