2026-2027 School Year

 

Today was the first day of the 2026-27 school year at our homeschool cooperative: Heritage Home Scholars. I am on the Board and teach two English classes -- a middle school English (which Hannah is in) and a British Literature (which Abigail is in.)

Abigail is a sophomore. This is probably her last year at Heritage. Hannah is a 7th grader! How can that be!?

The boys no longer attend the cooperative at all. Sidge is taking full-time college classes at Walters State Community College and taking Algebra 2 at home with Dad. He'll graduate high school with his AA. He is a senior.

Isaac is taking two classes with Liberty online, one at the local community college, and doing Algebra 2 at home. He is also doing a lot of theatre and training at the Blair Academy in Johnson City in voice and piano. He is also a senior.

Time goes so fast ....

Mondays ....

 .... are co-op days. 

Co-op days are BIG and LONG and HARD. 

I am the vice-president of Heritage Home Scholars. I love this place for my kids. I love seeing my friends. But ... whew. It takes a lot out of me. 

I can't even fathom being in charge of a school every day of the week.

One day is plenty.

However, I continue to feel better and better, and I am so encouraged that I am coming out of a hard season in my life. 

I'm growing SO much.

I've learned SO much.

I am a new person.  

First day of "full" co-op

 

This past Monday was our first day of "all the kids" there co-op. Holy cow is it nutso after four weeks of just older kids' classes. Meredith is President. I'm vice-President. We made it through. 

Homeschool Theater Production

Three of my four kiddos were in a production at HERITAGE for Theatre. I didn't really get a picture of Isaac, but they are all in a play entitled: The Internet is a Distract ... oh Look it's a Kitten."

So thankful for Kristin G. who helped get all this set up. I just love our homeschool group!

Community is Cool

I have been blessed, so many times in my life, with amazing community. Each place we moved, God has provided fantastic people that have ended up truly being FAMILY to us. 

Our friends Catherine McCoy and Kristy Dick have been hosting monthly-get-together for the teen girls in our homeschool cooperative. This one was for March so it had to be St. Patrick's Day and all things green. 

I was, honestly, clocked with activities all weekend so I sent Pomegranate with Aunt Hannah and felt wonderful about her enjoying the festivities with the other gals. (Abigail is a little too old -- she ends up cycling upwards with friends -- most of her friends are in high school.) 

The Lord is so faithful and wonderful with even the little things. What a blessing.

Volleyball game

I absolutely LOVE our homeschool group. On Monday night we connected to watch Senior Night for our volleyball team. How fun?! What a fantastic group. I am so incredibly blessed to have all of these people in our life.

My friend Tammy

I have been so blessed in this "new" home we are calling forever in ... to meet and be loved by ...

SO

MANY

INCREDIBLY

AMAZING

women!

I honestly am overwhelmed by how many good friends stand alongside me in this life. So many people that when, I'm having a hard time, tell me that they'll whip up some food for me to sit down behind the church and just sit and eat together. 

(Tammy did this.)

Tammy is a "veteran" mom. Two of her kids are married now. One is getting close to marriage (I think) and it might be to a girl that I helped introduce him to. :) 

(Okay, truth be told. This town is very small and they might have met without me in the picture.)

Tammy is "veteran" homeschool Mama as well. She's been on the Board of Heritage Home Scholars for many years. 

Her last child, Jonathan, is in my British Literature class. He's a gem. (And I think he'll end up a preacher or something close!) He's going to be a junior which means he will start dual-enrolling and spending less time with the homeschool group. (While our juniors and seniors are still around co-op, they become much more active away from the building as they prepare to finish high school.)

Tammy is one of these women that you meet and just think: I want to be like her. She is sweet, soft-spoken, encouraging, funny, really, and incredibly kind. She's the board member that we often say: "If Tammy thinks this is not a good situation, it must really not be a good situation" as she is even more of an optimist/try-to-find-the-good than I am.

I'm so glad I got to know her. She attends my church and has homeschooled with me for the last eight years. A new era is coming at our homeschool group as many of the Mamas I have been doing this with for so long say good bye to the journey and pass the torch. I am one of the people they are going to be passing the torch too. 

I don't want them to leave me! But I know this is part of the journey as we school and "do life" together.

Science (is not my thing)

I am English gal. But when you are a homeschool Mama, sometimes you gotta branch out a bit. Science is majorly branching out for me. 

Science "activities" are just not fun to me. I know that they are incredibly rewarding and that the kids love them. I know that they will have wide-eyed wonder. And yet, I still don't want to do them. It just feels like too much work for too little reward.

However, sometimes, one comes together that isn't too hard and is especially rewarding/fun for the kids. 

This week it was fingerprints. We used pencil and scotch tape and templates of hands and viola! there you have it. It was fantastic. I did it with the "quad squad" (Gen, Eoin, Hannah, & Abigail) and it went wonderfully!

I love feeling accomplished :) 

Homeschooling Freedoms

I love moments like this. So many of these moments will never be captured or posted on my Blog. But they are happening. Every single day. 

Homeschooling is wonderfully, amazingly ... chaotic.

I really believed if I homeschooled I would have more free time. I am not sure where in my lunacy I thought this would be the case. But, as the kids get older, my time becomes even harder to come by. I am the teacher. I have help (thank goodness!) from my cousin-in-law-Hannah, and my husband, and Grama and Grampa and other visitors. But I'm the teacher. And the parent. And it's super hard.

But then I have a moment like this. When the kids are reading their stories (about a conversation they had with a dolphin), and Amber the cat decides it is time for her to get attention, and you can't see my blocking little toddler Theo from messing with my teacher papers.

I 

WILL

MISS

THIS.

I have no doubt. I know I will. I know I'll miss this life I'm living now. And there's nothing I can do but keep on living it. And keep on trying to raise my children to love Jesus in a time where hedonism seems at its most rampant. 

I worry that someday we may not have a right to educate our children at home despite the fact that my children are thriving (and their tests scores can prove it to you.)

I pray for FREEDOM for parents to raise their children in the way they see fit. 

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to raise my children in America and especially in East Tennessee. 

Greene County Derby

My friend, Meredith (along with her husband Daniel and her kiddos: Lilly, Hosea, and Janesa), invited me and the kids to the Greene County Fair. Sidge wasn't feeling well so I went with the other three kiddos. We were specifically there for the "Powder Puff Derby" (women's derby). 

It was incredibly loud. Incredibly. I will wear ear plugs the next time. Here are some pictures from our evening:

To be fair, we only did one portion of the Greene County Fair, and there are many different types of events that we could have participated in. But holy cow ... this felt like another planet. 

I have always wanted to spend more time with the animals at the County Fair. (I did spend time at the Minnesota State Fair which is a step up from the County Fair many moons ago.)

Firstly, we were the only people with our hand's over their ears. Are these people deaf?!

Secondly, JB saw many of the people that I saw at the fair later in his ER after fights and what-not that occur at the fair. 

Thirdly, I think I felt more out of place at this event than I did living in Turkey and the Azores. Truly this is a completely different sub-set of our county. Not saying that this is bad or good ... just different.

Fourthly, I let Isaac and Hannah (and Gabe and Eoin who joined us later) do one ride at the fair: The Graviton. Gabe actually passed out on this ride! I kid you not. And fair rides scare me. I don't think I am going to do that again.

I really love the Scraders 

 

Organizing the "stuff"

We are going to restart homeschool on August 15th. This year I will be doing the following:

British Literature

Teaching this to 16 students from our Heritage Home Scholars group including the following students:

1. My Isaac (going into 8th grade)
2. My Sidge (going into 8th grade)
3. My "niece" Ana (going into 10th grade)
4. My "niece" Kari (going into 8th grade)
5. Annabelle (my childhood BFF's daughter who lives in North Carolina but will zoom in with us; she's going into 8th grade)
6. Walker (a friend of our's through homeschool/church/ballet going into 9th grade.)
7. Micah (a friend of our's through homeschool/church) who is going into 9th grade
8. Malachi (Maryah (Gabe's girlfriend)'s younger brother going into 10th grade)
9. Sara (a rising 10th grader and daughter of my friend Catherine who is associated with me through homeschool/ballet/co-op.)

All of the kiddos above (except Annabelle) will also be taking:

• "History of the Christian Church" through Sunlight with me. This is a Bible/history combo. 
• A Logic class

In addition, Micah will be joining John for a Physical Science class. He is going to teach that just to three boys.

Whew, that's a lot.

I didn't plan on helping homeschool a lot of other children, but to be quite frank, their presence helps curbs the costs of our schooling, I enjoy it, and, teaching writing to kids is intimidating. So, enter, me! :)

The "QUAD SQUAD" is comprised of:

• Abigail (entering 5th)
• Nephew Eoin "Owen" (entering 4th)
• Hannah (entering 3rd)
• Niece Genevieve (entering 3rd)

Will be doing the following:

• Sonlight Bible (with Aunt Hannah)
• Sonlight Language Arts (with me)
• Sonlight History (with Aunt Hannah)
• Sunlight Science (with me/John)
• CTC Math (online)
• Crafts/Art (Grama)
• Piano
• Various electives through the co-op
• Typing (online through Keyboarding without Tears.)
• Extra Math (an online program to help reinforce facts)

My boys (entering 8th grade) will take the following:

• Sonlight History
• Sonlight Language Arts
• Sonlight Bible
• Logic
• CTC Math (online)
• Physical Science (with Dad at home)
• Karate
• Isaac only: 
• Theater (at the homeschool co-op)
• French (through Great Courses online)
• Sidge only: 
• Spanish I (at homeschool co-op)
• PE (at homeschool co-op)

Getting ready for schooling is a BIG undertaking but I am excited about all the cool stuff they get to do this year.

Tuesday Truth

This is SOOO true in our homeschooling family. Where in the world do all the pencils go? And the big erasers? We’ve figured out Raven eats those!

Homeschooling be like …

An incredibly important reminder

I think this often. I really, truly believe it. School is SO not the most important thing we do with our children. So why does it dominate so much of their existence? They may simply just BE who God made them to BE. Lest we never forget ...

 

Kildee House

I am reading this book to my 1st thru 4th graders. If you'd like to read with us, feel free to join in!

Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Chapter 11

Chapter 10 (Part 2)

Chapter 10 (Part 1)

Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Chapter 3 (Part 2)

Chapter 3 (Part 1)

Chapter 2

Chapter 1 

Banner in the Sky

I am reading the following book to my middle schoolers (7th-9th grade). If you'd like to read along with us, join us on my reading journey!

Chapter 19

Chapter 18

Chapter 17 (Part 1)

Chapter 17 (Part 2)

Chapter 16 (Part 2)

Chapter 16 (Part 1)

Chapter 15 (Part 1)

Chapter 15 (Part 2)

Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Chapter 9 (Part 2)

Chapter 9 (Part 1)

Chapter 8

 

Chapter 7

 

Chapter 6

Chapter 5 (Part 1)

Chapter 5 (Part 2)

Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Heritage Home Scholar Adventures

I love our homeschool co-op and all the fun things the kids get to do there. Our homeschool "community" continues to be one of the best parts of our life here in East TN. While not done with the homeschool group itself, here we are with our friend, Kymberly, whom we met through the co-op many years ago. 

Last week we went to our friend Kymberly's house to go grape picking! Muscadine time. YUM!

And here are some pictures from some of the fun things Abigail has gotten to do in co-op over the last few weeks:

Today Abigail went to Town Hall with their Explore Greeneville class at co-op. 

Last week, Officer Davis brought his dog and let the kids meet him and see how he works!

Watching KID perform. 

Abigail takes a "Tween" club class every Monday. Here they are making "Cloud dough."

Here they are making "Soap putty."

Making pumpkins with styrofoam and yarn. 

The girls making colored tiles!

The finished project!

And here they are doing tie-dye!

My sweet girl

This year at co-op

JB is teaching science this year to Sidge, Isaac, and my niece (Kari). Poor guy has worked so many shifts that we had to squeeze it in during a few hours off he had on Friday morning. Here are some pictures of him talking about Newton:

For my own records, I wanted to remember what we did for this year's homeschool group. So here it is:

Isaac (Grade 7)

• History/Language Arts Bible/Science (HLB) Sunlight Level H
• CTC Math 8th grade pre-Algebra
• Typing (Keyboarding without tears)
• Language (French)
• Piano
• Karate
• General Science (with John teaching)
• Civics (with Mrs. Bales at co-op)
• "Adventure Time" (PE class at co-op)

Elijah "Sidge" (Grade 7)

• History/Language Arts Bible (HLB) Sunlight Level H
• CTC Math 7th grade math
• Typing (Keyboarding without tears)
• Language (Spanish)
• Piano
• Karate
• General Science (with John teaching)
• Civics (with Mrs. Bales at co-op)
• "Adventure Time" (PE class at co-op)

Abigail (Grade 4)

• History/Language Arts/Bible/Science (HLB) Sunlight Level B (doing complete unit with Aunt Hannah -- Genevieve, Eoin, and our Hannah are doing it too, but Abigail is doing different reading then they are.)
• CTC Math (online)
• Sewing (with Ms. Anni)
• Typing (Keyboarding without tears)
• Piano
• Ballet
• Write-Shop (5th thru 7th grade) with Ms. McCoy 
• Art (with Kim Clark)
• Explore Greeneville (with Kristin Girton at co-op)
• Girls Club (at co-op)

Abigail (Grade 4)

• History/Language Arts/Bible/Science (HLB) Sunlight Level B (doing complete unit with Aunt Hannah -- Genevieve, Eoin, and our Hannah are doing it too, but Abigail is doing different reading then they are.)
• CTC Math (online)
• Sewing (with Ms. Anni)
• Typing (Keyboarding without tears)
• Piano
• Ballet
• Write-Shop (5th thru 7th grade) with Ms. McCoy 
• Art (with Kim Clark)
• Explore Greeneville (with Kristin Girton at co-op)
• Girls Club (at co-op)

I am teaching a Brit Lit/Christian History class to Gabe, Katy, and Maryah.

I am teaching the 7th & 9th grade HLB.

A Homeschool update

In addition to homeschooling the Kotynski kids and the Kitsteiner (my) kids, I have the incredible pleasure of homeschooling these two amazing ladies/ballerinas/Christians:

The gal on the left is Maryah. (She's my nephew Gabe's girlfriend, and I love her!) This is my first year helping to homeschool her. The gal on the right is Katy. This is my second year having her join our class. She is about as lovely as they come and has great aspirations of being a professional dancer. I am teaching their Bible/History/Language Arts to these two and Gabe as a high school class. We are doing SONLIGHT Christian History and British History. It's tough stuff.

I am also doing a 7-9th grade class for my boys, Ana and Kari. In addition, I am teaching the Language Arts portion of their class in co-op. Unfortunately, I had to give up teaching PE at our co-op which is sad for me. But being a former English teacher, I want to help the co-op by providing high quality classes.

Aunt Hannah Kotynski is teaching "the quad squad" which is Abigail, Hannah, and her Genevieve and Eoin. So I handle the big kids, and she handles the little kids. Uncle Eddie is teaching Spanish/Chemistry/Geometry to Ana, Gabe and Katie. And my John is teaching science to Sidge, Isaac, and Kari.

In addition, with our friend Erin here, they are participating in some classes with us. In fact, little 4th grade Zoey is taking a 7th grade English class with us. And Anni is doing sewing on Saturday mornings.

School is underway, and we are having a ton of fun -- and working hard!

Flame Over Tara

I’m honestly, nearly sad, I didn’t discover the SONLIGHT curriculum sooner. Or that I didn’t listen more clearly to my friends and get on board sooner — every single book is fantastic. 

Hannah Kotynski and I have already decided to majorly incorporate Sonlight into our future as homeschooling Mamas. It’s just sooo good. 

This one is a 1964 historically based piece of fiction surrounding Saint Patrick and the history of the shamrock. Goodness gracious I loved it. 

https://www.ancient.eu/Hill_of_Tara/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4010418